Early Ballseye - My First Rifle And It Really Fired

My brother Raymond, my Aunt Mary, my mom and me
and my rifle. Happiness was a cork-ball firing cap gun.

I am guessing that was my first rifle, the one I got at Freedomland USA, it fits right into the proper timeline since Freedomland opened in 1960 and as you can see this photo was printed in May 1961. As I recall, I begged for that gun until I got it because my mom thought it was dangerous and that begging took some effort on my part. You can see though, it put a smile on my face and I loved it dearly, I guess most of all because (if it is the one of which I am thinking and it may or may not be that particular one) it really fired a bullet even if only a cork ball. Sure looks reminiscent of that one but if it is then it is missing the ramrod (which would be par for the course with other similar guns I have owned, heck I own at least one or two now missing the integral cleaning rod for it).

I may have had other guns sooner as I am pretty sure I had a set of six guns before this but until I uncover further evidence though, this will have to do as an image of my very first rifle. As I said, this was one was able to shoot cork balls, that is if a cap was placed on the priming pan and the hammer snapped down on it. You will note, I had my finger on the trigger because even back then, I had an itchy trigger finger. Maybe if I had not gotten it, I would never have developed the respect and love I have for firearms and shooting today - who knows. Whatever - I was not getting a Red Ryder BB gun like my brother had so I had to settle for it and was happy about it at that.

The other, unarmed folks in that shot are from your left to right: my brother Raymond, my Aunt Mary ad my mom. That was back right around when I turned 5 1/2. Life was good as long as I was ready for the monsters in it; and in that photo I was ready for them and happy about it. Never realized back then that one of the worst of them would turn out to be my own father - or maybe I did - although by then I am sure my mom knew it. Maybe that is why she relented and allowed me to have it and bought it for me. She wanted me to be able to grow up able to fight off the monsters like him. Oh well, I didn't need to shoot the bastard even if he deserved it but I am pretty sure that is why I wound up liking armed heroes so much - like Sinbad, the Lone Ranger, Commando Cody and later on Secret Agent Man. The Lone Ranger, him and Tonto were probably my favorite heroes, at that time anyhow.

Hi-Yo Silver - Away...and without further ado, I present an episode, The Legion of Old Timers (debuted October 6, 1949 - well before my time but almost on my birthday), because besides me being an old timer now, the episode has the complete introductory theme song that I loved so well.



All the best,
Glenn B

She Wasn't Black Like Holder...

...nor was she a known white feminist and radical whacko like Clinton, so I am guessing Obama just told her to get the fuck out without a moment's delay. Oh yeah, then again she had something to do with making sure Obama and his family were safe and secure and that could be another reason she is out. I figure she did not just up and resign on her own but if she did - man oh man do I admire her for it - as in she took responsibility - a concept that seems is all too distant to our president. Why would it impress me if she resigned out of a feeling of taking responsibility for recent Secret Service mishaps? Certainly not because the SS was a failure under her but well, just look at the actions of the man who is responsible for the safety of our nation, our troops, our people and tell me - why has that dirtbag not yet resigned. If she did it on her own, that means she owned up to her agency's failures, Obama is still blaming Bush!

The person I am writing about is Secret Service Director Julia Pierson who resigned today (source) in the face of several blunders on the part of the Secret Service in protecting Obama. Funny that Holder took about 6 years to resign after several screw-ups worse than anything on the part of the Secret Service. In fact, he was in charge of Fast & Furious and a Border Patrol Agent died quite likely because of his blunders as far as I can tell. He was a radical, a black, an outspoken critic of US policy who wanted to change things. Hillary Clinton was likewise except she was a she and was white but certainly she is a radical, is outspoken against US policy and she fucked up royally on Benghazi (and other things) then seemingly lied to us about it and she also fundamentally wants to change America. Obama's cabinet and the rest of his administration is and remains full of appointees like that.

Suddenly though this one appointee is out. So either she had integrity and resigned on her own or Obummer forced her out behind the scenes. Either way, he is allowing her to go without a fuss - without delay - in fact - post haste. Funny isn't it, that when it concerns his personal welfare it is okay to get rid of someone as quickly as possible but when it concerned the welfare of the nation, it seemed in essence to be fuck America, it was, I want it the Obama way as far as the president was concerned and that included holding onto scum like Holder and Clinton for as long as possible.

The true irony is that while Obama claims he wants change for the nation, he apparently wants the status quo for himself as far as Secret Service protection of his lame ass goes; that even though, in my opinion, he has never shown this country even one tenth of the respect that other presidents have shown it. So change for the rest of us is okay, but no change for him, at least as far as Secret Service protection goes regardless of his apparent lack of respect for American values. Remember that when you vote.

All the best,
Glenn B

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Kilted To Kick Cancer - Next Year, I'm In It...

...the it being a kilt each and every day for the month of September. That is, at least if I remember to get myself a kilt or three and all the accessories by August 2015 and then sign up before September. I had wanted to do it this year but did not post a reminder for myself and it slipped my mind until too late. To that end for next year, I just placed an entry on my MSN Outlook calendar, for August 1st, as a reminder to buy or otherwise acquire some kilts and the gear I'll need to kilt up for next year's Prostate Awareness Month and the Kilted To Kick Cancer fundraiser. I am going to bet that even on my first try, I will come in as one of the top three fundraisers because I know that my family, friends, and readers (yes that means you and you and you and you...) will help me there just as you all helped spiritually when I had cancer and heaven knows I kicked its arse. No, mine was not prostate cancer but KTKC an excellent cause nonetheless. Prostate cancer is the number 2 cancer killer among men behind only lung cancer. If we men live long enough they say we will all get it sooner or later. My father died from it and I for one do not want to go the way he did, it was pretty terrible from the what I saw of him suffering with it.

Anyway, you who know me can expect me to hit you up and hit you hard, next year, for the KTKC fundraiser during the month of September (again, if I my little gray cells and my calendar remind me). As do others who are trying to raise funds, I plan to wear a kilt each and every day of September 2015 and to post pictures of me doing so here on my blog an on Facebook. Of course, the way things are going now, that is if Ebola does not get me first.

Seriously though folks, I hope you will start to scrimp and save now. I have restarted saving in my change/dollar bill jar toward my donation for next year. I suggest you do something similar if you plan on donating. Think about that realistically; you can take a quart sized jar (or better yet a gallon sized one) and start putting your loose change and maybe a loose dollar bill or three into the jar on a daily basis - all with the intent of using however much you save in it toward a donation for Kilted To Kick Cancer for next September's fundraiser. It's all to fight prostate cancer (and to see me and my milky white legs in a kilt all month long).

In addition, I throw down the gauntlet and I am making an additional promise above and beyond that of me wearing a kilt, and I think far beyond what any other KTKC participant fund raiser has ever done yet, and that is: On each day that I bring it at least $150 for the day in donations for the KTKC during the month of September 2015 - I will make a video and post it online of me doing a Dunk Your Junk, albeit it a fast one as I am not staying in the bucket and drinking a beer (unless someone tries to do me one better). Yes that is akin to the ALS ice bucket challenge but this will involve: me wearing a kilt, what is under the kilt and a bucket of ice into which I will lower and dunk what is under the kilt. That means that if on day one, I bring in $150 in donations - I will dunk my junk that day and post a video of it (safe for home or work viewing promised). Then on day two, excluding the money brought in prior to that day - if I bring in an additional $150 on that day, I will again dunk my junk, video myself doing so and post it. However if, on day three (for example), I only bring in an additional $99, I will get a break from what I suspect will be my icy cold fate for next September. for that day. I just hope they have not turned blue and fallen off by October.  

Team Jay G was this and last years' winner of the KTKC fundraising competition - more here on this year's fund-drive. I used to donate through Jay's team but alas, and sadly for them, they are about to lose my input. After all, through whom better is there for me to donate than my own team! So I hope to establish and set up Team Glenn B (aka: Team Ballseye) and to make all of my own donations though my own team. I also am hoping that many of you will do likewise and be generous in your donations through my team - but not until September 1, 2015 when I promise to tart hitting you up for donations. That alone should help give me a fair start to at least one of the stop three slots in the competition.

As for the competition, here it is in a nutshell: Numerous participants will sign up, via KTKC, as fundraisers with the goal of raising for funds during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September 2015. Many, if not al, will wear kilts during September. As an incentive to get them to raise funds and to wear kilts while doing so - prizes will be awarded to the top three fundraisers. Now mind you - the prizes are not - I repeat ARE NOT - paid for by any money from the donations that you give. The prizes are donated to the cause by firearms related businesses since the participants have traditionally been firearms friendly bloggers. Info about this years KTKC fundraiser and the completion can be seen here:

http://www.ambulancedriverfiles.com/kiltedtokickcancer/

Now there is also a twist to that. Not only are prizes going to be awarded to the top three fund raisers, but some of the fund raisers also award prizes to some of the folks who donate through their team. For example, Team Jay G, to whom I made my previous donations, will be holding a drawing for some nice prizes in this years drive. Tose prizes will be awarded, I think, to a single winner (last year he had multiple winners). What he does is to credit each $5 that someone donates toward a chance in a random drawing. Then from among all those who donated at least $5 through his team he draws a winner or winners. So if you donated $5 you get one chance but if you donated $100 you get 20 chances at winning the prizes. Rest assured, I will do likewise for those of you who donate through team Glenn B (aka: Team Ballseye) next year in September 2015. Mind you, I can accept donations though my team at any time, once I register it; however, donations for the KTKC competition in September 2015 can only be accepted from 00:01 CST on September 1 through 23:59 CST on September 30, 2015. I have no cue what prizes I will offer but some of them (probably not all) will be firearms related  - hopefully someone out there will donate something neat to be included as prizes to those who donate through me and prizes will be awarded by random drawing as mentioned above from those who have donated at least $5 through my team during the time frame from 00:01 CST on September 1 through 23:59 CST on September 30, 2015. (My prize give away will be limited to participation by those 18 years old or older and to those legally residing within the lower 48 states of the USA and to those who can legally receive and possess the prizes.)

Wish me luck and if you think of it next August - give me a poke to remind me to get ready for the 2015 Kilted to Kick Cancer fundraiser. The only other thing I have to say is: Watch out Team Jay G, the competition is about to get serious. I literally have kicked cancer's arse once and mean to kick it again, in another manner of speaking, this time around. Want an idea of how serious am I - turn your speakers up for this:



Now just so you know, there is no disrespect meant to the other kilt wearing fund raisers by me using that version showing Johnny Cash flipping the bird.  That finger was not meant for any of them but is meant for the cancers whose arses we are kicking. Now where in Hades can I start buying kilts?

All the best,
Glenn B

Will Privacy Laws Help The Spread Of Ebola In The USA

Shakespeare was definitely right when he wrote something to the effect that the fist thing o do would be to kill all the lawyers. I say that because if the Ebola virus spreads in the USA, now that an unidentified patient has been confirmed at the first case within our borders, you can bet that medical privacy laws (drafted by lawyers)will have had something to do with its spreading. You may ask, 'how can that be'. Let me quote something I just read in a news article about the man who is the first diagnosed Ebola case in the USA:

"The person left Liberia on September 19 and arrived in the United States on September 20 with no virus symptoms. Frieden said that it was four or five days later that the patient, who is believed to be male, began developing symptoms and was ultimately admitted to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas on Sunday, September 28." (source)

So, he was inside of the United States since September 20 and probably on an aircraft with los of other people while enroute to our country. He could have infected lots of them and yes, I know, authorities can track down anyone with whom he flew and maybe almost everyone whom he came in contact with at the airport without getting into privacy issues. But you see there is more in which privacy laws will play a major part. He was here since September 20th right. He was not admitted to the hospital and put into isolation until at least September 28th. That is eight days as in 8 days or 192 hours or 11,520 minutes or 691,200 seconds. How long does a sneeze on someone or a sweaty handshake take. Even if he was only contagious after he started to develop symptoms, supposedly four or five days after the 20th, that leaves at least three days for him to have infected people. Think about just how many people you can come in contact with over the course of a normal 3 day period. it's a lot.

The truth is, the patient did in fact come into contact with at least several people who then almost certainly had fairly intimate contact with others. How do I know this, because it is reported he went to an emergency room for treatment of flu like symptoms (classic Ebola symptoms) on (now get this because it is a quote):

"...late Thursday or early Friday..." (source)

They cannot even tell for sure when he got there - not that an hour or two between say 11PM and 1Am might matter in most cases but this fucker has Ebola. Also note that he was treated and released on that visit!!! They had best find out exactly when he got there and who else was there. But yes, they can do that without privacy laws interfering too. So what the heck am I talking about privacy issues for in this post! Well the had best find out everyone else with whom he was in contact just before and after that point but they are right now, making that extremely difficult or even impossible.

You see, they are refusing to release his personal identifying information to the public because of medical privacy laws. While the authorities can maybe track almost everyone who came in contact with this guy on his flight, or in Immigration, Customs, and a hospital ER - what about anyone with whom he came in contact elsewhere. If authorities release his name, and it is printed in the media and blabbed on TV, then at least those who know him personally by name may stand a chance of at least catching it early if they have been infected by him.

Say for instance I know Joe Blow (aka: the patient), I have known him for years because I sell him his newspaper. I have gotten to know him well enough to know his name. But I have no clue he has Ebola; yet, he just shook my hand with his somewhat slightly sweaty hand say on September 27th when he saw me at my news stand. Do you really think that, if I caught it from him, the authorities are going to track me down before I become symptomatic? Fuck no they are not. In fact, every moment they wait to make this guy's name public, the more people I am coming in contact with to spread the infection he passed onto me. If I have it and start to spread it, the more people will keep on getting it and spreading it. Then what - they hospitalize me and put me in isolation and refuse to give out my identity too. At least if I knew it was him, I could get myself to a doctor or hospital for testing and maybe help prevent the spread and stand a chance at early treatment that might save me because early treatment often seems to be the key to surviving Ebola.

This is not the common cold, this is not mono, this is EBOLA - a disease that has been fatal in from 50 to 90% of the known cases of it. It does not necessarily spread like wildfire but it sure spreads steadily and with increasing magnitude. One person gets, it, he or she gives it to another or possibly another few, they in turn pass it on to multiples of others and it becomes epidemic. Authorities here want you to believe it is under control but in Africa, as the Centers For Disease Control just told us, they expect there to be about a half million to 1.5 millions cases of it by January. So what would make us hink they are going to maically control it completely here. I sure hope they do, I hope they are right, I hope they have the know how and medical facilities enough to do so - but let's face it folks - they cannot even produce enough flu vaccine in any given year that the flu is a bit different than they expected so how are they going to control an exotic pathogen like Ebola! Sure they have got this guy in isolation but remember they do not have anyone with whom he came in contact in isolation, maybe not even under observation yet. Making things worse is that people who came in contact with him may not eve know they are at risk - and why is that - all because of privacy laws.

Talk will talk about ethics and laws and lawsuits and how important is his privacy but think about it, which is more important - stopping an epidemic before it can start - or protecting his privacy? Sometimes there need be exceptions to laws. This is probably one of them and there is no time to waste in making that exception and making his identity known publically.

All the best,
Glenn B