CBP Officer Reportedly Arrested For Accepting A Bribe

A Customs and Border Protection officer has been arrested after allegedly receiving a $3,600 bribe to alter the immigration status of two people by way of  his access to a government computer system (source).

If the charges are upheld, all I can say is 'hasta despues su sentencia pendejo'. If guilty, I think he deserves all the time they can give him.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History - Our First Clues That Democrats Would Be First To Cause Global Warming

On this day in history, unbeknownst to us at the time, the fourth clue that Democrats would be totally responsible for starting Global Warming, aka: Climate Change, was thrown in our faces by Harry Truman. In fact, this fourth clue clearly indicated that they would not only be responsible for starting global warming but that they would continually proceed to find better ways to make our planet nice and toasty warm regardless of the cost to us. On this day in history, January 31, 1950, President Harry Truman announced that the USA would seek to create the hydrogen bomb, aka: The Hell Bomb.

Oh, by the way, if you were wondering what were the first three clues that Democrats would be responsible for Global Warming, they were gifts that President Harry Truman gave to the world and that warmed our planet more than the sun in some places: Trinity, Little Boy, and Fat Man. Funny how the liberal leftist Demoncrats now want to blame man's slash and burn farming techniques of 7,000 years ago but how they don't even mention at all the atomic, hydrogen, and whatever types followed, bombs that have been set off since Harry Truman first starting toasting the earth and its atmosphere with thermonuclear goodness.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Wonder, What Kind Of Barbed Wire Is That

Damned if I know but I'd bet Wirecutter knows.

All the best,
Glenn B

She Made Me Laugh Many Times & Made Me Cry A Few Times Too...

...but she was the mother that almost everybody who experienced her loved. Jeanne Stapleton, better known as Edith Bunker, passed away May 31, 2013. Now, you may be wondering why I am about to eulogize her at this late date. Well, a good friend of mine posted about her passing on Facebook (yes that anti-gun arsehole site that I still visit for some reason). I guess it was news to my friend because FB says she just posted about Jeanne only 13 hours ago or maybe she just wanted to remind us about her. When I read the FB post, I realized I had not said anything, in a blog post, about it at the time of her passing. I have been watching All In The Family reruns now and again as of late and thus figured I owed this wonderful actress at least a blurb or three regardless of it not being timely. 

Hopefully, Jeanne Stapleton has moved onto and been in a better place since her passing. If there is a heaven and a hell she most indubitably has been residing and performing in heaven but still has had them rolling in laughter in hell - she was that excellent of an entertainer. She may have had them shed a few tears too, she truly was capable of bringing out most, if not all, of one's emotions through her acting prowess.

While I usually laughed at the dim-witted side of her character Edith Bunker, there were a few times I actually shed a few tears over her more poignant scenes. Just recently, I saw the episode in which a rapist tried to accost her, on her 50th birthday, inside of her own home while her family readied a surprise party for her. I usually don't get emotional watching television shows or movies but that one just about had me sobbing at one or two points as she tried to deal with what she had just narrowly escaped. Hell - I don't think anyone ever wanted to see Edith having to suffer more than with what she put up with in Archie.

She also reminded me of my mother, in looks, not in wits, but that is another story. Although, I must say, there were times when my mother emulated Edith a little too much - or was it Edith emulating my mom, your mom, everyone's mom a little too much! I think maybe that last part was it and that was what made Jeanne Stapleton so beloved in that role as Edith Bunker - she was everyone's mom.

I will not say much more about her than I don't think anyone could have better played the role of Archie Bunker's wife in the long running sit-com All In The Family. Read more about her here and then take a moment to remember her and to honor her. Let me close by saying, if you have never seen All In The Family, you have no idea about what you are missing. Watch a few episodes and laugh a lot; by then you most likely will be hooked and want to see them all. That my friends would be the greatest honor you could pay her.

A hat tip to Eileen Y-F for the inspiration to write this one.

All the best,
Glenn B

America Turning Stoopid

All the best,
Glenn B

You Never Know

Payback can be a real bitch,...

...when you least expect it.
All the best,
GB

Which One Is Truly An Accomplished Song Writer/Singer?

The answer given was pretty blunt and to the point, totally disregarding any hint of political correctness, wasn't it!

All the best,
GB

Facebook's Gun Control Policy

This may get me banned from Facebook but I had to let them know how I feel about their new policy that forbids individuals from legally selling firearms to one another by way of their site. This may turn out to have been my last FB post:

" I am truly disappointed with Facebook curtailing the legal transfer of firearms between individuals on their site. See: http://www.reuters.com/…/us-facebook-guns-exclusive-idUSKCN…

I know, it is their site to do with as they please but I do not have to be happy about it. Just to show Facebook how unhappy I am with their decision to have done so, I figured I would show Facebook how unhappy I am with a graphic. I gladly will suffer any consequences and shall remain happy that I expressed my apolitically correct but logical reply to them.

"

 

I imagine that FB will not be all to happy about that post but as I said in it, I will gladly suffer the consequences.

 

A hat tip to Phil, aka: The Vulgar Curmudgeon, for the "fuck you facebook" graphic that I found in this post on his blog.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

 

Women And Bacon

All the best,
GB

Go Ahead, Vote For Hillary or Bernie, Then Take What You Get

Either Hillary or Bernie getting into office will likely result in something very similar to what we are warned about in this cartoon. Hell, we are well on our way to it under Obummer.
 

I suppose a vote for the likes of Rubio, Christie, Bush and some of the other so called conservatives would have similar results too.

I may have to vote for Trump yet.

Hat tip to peter Q.

All the best,
GB

Safe From Terrorists

I took down my Rebel flag (which you can't buy on ebay anymore) and peeled the NRA sticker off the front door.

I disconnected my home alarm system and quit the candy-ass Neighborhood Watch.

I bought two Pakistani flags and put one at each corner of the front yard. Then I purchased the black flag of ISIS (which you CAN buy on ebay) and ran it up the flag pole ...

Now, the local police, sheriff, FBI, CIA, NSA, Homeland Security, Secret Service and other agencies are all watching my house 24/7.   I've NEVER felt safer and I'm saving $69.95 a month that ADT used to charge me.

Plus, I bought burkas for my family when we shop or travel. Everyone moves out of the way and security can't pat us down.

Hot Damn -- Safe at last – Thanks to Obama!

A hat tip to Harry F for this one.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ah, Some Fresh Air At Last

As per an article in the New York Post, a New York City bureaucrat is hoping decriminalize public urination. While New York City has not done it yet, you can bet they will do it if only because they have been caught with their pants down - so to speak.

San FranSicko, has outdone New York in the arena of public urination. They have installed their first open air urinal in a public park. I guess the pervs will now have a valid excuse for whipping out their winkies and wriggling them in front of children; an excuse that doubtlessly will protect them from charges of indecent exposure and child molestation in the land of fruits, nuts and granolas! More here.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

Only Days Away From The Best...

...holiday of the year and it's all in honor of a rodent! Yes, I mean Groundhog Day. No gift giving - thus no shopping, no relative over for a holiday feast - thus no hours and hours preparing for those picky pains in the arse, no Groundhog Day decorations - thus no aching back to stretching and reaching and bending to hang them, no religious connotations in any way shape or form - thus no way to offend anyone (except rodent haters). You, or at least I, have just got to love the crap of a holiday that gets thousands of folks to stand out in the bitter cold just to see if a fat little porker of a rodent (groundhog) sees its own shadow or not to figure out if we will still have six more weeks of winter or not, especially since the little bastard has no clue what he (or she) is doing and neither do the spectators because winter is another six weeks and five days, or so, long regardless of if he sees his shadow or not.

Hope your Groundhog Day is a wonderful one.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Was Ruined Long Before The Internet

A hat tip to Mike McC for that one.

All the best,
Glenn B

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...

...plague me relative to our (Brendan and me) planned trip to Alaska this spring. I have a good amount of cash stashed away for the trip, about three grand so far. That will cover both of our airfares and my part of lodging, vehicle rental and most of my expenses.

When there, I would like to assure we are properly armed to deter and if necessary kill any bears that may become problematic. This is no joking matter for me especially since I found out that to be eligible to work for the state of Alaska, on jobs like seasonal maintenance of campgrounds and whatever, you need to be eligible to carry a firearm to deter bears. That is a requirement found within in the laws of the state of Alaska. If they see the necessity you can bet I do too.

Anyway, that leaves me with a big decision to make. The decision being whether or not I should shell out now for a revolver in 44 magnum (and thus having to find that much more money for the trip) and if so, do I get the Taurus Tracker with 4" barrel or Ruger Redhawk with 5.5" barrel. 

I am leaning toward the Ruger based in part on their reputation versus the reputation of Taurus. Besides reputation, the Ruger has a six chambers and the Taurus only five. I would hate to need that sixth round and have to reload to get it even though it would be likely that I would have the chance to get off that many shots on a charging brown bear. In addition, Ruger has some outstanding features that the Taurus, as far as I am aware, does not such as the solid frame without side panels (adding lots of strength to the frame) and the triple locking cylinder. Then there is the weight difference, the Ruger is about 10 oz. heavier, which is a good thing in that sized caliber (or so I would think). And of course, there is the barrel length issue. The 44 magnum is likely to have at least just a bit more punch out of a 5.5" barrel as opposed to coming out of a 4" barrel. As for price, I can pick up a Taurus Tracker with 4" barrel for about $575 but the Ruger would cost about $905 - that's a difference of $330 (or an awful lot of 44 magnum ammo). Even with that price difference, the Ruger is the one I am leaning toward and that even tough the $330 is about the cost of a day's fishing (for one person) on a charter out of Seward, AK. Decisions, decisions, decisions...it sucks not being filthy rich and not being able to buy both - or even just independently wealthy enough not to have to worry about the price difference!

I have sent an inquiry to my local dealer to see if he has the Ruger in stock right now. If he does, I may dive right in and pop back up on the surface holding a new Ruger Redhawk. If he doesn't have it in stock and cannot get one in a reasonable amount of time, I may just have to go for the Taurus and save myself some money. Whichever, I would like to have it in hand before Brendan and I travel up to New Hampshire for a blogger get together next month. If I get the Ruger, hopefully I will still have enough for at least 100 rounds of 44 magnum ammo so we can both practice some with it while in NH. 

All the best,
Glenn B

And Now For Something Almost Completely Different...

...among the huge number of gals and guns images on the Internet. I have never seen one quite like this one before:

All the best,
GB

I Am Happy I Retired From HSI/ICE/DHS When I Did...

...although it might have been the better move for me to have retired 6 years before when I first became eligible. It having had been better would have been due solely to the fact that I would have gotten out of the only truly aimless and pointless agency and department that I had ever worked for, during my 32 year career in federal law enforcement, at an earlier date than I did when I retired later on. DHS had almost the lowest rating in morale among federal departments for the few years before I retired and ICE almost the worst morale of all the agencies within DHS. Last year, it was reported they both had the worst rankings in morale - DHS the worst morale of any federal department and ICE the worst morale rating within DHS. I believe that was pretty much due to DHS and ICE having terrible executive and mid-management and to them being a department and an agency without a true mission to accomplish, in other words they are pointless and aimless.

Just about every time I have read something about DHS or ICE (including HSI) since I retired, just over four years ago, I feel certain flashbacks of despair and I feel newly sown shame. Let me just say it was not a good experience working there and almost everything I have seen about them, since I retired, has been bad news. For instance, take the latest article that is making the rounds on Internet news sites. It has been reported that (and this is in regard to DHS and its agencies):

"Inventory reports, obtained by the news site Complete Colorado and shared with FoxNews.com, show that over 1,300 badges, 165 firearms and 589 cell phones were lost or stolen over the span of 31 months between 2012 and 2015." (Source.)

While the article goes on to state that most of the losses were at Customs & Border Protection, apparently many were from ICE too. ICE has several agencies within it, so there might not have been any, or at least not many, losses from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) where I worked. Yet, this news is still depressing for me. I would think it likewise for anyone else with any amount of pride who also had worked there. At least it certainly makes me feel somewhat ashamed to admit to folks that I once worked there. I mean, how proud can one be that they worked for a department or agency with such low morale and from which these averages were generated:

Almost 42 badges (and I must assume also the credentials that went with them) were lost or stolen each month during the 31 month time frame mentioned above.

On average, 5.3 guns were lost or stolen, each month, in that same time frame.

About 19 cellphones a month went missing as well, again either lost or stolen.

That is an absolute disgrace in my estimation. In my 32 years of government service, I cannot recall ever having lost a piece of equipment that had been issued to me by the government except for a single cell phone that fell out of its clip and into the bay while I was boarding a boat in Florida. I promptly reported it. Since the phone was not waterproof and was not easily retrievable there was no worry about any information on it being compromised. There may have been something else I lost during my career but I do not think another phone, certainly never my credentials or badge (except what temporarily went missing in the collapse of the Customhouse on 9/11 and those were cancelled credentials and a government passport) and most definitely never a government issued firearm (except what was lost temporarily in the collapse of the Customhouse at the WTC on 9/11 and that was recovered later from the firearms vault). I never lost an issued gun, as in leaving it somewhere and not recalling where and never had one stolen from me. Same with my credentials.

As a matter of fact, I never heard of a rate of such losses as being that high, in my career, when I worked for the Border Patrol, nor for the Customs Service, nor even when I was under DHS. It just boggles the mind that as many phones, credentials/badges and firearms go missing at such a high rate, and it is scary to think of how those government phones, credentials/badges, and guns could be used by those with evil intent. Then again it does not surprise me that it has been happening within DHS. So many are miserable because of working there that it simply is not surprising to me that proper care is not practiced by DHS employees in safeguarding these items. Note, I am not excusing proper safeguarding of those items, I just am saying I understand how such laxness has come about.

Scarier yet though is the thought of how much information, law enforcement sensitive to classified to classified as top secret, could be going missing from the hands of the employees of this same department and its agencies. I doubt thought that DHS will be revealing stats on losses of information though, at least not any time soon. That if only because they, in my opinion, probably see no need to compete with the potential losses of classified information by Hillary Clinton.

All the best,
GB





 

So Maybe The Preppers Are Not That Crazy After All...

...since the so called Doomsday Clock is now at 3 minutes to midnight; midnight being the hour at which we arrive at a global apocalypse due to something like a nuclear war. See this.

Pardon me while I order another 40 pounds of dried beans, 40 lbs. of flour, 1k rounds of 7.62x39mm ammo and a couple of 1/4 oz. gold coins. No, I cannot afford it all at once, so I order such things in dribs and drabs, at least once a month.

All the best,
GB

Funny No One Has Mentioned Narcotics Smuggling

So, American Airlines passenger, at JFKIA, get off the plane and some are ushered, through a doorway, into the domestic arrivals area without going through Customs. This has brought up a concern about terrorist entering the USA in this manner. It also just happened, another time, at the same airport with the same airline, within recent months.

Through the view of my now older but once highly observant and well trained investigative eyes (trained in part by none other that the U.S. Customs Service), I have to, kind of, sort of, almost make a bet that these incidents may have been due to an airline employee being on the take, and being involved in an internal conspiracy, who allowed narcotics mules through those doors with their drugs. More here.

All the best,
Glenn B

How Long Will It Take For The Feds To Call Him An Islamic Terrorist?

The FBI has arrested a Muslin POS who planned to attack a Masonic Temple and kill as many people as he could kill. How long will it be before the feds call him a muslim/islamic terrorist? My guess is anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months. I also am willing to bet that Obummer never calls this guy a terrorist.

More here.

All the best,
GB

Google Public Alerts Is Forecasting 24 - 28 Inches Of The White Stuff...

...for lower NY State, including NYC and Long Island (except for the eastern forks where they predict a few inches less). I am guess, that where we live, we have had at least 18 inches so far but it is very difficult to judge because of the winds causing drifts in some areas and bare spots, and I do mean virtually free of snow, in other spots. There I a pile of snow on my very small front lawn that is about 4 to 4.5 feet deep. Just a few feet away from there is an oblong area about 4x10 feet with no snow. I could not even shovel it that clean right now because when I have shoveled, where the snow is piled up, some of the snow underneath sticks to the ground keeping it white no matter what. In this particular spot though, it is virtually bare. I had thought the spot in my backyard, where the snow is only about a 1/4" deep, was strange but the bare spot in front of my house is freaky.

Right now, from what I can tell, they say the snow will stop falling at about 0200. That probably means at least another 6 inches by then at the rate it has been coming down and who knows how high the rifts will be. I just shoveled out the walk on the side of my garage and the snow was between at least 3 to 4 feet deep along it. After I got to the front, I saw the snow on the sidewalk is only about 8 inches deep in most places up to about three feet deep in a drift near my driveway. My son shoveled the sidewalk earlier today and it looks as if my neighbor may have also come by with his snow blower; if not that, then the wind has been helpful in that regard. As for me, I am waiting until it stops to do the sidewalk again.

This global warming man-made climate change sure is something. It was almost 50 degrees a few days ago now we are in the middle of a mega blizzard (at least for Long Island) but it should hit the mid-forties by Tuesday. And to think, it is all early man's fault, as in mankind about 7,000 years ago (well according to the leftist eggheads anyway)!!!

I am going to do my share to keep the climate changing and have a couple or three alcoholic beverages along with some junk food of one sort or another. (I wonder if I still have those Andy Capp's Hot Fries somewhere.)I am sure all that alcohol and all that junk food will combine in my gut and will eventually come out as methane. Surely, that indubitably will help to destroy the natural order of our climate just as much as any farmer slashing and burning an acre or two several thousand years ago. You don't believe that do you but then you have never smelt one I have dealt cause if you had, you would believe I could destroy our climate in a night or two.

All the best,
GB

High Snow Alert - High Bid Achieved

As I had mentioned earlier, I did not drive up to Geneva, NY for the Hessney Auction Company's rod & gun auction because of the then predicted blizzard. Well they were right, as in the weathermen, and the snow has been coming down and piling high since late last night. We have drifts up to 4 feet high in our small backyard and yes that almost bare spot, I mentioned in an earlier post, is still virtually free of snow. The grass in that one spot of my backyard is laying flat but and is not covered by snow. In other words, the snow in that area, about 8 feet or so in diameter, is only about a 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch deep. In most places, where I just shoveled, it had built up another 6 to 8 inches within about the last 3 hours. Had to shovel to let the dogs out, otherwise the Chihuahuas would just do it in the house.

Along with the high snowfall I also had the high bid on one of the rifles I bid for in the Hessney Auction Company rod & gun auction - a Mossberg M44US. It was the very last firearm on which I had planned to place a bid in the order items that came up for bids. The auction info did not say anything about it being the version marked "U.S" Property" which would have made it somewhat more sought after but I don't care. I already have one marked that way and wanted this other one as a shooter and maybe later to sell or trade.

I wish I could have been present at the auction hall as I had planned but now that I have seen just how bad is the blizzard we are getting hammered by, I am quite content to have stayed at home. It would have been next to impossible to have returned home tonight, from the auction, as I had hoped. Oh well, maybe next time I'll be able to be there in person and have first hand idea of the condition of any items before I bid on them. I usually don't take the chance of buying an item, pretty much sight unseen, but in this case I decided what the heck.

This is the actual one on which I placed my bid. I can only
hope that the other side looks as good as this one appears.

I think I go it for a good price but it is hard to tell because there is scant to zero info on the condition of any of the auction items offered, unless the description notes a gun is offered as new or unfired. There was a single pic of one side of it and it looked good enough to take the chance. I'll see how I did, well or not, once it is delivered. I figure it will be about a week or ten days before that happens. If worse comes to worst, I'll have a spare parts gun for my other Mossberg M44US.

The Blizzard Had Me Wishing For Bikini Weather...

...and it looks like I did not have to wish to hard because for some folks it's always bikini weather.
 

All the best,
GB

I've Been Bidding On Guns...

...as an absentee bidder since about 1020 this morning. Hessney Auction Company is holding a Rod & Gun Auction today. I have not had the high bid on even one of about 10 guns I have bid on so far. Eiher prices just jumped even higher than they had been or people are truly stupid. A few guns being sold, in as new condition, had high bids at least a $100 to $200 above what you could get the same gun for new in a local gun store. Considering that the auction house tacks on a buyer's premium of 10 or 13% (depending on method of payment, cash or checks are the lower premium and credit cards the higher premium) and then they add 7.5% sales tax, someone buying a $1,000 gun for a hundred or two hundred bucks over retail at this auction has got to be out of his friggin mind or just an out and out idiot. I checked the prices at a local gun store in my neighborhood, and they were lower than some of the bids placed on these guns at auction and all my local gun tore adds is tax, there is no additional 10 or 13% buyer's premium. People are strange!

Anyway, I did come very close to owning a Colt Anaconda, being sold "as new" in the original box, a hard plastic case. I bid $1750 and the high bid was $1850, I could hear a woman screaming it out in the background as I was on the phone with the auctioneer's wife placing my bids. The women who called out bid sounded like she was a maniac, well she sounded that way to me. The auctions on which I have bid so far have gone fast an very high in price. I don't think I was closer than $500 from the actual high bid for any bids I placed and I was placing bids based on either on prices for new guns in my area (if the gun being sold was listed as new) or on the prices I found in The Blue Book Of Gun Values, The Standard Catalog of Firearms, and the going prices (one with actual bids) on GunBroker.com. I just don't get it except maybe that it has to do with Obummer and the anti-gun hysteria of the left making people buy, buy, buy at any price (and of course with some of the gun buyers being out and out moronic arsehats).

I still have a few items left on which I plan to bid, that is if they call me for them. I missed the chance of bidding on a Remington Model 105 CTI 12 Ga. shotgun because they failed to call me when it went up for bids. Stuff happens like that with telephone bidding. I would have preferred to have been there in person but had to cancel my scheduled trip there because the storm that is hitting my home area would have made it impossible for me to have returned today and maybe even tomorrow. Roberta, the lady taking my bids, told me they are jam packed with about 800 bidders. I have been there in person several times and never saw it that crowded before.

Anyway, I am awaiting her call for a few more items. It should come soon, so I am going to stop typing for now. I'll add more later if I have the high bids on anything.

All the best,
Glenn B

It's Been A Long Week...

...working every day. I am not complaining, I can use the cash but I have to say that since retirement and in my post-cancer age, I find it a whole lot harder to find any time for blogging after a full day's work. I suppose it is not just because of the job but have to consider the getting here and back home again that has made it a tiring, if not sometimes exhausting, thing for me. The walking a mile to the train, taking three trains, then walking another half mile or so to the office, after which I walk about one to 1.5 miles during my lunch, and I walk another mile back to the rail road after work (I take a different train home, with no connections) and then another mile walk to my house from my local station is all a good thing though, because since I have been doing that almost every weekday, my BP has been down.  I know, it's not really all that much but it has been enough for me; I am no spring chicken anymore. Anyway, my days have been tuckering me out and I have little desire to blog when I get home. Sometime in the not too distant future (next month), the out fit for which I work is supposed to have a full timer come aboard and I probably will not be working more than a day or two a week (and eve that will be dependent on folks calling in sick or taking vacation). I plan to keep up the walking, probably at the gym on a treadmill but also some out and about through the neighborhood. I shouldn't stop a good thing, I have lost about 6 or 7 pounds since I started. Whatever, once I am working less, I will have more time to blog.

All the best,
Glenn B

Chilling Out

Yep, it's pretty obvious, it's gotten a bit colder out there today.

All the best,
Glenn B

So Much For The Alaska Bound Ruger 44 Magnum Fund

GoFundMe pulled the plug and deleted my Alaska Bound Ruger 44 Magnum Fund campaign. I was under the belief that this happened before it received even a single donation; however, the widget I installed on my blog page on the upper right side says that 50% of the desired funs were already collected. Yet, when I go to their payment site, WePay, it shows a zero balance. If anyone donated, please get in touch with me with the specifics ASAP. You can either leave a comment for this post or you can email me by clicking on View My Complete Profile (in the red sidebar on the right) and then on the provided email link within my profile. Sorry about this but I had missed that they prohibit collecting for money for firearms.

January 16, 2016 at 1722 hours, edited to add: GoFundMe has been in contact with me and assures me the account balance is zero and no donations were made.

Oh well, as usual, I will have to do it the old fashioned way and work for the money for a bit of bear protection in the form of a Ruger 44 magnum revolver.

All the best,
Glenn B

These Boots Were Made For Walking...

...and these guns were made for shooting.

All the best,
GB

Firearms Lint Buildup - Tis The Season

Do you pocket carry a personal protection handgun? I usually do not, in fact I normally advise against it. There are just too many things that can go wrong while carrying in a pocket that I prefer to stick with carrying in a strong side hip holster. Yet, there are times when I do not have a choice and if I want to carry it has to be in my pocket. Lately, I have found myself in this situation more often than I like.

One of the things I don't like about pocket carry, especially in cooler sweater wearing weather, is the potential for lint to build up in your pocket and to accumulate in the workings of your firearm carried in that pocket. It simply amazes me how much lint can and does sometimes build up within a few days to a week - certainly more than enough to cause a partial or full barrel obstruction or to pack in behind the trigger or in some other mechanism of your pistol.

With that in mind, if you pocket carry, I recommend checking your pistol for accumulated lint at least every few days. I also recommend checking your pocket for lint (remember lint can build up in your pockets not only from sweaters worn in cold months but also from your clothes dryer) on a daily basis and that includes a check of the pocket in which you are going to carry before you put the pistol into it the first time.

If you don't think lint could be a problem, just take a look at these lint magnets that I found in an online image search:

 

 

 

You may want to make sure your gun is lint free even if you holster carry because lint also can build up in a holstered gun. The sweaters, fleeces, lined jackets we wear in the colder months all contribute to this potential gun failure causing problem. Another thing to be careful to avoid is over lubrication of your firearms. Oil is great at catching and holding onto lint, thus gumming up the works.

A can of compressed air, like you use on a computer to clean it, can help get the lint out of the internal workings of a firearm (if the gun is over-oiled the compressed will not work sa well). Compressed air cleanings are not enough though and I recommend at least weekly regular checks for lint, a good thorough cleaning of each firearm at least monthly, and a detail strip at least once each cold season. That is the minimum I suggest for keeping your guns lint free although you can, and in some cases definitely should, check for lint on a more frequent basis depending on your circumstances. That will all go a long way to prevent any lint related failures in your firearms.

All the best,
Glenn B

Trump's Candidacy?

Trump could be the man to vote for in the big election. Watch this and see why:
 

I would just as readily vote for Cruz, if he is eligible and if he wins the nomination but I would certainly vote for Trump if he wins the primary. Then again, I am not about to go out to change my status as an independent and register as a Republican just to vote for him in the primary.

By the way, yes I realize his avowed stances on many issues in the past; however, while a leopard cannot change its spots, I believe that a man can change his ideals over time. Ronald Reagan did so and became the best president within my lifetime by far. Hopefully Trump will at least stand tall in Reagan's shadow if he wins the primary.

My thanks and a hat tip to PVQ for the link to the video.

All the best,
Glenn B

How To Stop Most Illegal Gun Violence

 

 

 

Just get the leftists whackos and liberal entitled types to stop shooting people. A hat tip to John B who had this on his FB page.

 

All the best,

GB

Setting My Sights On A New Gun

Along with planning reservations at hotels or lodges, picking out a charter boat service, figuring exactly where to go and what to do on our hoped for Alaska fishing trip this spring or summer there is another consideration for us. That other one would be our safety while out and about in the wilds of Alaska. Heck, thar be bars out thet away - bigguns too!  

While Alaska's slogan may be: Beyond Your Dreams, Within Your Reach, my slogan is Arrive Alive and Stay That Way. Along those lines I figure it would be prudent to acquire some large cans of bear spray once we get there. I also am thinking it would be a darned good idea for me to bring along one or two firearms for protection. The Remington 870 immediately came to mind as my number one choice for that out of all the guns I own. Filled with alternating rounds of slugs and 00 buckshot, I think it would be a quite effective bear gun, even for Brown Bears. In addition to that, both Brendan and I are pretty adept with it and both of us can definitely hit the broad side of a barn
 with the buckshot.

I'd also like to have a capable handgun with me though for the same purpose - protection from bears. I have nothing that comes even close to being qualified as even a decent gun for brown bears, heck not even for black bears. So, I am considering buying a new revolver. I am not certain I will get one, mostly because with the expenses for the trip, I am none too sure I could afford one. Heck, I am not too sure we can afford the trip but with a little luck I can eke that out. Me managing to find another $600 to $900, in my hands, for a decent revolver in a bear sized caliber and about another $200 for enough ammo to become familiar with it could be the magic trick of the century. Then again, I can hope - can't I!

Along those lines, that means with sheer hope and nothing else driving me at the moment, I decided to do a little research on 44 magnum revolvers. Yeah, I know, I could get a lot more punch out of a 454 Casull but I kind of like my wrists without fractures. I also want something that would be manageable for 5 or 6 rapidly fired rounds and from what I understand that is a lot less likely with a 454 than with a 44 magnum. I digress so let me undigress and get back to the point which was me researching revolvers in 44 magnum. I have pretty much narrowed down my choices to three revolvers:

Ruger Redhawk model 5004 with a 5.5 inch barrel

Ruger Redhawk, model 5026 with a 4.2 inch barrel

Taurus 44Tracker4SS with a 4 inch ported barrel 

Based on past experience with the cost of things versus quality, I am guessing that the Taurus, which is available for about $635 (including tax), in my neck of the concrete jungle, is not as good a revolver as is either of the Rugers, either one of which I can get for right around $900 (tax included) give or take of few shekels. Granted that both brands get great ratings, for these specific guns, from Gun Tests Magazine; however, the Rugers are noted by them to be workhorses that have been known to shoot thousands upon thousands of rounds (15K though one particular rental gun) without failures nor being much worse for the wear. I seriously doubt the Taurus would stand up as well even though they essentially say it is built like a tank. So, I lean toward the Rugers. Of course, which brand I tend to lean toward is and will remain a moot point if I cannot garner the funds to put one of them on my hip.

Thus, I am left with needing to figure out a way for me to come up with between about $835 (for the Taurus and 200 rounds of ammo) and $1,100 (for one of the Rugers and 200 rounds of ammo) well before a month or two has passed. I figure that will leave sufficient time to order one, wait for it to arrive, shoot it enough to get used to it and whatever else before we make our trip; it will also leave me some time to make money for the trip although I do have some put away for that already and my son will pay half of everything except airfare (which I told him I would cover for both of us).

Okay, that leaves me at the point where I need to ask my readers for help. No, I am not about to ask anyone to send me donations so I can buy a new gun. It would be nice to get some free money but it's not my way. Heck, I turned down a free transfer of ammo (yes in NY there is an ammo transfer fee if you have ammo shipped from out of state to an FFL and it must be shipped to an FFL or Dealer Of Ammo if you buy online). Well, my FFL was going to give me a freebie today for the transfer of a shipment of 200 rounds of 35 Remington I had ordered from Palmetto State Armory. I very politely declined but made sure to convey that I truly appreciated the offer.

Anyway, what I am seeking in the way of help from my readers are some suggestions as to how I might raise a quick grand or so while doing it legally, ethically and without hocking anything or selling any of my other guns. I figure somebody out there might know of a way to raise some quick cash, or of a fast track job that pays well, or of some other way for me to come up with the cash I would need to get one of those revolvers. Yeah I know, and I guess by now you know, it (me coming up with the cash for one of these guns) probably ain't gunna happen but as I think I said somewhere in my blather above: I can dream, can't I!  

All the best,
Glenn B

"I Don't Think You Fully Understand Bigelow,...

...you've been murdered."

That is the line, from the classic film DOA, by which the main character finds out from a doctor that he has been fataly poisoned with radium. As his doctor explains, it is all just a matter of when because it is a certainty that his death is imminemt. All one needs to do is to substitute the name Bigelow with the name Germany and substitute one man's poison with one country's refugees. Maybe the people of Germany are finally waking up to the fact that their leaders have poisoned their nation with the tide of refugees they have allowed within their borders. One has to wonder if it is the same for Germany as it was for Bigelow - hopelessly too late for a cure.

Of corse, DOA was not a European classic, it was made in America; so, I suppose I should point out that one could just as easily substitute America for Bigelow and immigrants or refugees for radium. Our situation is rapidly approaching Bigelow's sad state. The difference though is that unlike Bigelow, who was surprised to learn he had been poisoned by an unknown person, we need not spend the rest of our movie searching for our killer. We know who has put the poison in our system  - our politicians. Just as Bigelow drank his poison in a dink unwittingly given to him by his killer, we have thrown caution to the wind and take whatever our politicians feed us all to willingly, even if it winds up being poison. Hopefully though, they have not yet shoved a fatal dose down America's throat and we will seek a cure before we realize, that like Bigelow, we are DOA.

All the best,
Glenn B

ALASKA BOUND?

The idea crossed my mind that it has been too long since my son and I have gone fishing together. Alaska also crossed my mind, I don't know why, it just did so at almost precisely the same moment as did a fishing trip. The two thoughts collided at the speed of do it now. 

I asked my son if he knew what was Seward's Folly. I had to give him a small clue. He got it exactly right. I then asked how much vacation he would have by June. He said about a week. I asked him what he thought of a trip to Alaska to do some fishing. He said OK.

I have started the search for the best fares, sent out an email inquiring about charter boat availability for the end of May into early June, have been checking on fishing outlooks for that time period, checked on license fees, checked on the weather in May and June, booked three different car reservations because each time I look, the price at the same rental agency goes down (depending on which go between site I check). I still have lots to do but if some charter boat outfits have at least one full day and one half day trip open for us, I am pretty darned sure we will be making the trip. 

Some new freshwater fishing gear may be in order or at least cleaning up some of what I already have somewhere in the shed or garage. Saltwater gear is part of the package for the charters. I could use some rain gear too, Frog Toggs would be good enough for me. Don't need much else for fishing.

It could be a fun trip, at least if we don't get eaten by a Grizzly Bear or three. I think I need a couple of big cans of bear spray and maybe a new gun for the trip. Maybe a 44 magnum revolver (or would my 12 gauge pump gun suffice as protection from bears) would be in order. Oh the humanity...

All the best,
Glenn B

Had The Father Been Armed...

...maybe he would have fought off his daughter's five alleged attackers and prevented her gang rape instead complying with the demands of the thugs for him to leave. He essentially briefly abandoned his daughter to the heinous fiends by running away to seek help of the police, who all to often take all too long to respond - just as in this very case since the criminals had done the deed and fled by the time the police came on scene. As it stands now, thanks in great part to New York City's very Draconian gun control laws, that in limit only the law abiding from  being able to protect themselves, not only was the woman raped but this is one father who may have lost not only his own self-respect but also something from his daughter that he may never regain. See more here.

Liberalism and gun control = a great way to ruin your day.

All the best,
Glenn B

How Stupid Can A Leftist Be?

Stupid enough to have said this, seemingly (at least to me) about terrorists who sneak into America:

“we do know how to do it. Europe doesn’t know how to do it. France especially doesn’t know how to do it. England not very good at it. And so, we have less of a problem. You know, those people who have snuck in, that, I don’t know if they’ve snuck in, but maybe they become Americanized, maybe the anger goes away. Maybe what they snuck in to do they’re not going to do, because we do have an acceptance of these people, as Congressman [Keith] Ellison (D-MN) said. They’re more patriotic because they’re here and they work harder.”

Those reportedly are the words of Bloomberg View Columnist Margaret Carlson. Is she out of her mind. I think she is so afraid of accepting reality, as are most leftists, that she has stuck her head so deeply into where the sun does not shine that she thinks that somehow will protect her. Sadly, that is exactly how the Islamists have progressed to the point of being very close to conquering most of Europe.

Watch the video here, and make sure to listen to the first 36 seconds which covers Governor Bobby Jindal speaking on Islamic terrorism. What he says sets the stage for the communist columnist to come out and give her spiel.

All the best,
Glenn B

Grandmas - Some Knit And...

...others, well others are into other things:

All the best,
GB

Some In GOP Seek To Remove Trump From Republican Party

According to this article, in The Wall Street Journal, Joe Lhota, the 2013 GOP mayoral candidate, wants Donald Trump thrown out of the Republican party. Others want likewise. Aren't the ones who want to throw Trump out of the Republican party the same as the Republican arsehats responsible for allowing Michael Bloomberg to run as their candidate, for mayor of NY, but only after he flatly stated he had almost zero Republican values? I am almost certain they allowed him to run as a Republican twice and that they said what mattered were not his principles but that the party could win. Third time, he 'ran' as an independent; not because the GOP threw him out but because he decided to run as an independent.

True, Trump historically has not been a conservative on many issues. Yet, he seems to address issues head on and with a vigor long absent from others in either party while disregarding political correctness and while seeking to do what he believes is best for America. Maybe the GOP does not get it, or maybe they do, the more the RINOs yammer and gnash their teeth about him, the more votes of disgruntled voters they push his way. For example: Jeb Bush's recent claims that Trump is not conservative are laughable considering the source and his own lamentable record and candidacy. Jeb Bush is, at best,  just another weak kneed RINO. The more he jabs, the higher Trump's ratings go. So, it makes me wonder, is the GOP really wanting to get rid of Trump or are they trying to boost his ratings by turning Jeb Bush on him. Regardless of what the people who run the GOP think, the old Republican base (conservative Republican voters) seems ready to look for a new type of candidate to support, if not for a whole new party.

 

I do not like Trump's historical set of politics for the most part but I care for, even less, the politics of RINO's like John McCain, Jeb Bush, George W. Bush, Chris Christie, and  Marco Rubio just to name some recent and historical RINOs who all claim to be representing the conservative base that once was the Republican Party. I dislike them so much that a couple or few years back, I dropped out of the Republican party. On the other hand, I absolutely detest the politics and principles of leftists like Clinton and Sanders. I can actually see myself voting for Trump.

 

Ironically enough though, should I cast a vote for Trump, I might indeed be casting my vote for someone who is a RINO. However, there is a difference between him and other RINOs. The difference being that he seems to have the courage enough to stand by his political convictions and that those convictions have, at least as of late, been molded to fit a new form. That form might actually fit in nicely with many of my political views and likewise with those of many who were once considered the base of the Republican Party. Regardless, many of his ideas address the problems we face, do so directly and forcefully, and in all likelihood are better than almost anything offered by other candidates who tiptoe around political correctness, indecision and ineptness. If nothing else, many of the things he promises to accomplish are those that the left and right have been promising for years then give one excuse after the other (the left blaming the right and the right blaming the left) for not getting done. Whether his plans succeed or fail, Trump is a man with a history of taking command and doing what he has planned to accomplish. In other words, he is not merely a political bag of hot air. 

 

I seem to remember that, within my lifetime, there was another man who was not a Republican for much of his political career, who had been on the left but who grew up and came over to the right because he loved his country. That man became the best president within my lifetime to date. If Trump gets the Republican nomination, then one can dream that - The Donald might be half as good as that other man. If you need to ask whom I mean, you had best not vote at all.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Ten Minutes Of 50/50 Bliss

And to think, not only is the gun 50 (as in caliber) but Farm Girl is supposedly 50 or almost so (as in age).

All the best,
Glenn B

There I Was All Set To Blog More Regularly...

...and boom I was laid out on my back. I had been under the weather all last week into this week with aches and pains, a sore throat and chest congestion due to a cold or so I had thought. On Monday I seemed somewhat better but then very late Monday night throughout much of Tuesday, I cleaned myself out running for the throne. I was pretty much in sheer misery on Wednesday and went to see my gastro doc who sent me to the ER. Wound up I had a strep infection. They shot me up with some antibiotics and I am feeling much better though far from 100%. Of course, my wife thinks me a hypochondriac but I guess she can't argue the test results. Anyway, maybe I will get some blogging done over the weekend. I have a lot of catching up on the news to do before any serious stuff though.

All the best,
GB

Today In History - A Grimm Day Indeed

On this day, January 4th, in the year 1785, Jacob, the older of two brothers both later to become famous, was born in Hanau, Germany. He was followed in the next year by his brother Wilhelm. The two would go on to both delight and frighten children (and adults) around the world not only in their own lifetimes but for decades and even centuries to come. They did so with a collection of tales they wrote and published, in three volumes, called Children's And Household Tales; in all there were 170 tales in the first edition of the work and 211 in the seventh edition. The name of their collected works was later changed to the much more familiar Grimm's Fairy Tales.

While you may think Walt Disney was the creator of such tales as: Hansel And Gretel (Disney had a musical version of the tale and a once aired TV movie), Sleeping Beauty and Snow White - it was the brothers Grimm who first recorded the stories in written form but even they were not the creators of these tales. They had helped establish a collection of oral folklore and later were encouraged to incorporate the oral tales they had collected into written volumes. It is important to note that they tried to replicate the oral stories as best they could in writing.

I had some of their tales read to me when I was a child and I later read many to my own children and not just the more popular of their stories either. I also read others of them for my own amusement. While I have read many of the tales, I certainly have not read all of them, not by a longshot; that might be something I should add to my list of things to accomplish in my lifetime - reading the complete collection.

All the best,
Glenn B

Black Guns (AKA: Assault Weapons) Are Not Evil...

...since they use them to protect Heaven too.

All the best,
Glenn B

Is It My Turn Yet...

...I mean when in hell is she gunna had over that gun, she's gone through ten mags already!

All the best,
GB

Here Is An Excellent Price On 22LR Ammo...

...that is if you are the dealer who actually is selling any at the price. When a case of 5K Armscor 22LR ammo is selling for $1.00 per round, or in other words for $5,000.00 for a 5,000 round case, yes it is a price only a seller could love. Then again they may not love it since it is likely none of it is selling at that price.

That is the price as I found it at Ammo Supply Warehouse today, just minutes ago as I type. I imagine you will be able to see it yourself at this link, at least until they correct it. Yes, I am guessing it has to be a mistake. If it is not a mistake and they know something we do not about Obummer's upcoming gun control measures or about potential 22LR unavailability; well then, I stand to make some money on what 22LR I have in stock and still have a good amount left over.

All the best,
GB

It Is January 3rd...

...did you remember to change the batteries in your smoke and CO2 alarms on the 1st? I just thought of it a few minutes ago and will do it after dinner today. I'll be damned if I can recall if I already changed them in March or November when we reset the time on the clocks. Luckily, I had the foresight of buying the 9 volt batteries awhile back, so I have enough of them to go around for the smoke and CO2 detectors that still use them (and for my metal detector). Our newer ones, at least the newer smoke alarms, have 10 year batteries installed and require complete unit replacements after 10 years. Still have a couple or few of the old ones though and they will get fresh batteries today.

All the best,
GB

Her First Time

All the best,
GB

Maybe Obama Should Start With Guys Like This...

...when it comes to gun control.

Now, for all I know, this guy could be the legal owner of that gun but let's go with the stereotypical hoodlum from the hood view of this photo for purposes of this post; and let's do it without actually judging this guy. In other words the photo is just a prop. Now tell me please, what has Obama done and what does he plan to do to rid our society of heinous criminals that commit violent crimes. As far as I know he has done nothing but repeatedly lend his support to them, coddle them or ignore them. 

Think about it, what is Obummer trying to do with his type of gun control but to punish law abiding citizens, to restrict their rights and their liberties all while destroying the Constitution of The United States of America and thus destroying our Nation? Oh yeah, that's right, the other thing he is trying to do is to slowly but surely create a socialist/communist like tyranny with our country. You know what I mean right - that fundamental change thing he spoke about.

The best, most certain way, to do so would be to disarm the populace, if not completely, then of any arms that could successfully be used to stage a revolution against his bran of tyranny. If he cannot achieve an outright ban, then possibly a registration program so that the government could later effect unconstitutional seizures of them. if that fails then major restrictions on when and how someone can obtain more. He has already tried with ammunition, will probably try harder with that since ammo is coming back into supply and will likely try with what the government considers to be assault weapons and maybe more. The time seemingly is upon us to either defend our Constitution and thus our liberties and our rights and our whole lifestyle because he surely is trying to destroy them all.

He apparently has not done anything, nor planned to do anything, 
effectively to eliminate violent crime.

I will say one thing about the actual guy in the photo, he evidently knows enough to keep his finger off of the trigger until ready to shoot but not to keep his hand from in front of the muzzle. Whether he is a real hoodlum, a firearms owner showing off his gun, or a model - he needs to brush up on firearms safety. Then again, if he really is a heinous criminal thug, why should I care about him knowing gun safety! If he remains ignorant of it, maybe he will blow his hand off, bleed to death, and do us all a favor.

All the best,
Glenn B