Weekend Projects

Besides having a nice family get together yesterday; I kept myself busy this weekend - so far - with a few small projects.

On Friday evening I picked up a pair of Fire bellied Newts from a young lady who was having some trouble caring for them. While one was plump and healthy, the other was on the skinny side and was not eating properly. The young gal who gave them up for adoption figured that this was due to heat stress, her apartment being too warm for them. I took them home and put them in the basement where the temp remains below 72 degree Fahrenheit almost all the time. The skinny one has been eating black worms (live fish food) like a champ, and I am hopeful he will put on weight right away.

While these newts may not look like much from above, but they do live up to their names when you see their undersides. Sorry the pic of the belly came out so blurry but the little booger was squirming wildly as I held it for the photo. Still though you can see why they have their name. Now one of my projects will be setting up a suitable tank for these guys, which is not all that much work, if I keep it simple, which is one of the easiest ways to keep these guys. A tank, some dechlorinated clean water,, a rock or two on which to climb out, and a tight fitting screen lid. I may also add a power filter, but I think not because these guys are not the most powerful swimmers; so that will require frequent water changes. No big deal. They will get fed whatever they will eat, from black worms to tubifex worms, to freshwater shrimp (which I will have to collect locally), to brine shrimp, to chopped up red worms. Bear in mind the food has to be on the smaller side for these newts since they are only about 3 inches long. I also have to do some in depth checking to see if I can determine which is the exact type of newt I now have. There are a few species with the same common name, and all look similar.

On Saturday, I took a drive up to Sleepy Hollow, of Headless Horseman fame, and I picked up a Ball Python from a couple who were moving and would no longer be able to care for it. Ball pythons are fairly easy to keep snakes, but not the best for the beginner snake fancier. This one was in the process of shedding and had patches of dried out skin stuck all over its back. Once I got it home, I gave it a soaking bath inside a large plastic jar (top screwed on tightly) for about an hour. All that dried on skin sloughed off nicely. It should have come off in one piece, but apparently this python was kept too dry before this shed. Last night I got around to setting up a tank for it, and I kept it simple as I almost always do for my snakes. A tank, some substrate, two hide boxes, a water bowl. a heat pad, a screen top, a branch for climbing, and a light (also for heat) these snakes are tropical need it warm (low to mid-eighties ambient temps with the heating pad spot up to 100 degree Fahrenheit). The light is hooked up to a timer, but the heat pad stays on 24/7. As you can see, I need to get some clips to secure the top, but tape will work for now.

The folks from whom I got the ball python told me it was sometimes a fussy eater, but it would eat thawed out rat pups. I fed it a mouse last night, and it took it immediately - no problems feeding this guy at all - so far. I imagine it will eat the rat pups they gave me along with the snake, but I wanted to see if it would eat mice too since I have a large supply of feeder mice on hand. It took the mouse as soon as it got close to it. Now it has a nice bulge in its midsection, and will be spending a lot of time under the hide that sits over the heat pad as it digests its weekly meal.

These animals will be used throughout the summer in exhibitions put on by the Long Island Herpetological Society. I may keep them beyond the summer, but if not I will adopt them out to another society member or someone else whom I know will take care of them properly. Chances are I will keep them though, I have, or had, a little extra space in the herp room.

All the best,

Glenn B

Ammo Guess Contest Update

The winner was Jeffery Huong. of Atlanta, GA. He selected the holster for the semi-auto, and received it this weekend. Jeff, I hope you get a lot of good use out of it.

I still have one extra holster left over, so maybe I'll have to come up with another contest in the not too distant future.

All the best,
Glenn B

Summertime Not Quite...

...having set upon us yet, but nonetheless yesterday was a day to enjoy while sitting under the shade of a good tree, drinking a tasty beverage of your choice, and eating a good meal cooked over an open fire. The birds were singing in the trees and flocking to the backyard bird feeders, the squirrels were scampering about looking for a treat, the dogs were under the tables in the shade also hoping for a treat, as a good number of my family sat around those same tables to enjoy our first barbecue of the year. As luck would have it, my daughter's boyfriend decided to fire up the grill, and in no time the aroma of hamburgers and franks filled the air, and made tails wag. How I got that lucky, not to have to cook, is beyond me - but why question good luck!

The talk was light, and festive, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood with one possible exception, but I really should not go there, so that is all I will say about the one possible lone dissenter. Everyone except for me was enjoying a non-alcohol beverage like iced tea, root beer, diet Pepsi (yech) and the like. I instead decided to let the back lawn have a drink, lest I forget later in the day, so that it wouldn't turn yellow as we sat and watched it wither in the heat. In almost no time, as if by the same magic that had turned it into such a nice day, the food arrived at table and was served. I hastened the self assigned chore of watering the grass, then rushed inside and grabbed a beverage, and when I came back outside I was surprised to see my neighbor Jim manning the grill. Keven was already feasting and had abandoned chef duties. I sat down with the small assemblage and had a dripping red centered burger and a couple of Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Biers; E. Coli be damned! The stoneware stein kept my biers cold as I drank, and I hoped the higher than usual alcohol content for a beer would kill any E. coli in by blood dripping burger. Despite the temps in the high 80's, maybe even into the low 90's, those biers kept me chilled.

Everyone but me feasted on burgers, franks, homemade bean salad, homemade German potato salad, pickles, and whatever else my wife had put out. I kept it to a burger ad a hot dog, saving some room for dessert. Suddenly I realized the main course was finished, and the table was cleared, more or less; and the talk went on. Just family and neighborly chit chat, as I relaxed and watched the Purple House finches eat from the bird feeders. Bold little creatures indeed they are to come to feed while within mere feet of a throng of festive party goers. On and off I would take my nephew Daniel to look at a tortoise, or see a snake, or the hamsters - all to keep him from getting too bored what with no other young ones around. Then we dug for worms to feed the turtles, and instead of a worm he found an old beer bottle buried in the soil. I wonder how that got there??? By the way, I don't mean old as in yesterday either, I mean really old from a long defunct brewery in New York; my guess would be from at least 75 years ago. It had a light aquamarine sheen to it, funny color for a beer bottle nowadays, but I guess more common back then. It was as if treasure had been uncovered; you see the little one's dad (who sadly had to work and did not attend) has an old bottle collection. I hope he remembered to take it home to add to dad's collection, I'll have to take a look around later this morning.

In almost no time it was time for dessert. Out came a cheese cake of multiple flavors, a homemade chocolate layer cake frosted in white icing, a couple of boxes of Dunkin Donuts, and some other goodies. All of these good treats were accompanied by a pot of coffee from which the aroma was heavenly. No it was not Chock-Full-Of-Nuts that heavenly coffee of years ago, this was coffee I had picked up at the Porto Rico Importing Company a few days before, a Guatemalan Maragogipe. I had mine black, others as they please, and then we dove right into dessert. Mmmm, mmmmmm goooood!

All too soon after dessert it was time to do the dessert dishes, which I gladly got out of the way since my wife Linda had done so much already. Luckily there were no dishes from diner, since we had used paper plates for the main course. Once finished it was back out to the gang, for a bit more talk. Then suddenly it was as if the clock had struck midnight, and everyone was heading for the door in a mad dash of gotta get out of here to beat traffic home. That left me, the wife, my son Brendan (who had spent the whole time in the basement trying to get over tonsillitis), and my mother-in-law at home. Even my daughter Celina, and her beau Kevin had beat feet. Well, I was left with a bit of tidying up, and once done, I had plenty of time to relax or so I thought. My next door neighbor Nick, as me to give him a hand putting up the tented portion of a sort of tented gazebo he had just erected. I helped him out, and in about an hour or so we had it finished. I am only hoping my wife does not ask him where he got it, because if she does I anticipate putting one up at our house. Rest came after that.

All in all it was a great day. Hopefully you all are having a great weekend too. Lest we forget, one of the reasons it was a great day, and one of the reasons we were all there to enjoy it in safety and comfort, was that we have had, and have, a strong military protecting us. The men and woman of the U.S. Armed forces who have given there lives, or been injured, or who have served, protecting our nation and all of its people should never be forgotten, especially on Memorial Day weekend. My thanks to them for the good time we had. I hope they know at least, that they are in our thoughts, and in our prayers too; and we support them and there efforts 100 percent.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Guests Are In...

...and soon the barbecue will begin.
But before I started to cook,
I went to take a look,
to see what beer was on tap,
when I realized holy cr-p;
I forgot to buy some brew
So right now it's - later for you.
I am off to buy some tasty ale
before I wither and turn pale.

All the best,
Glenn B

'An Inconvenient Truth' - You Bet! This is a must read...

...for anyone who is truly concerned with the environment, and for anyone who gives any credence or credit (carbon or otherwise) to Al Gore. Take a look at: Two Houses over at Cap'n Bob & The Damsel. If the link doesn't work, then use this address for said post:

http://capnbob.us/blog/2007/05/24/two-houses/.

Yes you already know, the real inconvenient truth, all about Al Gore's house and how much energy it uses compared to the average American home; but I am willing to bet the great majority of you do not know about the other house and how inconvenient the truth about it would be to Al Gore should the media ever put it in the limelight!

All I can say is that: after reading that small piece, and then checking to verify the claims by way of other sources, I have a whole new respect for George W. Bush who actually lives in a 'Green (ecologically-friendly) House'. My contempt for Al Gore has not changed in the least; I already believed him to be a contemptuous lying scoundrel; and now I am simply all the more satisfied that my belief is correct. For all I could care, Al Gore could choke on his carbon credits, and I think it would be doing all of us a favor. He is, in my opinion, nothing more than a rotten bullshitter and pompous asshole. Shame on anyone who gives him any credit for trying to protect the environment when all he is apparently doing is making money selling a book and a movie while he riles up the wackos..

One note before I close. I am none too sure those houses in the pictures are actually Gore's and Bush's houses, although the facts stated about them seem to be supported by other sources, and the one pictured next to the paragraph about Bush's house, in general fits a description of it that I found elsewhere. It is not important if the pictures portray the actual houses, what is important is the stated facts about each house regarding energy efficiency or lack thereof.

All the best,
Glenn B

Weekend Plans Anyone?

I was just wondering what some of you are doing for the Memorial Day weekend. Anyone going to a parade or anything to honor our military personnel? I am hopeful to be back to my village by parade time tomorrow, but I may miss it because of a prior commitment. You know by now that I am an avid herp keeper (keeping reptiles and amphibians, not herpes); and tomorrow I will be heading up to Sleepy Hollow, NY to pick up a Ball Python that someone has up for adoption. I can't wait to face the traffic northbound out of NYC and Long Island of all the happy campers getting away for the weekend. I am guessing an hour ride may take as many as two hours.

Once I pick up the snake (which will probably wind up being another story this weekend), it will be back home for me; and I have to get back reasonably soon because we are having a barbecue. The wife expects me to cook, and I told her I would, so I have to get to Sleepy Hollow, and turn right around to head back home. I think I may stop for a case of cold ones, maybe a nice German Hefe Weiss Bier. That stuff goes great with any barbecued food of which I can think, and if the food comes out burned, after a few of them - I won't care. Along those lines I love Paulauner Hefe Weiss, but there are many others. The cloudier with yeast, the better as far as I am concerned.

On Sunday, we are heading to my brother-in-law Han's house for another barbecue. He makes one heck of a steak marinade, and I am looking forward to some really good eats at his place. Of course, I'll have to bring along some of the Weiss Biers to his place. He loves them as much or more than me. Then again, who knows, maybe I'll pick up some Ommegang Abbey Ale, also great stuff - good with heavier foods - especially meat dishes, so also great for a barbecue beverage.

On Monday I will be looking for the real deal parade. I may go into NYC to see some of the ships that are here for fleet week. If I do, I'll be sure to stop and thank as many servicemen and women as I can find. I have already done that a bit over the past couple of days. They deserve our thanks and more.

Enjoy your weekend.

All the best,
Glenn B

Retirement Party Planning...

...apparently can be a bit of a pain in the behind, even for a pretty informal get together. I am finding this out first hand as I am in the process of trying to put together a party for a co-worker/friend who retired a few months back. As was usual, when he retired, I figured someone else would arrange for his retirement party. I guess most of those someone else types have all retired by now because despite this guy being well liked around the office, no one put anything together for him. Well, it could also be that moral on my job being at an all time low also had something to do with it. So as it turned out, i figured I would try to arrange a party for him - just something where those who want to attend will meet at a local restaurant/watering hole, and we will split the bill for dinner and drinks. Actually this is not as much a pain in the backside as it is a daunting task for me because I am not that self confident that I am going about it right, but since no one else stepped forward to do it - so what. I know some folks are interested in attending, I already checked on that; and so too is the honoree looking forward to it.

Forging right ahead today, I went to one of a few places I had in mind for the party here in Manhattan. I took a co-worker along and we had lunch there this afternoon. The place is called Giggles and is a restaurant/bar combo. It has a pub like atmosphere, is pretty big with lots of seating, has a lot of variety on the menu, has lots of variety behind the bar, and has fairly reasonable prices for Manhattan, especially in midtown. For lunch I had an everything burger, a huge burger covered with fried onions, mushrooms, bacon and cheddar cheese. It sat on a likewise huge bun. It was accompanied by tomato, raw onion, lettuce, pickle and fries. My pal Bob had a Cesar Salad. We both had sodas for our beverages (no booze because it was lunch on a work day, and booze and my job do not mix).

The waitress who served us was a pretty young lass, and not only that but she was a good waitress too. She was quite attentive. Once our order was in, we were served bread and butter, and our drinks arrived quickly. After a decent wait, pretty much just a short time later, our meals were brought out. I could not believe the size of the burger, it had to be 1/2 pound of beef. besides that, it was cooked just how I had asked for it to be - medium rare. It was a tasty burger indeed, and I washed it down with a tasty beverage too. Bob enjoyed the salad, and he noted that the service had been great. The waitress stopped by a few times to check on us, and was quite pleasant. Before leaving we asked to speak to the manager about arranging for a party, but the manager was not available. I'll have to give them a call early next week after the holiday. I am hopeful I can work some sort of discount out if I can assure them 25 or more people at the retirement dinner, hopefully they will be able to accommodate us on the nights I have in mind. Once I find that out, I will put out the word that the party date and place has been set, and wait to see who responds by or before whatever date Giggles gives to me as the cut off date for making a reservation.

Once that is all set I can only hope those who will have told me they will attend, will actually show up. I guess I can also hope that parking will be none too hard to find, but that is almost always a problem in Manhattan. Of course, I will have to also hope that the retiree shows up! If this comes off nicely, who knows, I may be elected as the office's Grand Poobah of retirement party planning.

If you are ever in NYC, and need a place to have a decent lunch in midtown Manhattan (very close to Times Square (2 blocks away) I recommend this place. Good food, good drink, and great service. I hope it is likewise for you if you ever get the chance to check it out.

All the best,
Glenn B

Some People Are Crazy, Some Are Criminal, Some Are Stupid...

...and if you read this article: Man Sentenced to Life for Killing Teen Who Walked on His Lawn you will see an examples of a man who was probably crazy and criminal as it now stands, and a number of other people (quite likely 12) who were, in my opinion, just outright stupid. Read the article for yourselves and it will, or should, be readily apparent why I believe the convicted man was both crazy (note I did not say legally insane) and criminal. It should also be readily apparent why I think the members of the jury who convicted him were stupid. If is not apparent you can always come back and ask me, in the comments section, why I thought they were stupid; and no I will not think you stupid for asking.

What a legal system!

All the best,
Glenn B

I wonder - So Who Cares...

about these things so much:

Pop Tarts: Paris Hilton Turns to God

Baby Is Born to Mary Cheney, Daughter of Vice President

Reality Check: Jordin Sparks Wins Sixth Season of 'American Idol'

Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck Engage in Raucous On-Air Feud on 'The View'

Angelina Jolie Tears Up Over Late Mom in TV Interview, Says She's 'Holding on to My Family Really Tight'

As to have made them among the 'most read' stories at FoxNews.com this morning? Is Fox for real, are these really among the stories most read by people who have visited the FoxNews site recently? It makes me feel sorry for my fellow citizens. There are, I think, just so many other more important things to think about, to read about, and to act on, than what I believe is this fantasy land crap. I guess though I must be in some sort of a minority because as Fox points out, these are among the "most read" stories.

I would have thought though that Americans would have been much more interested in reading about:

Military IDs Murdered GI

Is There a Hero in Your Family Tree?

Bush to Hold 11:00 a.m. ET Presser on Iraq

Islamic Militants Defy Lebanese Ultimatum

Jobless Claims Post Slight Increase

Iran President: We Will Grow Nuke Program

Corzine in Buckle-Up Ad: 'I Should Be Dead'

Guest Worker Plan Slashed in Senate

Or to have watched this video:

Taliban spring offensive MIA?

These things seem so much more important to me than do those in the first list I gave above. There isn't, I would guess, much more for me to say about this, except maybe that the lack of interest in really important things amazes me. No wonder terrorists can attack us unimpeded, no wonder our borders are over run by tides of the dregs of humanity, no wonder violent crime can soar so high in our nation's capital, no wonder our rights can be trampled upon on a daily basis - we (on the whole) are mostly too busy with our heads buried up the asses of fantasy land celebrities while life in the real world goes only checked on by those few who would face reality. What a shame.

All the best,
Glenn B

My Wife Likes These...

...she thinks the Doves that visit our backyard feeders are nice, but she hates those pests called Pigeons. I guess the moniker of Rats With Wings Dirty Pigeons has sought of stuck in her mind from the time we lived in Glendale, Queens (part of NYC) where there are lots of the Rock Doves, aka: Rock Pigeons, aka Rats With Wings, aka: Pigeons. Despite my wife's repugnance for Pigeons, I like them, they taste great, but I must admit that for their relative size, they seem to make the most, shall I say, mess when nature calls. Sometimes the wife likes to hang out the wash instead of using the drier, and all it would take is one Pigeon poop on the clothes she just washed for me to have to take down the bird feeders. So now I have to think of a way to attract only the various types of Sparrows, the House Finches, the Cardinals, the Starlings, the Chickadees, the Woodpeckers of at least a few species, and the nicer more acceptable (to my wife) Doves like the one in the picture (I am no bird guy but I know it is some kind of a Dove), without attracting the Rats With Wings Pigeons.

I was thinking of using a BB gun or CB, caps as a deterrent, and only aim them at the Pigeons. The CB cap would probably be illegal since it is a bullet shot out of a firearm, but the BB gun may do the trick. Now if only I could find where I stashed mine some years back! Bye the way, I am not looking to kill them, just to pump it once and give them a ping in the butt, so to speak. That should scare them away if done each time they show up while I am on guard duty. Of course, I may just let them stay around until they either poop on the laundry or start living on my house, which would not be a good thing. Just imagine leaving for work and having a Pigeon take off from your roof and drop one on your head. Yech...

Oh well, there must be a humane solution to get rid of these nuisance animals, but if not I''ll find something that works that is at least legal.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Guess They Were Not Kidding About Yugo SKS Rifles...

...becoming scarcer because the prices surely have jumped and that price jump would seem to indicate less availability. I just did some price shopping for them, and I saw them apparently in stock at: Classic Arms , J&G Sales, and Samco Global Arms. I tried but could not pull up the website for Inter Ordnance, and I also looked at Aim Surplus but they apparently don't have any in stock.

As for the prices, they have gone up considerably. Where they had been selling from about $129.00 in good condition, $149.00 in very good condition, and to as little as $169.00 in new condition; they are now going for about $169.00 for good to very good condition condition up to about $229.00 in new condition.

Samco has them for the best price that I found, and they are selling new ones at about $210.00, plus shipping. The pic shown in this post is from the Samco site. I do not know if they come with accessories as pictured or if they look as good as the one in the picture. Yet, I have already sent in an inquiry as to whether or not they have news ones left in stock, and if they will accept a copy of my C&R, required for purchase, by way of an attachment to an email. If yes to both of these, I think I will have to pick one up before they disappear at these prices. Sure there are probably more of them in arsenals around the world, and plenty of them at that, but will the price ever go down on them again? I think not and it is a gamble I am willing to take by buying one now. I only wish I has bought another when the prices were lower. Of course, if anyone knows of a legal source of these, with lower prices in like new condition, then I would be more than happy to consider buying one from your source. Let me know.

All the best,
Glenn B

Caveat Emptor...

...is something we seemingly do not think about before we make a purchase in today's world of lawyers and law suits gone berserk. I guess too many of us are confident that everyone else owes us full disclosure about anything and everything when they are selling us something, but the truth be told, that just ain't so, at least in Florida folks. A prime example of this is to be found in the article at FoxNews.com: Florida Family Shocked They Weren't Told New Home Was Scene of Triple Murder-Suicide @:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,274393,00.html

Yep, the story reads just like the headline says it. No mention of lawsuits yet, I guess mainly because Florida law does not require a home seller to disclose such to the buyer, and I could live with that. Imagine the seller having to disclose such to the buyer, and then trying to get what the house was actually worth in the sale. Unlike having to let people know that the house is built with asbestos tiles, or has rotted beams, or whatever a home inspection may uncover; they do not have to let anyone know a murder was committed in the house. Now the people who bought the home are stunned to find out about the murders there, and I can understand that. Yet I also fully understand someone not disclosing such to a real estate agent or to potential buyers because the price of the home would probably plummet to much less than its value unless they were lucky enough to find a buyer who was into the macabre. I would think anyone who knew such took place in the home and did not try to get the price down at least in part based upon that knowledge would be a kook.

As far as an actual buyer's recourse would go in such a sale, I would say if you were foolish enough not to research the home before buying it regarding something like this which would make it impossible for you to live in the home, then you should be stuck with it, no law suits allowed. Could you just imagine the outcome if a seller had to tell you everything about people having died in a house, or about anyone who ever committed a crime in the home, or about anyone who lived in the house who was absolutely off their rocker crazy, or about any stories of the house being haunted, and on and on. Some houses would just never sell at a reasonable price. Sometimes it really the buyers who have to beware; otherwise they have to live with the consequences of buying something as high priced as a home without first having done their homework.

All the best,
Glenn B

Carter Slams Bush, Bush Spokesman Slams Back...

...but what America needs is a strong fairly conservative candidate to take over the reigns of power. In fact I almost think carter, for once, got something just about right. Ex-President Jimmy Carter had this to say about the Bush Administration: "I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history."

Well my guess would be Carter may be proven correct before too long, but I think the spot of worst administration, at least within my lifetime still goes to Carter's - with Bush's a close second. I also think that a lot of people who had been Bush supporters may feel close to the same as I do on this. I think Bush is doing fair to somewhat good in the war on terror, but I think that is nowhere near enough. His stand on many, if not most, other major issues is abysmal as far as I am concerned. While his pundits shout about how great is our economy, I wonder how will it be when the war bills have piled up, I wonder why gasoline prices are so high when the supply is good to excellent, I wonder why illegal aliens continue to take away the jobs of citizens and of legal resident and non-resident aliens, and I wonder why he recently said our troops don’t deserve a raise in pay. While his staunch supporters rant about how great going is the war on terror I wonder why we are not kicking ass in Iraq and Afghanistan instead of pussyfooting around, I wonder why Islamic Extremists remain within our shores, I wonder why our allies continuously remove troops from our support. While he seems to think it is politics as usual, I wonder why on earth does Bush side time and time again with the leftists on the issue of the 12 million illegal aliens and amnesty for them (even though he is too much of a politician to call it amnesty), why an assault weapons ban is again being considered and he does not speak out against it, why we have to have more than ½ dozen candidates for the nomination running on just the republican side, why the run for the nomination began more than two years before the actual election, why there are so many differences among so called conservatives, why he is even thinking of a North American alliance between the USA, Canada and Mexico which would basically discard our constitution (just look at the EU), and why he has already curtailed the liberties of law abiding citizens by taking shortcuts with the laws on search and seizure.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto responded that: “I think it's sad that President Carter's reckless personal criticism is out there…” What I think is sad is this: he is not a great president, nor a very good one, nor even fair among his predecessors. He, in my personal opinion, stinks as president. I long for a more Reagan-like, or even Nixon-like president at this time of great danger to our nation. The sad truth is I do not see one among the current candidates for the republican nomination. The closest I see to anyone competent enough to be able to take the reigns of power and then ride that steed into battle to get the jobs done would be.: Tom Tancredo, and Fred D. Thompson. Yet both are not exactly whom I would want as the president. Maybe if Newt Gingrich runs it will be better, but will he toss his hat into the ring; I wonder. None of them are perfect, they never are since they are human, but he maybe the best of the lot.

All the best,
Glenn B

Hermann's Tortoise - just a pic

Photo of a Hermann's Tortoise, one that I recently sold, the smaller of my two females. Click the photo to enlarge. I still have the other female, and a new male. Hope Springs Eternal!

A Decision...

...was easy for me this morning as to what to do in the early AM. I tried to sleep as long as I could, and avoid turning over on my right shoulder while doing so. I awoke a few times last night and this morning with unusually bad pain in the right arm and shoulder. Ouch that bad meant no fishing, no tag sales (because of no lugging things) and no rifle cleaning. Maybe next weekend I feel more like getting something done, but this weekend it was multiple Ibuprofen tablets for me.

I did manage to get to the LIHS meeting today, that was nice as usual. I also dropped off some film at the 1 hour photo counter at Walgreen's. If I am lucky, the Nikon FM2 I bought a few months back will have taken nice pics with the 55mm Micro Nikkor I bought a couple of months back. This will be the first that I see of any pics from them. Man can I procrastinate, I had these rolls of film in my pocket for about 2 months now! If there is anything worth posting, I'll try to show them to you tonight.

All the best,
Glenn B

Decisions, Decisions...

...time to make up my mind about what to do for the rest of tonight and for early tomorrow. I already have plans for the afternoon tomorrow, but what I choose now, to do tomorrow earlier in the day tomorrow, will decide whether or not I hit the hay early and with the help of a glass of wine to make sure I sleep well (no not a normal habit, but I napped earlier this evening and am none to tired now).

I have been thinking of grabbing a flexible stick or two, and some string on a crankable spool, and heading for pond or the ocean, and trying to catch a scaled denizen of the deep.

It would suit my fancy fine,
if I awake early on the morn,
to bait a hook and wet a line,
long before the crack of dawn.

Yes, that would be nice, if I get up early enough; and if it is not raining. While I have fished in the rain, it is a bit to cool for my middle aged bones to be out playing in the rain, so that could make me pass on flounder for dinner.

There is an alternative, we always have choices. If I get up a bit too late for wetting a line, or of it is raining, I can always go out to look through one man's trash to see if I can find my treasure. Know not literally look through trash, but I may go to a few tag/estate sales tomorrow morning. I'll have to check the paper to see if there are any promising sounding ones nearby; and of course I'll also have to count my shekels to see if I have enough to buy anything. Who knows, maybe I'll find a nice fishing pole, or a nice rifle. I bought a couple of nice rifles like that already, including one of my favorites a marlin 336 in .35 Remington.

My final alternative would be to finish cleaning up my Mosin Nagant M44. I got the bolt cleaned some time back, but never got around to the rest of the rifle. Cosmoline can be so inhibiting, not only of rust, but of the will to get the job done. That indeed would be a good rainy day project, but one for which I am not sure I am prepared either with the proper solvents, or with the right frame of mind and gusto, to get the job done right now.

Who knows though, what a good night's sleep may bring. Decisions, decisions, time to think it all over with a nice glass of red wine to my lips, an open tackle box on the table before me, a rifle leaning in the corner of the room, some cash burning a hole in my pocket, the desire to find treasure in whatever I do tomorrow, and the prospect of a good night's sleep to dream about it all. I am sure my mind will be made up before the sun rises, but am none to sure I will be up that early. Decisions, decisions...

Sleep well,
Glenn B

Ammo Guess Contest Again...

Hi All,

No I am not having another contest, but I again am bringing up the subject of the recent contest because the tentative winner has not yet contacted me with his name and address. The tentative winner was Jeff as I previously posted, so: Jeff if you want the holster please send me the required email to BBammoguess@aol.com. I am waiting, and you have three more days after 11:59 tonight. If you don't claim the prize by then, it will go to someone else. Two nice holsters from which to choose. Your loss if you don't claim one of them.

All the best,
Glenn B

July 4th and Real Immigration ReformThat Opposes Amnesty...

...should go hand in hand. I wonder, is there anyone out there, who has a blog with a big enough circulation/readership, and who would be willing to call for a March on Washington, DC to oppose amnesty of any sort for illegal aliens? I, as a working American citizen, who is concerned with the fate of our nation, would certainly be one of those at the front of the March even though it would require taking a day or two off from work. In the long run, such a march would only help to save our nation's sovereignty, our jobs and our economy. If you can think of anyone who might use their website to announce such a march and to really promote it on a daily basis, please offer my suggestion to them. Thanks.

All the best,
Glenn B

An Anti Illegal Alien Post & An Exploding Head...

...would have resulted had I tired to blog yesterday, and that head would have been mine! There was only one subject about which I could possibly have written about yesterday, and that would have been the agreement between the president and the Senate on the proposed Immigration reform bill. I was pretty sickened with disgust and anger yesterday when heard about the latest proposal to allow the 10 to 12 million illegal aliens, thought to be in our country, to become legalized. It almost made me puke when I thought: "What if the estimates are wrong, and it winds up there are really 20 million of them here?". i just cannot stomach the idea that millions of people who have committed a criminal act to enter or remain in the United States will be getting some sort of privileges from that criminal act. If these people admit they are here illegally, then in essence they are admitting they have committed a felony - and George W. Quisling Bush, and many of our Vichy Senators want to reward them by ultimately making them citizens while those who already waited years on foreign shores hoping to legally immigrate to the USA are pretty much pissed upon overlooked by our government.

I could go on for hours on this one, but I will come to the point now, instead of dragging this out and making you read thousands more of my words. We The People Of The United States Of America have to do something, and have to do it now, in order to protect our sovereignty, our culture, our economy from these foreign Freddy The Freeloaders. These people are illegal aliens, not legal immigrants and there is no reason to reward them for criminality so we need to act to prevent such. Here is what we need to do to prevent this travesty of justice:

Go to Numbers USA, join their site, then send in as many free faxes that they have to send in against this proposal. This is free, as in really free. Of course they accept donations, but currently there is absolutely no charge from the site to register for it and to send faxes.

Contact those in White House. Write to the President (although I think this will do little to no good because Bush seems enamored with the idea of rewarding criminals, do it anyway, give him something to lose sleep over in his last days as president). You can use this link to send emails to the president, or you can write a letter and send it to him at:

The President Of The United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Or you can call the White House to register an oral complaint at: 202-456-1414 (this is the switchboard number, so why not call it and actually ask to speak to the president and vice president - no they will not put you through but make sure to tell them you want to voice your complaint to a live person).

Whatever you do, keep it respectful - no cursing, no yelling, don't hurt the cause.

In addition to the above, here is what you can do, and this will likely stop the proposal if we get in enough complaints. Contact you elected Senators and Representatives in Congress. Use this link to find out who are your Senators, and how to contact them:

http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.

If you are uncertain of who is your representative in Congress, use this link to find out who is your Representative in Congress, and how to contact him/her:

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

If you know your representative in Congress, this one maybe faster:

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml

Write a letter, send them an email, call them on the phone, get the idea across to them that law abiding citizens of the USA, that is: We The people Of The United States of America do not want to reward illegal aliens with legal status in our country! Please do not call them illegal immigrants, since immigrants come here legally and go through the whole immigration process legally. Call them what they are, and keep it respectful, and maybe, just maybe, we can turn around these politicians who only see this as a wealth of new voters, as a way to keep cheap labor here in the USA, and as a way to make it certain that within 15 years or so, Social Security, medicare, Medicaid and most other social programs in the USA will be bankrupt, and our taxes will therefore skyrocket. Do you part to support our country, and to support one another's and our children's futures.

All the best,
Glenn B

Newt Gingrich Running For The Presidency?

Well it may soon become a reality, then again maybe not. While driving to work yesterday morning, May 15, I listened to 77WABC talk radio's John Gambling Show. During the show, Mr. Gambling asked Mr. Gingrich if he was about to make an announcement of his own candidacy for for the presidential campaign. Much to my disappointment, Mr. Gingrich said he was not making such an announcement, but did say that he had decided to give it serious consideration, thus leading one to hope he might announce such in the future. It would tickle me pink to see him enter the race.

All the best,
Glenn B

Liability For Reporting Suspicious Activity?

If what is editorialized about here http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20070514-093346-1946r.htm comes to pass, then our enemies do not need more 9/11 type attacks to defeat us, we will have become a self defeating gaggle of politically insane apologists in that by trying to be politically correct we have totally lost sight of right from wrong. If people are allowed to sue one another because someone reports suspicious behavior to the authorities and no arrest is made, that is absolutely ridiculous. It is the government from which we are protected by the constitution when it says the probable cause is a requirement to arrest or search and seize. Private citizens are not required to have diddly squat in order to give their opinion to authorities that something is suspicious, that is the way it has been throughout history, and that is the way it should remain. As long as a citizen does so in good faith, and not out of maliciousness, they should be protected at all costs from any type of prosecution - criminal or civil. Before a civil or criminal suit could even be considered, the burden of proof in such a case should rest with the person suing, as to that person being able to substantiate, with reasonable certainty, that the other who supplied the authorities with information was being malicious in the first place. That's my two cents - screw the bastards who want to make it impossible for us, by way of our own laws, to defend ourselves from their attempted usurpation of our freedom.

All the best,
Glenn B

What if Guns were Outlawed Tomorrow...

...and everyone who was law abiding and had any guns actually turned in all of their guns. What would happen to the violent crime rates. Look to the United Kingdom, where since 1998 guns have been outlawed, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/52378.stm, and where for the last couple of years or so they have been making it a crime to carry something as innocuous as a pocketknife.

Overall, from what I could see, the crime rates go up and down in the UK; however, it became apparent that even while other crime rates seem to be falling, violent crime rates seemed to be rising after the gun ban. Here are some examples of articles that show such:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1446260.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/norfolk/4468777.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/breakfast/3071703.stm

The violent crime rates are flourishing for those countries, gun crime is often referred to as being part of the 'gun culture', see:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6549873.stm.

Yet other homicides caused by people using other weapons seem to be the most prominent type of homicides. Arrest over teenager stab death from the BBC at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/6656679.stm

is just one article within which can be seen the continuation of deadly violence.

Of course, there are many other examples of murders and violent crime taking place in the UK. Here are but a few links to fairly recent articles:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/6656159.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/6655509.stm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A10177355

The below article talks about the murder rates in Scotland, in a country where there are no handguns allowed, and where it is a crime to carry a knife, and where there has been discussion of making it a crime to carry other things that could be used as weapons:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5366544.stm

Pay careful attention to the type of murders to which they make reference and to the accompanying picture. Make sure to look at what type of weapon was used to kill at least half of the victims. It was not a gun.

Even an article showing a one year decline in the murder rate blames most of the murders on things other than guns. In it the authorities can be seen as calling for a crackdown on knives.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4038053.stm

Another article Tackling The Scourge of Knife Crime @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/5032794.stm highlights all the ways in which the authorities in the UK are trying to lower knife violence. It is ludicrous when you think about it; they sound like a combination of Carolyn McCarthy, Sarah Brady, and Rosie O'Donnell, but instead of seeking to ban firearms, they are now going at knives.

So what is happening in the UK? What is the point of this rant by me? Well, let me put it this way: It seems that folks in the UK are pretty much baffled as to why the violent crime rates keep, for the most part rising, and they seem to want to blame it on the gun culture even though knives and other weapons are used in a great number of the violent crimes. Of course while they still want to blame a lot of the violence of the 'gun culture' and on guns, they also realize in their own misunderstanding sort of way that other evil weapons such as knives are out there< class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">that commits the crime, it is the dirtbag lowlife who does that. What they are missing is that once weapons are removed from the hands of the law abiding citizenry, the average citizen then has little to absolutely no way to defend himself against attack from a lowlife dirtbag who is armed with knife or gun. Just look at the crime stats, crime is going down overall, but violent crime is rising. Doesn't anyone get it. Violent crime is more lucrative than non-violent crime if only because you scare the victim enough to give it all up in the case of a robbery - and note they never mention robberies - they just tell you how burglaries (which by legal definition are unarmed crimes) went down. The folks in the UK are proving a point for us here in the USA. Stripping the people of their firearms and other defensive weapons, invites violent crime to flourish, if only because only the criminals now have weapons, and the criminals are opportunists who know a good thing advantage for them when they see it.

By the way, if none of those articles from the UK convinced you, then just check the last few years worth of violent crime rates for Washington, DC where handguns were outlawed. One of the highest violent crime rates in the United States, and how could that be with guns having been outlawed there for over 30 years! Go figure, but I already gave the answer above.

All the best,
Glenn B

Happy Mother's Day...

...to all of the mom's who may read my blog, and to all of the mom's of anyone who reads this blog, and in general to all mothers.

Most of all, HAPPY MOTHER's DAY to four very special mom's: My mother, my wife, my sister, and my mother-in-law.

I saw my mom yesterday, spent most of the day with her. Yes that is her picture above. She is certainly getting on in years, but she is getting better with age. I love her dearly. We had a very nice time together yesterday at my sister and brother-in-laws place, where she lives. As you can see, she was having a good time to if that smile is anything by which to judge.

Now of the three ladies in the picture showing three babes, only one is a mom, that would be Linda, my wife. No she was not mad, she just did not hear me when I said smile - she is the in the middle. The younger babe to the left is my daughter Celina, who of course would not be here without Linda. My wife is not only a great wife, she is an absolutely fabulous mom; just ask my kids who would be sure to tell you likewise. The other lady to your right in the same pic, is Tante (aunt) Lorraine, my brother's wife. She is not a mom, well that is unless her taking care of my brother is a motherly task which I would guess is the case at times.

About the most recent pic I have of Oma (my wife's mom) is at the right and is from Christmas 2005 is the one I just took this afternoon when we had her over for a BBQ.

Sorry but I do not have any digital pics of my sis, I'll have to remedy that next time I visit her.

So, once again, Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there and especially to the ladies in my life whom I just mentioned.

All the best,
Glenn B

And The Correct Guess Was...

...now wait a minute; I figure I'll keep you all in suspense just a moment or two while I lay out my inventory with the actual numbers beside the ammo types. Then I'll give the total and figure out who came closest.

But even before that let me wish all of you and your moms a happy mother's day.

Okay, back to business. The ammo that was included in this contest was almost all my ammo as pictured at the right. That was made up of one foot locker's worth, 3 ammo cans' worth, one box of ammo, and one super secret agent's attache case full. There were only 18 entries into the contest so your odds are pretty good of winning.

Here is how the ammo broke down:


Ammo Type & # of Rounds

Mag-Tech .32 Auto 71gr. FMJ 50
Fiocchi .32 Auto 73 gr. FMJ 50
Winchester .32 Auto 73 gr. FMJ 50
Sellier & Bellot 32 Auto 73 gr. FMJ 50
Winchester .380 Auto 85 gr. Silvertip HP 300
Gold Dot 9mm +P 124 gr. GDHP 1200
Gold Dot 9mm LE 124 gr. GDHP 1050
Gold Dot 9mm 124 gr. JHP 100
Federal 9mm Hydr-Shok 147 gr. HP 1300
Federal 9mm Nyclad 124 gr. HP 50
Winchester 9MM Nato 124 gr. FMJ 550
Smith & Wesson 9mm 115 gr. JHP 50
Winchester.40 S&W 180 gr. JHP 40
Federal .45 Auto 230 gr. Hydra-Shok 100
Remington .45 Auto 185 gr. JHP 300
Western Super X .357 Magnum 158 gr. JHP 100
Remington .38 Special +P 125 gr. semi JHP 800
Federal .38 Special +P 110 gr. JHP 50
Federal .38 Special +P+ 147 gr. Hydra_Shok JHP 50
Winchester .38 Special Super-X 148 gr. Super Match W/C 50
Winchester .38 Special 125 gr. +p JHP 100
Remington .30 Carbine 110 gr. FMJ 50
Federal .223 Remington 55 gr. MCBT 200
Sampson .223 Remington 55 gr. FMJBT 200
Wolf .223 Remington 62 gr. FMJ 40
Wolf Military Classic 7.62x39 124 gr. FMJ 800
Mil-Surp 7.62x54R FMJ 60
Mil-Surp Blue Tip 7.62x54R 60
Remington Core-Lokt .35 Remington 200 gr. SP 100
Winchester Super-X .35 Remington 200 gr. Power Point 200
Winchester 12 Gauge Slug 75
Winchester Super X 12 gauge Slugs 20
Remington Sluggers 12 Gauge Slugs 30
Federal Hi-Shok12 Gauge Slugs 35
Remington 12 Gauge 9 shot Heavy Target 50
Estate 12 Gauge 7 1/2 Shot Game Load 25
CCI Maxi-Mags .22 WMR HP 50
Remington Thunderbolt .22LR 500
Champion .22LR target solid points 2000
CCI Blazer .22LR 500
American Eagle .22LR solid points 500
One Remington Collector's Tin With Knife 300
One Remington Collector's Tin 300
Total more or less 12485

I forgot to mention one box in my earlier breakdown, as above, and that was the box of Bear 7.62x54R soft points, there were only 5 rounds in it; and to be fair I guess I should include that in the total.

So the total was 12,490.

Who came closest to that will be the tentative winner so long as he/she follows the eligibility rules.

Here were all the entries (and a non-entry comment or three) I received on the blog (as per the rules they had to be in a comment to the blog):


gdvan01 said...
5273
Saturday, May 05, 2007 11:22:00 PM

PeteQuad said...
4713
Saturday, May 05, 2007 11:42:00 PM

unixguy@thr said...
11042
Sunday, May 06, 2007 12:22:00 AM

C Philip @ TFL said...
7670
Sunday, May 06, 2007 8:59:00 AM

Sterno said...
9500
Sunday, May 06, 2007 10:19:00 AM

sog@fuse.net said...
8670rds.
Sunday, May 06, 2007 10:27:00 AM

http://ballseyesboomers.blogspot.com/2007/05/www.thefiringline.com said...
7466
Sunday, May 06, 2007 1:35:00 PM

wjbarricklow@hotmail.com said...
11500
Sunday, May 06, 2007 1:59:00 PM

Plink said...
6120 rounds
Sunday, May 06, 2007 6:19:00 PM

lee n. field said...
I'm going to guess 7000 rounds."not nearly enough"
Sunday, May 06, 2007 7:11:00 PM

Anonymous said...
1 dollar Bob
Sunday, May 06, 2007 10:00:00 PM

Anonymous said...
Haven't a clue, but it looks similar to what I currently have stashed. Note: I'm in the process of ordering an update on a few calibers, so I may be stocking a few more rounds.Hang in there,GreyBeard
Sunday, May 06, 2007 10:50:00 PM

evan price @ thehighroad.org said...
7850 rounds
Monday, May 07, 2007 1:11:00 AM

Roadwild17 @ The High Road said...
4,723 Rounds
Wednesday, May 09, 2007 4:32:00 PM

Jeff said...
12,345. :)
Thursday, May 10, 2007 6:28:00 AM

Anonymous said...
17,235Todd2_the_Hiltwww.2theHilt.com
Thursday, May 10, 2007 1:56:00 PM

Michael said...
3,860Manzanita on TFL (although I'm not sure I've ever posted)
Friday, May 11, 2007 8:33:00 PM

Scout26 said...
All of them !!!
Saturday, May 12, 2007 12:45:00 AM

As from what I can see from the entries, there were a couple of people who came close, with their guesses coming in between 11,042 (unixguy@thr) and 11,500 (wjbarricklow@hotmail.com) but the absolute closest, almost bang right on the bull's eye, was the guess of 12,345 by Jeff; making him the potential winner. So Jeff, please be so kind as to get in touch with me via an email at BBammoguess@aol.com and send me a copy of your ID showing you are 18 or older, with your name and address, let me know which holster you want, and remember by your entry you affirmed you followed all of the rules (see: http://ballseyesboomers.blogspot.com/2007/05/guess-how-many-rounds.html for the rules).

Once you get that done, I will send whichever holster you want to you within a few business days. Please make sure to let me know which holster you prefer; and congratulations to you. By the way, thanks to the rest of you. Hope it was fun, and I hope at least some of you enjoy my blog and will come back now and then. There may be another contest in the future since I still will have one holster left over.

All the best,
Glenn B

PS: Special Mention: A nice try by Scout26 who said... "All of them !!!". The trick was you had to guess how many, and all of them does not really tell me how many. Anyway, it was technically wrong anyhow because I forgot to inventory about 400 rounds of ammo I had in another room, along with other ammo I had here and there; and furthermore I did not count a few loose rounds that were in the footlocker. Since I am the final judge and my word is final, Jeff is the tentative winner with his extremely close guess. Nice try though!

Less than a Half a Year From a Revolution...

...is one way to anticipate how the District of Columbia Circuit Court decision in Parker vs. the District of Columbia will effect 'We The People of the United States of America' regarding our right to keep and bear arms. The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC circuit refused to review the earlier case that affirmed said right is an individual's right. The next, and only legal, recourse remaining for the District of Colombia is to take the Parker case to the United States Supreme Court.

If this case goes to the Supreme Court, a ruling that the 2nd Amendment affords individuals the right to keep and bear arms would affirm that which law abiding gun owners and their advocates have been saying throughout our nation's history. If however, the Supreme Court decides that such right is reserved to the 'militias' of a each state, and therefore is a right not of the individual, the outcome could be horrendous for law abiding gun owners. Of course, the outcome could also be horrendous for our nation as a whole. To remove any right, found in our constitution, especially the right to keep and bear arms, from the individual citizen would be tantamount to removing them all since it is by said right that we as individuals retain the power to overthrow tyranny as did the founding fathers of our nation. They revolted for less than this, and it should be noted that 'the shot heard round the world' (the first shot of the Revolutionary War) was fired only when British troops tried to march on a colonial armory to remove the colonists firearms by force. Approximately 800 British soldiers were marching to Concord, MA, when about 70 (yes outnumbered by more than 10 - 1) Minutemen stood their ground at Lexington Green, MA. When this first battle was over, 8 of the colonists lay dead. Among the dead was the commander of the group; and as a twist of fate and coincidence would have it, his name was John Parker. (Reference: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761575042/Lexington_(Massachusetts).html, 5/12/2007).)

The District of Columbia now has 90 days to appeal the ruling of the court. It is ironic that they have been a member of this law suit if only because DC is our nation's capital, and one would think therefore that it would be the protector of our rights when it is just the opposite as regarding the repressive anti-gun laws they have enacted. It is also ironic that DC is involved in this suit in so much as DC wishes to fight crime, and it claims that the anti-gun laws they have on the books are absolutely necessary to thwart violent crime in said city. The facts is, with those same laws in place, DC has recurrently had one of the highest violent crime rates in our country.

With 90 days left to DC to file an appeal, I am guessing that another 90 days, at most, would be what was needed for the Supreme Court to decide the issue and either put it to rest, or put it to the torch. I dare even imagine it possible that they would decide against the 2nd Amendment being a right of the individual, but should they do so it could eventually lead to an armed revolt like the one that commenced on April 19, 1775 with 'the shot heard round the world'. I hope and pray that it works out differently. This right is a right of 'the people', as are the others so enunciated; and with regard to all the others that specifically say a right is that of "the people" they have each been interpreted to mean that the right is that of each individual person, not of a state or the federal government. So should it remain with the 2nd Amendment, that it too is a right of the individual. Let us hope the Supreme Court, if brought to task on this issue, and should they accept to review it, decides such to be the case, otherwise there may yet be another 'shot heard round rhe world'.

All the best,
Glenn B