...to her son, a 12 year child mind you, after he allegedly opened a Christmas early at his grandmother's home. She said, when he was confronted and questioned about the missing present, her son denied knowledge of how it went missing or where it was hidden. Then she reportedly threatened him with her calling the police and he fessed up, said he took it, and returned it to her.
The mom then called the police anyhow, and she had them arrest her 12 year old son. Why did she do that? Well according to the report in this article: Mother Has 12-Year-Old Son Arrested for Opening Christmas Gift Early at FoxNews.com today,
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,234638,00.html, the mother said she did not know what else to do. She reportedly said the boy has had problems with shoplifting, stealing money from his mother, and that recently he hit a police officer at school. According to the article she also said this: "I'm trying to get him some kind of help".
Is this what Dr. Spock did to our country with his, in my opinion, namby pamby method of parenting that precluded any form of corporal punishment being inflicted by parents on their misbehaving children? Is this what the American Civil liberties Union has done to our country with their ridiculous law suits, it would not surprise me that they would have filed against the mother in favor of the child had she spanked him.
Now truth be told, I have a bit more information about this case. The boy is reported as having "...attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but that his medicine does not seem to help..." according to an article at CNN @: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/05/christmaspresent.arrest.ap/index.html.
Okay so the kid has the catch all childhood mental health disorder of the 20th and now 21st centuries, one that I believe to be a big cop-out (on the part of those who diagnose it). Telling the child to be good does not work, counseling probably would not work, medication reportedly has not worked (and I wonder why if the malady was actually diagnosed correctly or was it misdiagnosed as a cop-out, when maybe it is just that the child has never been correctly disciplined), and having the boy expelled from school will likely not help (and according to the CNN article he faces expulsion soon). Guess what else I would bet will not work - having the boy arrested and wasting the time of the local police department, prosecutor's office and courts.
I think I know what would help. I have a possible cure right here with me at this very moment. Maybe it will not cure attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but I am willing to bet it will cure some of the penchant toward bad behavior that this boy seems to have. I am talking about being able, through use of my own mind and willpower to be able punish this boy as a good parent. I am talking about being remanded to ones room, under lock and key every day after school, for a week or two. That is the child is restricted to his room, except to go to the bathroom, except to eat meals, except to go to school , and except to do assigned chores and so on. I am talking about no television for that same period. I am talking about no computer use for just as long. I am talking about no special or extra snacks for the same time - just regular meals. I am talking about the parent, sitting with the child each of those days, during some good portion of each, and discussing the problem with the child as a responsible adult should do. If all of that fails, I am talking about a good hand to the buttocks (bare skin against bare skin). For those of you who think that too sexually provocative, then a good hand to the thighs. I am talking about a belt or paddle if the hand does not work (not on bare skin but through jeans). I am talking about a size 12 to the arse (yes mine are size 12 in most shoes). No severe beatings please, just enough physical force to make them realize, ouch that hurts pretty bad. I am talking about the parent explaining to the child, after a good spanking, that changed behavior on the part of the child will result in privileges being restored.
Of course all of this could have happened already. Maybe the mother is at her wits end. Maybe she and the grandmother could figure out no other way. Yet, I doubt it to be the case that the mom did all of this, I think she is trying to push off the responsibility of taking charge of her son onto someone else like doctors, school officials, the grandmother, or the police. Now, maybe that is just my cynicism speaking, but it seems to be all too often the case with American parents nowadays. Too many of them seemingly slough off the responsibility of being a parent, and want others to take over large parts of that role for them. Too many child welfare workers and police officials would have the parent arrested if the parent actually acted responsibly and spanked, within reason, the child. Too many very confused psychologists, and confused social workers, advocate never spanking a child, or punishing them severely. As for me, I strongly advocate the old time Catholic school method of discipline. It worked on my parents, it worked on me, and even though my children did not attend Catholic schools, that same type of discipline seemingly has worked on them. They have had there problems, but the proper amount of punishment, including corporal punishment, doled out at the correct time, along with the proper rewards being given likewise in a timely manner, both appropriately based upon whatever behavior preceded them has worked well to date.
Neither of my children gets a spanking any longer. Heck, my son at 17, would probably beat me senseless if I tried it now. The point is though, all kidding aside, my daughter and son respect me and their mother. Sure they both can get rotten at times, but then we apply some punishment, just as we reward good behavior. That is all part of parenting. I don't need doctors, schools, or police doing that for me; although the help of grandparents, and other family members, is always welcome within reason. My kids stay out of trouble for the most part; yes my son has had a brush with the law over a pretty minor offense, but it taught him well; and I did not have my own son arrested, instead I talked to him about what he had done, and I punished him because of it after our talk. Our kids do what other teens and youngsters in their 20s will do, they don't always think about what they do, and this can get them into some bit of trouble. Yet, for the great part, they stay out of trouble because they learned long ago causing trouble is not the desirable, or best, way to get their parents' attention or love. They learned getting into trouble over a moment of thrills is not worth the risks of getting punished by their parents; or by the law, now that they are old enough. They learned to think before they act, and if they have a question about whether something is right or wrong, they had best not do it. They learned it is better to do things right because life is more rewarding and pleasant when you do so. They will turn into fine upstanding, responsible, and productive members of our society; heck my daughter and son are already there - where has the time gone!
Of course, as I said, maybe the mom tried all she could do, maybe she was at her wits end after having tried all the above. Maybe she did the best she could do. If so, well then my hat goes off to her for trying something radical. It is just that, all to often, parents don’t act a responsible parents, they all too often want to pass the buck of parenthood onto others who can do their jobs as parents for them. Parenting is hard, it is one of the most difficult things in life to get right. Heavens know I have screwed up many times at being a parent, but when it comes right down to it, the only people responsible for good parenting, and therefore for good children as a result, are the parents.
All the best,
Glenn B
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
On Losing Ones Marbles...
I imagine we are almost all familiar with the term "He lost his marbles", or the other "she is as sharp as a marble", but I have to wonder how many of us realize the sharp truth that can be discovered in a group of marbles as we lose them one at a time. It is something to think about, in fact for many of us there could be years of thought involved in the process, but I never gave it much thought at all.
The truth be told, I never gave it any thought, that is until yesterday. Then the real significance of losing one's marbles hit me like a ton of bricks, or should I say like one thousand marbles, and I realized that a marble indeed can be extremely sharp - especially in its loss.
No I am not talking about losing ones smarts or sanity, I am talking about something that may be more precious at least to those of us who have our wits about us whether or not we are exactly sane. You see, yesterday, I received an email from a friend of mine, and a person who is a good man at that - at being a friend. In his email was a story about a man and his marbles, one thousand of them to be exact, or maybe give or take a few; the exact number probably does not matter all that much. I don't know who wrote that story, if it was my friend or someone else. I tend to think it was passed onto him, and he passed it onto me, just as I then passed it onto my other friends. Whoever it was that wrote it though was a wise person. I hope that person does not mind me sharing it with you, all of you, because it is something that should be shared, something from which each of us should learn, and maybe something that will change the way each of us lives our lives if only because of the sharpness that a thousand marbles can bring to us as we lose them one at a time.
Unless you have heard the story before, then by now you must surely be wondering about what I am writing, and maybe you are wondering if I have lost my marbles. The truth is quite to the contrary you see, as last night, I did some math, and I went out and I bought just over a thousand marbles, exactly 1,145 of them (at least those that were not cracked in the 12 bags of them that I bought - I had been hoping for closer to 1,200). Then I put them in a 2 1/2 gallon fish tank I had on hand; the marbles filled that tank only just about half way.
I am 51 years old, and soon, all too soon when this coming weekend rolls around, it will be time for me to start losing them one at a time. As I said though - you are probably scratching your heads by now - wondering what this is all about - so let me just show you the story that my friend sent to me; then you can either laugh at me and call me a fool, or you can go out and by some marbles for yourself.
"MARBLES:
A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:
I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles." I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say:
"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's "dance recital" he continued. "Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities." And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."
"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy five years. "
That was the story I received in the email from my friend, but not the end of my friend's email to me. The email continued on just a bit with the following:
"A friend sent this to me, so I to you, my friend.
The truth be told, I never gave it any thought, that is until yesterday. Then the real significance of losing one's marbles hit me like a ton of bricks, or should I say like one thousand marbles, and I realized that a marble indeed can be extremely sharp - especially in its loss.
No I am not talking about losing ones smarts or sanity, I am talking about something that may be more precious at least to those of us who have our wits about us whether or not we are exactly sane. You see, yesterday, I received an email from a friend of mine, and a person who is a good man at that - at being a friend. In his email was a story about a man and his marbles, one thousand of them to be exact, or maybe give or take a few; the exact number probably does not matter all that much. I don't know who wrote that story, if it was my friend or someone else. I tend to think it was passed onto him, and he passed it onto me, just as I then passed it onto my other friends. Whoever it was that wrote it though was a wise person. I hope that person does not mind me sharing it with you, all of you, because it is something that should be shared, something from which each of us should learn, and maybe something that will change the way each of us lives our lives if only because of the sharpness that a thousand marbles can bring to us as we lose them one at a time.
Unless you have heard the story before, then by now you must surely be wondering about what I am writing, and maybe you are wondering if I have lost my marbles. The truth is quite to the contrary you see, as last night, I did some math, and I went out and I bought just over a thousand marbles, exactly 1,145 of them (at least those that were not cracked in the 12 bags of them that I bought - I had been hoping for closer to 1,200). Then I put them in a 2 1/2 gallon fish tank I had on hand; the marbles filled that tank only just about half way.
I am 51 years old, and soon, all too soon when this coming weekend rolls around, it will be time for me to start losing them one at a time. As I said though - you are probably scratching your heads by now - wondering what this is all about - so let me just show you the story that my friend sent to me; then you can either laugh at me and call me a fool, or you can go out and by some marbles for yourself.
"MARBLES:
A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:
I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles." I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say:
"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's "dance recital" he continued. "Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities." And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."
"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy five years. "
"Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.
It took me until I was fifty five years old to think about all this in any detail", he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty eight hundred Saturdays." "I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear."
"Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.
There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight." "Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time."
"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!"
You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.
Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast." "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles."
***
That was the story I received in the email from my friend, but not the end of my friend's email to me. The email continued on just a bit with the following:
"A friend sent this to me, so I to you, my friend.
And so, as one smart bear once said..."If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." - Winnie the Pooh.
Pass this on to all of your FRIENDS, even if it means sending it to the person that sent it to you."
Then the story of the marbles really sank home. I am 51 years old, and if I live to be an average age, that means I have somewhat less than 24 years, exactly 23 years and 10 months from today, by my reckoning. Or in other words, I have about 1,188 weekends or marbles to go. It is a sobering thought, but not too sobering yet, I have a lot of marbles to go; although I am sure it may become more so as I begin to lose my marbles. Hopefully it will not be too bad, and I will lose each of those marbles with aplomb, and enjoy losing them at that, if only because they will help make living my life so much more precious.
Are you headed to the toy store yet? If so, give it a second thought! Toy store marbles can be expensive so I got my marbles at a .99 cent store. I want my money to go to better and more fun things as I lose my marbles, so maybe this weekend I'll take my wife out to breakfast and buy her flowers. That should be a good start to losing my marbles!
Thanks Thor for sending me that story; losing my marbles may just help me to make things a whole lot better in my life, and in the lives of my loved ones. Time and the marble count will tell. Thanks again my friend.
All the best,
Glenn BSunday, December 3, 2006
Persistence Pays off...
...at least for the U.S. marshals Service which is our nations governemntal version of Dog The Bounty Hunter (yeah right).
While deputy U.S. Marshals are not usually very flamboyant, don't run around with pony tails flaping, while wearing leather vests with nothing under them but muscles and tattoos, are are not convicted felons themselves, don't have wild television shows to highlight their adventures, they are, if nothing else, persistent.
After 33 years of being on the run, so to speak, Billy Wayne Hayes, a convicted and then escaped felon, was captured by the U.S. Marshals Service in Alabama. It seems, according to the article Escaped Convict Captured After 33 Years, at FoxNews.com @ http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Dec03/0,4670,InmateCaptured,00.html that Mr. Hayes had been convicted of second degree murder, way back when in about 1968, and he escaped from work release in December 1972. I don't know about yours, but my calculator makes that 34 years, not 33, oh well I guess the guys at Associated Press need a math refresher, but I am drifting away from the point here, so let me get back to it.
The point is my hat goes off to the U.S. Marshals Service, especially to the deputies who got this guy, for getting this guy off the streets. It is not like he became a reformed angel while on the run either. While he was working (reportedly) under his real name (go figure why it took 34 years to nab him, or even 33); when he was arrested the marshals found crack cocaine on his person.
This was a job very well done by our law enforcement, as opposed to one that was totally screwed up. I like to give credit where it is due, and say great work guys...
All the best,
Glenn B
While deputy U.S. Marshals are not usually very flamboyant, don't run around with pony tails flaping, while wearing leather vests with nothing under them but muscles and tattoos, are are not convicted felons themselves, don't have wild television shows to highlight their adventures, they are, if nothing else, persistent.
After 33 years of being on the run, so to speak, Billy Wayne Hayes, a convicted and then escaped felon, was captured by the U.S. Marshals Service in Alabama. It seems, according to the article Escaped Convict Captured After 33 Years, at FoxNews.com @ http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Dec03/0,4670,InmateCaptured,00.html that Mr. Hayes had been convicted of second degree murder, way back when in about 1968, and he escaped from work release in December 1972. I don't know about yours, but my calculator makes that 34 years, not 33, oh well I guess the guys at Associated Press need a math refresher, but I am drifting away from the point here, so let me get back to it.
The point is my hat goes off to the U.S. Marshals Service, especially to the deputies who got this guy, for getting this guy off the streets. It is not like he became a reformed angel while on the run either. While he was working (reportedly) under his real name (go figure why it took 34 years to nab him, or even 33); when he was arrested the marshals found crack cocaine on his person.
This was a job very well done by our law enforcement, as opposed to one that was totally screwed up. I like to give credit where it is due, and say great work guys...
All the best,
Glenn B
Ballseye's Boomers: Rem 870 in the hands of The Deer Hunter
Yep folks, that is Brendan all geared up and out in the woods on his first deer hunt. He is all duded up in his brand new blaze/camo hunting coat, and with the shotgun and daypack, he was ready for just about anything. He is carrying my tried and true Remington 870. What can I say about the Remington that has not already been written; probably not much. It is a great all purpose pump action shotgun. It holds five rounds total of 2 3/4" shells (although others are chambered for up to 3" shells, and some come in magnum configurations). This is a Remington 870 Express combo. In other words it came with a subdued finish and 2 barrels. One barrel is a slug barrel, with rifle sights. The other is a 28" bird/trap/skeet/sporting clays barrel.
As for the young man, he is unique, and he is one great guy. Of course, I am a bit partial toward my son, so what could you expect me to do except say he is the greatest hunting buddy a guy could have.
All the best,
Glenn B
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Remember those 6 Muslims pulled off the USA Air flight...
...I think it was last week just before Thanksgiving. A lot has been said about how they were embarrassed, about how they were targeted because of their religion or their ethnicity, about how they were wronged. You hear those things mainly from them, their lawyer and the Muslim community - of course you also hear it from the good old ultra liberal leftist media in the USA. As usually you do not hear a lot of the fact, or so it has become apparent to me. These guys were not removed from an aircraft, then detained and questioned for 5 hours for nothing, that is not how the FBI operates. There had to be a reason, but who has reported it? Not many to none from what I can tell.
If you want to read some of the interesting alleged facts of this case, coming mostly from a first hand source, then go to Debbie Schlussel's site and look at the entry dated December 1, 2006 (you may have to scroll down as she adds other blogs. You can get to her site via this link: http://debbieschlussel.com/ It would not surprise me to find out the allegations made in the letter that Ms. Schlussel present us with were true, and therefore would not surprise me either that US news media did not report on it because they are truly, in great part, leftist to the extreme.
All the best,
Glenn B
If you want to read some of the interesting alleged facts of this case, coming mostly from a first hand source, then go to Debbie Schlussel's site and look at the entry dated December 1, 2006 (you may have to scroll down as she adds other blogs. You can get to her site via this link: http://debbieschlussel.com/ It would not surprise me to find out the allegations made in the letter that Ms. Schlussel present us with were true, and therefore would not surprise me either that US news media did not report on it because they are truly, in great part, leftist to the extreme.
All the best,
Glenn B
The Big Move To Verizon Fios, Part 2...
Well they came, they uninstalled (my Cablevision), and they installed (the new Fios system). It took about 7 hours. The installer was a nice guy whos eemed to know what he was doing, although he did leave some things undone , and also left behind something that has not been resolved.
The installer got it all working but was unable to transfer my AOL favorites and address book to MSN. I wound up doing it; it took me a day to figure out how to do it so it worked. I think it may not have worked because the Verizon guy left behind a virus on my PC. I had checked it not too long before he was there. He installed something called Windows Defender to check for Spyware, and everytime it runs, my Norton AV says there is a virus called Downloader and removes it. Of course this could be a file named 'downloader' on the Windows Defender, but no one at Verizon has a clue in their Tech Service Department. If I do a complete virus scan when Windows defender has not run, the so called virus does not show up at all, its only when I do a scan and the Windows Defender remove spyware, any spyware. Go figure. Right about on par with Cablevision support, dumb as bricks, in my opinion. I am going to remove Windows Defender to see what happens.
As for the actual product, the FIOS is fast on downloads, super fast. The phone service seems the same as usual - yes we had that chaged too. Our television service is great, a better picture, and more channels, with free On demand from the premium channels to which we are subscribed. That sure beats Cablevision hands down.
The jury is still out for me on whether or not the change was worth it for my Internet service, but for the TV and phone it was worth it. If the Verizon tech service folks can figure out the virus thing, then all will be well worth it.
All the best,
Glenn B
The installer got it all working but was unable to transfer my AOL favorites and address book to MSN. I wound up doing it; it took me a day to figure out how to do it so it worked. I think it may not have worked because the Verizon guy left behind a virus on my PC. I had checked it not too long before he was there. He installed something called Windows Defender to check for Spyware, and everytime it runs, my Norton AV says there is a virus called Downloader and removes it. Of course this could be a file named 'downloader' on the Windows Defender, but no one at Verizon has a clue in their Tech Service Department. If I do a complete virus scan when Windows defender has not run, the so called virus does not show up at all, its only when I do a scan and the Windows Defender remove spyware, any spyware. Go figure. Right about on par with Cablevision support, dumb as bricks, in my opinion. I am going to remove Windows Defender to see what happens.
As for the actual product, the FIOS is fast on downloads, super fast. The phone service seems the same as usual - yes we had that chaged too. Our television service is great, a better picture, and more channels, with free On demand from the premium channels to which we are subscribed. That sure beats Cablevision hands down.
The jury is still out for me on whether or not the change was worth it for my Internet service, but for the TV and phone it was worth it. If the Verizon tech service folks can figure out the virus thing, then all will be well worth it.
All the best,
Glenn B
Friday, December 1, 2006
On Blogging and BS'ing
Blogging on the Internet can be lots of fun, but that does not mean you have free license to BS people. Well maybe it does mean just that, so let me say it another way: It does not mean you should BS people in your rants and blogs.
Lately I have been surfing around the net looking for other blogs that interest me. Used to be I would visit only one pretty much, but I had a bit of a personal falling out with the person who wrote that blog, so I don't visit his site to contribute any longer. because of that I have had more time to view other people's blogs.
When it comes right down to it, without mentioning any names of bloggers or the addresses of their sites, I can say without a doubt that the Internet is full of people who are legends in their own minds, and maybe also in the minds of some twelve year old wanna be who read their outrageous claims to knowing just about everything, and therefore having done or being able to do just about everything. To me it is just so much more trash.
Sure, lots of folks out there are fonts of book knowledge (or other data) on any given particular subject, and that can be a good thing. Lots of other folks out there have an awful lot of practical experience (are actually well experienced) in a field and could be called experts at what they do, and that is also good. There are also folks out there who have the ability to have a lot of book knowledge on a topic, and also have a lot of practical knowledge on the same topic. This is not too hard to achieve, it would be a akin to a craftsman such as a carpenter or painter knowing their trade.
The thing is though it gets harder to accomplish when you start becoming an expert in multiple disciplines. I mean if you are an expert at the ins and outs of electronics in both book knowledge and practical experience, then it is more difficult to add on other multiple things to your expertise such as quantum physics, firearms, architecture, classical music, mathematics, grammar, gardening, barbecuing, driving, manual labor, self defense, martial arts, diplomacy, war and so forth. You get the picture. The more such topics you add to your repertoire - the more difficult it becomes for you to master them and become an expert - especially if you try to master both the academic and practical experience sides of the discipline. Sure you may be able to add on one or two other fields, but not many more, at which you could truly be considered to be an expert at both the academic and practical ends of the topic.
Of course you may be able to add more to your list of subjects in which you could be considered a true expert if you were to stick to only one type of knowledge for each field such as the book knowledge side as opposed to both the book and practical sides, or if you likewise just stick to the practical side. The easier way to go for most people seems to me to be the academic side; or in other words it is easier to become the armchair warrior, or the armchair stock broker, or the armchair surfer, or the armchair shooter, or the armchair political analyst, or the armchair health nut, or the armchair hiker, or the armchair fisherman, and on an on. This is not necassarily bad so long as the person admits his or her limitations.
The thing is though, it is easier still to bull shit. The Internet is full of self proclaimed experts who claim to be experts in multiple fields not only in an academic manner but also as practical experience gurus. From what I can see, many of they who are self proclaimed experts -you know the type - the ones always tooting their own horns about how great they are at doing this or that and they do about fifty different time consuming hobbies, plus work, plus have a family, plus have a life other than the Internet (well probably not really but they claim to). Not only do they spout off about their great list of practical accomplishments and feats, but they also know just about everything about everything. Yes, you know them, the know it alls on just about every subject. Some folks must believe them, just as some folks are extremely gullible, but I think they are just full of shit for the most part if not the great majority.
When someone tells you repeatedly they routinely carry out a practical exercise in any field, and that exercise (whatever action it maybe) takes a certain amount of hours to complete; then it stands to reason they devote so much time each (let's say) month to it. Then that same person tells you they have done something academic such as they read some books, like all of Shakespeare’s plays, in a month, and they also read a reloading manual and absorbed every bit of information and they often quote it to you, then they say they reloaded so many thousand rounds per month, well those things take time too. Then that same person tells you, 'hey you know I just built a new shed in my yard, and I decided to build a deck too, got it all done in three days; and while I was at it I built a tree house for my kids'. When you add up the time, you see they have used a lot of time devoted to their interests, hobbies, exercises and so forth. That is okay by me, but there is a problem. Then you find out that they work full time, yes at least 40 hours per week, and you remember they said they do all the above types of things religiously each month: like going to the range, and like building things, and like reading; and suddenly you realize they also work full time and they do sleep too - just like the rest of us. You also remember they spend many, many, many hours blogging and doing all sorts of other things on the Internet such as reading news reports (you know the ones they quote endlessly), participating in forums (in their multiple field of interest), and buying things with which they like to play.
When you really give it some thought, you figure out, 'hey wait a minute - it would take someone about 6 months to a year to do all the stuff that this joker just said he did in a month'; and you ask yourself how did he do it! If you did that you are apparently smarter than many because lots of folks just take whatever a blogger writes as hard cold truth. Too many folks just scratch their heads, or maybe their privates, as they read and munch on potato chips and drink soda while at the computer console (the keyboard nowadays) and don't even bother to question any of it because it makes them feel good to believe it all. As for me, I cannot stand self appointed demigods - their drivel makes me want to puke. In case you are not familiar with the term, here it is from Merriam-Webster:
I would much rather read the words of folks telling of their exploits, or sharing their knowledge, who readily and honestly admit their limitations. I prefer dealing with real people not blowhards who claim to frequently have done it all but never have or have done only little of it, or who look things up in Wikipedia (or elsewhere) when you ask them a question, and then claim they it as their own knowledge. Those who wish to attain the status of demigod can keep on blogging, but not wasting my time, because once I realize they are bullshitters I won't trifle with them again.
Don’t get me wrong, it is not that I cannot stand or tolerate those who talk about what they have actually done, or what they actually know, or even those who brag about it, or talk about it incessantly, or maybe even sometimes exaggerate a bit. What I cannot stand are those who have done it all, and who know it all, when in fact they are just about absolutely full of shit.
So when you see a link on my site, to the site of someone else, you cannot rest assured that I agree with them, or that I like them, or that their politics OR philosophies are the same as mine; BUT YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT I BELIEVE THEM TO BE HONEST IN THEIR RANTS WHEN DISCUSSING THEIR ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE, AND I BELIEVE THEY LIKELY HAVE DONE WHAT THEY SAY THEY HAVE DONE. If I think they are outright exageratting bullshitters and little more, well then - there is no place for them in my Grumps, Geeks and Geniuses link list on the right side of my page.
All the best,
Glenn B
Lately I have been surfing around the net looking for other blogs that interest me. Used to be I would visit only one pretty much, but I had a bit of a personal falling out with the person who wrote that blog, so I don't visit his site to contribute any longer. because of that I have had more time to view other people's blogs.
When it comes right down to it, without mentioning any names of bloggers or the addresses of their sites, I can say without a doubt that the Internet is full of people who are legends in their own minds, and maybe also in the minds of some twelve year old wanna be who read their outrageous claims to knowing just about everything, and therefore having done or being able to do just about everything. To me it is just so much more trash.
Sure, lots of folks out there are fonts of book knowledge (or other data) on any given particular subject, and that can be a good thing. Lots of other folks out there have an awful lot of practical experience (are actually well experienced) in a field and could be called experts at what they do, and that is also good. There are also folks out there who have the ability to have a lot of book knowledge on a topic, and also have a lot of practical knowledge on the same topic. This is not too hard to achieve, it would be a akin to a craftsman such as a carpenter or painter knowing their trade.
The thing is though it gets harder to accomplish when you start becoming an expert in multiple disciplines. I mean if you are an expert at the ins and outs of electronics in both book knowledge and practical experience, then it is more difficult to add on other multiple things to your expertise such as quantum physics, firearms, architecture, classical music, mathematics, grammar, gardening, barbecuing, driving, manual labor, self defense, martial arts, diplomacy, war and so forth. You get the picture. The more such topics you add to your repertoire - the more difficult it becomes for you to master them and become an expert - especially if you try to master both the academic and practical experience sides of the discipline. Sure you may be able to add on one or two other fields, but not many more, at which you could truly be considered to be an expert at both the academic and practical ends of the topic.
Of course you may be able to add more to your list of subjects in which you could be considered a true expert if you were to stick to only one type of knowledge for each field such as the book knowledge side as opposed to both the book and practical sides, or if you likewise just stick to the practical side. The easier way to go for most people seems to me to be the academic side; or in other words it is easier to become the armchair warrior, or the armchair stock broker, or the armchair surfer, or the armchair shooter, or the armchair political analyst, or the armchair health nut, or the armchair hiker, or the armchair fisherman, and on an on. This is not necassarily bad so long as the person admits his or her limitations.
The thing is though, it is easier still to bull shit. The Internet is full of self proclaimed experts who claim to be experts in multiple fields not only in an academic manner but also as practical experience gurus. From what I can see, many of they who are self proclaimed experts -you know the type - the ones always tooting their own horns about how great they are at doing this or that and they do about fifty different time consuming hobbies, plus work, plus have a family, plus have a life other than the Internet (well probably not really but they claim to). Not only do they spout off about their great list of practical accomplishments and feats, but they also know just about everything about everything. Yes, you know them, the know it alls on just about every subject. Some folks must believe them, just as some folks are extremely gullible, but I think they are just full of shit for the most part if not the great majority.
When someone tells you repeatedly they routinely carry out a practical exercise in any field, and that exercise (whatever action it maybe) takes a certain amount of hours to complete; then it stands to reason they devote so much time each (let's say) month to it. Then that same person tells you they have done something academic such as they read some books, like all of Shakespeare’s plays, in a month, and they also read a reloading manual and absorbed every bit of information and they often quote it to you, then they say they reloaded so many thousand rounds per month, well those things take time too. Then that same person tells you, 'hey you know I just built a new shed in my yard, and I decided to build a deck too, got it all done in three days; and while I was at it I built a tree house for my kids'. When you add up the time, you see they have used a lot of time devoted to their interests, hobbies, exercises and so forth. That is okay by me, but there is a problem. Then you find out that they work full time, yes at least 40 hours per week, and you remember they said they do all the above types of things religiously each month: like going to the range, and like building things, and like reading; and suddenly you realize they also work full time and they do sleep too - just like the rest of us. You also remember they spend many, many, many hours blogging and doing all sorts of other things on the Internet such as reading news reports (you know the ones they quote endlessly), participating in forums (in their multiple field of interest), and buying things with which they like to play.
When you really give it some thought, you figure out, 'hey wait a minute - it would take someone about 6 months to a year to do all the stuff that this joker just said he did in a month'; and you ask yourself how did he do it! If you did that you are apparently smarter than many because lots of folks just take whatever a blogger writes as hard cold truth. Too many folks just scratch their heads, or maybe their privates, as they read and munch on potato chips and drink soda while at the computer console (the keyboard nowadays) and don't even bother to question any of it because it makes them feel good to believe it all. As for me, I cannot stand self appointed demigods - their drivel makes me want to puke. In case you are not familiar with the term, here it is from Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: demi·god
Pronunciation: 'de-mE-"gäd
Function: noun
1 : a mythological being with more power than a mortal but less than a god
2 : a person so outstanding as to seem to approach the divine
I would much rather read the words of folks telling of their exploits, or sharing their knowledge, who readily and honestly admit their limitations. I prefer dealing with real people not blowhards who claim to frequently have done it all but never have or have done only little of it, or who look things up in Wikipedia (or elsewhere) when you ask them a question, and then claim they it as their own knowledge. Those who wish to attain the status of demigod can keep on blogging, but not wasting my time, because once I realize they are bullshitters I won't trifle with them again.
Don’t get me wrong, it is not that I cannot stand or tolerate those who talk about what they have actually done, or what they actually know, or even those who brag about it, or talk about it incessantly, or maybe even sometimes exaggerate a bit. What I cannot stand are those who have done it all, and who know it all, when in fact they are just about absolutely full of shit.
So when you see a link on my site, to the site of someone else, you cannot rest assured that I agree with them, or that I like them, or that their politics OR philosophies are the same as mine; BUT YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT I BELIEVE THEM TO BE HONEST IN THEIR RANTS WHEN DISCUSSING THEIR ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE, AND I BELIEVE THEY LIKELY HAVE DONE WHAT THEY SAY THEY HAVE DONE. If I think they are outright exageratting bullshitters and little more, well then - there is no place for them in my Grumps, Geeks and Geniuses link list on the right side of my page.
All the best,
Glenn B
Thursday, November 30, 2006
7 Hours, 24 days, and a wake up, until...
Christmas.
Get your shopping done now so I can do mine (*at least some of it) on Christmas Eve.
Yeah, I know, you wonder why an atheist, or an agnostic at best, shops for Christmas presents. I like the spirit of giving at Christmas, and I like the season whether or not I bring God into it. That's it, plain and simple.
So get your butts in gear, get out there and shop till you drop. Also be nice, give to charity too; but get that shopping done and leave something on the shelves for me.
All the best,
Glenn B
Get your shopping done now so I can do mine (*at least some of it) on Christmas Eve.
Yeah, I know, you wonder why an atheist, or an agnostic at best, shops for Christmas presents. I like the spirit of giving at Christmas, and I like the season whether or not I bring God into it. That's it, plain and simple.
So get your butts in gear, get out there and shop till you drop. Also be nice, give to charity too; but get that shopping done and leave something on the shelves for me.
All the best,
Glenn B
Hecticicity...
Oh you get it - things are extremely hectic lately. What with the Russian Spy being poisoned with Polonium, the Brits going crazy looking for contaminated hot spots, the Ruskies claiming no part, the Brits keeping mum as to who was to blame (even though the poisoned man spoke out while virtually DOA - anyone else remember that movie and the very close similarities to this case). At least he was brave enough to accuse those whom he thought were guilty, after all what did he have to lose. The Brits also have nothing to lose if they speak out, but they have turned into a nation of broken down moaners on a guilt ridden trip and they apparently feel responsible to make up for past evils to the rest of the world, the rest of the world minus their allies of course. Their allies would be us.
British justice, British politics, and British society have become a joke. I don't say this in an accusatory manner. I say it with an awful lot of regret and sadness. Yet, no matter how I say it, it is the truth. They are overrun with Muslims who seek to live their lives their way and not as British subjects, and they refuse to deport them or incarcerate them as they plot and rant about political, social and religious upheaval, of a violent nature mind you. They are over run with hooligans or gang violence from their own British youths, and cannot and apparently will not control them with a good stiff kick in the pants or the teeth as may be needed. Now they are apparently weak in the knees when another country sends hit men to their shores to kill with radioactive materials. Hopefully they will make a liar out of me and do something to really bring justice in this case, but I tend to doubt it.
It seems they would rather lock up their own loyal citizenry for carrying a Swiss Army pocket folding knife, make it nearly impossible for them to hunt, make it nearly impossible for them to own firearms and enjoy shooting sports, all the while making it easier for certain people to blow up trains and buses, or to get terrorists out of jail.
It is a joke and the joke ultimately will be on the Anglo-Saxons of Britain, and the Gaelic of Ireland, and the Welsh and the Scots. Within ten years, maybe 20 at most, I predict, if things keep on the same twisted track as they are now, Great Britain will be a Muslim nation called Britanastan. Rallying cries of 'long live the Queen' will have been replaced with something else, I'll leave that to your imaginations, but it surely will not be 'long live the King'.
I would ask my readers to support, in any legal way, reform of the British government to bring it to a point where Great Britain can assume the greatness spoken of in its own name, and thereby give the British people something to feel British about in a stiff upper lip, and cheerio, way.
I wish them all the luck in the world in order to avoid what I believe is in store for them, and as a matter of conjecture, in store for us to if we do not act soon to nip it before it reaches our shores. I can only hope George W. Bush is right when he says we will not leave Iraq and Afghanistan until we have achieved victory, because that victory will be over terrorism.
Best regards,
Glenn B
British justice, British politics, and British society have become a joke. I don't say this in an accusatory manner. I say it with an awful lot of regret and sadness. Yet, no matter how I say it, it is the truth. They are overrun with Muslims who seek to live their lives their way and not as British subjects, and they refuse to deport them or incarcerate them as they plot and rant about political, social and religious upheaval, of a violent nature mind you. They are over run with hooligans or gang violence from their own British youths, and cannot and apparently will not control them with a good stiff kick in the pants or the teeth as may be needed. Now they are apparently weak in the knees when another country sends hit men to their shores to kill with radioactive materials. Hopefully they will make a liar out of me and do something to really bring justice in this case, but I tend to doubt it.
It seems they would rather lock up their own loyal citizenry for carrying a Swiss Army pocket folding knife, make it nearly impossible for them to hunt, make it nearly impossible for them to own firearms and enjoy shooting sports, all the while making it easier for certain people to blow up trains and buses, or to get terrorists out of jail.
It is a joke and the joke ultimately will be on the Anglo-Saxons of Britain, and the Gaelic of Ireland, and the Welsh and the Scots. Within ten years, maybe 20 at most, I predict, if things keep on the same twisted track as they are now, Great Britain will be a Muslim nation called Britanastan. Rallying cries of 'long live the Queen' will have been replaced with something else, I'll leave that to your imaginations, but it surely will not be 'long live the King'.
I would ask my readers to support, in any legal way, reform of the British government to bring it to a point where Great Britain can assume the greatness spoken of in its own name, and thereby give the British people something to feel British about in a stiff upper lip, and cheerio, way.
I wish them all the luck in the world in order to avoid what I believe is in store for them, and as a matter of conjecture, in store for us to if we do not act soon to nip it before it reaches our shores. I can only hope George W. Bush is right when he says we will not leave Iraq and Afghanistan until we have achieved victory, because that victory will be over terrorism.
Best regards,
Glenn B
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Some Things in Life...
...are often found unexpectedly, and therefore are those that make, or should make, at least some amount of lasting impression upon us. I often used to say that I do not like surprises; though over the last year or so I realized that was not quite right. I don't like disappointing or bad surprises. I do like nice ones; and there are an awful lot of nice ones out there is you just let yourself admit it.
One of those surprises, at least for me, was a coffee shop. Not a dinner, or a cafe where you sit down and drink coffee, but rather a place in the business of selling coffee and tea. I found the coffee shop in Greenwich Village (New York City) quite by accidental chance. I was at a favorite restaurant of mine, a sort of hole in the wall place on MacDougal Street called Yatagan's, that by the way makes a Gyro for which to kill (I will not say to die for because if I died trying to get it I would not enjoy it as much). I went back to my car, on Bleecker Street, and the old fashioned store front of The Porto Rico Importing Company caught my eye. It was somewhat from another time, maybe back in the 60's when storefronts still had a certain warm charm to them instead of the flat fronted stores of today with their stark cold metal window and door frames. This place had a certain charm to it, what with its red awning, wooden framed doors and windows, its set back double door entrance, the small brick step which you had to surmount to reach the doors, the gilded hand painted wording in the front window, the small standing blackboard advertising each week's specials, and the small bench out front. It was not only charming, it was inviting.
Why it had not caught my eye before was a bit of a mystery. Maybe it had caught my eye this time because I had been thinking of my wife, and wanted to do something nice for her, just one of those little things, plain and simple, we sometimes do to let each other know we think of one another often, and that we can enjoy together with one another and our children. Sometimes I buy bread she likes at a Jewish bakery in Williamsburg Brooklyn; or buy tarts at a certain German bakery in Ridgewood , Brooklyn; or I shop for wurst and cold cuts at a certain great German butcher shop in Ridgewood (where they have their own smokehouse). Maybe that day, because I was thinking of my wife, I figured I would try picking out some good coffee for us to enjoy together. Then again, maybe it was just that the warm, inviting look of that old fashioned storefront called out to some part of me from years ago, and I could not resist the nostalgic Siren's song; but whatever its allure, after I had seen that storefront what could I do but go inside.
As I entered the store, the first thing to strike me was the wonderful aroma of coffee. Sure I was taking in a lot of things by way of my other senses, but my sense of smell was sent to a heavenly high as soon as I got my first whiff. Then I glanced around to see, among other things, numerous huge open bags of coffees for sale, each with a small sign sticking out the top displaying the type of coffee, and price, in its respective burlap bag. There must have been at least 30 or 40 such bags of coffee beans, maybe a bit more. There was a quaint old fashioned counter to the right of the entry, the coffee bean bags were also on the right side of the store further back than the counter. To the left were al sorts of coffee makers, tea pots, cups, teas and other things for sale, many set on old fashioned wooden shelves, others on free standing displays, all with a center aisle for the customers.
The place was not jammed packed with customers, but while I was there it had a steady flow of customers coming in and out. Most already seemed to know what they wanted and did not need to look around. As for me, I was looking at the contents of each burlap bag, and leaning over some of them a bit to sniff their contents (no touching the beans allowed). I don't recall exactly which two or three coffees I decided upon that day, but am sure at least one was a French roast, black as midnight, and strong as Heracles. The other was a nice medium looking brown bean that I was sure my wife and daughter would prefer over the French Roast. I was not all that sure about my son, as it turns out, he likes them all.
I think that I got our favorites that very first time, but if not then I found them by my second visit there ultimately deciding that the French Sumatran and the Tanzanian Peaberry were out of this world. Of course, I have purchased quite a few other coffees in the year or so that I have been shopping there. There are coffees from the world over, from places such as Costa Rica, Hawaii, Jamaica, Tanzania, Sumatra, Colombia, Mexico to name a few. Some we have tried included the Hawaiian Kona at about $24.00 per pound it was the most expensive that I have bought. It was, in my opinion good, not worth the high price. They have another very expensive one, Jamaican Blue Mountain or something like that at about $49.00 per pound - it is a bit too expensive for me to even try a pound - though maybe a quarter pound someday. Others I remember as being very good were from Costa Rica, Mexico, and Colombia. I try to get something in both a French roast and a milder regular roast each time I shop there. I have also bought one or two blends such as a shop regular called Auggie's Blend, mmmm good. I have enjoyed almost all of them. There is something wonderful about freshly ground good coffee, and I am not a daily coffee drinker, although I do enjoy it immensely when I have a good cup or two. My wife, daughter and son really like the Tanzanian Peaberry (or Peabody as I mistakenly called it for at least three or four purchases until one of the clerks told me she remembered me because of how I said it). They also liked the Costa Rican regular roast too. Linda also enjoyed the Hawaiian, as did my Celina and Brendan, but Linda also thought it was not worth the higher price. The other regularly priced coffees were either better, or just as good. Tastes differ though, so maybe you would like the Hawaiian more than we did.
As to the prices, well let me just say that I think they are a bargain, at least for New York City anyway. I live on Long Island, about 24 miles or so from this shop, and my local grocery store sells freshly ground coffee, that I have to grind self service, for the same price or higher than most of the regularly priced coffees at The Porto Rico Importing Company! Many of there coffees go for about $6.99 to $7.99 per pound. Each week the shop also has specials such as a house roast, or a Colombian sometimes for as low as $3.99 per pound. There is a different choice or three each week on the for sale coffees. They also sell organically grown coffees at a slightly higher price than those grown by more conventional methods; maybe a dollar per pound higher. In addition they also have a good sized selection of flavored coffees, but I usually avoid them. As for me I am a bit of a purist when it comes to coffee, I like it hot, black and nasty (very strong and tasty); of course my family likes some of the flavored ones, so maybe next time I’ll pick out a hazelnut or Vanilla flavored one for them. In addition they have a good assortment of sweets (most coffee flavored I think) for those of you with a sweet tooth. I was there just yesterday and I picked up our two favorites along with a third one to try. That one is called Guatemalan Margogipe.
The shop has a wonderful staff of store clerks to help out the customer. They will explain the nature of the various coffees, make sure you have it ground to the correct size for your coffee maker and filter type, and just be totally pleasant throughout the whole process.
They have been in business since 1907, and I certainly understand why. So if you are ever by chance in this area, and are a coffee lover, a tea lover, or just like the smell of coffe and the allure of an old fashioned store with very polite clerks, then don’t miss this place!
All the best,
Glenn B
Edited to Add: I just saw that they have their own web site, and at least two other stores. They offer internet oredring and delivery too. Go to http://portorico.com/ if interested.
One of those surprises, at least for me, was a coffee shop. Not a dinner, or a cafe where you sit down and drink coffee, but rather a place in the business of selling coffee and tea. I found the coffee shop in Greenwich Village (New York City) quite by accidental chance. I was at a favorite restaurant of mine, a sort of hole in the wall place on MacDougal Street called Yatagan's, that by the way makes a Gyro for which to kill (I will not say to die for because if I died trying to get it I would not enjoy it as much). I went back to my car, on Bleecker Street, and the old fashioned store front of The Porto Rico Importing Company caught my eye. It was somewhat from another time, maybe back in the 60's when storefronts still had a certain warm charm to them instead of the flat fronted stores of today with their stark cold metal window and door frames. This place had a certain charm to it, what with its red awning, wooden framed doors and windows, its set back double door entrance, the small brick step which you had to surmount to reach the doors, the gilded hand painted wording in the front window, the small standing blackboard advertising each week's specials, and the small bench out front. It was not only charming, it was inviting.
Why it had not caught my eye before was a bit of a mystery. Maybe it had caught my eye this time because I had been thinking of my wife, and wanted to do something nice for her, just one of those little things, plain and simple, we sometimes do to let each other know we think of one another often, and that we can enjoy together with one another and our children. Sometimes I buy bread she likes at a Jewish bakery in Williamsburg Brooklyn; or buy tarts at a certain German bakery in Ridgewood , Brooklyn; or I shop for wurst and cold cuts at a certain great German butcher shop in Ridgewood (where they have their own smokehouse). Maybe that day, because I was thinking of my wife, I figured I would try picking out some good coffee for us to enjoy together. Then again, maybe it was just that the warm, inviting look of that old fashioned storefront called out to some part of me from years ago, and I could not resist the nostalgic Siren's song; but whatever its allure, after I had seen that storefront what could I do but go inside.
As I entered the store, the first thing to strike me was the wonderful aroma of coffee. Sure I was taking in a lot of things by way of my other senses, but my sense of smell was sent to a heavenly high as soon as I got my first whiff. Then I glanced around to see, among other things, numerous huge open bags of coffees for sale, each with a small sign sticking out the top displaying the type of coffee, and price, in its respective burlap bag. There must have been at least 30 or 40 such bags of coffee beans, maybe a bit more. There was a quaint old fashioned counter to the right of the entry, the coffee bean bags were also on the right side of the store further back than the counter. To the left were al sorts of coffee makers, tea pots, cups, teas and other things for sale, many set on old fashioned wooden shelves, others on free standing displays, all with a center aisle for the customers.
The place was not jammed packed with customers, but while I was there it had a steady flow of customers coming in and out. Most already seemed to know what they wanted and did not need to look around. As for me, I was looking at the contents of each burlap bag, and leaning over some of them a bit to sniff their contents (no touching the beans allowed). I don't recall exactly which two or three coffees I decided upon that day, but am sure at least one was a French roast, black as midnight, and strong as Heracles. The other was a nice medium looking brown bean that I was sure my wife and daughter would prefer over the French Roast. I was not all that sure about my son, as it turns out, he likes them all.
I think that I got our favorites that very first time, but if not then I found them by my second visit there ultimately deciding that the French Sumatran and the Tanzanian Peaberry were out of this world. Of course, I have purchased quite a few other coffees in the year or so that I have been shopping there. There are coffees from the world over, from places such as Costa Rica, Hawaii, Jamaica, Tanzania, Sumatra, Colombia, Mexico to name a few. Some we have tried included the Hawaiian Kona at about $24.00 per pound it was the most expensive that I have bought. It was, in my opinion good, not worth the high price. They have another very expensive one, Jamaican Blue Mountain or something like that at about $49.00 per pound - it is a bit too expensive for me to even try a pound - though maybe a quarter pound someday. Others I remember as being very good were from Costa Rica, Mexico, and Colombia. I try to get something in both a French roast and a milder regular roast each time I shop there. I have also bought one or two blends such as a shop regular called Auggie's Blend, mmmm good. I have enjoyed almost all of them. There is something wonderful about freshly ground good coffee, and I am not a daily coffee drinker, although I do enjoy it immensely when I have a good cup or two. My wife, daughter and son really like the Tanzanian Peaberry (or Peabody as I mistakenly called it for at least three or four purchases until one of the clerks told me she remembered me because of how I said it). They also liked the Costa Rican regular roast too. Linda also enjoyed the Hawaiian, as did my Celina and Brendan, but Linda also thought it was not worth the higher price. The other regularly priced coffees were either better, or just as good. Tastes differ though, so maybe you would like the Hawaiian more than we did.
As to the prices, well let me just say that I think they are a bargain, at least for New York City anyway. I live on Long Island, about 24 miles or so from this shop, and my local grocery store sells freshly ground coffee, that I have to grind self service, for the same price or higher than most of the regularly priced coffees at The Porto Rico Importing Company! Many of there coffees go for about $6.99 to $7.99 per pound. Each week the shop also has specials such as a house roast, or a Colombian sometimes for as low as $3.99 per pound. There is a different choice or three each week on the for sale coffees. They also sell organically grown coffees at a slightly higher price than those grown by more conventional methods; maybe a dollar per pound higher. In addition they also have a good sized selection of flavored coffees, but I usually avoid them. As for me I am a bit of a purist when it comes to coffee, I like it hot, black and nasty (very strong and tasty); of course my family likes some of the flavored ones, so maybe next time I’ll pick out a hazelnut or Vanilla flavored one for them. In addition they have a good assortment of sweets (most coffee flavored I think) for those of you with a sweet tooth. I was there just yesterday and I picked up our two favorites along with a third one to try. That one is called Guatemalan Margogipe.
The shop has a wonderful staff of store clerks to help out the customer. They will explain the nature of the various coffees, make sure you have it ground to the correct size for your coffee maker and filter type, and just be totally pleasant throughout the whole process.
They have been in business since 1907, and I certainly understand why. So if you are ever by chance in this area, and are a coffee lover, a tea lover, or just like the smell of coffe and the allure of an old fashioned store with very polite clerks, then don’t miss this place!
All the best,
Glenn B
Edited to Add: I just saw that they have their own web site, and at least two other stores. They offer internet oredring and delivery too. Go to http://portorico.com/ if interested.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Post Thanksgiving Weekend Report
I hope you all had a very excellent Thanksgiving. Mine was very nice indeed. On Thanksgiving morning I got up early for me, and I baked an apple pie. Baking is something I am fairly good at yet which I had not done for years until this past Thursday.
After that I got our hunting gear ready for our anticipated hunting trip set for Friday. Brendan would go along with me this year on his first deer hunt. This took most of the morning and some of the early afternoon.
Then it was off to the mother-in-law's place for dinner. We got there a bit before 3. After the usual amenities, I got to carving the Tur-Duck-En. What a treat for Thanksgiving. A turkey, stuffed with a duck that was stuffed with a chicken; all previously boned. The insides are crammed full of a wonderfully spicy stuffing. My brother-in-law Alex drove down to Texas recently to visit someone, then went to Louisiana to pick up this delight of the American culinary art. It makes my mouth water thinking of it. Absolutely delicious. We also had a nice baked ham, yams, two kinds of German dumplings, some veggies and so on. Dessert consisted of a bunch of things that I skipped. My apple pie, even though it had been meant for our breakfast at home, wound up tagging along with us to Oma's apartment, and it was one heck of a hit.
Once we got home, I put some finishing touches on the hunting gear and hit the hay early. At 0200, I was up and at em. Of course, Brendan would not wake up. I could not blame him after the feast of Thanksgiving, and because of the fact we had made a detour to my brother-in-law Han's house on our way home. We were there well over an hour, and the later than usual dinner, along with this, got us home close to 2100.
It took several tries to get Brendan up and at em, but I finally succeeded. We were off by about 0430, way to late. Oh well. We packed the car, and were off in no time. It was smooth sailing up the Taconic Parkway, although we did hear on a traffic report that the roads to the shopping centers, malls, and outlet stores were jammed already. Black Friday, the worst shopping nightmare I can imagine.
We got to the hunting spot at about 0615. We geared up, and that included brendan putting on his brand new hunting coat in blaze camo. Linda (she who must be obeyed) and I had given it to him as an early birthday present on Thanksgiving. I figured he had better be safe than wait to get his birthday gift on his birthday in December.
We were off to a previously selected spot in the hills in almost no time once we had parked and hopped out of the car. Day one was pretty interesting but no deer. Brendan did learn a lot though about: getting up early enough, deer sign, selection of stand, still hunting, rubs, scrapes, deer trails and choke points, and so on. We saw a few squirrels that all went unmolested. All in all it was a good day. I was very happy indeed that my boy had shown some responsibility at home before we left when he made lunches for both of us. A good sign for future hunts. He made 6 of the best tasting sandwiches I have ever eaten.
That night we headed to a Holiday Inn Express in Poughkeepsie, NY, about 30 miles from out hunting spot. I was not in the mood to camp out overnight, although the weather would have been okay for it, the weather was also great for ticks and the area was loaded with them. As it was I had a free night coming to me at the hotel, so the allure of that could not be beat. We wound up spending a comfortable night in warm beds at a nice motel. The next morning we were up at about 0400, I was anyhow. I woke Brendan up at 0430. We got to the hunting grounds a bit late again, but it was barely getting light, so it was much earlier and better than the day before. Brendan helped me offload our gear, made sure we had the two remaining sandwiches and some other food, and we were off up the hill again.
We went to a spot we had discovered only the day before. It was a choke point where several deer trails met near a saddle between two hills. Yep, the deer crossed through that saddle to get to the other side of the hills from all the evidence I could see. There were also about a dozen rubs all within about 25 yards of one another, and there were two active scrapes. There were either a lot of bucks passing through or one big angry king of em all.
We set up as quietly as possible and waited. We were there almost the whole day, except for a few trips I made to try to spook something up for Brendan. While I would not have minded getting a shot myself, I wanted him to bag his first deer on is first deer hunt if possible. One time, after Brendan complained of being cold, and stiff from sitting, and just standing in one spot, I had him walk to the car to grab the rattling antlers I had forgotten that morning. He came back wearing my insulated overalls that he had declined that morning. It was not cold, just chilly, but he was not used to it, so all the better for him that he used his gray cells and grabbed the warm stuff.
I tried rattling several times to no avail. That was unusual for me. I have often rattled in bucks and does. Many times I have seen them and either not been able to get a shot, or not seen them but heard them around me; other times I have taken my deer because of rattling. Nothing was nothing, and it was disheartening. I tried to spook something up one last time, again with no good effect.
Then I asked Brendan to make a decision. Walk down the hill to look at another spot I had found or stay put. It was about 12:30. He decided to check the other spot. Once there we found it to be promising, a clearing with short sweet looking grass, lots of deer trails, and some good lay down places for them. Yet he wanted to return to the other spot, so I said okay, go ahead. I waited back and told him in one hour I would try to flush something toward him.
After waiting as planned, I started walking back toward Brendan's spot at about 1:15. Almost immediately, near my original hunting spot from opening day of a week before (when I went hunting solo) I spotted 5 deer moving past me at about 20 yards distance in very heavy brush. All I had was a 9mm pistol, s I decided to not even attempt a shot. They had been trotting, not running fast, and I am not sure that I spooked them or that they even realized I was there. I waited about 15 minutes, and I tried to circle around where I thought they had headed in the hope of getting them to go toward Brendan. No luck, and of course when I first saw them, they were going in the exact opposite direction of Brendan's stand. It is possible he spooked them while returning to his stand, or that two other hunters somewhat near him did likewise. I'll never know.
I slowly, but somewhat noisily made my way up to Brendan's spot. I saw nothing, and he saw nothing. Well he saw nothing of deer anyhow. He continued to see squirrels, gray ones, red ones, and black ones, and maybe some Chipmunks too. We had started to see these once it had gotten fairly light out that morning, all around our stand, from about 15 minutes before sunrise. There must have been hundreds of them, mostly Red Squirrels, but a fair number of Gray Squirrels - and their season had opened in September. The woods were loaded with acorns, and they were making the best of it. In addition Brendan also saw a vole or some other small creature right next to him. He got a kick out of watching that little fur ball as it went about its business. He also saw lots of birds like woodpeckers, and a hawk. What he did not see though, as I said, were any deer. Still I knew he was on his stand as he should be, otherwise he would never have seen all those squirrels, the birds, and that little fuzzy vole scampering about the woods al within virtual spitting, or at least rock throwing, distance.
At about 3:00PM, we both head3ed down the hill and set up near the spot I had hunted a week before, and where I had just seen those 5 deer. It was worth the chance to move, but again we struck out. The deer were heavily hunted at this place, being it was a tract of state forest, and with the number of hunters in NYS. Still though Brendan learned a lot about hunting. Its anticipation, its frustration, and the joy of the hunt even if you do not bag your game. As a matter of fact he told me he didn't care if he had gotten a deer or not. I knew he did care, so I asked what he meant. He said he had a great time even though he hadn't gotten a shot or even seen a deer. That made me proud as any dad could be because I knew, at least with regard to the hunt, that he had learned well.
So far his tally on hunts is one black bear on his first big game hunt, and one squirrel on his second small game hunt. We may try deer again next Saturday, but if we do, I am also bringing along my .22 magnum for those little gray ghosts. Whatever we go for, whether we take game or not, I am certain he will enjoy it, and I will most definitely enjoy the company of the best hunting buddy ever.
Oh yeah, we got home on Saturday night, and I immediately did half of our laundry. This keeps the wife rather happy. The remainder I did the next morning. Then I was off to the New York Metro reptile Expo in White Plains, NY where I helped man the Long island herpetological Society's table. We adopted out several turtles, and one snake that people had given over to us for various reasons. We also gave out lots of info to those who needed to know about reptile or amphibian care. By we, I mean me and some other members of the LIHS other than Brendan. He was stuck at work or so I thought (he actually called in sick too tired from his two days of hunting); and I don't blame him somewhat – though I would have much preferred him to have gone to work - but that is another matter. At the show I was lucky enough to pick up a nice California Kingsnake (50/50 Desert Phase, for those in the know). It sort of has a pattern that resembles stacked over stuffed Oreo cookies. I had another great day.
All in all my weekend was a great one. Hope yours was likewise.
All the best,
Glenn B
After that I got our hunting gear ready for our anticipated hunting trip set for Friday. Brendan would go along with me this year on his first deer hunt. This took most of the morning and some of the early afternoon.
Then it was off to the mother-in-law's place for dinner. We got there a bit before 3. After the usual amenities, I got to carving the Tur-Duck-En. What a treat for Thanksgiving. A turkey, stuffed with a duck that was stuffed with a chicken; all previously boned. The insides are crammed full of a wonderfully spicy stuffing. My brother-in-law Alex drove down to Texas recently to visit someone, then went to Louisiana to pick up this delight of the American culinary art. It makes my mouth water thinking of it. Absolutely delicious. We also had a nice baked ham, yams, two kinds of German dumplings, some veggies and so on. Dessert consisted of a bunch of things that I skipped. My apple pie, even though it had been meant for our breakfast at home, wound up tagging along with us to Oma's apartment, and it was one heck of a hit.
Once we got home, I put some finishing touches on the hunting gear and hit the hay early. At 0200, I was up and at em. Of course, Brendan would not wake up. I could not blame him after the feast of Thanksgiving, and because of the fact we had made a detour to my brother-in-law Han's house on our way home. We were there well over an hour, and the later than usual dinner, along with this, got us home close to 2100.
It took several tries to get Brendan up and at em, but I finally succeeded. We were off by about 0430, way to late. Oh well. We packed the car, and were off in no time. It was smooth sailing up the Taconic Parkway, although we did hear on a traffic report that the roads to the shopping centers, malls, and outlet stores were jammed already. Black Friday, the worst shopping nightmare I can imagine.
We got to the hunting spot at about 0615. We geared up, and that included brendan putting on his brand new hunting coat in blaze camo. Linda (she who must be obeyed) and I had given it to him as an early birthday present on Thanksgiving. I figured he had better be safe than wait to get his birthday gift on his birthday in December.
We were off to a previously selected spot in the hills in almost no time once we had parked and hopped out of the car. Day one was pretty interesting but no deer. Brendan did learn a lot though about: getting up early enough, deer sign, selection of stand, still hunting, rubs, scrapes, deer trails and choke points, and so on. We saw a few squirrels that all went unmolested. All in all it was a good day. I was very happy indeed that my boy had shown some responsibility at home before we left when he made lunches for both of us. A good sign for future hunts. He made 6 of the best tasting sandwiches I have ever eaten.
That night we headed to a Holiday Inn Express in Poughkeepsie, NY, about 30 miles from out hunting spot. I was not in the mood to camp out overnight, although the weather would have been okay for it, the weather was also great for ticks and the area was loaded with them. As it was I had a free night coming to me at the hotel, so the allure of that could not be beat. We wound up spending a comfortable night in warm beds at a nice motel. The next morning we were up at about 0400, I was anyhow. I woke Brendan up at 0430. We got to the hunting grounds a bit late again, but it was barely getting light, so it was much earlier and better than the day before. Brendan helped me offload our gear, made sure we had the two remaining sandwiches and some other food, and we were off up the hill again.
We went to a spot we had discovered only the day before. It was a choke point where several deer trails met near a saddle between two hills. Yep, the deer crossed through that saddle to get to the other side of the hills from all the evidence I could see. There were also about a dozen rubs all within about 25 yards of one another, and there were two active scrapes. There were either a lot of bucks passing through or one big angry king of em all.
We set up as quietly as possible and waited. We were there almost the whole day, except for a few trips I made to try to spook something up for Brendan. While I would not have minded getting a shot myself, I wanted him to bag his first deer on is first deer hunt if possible. One time, after Brendan complained of being cold, and stiff from sitting, and just standing in one spot, I had him walk to the car to grab the rattling antlers I had forgotten that morning. He came back wearing my insulated overalls that he had declined that morning. It was not cold, just chilly, but he was not used to it, so all the better for him that he used his gray cells and grabbed the warm stuff.
I tried rattling several times to no avail. That was unusual for me. I have often rattled in bucks and does. Many times I have seen them and either not been able to get a shot, or not seen them but heard them around me; other times I have taken my deer because of rattling. Nothing was nothing, and it was disheartening. I tried to spook something up one last time, again with no good effect.
Then I asked Brendan to make a decision. Walk down the hill to look at another spot I had found or stay put. It was about 12:30. He decided to check the other spot. Once there we found it to be promising, a clearing with short sweet looking grass, lots of deer trails, and some good lay down places for them. Yet he wanted to return to the other spot, so I said okay, go ahead. I waited back and told him in one hour I would try to flush something toward him.
After waiting as planned, I started walking back toward Brendan's spot at about 1:15. Almost immediately, near my original hunting spot from opening day of a week before (when I went hunting solo) I spotted 5 deer moving past me at about 20 yards distance in very heavy brush. All I had was a 9mm pistol, s I decided to not even attempt a shot. They had been trotting, not running fast, and I am not sure that I spooked them or that they even realized I was there. I waited about 15 minutes, and I tried to circle around where I thought they had headed in the hope of getting them to go toward Brendan. No luck, and of course when I first saw them, they were going in the exact opposite direction of Brendan's stand. It is possible he spooked them while returning to his stand, or that two other hunters somewhat near him did likewise. I'll never know.
I slowly, but somewhat noisily made my way up to Brendan's spot. I saw nothing, and he saw nothing. Well he saw nothing of deer anyhow. He continued to see squirrels, gray ones, red ones, and black ones, and maybe some Chipmunks too. We had started to see these once it had gotten fairly light out that morning, all around our stand, from about 15 minutes before sunrise. There must have been hundreds of them, mostly Red Squirrels, but a fair number of Gray Squirrels - and their season had opened in September. The woods were loaded with acorns, and they were making the best of it. In addition Brendan also saw a vole or some other small creature right next to him. He got a kick out of watching that little fur ball as it went about its business. He also saw lots of birds like woodpeckers, and a hawk. What he did not see though, as I said, were any deer. Still I knew he was on his stand as he should be, otherwise he would never have seen all those squirrels, the birds, and that little fuzzy vole scampering about the woods al within virtual spitting, or at least rock throwing, distance.
At about 3:00PM, we both head3ed down the hill and set up near the spot I had hunted a week before, and where I had just seen those 5 deer. It was worth the chance to move, but again we struck out. The deer were heavily hunted at this place, being it was a tract of state forest, and with the number of hunters in NYS. Still though Brendan learned a lot about hunting. Its anticipation, its frustration, and the joy of the hunt even if you do not bag your game. As a matter of fact he told me he didn't care if he had gotten a deer or not. I knew he did care, so I asked what he meant. He said he had a great time even though he hadn't gotten a shot or even seen a deer. That made me proud as any dad could be because I knew, at least with regard to the hunt, that he had learned well.
So far his tally on hunts is one black bear on his first big game hunt, and one squirrel on his second small game hunt. We may try deer again next Saturday, but if we do, I am also bringing along my .22 magnum for those little gray ghosts. Whatever we go for, whether we take game or not, I am certain he will enjoy it, and I will most definitely enjoy the company of the best hunting buddy ever.
Oh yeah, we got home on Saturday night, and I immediately did half of our laundry. This keeps the wife rather happy. The remainder I did the next morning. Then I was off to the New York Metro reptile Expo in White Plains, NY where I helped man the Long island herpetological Society's table. We adopted out several turtles, and one snake that people had given over to us for various reasons. We also gave out lots of info to those who needed to know about reptile or amphibian care. By we, I mean me and some other members of the LIHS other than Brendan. He was stuck at work or so I thought (he actually called in sick too tired from his two days of hunting); and I don't blame him somewhat – though I would have much preferred him to have gone to work - but that is another matter. At the show I was lucky enough to pick up a nice California Kingsnake (50/50 Desert Phase, for those in the know). It sort of has a pattern that resembles stacked over stuffed Oreo cookies. I had another great day.
All in all my weekend was a great one. Hope yours was likewise.
All the best,
Glenn B
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Bizarro Airlines are seemingly becoming the norm...
...when it comes to such things as how they try to label threats on their aircraft. You might guess that I am talking about the recent removal of a few male Muslims from a flight in the U.S. because they stood up to pray and disrupted the flight. No, that is not to which I refer; and as a matter of fact, that may have been justified no matter what the basis of their standing if their doing so caused a disturbance in the mind of reasonable folks.
What I am writing about here is another thing altogether. It is a right thing being done in the wrong way for the wrong reasons. The right thing is that the airlines are attempting to protect passengers who are children from harm. The wrong way that it is being done is that the airlines are being discriminatory based upon gender. The wrong reasons it is being done, are probably that the airlines have gone Bizarro in their interpretation of what poses a threat to a child.
If you have no clue yet as to exactly what I am writing about, then see this article: Segregating Children From Men at FoxNews.com. It seems some airlines are asking adult male passengers to change their seats when said male passenger is seated next to a child. Why are they asking? Well it is because the airlines believe that the male passengers are a threat to the children, a danger to them. No other reason, other than the adult being male, is needed for some airlines to ask you to change your seat.
Could you imagine the embarrassment you would suffer if you were on an aircraft, flying along, the fasten seat belt sign goes off, and suddenly the stewardess (no I did not say flight attendant because if they are doing this they are in essence being stewards and stewardesses not attendants) comes over to you, in front of anyone else on the aircraft who can see you, and then asks, then asks more forcefully for you to change seats to protect the welfare of the child next to whom you are seated? This would be okay if there was some justified suspicion that you may have attempted to disturb the child, but this is being done simply because it is a male passenger seated next to the child.
Imagine for a moment that a European American (white) was asked to change his seat in order to protect an African American (black)because the airline believed whites posed a threat to blacks. Imagine that one switched around. The black community would be up in arms. Doubt it, then you are not a realist, not at all. I would not blame them either. So why is this not like the praying in the aisles, because the praying is not normal in the confined spaces of an aircraft when it requires one to stand, chant or pray out loud and bow; that could easily be seen as odd behavior. If a Christian did that in Mecca aboard and aircraft, he would no doubt be arrested.
I digress though, the issue is moving passengers away from children because of the passenger's gender. This is ridiculous. As a point of fact, the article points out that at least one passenger was asked to change his seat in order to protect the children next to whom he was seated. That passenger then had to explain to the arse hat steward(ess) that those same children were his own children. Yes the airlines are living in Bizarro world.
I see a simple solution to this. Any male passenger who is asked to change his seat should tell the airline no. If the airline insists, or goes as far as to remove the passenger from the plane, then that person should sue the airlines. I would, and I am not the suing type. As a matter of fact, a class action lawsuit, brought on the behalf of all male passengers on the airlines using this policy would be a big money maker for the attorneys who brought such to court. Come on you lawyers, don't you already smell the blood in the water.
In addition the passenger asked to give up his or her seat should request that the airline inconvenience the child. Furthermore the passenger should insist that the steward(ess) get on the PA system on the aircraft and state this is airline policy and not anything indicative of any wrong doing by the passenger. This would of course only help to fuel the lawsuit, but so to would not making such an announcement and leaving it to the passengers imaginations. The statement about this policy should be made before anyone is actually asked to change seats, hopefully avoiding the embarrassment that will no doubt accompany such an absurd request; but at least it will be stated as policy beforehand.
There is of course, another way to solve this even if the airlines insist on such a ridiculous policy to 'protect' children. The airline should make certain to seat children only with their parents, or next to women. Hmm, I sure would not want my little boy seated next to one of those hot as all heck school marms who molest little boys, no matter what my 16 year old son thought about it. See how ridiculous this gets. Sure women are sexual predators too, probably in greater numbers than we can imagine.
The truth is the inside of a passenger airplane is a densely populated small space. Steward(esse)s walk the aisles routinely. Other passengers peer about. It is not likely a sexual predator would take action on a flight. No I am not saying it is impossible, of course it is possible, but let's be reasonable here, it is unlikely - and it is even more unlikely that your average male passenger would offend in such a manner. So, as I see it, and as I hope you see it, this policy is just plain foolish, ridiculous, and a product of Bizarro world. Let your airlines know what you think about it.
What I am writing about here is another thing altogether. It is a right thing being done in the wrong way for the wrong reasons. The right thing is that the airlines are attempting to protect passengers who are children from harm. The wrong way that it is being done is that the airlines are being discriminatory based upon gender. The wrong reasons it is being done, are probably that the airlines have gone Bizarro in their interpretation of what poses a threat to a child.
If you have no clue yet as to exactly what I am writing about, then see this article: Segregating Children From Men at FoxNews.com. It seems some airlines are asking adult male passengers to change their seats when said male passenger is seated next to a child. Why are they asking? Well it is because the airlines believe that the male passengers are a threat to the children, a danger to them. No other reason, other than the adult being male, is needed for some airlines to ask you to change your seat.
Could you imagine the embarrassment you would suffer if you were on an aircraft, flying along, the fasten seat belt sign goes off, and suddenly the stewardess (no I did not say flight attendant because if they are doing this they are in essence being stewards and stewardesses not attendants) comes over to you, in front of anyone else on the aircraft who can see you, and then asks, then asks more forcefully for you to change seats to protect the welfare of the child next to whom you are seated? This would be okay if there was some justified suspicion that you may have attempted to disturb the child, but this is being done simply because it is a male passenger seated next to the child.
Imagine for a moment that a European American (white) was asked to change his seat in order to protect an African American (black)because the airline believed whites posed a threat to blacks. Imagine that one switched around. The black community would be up in arms. Doubt it, then you are not a realist, not at all. I would not blame them either. So why is this not like the praying in the aisles, because the praying is not normal in the confined spaces of an aircraft when it requires one to stand, chant or pray out loud and bow; that could easily be seen as odd behavior. If a Christian did that in Mecca aboard and aircraft, he would no doubt be arrested.
I digress though, the issue is moving passengers away from children because of the passenger's gender. This is ridiculous. As a point of fact, the article points out that at least one passenger was asked to change his seat in order to protect the children next to whom he was seated. That passenger then had to explain to the arse hat steward(ess) that those same children were his own children. Yes the airlines are living in Bizarro world.
I see a simple solution to this. Any male passenger who is asked to change his seat should tell the airline no. If the airline insists, or goes as far as to remove the passenger from the plane, then that person should sue the airlines. I would, and I am not the suing type. As a matter of fact, a class action lawsuit, brought on the behalf of all male passengers on the airlines using this policy would be a big money maker for the attorneys who brought such to court. Come on you lawyers, don't you already smell the blood in the water.
In addition the passenger asked to give up his or her seat should request that the airline inconvenience the child. Furthermore the passenger should insist that the steward(ess) get on the PA system on the aircraft and state this is airline policy and not anything indicative of any wrong doing by the passenger. This would of course only help to fuel the lawsuit, but so to would not making such an announcement and leaving it to the passengers imaginations. The statement about this policy should be made before anyone is actually asked to change seats, hopefully avoiding the embarrassment that will no doubt accompany such an absurd request; but at least it will be stated as policy beforehand.
There is of course, another way to solve this even if the airlines insist on such a ridiculous policy to 'protect' children. The airline should make certain to seat children only with their parents, or next to women. Hmm, I sure would not want my little boy seated next to one of those hot as all heck school marms who molest little boys, no matter what my 16 year old son thought about it. See how ridiculous this gets. Sure women are sexual predators too, probably in greater numbers than we can imagine.
The truth is the inside of a passenger airplane is a densely populated small space. Steward(esse)s walk the aisles routinely. Other passengers peer about. It is not likely a sexual predator would take action on a flight. No I am not saying it is impossible, of course it is possible, but let's be reasonable here, it is unlikely - and it is even more unlikely that your average male passenger would offend in such a manner. So, as I see it, and as I hope you see it, this policy is just plain foolish, ridiculous, and a product of Bizarro world. Let your airlines know what you think about it.
Happy Thanksgiving...
...and I mean that with all my heart to each and everyone of you other American Citizens and legal American residents - this is afterall a truly American (as in country not as in continent) holiday that can be celebrated by those Americans of every conceivable background..
Special wishes go out to all of those who proudly serve our nation in the U.S. military, they are very special indeed, and they do us a service that requires thanks every day not just today. I wish you all a peaceful day, and if that comes true, what better thing than for which to give thanks.
Best regards,
Glenn B
Special wishes go out to all of those who proudly serve our nation in the U.S. military, they are very special indeed, and they do us a service that requires thanks every day not just today. I wish you all a peaceful day, and if that comes true, what better thing than for which to give thanks.
Best regards,
Glenn B
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
How will you spend your Thanksgiving?
As for me, I am one of the lucky ones who will be with loved ones on Thanksgiving day if all goes as planned. I will not be in Iraq or Afghanistan, nor will I be at work, nor will I be hospitalized, nor will I be in jail, nor will I be anything but alive and well and enjoying the day. Yes that makes me one of the lucky ones, and I will have a lot for which to give thanks. Of course, being agnostic at best, I am not quite sure whom I need to thank, but even an atheist can give thanks on Thanksgiving. Thanks can be given to those who protect us from harm, especially those now in harm's way. Thanks can be given to mother nature for the bounty she bestows upon us even though we treat her pretty roughly at times. Thanks can be given to the farmer and rancher who supply most of the food we eat. Thanks can be given to our moms and dads for having brought us into this world and for having done their best to bring us up. Thanks can be given to our spouse or other loved ones just for loving us, or in my case just for putting up with me. Thanks can be given to our kids, just for growing up as other than psycho killers, and maybe even for still loving us a bit. Thanks can be given to the policemen and firemen, and ambulance drivers who will save lives tomorrow while the rest of us pig out on dinner with friends and family, all the while as they work on Thanksgiving. Thanks can be given to our priests, preachers, pastors, ministers, rabbis, mullahs, imams, social leaders, civic leaders, politicians, lawmakers and so forth for trying to teach us a moral way of life. Thanks can be given to one another for being good United States Citizens and legal resident and non-resident aliens. Thanks can be given to the Native Americans and to the Pilgrims for starting this wonderful tradition called Thanksgiving. Of course, if you believe in God, as it seems do most folks, then thanks can also be given to God for those things for which we are thankful.
Thanks can also be given to the Turkeys, though they may not understand all that well, since we are about to eat them.
No matter who you are, no mater your religious or nonreligious background, no matter your politics, your culture, your ethnicity, your race, your national heritage, your age, your sex, or whatever - you can enjoy Thanksgiving, and you can celebrate it by giving thanks. It is not a Christian holiday, and this is something people tend to forget. It was a coming together of two different cultures (with vastly different religions) to give thanks for nature's bounty, for survival against the odds, for peace, for good things. It has become a celebration for all of us who are living in the USA. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
All the best,
Glenn B
PS: now back to what I was about to say about how I would spend my day. I'll be at home in the Am. maybe I'll bake an apple pie for the wife if I have the get up and go when I get up in the morning. Then I'll clean my hunting gear in anticipation of my hunt this Friday and Saturday with my son Brendan. It will be his first deer hunt. Then I'll drive the family to my mother-in-law's home for Thanksgiving dinner. Then I am hopeful someone else will rive home, hoping that is I was allowed to have a beer or two. Then some more getting ready for the hunting trip and early to bed with a planned 0200 wake up on Friday morning. Sounds like a good day to me if all goes as planned. I hope all goes well for you too.
Thanks can also be given to the Turkeys, though they may not understand all that well, since we are about to eat them.
No matter who you are, no mater your religious or nonreligious background, no matter your politics, your culture, your ethnicity, your race, your national heritage, your age, your sex, or whatever - you can enjoy Thanksgiving, and you can celebrate it by giving thanks. It is not a Christian holiday, and this is something people tend to forget. It was a coming together of two different cultures (with vastly different religions) to give thanks for nature's bounty, for survival against the odds, for peace, for good things. It has become a celebration for all of us who are living in the USA. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
All the best,
Glenn B
PS: now back to what I was about to say about how I would spend my day. I'll be at home in the Am. maybe I'll bake an apple pie for the wife if I have the get up and go when I get up in the morning. Then I'll clean my hunting gear in anticipation of my hunt this Friday and Saturday with my son Brendan. It will be his first deer hunt. Then I'll drive the family to my mother-in-law's home for Thanksgiving dinner. Then I am hopeful someone else will rive home, hoping that is I was allowed to have a beer or two. Then some more getting ready for the hunting trip and early to bed with a planned 0200 wake up on Friday morning. Sounds like a good day to me if all goes as planned. I hope all goes well for you too.
It was 43 years ago today...
... that the conspiracy theorists began to play, they have been going in and out of their minds, but I think they just need a kick in their behinds. JFK is dead, it seems apparent, unless there is some super seKrit basement, in which super seKrit documents and evidence are kept, that we will never know with absolute certainty whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he squeezed (note I did not say pulled if only because with shots like that I am sure he squeezed) the trigger and brought John Fitzgerald Kennedy's life to an end.
While I think remembrance of JFK is in order, and it sure seems not much of that is being done by our politicians, news media, or people in general - I also think it is ridiculous to keep going with all the conspiracy and solo shooter theories unless something, some evidence, some hard cold fact, come to light of which we were not previously aware. Until that time folks, give it a break, and remember President Kennedy for whom he was and what he did. As I think of his politics and policies, I will change what I had written here minutes ago (only so as not to have anyone mistakenly think I am being disrespectful), to just say I disagreed with most of them. Regardless of my beliefs about him and his politics, he was our president, he was our commander and chief, he was the leader of our nation during trying times in the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and other things; and he was assassinated while doing his job as our leader. I respect his memory even though I disagreed with much of what he did and stood for; but yes I did respect him and still respect his memory. Remember him with respect whether or not you agreed with his politics, he was our president, and he deserves our respect for that alone.
Best regards,
Glenn B
While I think remembrance of JFK is in order, and it sure seems not much of that is being done by our politicians, news media, or people in general - I also think it is ridiculous to keep going with all the conspiracy and solo shooter theories unless something, some evidence, some hard cold fact, come to light of which we were not previously aware. Until that time folks, give it a break, and remember President Kennedy for whom he was and what he did. As I think of his politics and policies, I will change what I had written here minutes ago (only so as not to have anyone mistakenly think I am being disrespectful), to just say I disagreed with most of them. Regardless of my beliefs about him and his politics, he was our president, he was our commander and chief, he was the leader of our nation during trying times in the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and other things; and he was assassinated while doing his job as our leader. I respect his memory even though I disagreed with much of what he did and stood for; but yes I did respect him and still respect his memory. Remember him with respect whether or not you agreed with his politics, he was our president, and he deserves our respect for that alone.
Best regards,
Glenn B
At 92 she either was a terrible criminal or just a woman defending herself...
...when the police, armed with a search warrant and their weapons came into her home in force. This woman grabed a gun and started shooting, or so goes the story Cops Shoot, Kill 92-Year-Old Woman After She Opens Fire on Them at FoxNews.com.
I will not pass judgement on either the police or the woman yet, if only because there is not enough information out there about this.
I do note that according to the police: they had gone to the house and bought illegal narcotics from a male inside said house. They then got the warrant and went in announced, and the woman shot a few of them before they killed her.
Of course there is another side to the story and some relatives, neighbors and friends say this must have been a mistake because there never were drugs in said house.
If the police got the wrong house, then the killing of this woman, and the wounding of the officers, was a terrible mistake and tragedy. If however, the police had the right house, and drugs had been siold out of it, that is another story altogether. Of course it does not mean the 92 year old had knowledge of the drug sales (though it would tend to lean that way), but it tends to exonerate the police officers of any wrong doing. I guess time will tell.
Hopefully, for the cops involved, the police got the right house, they did the entry correctly, this woman was somehow involved in the drug sales, therefore making her a dirtbag, and therefore it is good riddance, and it is also something to help the officers not feel as guilty as they will feel regardless of whether or not they should feel guilty. That guilt is just a normal thing, even when someone with rock solid justification kills someone else. Well it is normal if you have decent morals and a conscience anyhow.
If not, if the police got it wrong by going to the wrong house, or if they later show this woman had no knowledge of the drugs, or that the police did a bad entry, then it is a crying shame, and my heart felt condolences go out to the family of the woman who was shot.
All the best,
Glenn B
I will not pass judgement on either the police or the woman yet, if only because there is not enough information out there about this.
I do note that according to the police: they had gone to the house and bought illegal narcotics from a male inside said house. They then got the warrant and went in announced, and the woman shot a few of them before they killed her.
Of course there is another side to the story and some relatives, neighbors and friends say this must have been a mistake because there never were drugs in said house.
If the police got the wrong house, then the killing of this woman, and the wounding of the officers, was a terrible mistake and tragedy. If however, the police had the right house, and drugs had been siold out of it, that is another story altogether. Of course it does not mean the 92 year old had knowledge of the drug sales (though it would tend to lean that way), but it tends to exonerate the police officers of any wrong doing. I guess time will tell.
Hopefully, for the cops involved, the police got the right house, they did the entry correctly, this woman was somehow involved in the drug sales, therefore making her a dirtbag, and therefore it is good riddance, and it is also something to help the officers not feel as guilty as they will feel regardless of whether or not they should feel guilty. That guilt is just a normal thing, even when someone with rock solid justification kills someone else. Well it is normal if you have decent morals and a conscience anyhow.
If not, if the police got it wrong by going to the wrong house, or if they later show this woman had no knowledge of the drugs, or that the police did a bad entry, then it is a crying shame, and my heart felt condolences go out to the family of the woman who was shot.
All the best,
Glenn B
Kind of a crazy week for me...
...so far; so I can only hope it gets a little better over the next few remaining days. Of course with tomorrow being Thanksgiving, it promises to be much better indeed.
On Monday, I had Verizon in my home from about 1030AM until about 6PM, installing my Verizon FIOS Internet, television service, and phone lines. The installer was very personable, did his work neatly, and kept at it all day without a lunch break. I guess he did a fair to good job except for the fact that the Internet service was not working at all well once he left, and all of a sudden there was a virus on my PC.
That got me pretty po'd, and I was on the phone most of that night - on hold, and the next day - also on hold, with Verizon types to try to get the problem solved, then in anger to have them shut off my service and get my old service back. I got either hung up on or cut off so many times I lost count, and that was when I was not even angry yet, so I was talking nicely to them, at least until yesterday morning.
As it turned out, someone caled me yesterday afternoon and I got back to their tech service folks, and the guy I spoke to actually knew how to solve the problems I was encountering. I can only hope the expeience gets better since I decided to keep them; after all I had already had all my other service providers disconnect their services to me. Time will tell.
All that did not leave me much time to blog, in fact it left none. Oh well, I have some time now so let me get to looking for some good topics to rant on about. See the next blog that I post for more...
All the best,
Glenn B
On Monday, I had Verizon in my home from about 1030AM until about 6PM, installing my Verizon FIOS Internet, television service, and phone lines. The installer was very personable, did his work neatly, and kept at it all day without a lunch break. I guess he did a fair to good job except for the fact that the Internet service was not working at all well once he left, and all of a sudden there was a virus on my PC.
That got me pretty po'd, and I was on the phone most of that night - on hold, and the next day - also on hold, with Verizon types to try to get the problem solved, then in anger to have them shut off my service and get my old service back. I got either hung up on or cut off so many times I lost count, and that was when I was not even angry yet, so I was talking nicely to them, at least until yesterday morning.
As it turned out, someone caled me yesterday afternoon and I got back to their tech service folks, and the guy I spoke to actually knew how to solve the problems I was encountering. I can only hope the expeience gets better since I decided to keep them; after all I had already had all my other service providers disconnect their services to me. Time will tell.
All that did not leave me much time to blog, in fact it left none. Oh well, I have some time now so let me get to looking for some good topics to rant on about. See the next blog that I post for more...
All the best,
Glenn B
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Openning Day Deer Hunting Report 2006
Usually the ultimate way to tell whether or not a hunting trip was a success is whether or not the hunter(s) bagged their game. For many people getting that critter is the best part of the hunt too, but I have to tell you it’s not how I judge my hunts anymore. Sure I like to go out afield and get what I am after, but lately I have come to realize there are some other things that may be so much more important than bagging a trophy, or dinner, or hopefully both at once. Right off the bat – let me tell you – yes I just went hunting, and no I did not shoot anything. Before some of you start thinking, oh boy here we go with another one of those sad excuses for a hunting story where the hunter is about to make all sorts of excuses as to why he didn’t get anything, well this isn’t going to be that kind of a story. If on the other hand you are thinking, okay then, this will be one of those stories where the hunter tries deflect any look at his hunting prowess, or lack of it, this is not that kind of a story either; you can critisize me all you want - I am not the great white hunter by a longshot.
What this story is though, is one about things on a hunting trip that really can be better than actually bagging the game. You see, eve if I had gotten a deer this opening day, I can assure you there really would have been at least a few things that would have been better than that on this trip, and I am not kidding you either.
This hunting trip started out right. I scouted out a hunting area last year for this year’s trip. Yep, it was just short of a year ago, by about a week, when I found this spot. Lots of deer sign was to be seen. Easy access from the paved roads was available. There were not too many hunters there last year (granted it was at the end of opening day week when I checked it out) There was enough parking. It was far enough from NYC and Albany to promise not to get too congested with hunters, yet it was not to far to drive comfortably from my home on Long Island. No special permits were needed to hunt there, just the regular licenses and such. Since I first went there, I went there again at least a few times to scout deer sign. Last time I was there before this current deer season, I went with my son Brendan. He got to see some scrapes, and rubs, well used deer trails, and other deer sign. He also got to bag his first small game on that trip in the form of a squirrel. He was happy and so was I. He was also ready for his first deer hunt this year and that was good.
I planned out the actual deer trip so that we would leave the day before opening season. I was going to pick Brendan up right after school and head right to the hunting grounds. As it turned out he misunderstood me when I discussed the plans with him. Brendan told me he had thought I did not want to go opening day because this was on state land, and the knucklehead factor is increased drastically on opening day due to all hunters afield. I apparently had not made it clear that I wanted to hunt both opening day with him and the two days after Thanksgiving the next week. My mistake, thinking too much and talking about it too much, so I confused him. One of my problems. Brendan made plans to spend opening day with a fried to celebrate the friend’s birthday. I was pretty down about that, but life goes on, and so did I with my hunting plans.
I planned to go to work that Friday, then drive upstate NY as soon as I left work. I figured I sneak out early for a change, about 2PM. Now some of you know I work for the federal government, and that means your tax dollars pay my salary. I know I am supposed to give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay, and I virtually always do so I figured this once I would do what most of the people in my office do on Fridays – disappear by 2PM. As it turned out I was there till after 5PM working hard. When I left, I was immediately stuck in a traffic jam, and I was getting fired up about that. I have been getting better with my temper though, so as opposed to what I used to do, I decided to stay calm and drove to my favorite pastry shop for a cup of java and a piece of pastry. I drove through the midtown Manhattan traffic up into the 40s when it eased off, and I pretty much sailed to Amsterdam Avenue between 110th and 11th, to the Hungarian pastry shop. This is a sort of Bohemian college hangout. It has had excellent coffee and great baked good each time I have been there. This time was no exception. I had two cups of coffee, refill taste as good as the first (a rare thing) and the refills are free (also rare in some places). The chocolate layer cake I had was scrumptious too. I was living large, and enjoying my self marvelously.
Then it was back into the Ford Taurus, and off to the happy hunting grounds (those in this life). Okay, so my son was not coming along, but at least I had not blown my stack before leaving NYC. There was almost no traffic to speak of on the way upstate. I made good time through the rest of NYC, and through Westchester to the Taconic Parkway. I virtually sailed along once on that road. I got the hunting area, a Multiple Use Area, in the Lafeyetteville State Forest, at about 8:30PM. There was no daylight, as I had originally planned, so no chance of marking my selected spot with orange tape, but I was happy to be there. I was a bit concerned though that there were already three cars parked in two parking areas, each fitting only 3 or 4 cars each. The promise of lots of hunters the opening morning weighed heavily on me, and I almost decided to move to another more isolated area. As it was I drove to the nearest town, Pine Plains, stopped at a tavern, and had a Heineken. I was going to have two or three, then thought, I had better not drive on unfamiliar roads after drinking too many. I stopped at one, figuring one would be enough to help me sleep, and I headed back to the parking area. Yep, you guessed it, I was going to sleep in the Ford. I got there just before 10PM, and I rooted around in my bag getting my gear ready while sitting in the back seat. Hunting clothes I needed got tossed onto the driver’s seat, gear I needed under the back windshield, and stuff I would not need thrown onto the front passenger seat. That done, I got sort of comfortable at about 10PM and hit the hay.
Well hay was not quite the right word for the back seat in a Ford Taurus. I tried to get comfortable, but I guess the combination of being cramped on there, along with two cups of very good but strong coffee just a few hours before meant that one beer I had would not be enough to get rid of the edge. Now don’t get me wrong, I do not usually drink to sleep, I would not think of it except on night like the one in question, especially considering my sleeping arrangements. As it turned out, a six pack would have been in order, too bad I had not thought of buying one and bringing it back to the Ford with me! I most have tossed and turned about a hundred times, and gotten at least a couple of cramps in each leg, before I fell asleep. That had to be at about 1:00. Then at 2:00AM, another vehicle, an SUV, of hunters arrived. These guys kept the car running for over an hour, with the headlights on. After not being able to take much more, I bellowed to shut it down, and was thankful they had heard me through my car’s closed windows; or maybe they just got the idea through divine intervention – whatever, it was back to sleep for me, a fitful sleep of tossing and turning and aching. Ford Taurus back seats were made for a younger crowd than me.
Then I woke up at east two more times to relieve myself. I had forgotten to take my BP med the in the morning, and had taken it just before I tried to fall asleep. It contains a water pill, and it had me going through the night. Oh well, live and learn, but you would have thought that at one plus a half century I would have learned by now. Back to sleep, and the next thing I knew my alarm was going off, it was 0400 (4:00AM), and it was dark and chilly outside the Ford, but not all that much of a chill. I hoped it was cold enough to have the deer up and moving. The thought did occur to me though that there would certainly be enough hunters to move them even if it were none too cold. I was soon ready to go, stripping in my back seat, and putting on my hunting clothing. I was dressed warm enough, but not to heavily to sweat a lot, and I had easily removable layers.
I got out of the car, and saw two other guys already up, these were the ones in this parking spot before I had arrived. The other two guys from the SUV, the ones that got there at 2:00Am, then got up also. We all greeted one another, and everyone was from down in NYC except me from LI. I asked if anyone wanted some fresh bread for breakfast, I had picked up a nice loaf the day before at lunch. Everyone declined, and busied themselves readying for their hunts. After about 15 minutes of chatting one of the guys from the original car offered me some tea. He had a small Sterno stove, and had boiled up a pot of water. He gave me some tea with lemon, sweetened with honey. Now that was one heck of a nice way to start the hunting day. While we drank tea and talked, one of the guys mentioned that since there were so many other hunters around, he was happy it was shotgun only territory. Whoops, I had my Marlin 336 in .35 Remington all ready to hunt. Luckily I also had my Remington 870 as a backup in case something happened to the Marlin. I had hunted just north of here last year, and just north of here is rifle country. I had assumed this was too, shame on me. Lucky for me the other guy had mentioned this, but man would I miss the Marlin with its scope. I am a great shot with the shotgun, but my eyes are not as good as even a couple of years ago, so the scope would have been a plus. Oh well..
Soon we were all off to hunt, everyone heading more or less in the same direction, but I was surprised later on to realize I never saw one of these 4 other hunters all day long. I did see at least another 10 or so hunters, maybe a dozen head off up the hill the same way these guys went. The area was about 720 acres altogether, about half of it on each side of the road where we were parked. My guess was there were also plenty of guys on the other half of it too. I got to my spot, only about 1/6 of a mile, if that much, from the road. I had scouted well. No need to climb a mountain for me. I had a clearing surrounded by medium growth woods with lots of deer trails coming into the clearing. I was ready and any movement by other hunters would likely have deer coming to me. In fact, when still dark, I heard one deer walk by me probably not 25 yards away, it was apparently following a hunter’s steps, probably whatever scent trail he had left. My anticipation of a great hunt was sky high.
I settled into my spot, content despite my horrendous night’s sleep, and despite the fact that Brendan was not beside me. I was wide awake but not from cold, I was ready to hunt. I waited as the hour and a half until legal shooting time (sunrise) was to arrive. More hunters passed me by in the darkness with flashlights. None too close to me, apparently all following a trail to my right, some distance off. Well the sun came up, and I saw nothing but some more hunters. By the time it hit 10Am, I saw about 3 hunters leave the area. A few more had left by 1100AM. None had deer in tow despite many shots I had heard fired since about ten minutes before legal hunting time. Two guys Is aw leaving totally amazed me. One had on all camouflage except for an orange baseball cap. Another had on all camo, absolutely no blaze orange or other bright color, and he carried a brown day pack, deer brown at that. Knucklehead alert indeed. Judging by the shots I had heard, there were other varieties of knuckleheads in the woods too because I had heard as many as nine rapid blasts from apparently the same gun (and legal hunting shotguns can hold only 5 rounds, though I suppose it could have been a semi-auto handgun).
As for me, I was out for the day, no going to my car or to town for lunch, I had all I needed with me; if need be I could live a few days on what I had in my day pack. I heard a couple of deer run through the woods near me, either just before other hunters walked out or right after they walked out, but I was not lucky enough to see the deer to even hope at a shot. Near noon, nature called. I got up and pretty quietly walked to a spot about 300 yards from my stand. I did what I had to do, and as I was headed back to my stand by a slightly different route, I saw an orange jacket spread on the ground. I thought someone must have forgotten it. I walked over to investigate and as I neared I saw a hunter in tree-bark camo sitting against a tree on the opposite side of the tree from my approach. I walked loudly, he did not budge. I coughed loudly, he did not even twitch. I spoke out, “another hunter in the woods” in a booming voice, again nothing. Not until I was next to the tree did he acknowledge me and my approach. We talked a while, and he was pleasant enough. He was hunting with his two sons, and gave me a general idea of where they were; and they were aware of my stand. I left and went back to my stand promising not to shoot anywhere in his direction which was over my right shoulder and up hill about 200 yards from my spot. About 15 minutes later, I thought I heard a deer over my right shoulder. Five minutes more and I heard a loud bang. Not another noise except someone walking in the woods. It was the man to whom I had spoken. Go figure, I do the dirty deed not 40 yards from his stand (for which I apologized to him not realizing he was hidden there in his camo), and he bags a deer. It was a fork horn buck. So much for deer being spooked by human waste odors. Apparently this young buck had been headed right toward my stand. Luckily it did not yet put me in the line of fire when the gentleman took aim and shot. Happily he had used a good deal of sense in picking when to shoot – always a concern on crowded opening day public lands.
I sat at my stand for a coupe hours more, until about 1:30PM. Then I got up, took down my orange marker tape from some trees to use at another spot, and I was about to head off when a fair sized, but small racked, buck went bounding by directly in front of me at a slow trot, through thick undergrowth. I could have shot at it. I do not like running shots, but at about 25 yards, and at its slow trot, I probably could have hit it easily. The thing is the road was not too far behind it, and the parking area was in the same direction that it was moving, not 20 yards to my left. I let it go. All those other hunters who had left the woods were potentially I at that spot. I tried to sit it out and coax it out of the woods with some doe bleats and buck grunts. I heard it in there, it had run only about 15 yards then stopped, but it was still too risky a shot even if I would have gotten a clear view of it. I decided to pass because of the safety issue. At about 2, I headed up the hill to look for another spot. I got to the top, about 900 feet in elevation, and found woods with lots of oaks and lots of acorns on the ground. I found one or two small glades and some deer trails and a couple of rubs; but I saw no deer. I did see a couple of squirrels and a rabbit. I almost stepped on the rabbit. In fact I stopped about three feet short of it, and when I stopped it bolted, until then unseen by me. Sure surprised me, and it was thrill watching it bound off in fear for its life even though I meant it no harm at all, at least not with slugs loaded in my Remington 870 12 gauge. I found a likely looking spot to sit on stand. It was between a couple of rises where the land slopped down from each to my spot, where several deer trails converged. It was sort of a natural funnel that made it easy for the deer to go up or down the hills. There was a small glade at the spot and lots of deer sign like rubs and droppings. I stayed there until ½ hour before legal hunt time ended, then headed to the car with no deer tagged by me. I walked softly as I made my way down just in case I came across any deer. I have still hunted successfully before, for an overweight guy, I can walk through the woods and see a fair share of game, not because I am quiet but because I know how to walk without spooking the animals. It does not always work, but does often enough to allow me to know I can do it. Still I saw nothing but a lot of small birds that flitted all around me, ignoring me as they looked for their next meal. This had gone on all day while I was on my stands, but to be ignored by them as I walked by them, just a few feet away was great, especially since I was wearing a combo blaze orange/camo hunting coat and hat.
I was the first out of the woods back to the parking area of the crew I had met that morning. No other cars were there; though I had seen some from the mountainside earlier when I had seen the buck run by me. I guess those other hunters had left early, maybe with deer like the gentleman I had met in the woods. I wonder if his sons had any luck. In about 15 minutes, the gent who had offered me tea so many hours earlier that morning, and his hunting buddy were back. They had seen two does as they left the woods, that was it. They too had heard the rapid shooting and wondered about who had fired so many times. Our bet was, someone who was a poor shot, as opposed to the guy I heard shoot once and score. The guys from the SUV did not come down, and after a half hour or so of chatting with the other two guys, I decided to leave and head home. I had decided I could not bear another night in the Ford trying to sleep in the back seat. I will admit I had gotten 40 winks on my first stand, but I woke up with a crick in my back and neck. I ached all over from my hike with my pack, not because I could not normally do it, but because I had such a contorted uncomfortable night in the Taurus.
As I drove home I thought of my day. There were a lot of good things that happened this opening day of the deer season, and I had enjoyed an awful lot of them. There were also some things that could have been better, but I would not have missed the day just because I had to go it alone, or because I left late, or because of an uncomfortable night’s sleep, or because it was to warm, or because there were too many hunters around, or because things were just not right to perfection. Sometimes, it is as good as it is going to get and that is just fine even for a complainer like me. Of course, next week will be better, because Brendan will come along. I hope it will be as good as it can get ever, and he and I bag one, but I will gladly settle for his getting one and him skunking me. As a matter of fact, we will have to hunt sort of solo even though we will be together. Remember I had found out this was shotgun only territory; well I have only one shotgun! By the way, it is shotguns only as far as long guns go, handguns are also allowed, but I doubt I’ll hunt deer with one of my 9mm pistols; so while Brendan is hunting with the 870, I will be guiding – nothing more. Still if he bags a deer on his first deer hunt, I will not have needed to put my deer tag on anything to know, that is really as good as it gets. Yes there are a lot of things that can be better than bagging your game; but if I get lucky though, he will get one early, and he will leave his old man some time to hunt too. More on that hunt next week.
All the best,
Glenn B
What this story is though, is one about things on a hunting trip that really can be better than actually bagging the game. You see, eve if I had gotten a deer this opening day, I can assure you there really would have been at least a few things that would have been better than that on this trip, and I am not kidding you either.
This hunting trip started out right. I scouted out a hunting area last year for this year’s trip. Yep, it was just short of a year ago, by about a week, when I found this spot. Lots of deer sign was to be seen. Easy access from the paved roads was available. There were not too many hunters there last year (granted it was at the end of opening day week when I checked it out) There was enough parking. It was far enough from NYC and Albany to promise not to get too congested with hunters, yet it was not to far to drive comfortably from my home on Long Island. No special permits were needed to hunt there, just the regular licenses and such. Since I first went there, I went there again at least a few times to scout deer sign. Last time I was there before this current deer season, I went with my son Brendan. He got to see some scrapes, and rubs, well used deer trails, and other deer sign. He also got to bag his first small game on that trip in the form of a squirrel. He was happy and so was I. He was also ready for his first deer hunt this year and that was good.
I planned out the actual deer trip so that we would leave the day before opening season. I was going to pick Brendan up right after school and head right to the hunting grounds. As it turned out he misunderstood me when I discussed the plans with him. Brendan told me he had thought I did not want to go opening day because this was on state land, and the knucklehead factor is increased drastically on opening day due to all hunters afield. I apparently had not made it clear that I wanted to hunt both opening day with him and the two days after Thanksgiving the next week. My mistake, thinking too much and talking about it too much, so I confused him. One of my problems. Brendan made plans to spend opening day with a fried to celebrate the friend’s birthday. I was pretty down about that, but life goes on, and so did I with my hunting plans.
I planned to go to work that Friday, then drive upstate NY as soon as I left work. I figured I sneak out early for a change, about 2PM. Now some of you know I work for the federal government, and that means your tax dollars pay my salary. I know I am supposed to give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay, and I virtually always do so I figured this once I would do what most of the people in my office do on Fridays – disappear by 2PM. As it turned out I was there till after 5PM working hard. When I left, I was immediately stuck in a traffic jam, and I was getting fired up about that. I have been getting better with my temper though, so as opposed to what I used to do, I decided to stay calm and drove to my favorite pastry shop for a cup of java and a piece of pastry. I drove through the midtown Manhattan traffic up into the 40s when it eased off, and I pretty much sailed to Amsterdam Avenue between 110th and 11th, to the Hungarian pastry shop. This is a sort of Bohemian college hangout. It has had excellent coffee and great baked good each time I have been there. This time was no exception. I had two cups of coffee, refill taste as good as the first (a rare thing) and the refills are free (also rare in some places). The chocolate layer cake I had was scrumptious too. I was living large, and enjoying my self marvelously.
Then it was back into the Ford Taurus, and off to the happy hunting grounds (those in this life). Okay, so my son was not coming along, but at least I had not blown my stack before leaving NYC. There was almost no traffic to speak of on the way upstate. I made good time through the rest of NYC, and through Westchester to the Taconic Parkway. I virtually sailed along once on that road. I got the hunting area, a Multiple Use Area, in the Lafeyetteville State Forest, at about 8:30PM. There was no daylight, as I had originally planned, so no chance of marking my selected spot with orange tape, but I was happy to be there. I was a bit concerned though that there were already three cars parked in two parking areas, each fitting only 3 or 4 cars each. The promise of lots of hunters the opening morning weighed heavily on me, and I almost decided to move to another more isolated area. As it was I drove to the nearest town, Pine Plains, stopped at a tavern, and had a Heineken. I was going to have two or three, then thought, I had better not drive on unfamiliar roads after drinking too many. I stopped at one, figuring one would be enough to help me sleep, and I headed back to the parking area. Yep, you guessed it, I was going to sleep in the Ford. I got there just before 10PM, and I rooted around in my bag getting my gear ready while sitting in the back seat. Hunting clothes I needed got tossed onto the driver’s seat, gear I needed under the back windshield, and stuff I would not need thrown onto the front passenger seat. That done, I got sort of comfortable at about 10PM and hit the hay.
Well hay was not quite the right word for the back seat in a Ford Taurus. I tried to get comfortable, but I guess the combination of being cramped on there, along with two cups of very good but strong coffee just a few hours before meant that one beer I had would not be enough to get rid of the edge. Now don’t get me wrong, I do not usually drink to sleep, I would not think of it except on night like the one in question, especially considering my sleeping arrangements. As it turned out, a six pack would have been in order, too bad I had not thought of buying one and bringing it back to the Ford with me! I most have tossed and turned about a hundred times, and gotten at least a couple of cramps in each leg, before I fell asleep. That had to be at about 1:00. Then at 2:00AM, another vehicle, an SUV, of hunters arrived. These guys kept the car running for over an hour, with the headlights on. After not being able to take much more, I bellowed to shut it down, and was thankful they had heard me through my car’s closed windows; or maybe they just got the idea through divine intervention – whatever, it was back to sleep for me, a fitful sleep of tossing and turning and aching. Ford Taurus back seats were made for a younger crowd than me.
Then I woke up at east two more times to relieve myself. I had forgotten to take my BP med the in the morning, and had taken it just before I tried to fall asleep. It contains a water pill, and it had me going through the night. Oh well, live and learn, but you would have thought that at one plus a half century I would have learned by now. Back to sleep, and the next thing I knew my alarm was going off, it was 0400 (4:00AM), and it was dark and chilly outside the Ford, but not all that much of a chill. I hoped it was cold enough to have the deer up and moving. The thought did occur to me though that there would certainly be enough hunters to move them even if it were none too cold. I was soon ready to go, stripping in my back seat, and putting on my hunting clothing. I was dressed warm enough, but not to heavily to sweat a lot, and I had easily removable layers.
I got out of the car, and saw two other guys already up, these were the ones in this parking spot before I had arrived. The other two guys from the SUV, the ones that got there at 2:00Am, then got up also. We all greeted one another, and everyone was from down in NYC except me from LI. I asked if anyone wanted some fresh bread for breakfast, I had picked up a nice loaf the day before at lunch. Everyone declined, and busied themselves readying for their hunts. After about 15 minutes of chatting one of the guys from the original car offered me some tea. He had a small Sterno stove, and had boiled up a pot of water. He gave me some tea with lemon, sweetened with honey. Now that was one heck of a nice way to start the hunting day. While we drank tea and talked, one of the guys mentioned that since there were so many other hunters around, he was happy it was shotgun only territory. Whoops, I had my Marlin 336 in .35 Remington all ready to hunt. Luckily I also had my Remington 870 as a backup in case something happened to the Marlin. I had hunted just north of here last year, and just north of here is rifle country. I had assumed this was too, shame on me. Lucky for me the other guy had mentioned this, but man would I miss the Marlin with its scope. I am a great shot with the shotgun, but my eyes are not as good as even a couple of years ago, so the scope would have been a plus. Oh well..
Soon we were all off to hunt, everyone heading more or less in the same direction, but I was surprised later on to realize I never saw one of these 4 other hunters all day long. I did see at least another 10 or so hunters, maybe a dozen head off up the hill the same way these guys went. The area was about 720 acres altogether, about half of it on each side of the road where we were parked. My guess was there were also plenty of guys on the other half of it too. I got to my spot, only about 1/6 of a mile, if that much, from the road. I had scouted well. No need to climb a mountain for me. I had a clearing surrounded by medium growth woods with lots of deer trails coming into the clearing. I was ready and any movement by other hunters would likely have deer coming to me. In fact, when still dark, I heard one deer walk by me probably not 25 yards away, it was apparently following a hunter’s steps, probably whatever scent trail he had left. My anticipation of a great hunt was sky high.
I settled into my spot, content despite my horrendous night’s sleep, and despite the fact that Brendan was not beside me. I was wide awake but not from cold, I was ready to hunt. I waited as the hour and a half until legal shooting time (sunrise) was to arrive. More hunters passed me by in the darkness with flashlights. None too close to me, apparently all following a trail to my right, some distance off. Well the sun came up, and I saw nothing but some more hunters. By the time it hit 10Am, I saw about 3 hunters leave the area. A few more had left by 1100AM. None had deer in tow despite many shots I had heard fired since about ten minutes before legal hunting time. Two guys Is aw leaving totally amazed me. One had on all camouflage except for an orange baseball cap. Another had on all camo, absolutely no blaze orange or other bright color, and he carried a brown day pack, deer brown at that. Knucklehead alert indeed. Judging by the shots I had heard, there were other varieties of knuckleheads in the woods too because I had heard as many as nine rapid blasts from apparently the same gun (and legal hunting shotguns can hold only 5 rounds, though I suppose it could have been a semi-auto handgun).
As for me, I was out for the day, no going to my car or to town for lunch, I had all I needed with me; if need be I could live a few days on what I had in my day pack. I heard a couple of deer run through the woods near me, either just before other hunters walked out or right after they walked out, but I was not lucky enough to see the deer to even hope at a shot. Near noon, nature called. I got up and pretty quietly walked to a spot about 300 yards from my stand. I did what I had to do, and as I was headed back to my stand by a slightly different route, I saw an orange jacket spread on the ground. I thought someone must have forgotten it. I walked over to investigate and as I neared I saw a hunter in tree-bark camo sitting against a tree on the opposite side of the tree from my approach. I walked loudly, he did not budge. I coughed loudly, he did not even twitch. I spoke out, “another hunter in the woods” in a booming voice, again nothing. Not until I was next to the tree did he acknowledge me and my approach. We talked a while, and he was pleasant enough. He was hunting with his two sons, and gave me a general idea of where they were; and they were aware of my stand. I left and went back to my stand promising not to shoot anywhere in his direction which was over my right shoulder and up hill about 200 yards from my spot. About 15 minutes later, I thought I heard a deer over my right shoulder. Five minutes more and I heard a loud bang. Not another noise except someone walking in the woods. It was the man to whom I had spoken. Go figure, I do the dirty deed not 40 yards from his stand (for which I apologized to him not realizing he was hidden there in his camo), and he bags a deer. It was a fork horn buck. So much for deer being spooked by human waste odors. Apparently this young buck had been headed right toward my stand. Luckily it did not yet put me in the line of fire when the gentleman took aim and shot. Happily he had used a good deal of sense in picking when to shoot – always a concern on crowded opening day public lands.
I sat at my stand for a coupe hours more, until about 1:30PM. Then I got up, took down my orange marker tape from some trees to use at another spot, and I was about to head off when a fair sized, but small racked, buck went bounding by directly in front of me at a slow trot, through thick undergrowth. I could have shot at it. I do not like running shots, but at about 25 yards, and at its slow trot, I probably could have hit it easily. The thing is the road was not too far behind it, and the parking area was in the same direction that it was moving, not 20 yards to my left. I let it go. All those other hunters who had left the woods were potentially I at that spot. I tried to sit it out and coax it out of the woods with some doe bleats and buck grunts. I heard it in there, it had run only about 15 yards then stopped, but it was still too risky a shot even if I would have gotten a clear view of it. I decided to pass because of the safety issue. At about 2, I headed up the hill to look for another spot. I got to the top, about 900 feet in elevation, and found woods with lots of oaks and lots of acorns on the ground. I found one or two small glades and some deer trails and a couple of rubs; but I saw no deer. I did see a couple of squirrels and a rabbit. I almost stepped on the rabbit. In fact I stopped about three feet short of it, and when I stopped it bolted, until then unseen by me. Sure surprised me, and it was thrill watching it bound off in fear for its life even though I meant it no harm at all, at least not with slugs loaded in my Remington 870 12 gauge. I found a likely looking spot to sit on stand. It was between a couple of rises where the land slopped down from each to my spot, where several deer trails converged. It was sort of a natural funnel that made it easy for the deer to go up or down the hills. There was a small glade at the spot and lots of deer sign like rubs and droppings. I stayed there until ½ hour before legal hunt time ended, then headed to the car with no deer tagged by me. I walked softly as I made my way down just in case I came across any deer. I have still hunted successfully before, for an overweight guy, I can walk through the woods and see a fair share of game, not because I am quiet but because I know how to walk without spooking the animals. It does not always work, but does often enough to allow me to know I can do it. Still I saw nothing but a lot of small birds that flitted all around me, ignoring me as they looked for their next meal. This had gone on all day while I was on my stands, but to be ignored by them as I walked by them, just a few feet away was great, especially since I was wearing a combo blaze orange/camo hunting coat and hat.
I was the first out of the woods back to the parking area of the crew I had met that morning. No other cars were there; though I had seen some from the mountainside earlier when I had seen the buck run by me. I guess those other hunters had left early, maybe with deer like the gentleman I had met in the woods. I wonder if his sons had any luck. In about 15 minutes, the gent who had offered me tea so many hours earlier that morning, and his hunting buddy were back. They had seen two does as they left the woods, that was it. They too had heard the rapid shooting and wondered about who had fired so many times. Our bet was, someone who was a poor shot, as opposed to the guy I heard shoot once and score. The guys from the SUV did not come down, and after a half hour or so of chatting with the other two guys, I decided to leave and head home. I had decided I could not bear another night in the Ford trying to sleep in the back seat. I will admit I had gotten 40 winks on my first stand, but I woke up with a crick in my back and neck. I ached all over from my hike with my pack, not because I could not normally do it, but because I had such a contorted uncomfortable night in the Taurus.
As I drove home I thought of my day. There were a lot of good things that happened this opening day of the deer season, and I had enjoyed an awful lot of them. There were also some things that could have been better, but I would not have missed the day just because I had to go it alone, or because I left late, or because of an uncomfortable night’s sleep, or because it was to warm, or because there were too many hunters around, or because things were just not right to perfection. Sometimes, it is as good as it is going to get and that is just fine even for a complainer like me. Of course, next week will be better, because Brendan will come along. I hope it will be as good as it can get ever, and he and I bag one, but I will gladly settle for his getting one and him skunking me. As a matter of fact, we will have to hunt sort of solo even though we will be together. Remember I had found out this was shotgun only territory; well I have only one shotgun! By the way, it is shotguns only as far as long guns go, handguns are also allowed, but I doubt I’ll hunt deer with one of my 9mm pistols; so while Brendan is hunting with the 870, I will be guiding – nothing more. Still if he bags a deer on his first deer hunt, I will not have needed to put my deer tag on anything to know, that is really as good as it gets. Yes there are a lot of things that can be better than bagging your game; but if I get lucky though, he will get one early, and he will leave his old man some time to hunt too. More on that hunt next week.
All the best,
Glenn B
Friday, November 17, 2006
Gone Hunting...
...well not just yet. I actually have to work today, but I am hopeful I can get out of town before it gets too late allowing me to arrive at my hunting grounds before dark. I want to hike up to my spot, spread out my sleeping bag, and wake up with a deer in my sights. 
Who knows, maybe this tactic will work, heavens know that many others have failed me over the years. Yes, I have gotten deer, enough to keep me hopeful that I will score again. No blogging later today, nothing tomorrow, and maybe nothing on Sunday, at least until Sunday night. Sadly my son will not be coming with me for the openning day. He will go next weekend though, and I am hopeful he will score his first deer on his first deer hunt.
All the best,
Glenn B
Who knows, maybe this tactic will work, heavens know that many others have failed me over the years. Yes, I have gotten deer, enough to keep me hopeful that I will score again. No blogging later today, nothing tomorrow, and maybe nothing on Sunday, at least until Sunday night. Sadly my son will not be coming with me for the openning day. He will go next weekend though, and I am hopeful he will score his first deer on his first deer hunt.All the best,
Glenn B
Thursday, November 16, 2006
A Looming Political Threat To Our Nation…
…one that is greater than the discombobulated Democrats having won the majority in both houses of Congress will be facing us in less than two years time. In fact the beast that threatens us is already starting to rear its ugly head in the guise of they who would run for the presidency in 2008.
We will need a strong president, and a strong Congress, come the day after the next U.S. major elections. The president we have now is not only a lame duck, he was a poor excuse for a strong leader long before the 2006 elections. Yes he did a lot of good against terrorism, but he did not do enough, he hesitated to commit fully, he was weak with countries like North Korea and Iran, he was weak on Immigration and our nation’s security along its borders, he was a spender beyond compare.
The Congress we have now is whimsical, they cannot even decide on their own leadership in the House, nor can they decide on their own party leadership. This should have all been worked out before the elections, but they were all too busy name calling, and still are for that matter – though now they call other democrats names instead of aiming their barbs at republicans. They need to wake up, and take a strong stance on many of the issues that face them, my guess is they will not do so.
In 2008, terrorism will not have been overcome, banished, or have decided to surrender by November 2008. Nuclear arms proliferation will, by then, have gotten worse. U.S. foreign policy will have fallen, in its influence, by a large degree. If things go the way they have already been going, the U.S. will have very little in the way of a strong domestic policy as well as its weak foreign policy, and this combination of weakness will only bring us down in the face of our enemies making us look as a better target for future attacks.
When it comes to presidential candidates for 2008, the republicans seem to offer the best so far, but none of those who appear as if they will be in the running are what this country needs at the helm.
John McCain is a political rubber band. He gets pulled from the right, so he speaks of issues on the right, he gets pulled from the left so he addresses and agrees with issues on the left. Then suddenly both sides let go and he snaps back to a middle ground wherein both sides hammer away at his political ideals while he tries to walk the tight rope of appeasing everyone. This type of politician as president would seem weak to both our allies and enemies alike.
Of course, John McCain will attempt to make himself look strong to potential American voters before the elections. He will not do this by highlighting his political record as much as he will try to do so by highlighting his military record. If you doubt me, just go to his new website, to this link: About John McCain. He dictates the majority of the narrative to his Vietnam era military service. Military service is noble and good, but folks this was decades ago, and Mr. McCain has proven that his politics are a whirlwind of confusion since then. Just read what he plans to do, in the words of his own website, and ask yourself, if this guy for real! I advise you to do all you can, within reason, to make sure this guy does not win the Republican primary. Write to party leaders and let them know you cannot agree that a politician like McCain would be good for America.
The same should go for Willard Mitt Romney (and no I don’t blame him for not using his own first name). This man got his state, Massachusetts, a universal health care. How did he do this? He did this by having the state pass a law that all people over a certain income bracket have to buy their own health insurance! This is an outrageous example of overzealous government putting itself into people’s personal lives where it should not be. It is, as I see it, a violation of anyone’s rights. Of course, the poor do not have to purchase health care insurance under this plan, they get it for free. In education he arranged for the top 25% of high school students to get free scholarships. Yes a great incentive to get kids to study, but a terrible drain on our tax dollars. This is, in essence, socialized education for ¼ of the population of students. He was also a supporter of the Assault Weapons ban, need I say more.
Keep an eye on these guys. Keep writing letters to the Republican Party. Let them know they need to seek a candidate that will get back to the basics of the Republican Party’s ideals. Look to others to be our next president, and no I do not mean anyone offered by the Democrats. Look to some like Thomas Tancredo. Read up on his political beliefs and ideals. You may be very happily surprised by what you discover. If so, let the Republican Party know about it.
Best regards,
Glenn B
We will need a strong president, and a strong Congress, come the day after the next U.S. major elections. The president we have now is not only a lame duck, he was a poor excuse for a strong leader long before the 2006 elections. Yes he did a lot of good against terrorism, but he did not do enough, he hesitated to commit fully, he was weak with countries like North Korea and Iran, he was weak on Immigration and our nation’s security along its borders, he was a spender beyond compare.
The Congress we have now is whimsical, they cannot even decide on their own leadership in the House, nor can they decide on their own party leadership. This should have all been worked out before the elections, but they were all too busy name calling, and still are for that matter – though now they call other democrats names instead of aiming their barbs at republicans. They need to wake up, and take a strong stance on many of the issues that face them, my guess is they will not do so.
In 2008, terrorism will not have been overcome, banished, or have decided to surrender by November 2008. Nuclear arms proliferation will, by then, have gotten worse. U.S. foreign policy will have fallen, in its influence, by a large degree. If things go the way they have already been going, the U.S. will have very little in the way of a strong domestic policy as well as its weak foreign policy, and this combination of weakness will only bring us down in the face of our enemies making us look as a better target for future attacks.
When it comes to presidential candidates for 2008, the republicans seem to offer the best so far, but none of those who appear as if they will be in the running are what this country needs at the helm.
John McCain is a political rubber band. He gets pulled from the right, so he speaks of issues on the right, he gets pulled from the left so he addresses and agrees with issues on the left. Then suddenly both sides let go and he snaps back to a middle ground wherein both sides hammer away at his political ideals while he tries to walk the tight rope of appeasing everyone. This type of politician as president would seem weak to both our allies and enemies alike.
Of course, John McCain will attempt to make himself look strong to potential American voters before the elections. He will not do this by highlighting his political record as much as he will try to do so by highlighting his military record. If you doubt me, just go to his new website, to this link: About John McCain. He dictates the majority of the narrative to his Vietnam era military service. Military service is noble and good, but folks this was decades ago, and Mr. McCain has proven that his politics are a whirlwind of confusion since then. Just read what he plans to do, in the words of his own website, and ask yourself, if this guy for real! I advise you to do all you can, within reason, to make sure this guy does not win the Republican primary. Write to party leaders and let them know you cannot agree that a politician like McCain would be good for America.
The same should go for Willard Mitt Romney (and no I don’t blame him for not using his own first name). This man got his state, Massachusetts, a universal health care. How did he do this? He did this by having the state pass a law that all people over a certain income bracket have to buy their own health insurance! This is an outrageous example of overzealous government putting itself into people’s personal lives where it should not be. It is, as I see it, a violation of anyone’s rights. Of course, the poor do not have to purchase health care insurance under this plan, they get it for free. In education he arranged for the top 25% of high school students to get free scholarships. Yes a great incentive to get kids to study, but a terrible drain on our tax dollars. This is, in essence, socialized education for ¼ of the population of students. He was also a supporter of the Assault Weapons ban, need I say more.
Keep an eye on these guys. Keep writing letters to the Republican Party. Let them know they need to seek a candidate that will get back to the basics of the Republican Party’s ideals. Look to others to be our next president, and no I do not mean anyone offered by the Democrats. Look to some like Thomas Tancredo. Read up on his political beliefs and ideals. You may be very happily surprised by what you discover. If so, let the Republican Party know about it.
Best regards,
Glenn B
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Election Results - a revelation
The things I receive in emails are often quite funny, sometimes interesting, sometimes revealing/informative, sometimes disturbing, sometimes very appropriately to the point, and at other times just an annoyance, among other things. An email I received today had the first five of the six taits listed above as related to the recent election results.
It was not any written content that fit those traits, but rather a photograph in the email. There was no copyright, and there were no credits, dates, names, web addresses or anything else associated with the picture; so I decided I would use it here. If I find out someone owns the rights to it, I will credit them appropriately or remove it from this site as he or she or they desire. For now though, here it is.
What do you think of it? I'll tell you what I think: It just about says it all as to what we can expect after the recent elections, or after just about any elections we will ever hold in the future.
When it comes right down to all the partisan BS, just try to keep your head above it all.
All the best,
Glenn B
It was not any written content that fit those traits, but rather a photograph in the email. There was no copyright, and there were no credits, dates, names, web addresses or anything else associated with the picture; so I decided I would use it here. If I find out someone owns the rights to it, I will credit them appropriately or remove it from this site as he or she or they desire. For now though, here it is.What do you think of it? I'll tell you what I think: It just about says it all as to what we can expect after the recent elections, or after just about any elections we will ever hold in the future.
When it comes right down to all the partisan BS, just try to keep your head above it all.
All the best,
Glenn B
Monday, November 13, 2006
There is a reason that I give gifts...
...on Christmas, and yet I am an agnostic. I was brought up Catholic; that meant Catholic grammar school, catholic religious training, catholic summer camp, and even catholic High School. By the time I was in high school, I guess I was pretty doubtful that there was a god as most people think of god(s).
I do not practice any religion now. In fact I shun religion for myself, yet I do not deter others from believing or practicing. I just find it is not for me, and I believe it is probably one of the biggest causes of suffering in the world, both past and present; and religion promises to be one of the biggest causes of suffering in the future. One of the problems with religion has always been its inability to do things within reasonable limits, it is often all or nothing, such is the basis of faith; and such unrestrained hard core beliefs are what cause much of the problems. Yet, I also believe that there is a lot of good that has come from religion. For example some moral standards, the ideals of of charity (to an extent), of morality, of moral responsibility, of forgiveness (to an extent) and so forth.
One of the things I like about my catholic upbringing is the ideal of gift giving at Christmas. It is at this time of year that Christians believe that God gave his most valuable gift to mankind in the form of his own son. A pretty impressive gift. it is also a time when as the story goes, the wise men brought gifts to the newborn Christ child. The lesson I get from all of this is that it is a good gesture to give gifts. I believe that is correct, I believe it is righteous. I believe it is nice, and it sure makes me feel nice when I give gifts to others, as well as when I receive them. It is a tradition that I truly enjoy, and that I believe is a good thing to do, this even though I am not a worshipper.
Of course I do not limit gift giving to the Christmas time of year. I give gifts to my family throughout the year, usually smaller gifts than they receive on birthdays or at Christmas, but I still give them things every now and then - I guess much as we all do with our families at special times and at regular times that we just want them to feel special. I also give gifts to those less fortunate than me. No I am not a big charity kind of guy, but every now and then I give someone less fortunate a small handout. I also give at the office, yes I mean that seriously. I donate to a few charities annually, not so much to feed the poor kind of things, but to causes in which I believe. This year for example to the Wild Turkey Federation, and to Gun Owners Foundation.
Still though, Christmas retains some of its significance for me. I just find it a certain magic to give at Christmas, when others are doing the same even if they do so for reasons other than my own.
With that out of the way, and with all the pre-holiday sales already firing up, it is time to start thinking about which gifts I’ll be giving to whom. It truly is one of the better traditions to come out of a religion, something that can really make you feel you have done some good.
All the best,
Glenn B
I do not practice any religion now. In fact I shun religion for myself, yet I do not deter others from believing or practicing. I just find it is not for me, and I believe it is probably one of the biggest causes of suffering in the world, both past and present; and religion promises to be one of the biggest causes of suffering in the future. One of the problems with religion has always been its inability to do things within reasonable limits, it is often all or nothing, such is the basis of faith; and such unrestrained hard core beliefs are what cause much of the problems. Yet, I also believe that there is a lot of good that has come from religion. For example some moral standards, the ideals of of charity (to an extent), of morality, of moral responsibility, of forgiveness (to an extent) and so forth.
One of the things I like about my catholic upbringing is the ideal of gift giving at Christmas. It is at this time of year that Christians believe that God gave his most valuable gift to mankind in the form of his own son. A pretty impressive gift. it is also a time when as the story goes, the wise men brought gifts to the newborn Christ child. The lesson I get from all of this is that it is a good gesture to give gifts. I believe that is correct, I believe it is righteous. I believe it is nice, and it sure makes me feel nice when I give gifts to others, as well as when I receive them. It is a tradition that I truly enjoy, and that I believe is a good thing to do, this even though I am not a worshipper.
Of course I do not limit gift giving to the Christmas time of year. I give gifts to my family throughout the year, usually smaller gifts than they receive on birthdays or at Christmas, but I still give them things every now and then - I guess much as we all do with our families at special times and at regular times that we just want them to feel special. I also give gifts to those less fortunate than me. No I am not a big charity kind of guy, but every now and then I give someone less fortunate a small handout. I also give at the office, yes I mean that seriously. I donate to a few charities annually, not so much to feed the poor kind of things, but to causes in which I believe. This year for example to the Wild Turkey Federation, and to Gun Owners Foundation.
Still though, Christmas retains some of its significance for me. I just find it a certain magic to give at Christmas, when others are doing the same even if they do so for reasons other than my own.
With that out of the way, and with all the pre-holiday sales already firing up, it is time to start thinking about which gifts I’ll be giving to whom. It truly is one of the better traditions to come out of a religion, something that can really make you feel you have done some good.
All the best,
Glenn B
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