Epsilon Morons Employed By Brave New World Colleges

I work, part-time, for a company that is contracted by the U.S. government. The government required a full field background investigation of me. I was notified today, that finally, after about 7 months, the investigation was completed. I was also notified that I stand to be found unsuitable for the position because the college I attended, and from which I received my Bachelor of Science degree, says it has no record of me receiving a BS degree from it.

I am going to the college tomorrow to look into this and to obtain an official copy (or three) of my transcript, and maybe have them send one directly to the investigator. Not all that long ago, around the time I was applying for my current job, I recall getting an official copy and submitting it to whomever it was that requested it. The thing is, I cannot recall if it was for my current job or for another job for which I applied around the same time. Of course, I do not have a copy of the official transcript because they gave it to me in a sealed envelope. Should I have opened it to make a copy for myself, my opening the envelope would have destroyed the integrity of the official transcript.

I sent the investigator a copy of a 'student copy' of my transcript. That may or may not suffice for the investigation; however, even if it is good enough, I still have to go into the college to straighten out why they told the investigator there is no record of my undergraduate degree. You may find it hard to believe that the registrar's office, of a well respected college (at least it used to be), could not find it. I do not find it difficult to believe at all; I have prior experience with them doing the same thing before. They had some difficulty finding it when I went there in person to pick it up last year and at first they told me there was no such transcript and I did not receive a BS degree from them. I do not recall the exact problem they had but definitely remember the only reason there had been a problem was because someone who must have graduated college as Summa Cum Laude after majoring in the science of being an Epsilon Moron was the person looking for it. I hope someone with at least half a brain searches for it tomorrow when I get there, that should make it so much easier all around. If not, they may get to see a savage side (a real person, read the book)that they usually hope to avoid in folks with whom they deal.

All the best,
Glenn B

Something About Women With Their Fingers On The Triggers...

...of guns at inappropriate times just seems to pique my interest. Maybe you can look at these images and tell me why that is so. I know, and you should know, that one of the cardinal rules of firearms safety is that you never put your finger on the trigger unless ready to shoot, with some exceptions, but these gals don't seem to be in any of those excepted situations. I guess it just irks me enough, to see these shots of them with their fingers on those triggers, at inappropriate times, that I needed to share the photos with you to help educate or remind you about firearms safety.

 

 

 

 

 

All the best,
GB

Today In History - "Honey, I Forgot To Duck"...

...were the words spoken by a real man, to his wife, to reassure her after he had been shot in the chest with a 22 caliber bullet. That same man walked, under his own power, into the hospital emergency room from the vehicle that brought him there regardless of the fact that his left lung had collapsed. In words and in deeds he was a real man among real men. Once inside the hospital, as he was undergoing initial treatment and being prepped for emergency surgery, this man of steel turned to his doctors an said: "Please tell me you're Republicans".

Besides being a manly man, he was a jokester and also a 
politician, In fact, he was the president of the United States of America. No, he definitely was not Barack H. Obama, nor George W. Bush, nor William J. Clinton, nor George H.W. Bush. He was much more a conservative, even a libertarian, man than any of them. He also was the best president of all those and better than many others before them by far. He was Ronald W. Reagan. On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate President Reagan and succeeded in wounding the president and three others in his entourage (source).

It was a lucky day for Reagan and a lucky one for America. Reagan was undoubtedly, at least in my mind, the best president of my lifetime by a longshot and we were lucky he survived back then. Today, we could use the likes of him to get us out from under the boot heels of the tyranny that now threatens our way of existence and our rights as guaranteed by our Constitution.

All the best,
Glenn B

Something Every Freedom Loving Citizen May Want To Know...

...is how to escape from incarceration when wrongfully held captive. Some examples of that could be: you have been kidnapped and bound and thrown in a vehicle's trunk, you have been bound by someone during a home invasion or bank robbery, your kinky lover tied you up and forgot all about you (had to throw that one in there), you have been arrested unlawfully, you have been lawfully arrested (the cop somehow has been rendered unconscious for and you hands are turning blue because the restraints are too tight) - or whatever. Now, I am not Houdini nor am I an expert on escapes but I have found some information on one of the blogs to which I link that possibly could be useful in such situations. A blog post over at The Art of Manliness gives a few examples of how to defeat nylon zip ties when used as restraints.

I am not endorsing those methods, nor even saying they have a chance of working, but they look to me as if they maybe are plausible means of defeating nylon zip ties. If these methods work, I may practice them now and again because they could be a lifesaver. If they don't work, or I cannot get them to work for me, then I will forget them. Best of all, if I can do it, I will avoid being restrained in the first place; although, that may be harder said than done if someone wants to harm me badly enough. Anyway, if I ever find myself with my hands, and maybe also my feet, bound by zip ties and I am in danger and need to escape, I think it sure would be nice to know how to do it.

I am not recommending that anyone else try this. You trying it is up to you and me saying I will try it should have no sway with your decision to try it or not. I will say though, that if and when I try these methods, I will have another responsible adult in attendance who can cut the zip ties off of me if those methods don't work. Kids should definitely NOT try this unless under the supervision of a responsible parent or guardian. I am not saying kids should never try this but must have responsible and knowledgeable adult supervision if doing so. I would think that if the methods work, parents might even want to teach their kids how to do them but the parents must be thoroughly familiar with these methods beforehand. Placing zip ties on wrists (or on any limbs) can be extremely dangerous and could result in the amputation of one or more body parts or possibly even result in death. Then again, being
restrained by a crazed criminal can also be extremely detrimental to your health and or result in death.

After writing the above, I did a bit of searching on YouTube and came up with a video on how to potentially defeat not only zip ties but handcuffs and duct tape as well. I have long known some methods of defeating handcuffs, as should every law enforcement officer, but figured that the general public may not be aware of how to do so. Again, I am not endorsing any of these methods but am sharing the video so you can determine if the escape methods might work for you. All of the same warnings that I made above about the potential dangers of zip ties as restraints also apply to duct tape and handcuffs. Kids, again I tell you, do not try any of this unless under the supervision of a responsible parent or guardian and adults should only do this with another responsible and knowledgeable adult present. DON'T EVER TRY ANY OF THIS AFTER TAKING ANY MIND OR MOOD ALTERING DRUGS - INCLUDING ALCOHOL.



All the best,
GB
 

New Blog On The Blog Roll...

...under Bloggers Whom I Have Met: http://www.weerdworld.com/

All the best,
GB

We Had A Great Time In NH

Brendan and I go home about 4 this afternoon from our NH trip. We had a great time but I forgot to take pics for the most part. We got a few, on his phone, at the range and at the Budweiser Brewery, and if he emails them to me I will post them.

On Friday night, Brendan hit the hay almost as soon as we got to the hotel. I went out for a short walk and discovered the Tilted Kilt Pub. They had scantily clad barmaids (click to see their photo gallery) and a good sized selection of beers and ales, I was in heaven until closing but only had a couple IPA pints and a large dollop of whiskey, and  do mean that the barmaid was quite generous in the pouring of the 12 year old Jameson's that I ordered.

On Saturday we made it to the Manchester Firing Line Range.We signed in and were advised we'd have to wait about an hour for a point to share between us. A single point was okay with me, I had not planned on shooting much, I wanted Brendan to shoot to his heart's content. After about a half hour of admiring the wide variety of guns they had hung on the walls, we were called to go shoot. We only shot for an hour and Brendan mostly shot the two 45s - the Remington R1 1911 and the Taurus PT145 Millennium Pro. He also shot a Beretta FS and Glock 26 both 9mms, the Ortgies 32, and I think that was it. He didn't want to shoot any of the 22s I had along, I guess not manly enough for a young buck like him. I was also quite surprised he did not want to rent any of the full auto guns they had available, like a Thompson's Sub-gun. I think he may have thought it cost prohibitive and while I paid for the range time, I told him he'd have to pay for any rentals and ammo (you had to use the range's ammo in their rental guns). He opted not to and had enough fun with my pistols.

I have to comment on the range, the rate was $16 per hour for each shooter and active law enforcement could shoot for $13 per hour (no price break for retirees). Memberships are available but I don't know the rate. The personnel were all very courteous and attentive even if one or two were not as knowledgeable about firearms as one might think they should be if so employed. One such example was one guy behind the counter not having a clue as to what "select-fire" meant when my son asked him about renting a select-fire HK UMP in .45 (a gun they sort of advertised on their website as available, as seen in the price list, but did not have "because they fall apart to easily").

Oh well, the guy was nice enough anyway and was very professional too, as was everyone we talked to therein. The range had about 8-10 shooting points on the enclosed non-members' side and about the same on the enclosed members' side. They had a lot of guns apparently for sale and a good number of full auto long arms and pistols for rent. Again the thing about renting anything was that it was an additional expense up to $75 per hour for a historic submachine gun and $150 for a belt fed machine gun and rentals meant you had to buy ammo from the range for them I did not bother to ask how much they charged for ammo). Since we did not rent anything, we were free to use whatever pistol ammo we brought along; although, ours was all factory fresh so I am not sure if they allow you to shoot reloads.They allow pistol and rifle shooting but no shotguns because for some reason the wads screw up their backstop / bullet trap cleaning system. Let me reiterate, we had an excellent time there, the place was great. If we attend this summer's bloggershoot up in NH at the super-zeKrit location (and it sounds like there will be one), I am going to shoot one of those Thompsons at that range.

As for me, while at the range, I shot all those guns that Brendan shot and added my High Standard Duramatic M101 and the S&W 22a-1 both in 22LR. In all, am guessing we shot up about 250 rounds of 45 and about 200-250 of 9mm and me a few mags full of 22LR and a mag each of 32 Auto. We each spent a good deal of our hour loading magazines for one another. I brought along nine or ten 45 mags for the Remington, had two for the Taurus, 10 for the Beretta and four for the Glock and had multiple mags for almost every other magazine fed pistol we had along. The only of my semi-auto pistols, for which I have merely a single magazine, is my High Standard Duramatic. (That needs to be remedied - anyone have an original for sale or trade?)

Later, that same day, we headed over to the Budwiper Budweiser Brewery in Merrimack. That was pretty interesting and enjoyable. Brendan had five free 6 ounce samples of different beers, one at the start of the tour and four more at the end. They only gave each person two each at the end but I gave Brendan mine since I was driving and was still a bit hung-over from Friday night at the Tilted Kilt. Tour over, we stopped by the stables to admire the Clydesdales; they certainly are some magnificent beasts. After that it was back to the hotel in Nashua to clean up before heading out to the dinner with the NE Bloggershoot clan (coined as a clan by Jack DoubleTrouble). Dinner was at the Outback Steakhouse in Bedford and we all had a good time there what with good eats and better company. Sadly Jay G was with us only in spirit since his move to VA makes it pretty difficult for him to travel that far for weekend festivities.

This morning, after breakfast at the hotel (I usually do not turn down free breakfasts and did not do it today nor yesterday), we headed back up to Manchester to the New England Reptile Show. We didn't buy any animals but I did pick up a few things for my herps an for our latest addition - a hedgehog, that someone gave my wife over the weekend. I saw some rally nice Kaiser's Newts but declined because I know of a source with a much better price.

Then we hit the road and headed home with a quick stop for lunch and a gas fill-up along he way. Traffic was better coming home than when we headed north on Friday night and we were home in about 4 hours and a few minutes or so from Nashua, which was where we stopped for lunch and gas. That was excellent time.

I'll post some of the few pics we took, that is if Brendan sends em to me.

All the best,
GB

Praise The Fates And Pass The Ammo...

...that rotten bastard is finally retiring. Harry Reid has announced that he will not run for reelection in 2016 and all I can say is that it makes me a happy man. One must have hope that Nevadans will come to their senses and elect someone from the other side, as his replacement, due to his nature as a leftist tyrant.

See more here: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/27/senate-democratic-leader-reid-announces-retirement/

All the best,
Glenn B

North By Northeast

The son and I will be north by northeast bound shortly after he gets home from work today. We are headed to NH to meet up with some of the other folks who have attended Northeast Blogger Shoots in the past. We will be enjoying a nice dinner with them tomorrow night.

While we are up that way, Brendan will be able to get in some pistol shooting at a local range, something he is forbidden by law to do in NY State because he does not have a pistol license. We should be able to squeeze that in either Saturday or Sunday. I think that he ought to have some fun being that I'll be bringing along pistols in 45 ACP, 9mms, 32 auto, and 22LR. I don't know how much ammo should be enough but I am hoping that 350 rounds of 45, 300 of 9mm, and a few hundred 22 rounds should give him at least a couple to few hours of fun.

I am hoping to squeeze in a trip to the Budweiser brewery in Merrimack too. They offer guided tours and I am thinking that would be interesting for the boy (now young man) and for the old man (me) too. I hardly ever drink Budwiper, and then only out of desperation or to be courteous to someone who hands me one, so if they offer it for free as part of the tour I may try just one sip to be courteous. Brendan is a fan of Bud Light, and only he knows why, I cannot figure why he and his friends would even consider dinking it. Anyway, the brewery tour should be fun and maybe we will get a chance to see some Clydesdales; that would be excellent, they are truly spectacular beasts.

On Sunday, one thing I want to do for sure is stop by the New England Reptile Show in Manchester. One of my passions is keeping reptiles and amphibians. Been doing that since I was 8 or 9. I gotta thank my uncle Ken for that, he bought me and my brother two red eared sliders (water turtles) all those years ago and I have been a reptile junky ever since.

I guess I had best check that I have all the right ammo, pistols and respective magazines and I should pack whatever else I need. One way for me to start this trip on a bad foot would for me not to be ready when Brendan gets home from work today. Taking a 4 to 7 hours drive (depending on traffic) to get to our motel is probably not on his list of fun things to do on a Friday after work so, I may as well make it as enjoyable as possible for him and me being ready when he is ready would be a good start. I suppose that means, that before he gets home, I should go fill up the tank with gas and get some new wiper blades too (it promises to rain for the whole drive) since the old ones are fairly crappy and really annoyingly squeaky.

With all that to do, perhaps I should finish up this post and get my arse in gear. Light blogging for the next couple of days.

All the best,
GB

 

Well, I Guess Jay Is Ruled Out As A Suspect...

...in rigging a light switch, in a MA house, to trigger an explosion. An electrician working on a recently vacated house came across suspicious wiring that was found to go to a spark creating device attached to a container of accelerant. The device was hidden behind a newly plastered wall. Had the power in the home been on (it was not due to code violations) and the switch been flipped, the device would have caused an explosion that the police chief there said would have caused "significant destruction" (source). Luckily though, as I said above - Jay G has been ruled out as a suspect because the real suspects, allegedly who were the previous tenants of the house, moved out a week ago and Jay has been in VA for way longer than a week. Anyway, guns & ammo were not involved and that was more than enough hint that neither was our favorite formerly of MA blogger.

All the best,
GB

Should I Call Him The Assistant Dean of ISIS Support...

...or should I just call him a treasonous leftist piece of shaite! Can this seemingly arrogant and pompous piece of trash at Cornell University truly be that anti-American as to say, in essence, that a major U.S. university would fully support programs to support ISIS and would allow ISIS to train students on campus? It appears so, at least if the below video is on the level.

He could not possibly be an assistant dean, at an ivy league college (is Cornell now considered ivy league), and be so ignorant as not know to what the person, to whom he is talking, is referring when he repeatedly mentions the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria - can he???  Then to say that it would be permissible at Cornell, to allow a freedom fighter from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria to start a training camp for students on the campus and that students at Cornell routinely assist ISIS is beyond belief, at least in my mind. 

How this guy is still working at Cornell and not under arrest for conspiring to give aid and comfort to our enemy is beyond my understanding. But lest I sway you to my mindset on this, why not watch the video and make up your own mind. Just make sure to watch it all because if you just watch the first part you may wind up thinking he was never told the organization being talked about was in fact ISIS.

 

All the best,
Glenn B

What Was It Kim Kardashian Balanced On Her Butt...

...a glass of champagne or something like that. I much prefer a woman who can lay a 12 gauge across the top of her butt and let me do pulls ups with it. I need the exercise and if that's not incentive, nothing is!

All the best,
GB

All The Nuns I Ever Knew...

...were as crazy as bat shit on a merry-go-round going backwards. What else could one expect from a sexually frustrated bride of the lord who had to deal with everyone else's little brats in grammar school. Heaven knows what would have happened if they had had access to guns when I was in the fifth grade. I figure I'd probably be on the receiving end of this:

All the best,
GB

He Is A Fuck And Proud Of It...

...and who shouldn't be proud of their family name even if it is Fuck! Such is the case of the Canadian basketball player who, for years, was prohibited from having his last named emblazoned across the back of his jersey. He apparently kept up the good fight though and has been granted permission to have his last name appear on the back of his jersey just as all players have their own last names on their jerseys. More here.

All the best,
Glenn B

Carrying Under LEOSA While En Route Interstate

Reader Old 1811 commented on my post yesterday about my LEOSA (Law Enforcement Officers' Safety Act) qualification and in the comment asked a asked a question that should be on every persons mind who carries under the conditions of the Law Enforcement Officers' Safety Act. Here is that comment/question:

"I, too, am a LEOSA subject (retired ICE), and I have to drive through NY and NJ to visit family. I'm very leery of driving through either place (especially NJ) as I've heard horror stories of LEOSA carriers being arrested and charged just to get them into court so the charges can be dropped AFTER the perfectly-legal carrier has an arrest record and has paid big bucks to a lawyer.
Any tips on how to avoid that, other than not visiting my relatives?"

I will answer that question to the best of my ability. Please bear in mind, I am not a legislator, bureaucrat, prosecutor, lawyer, or LEO. While I am a retired LEO, what I am about to say about the law is based only my limited understanding of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, the Firearms Owners Protection Act and the Gun Free School Zones Act of 1990 as a private citizen. To the best of my knowledge, everything I say is based upon those laws as amended and current but remember laws can change overnight as we witnessed in NY state with the passage of the NY SAFE Act under cover of darkness in the wee hours of the morning. In other words, the following is my opinion on all this and should be taken as just that - my opinion - and nothing more. My opinion holds little to no legal weight. If you want to understand how any jurisdiction will interpret these laws or enforce them then ask a politician, bureaucrat, prosecutor, or chief LEO but be ready for at least a few different answers from among them, maybe some or all agreeing, or maybe some or all disagreeing, with what I am about to say.

I am making a guess here but an educated one and am pretty sure that one way to avoid the hassles would be to lock the unloaded gun in a gun case (just the gun, no ammo), put the locked case
in your locked trunk. Keep any ammo in another locked box, also in the trunk of your vehicle. If your vehicle does not have a trunk, then keep the locked cases as far from you as possible in the vehicle. Bear in mind you may also want to keep any magazines in the locked box with the ammo, not with the gun and make sure they are unloaded too. Its my understanding that having the firearm(s) locked in a case in the trunk, as long as you are traveling from a place where it was legal for you to possess and going to a place where it is legal to possess, is covered under the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act but you have to do it the way it tells you to do it in the law. I strongly recommend going to the above link to read up on it.

Locking your firearm in a case in your trunk does reduce your chances of defending yourself while traveling but that is something you have to weigh against the chances of being stopped and arrested by overzealous police in a gun unfriendly state or locality. Sure, law enforcement can still hassle you and can still arrest you even if it is locked in the trunk but I think it much less likely if you transport it that way. The Firearms Owners Protection Act is questioned by LE much less often, than is carry on your person under LEOSA, as far as I am aware.

If you carry a firearm on your person (or in your vehicle) and pass through a school zone (see paragraph 25), which means within 1,000 of a primary or secondary school, you are violating federal law if you do not have a permit/license from the state in which you are doing so or do not follow some other exemptions under that statute. While traveling through school zones, as defined under that law, the way around that is to not have it on your person and to have it in a locked case in the vehicle and it has to be unloaded. Bear in mind that some jurisdictions, like NY City, consider a firearm loaded even if there is a magazine with ammo in the same case even though the firearm is not actually loaded.

There have been prosecutions of retired LEOs, who thought themselves to have been legally carrying under LEOSA, for violating that federal law because they were within 1,000 feet of a school. Think about driving through a big city like NY or LA or Chicago - where could you possibly be without being within 1,000 feet of a school! I wish I could find the link to the map I once saw of a large city showing how it was virtually impossible to pass through the city without going through a school zone within the definition of a school zone under that law.

I strongly recommend taking a course on LEOSA like the one offered by the Sheepdog Academy. I think it will give you a lot of info you probably did not have before. Sadly, it also leaves a lot of new questions too but at least you would be able to consider things you likely did not before taking such a course.

All the best,
Glenn B

Westley Richards, What An Amazing Company

I was browsing the Internet, looking for images of gorillas with guns (don't ask why) and I came across this photo of a gorilla engraved onto a gun.

It was pretty stunning and I decided to click on the website associated with it. I was brought right to the "Engravings" page for the Westley Richards site. All I can say is that, if you want to see some exceptionally fine looking masterpieces as far as engraved guns are concerned, click on that link.

I also took a look at the 'The Company' section of their site and have to say that the company has a pretty interesting history. I am not a big buff when it comes to checking out firearms companies but must say this one had some surprising facts listed on that page. Perhaps the one that was most amazing to me was that Westley Richards (the second owner, his father William Westley Richards started it all) was awarded £48,000 in royalties by the British government for patent infringement, of his patent of a hinged falling block breechloader, after the Brits adopted the falling block Martini rifle. Yet, I had never heard of him before.

Anyway, it looks to be an interesting firearms site with a lot more to see, so I figured I would share it with my readers. There home page is at: http://www.westleyrichards.com/ 

I sure would love to visit, and get a guided tour of, their facility in England. I think that would be a truly excellent trip.


All the best,
Glenn  B

I Could Appreciate A Woman...

...with a mindset like this one, well maybe without all that live, laugh, love stuff and especially without the dance shit:

All the best,
Glenn B

A Small Ray Of Hope Within Islam...

...could be seen recently in the form of a protest over the brutal and fatal beating and burning of a woman who was falsely accused of burning the Q'ran. Thousands of Afghans supposedly participated in the protest of something that not too long ago would have been ignored as just another day of being Muslim. Maybe there is hope yet but we, or should I say they, have a long way to go. More here.

All the best,
GB

It's Nice When The Range Officer Says...

..."Ballseye (although he used my real name) - good shooting". Once again, I am qualified under HR218; I shot a 250/250. I will admit, I had one flier that was almost outside the scoring area, it just broke the edge, but the rest of them were right in there. Still, it wasn't a really tight group and as far I am concerned, as compared to my shooting just a few years ago, it was not all that great. Anyway, as far as the HR218 course of fire went, it was perfect. That made me a happy camper and I am good to go for another year of carry, virtually anywhere in the USA and its possessions, under LEOSA.

I know, it's ridiculous, maybe even criminal, that such is the law set by tyrants, when in fact the law of the land clearly states that we all have the right to be armed. Yet, I would be a moron not to take advantage of the provisions of LEOSA. Anyway, I try my best to get the laws changed making it par for the course that any law abiding citizen or legal resident alien could carry anywhere at any time.

All the best,
Glenn B

Springtime Gun Cleaning Ritual Day

Brendan and I are heading up to NH this weekend for a get together, for dinner, with attendees of past NE Bloggershoots. I, and I guess I should say we, are not about to drive several hours to somewhere just for dinner no matter how good the company without having something else to do when we get there. Brendan gets zero chances to shoot my pistols here in the Commie Socialista Rebooblik of NY, so I figure on bringing most of them with us to NH to enjoy some time at a range up there. With that in mind, I pulled out all of them this afternoon and gave them a cleaning - a long overdue cleaning for three of them by the way as three of my dozen were dirty as all hell. The rest of them were nice and clean but I gave them a good cleaning anyway for my ritualistic spring gun cleaning. With the warmer weather that is almost certainly soon to come, so too comes higher humidity, so I usually clean and lube all my guns in the springtime as regular maintenance whether or not they need it. My rifles and shotguns can wait until Easter weekend.

I was pretty surprised to find my Glock 26, one of my my daily carry guns, was foul as in dirty disgusting fouled with carbon crud. I guess I forgot to clean it after a range trip not too long ago. Shame on me for carrying it in that condition. My Ortgies 32 was also a foul mess and my S&W 22A was in need of some cleaning too. All the others were nice and clean but got a good once over anyway for maintenance.

Now, it's off to the range for me for my annual LEOSA (HR218) qualification (so I guess there will be yet another gun cleaning session later tonight).

All the best,
Glenn B

"Law Enforcement Is More Dangerous Than Concealed Weapons Carriers"

The quote in the title of this post is in part based on the fact that law enforcement officers are more likely to be arrested for a crime involving a firearm than handgun permit holders. That information came out of the mouth of the man who used to be the commander of the Maryland State Police Licensing Division (as in pistol licensing). He goes on to explain why he was wrong in his former beliefs that giving people handgun licenses would lead to rampant gun crime on their part.

 

Hat tip to New Jovian Thunderbolt for this one where I first saw the video.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

Citizenship, We Aint Got No Citizenship...

...we don't need no citizenship, I don't have to show you any stinkun citizenship!

One of the things that led to, or at least was a symptom of, the downfall of the Roman Empire was its inability to maintain a military force (and what amounted to a police force) made up of Roman citizens. Instead of using only Roman citizens within the military, as had been their tradition for centuries, they resorted to bringing in mercenaries from outside nations who had little respect for or allegiance to Rome. Their military and police forces (which were in essence the military) collapsed and with them went the empire right down into the dirt.

It seems that we here in the USA are not that far off from falling like Rome. Yes, we have allowed immigrants into the military for years and that for the most part has not been a problem except maybe in recent years with a certain ethnic/religious group. That is our way of life though, to welcome and assimilate immigrants and after all, we are a nation of immigrants. The thing is though, there were always certain rewards for immigrants who sought out the path to citizenship, followed it and ultimately became U.S. Citizens. One of those benefits, gained by citizenship, is that a citizen has the right to vote where an alien does not, even one in the military. As a citizen, you also have the right and obligation to serve on a jury if so called, aliens cannot serve as jurors (source). Another benefit of citizenship would be the opportunity to work for the government - any level of it from local, to county, to state, to federal. Such jobs would include anything from a maintenance man to a fireman, to the postman, to an IRS auditor, to a law enforcement officer, to a politician (excepting some offices like the presidency). Now though, all that already has gone out the window in several locations.

Not only are some locations in the USA, like New York City, toying with giving non-citizens the vote but many have started to hire them as law enforcement officers. Now, it may be all well and good to hire aliens who have served honorably within the U.S. Military but have not yet earned their U.S. citizenship but even in cases like that I have to wonder, what is the incentive to become a citizen if we give away to aliens what used to be the incentives. Lest you think though that only those who have served in the military are being afforded such opportunities, and thus taking jobs from citizens, some jurisdictions are allowing any alien with a work permit to become an officer. Did you catch the key word there in that last sentence - it was the word ANY.

"Some, like the Chicago and Hawaii police departments, allow any immigrant with a work authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become an officer. That means people in the country on temporary visas or are applying for green cards can join." (source)

If that statement is true and some jurisdictions are in fact allowing any alien with a work permit to apply for a position as a LE officer, let alone actually be hired as one, you had best start complaining big time to your elected officials. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services hands out work permits to aliens who hold absolutely no allegiance to the United States of America on a daily basis. They give work permits to aliens whose first act on U.S. soil was to break the law by entering the country illegally. They give work permits to aliens who have absolutely no bona fide identification when they first apply for status. They give work permits even to some aliens with criminal records. Now, politicians and bureaucrats want us to believe that it is okay to hire these people as law enforcement officers! This is so fundamentally wrong as to be akin to turning the nuthouse over to the lunatics. If it continues, we are doomed to fall like Rome. The next thing you know, law enforcement in this country will have devolved to this:



Seriously folks, if we hire aliens primarily because they have a work permit, and remember that Obama administration gives out work permits like prizes in a Cracker Jack box, we are not far from police forces made up of officers like that. Anyway, tell me, when was there really a shortage of qualified U.S. Citizen applicants for such positions. Never as far as I am aware but I am sure that politicians seeking political advantage to be gained from bowing to political correctness and diversity (as opposed to standing for logic, common sense and unity) are going to make all they can politically of hiring non-citizens for every job but their own political offices.

All the best,
Glenn B

Did You Notice...

...that her finger is on the trigger? Took me about 30-40 viewings before I noticed.

All the best,
GB

Two To The Chest...

...and one to the head, we like em alive, but we'll take em dead.

It's something I saw on a t-shirt once reference a double tap followed by a head shot on a bad guy. It's not bad to practice like that but apparently the gal in the following gif never learned it and if she did, well she sure didn't follow suit.

I know nothing about this gif except that I found it in a search for gifs of girls shooting. So, I don't know if it is real footage of a real shooting or not. There are some things in the brief video that make me think it really happened and others that make me wonder if this was just staged for the camera. One thing that surprised me either way was the fact that she appeared to rack the slide before firing as if the gun had been unloaded in her purse. As for things that made me wonder if the video was of a genuine shooting is the muzzle blast. Something that made me think it real was how the bad guy fell.

Whatever, fact or fiction, it warmed the cockles of my heart to think that some thug may have gotten his just desserts.

All the best,
Glenn B

In Honor of the Memory of the Oldest Living Female Veteran...

...I fired off an email to Fox News to demand that they correct the linked article to show that Lucy Coffey was not twice awarded the medal they claimed she had won during her service to this nation. It is truly a disgrace, in what it says about the people of our country and their attitude toward the military, when the oldest female veteran of U.S. Forces passes and a news article about her says:

"During her service she was stationed around the Pacific and earned two Bronx stars." (source)

For that I give FoxNews.com a Bronx cheer. Not only did the reporter get it wrong but somehow an editor (or three) missed it too. I would think that she had deserved at least the bit of respect it would have taken for someone to have actually read the article to have proofed it and realized that she had won two Bronze Stars, not Bronx Stars. In fact, she won more than two Bronze Stars as seen in a quote from an article about her trip to Washington, DC last year:

"She earned two Bronze Stars (for support services in the Philippines and what is now Dutch New Guinea), a WAC Service Medal, a Good Conduct Medal and a World War II Victory Medal"
(source).

Most women stayed at home during WWII and did their part in the war effort in much safer ways than did Miss Coffey. It is obvious that she was a true patriot in that she enlisted in the Women's Army Corps, in 1943 at about age 37. That enlistment was not easy for her either, it only came about after she was denied enlistment attempts several times before that successful one (source). She was tenacious too - she fought to get into the army to serve our country and then she fought to live a long life and, as can be seen by the second linked article, she achieved her goal of making a trip to Washington, DC to visit the nation's capital before she died. She was 108 at her passing.

Anyway, lest we forget her, take a moment and bow your head in silent prayer or reflection and give her and her service to us a few moments solemn thought.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History - The Rock Goes Under

The Rock, it was a name that sent shivers down the spines of hardened violent felons because in it's short lifespan as a federal penitentiary, Alcatraz Island (as it was also known) was home to some of the most violent and heinous criminals of its time. Its history started as a blurb on a Spanish map of San Francisco Bay, it was called La Isla de los Alcatraces (Island of the Pelicans). Over its long life since then, the island has been home to military fortifications, a military prison, a federal prison, Indian activists and a national historic landmark. As far as being a federal prison, the thing for which it is most well know, Alcatraz housed some of the worst federal prisoners, such as Al Capone, during the years to 1934 - 1963. It closed its gates as a prison on March 21 of that year (source, if you check the source, make sure to input the right date as it changes daily).

More here and here.

All the best,
Glenn B

Hang Em High And Let Em Swing...

...until every last drop of life is drained out of them. That would be my punishment to these vile useless thugs if found guilty. (Yes. I still believe in innocent until proven guilty though it is trying to do so in cases like this.)

While playing basketball, they reportedly decided to do something else. That something else, apparently, was to rob and kill someone. Their victim pleaded for his life and they allegedly shot him dead anyway. I think youthful offenders dirty filthy lowlife animals who are guilty of such crimes deserve to die to assure they will never do likewise again. More on the story here.

Now just imagine that a white cop had tried to arrest them and had to shoot one or more in self defense and actually killed one of them. The race baiters, rioters, looters and protestors would be rampaging as I type. I wonder where Al Sharpton and his posse are now! I am willing to bet that Al, or one or more of his radical race baiting sympathizers, gets involved in the trial(s) of the three misguided African American youths whom the defense will claim are being railroaded by the criminal justice system because they are black.

All the best,
GB

Learning Early To Respect Pussy

I am willing to bet he respects it now more now than before that.

All the best,
GB

New York City - 1936

Here is an interesting shot of a street scene, supposedly in New York City back in 1936. The white guy in the foreground looks a little more than a little bit like Bogie.

If you have not noticed already, take a look again at the display in the middle of the sidewalk and pay attention to what is for sale.  Apparently it was a different world then, there must have been a few conservatives living in the Big Apple back then.

Photo source: http://kvetchlandia.tumblr.com/post/101990288663/john-gutmann-guns-for-sale-new-york-city

All the best,
Glenn B

Idiots & Guns

Is he an idiot - you decide. I would bet he may have learned from that mistake and won't fire a gun in that manner again. Still though, I have to wonder if he has enough sense to apply his new found knowledge to other applications to prevent similar mishaps. I tend to doubt it but that is just a hunch.

All the best,
Glenn B

This Looks Cool But...

...don't try it at home or anywhere else. Let someone else do it and make the video, that way you don't chance it blowing up when you do it.

All the best,
GB

Some People Should Not Be Allowed To Take Another Breath...

...and others, I sometimes ponder, should be allowed to breath for as long as it takes to assure they suffer as much as possible while they are killed in the most cruel manner imaginable. Yes, I know all about the Constitutional ban of cruel and unusual punishment but I can still think about it. It is cases like this one, of unbridled child abuse, that makes m think thoughts like that. I suppose though that 40 years in prison might have almost the desired effect especially if there is someone in there bigger and badder than this monster (and I am sure there will be someone who fits the bill but hopefully does not quite fit in his ass and tears him a new one frequently).

All the best,
Glenn B

That Auction Bug Is Nipping At Me Again

Hessney Auction Company, up in Geneva, NY, has an auction this weekend. Yep, guns and such. I have been going over the actual auction catalog for the past three hours or so. I may have to go even though  have no money with which to bid very much, there are one or three guns calling my name in not so subtle terms - especially a Remington Model 81 in 300 Savage. Maybe the wife dearest will give me a loan.

All the best,
Glenn B

Boobs - Be Careful Of What You Wish For...

...because all boobs are definitely not the same.

All the best,
GB

Damned If He Did - Damned If He Didn't

A homeowner, who is also a convicted felon, decided that he preferred to be alive and he opened fire on two men who reportedly broke into his home and announced a robbery saying they were armed. Surprise, Harold Williams was reportedly armed too and he let the alleged robbers have it by shooting both of them. One was found by police still in Williams' home and the other later showed up at a local hospital and was arrested there. As for Williams, he wasn't shot but wound up in the 'damned if he did' category because he was arrested and charged with weapons possession because of his prior felony conviction. At least he is not dead and in the 'damned if he didn't' group. More here.
 
All the best,
Glenn B

 

Rifle Grip

For the life of me, I'll never understand why anyone would grip a rifle, or a handgun, like this with all the fingers wrapped firmly around the grip. See what I mean?

Nope, I really didn't think you would pay attention to how she was holding the rifle!

All the best,
GB

If They Elect A Real Leader - Why Can't We?

Israel has reelected Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu to a third term as the leader of Israel and some would argue, as the leader of the free world. That title, you may remember, used to belong to the Commander & Chief of the United States of America but was lost, in dribs and drabs, somewhere along the way over the past 14 or 15 years. As far as I cam concerned, we now have a pussified, communist, socialist, ultra leftist wannabe tyrant running the White House and trying to ruin what remains of our once great republic. Obama could certainly learn a lesson in leadership from Mr. Netanyahu.
 

What was said in the above video is so true it makes me want to cry for America. We apparently really do have the most chicken-shit president one could imagine.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Rattlesnake As A Symbol Of America...

...is ultimately and completely appropriate. Any reference to rattlesnakes as a symbol for ISIS is not only less than respectful of rattlers and of America but also a bit of totally inappropriate, while probably unintentional, praise of the dirtbag terrorists within ISIS.

Recently, I read again, a piece declaring that ISIS is akin to the rattlesnake and therefore that it is about time we treat them as such and in essence annihilate them. It sickens me to hear any American degrade the creature that suits America perfectly or at least better as its national symbol than did the Bald Eagle ever do so. If you'd like to know why, you can read this current Internet version of a piece written by an anonymous author in the 1770's (now attributed to Benjamin Franklin by the site at the link but that, in my understanding, may still be contested). Allow me to point out that the linked version seems to me to be somewhat different in some points than what I remember of the version I originally saw in the book Snakes on the natural history of snakes by an acclaimed herpetologist way back in my very young youthful days. I particularly reference the blurb about an incomplete rattle button representing Canada; I do not recall that in any way shape or form being included in the version I originally read all those years ago (way to close to the time it was written as far as I am concerned).

The Gadsden Flag - A Truer Symbol of America Has Never Been

Yes, I am snake-wise, so to speak, and I realize that some things said about the rattlesnake in that linked treatise are not exactly correct when looked at in the light of today's knowledge about them. The thing is that it was written in the 1770's and probably was spot on as far as herpetological knowledge went back then. Anyway, even if the author knew he (or she) was taking some liberties with rattlesnake facts, the gist of the analogy of America to the rattlesnake is indisputable in the light of those and current times (at least pre-Obama). Thus, any comparison of a rattler to ISIS, is at the very best far fetched, ill informed, balderdash that does little more than give comfort to our enemy!

That America and her patriots are like the rattlesnake has long been American lore, from the 1770s all the way up through the music of groups like The Grateful Dead and through the renewed current zeal for use of patriotic symbolism as the Gadsden Flag. If you have any doubt, of rattlers being equated to America in the modern world, then just pay particular attention to the first two lines of the third stanza of Uncle John's Band:
 

If any of you still think that it is proper to compare ISIS and rattlesnakes as being akin to one another symbolically or in fact, all I can think is shame on you, you fucking leftist peckerwoods. Please note that I respectfully withheld such a statement until I provided evidence to the contrary of such a belief and you had plenty of opportunity to rethink your stand. With all due respect, I am hopeful that any American patriots, who once believed that ISIS and rattlesnakes were alike, have now had a change of heart and that I have not offended anyone among them.

All the best,
Glenn B

Come Hell Or Fairly High Water Ammo Storage

NOTE: This post has been corrected, on May 13, 2015, to show that the ammo cans were in fact PA154 and not PA120 ammo cans as I had originally but mistakenly stated. That they were meant for 120mm mortars was correct.

The dogs started howling a few minutes ago and then doorbell rang. That could mean only a few things, either my door was about to get busted down by some federal agency raiding my house because they figured out I'd have the location of my where to find my ammo cache written on paper around here somewhere, or someone was looking to solicit donations for a good cause (or rip-off of the day), or UPS was delivering a package. I hauled my ass up stairs but by the time I got to the door there was the UPS truck driving off into wherever they drive off to. Didn't matter, as usual, the UPS guy left the box on my front stoop.

I knew right away what was in the 3'x1'x1' box that UPS had left for me. I 'd been expecting an order from Military Shooters and this was undoubtedly it. I hefted it up into my arms, think it must have weighed about 40-45 pounds, and carried the package down into my basement. As I was walking through my living room, I had the thought I had best get them out of sight before my wife or mother-in-law see them and my wife was at work. I don't know why I thought that, my wife is okay with me buying guns, ammo and accessories but I sure felt like I was guilty of something. Once down in the false sense of security offered by the man-cave, I grabbed the Victorinox Hunstman out of my pocket, pulled out the long blade and went to work on the packing tape. The first glance I got of the contents of the box had me smiling. I pulled the uppermost one out, opened it up, took a quick look at it and was a happy camper. I grabbed up the second one that was in the box and also gave it a quick lookover and was pleased with what I saw. My PA154 120mm ammo cans had arrived in very good, if not excellent, condition from the look of them.

One of the PA154 cans next to four 50 caliber ammo cans.

The Military Shooters website said these cans are in excellent condition and show "NO RUST". One of the first things I noticed on each of the cans I received was rust. There was not a lot of it, and what was there was pretty minimal surface rust, but there definitely was rust. However, if the seals on these cans are good, I think they are worth more than what I paid for them (which was a total of $54.89 shipped). According to Military Shooters, the seals are all good. They look good to me but who can tell at a glance if they will be water tight. Since I am not planning on burying these cans, or storing them laid down on their sides, I don't think it will matter all that much. I mean even if the seals turn out bad, come hell or fairly high water, the contents are not about to get wet unless I store them lying down. The darned things are 31 3/4" tall with the lids secured. As for their other dimensions, each is 11" wide by 5 5/8" deep. Note, those measurements are of the main body of the cans and exclude the wider measurements of the lids and or ridges on the cans. Considering the ridges on the cans they wind up being about 7"deep and considering the lids and locking devices, they are abut 12 1/2" wide. 

Both cans, from different angles, next to four 50 caliber ammo cans
for comparison. By the way, that Bud Light case in the background
is my son's not mine. I probably wouldn't drink that stuff even if 
it was the last beer on earth but he drinks it now and then, as a
way to help watch his weight and his bank account balance.

They appear to each be capable of holding at least as much ammo as four 50 caliber ammo cans. Of course, if someone were to load up one of these monsters with four 50 caliber ammo cans worth of ammo, you probably would need two people to lift it to carry it any distance. And to think, each can only held two each of the 120mm white phosphorous smoke mortars which they were originally intended to hold or so it indicates on the can. They have more stuff printed on them than any other ammo cans I have seen before, the only section of the exterior of either can that does not have something written on it is the bottom. Even the underside of each lid has numbers spray painted on them.

These cans do not have the same types of lids found on the smaller 50 or 30 caliber ammo cans, the ones that are hinged. Instead, these cans have lids that come off completely. I know that the lids on the smaller cans can also come off completely but the point is these lids are not hinged like those of the smaller cans. There is the typical lever type locking device, one at each end, and when you release them the lid lifts off completely. The lids on these ammo cans do not have handles either. You wouldn't be able to lift them very effectively even if they did have them. Rather than handles on the lids, there are two handles on the body of each of the cans.



One of the lids showing the locking devices. If you click on the
image to enlarge it, you may be able to see some of the surface rust.

Once of the cans held a trivial bonus but it was a bonus nonetheless. There was what looked like a small divider inside the can. It's merely a piece of plywood, with two holes drilled through it, that was cut to fit the inner dimensions of the can. For all I know it held the two mortar shells in place inside the can. While it is worth all of 25 cents at the most, it gave me the idea that I should make a few more of them using that one as a template. They will come in handy as dividers for whatever I store inside.


The divider.

For now, I have no idea what I will be putting inside of each of these cans, most of the little bit of ammo I do have is in my 50 caliber cans. I have to point out that when empty, since they are so tall but only about the same in depth and width as a 50 caliber ammo can, these PA154 cans are top heavy and can get knocked over easily. I tend to think that once full, the tilt risk would not be as much of a worry but I would still make sure to take it into consideration because if one of these cans full of ammo fell over onto you, it might break a bone and certainly could kill or seriously injure a young child or a pet. So, I think, I will still be careful to store them on a flat level spot on a hard surfaced floor as I do not need one landing on my foot or atop one of our Chihuahuas.

At last check, just moments ago as I type, Military Shooters still had 28 two packs of these remaining in stock. They are currently asking $22.99 for a two-pack plus shipping. If you are considering placing an order, go here. I have dealt with Military Shooters a few times now and like them. They sometimes have had things in stock that I could not find elsewhere and sometimes they have great prices too. I saw these same cans elsewhere at up to $75 (for a three-pack) plus shipping and the shipping was considerably more expensive, as I recall at about $50. Shipping from MS to me was about $32. I will mention that it took almost two weeks from the date of my order on March 4 until today for me to receive the order. That is not a complaint from me, just letting you know about how long it might take from start to finish if you decide to place an order.

I should also mention, I think they have excellent customer service even though they appear to be a small mom & pop business (and I mean that literally). When I received an email from UPS with my tracking information for this order, I noticed that the email said the shipment was shown as "**ORM-D SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION**". In order for ammo to be shipped to me legally, here in NY, it must go through an FFL. It would be just my luck someone at UPS, with a hard-on for gun owners, would have seen that on the package, realized it was being shipped to a residence, and would have contacted the police about it. I don't need them even knocking on my door to inquire about it, let alone them storming my home with a search warrant all because the shipping info was wrong, so I contacted Military Shooters and expressed my concerns about it. Fred Stecher, who I am pretty sure is the owner, got back to me early the very next day to let me know he contacted UPS to let them know the shipment did not contain ammo.

I don't get anything from Military Shooters for this post; I wrote up these cans and mentioned them mostly as a way to share a good deal with my readers and to say thanks to Military Shooters for having good deals and for doing a good job on yet another order. I don't use any ammo dealer exclusively as I prefer to spread my business around but they have once again assured they will keep me as a happy customer over the long run. A hat tip and my thanks to them for this order.

Gotta go, the hounds are howling again, who knows what I'll find on my doorstep this time.

All the best,
Glenn B

Got Your Own Website - Let Me Pick Your Brains

Here I go again, toying with the idea of getting my own website on which to post my blog, instead of staying here at Blogger. I must admit that Blogger has its advantages, perhaps the primary one being it is free (at least dollar-wise). Being on Blogger also has its disadvantages, one of the main ones being that they can delete my blog whenever they choose without warning and I would lose anything I have not backed-up (which would be at least a month's worth of blogging right now as I poke away at the keyboard).

With that in mind, I am curious to hear from those of my readers who have their own websites. I'd like to know what you guys think are some of the advantages of having your own site to host your blog and I'd also like to know what are some of the disadvantages.

Please also let me know if you own the domain name and web address for your site and if so, is there something extra that needs to be done to assure that as opposed to the web-hosting company owning the rights to your domain name and address. Along that line, what companies offer, BS free, web hosting plans that guarantee that you own your domain name and web address? As far as cost, I am looking to spend no more than about $15 per month but would pay somewhat higher if that is par for the course.  So, anything you can share with me along those lines would be helpful.

All the best,
Glenn B