Saturday, June 29, 2013

Fruit Of The Week - 2nd Edition

There I was thinking that I was going to enjoy the last two Franziskaner Weiss Biers that I had in my mini-fridge in the basement and indeed I had one. Ten the vodka caught my eye and I immediately thought of a nice fruity concoction to assuage my desire for fine spirits while at the same time having something healthy. I went upstairs and checked in the fruit basket and fridge. I was amazed to find our supply of fresh fruit at almost nothing. There were a few limes, two bananas, two kiwis, a bunch of green seedless grapes and some blackberries. There was also OJ in the fridge. What to do? I decided that despite the paucity of fruity goodness, I would go for it anyway so as to be able to write up my Fruit Of The Week blog entry for this week. This is the 2nd such posting in my latest line of regular blog entries that commenced just last weekend. In the past I have done sort of regularly serialized entries related to guns, others on shooting tactics and hooting pointers and others on history. So why not now to fine fruity drinks especially since they have caught my fancy as of late!

Okay, back to tonight. I took about a cup to cup and a half of blackberries, one kiwi, two bananas, about a cup of OJ, the juice and some pulp from one large lime, and nine standard sized ice cubes and threw it all into the blender. Then I blended it to a smooth but somewhat thick slurry. I added about 4 ounces of vodka to a 20 ounce glass, then poured in the fruity medley of my own contriving, stirred thoroughly and imbibed. I am enjoying it as I write this post. I can describe it in one word: Ambrosial!

I can see though, that tomorrow, long before our BBQ, I will have to head to Costco to pick up a case of bier or two, fresh fruit (bananas, pineapple, apples, kiwis, blackberries, raspberries and whatever), and maple syrup. The bier is for drinking (for me, my son and my two brothers-in-law and would be here and not on honeymoon for my new son-in-law too), the fruit for my family to eat and me to drink (as in one of my fruity mixtures), and the maple syrup to add to my secret recipe for fall off of the bone pot simmered pork ribs (which I will admit will contain at least one or two of whatever bier I buy).

By the way, I mixed up a nice dry rub for one of the two full racks of ribs I will prepare tomorrow. It is kind of a Memphis style rub, no sugar. It is going to be on the hot side if the pinch of it I threw into my mouth and swirled around a bit is any indication. I guess four teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper and two of finely ground cayenne pepper are going to give it some kick. That rack will be in addition to rack that I will simmer in the pot in my secret sauce (so secret I am not yet sure of everything that will go into it). I am salivating already just thinking of tomorrow's upcoming and very toothsome banquet - for it will be just that and of that I am sure!

All the best,
Glenn B

A Cardinal Rule of Firearms Safety: Alcohol/Drugs & Gunpowder Do Not Mix

Although not mentioned in Colonel Jeff Cooper's 4 Rules of Firearms Safety (believe me there really are quite a few more cardinal rules of gun safety than merely four) that same rule is an important one to remember when handling guns. It also fits in nicely with fireworks too. See what I mean here:

http://www.kptv.com/story/22720211/medford-man-hospitalized-after-blowing-hand-off-with-illegal-firework

All the best,
Glenn B

Friday, June 28, 2013

Off To The Airport - Maybe This Time I Will Get It Right

This morning, I was up and about at about 0340 because I was led to believe my daughter and son-in-law were leaving on heir honeymoon and needed a ride to the airport for a 0530 flight. Well shame on me for not double checking with my daughter and just taking it for granted my wife gave me the right information. They did not leave today, they are leaving tomorrow. So, once again, I will be getting up way too early, at least for me, to take them to the airport. I suppose, after I drop them off and if I am awake enough at that point, I  could head right to the pier to hop on a party fishing boat for a day of fun and maybe even to be lucky enough to catch a few keepers. I'll have to give that some thought.

All the best,
GB

Prosecutuion Witnesses Helping The Defendant George Zimmerman?

It seems that at almost every turn so far, witnesses for the prosecution in the George Zimmerman trial have helped the defendant. First they put on their so called 'star witness' young woman who took Trayvon Martin's call(s) the night he was shot and killed by George Zimmerman. She was abysmal as a witness for the prosecution and fair to good as one for the defense although that certainly was not the plan of the prosecutors. See: 

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2514191660001/zimmerman-trial-prosecutions-star-witness-a-mistake/

Later prosecution witnesses described how they apparently saw Zimmerman on the ground taking a beating from Martin and also that Zimmerman was bleeding from his nose/mouth and from the back of his head immediately after the altercation supporting his claim of self-defense. See:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/28/zimmerman-defense-grills-witness-for-second-day/?test=latestnews

All the best,
Glenn B

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Probably No Real Content Here Today

Got up kind of late. Then had to go to Costco (where I picked up a nice couple of slabs of St. Louis ribs for this weekend's BBQ. Then to pick up some wine for the bride. Had to go to the bank too. Need to do a few chores and go to a couple or a few more stores. Then this evening I will be at a retirement party. Then at about 0330 tomorrow morning, I have to drive the daughter and new son-in-law to the airport for the first leg of their honeymoon. I'll later blog tomorrow.

All the best,
Glenn B

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Brutal Home Invasion and Then They Put In A Home Security System - To What End?

A Milburn, NJ woman is brutally beaten, in front of her young daughter, by a home invader, and then thrown down her cellar stairs by the thug. Then almost all the reporter, in the embedded video, can say is that it was completely understandable that the family then had a home security system installed after the fact. What will that do if this happens again? How will hitting a panic button on the alarm protect her and her daughter? It's not like the police suddenly appear like a genie from a magic lamp. How long will it take police to arrive because it sure did not take this guy long to beat the woman to a bloody pulp! Then again, maybe the reporter was right to say it was understandable. After all, it happened in the Republik of New Jersistan where commonly used defensive firearms, although not outright banned, are difficult to own legally and such ownership is discouraged by NJ Law Enforcement and NJ politicians.

I have to ponder though, had she been armed with a gun and shot the dirtbag dead, would Bloomberg of NY have listed the perpetrator as a "victim of gun violence"? It also makes me wonder if this is the kind of situation that Joe Biden meant when he said a woman should grab a shotgun and fire two rounds in the air to scare away the bad guy.

Watch this video and be afraid, very afraid. It could happen to anyone of us. Then think about how it could have been prevented and how he could have been stopped dead in his tracks and I mean that literally.



Had this woman been armed or had a firearm or three in the house in strategic locations (like one upstairs, one on the main floor and one in the basement), maybe she could have gabbed a gun and carried out justice right then and there by blowing away that piece of trash. But she did not do that, she did not defend herself and she did not defend her daughter but she thinks she did just that.

Somehow, and sadly so, she has some sort of convoluted liberal minded sense that she did defend her daughter by not crying because she figured it would have made the girl cry and then cause the bad guy to go after the girl. (Edited to add: While it was a noble effort it likely was an ineffective one). The truth is she was at first crying out in pain and in fear - screaming in fact. She was at the mercy of a madman who was showing no mercy; so was her daughter, all because mom had no way to effectively defend herself or her little girl. Imagine her thinking that not crying was some sort of defense. Where did she hear that - on The View or on Oprah or from Mayors Against Guns or was it from the Brady Campaign or was it all she could come up with in desperation because she was unarmed and defenseless?

Just think of what that animal could have done to that little girl, after he had thrown mom down the cellar stairs, if he had wanted to do something unmentionable. Had mom had a gun available, and had she been trained in how to use it for home defense, maybe she could have made a real attempt to assure that he would not have even had a chance to do any such thing to the girl and she also likely could have defended not only her daughter but herself. Instead, she got a brutal beating because she was defenseless. It was very lucky for them that the raging thug did not think of doing something unthinkable to the little girl. It was also lucky for both that he did not decide to kill them before leaving because both would be able to identify him. I would rather not depend on the mercy of an animal like him, who obviously was not being merciful at all nor on luck, in such a situation, and it seems that luck is all that kept them from being killed.

I am going to show this video to my family and stress that my wife watch it multiple times. Then take her to the range if she will come; she does not like guns but this may sway her to see why they are necessary. I think that a home defense weapon is also in order for my daughter (she knows how to shoot) and new son-in-law. I'll be giving them a gift of one if they will accept it. After watching this, I don't see how they could refuse.

As for the bad guy: Big man isn't he. He is probably bragging to his lowlife friends about how he beat down a defenseless woman to show he is a real bad assed tough guy. What a piece of shit. I would hope the police find him quickly, that he violently resists without harming any of the officers, and that the police respond with justified lethal force to center of mass. In reality though, at least by what I see as likely, he will probably give up without a fight, go to jail awaiting a trial, go to court and cop a plea deal, be found guilty of less than the brutal crime he actually committed and then be sentenced to a minimal prison term, then will be coddled in prison by state employed medical doctors, social workers, and psychiatrists (all the time at the expense of the tax payer), will get out early for good behavior or because of some technicality, and when he gets out will probably commit a similar crime again in which he brutalizes another defenseless victim. One can hope though that he goes out in a blaze of glory - the blaze and the glory coming in the form of justified and well aimed law enforcement gunfire.

All the best,
Glenn B

Expect The Price of Bacon To Skyrocket

It is being reported (source) that a virus, which is deadly to piglets, is spreading like wildfire across the United States. Right now it has only been identified in about 199 sites in 13 states but the number was doubled to that amount in a single month. Of course, no one knows how or why it is spreading but it is lethal and kills from 50 to 100 percent of the piglets infected with it. It is very similar to a strain of the same virus that has run rampant in China beginning in 2010 and that has killed one million young porkers since then. I can only see that as making the price of several of my favorite foods (bacon, pork ribs, pork chops, pork tenderloin and ham) go sky high.

See: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/25/deadly-piglet-virus-spreads-to-nearly-200-us-farm-sites/?test=latestnews

If this winds up being spread by someone purposefully, I almost hope they coat him in pigs blood an roast him until well done and crispy.

All the best,
Glenn B

Monday, June 24, 2013

7.62x54R Military Surplus Ammunition - Will It Ever Run Out

If you shoot any military surplus rifles, like Mosin Nagants, chambered for 7.62x54R ammo, and shoot military surplus ammo through them, do you ever wonder about where all that milsurp ammo is coming from and how much of it there is out there! I have to wonder, if you have ever wondered as I often have wondered, as to when the combloc military surplus supply of this stuff will run out. If you think about it, as I have done, you would realize as I have realized, there has to have been millions of rounds of this stuff sold here in the USA - all of it imported from communist bloc countries. In addition, I think all of it that has reached the commercial marketplace in the United States during the past 20 years was manufactured in the 1950s through the 1980s. It's not like they are still making it and we are getting newly manufactured military surplus; we are getting what is left over from the cold war. It is ammo that has sat in storage for at least about a quarter of a century up to maybe 60-65 years or so. Granted, they made a lot of it, I guess they figured if it came to a shooting war on the ground they wanted to be ready for us but it was a finite number of rounds that they manufactured - wasn't it! So, it has to run out sooner or later - doesn't it?

Think about it - yes, as I have done - you do not see, as you once did see for sale, Yugoslavian 7.62x54R anymore, nor Romanian, nor Czech, nor Albanian, nor Hungarian. Forget about Polish, East German, Finnish and Red Chinese - I never saw that ammo from those countries ever offered at all. About the only stuff you see for sale now commercially came out of Russia (the Soviet Union when it was made) and Bulgaria. Even with it coming from only two source countries, you still can buy it in 440 round tins at about $89.99 per tin. That works out to about .20 cents per round. Yeah, I know, about 5 years ago o so it was going for .13 cents a round or thereabout but such are the anti-gun times in which we live under Obummer and all things guns & ammo related have gone up in price. When you give it a bit of thought though, and yes I have given it some, .20 cents a round is not too bad.

Regardless, the questions remain: When is the supply going to run out and how will it play out when supplies of it do begin to run low? Will the prices slowly rise as stocks of it dwindle or will prices suddenly jump when the suppliers of it realize that they are down to their last lots?  Or will they just keep selling it at about the same price until there is no more of it and then really surprise us when it unexpectedly stops showing up on the shelves or on our favorite ammo dealer's websites? I tend to think there will be price increases as it runs short and I do expect it to run short even though right now there seems to be no end to it as if it is stored in a magical warehouse in which the supply of it keeps replenishing itself ad infinitum.

Thing is though, that isn't happening and it has to run out sooner or latter. With that very thought in mind, I have gone out and stocked up on a bit of it. I don't have all that much of it, maybe a tin or two here or there, maybe another I have forgotten about somewhere - which would make it three tins - one for each of the Nagants I remember owning. (There may be another Nagant around here someplace and one of these days I will count them.) Yet, even only two tins would probably last me a good long while. Truth is I do not shoot the Mosin Nagants as much as I used to. Now that I am getting older I try to pamper my right shoulder instead of torturing it and only shoot those boomers rarely. But, you are not me and you may be out there shooting up a storm with your Nagants and your other firearms chambered for 7.62x54R ammo. If you are shooting it almost as fast as you buy it, you may want to give some thought, as I have given some thought, to buying some of it to lay aside for a rainy day. If you have not thought of it, maybe you should think about it now, see: http://gunbot.net/ammo/762x54/. If that is not enough to tempt you, then remember this - if you buy a case (as in two 440 round tins) you often get the spam can opener thrown into the deal.

All the best,
Glenn B

PS: Man, oh man, I just about talked myself into buying another 440 round tin of it! I have to count mine first, then pay off some pressing debts, and only then will maybe think about buying another tin of it (whom am I trying to kid).

CO2 Output More Than Expected - Global Warming Almost Zero

What did you expect. It appears as if all the global warming hoopla was just that - so much hoopla. After 15 years of the earth's CO2 output climbing much more than expected, global temperatures have risen almost not at all. Al Gore must be scratching his balls head (the one closer to his sack because that is probably where he keeps his brain) over this. And there I was looking forward to melted ice caps and beachfront property in about 20 years or so! Oh well, I guess not now. See:

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/global-warming-temperature-very-close-zero-over-15-years

All the best,
Glenn B

Sunday, June 23, 2013

It's The Middle of My Weekend and...

...I have not yet had one single drop of bier or a zombie or a shot or anything with alcohol goodness in it today! My son might have something to say about that because yesterday he bought me a case of Franziskaner Weissbier (wow was that a nice surprise).

In my defense, I figure there must be something wrong with me. It could be the small knot I got on, and the aching I have in, my head today is affecting me. I stood up from weeding earlier today and forgot I was under a tree limb that was just lower than top of my forehead high - ouch. I can fix that though - a shot and a bier and I am sure I will feel better.

Beware the dangers of gardening on the weekends!

All the best,
Glenn  B

Another Example Of Twisted Media Reporting

Read the headline that accompanies the video, then read it again. There is no other text, just the headline so it won't take you long to read it even three or four times. Think of exactly what it means then read I again. Then watch the video. Man was that headline absolutely wrong or what? While it may not seem important to you that the headline was incorrect, while you may say: Well they tried to do what it said and came close to achieving it so wasn't it okay for the headline to say what it said, while you may think this an unimportant piece of news and wonder why does it matter if the reporter(s) who wrote that headline to describe what happened were not factually correct - it is a sign that the media is somehow seemingly compelled to input its own twisted version of events into how they report news events to us. I mean, if they could not even get it right, in a case like the subject of the video headline in question, how will they ever get it right when it comes to reporting the news that is critically important to millions if not billions of us.

Here is a link as I seem to be having a problem embedding the video:

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2497404934001/heroes-catch-girl-who-fell-from-5th-floor-window/?playlist_id=922779230001

Whoever wrote that headline and whoever approved it needs to retake Journalism 101 or maybe watch a rerun of Dragnet in which Joe Friday says: "All we know are the facts..." for them to realize what is important in reporting the news.

All the best,
Glenn B

A Law To Force Federal Employees To Testify Before Congress - Is it Needed?

There is currently a push in Congress, the brainchild of Alabama Republican Rep. Mo Brooks, to compel federal employees to testify before Congress if granted immunity from prosecution. See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/23/bill-would-fire-federal-employees-who-refuse-to-testify/. Thus, circus events like the recent appearance of Lois Lerner before Congress, when she pled the fifth amendment and refused to give further testimony, would be avoided. Remember that she had been in charge of the IRS division that allegedly was illegally targeting conservative groups related to tax exempt status.

On the surface it may seem like a great idea to those Americans who are sick and tired of seeing the government abuse its authority while government workers get away with murder (figuratively) doing whatever they or their bosses want them to do, including blatant violations of U.S. laws, and then not having to account for it. In addition, wasn't it the current administration that promised transparency. So why wouldn't it be a great idea to enact a new law to that effect.

The reason that we do not need additional legislation to muddy the waters any further or to waste the time of our representatives and draw them away from handling more important issues. One could see this all this as a congressman doing nothing other than playing politics or as being a very poorly informed congressman who is overreacting. Why? Because federal employees like Ms. Lerner already can be compelled to testify about employment related matters and it is a well known aspect of federal law that allows for her to be forced to do so while providing her immunity from federal prosecution. The question we should be asking is not whether or not we need a law to make folks like her answer inquiries fully and truthfully but why the government has not compelled her to testify in the first place or fired her if she refused to testify.

All that needed to be done was to have had federal investigators advise her of a set of administrative proceeding rights known as the Kalkines.  Those rights would have been an advisement to her that she had to testify or would face punitive action up to being fired from federal employment. In essence, those rights would inform her:

She is the subject of an administrative investigation.

She would be asked questions specifically about her official duties and she MUST answer them.

Refusal to fully answer the questions may result in disciplinary action including termination from employment.

Her answers and any information obtained from them can be used against her in administrative proceedings.

Her answers and information obtained as a result of those answers cannot be used against her in criminal proceedings unless she made false statements.

The Kalkines were in essence established by the Supreme Court, they will stand the test of judicial review. So, Ms. Lerner could have been compelled to answer to Congress or at least to administrative investigators; that is of course had a minion of the Obama Administration been willing to investigate her for administrative violations and read her the Kalkines. Now that I think of it, I suppose is not going to happen unless the government is not trying to protect someone (like the president), is not covering something up and is being honest and forthcoming about the current investigation into the alleged IRS scandal - at least not without a lot of pressure from a knowledgeable public for the government to force her to testify in that manner.

I guess maybe Congressman Brooks is onto to something good after all. It seems we may well need that law passed in Congress because I imagine that transparency is not going to happen under Obama and that means that no one in his administration is going to open an administrative investigation against Lerner or the IRS without approval from the top and thus no one is going to read Lerner the Kalkines anytime soon. After all, I have not heard one mention, from other federal agents, let alone any other type of federal employee, about the fact that she already could have been compelled to testify. The Kalkine Rights are a well known issue among federal agents if not all federal employees and it amazes me that this issue has not been raised, as far as I am aware, by others as of yet.  It is apparent that no one wants to, or has the chutzpah to, rock Obama's boat.

All the best,
Glenn  B

Saturday, June 22, 2013

This Is Why We Need The Death Penalty...

...because stuff like this would be prevented from ever being committed by the same offender a second time. Just imagine if this guy is found guilty, goes to jail, and then gets out. How long would it be before he commits a repeat offense of the same nature. Hell, he was just released from jail on May 31st, less than a month ago, and has now reportedly been arrested related to the death of a little girl. She was only 8 years old. See: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/22/police-body-florida-girl-abducted-from-wal-mart-found-at-church-sex-offender-in/?test=latestnews

Violent pedophiles do not deserve to live and those who are not violent should, at the very least, be locked away forever with no chance of release, as far as I am concerned.

All the best,
Glenn B

Friday, June 21, 2013

Happy Summer Solstice...

...and happy first day of summer. Now, if only I could find a handful of young, willing and legally aged virgins with whom to celebrate anyone who gives a darn about it - that would be a grand way to kick off my weekend.

All the best,
GB

Fruit of the Week - No It's Not About Gays

I am thinking of starting a new weekly blog post called Fruit of the Week. I do not eat anywhere nearly as much fruit as I should. As a matter of fact, most of it that I consume, I drink. Yeah, I eat some berries or a banana during the week and maybe some pineapple if we have it but not more than a day or two days worth all week. So, I try to make up for my fruity deficiency on the weekends.

For example, right now I am enjoying the juice of a lime and a half (with some pulp), two bananas, 4 pineapple wedges (cut from top to bottom lengthwise out of the pineapple and probably amounting to 1/3 to 1/2 a medium to large pineapple), and two kiwis. Those fruits were all thrown into our blender with about 9 ice cubes and set on high. I never have had a "smoothie" but figure this must be like one of them. Then I added 4 ounces of Appleton Jamaican Rum and stirred it in gently. It is A-Okay!

In the past I have mixed some and or all of the above fruits plus apples (I prefer McIntosh of Granny Smith), pears, cantaloupe, honey dew melon, watermelon, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, mulberries, cherries (a pain in the pit to pit them but well worth it), oranges, tangerines, clementines, freshly squeezed lemon juice and OJ. I usually only use a little bit of OJ, just enough to get the concoction spinning in the blender really well - maybe 1/4 to 1/2 a cup. I have also added, on rare occasion, a few dollops of honey.

I will admit that I do not always add booze to it but usually do so. The spirits I have added have included:Meyer's Dark Rum, Appleton's Rum, Bacardi's White Rum, Bacardi's 151, Bacardi's Gold Rum,  Luksusowa Potato Vodka, Absolut Vodka (plain), Stolichnaya Vodka (plain), Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey, Jameson's Irish Whiskey, Bourbon (and whatever else I cannot recall right now) and some mixes of some or all those mentioned. The best have always been when I have mixed at least two or three or even four types of rum into the fruity mess and maybe added a bit of the potato vodka too - Russian Zombies!

In the hopes of promoting good health or at least healthier drinking, I figure I should post weekly (or at least biweekly) what fruits I have consumed in this manner - that is if I remember to do it depending on how many I have tonight and whether or not they make my memory a bit foggy or zombieish. As for the healthier drinking thing: Heck, I figure that at one sitting I am imbibing at least a half a weeks recommended fruit allowance and that has got to be good - at least in my opinion. Time for me to end this rant; I gotta go and pour another but this time I will add a handful or three of mulberries, from my two mulberry trees, to the mix and blend it all again

Fruity yumminess and not one bit of it having a thing to do with being Gay or from Kalifornia! I love it.

All the best,
Glenn B.

PS: I have to say that adding about 30 or 40 mulberries to the remaining of the above mix, blending it again and adding another few ounce of the Appleton's was about 10x better than without the berries. That confusticates me a bit because the mulberries are almost tasteless by themselves but yet they added a tangy goodness to previously mentioned blend.

Ban Spears - Better Yet Ban Kalifornians

The alleged spear chucker.
Do you think drugs were involved?
What does Wirecutter say, It's 'gotta be California'. Well folks, something like this could probably only happen in CA (or maybe NY). A frigging nutcase, standing on a roadway decided to play Tarzan and reportedly threw a spear at a passing car. The spear was thrown with enough force to actually pierce and stick in the fender. Had I seen a guy, about to throw a spear at me in my vehicle, I would have run him down if I had the chance (all in self defense - of course). Cars make better guided missiles than do spears.

See:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/20/california-man-throws-spear-at-moving-car-police-say/?intcmp=obinsite

All the best,
Glenn B

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Chuck Hagel - Another Blabbermouth In The Obama Administration

I guess he was trying to be funny, I would hope that was it anyway, but judging by how long it took the person, whose question he was taking, to identify himself - I would say that person did not think it was funny at all. Hagel seems to be just another arrogant, disrespectful, blabbermouth much like Vice President Joe Biden and also like President Obama himself.



In the event you do not understand the reference to Obama as a blabbermouth, look here for one of the most recent examples of him diving right into something, by way of his arrogant and disrespectful blabbermouth, that he should have stayed out of:

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/06/17/judge-obama-comments-unlawful-command-influence.html?ESRC=navy-a.nl

If you do not understand what I mean about Biden being an arrogant and disrespectful blabbermouth, you are hopeless.

All the best,
Glenn B

All Steel Guns and That Dratted Summer Solstice Rust

Yes kiddies, it's summer again - well almost. Summer officially begins, in the USA, tomorrow Friday June 21, 2013 at 0104 hours or late on the night of June 20th (tonight) if you live out west - due to some cosmic balderdash. It will be the Summer Solstice with the sun being in the sky longer than any other day and note High Noon tomorrow really will be high noon (see the linked article).

Regardless of all the cosmic mumbo-jumbo, summer weather is here and that means warm humid days in this neck of the woods - concrete jungle and it also means getting sweaty. Humidity and sweat (especially sweat because it is salty) are enemies of firearms - at least ones made completely or partially of steel. For instance, earlier today, I noted that the right side of the trigger on my all steel Ortgies pocket pistol was a bit rusted. Funny that it is on the right side because I have been pocket carrying that little gun lately and you would think the left side would be getting wet from my perspiration when closer to my body while in my pocket. Whatever - the fact is that it has a rust spot. I will have to disassemble it and give it a good cleaning and a light coating of Break-Free CLP.

I usually try to do regular maintenance, consisting of cleaning and lubricating, of all my guns at least four times per year, once each season Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. If I shoot them I clean them more often. Sometimes though I am lax about that which usually wind up in me paying the price of winding up with rust on some of them. I must admit, I do not remember the last time I inspected, cleaned and lubricated all of them since the summer of 2012. Whoops! Now that I have found the rust on the Ortgies, I guess the time has come for me to get mine arse in gear and do preventive maintenance on all of them. I have to work tomorrow but am free this weekend and I suppose that this weekend is as good a time as any.

When I am all done with the inspecting, cleaning and lubricating all of my guns, I am going to put them away, then pull out a bottle of fine spirits and have a drink or two as I howl at the moon. Since I figure that I will not be done until Sunday evening, the moon at which I will be howling will be a Super Moon because the moon will be full and because it will be the closest to the earth that it will be all year when full.

All the best,
Glenn B

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

If You Use Facebook and If You Shoot...

...then you should visit this link and enter the contest. NAGR is giving away a $1,500 gift certificate to be used for an ammo purchase at J&G Sales. The drawing will be on June 28th. If you entered because you saw it here, man will I be happy for you but pissed at myself ;). Good luck if you enter.

All the best,
Glenn B

PS: In the event the above link doe not work, here is the web address: http://www.nagr.org/ammo-giveawayfb.aspx?pid=1c

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

No Hesitation Targets

 Lately there has been a lot of talk about the Department of Homeland Security buying millions if not billions of rounds of ammo, purchasing M4s or AR15s and calling them personal defense weapons (instead of calling them assault weapons as they do when in civilian hands), acquiring armored vehicles, buying ballistic check-point booths and so on. It all seems to fit right in with Obama pledge to create a civilian force as strong as the military and fits in nicely with conspiracy theories about the government preparing for to commit an illegal takeover of power from the people. Heck, I think such a conspiracy may actually be in the making. It seems quite possible, with the way things have been going, with the violation of our civil rights under the last two presidential administrations (yes that means under Obama and GWB too) what with the implementation of the Patriot Act under GWB, the strengthening of it under Obama, the passing of laws and implementation executive orders allowing for property to be seized by the government without due process or just cause, allowing for U.S. Citizens to be arrested and held indefinitely on U.S. soil by government agents without due process or  probable cause if merely suspected of being a terrorist, the authorization of government agents to kill those suspected of terrorism without probable cause, the most recent being the nullification of our rights regarding Posse Comitatus, the obviously targeting of political groups by the IRS, and the NSA spying en mass on the telephone records, computer usage of Americans.  In addition, the fact that certain states are blatantly disregarding, if not actually opposing, federal authority (such as MO saying it will not enforce federal gun control laws and AZ trying to implement its own form of Immigration, and it looks pretty bleak. It really does seem as if the government is preparing for war against the populace of these United States.

Lately, you can add to those disturbing facts one more, that the DHS and the U.S. Department of Justice have been reported to be using firearms targets to train their agents to fire on other than traditional threats. Those targets, reportedly manufactured by Law Enforcement Targets, Inc. are supposedly called “No More Hesitation” targets and depict such threats as pregnant women, small children and elderly folks all holding weapons. Many Internet conspiracy theory pundits are calling this a new type of target and see these targets as a blatant expression of a threat to the citizenry of the United States in as much as they believe that the government is training its civilian forces to shoot at patriotic citizens. They are saying that such goes toward proving that the government is conspiring to forcefully and illegally wrest power from the people and that it is trainings its officers to shoot down citizens.

There are many examples of such theories floating around in the Ethernet. Here are a few links to articles discussing just that, all with specific mention of the targets in question: 

How much more evidence do you need? DHS trains to shoot pregnant women, old men, children with guns

NO HESITATION TARGETS

DHS Supplier Sells Targets of American Gun Owners

SHOCKING: DHS & Others Buy $2 Million of “No Hesitation Targets” of children, pregnant woman, and elderly holding guns 

It may well be correct that the government is moving in the direction of an illegal takeover of power; I have been leery of it for some time now. That they are using these targets to that end so that government agents will readily shoot innocent citizens  though, I think, may be an incorrect assumption. Of course with all the other facts mentioned above though, it is hard for some to see how these so called “new” targets are anything other than part of the preparations for tyranny to raise its ugly head.

The truth of the matter though, prior to the Obama Administration anyway, is that these types of targets, those depicting other than traditional  bad-guy dirt-bag  threats have been in use in law enforcement training for decades now. They may be a new product for the company that is reportedly the current supplier of such targets to DHS and DOJ but that type of target has been in use a long time without anyone coming out and claiming it is definitive proof that the government plans to murder citizens. That is until now, as far as I am aware. I know from firsthand experience that such targets were in use as long ago as the early 1980s.  I trained using such targets while in the Border Patrol and in the United States Customs Service. In fact, in while I was in the Border Patrol, we used a predecessor of FATS (Firearms training Simulator) in which we fired plastic bullets, at a movie screen, from shell casings containing only a primer to propel them. The targets depicted on the screen included those such as armed elderly people, armed young children, armed  teens, armed pregnant women, all armed with firearms – all depicted in threatening scenarios. There were also don’t shoot scenes with the same type of folks and with apparent dirt-bags who all were weaponless and innocent. Some scenes included plain clothes law enforcement officers who would turn on you, after you gave the command “Police don’t move” and if you shot them you could well have been justified or unjustified depending upon your post shooting statements. Subsequent to that type of training, I also trained on the FATS system which had similar scenarios. We also trained on similar paper targets although paper targets were not as realistic as were the movie/video type targets. Back then that seemed pretty cutting edge but no one that I can recall was claiming it had to do with the government planning to take over power and murder citizens.

Targets depicting folks other than dirt-bag types have been used by law enforcement for many years and LEOs utilized them with no intent of ever illegally or unconstitutionally seizing power for the People. Those targets did little more than to add realism to LE training because all different sorts of people can be real threats. The original manufacturer's intended purpose of the type of targets in question is/was not, I think, so much to anesthetize law enforcement officers as to possible citizen targets of a rampant administration but rather to prepare them for all possible types people who can potentially pose a deadly threat during the normal course of their sworn duties. Of course, that is not to say that those same targets could not be used and are not being used by the current governmental administration to do just what the conspiracy theorists, conservative and libertarian bloggers and pundits are claiming. After all, the current government is certainly the most unconstitutional and rights usurping tyranny since the likes of Franklin D. Roosevelt (Japanese interment camps) or Woodrow Wilson (proponent of racism and eugenics).

I would hope though that the oath takers of this great nation would have the wherewithal to realize when their training is geared to upholding the Constitution or to its destruction and if their training and training aids are ever used bent toward America's demise that they would stand in unison with the patriots of this nation to uphold the Constitution and not hesitate to destroy tyranny.

All the best,
Glenn B

Monday, June 17, 2013

Getting My Money's Worth From NY State Government?

I work part-time as an unarmed security guard. Wanting to make more money, I took an armed security guard training course back in mid April through the first week of May. I shelled out $700 for the training, $47 for the change of status licensing fee, and about $200 on ammo for the course. I got my money's worth for the ammo - no surprise. I am not so sure I got my money's worth for the training course even though I previously had thought so. The instructor sent me my training certificate and was supposed to send NY State a roster showing that I had completed the training. He told the students to wait a week before sending the application paperwork to NY State because if our applications arrived in Albany before his roster for the class, our paperwork may go into the dreaded wait 6 months before anything gets done pile. I waited 10 days, then sent in my application. Not long after that, I received an envelope with my application package inside of it along with a letter explaining that the Division of Licensing Services had not received a roster with my name on it. That was at the very end of May. I sent an email to the instructor telling him what happened right after receiving that letter. I have not heard back from him.

Today I called the NYS Division of Licensing Services. The guy who answered the phone, Jim, told me that there was no record on file for my having taken the course. He suggested that I call the NYS Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). Oh-oh, I figured this would soon become a dreaded bureaucratic game of ping-pong with me a the ball but I did as he told me. I called, got the usual set of prerecorded instructions and pressed 2. The lady who answered the phone, almost immediately, checked the status of the roster using my SSN. She said, yes they have it and told me they received it on June 13th! My guess would be that the roster was not in the mail since the second week of May, when it should have been sent to them but was only sent out in mid-June. The nice lady, Darlene I think she said was her name, said she forwarded it to the Division of Licensing Services (DLS) by email as we were speaking. She then took my phone number so she could call me to let me know when it was received by the DLS as that department's computer system is a bit slow. She figured though that they would receive it by tomorrow. She told me to wait until I hear back from her because if I send my application now and for some reason the roster does not go through from her office to the DLS then depending on who receives my paperwork it would either be returned to me once gain or possibly go onto the wait 6 months before anything gets done pile (yes she said it really does happen sometimes).

I guess that I will have to admit, I was happily surprised by the responses I have gotten from NYS employees. Having dealt with NY State in the past, I must point out that previous responses to my inquiries on other matters were nowhere near as fast or as good as were these today. Both Jim and Darlene immediately addressed the problem and when one could not solve it he put me through to another person who could solve it. It looks like I am certainly getting the full value of the $47 application fee. I have to tip my hat to them for that. Of course, the DLS has not yet confirmed receipt of the roster from the DCJS but I think it sounds as if it is well in the works and for that I am grateful.

As far as the company that gave the 47 hour course, I will have to still give the instructor a call to see what went wrong and why it took until June 13th for my roster to arrive in Albany. I guess I should also ask why he apparently never replied to the email I sent to him inquiring about this mess. Depending on the reply I receive when I check with him, I will determine whether or not I will take my annual refresher training with them or another company.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Pope Blesses Harleys and Von Zipper Rides Again

Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/pope_
blesses_hundreds_of_harley_xQHNfxNCRknAYQ26sc6OHL

 
Today, the Pope blessed thousands of Harley Davidson motorcycles and their riders. It may seem amazing to some but the biker culture of HD swarmed the Vatican for the event which also was a celebration of Harley Davidson's 110th year.
 
The resemblance of this guy to von Zipper
seems miraculous considering the location.
Same source as top photo.
Has Von Zipper been brought back,
maybe as a guardian angel of a biker.
Most amazingly of all though was the fact that the event seems to have somehow, maybe by way of Divine Intervention (after all we are talking about the seat of Catholicism and the end all be all of Motorcycles that are probably even ridden in Heaven), lent itself to the resurrection of Eric Von Zipper (Actor: Harvey Lembeck). You, if you are around my age, may remember him as the evil but inept and somehow lovable leader of the motorcycle gang - the Rat Pack in several of the 1960's Beach Party films starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. Those films were: Beach Party, Bikini Beach, Pajama Party, Beach Blanket BingoHow to Stuff a Wild Bikini, The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini. I think, but am not sure that he may have also had a part in the movie Ski Party where the beach goers have a change of venue to the ski slopes. 

With him riding through the crowd, I can almost imagine he was also there, right next to the Pope, giving the Pope the his take on whether or not to bless a biker and his ride by saying: "Him, I like", or "Him, I do not like".









 
The resemblance of the guy wearing the American flag helmet and Von Zipper, at least as I see it, is absolutely uncanny if it is not actually him reincarnate. Not only is there the resemblance of facial features and seemingly of height and build but you will note that just as was the preference of  Von Zipper, the guy in the current photo also is in the company of a babe who is taller than is he and who is a looker. Sometimes you just have to wonder if there truly are heaven sent angels flying or at least riding close to the ground. In this case, I would like to believe it. Von Zipper - I am my ideal but you are my idol.

All the best,
Glenn B

Happy Fathers' Day

Here is hoping that your Fathers' Day is full of happiness with a lot of love from those who are the reason you are called father.

All the best,
Glenn B

Peace Through Pork?

I imagine that the idea of coating ammo with some form of pork product(s) has been sizzling in some folks' minds for quite awhile now. For all we know, some kooks gun owners may have been swathing their ammo with the finger licking goodness of bacon grease in the hopes of using it as an anti-jihadist tincture. I would have bet that an intense search of the web would have turned up one or two of them but I am not betting anymore.

You see, someone actually has gone out and created a commercially available brand of ammunition in which the bullets have been coated with pig. The company: Jihawg Ammo tags it as: "The only ammunition in the world that provides a peaceful and natural deterrent to radical Islam. PEACE THROUGH PORK".

Jihawg Ammo says they say that they coat their bullets with a ballistic paint containing pork thus making them haraam (forbidden or unclean) for radical Islamists and thus if you hear the radical Islamist cry of Allahu Akbar they say: "It's Time to Put Some Ham in MoHAMed". They are touting it as a defensive and deterrent type of ammunition to be used to assure that jihadists will not attain the promised 76 virgins for acts of terror in the name of Allah. Somehow, I sort of, kind of, get the notion that this ammo will not be the end all be all to stop Islamic Jihadists from committing acts of terror but, if he was still alive, General Black Jack Pershing may have disagreed with me. Hey - you never know and at least any of them shot with it would not make it to their version of heaven.

I like the idea but would I buy it? Hell no - probably not, well - not more than a box or three as a novelty anyway;) As far as I am concerned it costs way too much per box to buy it regularly especially in light of the fact that it is all (at this moment) reloads. While I would not hesitate for a moment to put pork coated bullets through my guns, I do not shoot remanufactured ammo and I sure won't pay premium prices for it no matter how novel the product but then again many of you do shoot it and this may be just the stuff for you. While I may buy a box for the novelty factor I have to consider that I just bought 250 rounds of .45 ACP (.45 Auto), 185 grain, JHP, newly manufactured by a major ammunition company for only $23.27 per box of 50 rounds, I think I will save my money for more of the less expensive ammo and for bacon.

Getting back to Jihawg Ammo, their products and pricing can be found at this link:  http://jihawg.com/ammunition. Note if you cannot get through, keep trying. Seems their site is pretty busy today, maybe last minute shoppers for Fathers' Day gifts or just shooters or collectors wanting to get some before it all sells out. Being it is so difficult to get through right now, I'll quote a few of their prices here for informational purposes:

.223 Rem 62gr FMJ-BT 20 Rounds of .223 Rem 62gr FMJ Once Fired Military Brass: $21.25

9mm 115gr TMJ Reman 50 Rounds of 9mm 115gr TMJ Remanufactured Brass: $24.75

.45 Auto 230gr TMJ Reman 50 Rounds of .45 ACP 230 gr TMJ Remanufactured Brass: $37.50

They also offer 5.56 (x45mm), .308 Winchester and .40 S&W.

Even if the Jihawg Ammo site is down or very slow, you can get a bit more information from an Ammoland piece about them here at this link:

http://www.ammoland.com/2013/06/peace-through-pork-jihawg-defensive-ammunition/#axzz2WO6OwC9Z

Now, getting back to pork for a moment or three, since it is Fathers' Day and just after 1125 in the morning, I think that in a little while, I will go see if breakfast is ready (that may be a late breakfast to you and most folks and brunch to Yuppies but it's plain old on time breakfast for me). If it is ready, I think I'll continue my ammo inventory, bullet by bullet, as I eat my breakfast of a pound or two of very greasy bacon. I am not worried about getting lead poisoning because of eating bacon while counting the bullets, seems my hands are so coated by bacon grease that nothing can penetrate that film. As for my ammo though, it seems to be mighty slippery right now - at least the rounds I have already counted since I started the inventory. I imagine they will fly right through the bore liked bacon greased lightning when fired; my arteries though, they may be another story, I don't know if any thing is flying through them quite as fast with all that bacon grease buildup.

All the best,
Glenn B

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Some Photos of the NY SAFE Act Protest - June 11, 2013

The crowd was fairly big but not as large as in
January or February at previous rallies.

 
Could be a modern day Captain America.
 
Officer Joe Friendly? Very few guns were
evident at this pro RKBA rally. LIF, the group
I went with, prohibited guns on the bus.
 
 

Albany Radio Host, Melody Burns, a great speaker
for the RKBA and for the liberty to exercise it.
 
 
 
 
NYS Said it Expected Only 200 Folks to Attend This Rally
And Kept Us Off of The Grass With a Corral. They Also Failed
 To Supply Porta-Potties Which They Did Have At Prior Rallies.
FUCK NY.
 
 Steven McLaughlin, pro RKBA NY State Assemblyman,
another excellent speaker on our behalf.

 
 
 
 
Richard Mack, another great speaker
and former sheriff of Graham County, AZ
 
 
 
Former Westchester County District Attorney and judge,
 Judge Jeanine Pirro. You know her but did you know she is
a strong advocate for the RKBA!
 
She was pissed at Cuomo and the NYS Legislature.
 
I think she figured the sentiment in the
next photo was exactly the right one.
 
 
 
This sign got me to thinking.
 
I signed about 100 of these post cards. They were handed out by
a pro-RKBA group from a table set up at the rear of the assembly.
 
 
This rally was a bit more commercialized than the previous
two NY SAFE Act protests. Lots of shirts and stickers for
sale and there were 4 or 5 food trucks street-side.
 
 
 
 
 
 
I think that state workers were, for the most part,
afraid to come to the windows to watch the protest.
Mind you - not afraid of us but afraid of being
fired by his majesty Der Fuhrer Cuomo.
 
 

Most of the Faithful Few, of the 8,000 strong membership, of
LIF who went on the bus trip to protest the NY SAFE Act.
This photo was taken by the trip organizer. Photo source:
http://www.longislandfirearms.com/forum/topic/73670-
albany-61113-open-discussion-pics-videos/

This is Roman, he was our bus captain and the guy
who organized the trip for Long Island Firearms
 members to protest in Albany. He did a great job!
Unless otherwise attributed in photo captions and that applies only to the group photo, all of the above photos are copyrighted by Glenn R. Bartley, June 11, 2013, all rights reserved.

All the best,
Glenn B