Handling Guns & The Little Details That Can Get In The Way

What's wrong in this picture?
Photo source.

You are probably already aware that I am kind of a stickler for firearms safety. So take a look at this pic and tell me - what's wrong in it. Is the young lady to the right giving a hint by pointing her index finger? If you said that the gal holding the gun has her finger on the trigger, yeah, that is wrong AND it should be obvious. Yet there is also something else wrong that may be a little less obvious.

When you handle firearms you have to be aware of what is going on, of potential problems in the making. Imagine if the gal holding the AK was at the range and about to shoulder the rifle to start firing. See a potential problem? I had a jacket once that had an adjustable waist by way of a drawstring like the one in this photo. See it now! 

Mine interfered with both drawing and holstering my handgun whenever it was tightened a bit allowing the drawstring ends to hang down a bit. One time the end of the string got stuck in the holster somehow and when I tried to rip away the jacket to draw, the jacket only moved a couple of inches because the lace held fast to the holster (luckily it was at the range). It took a second to clear but that could be too long. Another time, I tried to holster my pistol and the lace went with it into the holster preventing the pistol from seating properly (maybe the same day at the range). That was it, I cut it and pulled the rest of it out of the jacket from the other side.

In this particular case, should the young lass try to bring the gun to her shoulder to fire, that drawstring may be long enough, or not long enough, to allow her to do so when and if it gets caught under the sight rail (really it is a matter of when). In addition, with her finger already on the trigger, the string getting caught as she raises the rifle to her shoulder could be all it would take to have a negligent discharge. You need to be careful of things like that when choosing your shooting attire and accessories. No it does not take long to clear but the moment that it takes to correct for it, in a self defense situation, could be the moment that the bad guy needs to put you down.

All the best,
Glenn B

Mothers-In-Law, Dentures, Wives & Pliers

Today, the mother-in-law complains that her dentures are hurting her gums and need adjusting. My wife tells me that and asks if I have a pair of narrow pliers. I immediately had the presence of mind to tell her that there is absolutely no way that I am going to try to adjust her mother's dentures. She told me she was going to try to do it. I guess, because she is a dental assistant, she figured she could do it. I got her three pair of needle-nose pliers, a regular pair of pliers, a pair of vice grips and a large hammer. She and her mother got a laugh out of it

Then she tried to adjust them and gave them back to her mother who only complained that they were worse than before (what else could one expect). My wife is claiming she was not able to even budge the metal one little bit and that her mother was being dramatic (that's what she usually tells me when I complain about something). So, tomorrow it will be my luck to have to bring the mother-in-law to the dentist's office, in which my wife works, to have them adjusted. Oh well, I suppose it could be worse, I could have tried to adjust them myself, then when she said they fit even worse than before, I would not have heard the end of it.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

Because Wirecutter Has Been Slacking Today

Just figured I would post a pic of a babe with a gun cause Wirecutter has not shown any pics of ladies on his site yet, today. Besides that, I like her stance!

All the best,
GB

Today in History - The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III Rifle

On January 26, 1907, the SMLE (Short Magazine Lee-Enfield) Mk III rifle was introduced to service in the British military. It was and remains, a bolt action, box magazine fed, repeating rifle that was  chambered for the .303 British round. The SMLE Mk III was modified in 1915 to become the SMLE Mk III* and had a new designation as the Rifle No.1 Mk III* in 1926  (pictured).

It is, at 107 years since it was first issued, the longest serving (officially issued to military or police forces) bolt action rifle in the history of the world. It is currently issued for use by government forces in such countries as Bangladesh and India where it is issued to police forces.

I wish I had one and that it would not be too much to ask that it be in excellent condition! I remember when they could be had for about $75 and I passed at the opportunity. I could literally kick myself in my arse for missing out on that one because they aren't that inexpensive now.

Sources:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee-Enfield#Pattern_1913_Enfield

All the best,
Glenn B

R.I.P. Ammo - Wow It Goes Through Plywood, Glass...

...multiple layers of denim and even sheetrock! Can you imagine a bullet being able to penetrate sheetrock! Awesome dude, I never knew any bullet would ever be able to do that man!

They claim this innovative new ammunition will revolutionize law enforcement. Are they kidding? I hope so since law enforcement officers in the USA are taught to shoot to stop and not to shoot to kill. If this round was designed to be more lethal than what is typically carried by LEOs, then it should never be made available to law enforcement because it is not their job to be lethal agents of the government except under extreme circumstances and even then, as I said above, they are supposed to shoot to stop - not to kill. Of course, if killing someone was indeed the only way to stop them being a threat to life or limb or a secondary result of being shot to stop them, then so be it. Imagine though if it is so much more lethal as they seemingly imply and it hits an innocent bystander! Yikes.

My guess though is that almost as soon as its becomes commercially available, it will be banned by an act of Congress (at least for we the non-LE citizens as opposed the LE community and the military). At least an attempt at banning is to be expected with the twits we now have in Congress and the White House whether or not it actually is more lethal than other types of ammo. Why - just because it looks so nasty and they build it up to be so nasty. Anyway, it seems all so much hype; although, I imagine it would cause a nasty wound and I would not want to be on the receiving end.



All the best,
Glenn B

Justin Bieber - My Sentiments Almost Exactly

This is an exceptionally excellent video. If you are easily offended by foul language, watch something else. However, if you think Justin Bieber is a useless piece of dog shit on the bottom of a shoe, watch on!


A hat tip to Lenny D for sending me that one. By the way, if that does not go viral, nothing will ever again.

All the best,
Glenn B

Oblivion

I know they can be quiet and know they can blend in when in the woods or in tall grass but this is absolutely ridiculous. Are people really that unaware of heir surroundings - no wonder so many folks fall victim to predatory criminals.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/3101071018001/elderly-couple-oblivious-to-close-encounter-with-bear/

All the best,
GB

Wirecutter - The Elementary School Years

Just figuring it must have been like this (or maybe he said your camel toe and your ass) back then!

All the best,
Glenn B

Las Vegas (or is it Lost Wages)

There I was, about two or three blog-posts ago, saying that I thought I should get my bills paid off so that I could start saving for a new pistol. That was before I heard my wife and daughter saying how great it would be to visit Las Vegas in the not too distant future. They want to get away from all this global warming here in the northeast USA. As I write, it is 13 degrees Fahrenheit, as per http://weather.com, yeah - lots of that global warming BS going around recently. 

Somehow today, I found myself looking for decent deals for just such a trip for them. I went upstairs to ask them a question, late this afternoon, and there was my daughter trying to plan the same trip. She let me do it! I got finished making reservations with Southwest Airlines not all that long ago. They will be going for 3 night stay in about a month or so. As could have been expected (and as I guess I well knew) - no husbands allowed. Nice to see them bonding but wishing I was going too.

Not a bad deal, just under $600 apiece for airfare and 3 nights at a 4 star hotel on the strip. Not like it was 10 or 15 years ago when you could get round trip airfare for about $80 but not bad by today's standards. I guess I will be stuck here walking the dogs and feeding the reptiles. Oh well, somebody has to do it.

Anyway, it now seems that the bills getting paid off and me saving for a new pistol will be delayed somewhat - unless of course the wife wins big and generously throws me a bone.

All the best,
Glenn B

A Loyal, Dedicated, Honorable and Fascinating Man Has Passed

I vaguely remember, but do recall, back in 1974 when the news broke about Hiroo Onoda finally surrendering to then Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos. What makes a man surrendering to the authorities something memorable?  In this case is was that Mr. Onoda was a soldier in the Japanese Imperial Army during WWII, an Intelligence officer to be more exact. In 1945, his superior officer ordered him to remain behind on Lubang Island in the Philippines to collect intelligence on the American forces there. Even though Japan had surrendered in that year, Onoda remained on the island and carried out his orders, he did so for 29 years after the end of the war. He was never deterred from doing so, he was loyal and dedicated to duty for all that time. He survived on Lubang, stealing food, and wearing his by then overly patched army uniform for all those years. Even though a few attempts had been made to tempt him out of the jungle, with his family members making pleas for him to surrender (Japan had flown his family to the island), he did not come out of hiding until subsequent to 'globe-trotter' set camp near his location and tempted him into his camp. That globe-trotter notified Japanese authorities who then flew Onoda's former commander to the island to give him an order to surrender on his 52nd birthday.

Imagine that, being so loyal to your country and dedicated to duty as to remain behind, virtually as the 'last man standing, against all odds and doing it for 29 years and then not thinking that you had made a mistake or wasted your time. If that is not fascinating, nothing is at all.

Now he is gone, dead at the age of 91. Read more about him here at Fox News and here at Wikipedia, the sources for the above. His story is pretty awe inspiring. I commend his actions, honor his memory and offer my condolences to his loved ones even though he was our enemy. There are not many men among all of us as honorable as he. Yet, he was not he last Japanese Army holdout. In December of 1974, only months after the surrender of Ondoa, Teruo Nakamura was captured on Morotai Island in Indonesia. Nakamura was the actual last man to serve the Japanese Imperial Army of WWII. He passed in 1979, only 5 years after his capture. Absolutely amazing.

All the best,
Glenn B

An Armscor TAC 1911 FS (.45ACP) Pistol Is In My Sights

It's been a long time since I made my most recent firearm's purchase. Most of the money that I have spent on firearms related purchases, over the past year, has gone to pay for ammunition. Now that the NY SAFE Act prevents me from making direct purchases of ammo from online dealers, I figure it may be time to shift the focus of what types of items I am targeting. A gun buy seems to be in my future; it is probably not going to happen very soon but also not in the way too distant future. I need to get some debts paid off and then after that, I will start saving for a new gun. One of the guns I have in mind, and I can assure you it is not merely because of the retail price of it, is the Armscor, Rock Island Armory, Tactical .45ACP pistol.

I only own a single 1911 pistol and have been thinking of getting another full sized 45 Auto. That this one is selling in some places, like GrabAGun, for only $409 (see this linked ad) is a definite plus but as I said, I am not just under the allure of its low cost. Other things that attract me to this pistol are the facts that it is an all steel pistol and that has some nice features usually found on higher end pistols. Those little extras include: an adjustable rear combat sight, snag free front sight, a Parkerized finish, skeletonized trigger, combat hammer, extended beavertail, ambidextrous safety, etc..

At first, while trying to get more info on this pistol at the Armscor USA website, I was a little confused. The advertised model, at GrabAGun does not exactly match any model shown on the actual Armscor website (at least as I write this) and it was very difficult to find info on the Armscor site for the same exact model number. I kept putting in the model number and coming up with no info for it. Differences in the advertised one and the one shown on the Armscor site under the designation of Armscor TAC 1911 FS (.45ACP) included the grips and the serrations on the slides but I finally did come up with a spec sheet of sorts, on the Armscor site, for the same exact model number.  The features as listed on the Armscor site can be seen here: Armscor TAC 1911 FS (.45ACP).

Then again, speaking of differing features of the TAC 1911 FS between that seen on GrabAGun's site to the one shown on Armscor's site, I should point out that the specs differ, from page to page within the Armscor website itself depending on what page you are viewing. The product info page for that model shows it with smooth wood grips but the disassembly and assembly videos on the Armscor site show it with new black rubber grips for 2013. Whatever that and other possible small differences may exist - I kind of, sort of, think I want one, especially at that advertised price or close to it.

I have liked Armscor ever since buying an Armscor Model 14Y, bolt action rifle several years ago. It is an inexpensive but high quality, youth rifle in .22LR hat has remained absolutely excellent despite a good deal of use over the years. If Armscor manufactures their pistols with as much quality as that little rifle, then they are likely a great buy. I figure, that within a few months of saving some cash, I should be able to find out first hand about whether or not the TAC 1911 FS (.45ACP) is high quality firearm or not.

Another note about Armscor, I find the disassembly and assembly videos that they provide on their website for these pistols to be a nice touch. It would have been even nicer had they used brighter lighting and gotten in closer on some shots and had Bubba (not his real name) gotten each step correct explained the first time around and used proper nomenclature other than his own made up parts names - such as his use of "the ambi" to describe the left side slide release lever in the disassembly video. That is nitpicking on my part though and nonetheless, I truly appreciate them posting those videos because they go a long way to help me better understand the workings of a 1911 pistol.

All the best,
Glenn B

One Of The Reasons I Used To Like Motel 6...

Click on pic to enlarge.

...was that besides being inexpensive and usually clean, they had a policy allowing you to have pets stay in your room. I never asked them what kind of pets they meant and just assumed they meant all kinds of pets. Back in the summer of 2002, my wife, daughter, son and I visited Arizona. My wife and daughter headed back home after ten days or so but my son and I remained there another week or two to do man things! When all of us were there, we visited a good deal of the state of AZ and also visited Las Vegas, NV. When it was just me and my son, we kind of zeroed in on the southern part of AZ, especially around Tucson, Tombstone, Madera Canyon and the like. While driving down a road near Madera Canyon, around dusk, we spotted a pretty large Gopher Snake on the road. I wanted to catch it but there was a car speeding along not all that far behind us. I waved him of and took off across the road and grabbed this critter on the run. I was never in danger but the snake sure would have been as it was soaking in the heat rising up from the blacktop. 

My son and I decided it was a keeper and we took it back to the motel with us once we were done herping (looking for reptiles and amphibians) for the night. Luckily we were saying at a Motel 6 with there 'pets allowed' policy. I wonder what the manager would have thought, had he seen us the next day, out in the parking lot taking this picture. Heck, that was a long time ago - I was in my late forties and my son was almost 13. How time flies (or should I say slithers).

All the best,
GB

It's Not Only NSA Spying on Americans

Apparently it could be any company with access to your personal information on the Internet. A perfect example of a company having too much information on one of its customers would be OfficeMax or at least the company from which it gets its mailing lits. OfficeMax reportedly sent out a $10 savings coupon addressed to a dad who lost his daughter, in April, in a car wreck. While that may not seem unusual in any way, consider to whom OfficeMax also addressed the offer: "Daughter Killed in Car Crash".

OfficeMax blames it on "a third party mailing list provider"; of course, why would they accept the blame in todays world of passing the buck and blaming the other guy just as our president seems to do every day.

As the dad is wondering, and as am I, why on earth would a marketing firm acquire and use that type of information. It is truly an outrage. Before any of you say it, yes I understand we all agreed to give up certain information when using the Internet but that is plainly extremely insensitive and the information could be of no practical use in marketing this long after the fact of the young lady's death. Someone should be proverbially horse whipped for this one.

Read more here.

All the best,
Glenn B

Want To See Why Health Insurance is So Screwed Up (Other Than Obummercare)

This is the bill section of my latest statement from a medical facility I use. Look at how much the facility charged and how much the insurance company paid them. If that is not waste and mismanagement, or maybe even fraud, then nothing is any of them.

SERVICE PERIOD  11/21/2013		Insurance  Activity	What You Owe Now
	Charges Billed	760.00
12/03/2013	OP Blue Cross Pmt	-3,418.90
	Insurance Benefit	2,658.90
Balance Pending		$0.00	$0.00

I can assure you that I did not see one penny of the $2,658.90 "Insurance benefit" since payment goes directly to the facility. Maybe I should discontinue direct payment and see if they send that to me next time.

All the best,
GB

Dream Vacation & Ammo Run Road Trip

With the implementation of the Draconian NY SAFE Act this coming Wednesday, and the ridiculous requirement for commercial ammo sales to be only face to face and the additional requirement of a background check for each purchase of ammo within NY State, I was thinking I might have to do quarterly (or annual) ammo runs to other states. Heck, I was also thinking I need a good get away from it all kind of a vacation.

The trip would start from home in NY. My first stop would be Harrisburg, PA about 193 miles from home. It is nearby to Gettysburg and Hershey Park and home of a Bass Pro Shops. Maybe spend a few hours or even a day there to enjoy the sights.

Then onto Middletown, OH. It is the home of AIM Surplus, the company that just happens to have the very minor distinction of the last place from which I received an online ammo order. It's about 459 miles from Harrisburg - definitely an overnight stay somewhere around there and most assuredly a stop at AIM Surplus.

The next day I would plan on being off to Columbia, MO which is about 484 miles from Middletown. While in Columbia I would  have to visit MidwayUSA. Besides visiting the store, I would visit their museum too. I might spend a couple of or three days in or around Columbia to enjoy wetting a worm (or hunk of beef liver) while trying to catch a huge catfish in the Missouri River.

Once I decided to move on from Columbia, I guess I would be headed to Stillwater, OK to visit the folks at SG Ammo. They were one of the nicest groups of folks with whom I had online ammo dealings before Tyrant Cuomo and his leftist henchmen screwed all 2nd Amendment loving New Yorkers. That would add another 417 miles or so to the trip. The trip up until that point was basically westward ho; however after Stillwater the route would take a nosedive almost directly south.

The next stop would be Brenham, TX. It is located about midway between Austin and Houston and from what I have heard that is hog heaven. So, I might figure to get some hog hunting done with an outfitter in that area. That would certainly be a blast for me. To assure I had the right ammo for pig shooting, I imagine I would need to stop off at Ammo To Go in Brenham. I guess I would spend at least a couple of nights in that area. By the way, Brenham is 464 miles from the previous stopover in Stillwater.

Upon leaving Brenham, my trip would turn east going through eastern TX and into Louisiana. How could I not at least try to make a stopover at Red Jacket Firearms in Baton Rouge, which is a mere 352 miles or so from Brenham. That would be a short stop requiring me to drive a bit further that day, say maybe to New Orleans which would add another 82 miles before an overnighter there. I might even have to spend at least two nights there.

Once out of New Orleans, the trip would turn northeast with my next planned destination being Columbia, SC. Since that would add about another 677 miles to the trip, I would probably stop along the way for an overnight stay, maybe near Atlanta. Of course, I might be feeling my Wheaties that day and do the whole drive from New Orleans to Columbia. It would require some strong black coffee but a drive of 10 or 11 hours is possible for this old man still. Once in Columbia, I would be obliged to stop by at Palmetto State Armory at the warehouse location. These folks were also very nice in all of my online dealings with them.

I'd keep heading NE after Columbia with the hope of making it to Front Royal, VA as my next overnight stop. Several miles before getting to Front Royal, I think I would be obliged to take some side roads through the area over to the Skyline Drive and take it the rest of the way to Front Royal. That stretch from Columbia to Front Royal amounts to 460 miles or so. A couple or a few days of canoeing, fishing and hiking might be in order. It sure is nice in that neck of the woods and that is amazing considering how close it is to that cesspool - Washington, DC.

Upon leaving Front Royal, I would be on the last leg of my journey. On the way back home, I would again pass through PA and this time I would probably make a stop at Cabela's in Hamburg, PA just to see if I had forgotten anything ammowise along the way. The final part of the journey would be about 337 miles from Front Royal, and then I would be home.

I did not add up how many days this trip might take even though I mentioned staying a day or two at some places and maybe even a few at others. Time would, in all likelihood, be of little concern since when retired - every day is another Saturday in Paradise. The total mileage (I hope I wrote down the mileage between all stopping points above) would come out to 3922.7. That is 
according to Mapquest. That might not add up to the miles I gave for each stopover because I rounded off. Here is the route map, with the zip code of my actual starting point changed to one in Queens, NY where I used to live (don't want to give away exactly where I live now). Click on "View Larger Map" at the bottom of the map to see the whole route.



It is a lot of miles to drive but as I say, being retired and if I do it, I will have the time. I say if I do it because right now this is just what it says in the title of this blog post - a dream trip. I just started planning dreaming about it tonight. I am not sure if I am going to do it or not, but I know I am overdue for a road trip, so why not a long one. I am going to look into booking a hog hunting trip down near Brenham, TX. If I find a place that seems good, at a reasonable cost, who knows, it might be all it takes to put my wheels in motion.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Obama Zone

 

 

It's truly sad and almost unbelievable that the great majority of the American people are not outraged over this but instead see it as acceptable if only because they think it affects someone other than themselves. We have become a nation made up mostly of complacent and obedient slaves to tyranny.

 

All the best,

Glenn 

Remington R-51 Pistol and Grip Safeties

According to a blog post I read at The Firearm Blog, Remington is going to produce a new pistol in the near future. The Remington R-51 will be a semi-auto 9mm pistol with a 7 round capacity, single stack, magazine. You can get the specification details about the pistol at that blog post.

I kind of like the look of it. I like the fact that its action is that of the Remington Pederson Model 51. I like the fact it is a Remington pistol. I like the proposed price, around $400. I like the way it looks, sort of retro yet futuristic - kind of Buck Rogers like. Yet, there is one feature that creates a major point of contention for me. That is that it has a grip safety. That is at least somewhat of a turnoff for me in a defensive pistol that I might carry as my primary or back-up weapon on some occasions. 

I just do not understand the logic of placing a grip safety on a pistol. There seems to be too much potential for it to become an anchor during a truly nasty battle for my life should my thumb(s) become incapacitated. That may sound silly to you, you may be thinking wow is this guy anal. The truth is though, in a life or death situation, you want to have as many advantages that you can have with as few disadvantages as possible. The chance of not being able to fire the gun because you can not operate the grip safety is a negative. Since you have to grip it a certain way, to be able to operate the grip safety and thus to fire it, it is not in my opinion a great choice for a primary sidearm. In addition, operating a grip safety also has too much potential to negatively affect the first shot in any gunfight as it changes the way you grip the pistol.  It also seems to be an unnecessary step to take to fire a pistol just as is the operation of a manual safety on any pistol that requires such an extra step, more than merely pulling the trigger, to fire it.

For those reasons, I usually do not carry my Ortgies pocket pistol or my Remington R1 as my primary handgun. I am much more comfortable carrying my Glock 26 or one of my Beretta 92 series pistols as my primary handgun. There are other considerations that help determine which pistol I carry for defense at any given time such as: caliber, magazine capacity, action type, what situations I anticipate carrying in and so on. All things considered equal, there just seems to be too much that could go wrong when carrying a pistol that requires activation of a grip safety as to make it impractical to carry one of them over a pistol that does not have the same type of safety. The grip safeties on my Remington R1 and on my Ortgies pocket pistol are one of the reasons that have kept me from carrying either as my primary sidearm in most instances.

I realize though that many people prefer a pistol with a grip safety, Zach over at The Next Chapter likes them as he says in his post about the R-51. Many other shooters also seem to think it to be one of the better safety systems. I do not quite understand why. Am I missing something about the allure of a pistol with a grip safety. I ask that most earnestly because I know they appeal to a great many folks and I certainly would appreciate some well reasoned replies.

All the best,
Glenn B

NY's McCarthy Will Not Seek Reelection

That this über liberal anti-gun witch will not seek reelection is sweet music to my ears. In my opinion, she has to have been one of the most useless and rights violating politicians I have ever seen elected to office. Sadly, this being NY, she will be replaced, in all probability, by another leftist.

A lifelong smoker, she came down with lung cancer last year. I wish her well in her recovery but am dismayed by the action she is taking because she had cancer. I have read several articles about her, all mentioning she had and fought lung cancer, but not one of them states that the type of cancer from which she suffered is normally caused by asbestos exposure, only that one of her biopsies found she had been exposed. Now she is suing the asbestos industry trying to claim that her exposure to asbestos caused her cancer. She appears to be the typical leftist, taking no responsibility for her own actions (being a lifelong smoker) as having caused an undesirable result (her lung cancer). I think she is just another unbelievable opportunist allowing no crisis to go unexploited and is suing the asbestos industry, seemingly to her own benefit, just the same as she exploited the wounding of her son and shooting death of her husband to her own benefit to get elected to Congress her first time around. As I see her, a more disgustingly shameful example of a crises mongering politician is hard to find. All I can say about her departure from Congress is good riddance. After that, I hope her lawsuit falls flat on its face.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sources:

http://nypost.com/2014/01/09/carolyn-mccarthy-will-not-seek-re-election-to-10th-term/

http://www.newsday.com/columnists/joye-brown/carolyn-mccarthy-s-long-journey-returns-to-long-island-1.6760686

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-11/smoker-carolyn-mccarthy-should-withdraw-her-asbestos-related-lawsuit

No Wonder The Arctic Ice Cap Is Vanishing

Whilst the libtards have been screaming about Global Warming having been George W. Bush's fault, the truth is that Climate Change (remember the libs changed names from Global Warming to Climate Change once their facts were found to be dubious) seems to be at its worst under Obummer. Think about that, it has not been this cold in the USA for over 100 years in many parts of the country. No, I am not blaming Obummer as leftists would blame and have blamed Bush, I am just stating a coincidence that may have driven the forces of nature to have been twisted by powers with a foul weathered sense of humor and a chilling one at that.

So while those libs must have gotten it wrong when they called it Global Warming, if anything, they may have gotten it right about it being Climate Change. The climate sure has been changing around here, sort of just as you would expect it to do what with the change of seasons. Now maybe it is a bit more at that as it sure is colder than usual. Yet, as evidenced by the current weather change in the US of A is definitely not global WARMING but by some corrupted manner of thinking it may be local warming - at least local in the Arctic. Seems that Mother Nature or God or the Fates has or have a nasty sense of humor. If there has been any reported, that the Arctic is warming and has lost most of the polar ice cap, one has to wonder how and why with all this cold weather hitting us now. The only thing I can think up is that as the forces of Mother Nature have moved all the cold air south, into our area AND those same forces have pushed all the warm air up north. That would fit in with Local Warming anyway cause as I said it sure ain't global. Then again, how is it that all that cold air was already in the north to be sent here if it already had been getting warmer over all the years they have been screaming about Global Warming and Climate Change. I guess maybe they were and remain wrong and the North Friggin Pole is as cold as ever - otherwise where did all this cold air come from!

It is 8.7 friggin degrees in the village in which I live. Prudently, I had my oil tank filled a week or so ago and do not need an emergency oil delivery. Sadly, the oil is being consumed at a record pace. Luckily, the weather is supposed to change and gradually, dare I say it, warm up over the next few days. That is at least here in NY near the coast. I should point out that the warmer temps will be much more within normal range for this area than are the current blue-balled special temperatures to which we have plummeted and will even get somewhat balmy for at least the weekend - the high on Saturday predicted to be in the low 50s. I am thankful for that, as I am sure will be millions of other folks. My bet is that all of us, including hard left liberals, probably would not mind a bit of Global Warming right about now.

All the best,
Glenn B

Hey NY Gun Owners - Want To Get Really Pissed Off

... that is if you are a responsible gun owner in NY State. Then go ahead and read the linked article; it is sure to make your head spin in amazement and to raise your blood pressure and ire beyond those of mere mortal men. The article claims, in essence, that Jerome Hauer (NY State Commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services) was allegedly absolutely unsafe and reckless with his pistol, and apparently unnecessarily endangered the lives of others in doing so. In a million years I would never have imagined anyone doing what it is claimed he did - thus one of the reasons I tend to believe the story - you can't make up stuff like that! See:
 
 http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Ready-aim-point-talk-5116592.php

If it can be documented that Hauer actually did what it is claimed he did, then it should also make each and every one of us, that is all responsible NY gun owners, petition the governor's office to have this guy fired. Then we need to demand that the NYS Police revoke his pistol license, or that the state revoke any exemption to a license it may have granted him in connection with his employment, and furthermore the NYS Police arrest him for  brandishing a firearm and reckless endangerment (or the equivalent) under NY State law. If horse whipping was still in vogue, and legal as a punishment fitting the crime, then I might have argued to include that too. 

Oh yeah, that's right - he is one of Tyrant Cuomo's minion. How could I be so foolish to have suggested him being punished in any manner for an act that would have gotten the rest of us arrested immediately if not sooner. After all, last I can recall, it always seems to okay, in the eyes of political gun grabbing jackasses like Cuomo, for their henchmen to be armed and show no regard for firearms safety, for the law or for the rights of the people. FUAC.
 
All the best,
Glenn B

U.S Government RSS Feed - Interesting CCleaner Scan Result

As I often do, I deleted all of the temporary Internet files on my computer this evening, as well as running a full system scan by CCleaner and another by Norton 360 Premiere. When I went to close CCleaner, the list of deleted files showed as usual. There were only a few of them and one happened to catch my eye. Go ahead, take a quick guess as to what would be likely to catch my eye as relative to files deleted from my laptop.

Nope, there was nothing sexual about it. Nor was there anything about guns in the file name. Yet, something stuck out like a sore thumb, one that was red and swollen and had been festering stinky pus for days on end. Now think, what is the most miserable, 
disgusting, intrusive, upsetting thing that I (or even you) might unexpectedly find on your computer? Have you guessed it? If you guessed that it had anything to do with an unexpected temporary Internet file that evidently originated within the U.S. Government then you would win a cigar.

Now this may be all ado about nothing. The reason that I say so is because here is the file that CCleaner deleted and erased traces of from my hard drive:

C:\Users\(redacted)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\OO2BOPCK\usagovrssfeed[1].xml

The reason I say it might be all ado about nothing is because of this part of that file: OO2BOPCK. the letters BOPCK may indicate that someone, incarcerated (or working) within the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) made have been checked when viewing my site. Then again, that is a mere guess on my part but "BOP "is the abbreviation for Bureau of Prisons and CK" is often the abbreviation for "check". Then again, there was the disturbing part of that file as follows: usagovrssfeed. Now you might think that is not at all disturbing because it seemingly indicates that I have a RSS feed from the U.S. Government on my computer. The thing is that to my knowledge I do not have such a feed. I am wondering, does it mean they have a RSS feed from my site? I just don't know but it somewhat intrigues me (to say the least) that a file like that, indicating it was in some way, shape or form associated with the U.S. government was on my hard drive.

If anyone of my readers understands what that would be all about please leave a comment explaining it to me. 

Thanks.

All the best,
Glenn B

That Good Old Global Warming...

...has it warmed up to an almost balmy 51 degrees right now, after a few days of bitter cold in my neck of the concrete jungle. I guess that would be proof of global warming except maybe for the fact that by tonight, the temperature is supposed to drop by 42 degrees to 9 degrees Fahrenheit. What a roller coaster but it does fit in with the newer weather related terminology that the ultra libs love to use - Climate Change!

All the best,
GB

Ammo Dealer's Starting To Shut Out New Yorkers

It comes as no surprise but still is a major disappointment, at least to me, that ammo dealers are starting to notify their NY customer base that they are about to discontinue sales, via the Internet, to the public in NY State. Today, I received the following email from AIM Surplus:

"

Dear Valued New York Customers,

In order to comply with the New York State SAFE Act (Effective January 15th) regulating the sale of ammunition, we must enact the following policy:

After Monday, January 6th, we will ship ammunition orders only to FFL Dealers or NY State licensed re-sellers of ammunition . We will accept orders from eligible consumers through Monday January 6th for immediate shipment.

As you know, NY State does not yet have the ability to complete background checks for ammunition sales. However, the state is requiring and enforcing the manner in which ammunition sales are transacted as of January 15th.

We greatly appreciate the continued support and business from the shooting community of the State of New York!

AIM Surplus"

Heil Cuomo the tyrant! The ammunition sales portions of the NY SAFE Act are kicking in as of January 15, 2014 and even though the state is absolutely not prepared to run, and is probably totally incapable of efficiently running, the required background checks for each and every purchase of ammunition, within NY, to the public, they are still going ahead with the requirement that ammo sales can only be done face to face by a FFL dealer or a registered ammunition dealer in NY.

As for the fee for background checks, they will start to charge that once the system is up and running. In the event you had not heard, the fee for the background check supposedly was to have been $5.00 per ammo purchase, then we were told it would go to $10 and now we have been told it may reach as high as $20 per purchase of ammunition. So, if I wanted to buy a box of the cheapest 22LR ammo that I could find, say maybe a $6.00 box of fifty rounds (at today's prices) I would have to pay $6 for the ammo, with sales tax added onto that and then either a $10 or $20 fee for the background check. That would be a total of $$26.52 for a $6 box of ammo!!!

Now get this: If I would want to transfer a firearm by way of a private sale, I would also have to get a background check run on the buyer and have it done by an FFL; however, the state is only allowing a dealer to charge a $5.00 fee for doing so while the state will be charging between $10 and $20 for what is in essence the same kind of a check but one run on the state background check system. Yes, run on the same system that is apparently less functional than the Obummercare computer system! That the state is going to charge up to four times as much as they are allowing FFL dealers to charge for running a background check is not only a blatant abuse of power, it is an outrage and quite possibly just another step closer toward the first shot of the revolution being fired. I am not advocating an armed and violent revolution against our government, federal or state, but I do not doubt one is coming and coming soon if things soon do not turn around drastically. It is also probably going to go a long way toward putting local dealers in NY out of business but I imagine that ammo sales in PA will skyrocket.

All the best,
Glenn B

Obummercare Revelation Time

For all of the non-working stiffs who could not afford a wonder health care plan before and thought they would get one under Obama, this one is befitting you:

 

 

Just Got Done Shoveling...

...for the first time this storm and while that does not make me a liar in my last post it sure made me wrong. I went up to check to see if one of the dogs anted outside or was just whining for some company. Opened the side door and guess I saw about 1.5 to 2 inches already on he ground. I decided since the dogs did not want out, I would go out for some exercise and clear off the patio, sidewalk, walkway, driveway and my neighbor's sidewalk too because yes it was time to shovel!

When out there, I realized once again how little my wife pays attention to what I tell her and have been telling her for years which is to park in our driveway and not the neighbor's when it snows. We have to get our cars off of the street for the plows or risk a ticket and or tow. So, I have asked her repeatedly to park her car in our driveway next to one of our other two cars. None of them fit in our very small garage that is currently occupied by my son's motorcycle and weight bench along with other stuff thus when it snows in the driveway they should go. I have asked my wife, over and over and over again, to park in our driveway, and my son even remembered to leave room for her car tonight by parking his all the way to one side. I ask her to do that so that when it snows, the cars keep that much snow off of our drive and thus leave less for me to shovel, we can just pull the cars out into the street to clean the snow off of them - and that is much easier than shoveling it. I guess she is hoping I have the big one while out there shoveling because she hardly ever parks her car like I ask when it snows. Oh well, she can help shovel tomorrow, I will let her do the driveway.

By the way, if the snow keeps coming down like this through early tomorrow, say by 1000 AM, we ought to have about another whopping 6 to maybe 8 inches on the ground by then; that in in addition to the maybe 1.5 to 2" that already has fallen or at least wound up on my sidewalk. Mind you, what I had on my sidewalk may have in great part drifted there, it is light snow and there is a slight wind right now from the north, meaning it builds up on our side of the street so it is more likely only 1.5 inches actually has fallen over about the last 4 hours or so of steady snow. Going with the high estimate, that an actual 2 inches has fallen already, that means an inch per every two hours. If it keeps up until 1000 AM - another 12 hours from now -  then my guesstimate of another 6 will have been right on the money. Thus by 1000 AM, snowing at the same rate, we will have gotten 8 inches. We may get even more snow than that tomorrow but probably not much more as per the forecasts. While it is supposed to keep snowing later on tomorrow, it is also supposed to slow down some from what I heard and the National Weather Service is saying maybe another 1-2 inches after 11AM tomorrow. That would bring the total to 10 inches. Wow, they said 6-12 inches during the forecasts over the past few days, maybe they have gotten it right - that is if the rate of snowfall does not change much. It will be easy to manage though as it is very cold out and the snow is light an powdery, I think the way skiers love it. I love it as it is not that wet heavy stuff that I have had to shovel all too often; and no I do not mean shit, I do mean snow.

As for the high winds, they are supposed to hit later on tonight or tomorrow. I guess a snowfall of around 10 inches, in this cold, could wind up being a real pain in my arse if the winds blow it all to my side of the street and that seems to be what they are saying is going to happen to those of unlucky enough to have north facing properties yet, as I said, it is pretty light weight snow. Oh well, more shoveling = more exercise = more beer and or hot chocolate. Then, in a couple of days, it should all be gone as the temps are supposed to go up from a predicted high tomorrow of about 16 degrees Fahrenheit to 28 on Saturday then to one of 43 or so on Sunday. A veritable heat wave compared to what they are calling for tonight and tomorrow. Right now it is supposed to be about 22 degrees out there but you could have fooled me cause I got all warm and thirsty while shoveling.

What is it that the guy, The Most Interesting Man In The World, says in the Dos Equis beer adds? "Stay Thirsty My Friends". Good advice for a snow covered night. I plan to do just that by shoveling, which will keep me warm and make me thirsty too. It just will not  make me thirst for Dos Equiss, I drank too much of that while in the Border Patrol years ago.

To quench my thirst, it is time for one of those brews I love, maybe a nice Ommegang Ale. I have both an Ommegang Rare Vos and a Three Philosophers on hand. I also have a Corsendonk Christmas Ale (which is out of this world delicious) but I promised my son he could have that one. Then again, I still have about 1/2 of an opened growler of McKenzie's and certainly do not want it to lose its fizz before too long. Decisions, decisions, decisions!

All the best,
GB

Time To Start Shoveling?

Nope, not yet. I may give it another couple to few hours before doing that but I will get it done at least once before I hit the hay tonight.

Later 4 U,
GB

Snow Storm Forecast & Politicians Play Up A Panicky Crisis

Okay, so maybe it will be more than a little snow that falls but not really all that much - at least not in the greater NYC area and on Long island and it will be cold (yes a high of 16 degrees is pretty cold at least for this area). Let's face it though folks, 6 - 12 inches of expected snow is not snowmageddon, even with the strong 30-40 mph  winds that should accompany it! It is now forecast that the snow should start to fall by 6PM tonight, Thursday January 2nd. The thing is that yesterday they were saying it would start to fall steadily by about 10 AM. That did not happen but still they are preparing for the worst and I mean the worst, they are not gearing up for a snow storm but for snowmageddon. So, not only are they preparing for a major snowstorm in this area but they are in a piss-pants panic over it. The governor, Andrew Cuomo (FUAC), according to the linked report, already reporterdly closed down the Long Island Expressway (I-495) on Tuesday night at the Queens - Nassau border but expected to open it again on Wednesday morning. Is the reporter that screwed up in his reporting or is the governor that much of a panicky wimp? I expect the first of those two choices is correct, it will probably be closed tonight not last night. Heck, the storm was not slated to hit until TODAY, yet they are saying he closed the LIE at midnight yesterday - the news media is as fucked up or more than the politicians! The LIE is THE major roadway from Long Island into NYC and is heavily used by commuters; really now, is it necessary to even close it tonight. Why not keep the plows clearing the roads. In addition, the governor has declared a statewide emergency. I understand they need to be ready to salt and plow the roads but he is going berserk closing roads throughout the sate - lots of road closures and they are all major highways from what I understand. If the government owned or contracted plows were out there, in the storm, doing the right thing, no roads would likely need to be closed for a mere 12 inches of snow. Buffalo, NY and other localities in the snow belt get many feet of snow each year, sometimes over 20 feet of snow in a single winter and you don't hear about the state closing roads then for a mere 6 to 12 inches of the white stuff! But this storm will hit Long Island and NYC and that is the heart of the liberal stronghold in NY State and Cuomo must think he needs to impress his voting base.

Of course, neither do you hear of schools closing early in places like Buffalo or Rochester or Watertown, NY on the day before a storm, in anticipation of it, and then the school officials not knowing if they will close on the actual day of a storm! A smattering of snow fell here early this morning, not even completely covering the ground, and some school officials have allowed schools to close early today even though the snow is not expected to start falling again until 6PM tonight! Let me reiterate, they closed early today while wetting their panties worrying about a storm that has not yet hit and was scheduled to hit only after normal school closing hours. Yet, they have no idea if they will close on the day, tomorrow, that the storm is expected to be at its worst and on the day that major roads will be closed in the area (source) by a paranoid governor. If this was Bizarro World that would be bizarre but not here in the US of A where it has become normalcy for lunatics to run the school system and for maniacs to run the government.

So why all this maniacal crisis intervention for storm that has not yet hit us. It can only be, as I see it, complete political BS. Cuomo and other officials want to show how grand are they in the face of a crisis but, of course, the governor and the others are making it more a of a crisis than it is likely
actually to become if left to its own devices. I am not saying it is not going to be a nasty storm; I am saying that Cuomo is not letting a crisis (real or manufactured) pass him by without exploiting it for political benefit, just as do most super-duper liberals in politics. I have never before seen nor heard of preparations like this for 6-12 inches of snow in NY State and, most times, storms of that nature have been dealt with pretty well and reasonably by those who have not panicked.

Me, I have a different attitude than panicking. I have decided, after receiving both a phone call and an email from the dealership service center for our Hyundai suggesting I change an appointment for tomorrow morning, that I will stay at home instead of trying to bring the car into the shop for a scheduled recall repair. I already called them and changed the day to Monday. I did that not so much because I am all that concerned about driving in a snowstorm but because the road I take there, the LIE, is likely to be closed because of our worrisome crisis enhancing governor.
Then, after the snow starts falling, I will go out to shovel it once there are a couple to a few inches on the ground, you know - just like state owned or contracted plows used to do to keep the roads open and passable. It usually makes it easier for me to do it in shifts than waiting for all of it to fall and trying to get it in one fell swoop and I am guessing it is, or was, the same when they clear(ed) the roads of snow. Just as I strive to keep my sidewalk clear so anyone could walk past my place easily, who needed to be out, they used to strive to do so on the roads so that people could still use them during a storm. Political crisis mongering seems to have changed that recently.

Back to me shoveling - if the wind keeps blowing it back on my side of the street, then I may decide to wait until it is all over to shovel it away but I will not panic over it now, just plan for it one way or the other. My brand new shovel, bought it about 2 weeks ago because the old one had it, awaits me in my garage as does ice-melt if needed. Other than that, I will remain at home tomorrow and enjoy retirement. We have food enough to last and will have heat as long as the electricity remains on allowing our furnace's electronic ignition to fire up. We will have hot water regardless, the water heater runs on gas and fires off of a pilot light. Now while we have no kitchen in which to cook, our's is currently in the middle of a remodeling job and stripped of all appliances, I do have two BBQ grills. If worst comes to worst, I can fire up a grill and crack open a few cans of spam or chili or both and have a whiteout-cookout. Wow, sounds like we are prepared to face a couple of lousy days - promised to be followed by temperatures rising to the mid forties by Sunday, all without the panic of our piss-pants governor getting the better of us.

All the best,
Glenn B

Happy New Year

Happy new Year.

Back to normal as far as blogging on an almost daily basis, I obviously took off the last week. Hope you had a nice Christmas (whether you celebrate it or not).

Also, hope you had a great Festivus - everyone should celebrate that one! Hope you enjoyed your Festivus pole, aired your grievances, accomplished some feats of strength and maybe even enjoyed a Festivus miracle or three.

All the best,
Glenn B