So I Had To Go To Walmart Last Night...

...to pick up some medical stuff I needed right away. Anyway, when I get to Walmart, some guy - standing outside and whom I heard was talking to another guy about tractors - rushes over to me and gets right in my face 💀 his face less than a foot from mine 💀 (I took a fighting stance and almost belted him I really thought he was about to hit me or something along those lines the way he rushed at me) and he blurts out that the store is closing in 9 minutes and I have to get all my purchases to the register before then. Here I have been, trying to be the good citizen, keeping a 6 foot or more distance between myself and others, interacting with people as little as possible, staying home with few exceptions other than taking out Skye for her walks and this asshole is getting right in my face, with a moronic look on his, while giving me the Walmart the store is closing spiel. I complained to the greeter inside, probably to at least some avail because the guy was still at the door outside when I left and I noticed he told a guy walking toward the store that they were closing but did it from a good distance that time. If I come down with Corona, he is going to be the number suspect on my list for having given it to me and number one on my shit list!😡 

Seriously, being I am 64, that crap was a bit concerning. Mind you, only a bit, but the truth is that people have been doing some irresponsible things and others some plain full out crazy and potentially virus spreading shit on purpose. Yesterday, I heard a news report on the radio about an Amazon delivery guy in CA who spit into his hand and then wiped it all over a package he was delivering. The homeowner realized the package was wet and checked his security camera only to see what I just described. Amazon reportedly fired the guy (source). A woman was arrested in PA for alleged terrorist threats after coughing on food in a supermarket, she also reportedly tried to steal a twelve-pack of beer (source). The management there said they had to destroy $35,000.00 worth of food because of her actions. I have heard rumors that some younger folks are hoping to pass the virus onto older folks to kill off the generation or at least that that will be the result of the pandemic! My guess is there are many more examples of things like these being perpetrated by nut-jobs. If shit like this keeps up and the virus keeps spreading - I think someone out there is going to kill, or at least beat senseless, someone they think is a potential and purposeful imminent threat as a vector for passing the virus onto them. I am surprised it has not happened already with the current panic.

Me, I think I will just stay home even though this does not seem anywhere as bad as the flu but when it comes to the flu at least I had the quad-polyvalent inoculation. There aint a thing to prevent COVID-19 except maybe social distancing, handwashing, sanitizers and so forth. I wonder if getting sloshed at home helps. Whatever - just stay healthy.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Latest Boomers

As I indicated yesterday, I haven't had much that I've wanted to blog about lately. COVID-19, the weather, politics, other comings and goings - all blah lately. Now, being cooped up due to a shelter in place order, things are even more boring. What to do to alleviate that, at least for part of the day yesterday, was for me to go to the Hessney online Early Gun & Military Auction. So that's what I did and I wound up killing time on a Saturday afternoon online watching and bidding in the auction for several hours. I also lent a hand toward the eventual decimation of my bank account. What can I say but that I am a gun nut  a firearms fan boy  addicted to buying & owning firearms  a gun auction junky a serious firearms enthusiast (yep, that's the one). So I bid on several and wound up with the high bids on a few and on a coupple of other lots as well.

I limited my bidding to yesterday to only firearms that were eligible to be sent to me directly by virtue of my Curios & Relics Collector's (C&R) federal firearms license (FFL). That was because it saves me money per each gun I purchase online that otherwise would have to go through a dealer, with a dealer's FFL; and they are not cheap - they usually charge around $25.00 or more nearby to where I live. Since I had the high bids on four guns yesterday restricting my bids to C&R guns saved me $100.00. I did have some bids on guns that were not C&R eligible but made those bids early on last week. The bids were on the low side and had I wound up with any of them being the high bids, I would have done alright - despite the $25.00 FFL fee for each that would have been required - by keeping my bids very low on those guns. No luck with that. Anyway, I think I got (or will get once delivered) some pretty nice additions to my collection:

The first one in order of how I bid on them was an Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works Model I.J. Target Sealed 8 Second Model  D.A. Revolver, 8 Shot, in .22 LR, with a 6” Barrel and Walnut Grips. 

It looks to be in VG to EXC condition but, as with all of these, time and an inspection by me will tell. They do not usually give a condition description for any of the items in the auction unless they are listed as "unfired in the box" (meaning new for all practical purposes) or as "as new" (meaning as good s new and usually spot on but sometimes not very accurate) or there is a major flaw like a cracked stock or parts are missing and so on. Even things like cracked stocks sometimes get overlooked. I usually send Joe Hessney, the auctioneer, an inquiry to ask about the guns in which I have an interest and did it this time but for whatever reason did not get a reply (and this is the only time I have not received one although once I missed one he left in a voice mail instead of email). Joe usually gives me a very good description of each one I inquire about but this time I was bidding almost in the blind. I say almost because they do have photographs of each item up for bids but sometimes the pictures leave a lot to be desired. 

The next was a H & R Model “22 Special” .22 LR D.A. Revolver, with a 6” barrel. Other than the serial number, that's all the description that was given so I had to depend on the pictures of it to determine if I'd bid and how high I'd go.
 

 I liked this one a lot. It does not appear to be in quite as good condition as the Iver Johnson but still at least in VG condition. What I particularly like is that it is a break top revolver. I always wanted a H&R Model 999 and they had one up for bids in this auction, it looked okay and I bid on it but it went for exactly double what I bid on this one. Why they go for so much more than this model is a mystery to me. Another thing I like about this one is that according to the Blue Book of Gun Values, this the second variation that was only manufactured between 1928 and 1930. So it is evidently at least 90 years old this year. There is just something about old guns of bygone eras that makes them appealing to me. Of course, I buy modern firearms too as I'm not an old gun snob, I just like them and like being able to have them shipped to me directly on my C&R.

The next was an Ortgies pistol in 32 ACP manufactued by Deutsche Werke. It is the roughest looking of all four that I had high bids on but still looked to be in decent shape. Anyhow, a little rough here and there is okay, it's going to be a shooter not a collectible.

I've already got one of these so, the plan is maybe to give this to my son. It might wind up being a gift or maybe just a long term loan. The Ortgies is a fairly simple steel firearm except for the grips  and it's loads of fun to shoot. I just wish that 32 ACP was as inexpensive as 9mm.

The last gun in the group is an Iver Johnson Double Action Top Break Revolver .32 Cal., 3” barrel, with nickel finish - as they described it. As far as I can make out, it is a Third Model Iver Johnson Safety Automatic Hammer and my guess is that the caliber is .32 S&W. Again, time and my inspection will tell - I pretty much got it for a song even though my singing voice is always off key.

What concerns me more than anything on this one is that to me, one grip looks to be black and the other possibly brown. That could just be the light but to me the right grip looks brown. If that's the case, the search will be on for a replacement grip. Regardless, it looks to be in VG condition for a nickel plated revolver manufactured from 1909 through 1941.

I also got in what I think was a very good bid on a very nice looking (at least on the one side they pictured) bayonet for my Mauser Chileno Modelo 1895. The rifle came with a bayonet but it was not correct to the rifle and was for a Mauser Argentino. The one from yesterday's auction is the correct one and may be the parade version.

At $62.15 (including bid and buyer's premium) this was a good deal for a bayonet in this good a shape with the correct scabbard and frog (the leather attachment that holds the scabbard). Only a good deal though if the other side looks as good.

Finally, I also had the high bid on what was listed as "5- High capacity SKS magazines". I have never seen SKS magazines that look like these. All the hi-cap mags for SKS rifles that I have seen have a large extension at the front top except for mags used by the Norinco Paratrooper SKS but that rifle uses AK-47 magazines not these. So it's a bit of a mystery as to what they will fit but if they fit and function in my SKS I will be happily amazed. To me though, they look more like AR mags. Not saying that's what they are just that they look more like them.

I gambled that $33.90 for all five would be a good investment. Again, time will tell.

So, I had an good afternoon yesterday as far as I am concerned. I will be even more comfortable saying that if after I receive everything I find them all is as good a condition as I think they appear to be.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Am Still Alive & Kicking...

...but just not blogging a lot. I am sick, not from Corona Virus but of everything to do with COVID-19 and the reporting or lack of reporting about it. Bowie County, TX supposedly put a shelter in place order into effect at 11:59 last night, I found out by way of a very brief conversation I had with someone at my local city hall. The folks at my city hall were two lazy, lackadaisical or incompetent, I suppose, to give us a heads up that it was about to be implemented and the woman to whom I spoke was clueless as to any of the restrictions and said I'd have to contact the county for more info. I would not even have known to call city hall to inquire had I not gone to get a haircut yesterday and the hair cutting place across the street from my apartment had a closed for the duration of the shelter in place order sign in their front window. I wonder how they found out because they closed many hours before it went into effect. Oh well, life goes on, I hope.

Anyway, what is there to blog about? I could blog about poltics and how the hopeful nominee of the dem party - Joe Biden - appears to be brain dead or at least well on his way to a serious case of dementia or something like it. Have you seen and of his interviews or speeches lately. It is pretty sad to see him in such shape but sadder still that a major political party would even consider him to run for the highest office in the land. Then again, I suppose they could be hoping he gets in and his vice president will become president after the massive stroke (or whatever other form of death) he suffers soon after being elected. Of course, they just may decide to can him before they pick a nominee and then go with Andrew Cuomo (it really is not that far fetched of an idea especially when you think all they'd be left with is that commie Bernie if Biden is out).

I could also blog about - what - let's see:n the weather, the ammo buying panic of Spring 2020, the stock market (from which I have sold off all my stock and where I have made about an 18% profit over the past 6 months or so too bad I did not have tens of thousands invested), the soon to arrive Zombie Apocalypse (yes it is coming with one type of zombie or another and my guess is they will be the type Bob Hope mentioned in Ghost Breakers). The thing is, I am sick of it all - except maybe the Zombie Apocalypse.

So instead of further blogging, I am going to sign onto Hessney.com to go to their online only Early Gun & Military Auction (it was supposed to be a live auction last week but because of restrictions placed in NY State, they had to make it online only and changed it to today). I have several bids in already and the bidding starts closing  at noon (EST) so I want to check and see how my bids are faring now and maybe do a bit more pricing research to see if I want to go any higher on any of them.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Learned My Lesson The Last Two Ammo Panic Runs

We've got another run - a panic run on ammo! Lucky for me is that I learned my lesson the first two times. This time around I saw it coming. All I had to see were the morons buying toilet paper by the ream. The stock market tanking was just the extra nudge I needed to start buying the ammo I needed or wanted or figured I might need should ammo dry up.

    A Good Ammo Pre-Panic Buy With More Coming. I ordered just before the panic set in and got everything I wanted/needed with a case of Winchester Super X 35 REM & 500 rounds of CCI 22 Short still to be shipped.

 I got rid of a lot of ammo before leaving NY last June and when I say a lot, I mean tens of thousands of rounds, probably around 15-20K. I only left there with the ammo that fit into the amount of ammo cans that would fit on the floor in the back of a full sized cargo van. While it was quite a bit, it was much less than what I had in my inventory prior to that. Had I been arrested in NY for anything and my home searched I would have made national news on libturd media outlets for the arsenal in my basement (well, what the libturds call an arsenal anyway). Mind you, it was all legal, I did not live in New York City where there is/was a 200 round limit on the amount of ammo you can/could have in your home (some sort of a fire department regulation, restriction or law). Go figure but those shameless libs back there will screw you over for 201 rounds. 

I have digressed so let me get back to the point: I was down a lot of ammo so when I got to Texas so I started replacing I soon after I got here. I have been buying it steadily ever since. By March 10, 2020 I had replaced about 4,500 rounds of it, excluding about 1,500 rounds I used up at the range since getting here. So the net of replacement ammo equaled about 3,000 rounds more or less; I was in no particular hurry.

Then the Novel Corona Virus situation befell us. Folks started going crazy. They wiped the toilet paper right off the shelves. Bottled water washed away like someone had breached a damn. N-95 dust masks (and any other dust masks) blew away like dust in the wind! Gas mask filters are as impossible to find as a friendly face in a mustard gas cloud. I had placed an order for replacement of old dated masks that I had been meaning to place for months but as you are aware - I am THE Great Procrastinator. I placed my order with this crap only a little bit in mind because I never anticipated this mess; although, I guess it is what pushed me to order them. I have not received them yet, my order was placed on February 9th for a few filters, the company that makes them said they had them in stock at the time! Then the big all out mass buying binge: eggs, bacon, meat, orange juice, baby diapers, hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, aloe gel (you can make hand sanitizer with alcohol and aloe gel) and whatever else were all selling like tomorrow had been cancelled. 

I figured with the market plummeting after the Saudi & Russian oil spat, and with promises of COVID-19 decimating us and our economy, and with folks already going totally bonkers and panic buying everything - ammo panic buying would not be far behind. I knew what was coming immediately but also looked ahead beyond the next few months to November and the presidential election. You can bet that even if the current panic abates soon, another may very well take place not all that far in advance of the election. Then again, the current one may not abide by experts' projections as to how long the Corona Virus crisis keeps going. If what the democrats wanted to add to the Senate bill is any indication of how much they are really willing or unwilling to address the COVID-19 issue then I expect it will go on for a very long time even if the virus dies out on its own. That's because they seem to be trying to assure the economy tanks by their absolutely ridiculous hoped for inclusions in the bill to combat the virus and protect our economy. The whole mess was and remains insanity, it truly is TEOTWAWKI to some degree because life will never be quite the same after this mess.

So what to do, I put a few grand into the stock market and increased my shares of VSTO (Vista Outdoors that owns Federal Ammunition and such). I had made a small profit already since first funding the account in August and I've made a tidy profit already from what I just added recently. 

Then I placed my first ammo order - shame on me but it was for some 38 Special ammo by Remington (not Federal but far not their stock is doing well nonetheless). I ordered 250 rounds of tat 38 ammo. Then I placed additional ammo orders March 14, 16, 22 & 24 for another 3,200 rounds, of various calibers, with a grand total of 3,450 ordered since March 10th. I got all of that ammo from a single online dealer, at an 8% discount less than their normal prices and all with free shipping! In fact most of the ammo I have bought since moving out of NY, and a lot before I left NY, has come from the same dealer. My go to dealer for all that ammo ordered this month, and a lot ordered since August 2019, was Target Sports USA where I have a Prime membership. (I do not get anything for the plug, I give it because I like them and am quite satisfied with their prices, selection, delivery time, customer service and their ethics.) I have to hand it to them - as opposed to a dealer like Cheaper Than Dirt that raised prices astronomically (in my opinion) on at least some ammo for this current panic buying spree and who seemingly treat their customers like dirt - the folks at Target Sports USA evidently did not raise their prices, kept offering free shipping on ammo bought by the case for anyone and kept offering their 8% discount with free shipping on any sized ammo order for Prime members. 

Most of the ammo I ordered since March 10th has been delivered already and I expect another delivery of it tomorrow. That leaves my last two orders (made yesterday and today) undelivered, heck not even shipped yet, but with the explosion of ammunition sales over the past two weeks that was not to be unexpected by this time and I will patiently await those two final orders. I also store bought 60 rounds of certain rifle ammo at Wally World where I normally do not shop for ammo but they had it cheap and now is not time to quibble with the fact their ammo sale regulations suck. The fact is, I was rather surprised the ammo I bought yesterday and today (online and at Walmart) was still in stock but there it was at their regular pricing both at Target Sports USA and Walmart.

I probably will not be buying any more ammo for quite a while since I do not think this panic buying will go away soon and I believe prices will remain prohibitively overinflated, not only from dealers but from their suppliers; so even an ethical dealer like Target Sports USA may have to raise prices if their suppliers do so first. If prices go back down, so be it, I can commence buying, at a slower rate, anything I feel needs to be added to my inventory. If the panic buying remains ongoing for months or maybe longer, it will not bother me, I am set for a good long time and even will be able to enjoy going to the range and shooting quite a bit with certain calibers. 

Yep, I learned my lesson last time, that lesson being: recognize the signs, watch for them, when the signs first appear start to buy what I need or want, if things start to worsen make sure I get whatever I may need in the as best I can afford and do it fast enough before it runs out or becomes prohibitively priced. Add to that the facts that: I am withdrawing all of my initial investment from the stock market, I will pay for the ammo with some of that money and put the rest into my bank account, and I am still able to leave behind all of my profit from the stock to see where it goes. That way I cannot lose any of my initial investment, at least not in the stock market, and you can imagine I am a happy shootist. Now if only I live though this Novel Corona Virus mess to shoot it all and spend it all.

Stay safe and healthy all, I am trying to do the same.

All the best,
Glenn B

COVID-19, Stay In Place Orders & My Routine

The more I think of it, the more I realize little has changed for me due to COVID-19 and due to the statewide stay in place restrictions. Other than me washing my hands a bit more, using a bit more hand sanitizer or alcohol now and then as a follow-up to washing (I have tortoises and almost always use alcohol to wipe down my hands after handling them), not being able to go out to eat & have a beer now and again, and picking my nose less - life is much the same. 

In other words, I am doing just about what I normally do regardless of what is going on out there. I wake up after a usually crappy night's sleep, get freshened up a bit, take the dog out, come home and make and eat breakfast & feed the mongrel, watch some TV or diddle on the Internet or both, throw the dishes into the dishwasher or do some by hand, maybe vacuum whatever, maybe do some laundry, go out for another walk with the dog or early to the dog park, go to any appointments I have or stay at home and diddle on the internet or do something gun related, have lunch at home and give the pooch a snack, take the dog out for a late afternoon walk and or go to the dog park (read some of a book while there or read the news online on my phone or talk to anyone who is there and lately that has been almost no one and some folks will not even come close enough to talk), on the way home I go to do any shopping I need to do, go back home and make dinner for me and the mutt, maybe have a drink, diddle around doing something or futz around on the Internet or watch some TV, take out the dog for a walk awhile after she has eaten, watch more TV or diddle around doing something, take out the dog for the last time, take a shower sometime in the evening or just before I hit the hay, and then go to bed. 

Other than going out with the dog and going shopping or to some sort of appointment I - normally might sometimes go to the range, go out to an estate sale or make the rounds of some pawn shops or antique/second-hand stores, maybe even go out to eat and have a beer (cannot do that now). Now and again, I'll go to visit my son in AR or him come to see me, or I'll go to a gun show, or take a drive to Costco about 2.5 hours away (but I combine that with a gun show and a trip to Total Wine - which I also probably cannot do now). I can still go to the outdoor range and have been doing that now and then and plan to go fishing and or hunting once it stops raining every frigging day but one for the last week and a half.

Not much has changed in my routine. What about you and your routine?

All the best,
Glenn B

y routine.

Some Texas Wildflowers I've Seen Locally

Don't know what any of them are called but they are nice to look at. Most are pretty small. I come across them when out for walks with Skye (my mongrel).

A one of a kind find for me, still in bloom a week or more after I took this shot on the back lot of my apartment complex

These looked like tiny pitcher plants but I'll be damned if I could get them into better focus.

Odd looking small flowers.

All the best,
Glenn B

See, I Am Not The Only One To Worry About Decisions, Decisions...

...Decisions!


 
All the best,
Glenn B

COVID-19 - Now For The Pooches?

The first dog diagnossed with COVID-19 has passed on to the dog park in the sky. So, did the pooch die of COVID-19, of other natural causes, or was it possibly killed by it's owner and maybe even eaten. We may never know since the owner refused to allow authorities to do an autopsy. More at the source.

All the best,
Glenn B

No Toilet Paper On The Shelves...

These guys got the last of it after beating a 90 year old woman senseless. 

All the best,
Glenn B

The End

All the best,
Glenn B

Locked Down

 

All the best,

Glenn B 

Solved

All the best,
Glenn B

Whose Fault!

All the best,
Glenn B

I've Heard It Asked - Does Anyone Know Anyone With Corona Virus...

...and to that my answer is below and then I ask some other questions and maybe you should be asking them too:

I am not aware of even a single person I know who has contracted COVID-19, let alone died from it; yet, I personally know several folks who have had the flu already this flu season. There has been absolutely no panic over the flu - so it's strange there is such a panic about the Novel Corona Virus in light of the fact the flu has been much worse in number of cases and number of deaths - at least so far.

Exactly what is it that is making everyone panic over COVID-19, especially the governments and medical professionals of the world? What do they know, if anything, that they are not telling us - or is it merely widespread political pandemonium or panicked overreaction?

All the best,
Glenn B

TP Crisis

Stay healthy and keep your bung hole clean.
 
All the best, 
Glenn B

Whoops

Earlier post was a brain fart, sorry.

Glenn B

It's Getting Real - Survival Bartering 101

All the best,
Glenn B

Thought For A Corona Day

Guessing some of us may not but here is hoping we all stay healthy! 

All the best,
Glenn B

Do You Really Wonder Why, California?

Do the people of California really have to wonder why they are under the strictest Corona Virus restrictions in the nation? Do they wonder why their governor, Gavin Newsom, made a statement that CA has been disproportionately hit by COVID-19? CA has 1,030 confirmed cases & 18 deaths to date! Do Californians wonder why it is their governor sent President Trump a letter saying in part it is expected one half of California's population will be infected within two months? More on what he said at the source.

If you are wondering then just look at the policies of your state and local governments that allowed your cities to turn into cesspools of bums, winos and drug addicts living wherever they wanted to live in tent cities and shitting and pissing in your streets. My bet is that has at least some effect on making it easier to spread.

The only thing I wonder about is what he has said as to it being time to tell the truth:

"This is a moment where we need some straight talk and we need to tell people the truth."

I wonder - the truth about what! That California is a total failure or that there is something governments know about the virus but that they have not disclosed to the population - like maybe it is a bio-warfare agent unleashed accidentally or even purposefully by the Red Chinese. I hope it's the former and not the latter.

All the best,
Glenn B

A Day In A Life During The COVID-19 "Crisis"

Today was a day like many others for me. I woke up this morning with a backache and needing to answer nature's call. Got that done, got dressed and walked the dog about 3 miles. Came back to the apartment and eventually made breakfast for Skye & myself. watched a little TV - two episodes of Hazel. Then printed up my tax documents to bring to a CPA to get my taxes done. Brought those documents to the CPA, with Skye along for the ride. The CPA or his receptionist wanted me to deliver them in person rather than email them. Funny since the guy would not shake my hand due to Corona protocol two days ago. 

After that, we went to get some cash out of an ATM. It was out of order so we drove to the bank. Bank doors were locked, sign on door said use drive up windows only. Got back into the car a drove to the drive up window and got some cash to last a couple or three weeks. Then headed to Sam's Club to fill up the Toyota's gas tank and to get whatever I needed that I did not already have which was not much.

While in the frozen food section, a woman walking my may started to cough a gurgling harsh cough and when she saw me looking at her she lifted her arm and coughed into the crook of her elbow. She then put her head down and walked around me and away. She looked frigging miserable, like she was all droopy, dark under both of her eyes, as if the cough had been painful, and like shit in general as she seemingly dragged her arse through the store. Kind of like I imagine you'd look if you had the flu or maybe COVID-19. While I've seen plenty of folks with the flu and have had it myself a few times, including swine flu, I have zero known experience with the current virus. She also looked guilty, I mean had a guilty look on her face when she saw me noticing her cough and then as she bowed her head and walked away. I have seen plenty of people with that look during my 32 year career in LE so it's was not my imagination making me think so. Regardless of all that, I am not too concerned but with all the Novel Corona Virus stuff, there was a tiny bit of a freaked out feeling for me there for a moment. 

I just continued shopping and of course, two things I wanted most they did not have: hand sanitizer and a case or two of water. I don't usually drink tap water except for when I make my coffee or use ice cubes - so I go through cases of water pretty quickly but none was to be had. That's okay though for now because I have three and a half cases at home (always have two or three cases in reserve) and also have several bottles of flavored seltzer. As for the hand sanitizer, I have a very small bottle and a regular sized one (half full) and probably two bottles of 70% alcohol and two bottles of 92% alcohol, stuff I usually keep on hand for emergencies; however, if I could have found aloe gel, I'd have made my own hand sanitizer gel. Anyway, I can just use the alcohol if needed.

Regardless, I probably won't need the sanitizer gel. I plan to stay home most of the next few weeks; well I'll go shopping if necessary but only if I cannot avoid it. I'll still be going to the park across the way multiple times daily to walk Skye. We'll also go into Texarkana to the dog park there until they chain the gate shut - which I am guessing they will do if this illness spreads more here. I suppose no one in the city government has thought of it yet or it would have been done already. While I have enough supplies to become a hermit for a few weeks to a month or two, I do need to get out with the dog at least a few times daily. We should be going out again soon.

Once back home today, I finished up the second batch of corned beef, cabbage, parsnips and turnips I have made during the past week. Cooked on on Friday when Brendan came over, then another one yesterday or Monday. I do love corned beef and I have another still in the package in my fridge. Skye had a snack while I had my lunch.

Sometime in there, we went out for a very brief walk so she could water the lawn. Speaking of being out with Skye, a short while later, I brought her out on the back patio today to give her neck a sponge bath. She had a ring of dirt and or rust around her neck from where her collar sits. It was supposed to be stainless steel but it obviously is chromed and that is wearing off, in fact I've used two different ones with the same effect - that ring around her neck. Whatever it is, she needed a good scrubbing and when I brought her in for a dog bath last month, the young lady could not get it all off. Today I used Dawn dish washing detergent on her with a sponge that had a scrubber backing on one side. I've had folks tell me to only use dog shampoo so as not to harm her skin but I figured if Dawn is okay on ducks, geese, penguins, other shorebirds, small mammals - all that have been the victims of oil spills - then why the heck not use it and just be sure to rinse it off well. I cannot tell yet if it all came off but it looked a lot cleaner; I think though when it's dry I'll be able to tell for sure if Dawn & I got the job done.

While we were out there, I had been holding her to keep er next to me when cleaning and rinsing her. I let her go when done and she turned toward the patio fence, went right to the one loose board, pushed on it a bit and it pivoted open like a doggie door and she was out on the complex's lawn. She never even showed interest before but she knew right where was that loose board. Talk about being freaked out. I ran through the apartment, out the door, around the building calling her as I did so. Ran through the bushes out front and did not see her. I called her again and suddenly there she was running over to me. She does not obey the "come" command very often if off the leash so she usually only is let loose in the fenced in dog park or in the park across the way but with the leash on and dragging behind her (that seems to make it much more likely she obeys the come command). This time though, she must have been a bit scared of being out there alone and she came running, almost flying, over to me and I got the leash on her quickly. 

Back in the apartment now and she is sleeping now. In a little while though, off to the dog park for us.

Stay safe and healthy.

All the best,
Glenn B

Cheaper Than Dirt Is At It Again

Ammo that was recently selling for about $350 at other online dealers is being advertised at Cheaper Than Dirt for $979.70 as I type. Specifically:

Winchester Lake City 5.56 NATO Ammunition 1000 Rounds FMJ 55 Grains - and while their site lists the Manufacturer Number: USA556LKY if you look at the front or side of the box in their ad, you will see it is USA556LK.
 
To think I started shopping with them again last summer. Live and learn - no not them but me!
 
All the best,
Glenn B

The Irish Story X 2

The Stock Market Sucks But Not My Stocks

I have very little money invested in the stock market, only a few thousand dollars and only in two stocks of essentially the same type of companies. I never was and never will be a maven of investments (unless lead, copper and brass are good investments). Yet, my stocks were in the black today - both of them. And there I had been thinking I must have lost my shirt when in fact - with what I made today - I could afford to by a decent suit or three or a very nice AR-15. Of course, it may mostly or even all be gone tomorrow.

All the best,
Glenn B

Happy St. Patrick's Day -The Aroma Of Cooking Corned Beef Fills The Air...

...in my apartment and I can almost taste it now. I cooked corned beef, cabbage, parsnips and white turnips for dinner on Friday when Brendan came to visit for the weekend. It was delicious. I had another in reserve and bought another last night when I went shopping. What can I say - I love corned beef and you just do not see it in the Texarkana area, from what I have seen, other than around St. Patrick's Day. Nothing cooking except the corned beef right now, although the cabbage and remaining parsnips and white turnips go into the pot soon. Dinner will be scrumptious.

One sad note, I did not find any Irish Soda Bread and I have the Kerrygold Butter ready to spread on it. Oh well, less carbs.

Enjoy the day, do not get too drunk.

All the best,
Glenn B

It's Not The Zombie Apocalypse But It's Having An Extremely Drastic Effect On Everything

So there I was sitting on mine arse, in my apartment at 0615 in the AM, diligently blowing my runny nose (it's been runny for 3 weeks, I figure seasonal allergies since the mongrel has been sneezing when I have sniffles) as I was checking my current online bids in the upcoming Hessney Gun & Military Auction when it struck me that I was sure it had been set for this coming weekend on Saturday March 21st. Yet, for some reason it was showing March 28th. I guessed then that I had just gotten the date mixed up but must say that it was like that something under your skin kind of a thing and it kept bugging me. So, I looked around the site a bit more and saw my guess was wrong, I had not mixed up the date, my memory was good at least on that. Indeed, it had been scheduled for March 21. "Had been scheduled" were the words of importance in my last sentence. Things have changed - including the date of the auction and the fact that it will no longer be a live auction. It now is being restricted to online bidding only (online bidding is normally part of Hessney live auctions and usually runs up through the morning of the live auction and then ceases before live bidding commences). Why was the date pushed back and why was it changed to online bidding only - you know the answer to that but if you want it spelled out here is what I saw on their website:

EARLY  GUN & MILITARY 

ONLINE ONLY
AUCTION

Bidding Notice:  ATTENTION: Due to COVID-19; State and County Regulations this is now an ONLINE ONLY AUCTION on SATURDAY MARCH 28th STARTING at 12 NOON: Hessney Auction is commited to our buyers and sellers, please call our office at 315-789-9349 with any questions, or continue reading for updated auction information.

Why is this madness playing out? Why is it that virtually everyone in the world is freaking out over this new virus like it is the harbinger of end of the world on our doorstep much like one would see in a movie about the Zombie Apocalypse. There are only three reasons I can think of for this happening. 

1. Around the world, Governments know more than they are letting on- much more about COVID-19. Somehow, I find it next to impossible to believe such really is the case BECAUSE it has not leaked out yet. In other words, governments know that this disease is going to cause much more pestilence and death than they have let on, for whatever reason and from whatever source, and they are trying to prepare us as best they can without causing an even worse panic than the one they and the media (mostly the media) have caused. Again in other words - it is the Zombie Apocalypse or at least TEOTWAWKI and the governments of the world are hiding that fact from us; of course, just as I do not think it plausible I also hope it is not the case.

2. This is truly one of the best laid conspiracies played out by anyone throughout history to topple the current ruler of a world power - as is: President Donald Trump. My guess is even if it is not actually a conspiracy (which I highly doubt) - no matter what the president does in response to this so called crisis - he will later be blamed for everything and anything that may have gone wrong and anything he did right will be criticized as having been wrong by the demoncrats (and that blame game is definitely a leftist conspiracy because it has been ongoing since before he was first elected and proof appears every day for it).

3. Most people are idiots. (I figure this is the one.)

Damn, I just found out - within the last hour when my son paid an unexpected visit (he was making a delivery in Texarkana and stopped by on his lunch break) that there was a notice in my door. He handed it to me as he walked in. It was from my apartment complex management saying that they have put the front office in shut-down due to COVID-19. With that freshly put in my face, i went to get my mail. I found a notice saying a package had been left for me with the front office. Luckily, they gave it to me. Yes, the ladies are still working (at least for today) and saw  me waiving the notice outside the front door. One of them brought me the box and I wished them to "stay healthy" during the end of the world! I also checked a local news site online - much to my surprise there was a local "boil order" because of a water delivery breakdown. There were also several closures and restrictions put on public gatherings. The craziness has hit Texas just like elsewhere.

Can you imagine what would be happening if it truly was TEOTWAWKI. Don't laugh - maybe it is TEOTWAWKI. I do not mean because I think the virus will wipe us out and who knows - maybe it will do just that - but even if the virus winds up being a false alarm then because we have evolved into a worldwide population of morons who over react in abject fear to everything that anyone wants to see as a crisis. I would hope it is the second one - an over reaction and not TEOTWAWKI because I think there will be some few of us with enough brains to survive.

Think of it though - can you imagine what would happen if there was a real apocalyptic situation. People would go more bat shit crazy than they are now. Then again - think of this and think of it long and hard:  WHAT HAPPENS IF COVID-19 DOES NOT FADE AWAY LIKE A SEASONAL VIRUS? What are people going to do if it remains active forever and throughout each and every season, or worse yet if it seems to go inactive and then returns with a vengeance! Will the stock market go to zero? Will food never reappear on the shelves at supermarkets. Will medical supplies dwindle. Will folks never be allowed to gather in number. Are people going to remain hiding in their homes, working from home? If the last one, I'd like to know how truck drivers, police officers, doctors, sanitation-men, road workers, military personnel are going to do that - heck how are they expected to do it now; yet, state and local governments are mandating that their employees work from home (my daughter's employer is one such example), that folks do not attend large gatherings, are closing restaurants, are instituting curfews, and some are saying that people stay home altogether. I don't know about you but I will be taking my dog for daily walks and will be shopping when I need supplies.

I understand completely that people should take precautions against catching and spreading this pretty much unknown disease but why on earth we are not doing it in a more sensible manner is a mystery to me and why the government and the media are making it worse is a disgrace. The depths of human stupidity remain unfathomable.

By the way, if China wanted to start WW-III today - they'd win. Why? Let's face it - they successfully have shown they can control us and have easily put us into a state of total unprepared lunacy with our politicians and media helping them do it. Think about that too.

Stay healthy.

All the best,
Glenn B

PSA Banned Me!!!

Error 1015 Ray ID: 574fb45bf8b11fb0 • 2020-03-16 16:03:29 UTC

You are being rate limited

What happened?

The owner of this website (palmettostatearmory.com) has banned you temporarily from accessing this website.

Cloudflare Ray ID: 574fb45bf8b11fb0 • Your IP: 69.92.23.141 • Performance & security by Cloudflare

That is the message I received today when I tried to log onto Palmetto State Armory's website for a second time while shopping for some ammo at various sites. After several more attempts I got back onto the site. Then when I tried to add some ammo to my cart - that crap popped up again!

First though, I'll try using another browser, then give them a call if that does not work. Give me a moment...

Okay, tried using another browser, same issue. To heck with a call, I'll use my go to ammo dealer. Normally I would have just stuck with Target Sports USA in the first place but they were out of what I wanted so I went to Palmetto State Armory - I use them as a back-up for times when Target Sports is out of stock on something; going to Target Sports now to settle for a substitution due to PSA's banning me.


Never happened before but if it keeps on happening again and again, I'll shop elsewhere other than at PSA for a back-up dealer.

All the best,
Glenn B 

Corona Virus Madness

You have all heard, by now, of the shortages of certain items at your grocery stores, things like food, water and the ever so precious toilet paper are either in very short supply or not on the shelves at all. You can just about forget finding surgical or dust masks. I suppose I should not have been surprised when I received an email today from Chewy.com telling me an order I placed yesterday, for dog food and such, will be delayed by as much as two to three times the normal delivery time. One of the things that got me shopping with them in the first place was that they deliver with 1 to 2 days and if your order is over $49.00 it ships free. It says it right there on their home page. While there is a note on their homepage today, notifying folks of the delay, the 1-2 day shipping promise still also shows there as well. Anyway here is the text of the email they sent me:

Dear Glenn,

Things are a little backed up on our end with many pet parents ordering food and supplies. Rest assured, we're working hard to deliver your order as soon as possible, while caring for the health and safety of our team members.

We expect most orders to be delivered within the next 4-6 days. You'll automatically receive a tracking link as soon as your order ships. Nothing to do on your part. We're taking care of it.

Thank you for understanding. We hope all our pet parents and their beloved pets stay safe.

Yours truly,

The Chewy Family

That's just ridiculous, not just that they called pet owners "pet parents" but  that the whole buying frenzy thing has evidently spilled over to the pet food industry. What it means is that idiots out there are stocking up on dog & cat food and things like that. I have got to ask - for what? Do they expect the supply from China to be cut off due to the COVID-19 thing. Then buy American made goods instead of commie crap.

Too bad President Trump was not already in the last year of a second term in office when this happened. I say that because by then, maybe he would have brought enough businesses back into the US and Made In The USA would be so much more prominent that we'd not have to worry about supply issues from the commies. Right now:



All the best,
Glenn B

COVID-19 Closures Screw Up The Weekend...

...at least for some here in TX. I've heard of some localities banning events with more than 500 people, saw a proclamation/edict from one city to that effect a day or so ago; sports events without spectators or totally cancelled, concerts cancelled, even gun shows have been canceled. Luckily, Murphy's Boat/RV & Gub show in Texarkana set for today and tomorrow is still on; so, Brendan (who is visiting me) and I will be headed that way in a few minutes. A stop at my bank comes first to get some cash just in case I find a bargain on a gun not an RV or boat).

All the best,
Glenn B

Egg Foo Trump

It seems that Trump derangement syndrome is not just an ailment of libtards and RINOs within the United States of America. The Chinese are now trying to show Trump as having egg on his face with regard to the Corona Virus COVID-19 and they are laying the blame for the spread of the disease, even for the origin of it, on the shoulders of president Donald Trump and the good old U.S. of  A. You can bet the libturds in this country will eat it up and use the left over yolk to smear it in Trump's face or at least try to. More at the source.

All the best,
Glenn B

Tombstone Of The Last Man On Earth...

...to contract COVID-19. This was placed on his grave shortly after a cure was found and administered to him without success.

 

All the best,
Glenn B

I'm Thinking Of Starting A New Career

All the best,
GB

The Stupidest Commercial Of All Time...

...personifies liberalism as a human mental disorder. Which TV advertisement is that - the Facebook kazoo commercial. It paints the most perfect picture of libtard assholes who just want to ignore education/work in favor of them maintaining their status as fucking idiots. I am sure that was not Facebook's intention but that is what they accomplished.

Thanks Facebook for giving us that verification.

All the best,
Glenn B

When I Drive To My Son's Place...

...in Benton, AR - from where I live near Texarkana, TX - it's a drive of about one hour and forty-five minutes to two hours. That's for travel of approximately 127 miles one way. That makes me smile because when I drove from my home in Mineola, NY to my office in Manhattan (in NYC), it would take anywhere from an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half, one way, and that time frame was considered pretty darned good - an hour was amazing. It once took me about 4.5 hours to drive that same distance going home from work and the shortest drive time took about 35-40 minutes but that was at about 0400 in the morning. The thing was that drive only was all of 26 miles each way. I do not miss the traffic in and around NYC.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Went To An Estate Sale Today...

...that someone, whom I met at a local dog park, told me about yesterday. He said they had a bunch of firearms for sale. Yes they did, and whenIi got there they also had a long line to get into the bedroom of the house where the firearms were displayed. I am guessing I was on the line for about 45 minutes before I had my turn inside to look them over. While I was waiting on the line, three guys came out carrying guns they had purchased. Three guys - in 45 minutes! It pretty much was a dead giveaway as to the prices that were being asked. Yet, when I asked one guy if he would mind telling me what he paid for two (2) SKS rifles he walked away with, he said $175 each. Well, fuck that lying piece of shit because the two remaining Norinco SKS rifles they had, when I got my chance to look them over, were $425 and $410, so there is no way they sold two others, nicer ones at that, to him for $175 each.

Anyway, when I got inside they still had several rifles and a few shotguns in the bedroom and several pistols and a few other rifles in the walk-in closet along with a bunch of ammo and accessories. Almost everything was priced out of this world and they would not come down in price on anything even one penny. The line they gave was 'it's the first day of a four day sale, they usually are only three days, and we never go down in price on day one'. They could have sold out today had they come down $50 to $75 or so on guns for which they were asking for $400. 

While waiting on the line in the living room, I eyed some accessories and firearms related books and such and grabbed hold of a Department of The Army Technical Manual TM9-1276 / Department of The Air Force Technical order - TO39A-5AD-2 - Cal.30 Carbines M1, M1A, M2 and M3 manual. That put me out only $4.00; funny they had another of the same exact thing (but a trashy looking copy, mine is pretty fine) just a shelf away for $8.00. The 'gun room' was next. Once in the 'gun room' I soon realized prices were too high for me and greed evidently was the rule of the day. Not only were things mostly overpriced but they removed the bayonets from three or four SKS rifles they were selling, piled them on a shelf and put a $28.00 price tag on each with two remaining SKS rifles selling separately laying on a bed and another in the walk-in closet. Not to leave empty handed, except for the book, I moseyed around a bit more after looking at the guns and found a new in the package (old stock) Ruger 10/22 magazine for $12. I grabbed it right up because other new ones I have seen have been going for around $20.00; although, the price made me wonder why this one was so inexpensive I took it regardless. It was one of the few things that had a really decent price on it.

After paying for those two things, I went outside and to the shed and workshop out back. There was a lot more of overpriced stuff out there. Mike and Frank, of American Pickers fame, would have been disappointed by most of it because most of the things were run of the mill used items and or outright junk and or trash in my opinion. Before going outside, I had tried to query Pyrodex RS, that I had seen in the gun room, but I could not get a signal. Outside, once I got connected to the web, I saw it goes for about $17.00 to $24.00 for  one (1) pound jar. I grabbed it on my second go round in the gun room - no line by then at about 1030 - it went for $8.00 and was in a sealed jar. I recently picked up a BP revolver and if this is the right stuff for it, well I got a bargain. If not right for a BP revolver (and I do believe this stuff is for BP rifles & shotguns) oh well, I can sell it or trade it or give it away and make friends with someone. 

On that second inside go round I also spotted two more books and picked them up at decent prices - one was: Home Workshop Guns For Defense And Resistance - Volume One The Submachine Gun and the other was: the original (not the revised edition) of The Ruger 1022 Exotic Weapons Systems (both put out by the now defunct Paladin Press). I later found a copy of the former with an asking price of about $143.00 on eBay. It cost me $4.00. Two pages are loose but at that price it was - as they say in certain parts of Brooklyn - such a deal; so, how could I not take it! The Ruger 10/22 book is in fine to excellent condition and tells you how to modify a 10/22 enough to get yourself arrested as a federal felon.

That was it for me. They had lots and lots of stuff for sale but almost everything, from bedroom furniture, to kitchen utensils, to coffee tables, to farm tools, to electronics, to firearms & accessories seemed way overpriced. I may go back on day 3 or 4 to see what is left over and what prices they will accept then on any remaining items that strike my fancy; my guess is plenty will be remaining as an awful lot of folks walked away from this sale empty handed.

All the best,
Glenn B

What's In A Name?

The Strange Oddities You Find While Afield

My son went out snake hunting on a friend's property yesterday. It was a nice day for it but I suspect too soon to hunt for snakes other than maybe Garter Snakes that come out early in the season.

 

 

He did not find any snakes but he found some bones I am guessing are a deer pelvis:



He also found a blue tailed skink that I believe is a Common 5 Lined Skink, Plestiodon fasciatus:



He also found something else. The something else beats anything I have ever found while out and about herping, hunting, hiking, or whatever:



 

 

Too bad it was not in better shape but the land gets flooded now and again when the Arkansas River rises and the gun sure looks like it was under water for awhile. At least the grips seem in good shape, what a testament to Pachmayr grips. He put the gun into a bath of white vinegar to clean it up some. 

 He can see some spent casings in the cylinder. Told him to be careful in the event any live rounds are in it; I doubt they would still be good but why chance an accident.

I am guessing that is a Dan Wesson revolver; from what I can make of it, it looks like the Dan Wesson 715 that can be seen on their website. If that is correct then it was in the mud or under water for quite the while since the 715 is stainless steel.
Then again, I just found out there was a Dan Wesson 15-2 that was a blued version; it's probably that one or a very similar model.Whichever, somebody lost or threw away a nice gun! 

The strangest find I ever made while afield was a rock someone probably used as a shotgun or rifle target. I must admit, I never found anything even close to as cool as a .357 Magnum revolver. Leave it to my son to best my find and for it to be gun related at that!

All the best,
Glenn B