Light Blogging...

...will probably be the thing for me for the next couple of day. I have been online now, only about an hour and a half, wrighting one short rant, checking my email, sending out a few emails, and visiting a few select sites, and I am exhausted. Imagine becoming exhausted by that, and of course by my two runs to the throne in the basement, in that short a time. Oh well, once I am feeling better I will be back at it as usual.

All the best,
Glenn B

Should I be looking for a new Doctor?

My apology for not blogging lately, but my health has not allowed me to be up to it. I had bronchitis a few weeks back, that lasted over 2 weeks. Then earlier this week at work I was feeling really tired each day, barely keeping my eyes open so to speak. I blogged on Wednesday night after work, but was feeling none too well. Then very late on Wednesday night I had a fever again, a bad headache, neck pains, aches all over specially in my joints, a bit of pain when breathing in, and felt slightly nauseous, this was some surprise. All the same symptoms I had a few weeks before except I was not congested and coughing up phlegm. So I saw the doc (a stand in for my regular doc who was not in that day) on Thursday who told me this had nothing to do with the bronchitis, and it was likely a virus. Well on Thursday night I found myself getting plenty of exercise although I sure did not feel like doing it. I figure I ran to the can about 25 times between 8PM and 8AM. On Friday I was a marathon runner with another 46 trips to the throne room. I figured I was dying of dysentery, so I called my doctor's office, told them how much sicker I had gotten, and the lady told me that my doc had said only for me to call back on Monday if I still felt bad, and then I could come in for more blood tests. Heck I forgot to ask about the blood test they took on Thursday. I hung up and fell asleep. I called the doc's office again hours later - when I woke up again - and I asked about the test results, and I was told 'sorry the blood test results were not yet in'. Imagine that they knew earlier in the day that I needed additional blood work and the initial test results were not in yet.

Feeling somewhat better today, as can be witnessed by me being online at all, but I still feel like expletive deleted (I won't say it but you can guess). Oh well, I am feeling better, but I wish I was feeling well. I guess time will play the healer since my doctors certainly have not been doing too good at it.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Knew It Was Going To Be A Bad One...

...when I left my house at 0545 for work this morning, and by about 0630 it was a lot darker out than it had been when I left home. I had to pull off of the highway as I headed into a surveillance site in Brooklyn the wind was blowing so hard and the rain coming down in sheets so thick it looked as if someone had smeared about a 1/4 inch of petroleum jelly over my windshield. I will say this though, the lightning and thunder put on one heck of a show. I have not been that rattled by thunder in many a year, and I mean not rattled as in afraid, but rattled as in vibrated by the power of it, and I was inside my car when it did so. Lightning and thunder simultaneously coming from at least 4 different directions all around me within split seconds of each other. This went on for about an hour of my drive, a drive that normally would take about an hour and I had only gone about 1/3 the way in the time. Still some peckerwoods (no better description) were doing about 60 or 70 in the thick of it. I waited for it to slow down quite a bit, only about 10 or 15 minutes of waiting) before I drove on, and I still got there on time.

When I arrived on scene for our surveillance, we found a few different neighborhoods in Brooklyn had been smashed. Tree limbs and trees down all over the place, and big ones at that. Cars and trucks smashed by those trees, houses missing siding and roofs, windows smashed, business signs on the streets. Not a thing that usually happens in Brooklyn, and plenty of people were saying a tornado had touched down. Well this evening, when I was driving home at about 1900 (7PM, and yes it had been a long day), I heard on the news radio that a tornado did indeed touch down at several locations right in the area in which we later did our surveillance.

I guess that means my mother's prediction, of many years ago (probably back when I was not yet a teenager), came true. She said back then that we were having tornadoes in the USA in places where we had never had them before, and she predicted that it would get to the point where we would have them in New York. It has happened a few times now in New York State, and less in NYC - but it has come to pass. I don't think my mom gives Al Gore much credence on his stance on global warming, so maybe we are safe on that one; but as for tornadoes - watch out.

All the best,
Glenn B

Let's Be Thankful...

...that it wasn't a suicide monkey, see Airplane Passenger Smuggles Monkey Under His Hat Into U.S. @ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292496,00.html.

Not only did DHS/CBP (Customs and Border Protection) apparently fail to catch this at the border, but DHS/TSA apparently failed to catch it in Florida. I am not necessarily faulting anyone, I know better in this case because I worked for Customs for about 15 years at JFKIA (not doing inspection work, but often working with inspectors). It would be something easy to miss, but so too would some plastic explosives. I am faulting the system, the airlines, politicians, and travelers in general - all who don't want to accept a much stricter system of checks at the airports and who accept the risk of taking chances with homeland security for all of us. I can tell you one airline on which this be much less likely to occur - El Al. They know how to check folks and secure an aircraft.

All the best,
Glenn B

Socialized Medicine For All...

...can be expected to come up with results like this one: Infected Foot Blister Kills British Man that I just read about at FoxNew.com. Remember that England has socialized medicine, the same typ of health care that the deomcrat candidates want to push onto all of us here in the USA. Sure this type of negligence could happen abnywhere, and happen under our current system of health care too; but one thing you won't see with our health care system is the fatal finality of the words spoken by the fater to his daughter when she told him he needed to see a doctor about his condition:

" "There was a hole in his foot. I told him he had to go to the doctor but he said: 'They have discharged me." "

Do you get the picture, they discharged him, so there was no going back! His words certainly rang of fatal finality.

No thanks Hillary, not thanks Obama, no thanks $400 hairdo boy, no thanks to all of you liberals who want the same system here; I would rather work my butt off to pay for my own health insurance than to have you tax me into the poorhouse and then allow doctors to treat me like dirt.

All the best,
Glenn B

Lack of Blog Power

Way too busy to blog yesterday. Tough day at work, so when I got home I was pooped. Besides that we had to go to JFK Airport last night to pick up my daughter Celina, who just came back from vacation in Germany. Nice to have relatives over there (on the wife's side) - it makes for long inexpensive vacations.

More blogging tonight, if I am not stuck late at work.

All the best,
GB

0300 hours and Thoughts on Cleaning My Soviet Mosin Nagant M-44

As I told you all quite some time back, weeks maybe even months ago, I found one of these in a box in my basement, and it needed cleaning. I stripped the bolt and cleaned it up ever so nicely back then, leaving the rest of it to be cleaned at a future date. Well yesterday was the day, and I can say while there maybe better ways to spend a Sunday afternoon, cleaning this thing certainly was still one of the best things I have done on a Sunday in awhile. Not only did I clean it, but I sanded down the stock to remove most of whatever finish material was on it. Not having any paint remover, I just sanded it down, and this left a lot of the old finish color but none of the outer varnish or whatever else they used that was really a mess. Then I added a coat of cherry stain, and I put a coat of boiled linseed oil over that. Then I rubbed, and rubbed, and rubbed, and rubbed, and rubbed (you get the idea, but that is how to work linseed oil). The stock is not looking great, too much old stain left in splotches, but the wood will certainly have more protection once I am done with it. If I get really eager next weekend, I may use some paint remover, take it all down to bare wood and start again; but then again this stock is not nice like the one on my Hungarian Mosin Nagant, and may never look all that good unless I paint it.

As it is now, the stock is in the garage, and the rest of it is where it belongs in a box on the table on my patio. I guess I had better get off of my butt and bring it in before it rains and ruins it now that I have virtually all of the cosmoline off of it. That of course was another job of rubbing, but one seemingly made easier today with my use of gasoline on smaller parts to clean them. Gasoline sure works better than mineral spirits, but I have to wonder how much more dangerous it is to use it. I think I'll stick with mineral spirits in the future because while working with the gasoline all I could think of was a ball of flame. Yeah, I know that mineral spirits burns too, but I think gasoline is much more volatile; and it sure smells worse. Regardless, the cosmoline on this rifle was thin, even missing in places (yes there was rust where it was lacking) and it came off easier than ever, even when I reverted to mineral spirits on some parts.

As for the condition of the Soviet rifle, it sucks compared to my 1955 Hungarian Mosin Nagant m-44. The Hungarian one was purchased by me as arsenal refinished, like new condition. That is pretty much how it came to me, but of course it was covered thickly with cosmoline or whatever is the stuff the eastern bloc countries used back then. I cleaned up that one, refinished the stock, and it looks great. The new one will still look very used, and my guess would be that it is in NRA condition good to very good, though for the life of me I cannot figure out how rifles in this shape would rate even good by any one's standards; then again I am a picky guy. There is no almost bluing on the section of barrel that was exposed near the muzzle, and almost all the bluing left where the metal was under the forestock and handguard. Of course that is where the rust sneaked in, because they did not get enough cosmo under the wood. The action area also lacks a lot of bluing, and had some rust as did the magazine. The part numbers are not matched by serial number, so this is a thrown together rifle from mismatched parts. The bore does look pretty good, with lots of strong rifling, and it is even pretty shiny. When I held it up to the sky today to take a look (after cleaning it) it took on the blue color of the afternoon sky.

There is some more work to be done on that stock in the future; but for now I may just put it back together, and bring it to the range next weekend, and let Brendan shoot it to see how it shoots. I mean why have it at all if we are not going to shoot it! I may get around to really making that stock look nice, but of course, since the metal is not all that nice, I will be wondering if it is worth it. A few more coats of boiled linseed oil, and lots and lots of rubbing it in, for protection from the elements, and it may be good to go. I guess it might be a good first large caliber rifle for me to give to my son as a gift.

Out to the patio for me to retrieve the metal parts, and later for you, because I have got to get back to bed.

All the best,
Glenn B

Do Darts Count...

...as "arms" as expressed in the 2nd Amendment? I would imagine the Founding Fathers meant just about any type of arms, so I guess my 2nd Amendment sign is well placed right under my newy hung dart board. I figured it looked pretty good right there, and that since it is a metal sign, it may help deflect errant darts. I think the only thing I may be lacking is spackle to fill in holes and yellow paint to match the walls because dart holes are probably inevitable. Then again, I may hook up a thin sheet of plywood or paneling or something like that to hang from the bottom of the dart board cabinet so as to block errant darts, something easily removed and replaced so it does not have to be an eyesore when we are not playing.

Our basement was finished when we bought our house 12 years ago, then refinished to make it look better (the old walls really looked bad), and now finally it has a bit more of a user friendly feel to it since I rearranged things a week ago when I shampooed the carpets down there. We have a TV, a dart board, a weight set, and will soon have a nicely set up aquarium (but don't tell my wife about that until I get it all set up). Of course we also have another computer down there, my daughter's college machne that she no longer uses. I have to get a table or desk or computer stand later this afternoon, so I can to set it back up.

I may also pick up a nice set of darts too. I cannot wait to beat my son at it!

All the best,

Glenn B

1945 - The Last Few Days, The Next Few Days, In History...

... were the days that encompassed the worst U.S. Naval disaster for loss of life at sea in history. Of course I am talking about the torpedoing and sinking of the USS Indianapolis by Japanese submarine I-58 on July 30, 1945. On that day, about 300 of the 1,196 man crew perished in the actual attack and sinking. That left almost 900 survivors who went into the water. Despite two distress calls made by the crew before the Indianapolis sank, despite those calls apparently being received by the U.S. Navy, despite her being days overdue at port, she was never reported missing - due both to sad circumstances: Navy protocol at the time, and the fact that she had been returning from one of the most top secret missions of WWII.

For about 4 days and 5 nights, the crew of the USS Indianapolis suffered the perils of being stranded at sea. These included exposure to the sun, exposure to the salt water, lack of fresh drinking water, lack of food, greed expressed by hoarding of meager supplies by some crew mates, the drinking of sea water, the insanity that followed, violence inflicted upon one another due to panic. Yet many of the men were truly heroes, who despite their own exposure to the exact same things, protected other crew mates, cared for the wounded, kept spirits high, fended off shark attack, and prayed beyond hope for rescue.

On August 2 some of the survivors were accidentally spotted by a US air crew of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura on a routine patrol. The immediately dropped of what little they had in the way of survival gear; and they radioed a message "...men in the water...". Soon help was on the way; and the first to arrive on scene to commence rescue operations was the crew of a Catalina PB-Y Flying Boat. That crew had orders to drop survival gear and also had very explicit orders not to land. Despite those orders they landed and started to rescue crew members of the Indianapolis. In all they rescued 56 men.

On August 3, the USS Cecil Doyle, a destroyer, was the first ship to arrive on the scene after her captain had received the distress message relayed on August 2 from the crew of the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura. Without awaiting orders, he took it upon himself to steam full speed ahead to the area. Upon arrival, during the night, the captain ordered a searchlight be pointed upward at low cloud cover, thereby illuminating both the sky and the sea, and of course placing his own ship at great peril. The light was used to spot survivors and to act as a beacon to other search ships.

Between August 2 and August 8 (the last day of search operations), 317 living men were pulled from the waters. Most of the men who perished died due to exposure to the elements, or due to lack of food and water, not to shark attack; but many were indeed attacked by sharks, and many corpses were scavenged by sharks.

Between those two dates, on August 6, 1945, another terrible event of WWII took place. The top secret mission the Indianapolis had just completed days before her sinking was the delivery of the major components of 'Little Boy' to Tinian Island. 'Little Boy' was flown off of Tinian on August 6, 1945 by the B-29 Enola Gay. This aircraft had been named after the mother of its pilot. 'Little Boy' was then dropped on Hiroshima, the first atomic bomb ever used against an enemy in warfare. All of this taking place while the search and rescue operations were still underway for the crew of the Indianapolis. One day after the search and rescue operation for the crew of the Indianapolis ended, the second and (so far) the last, atomic bomb ever detonated in warfare, was dropped over Nagasaki. Oddly enough this one was code named Fat Man.

I think it ironic that the bomb, for which components had been delivered by the USS Indianapolis, was code named Little Boy. Why, well because the aircraft that dropped it, the Enola Gay, was named after the pilot's mother. I imagine his mother never imagined an aircraft named after her, her namesake, figuratively giving birth to a 'Little Boy', especially one capable of such utter destruction. Nor do I think she ever envisioned her real little boy, delivering the Little Boy born of her namesake. Nor would she ever even have hinted to herself that her little boy would take part in what resulted in the loss of so many lives, from both sides, under such terrible circumstances, many of them not much more than little boys.

Though estimates vary, it is fairly safe to say, the Japanese lost an estimated 70,000 plus people as a direct result of each of the bombings (140,000 plus people with both bombings combined), and lost many more due to the after effects of these atomic attacks. The war with Japan, in effect, ended on August 15, 1945 when Japan announced her surrender; but the official end of the war with Japan was September 2, 1945 with the signing of surrender papers.

We probably did not have a 100% need to drop either of those bombs on those two Japanese cities. Japan would have surrendered eventually; but the dropping of the bombs did end the war much more quickly than likely would have been otherwise, and I believe that thousands if not tens of thousands of American, and other allied, lives were spared because we dropped the bombs. Yet, it is scary to think that this could happen again as several more countries now have nuclear weapons or are very close to developing them. Let's hope it never becomes necessary to kill as many people in one fell swoop as we did with Little Boy, and then did again with Fat Man; and let us hope no one else ever thinks it necessary either. Of course while I hope it never comes down to it, if we are ever threatened with our own ultimate destruction by those such as current terrorists or current rogue nations as we were by Japan during WWII, I am all for our survival. So if it comes right down to it as a necessity, I can only say: Nuke em till they glow. For now though, I prefer to think about and memorialize those who lost their lives directly or indirectly related to the above events; and I sincerely hope history does not repeat itself.

All the best,
Glenn B

Escaping A Submerged Vehicle...

...is something we should all have an idea how to accomplish, especially in light of the recent tragedy in the Minneapolis, Minnesota with the bridge collapse. I have reviewed a lot of the news about this sad event, and I was very surprised I did not find one article suggesting how to escape a submerged vehicle.

I have some knowledge of how to do so based upon my employment training, watching documentaries, and watching Myth Busters (a recent show I saw) where they explained the how to get out part, and also why you sometimes cannot get out until the car is full of water.

The following is my understanding of what needs to be done, should such ever happen to you. I am not sure it is 100% correct, but it will give you an idea of what to do; but remember it is your own responsibility to check with proper authorities to verify these steps.

If you are ever in a vehicle that winds up in the water completely submerged, there are a few steps you can attempt that may greatly increase your, and other passengers, chances of survival. The first thing to do is to remove your seat belt (always wear your seat belt when driving, it may prevent you from being knocked unconscious if you ever wind up in a submerged vehicle, and then what could you do to save yourself). Then tell others to do likewise, or remove the safety restraints of any other young occupants who cannot do so themselves. Then tell others the plan. Then take a deep breath and hold it, then open a window (or break it open, try to break a side window and not the windshield as it is much stronger than a side window), if not already open, and allow the water to flow into the car, and do this as soon as possible. Then either escape through the open window or open the door and get out; and of course if need be, you first try to assist any young children, or handicapped people, in the car to get out. This goes even if you cannot swim, because you can float to the surface. If you stay in the car, and help does not arrive almost immediately, you probably will either suffocate (if the car does not fill with water, and it not eventually filling with water is highly unlikely, or you will drown once it does fill with water).

The reason you wait for the car to pretty much fill with water is that you probably cannot get out until it does because of the water pressure. Until the water pressure is just about equal outside and inside the car you most likely cannot open the car door, nor could you get out of a window with the water rushing in. This is why you take as big a breath as you can, then open the window, holding your breath as the water rushes in. Once you can get out, you make for the surface.

By the way, if your car winds up in the water, there is a chance it will float for several seconds up to minutes. If so, get out through a window. Do not wait for the car to submerge, get out.

A good thing to carry in your car is a 'center punch'. It is a pointed, spring loaded, pen like device used to mark areas where someone wants to drill or hammer nails. If you have it set properly (usually as set when you buy it) and you press it into the side window of a car, the window will shatter. This device should be handy, as in a small case that is securely attached to your dashboard, or center console, for easy access.

Will this plan always work - probably not. Is it better than just staying in the car and doing nothing - probably so. As for me I would bet my life on it.


All the best,
Glenn B

What Did You Want To Be When You Grew Up?

It is amazing for me when I think back to my childhood, and remember what it was I wanted to grow up to be. I loved to watch western shows, like the Lone Ranger and other so called 'cowboy shows'; though the ones I liked best were lawman or loner shows wherein the main character was the good guy, even if only on the edge of goodness. I loved to dress up in western outfits too, with my shiny metal cap guns at my sides, and my faithful air gun in my hands. It wasn't so much I think that I liked cowboys, and the cowboy life, but rather that I liked those characters on television, especially loners, who were portrayed as heroes. I loved Superman, Hercules with Steve Reeves, and I loved pirate movies wherein the pirate was the bad guy who turned good guy. I really liked westerns with those loner heroes too. You know the ones, don't you - like the Lone Ranger or Roy Rogers, or The Rifleman. As time went by I remained mesmerized by shows like Bat Masterson, Have Gun Will Travel, Zoro, Maverick, all those John Wayne movies. Robin Hood, though not a western was another favorite. Then, I guess when I was just about turning into a teen, or maybe a bit before, a new genre of television show was born out of the then current times and world situation - the spy and secret agent shows. I remember being absolutely fascinated by Secret Agent Man, and its sequel The Prisoner. I loved shows like The Saint, The Man From Uncle, I Spy, Sherlock Holmes reruns, and even Get Smart (yes even comedies about this kind of thing were right up my alley). I wanted to be like one of these guys, well maybe not too much like Maxwell Smart, but you get the idea.


As I got older, and was in high school, my taste in films changed a bit; but still the overriding theme was the hero, sometimes shady, sometimes out in the light, but almost always not seen for the true person he really was because of a certain mystique that surrounded him. Bogart movies and things like the Thin Man series of films enthralled me. At that time my choice of careers also changed, and it moved drastically away from anything of the nature of those Hollywood characters for a brief time.I sought of drifted toward wanting to become a veterinarian, but I soon realized I could never afford the schooling for it. Then I thought I would love to become a game warden or conservation officer; in fact I thought it would be better than being a vet, it would be along the lines of what I had always wanted to be and it would include animals, nature, elements of risk and danger, intrigue and adventure. Since I loved animals of all sorts, not as in cuddling them as much as being fascinated by them, and I loved the outdoors for camping, hiking, shooting, archery, hunting, fishing, and so forth, I figured this was for me. When I went to college, I majored in Police Science because some jerk my guidance counselor in high school had steered me that way to get a job as a conservation officer or game warden. Man was he ever so wrong, I should have majored in zoology, or biology, or marine science or something else like them.


Well the next thing you know, there I am about 3/4 of the way through college and I realized the mistake that had been made. Not a good time to change majors, so I started to look toward other jobs, ones I hoped would have an element of danger, risk taking, something with adventure, and something where I could do the right thing like all those characters I enjoyed so much. I did not want to be a cop, not on a local level, so when an opportunity came around to take a test for Border Patrol Agent - I took it. After scoring high in the 90's on the test (out of 100) I thought I would be right in. Yet somehow it took about 2 years of waiting for the government to first hire all those they could hire with test scores as low as in the 70's based, of course, on affirmative action, before then conceded that yes they should hire me. I guess my numerous phone calls, and letters, as well as my two trips to Washington, DC to see some muckety-muck in I&NS HQ paid off. Finally they called me for a job.


They called me one day and told me I had about 2 hours to make up my mind as to whether or not I wanted a Border Patrol Agent slot in Calexico, California. I studied a map, and I saw that the Cleavland National Forest was close by; so I figured it must be Paradise and I would love it there. I said yes, they said I was hired. What a faulty assumption I had made about loving it in Calexico. It was, as I later discovered proverbially a hole along the border, 100 miles from water, and 2 feet from hell. Oh well life went on, and I was a federal agent. It was certainly an adventure, and I have lots of memories good and bad, and lots of 'war' stories to tell. It truly was like the wild west like that portrayed in those shows of my youth, and I have the scars to prove it. As fate would have it, I later transferred to U.S. Customs as a patrol Officer in New York. Then I became a Special Agent with Customs. After 9/11 when the I&NS was abolished, they combined its investigative personnel with U.S. Customs Special Agents under the newly created Department of Homeland Security and specifically within ICE. What a shame such a good agency as the Customs Service was destroyed, and the I&NS likewise, by a knee jerk reaction to 9/11; but that is what happened and I have managed to live with it, as have all the other agents so effected. Yet, it has all been an adventure, sort of like life in a Bogart movie - adventure, romance, intrigue, danger, getting the tough job done all in relatively short clips.

Nowadays there are still times at work when I honestly still can say that it is an an adventure. Heck it was one of those days today. I worked with a great group people today, and they did one heck of a bang-up job because of some really good investigative work on their part that made the job well worth while all over again. Thanks to guys and gals like the team with which I worked today, and thanks to those dreams I had so long ago, and thanks to film and TV heroes that really exemplified the struggle between good versus bad as opposed to the confusing crap they show to kids today, I became what I had wanted to be when I grew up. Not a spy, not a cowboy, not a sheriff, not a masked crusader, not a lone ranger, not a secret agent, not a detective, not a superman, but rather a regular guy who would stand up for Truth, Justice and the American Way (yes I borrowed that line from the old Superman series). It really has been one heck of an adventurous ride so far; and my career will have been going on for 28 years this September. When I look back on it all, I can say that: Life in a Bogart movie (at least when he was the good guy) can be an excellent thing indeed. I can also say, and say it without a doubt, that I grew up to be exactly what I had wanted to be so long ago. I guess that is in essence why I use the signature line that I do in my emails and on forums:

When I look in the mirror, I am happy to see,

some of that nine year old boy, who used to be me.

So, do you see any of your own nine year old self still within you; what did you want to be when you grew up?

All the best,

Glenn B

Knappogue Castle 1994 Irish Single Malt Whiskey - what a find!

So tonight, I made history, at least in the respect that I did something I will not soon forget. I stopped by one of my local purveyors of fine spirits, the one closest to my home and with the best selection around me, to buy a bottle of single malt Scotch. Now I am not a big whiskey drinker, and only started to drink scotch a year or two ago, but I came to like it a bit - now and then. I have had a few of the finer ones, and I have enjoyed them very much.

While at the store tonight, something different caught my eye, and maybe it did because I am at least in part of Irish descent. I spied a bottle of pale colored whiskey, in a boxed set along with a small ceramic ewer. I was not immediately impressed, but as I looked it over, I noted it was a single malt. Hmm, maybe it was for me, then again maybe not since I had come in to buy a bottle of Scotch. I grabbed hold of one, and walked down the aisle a bit to peruse the fine Scotches on hand. They had bottles of single malt ranging in price from $20.99 (no notation as to age) to $169.99 for an 18 year old Macallan. I had about a total of $65.00 in my pocket, and that included my lunch money for lunches at work over the next three days. The Knappogue Castle Irish Single Malt Whiskey was only $32.99. Now I know you often get what you pay for, but sometimes whiskey can be a pleasant surprise. Then I remembered something about Irish single malts, they were somehow made differently than Scotch whiskey. I decided to go with the Irish.

As I opened the bottle, I noted that it has a 1994 distilled date. Thirteen years old right now. Okay, this stuff was bottled sometime between 2004 and 2006, from what I can gather, so it would have been 10 or 12 years old when bottled. I also noted that it is pale in color, much paler than any whiskey I have ever seen before. I opened it and found the aroma to be light, springtime fresh, a bit fruity, and of course with the overall aroma of fine whiskey. Well I just sat down with a nice one over the rocks, and I took a sip, then two, then three. I like it a lot. In fact it is truly the mellowest 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume) whiskey that I have ever imbibed. It goes onto the tongue like silk - it is that smooth; and it goes down the pipes the same way. No harsh aftertaste, no harsh kick. It tastes like fine whiskey with no taste of peat... Hey wait a minute, that's it. No taste of peat, and as I drank I read about Knappogue Castle Irish Single Malt Whiskey on their web site, and they noted that the difference between their single malt and Scotch single malts is that they do not dry the malt using peat! What a heavenly difference in flavor this makes, or at least that is my guess as to why this whiskey is ever so smooth.

Now note, if you decide to run out and buy a bottle, then discover it tastes very different than what I have written here, bear in mind that they already have a new vintage out, the new one distilled in 1995. According to their web site, the 1995 distilled vintage has much more of a "bourbon barrel wood quality" to it. I may try the 1995 someday too. For now though, I kind of think that the 1994 distilled vintage is about the best, and certainly the smoothest, darned sipping whiskey I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying; and that is one heck of nice surprise at only $32.99 a bottle. I may just have to get another of the 1994 distilled vintage, and put it away for a cloudy, damp and cool day.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History - A Big Bang Of Sorts...

...was made when Benjamin Chambers was issued a patent on July 31, 1849, for the first patented breech loading cannon. What a coincidence that the area into which a live round is loaded is called the chamber. To see the diagram that the U.S. patent office has on file for this wonderful device, click here.

All the best,
Glenn B

Maybe This Will Help The Real British To Wake Up...

...and realize that all of their white man's guilt for centuries of the British Empire having been a colonial power is not going to be assuaged by making others, who were once oppressed by the British, British citizens. No it is not surprising that 38% of south Asians who were polled said they do not feel like they are British - see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6921534.stm.

So, many of those Pakistani Muslims are not going to melt in the pot, nor are many of the other folks from places like India, Hong Kong, or anywhere else. Just because you gave them British Citizenship does not mean that they will not seek to destroy your way of life, if by nothing else, then by not assimilating and spreading their own culture within your borders. In fact, as can be witnessed from what is going on across the pond, it seems as if many of those folks would rather destroy the British way of life and replace it with something a bit more fatalistic.

All the best,
Glenn B

Tagged For 8 Things About Me

I have been tagged by Bill from Quill Of Bill to tell 8 things about myself. Before I do that, I think I am supposed to tell you the rules, because after I do all this, I am supposed to tag 8 other bloggers.

***

HERE ARE THE RULES:

01. Post the rules before you give the facts

02. Players start with 8 random facts/habits about themselves

03. People who are tagged need to write their own blog

04. At the end of your blog you need to choose eight people that you tag and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment, telling them they are tagged, and to read your blog.

***

8 THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. I just grew my beard back.

2. I often tend to have little self confidence in things like do it yourself home repair.

3. I procrastinate a lot on things I need to get done (probably because of lack of confidence); but I have been getting more things done lately in a timely fashion.

4. I am eligible to retire and am dreaming about it daily; though I hope I can wait until January 2009, when I think one of my biggest debts will be paid in full.

5. I am thinking of becoming a Conservation Officer for a 2nd career.

6. I believe common courtesy as being one of the most important things in living life.

7. I can be quite cantankerous.

8. I would love to move to the country, or to a small country side village, when I retire; and one of the biggest disappointments in my life is that my wife does not want to, and refuses consider such in no uncertain terms.

***

HERE IS THE LIST OF THOSE THAT I AM TAGGING:

1. Eric at http://straightwhiteguy.com/

2. Greybeard at http://greybeard.igogg.com/

3. GeekWithA.45 at http://geekwitha45.blogspot.com/

4. Chris Byrne at http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/

5. Geoffrey at http://www.dogsnot.net/wp/

6. Quidni at http://qquidni.blogspot.com/

7. LawDog at http://thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com/

8. Mighty Mom at http://texassiren.blogspot.com/

***

If any of you do not want to do this, please feel free not to do it. Thanks.

All the best,

Glenn B

Dog Piss Stains and the Joys of Carpet Cleaning...

...are among things most on my mind right now - can you imagine what a boring life I lead! Fact is that our oldest dog Sprocket, at about 17 to 18 years old, is pretty darned old and sometimes just can not hold it in while we are at work. (She is the one to your left in the photo.) The carpet in the basement, and the one in the living room, have suffered because of that. While the one on the living room is not looking too bad, the one in the basement has large obvious stains. So off to Home Depot I went last week to rent a carpet shampooer. Silly me for not having called first, they had none on hand. It seemed a lot of folks had flooded basements and needed to clean carpets due to very heavy rains just over a week ago. So I waited, and I called yesterday, and they said 'come on down - we have plenty'.

So far I have spent a few hours moving furniture, vacuuming, and shampooing the carpet. Now I am waiting for the dehumidifier to works it magic, and when the half of the basement carpet that I cleaned is dry, I'll check to see if the stains are gone. If so, then onto the other half of the basement carpet, and probably the living room carpet too. Oh joy.

Later for you, time to check to see how clean it got.

All the best,
Glenn B

United Parcel Service (UPS) Deliveries...

...can be pretty iffy things, or so it seems to me if you want to receive items in good condition. I recently ordered a Ladder tree Stand from the Sportsmansguide.com. It was apparently delivered to my house yesterday by UPS, who left it on my front stoop. Funny, because my wife was home when it was delivered, yet no one knocked on our door, they just left it there.

The shipping carton was in horrendous shape; and maybe that is why no one knocked on the door to see if someone was home to accept delivery. I am willing to bet the delivery man did not want to have the delivery "not" accepted. I have told my wife and kids never to accept a package in such shape. The carton itself had several holes in it, some that could easily fit my fist through them, and also had several smaller holes. The middle of the carton was bulged or bent. Parts of the ladder stand were sticking out of the box. The ends of the ladder stand were obviously scratched (I would like the finish intact to resist rust) where the delivery person, or someone else, had probably dragged the heavy box instead of lifting it (approximate weight 78 pounds plus box and packing material). If there are any small parts, and there should be nuts and bolts and such, my bet is some may be missing as I heard some pieces freely falling as I turned the box to take several pictures of it today. What a mess.

The holes shown in the pictures here are just some of them. Every corner of the box was torn open. There also were several smaller tears in the middle of the carton. At one point the box seems bent or bulged, I can only guess at the damage to the item inside, or that parts are likely missing. Well, I contacted the vendor: Sportsmansguide today. They told me to call back on Monday when Customer Service is open. I also sent them an email about this. Then I tried to contact UPS via their web site complaint process. It seems you need to know the extent of the damage before you can report something to them, so I guess I'll wait until Sportsmansguide tells me whether or not to even bother opening it, or to just return it for another.

Sportsmansguide has been good about stuff like this in the past, so I am hopeful they will take care of this right away. I am none too sure though that UPS will deliver another one in any better shape than this one. I know it can easily be lifted by someone in so-so shape, heck I lifted it today to take pictures, and my son carried it into the garage yesterday from the front stoop - never once dropping it, never once dragging it, never once damaging it. To think, the UPS delivery people get paid a darned good salary to leave things in such condition, they ought to be ashamed of themselves!

All the best,

Glenn B

The Immaculate Conception?

The test I just took, as mentioned in the post immediately previous to this one, once again demonstrated to me that many people are unaware of just what was the Immaculate Conception in Christian dogma. In that test of conservatism, they pose a question that in essence asks: If you could go back in time, and bring one thing with you, which choice would you make of the following 6 choices. One of those choices is this:

"The Immaculate Conception—with a video camera."

My guess is that the author of that question wrongly believes that the conception of Jesus Christ was The Immaculate Conception, after all this would be some action which you could see, and of which you might be able to take a video. The fact is that the Immaculate Conception was not the conception of Jesus Christ; nor was it an action of any sort. Do you know what truly was, according to Christianity, the Immaculate Conception? Don't look it up anywhere, just answer yes or no as to whether or not you know for sure. If I get a few answers either way, I'll tell you just what was it. And, yes I know the meaning of the Immaculate Conception even though I do not practice any faith; after all I used to be a practicing Catholic. Hint: it reportedly was revealed to Bernadette at Lourdes.

All the best,
Glenn B

Flag Waving Everyman or Anti-Government Gunslinger

Well, thanks to the Anarchangel, I took the test at: http://www.fightliberals.com/Inside-the-Book/What-Breed-of-Conservative-Are-You.html and I got the following results. Like the Anarchangel, I had an iffy answer. Question number 4 was a toss-up for me, with answers C or E being just as correct in my mind. Changing that one answer from C to E gave a very different result as seen below.

With C as the answer:

My Conservative Identity:

You are a Flag-Waving Everyman, also known as a patriot. You believe in freedom, apple pie, rooting for America at all times, and that God gave us a two-day weekend so we could enjoy football and NASCAR.

Take the quiz at ttp://www.fightliberals.com/Inside-the-Book/What-Breed-of-Conservative-Are-You.html

With E as the answer:

My Conservative Identity:

You are an Anti-government Gunslinger, also known as a libertarian conservative. You believe in smaller government, states’ rights, gun rights, and that, as Reagan once said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

Take the quiz at http://www.fightliberals.com/Inside-the-Book/What-Breed-of-Conservative-Are-You.html

So I guess I am teetering betwixt the two. I prefer to be the patriot, and don't really believe I am anti-government, unless they mean I am against our current brand of assholes politicians in charge of the Congress, the Judiciary and the Executive branches. I hope to help change that next election.

All the best,
Glenn B

Mindless Scribbling of an Insomniac...

...is about to grace this page.

I had some great nights' and days' sleep over the last week and a half when i was down with bronchitis. Now that I am feeling about 85-90% again, I am finding it hard to sleep through the night, or to even fall asleep. So for the last hour or so I have been playing solitaire, reading blogs, and looking at Tag Sale and estate Sale advertisements in the local paper. If I ever get some sleep tonight, when I awaken in the morning (heck I see it is already about an hour into the AM) I will be off to enjoy tearing through someone else's treasures and junk - looking for that find of a lifetime. I don't know what it is about tag sales (not garage sales, but sales in which the entire, or just about the entire, contents of a house are for sale) except maybe that I have bought some 'needful things' in the past that have somehow wound up making me a huge return on my measly investments when I resold them on eBay. I imagine, hypothetically of course, that if I have spent a few hundred dollars on items at tag sales, I have made back at least three to four times the amount. Who knows, but maybe after using all the gas, and after all the wear and tear on my car, I actually may have broken even - almost. It is all for fun, so off I'll probably go when the sun is up.

All the best,
Glenn b

Ballseye's Firearms Training & Tactics - Pistol Nomenclature

In order for a new comer to shooting to understand some of the things I will write about in the furture regarding how to familiarize yourself with and shoot a pistol, you will first need an understanding of basic pistol nomenclature. I have tried my hand at giving you a diagram that shows most of the nomenclature on a Beretta 92FS, double action, semi-automatic pistol. Note the nomenclature may or may not be the same for the type of pistol that you train with or shoot. In fact it may be quite different in some regards, especially with regard to the safety and its function, the hammer (exposed or not exposed), the magazine release (type and location), the slide lock/release (if any) and so forth. Always make sure to read the manufacturer's instruction sheet and pistol diagram to familiarize yourself with any firearm, and if they are not available then try to get them before handling the firearm. If you cannot get them, then ask a competent firearms instructor to familiarize you with the firearm; in fact even if you have the instruction sheet and diagram, it is a good idea to have an instructor familairize you with the firearm.

Sure, I know, the print seems to small to read, and those lines hard to follow; but if you left-click on the image, it should show up as an enlarged version. Any quiestions, leave them in the comments section. Note I only mentioned the parts you will have to understand to learn to shoot. That little metal ring at the bottom of the grips is a laynard loop (my personal opinion - don't bother ever using a laynard, except maybe on a boat). The screws in the grips are grip screws, don't take them ouut, but make sure they are tight. As I said, any questions, contact me via a comment.

All the best,
Glenn B

Feeling Good Enough Today To Do Some Cooking...

...so I suspect I might get back to work tomorrow. Being out for a week and a half may sound okay, but is is not enjoyable when you cannot do much of anything. I did get to go to the range last Saturday with Brendan, and even though he drove there and back, I guess I should not have gone because it whooped the tar out of me. I thought I was getting better, better than I actually was, and I paid for that few hours of fun with feeling worse the next few days. Oh well, as the doc told me, it will take time for me to fully get better.

I did manage to cook three times this week, and I have not cooked that often in quite some years. First I cooked some really decent steaks my wife had marinated, and I grilled up some young octopus too. Mmmmmm gooood. Day before yesterday, I cooked up one heck of a roast chicken, if I say so myself - but then again Linda and Brendan told me it was great. I mixed up some butter, olive oil, prosciutto, green onions, oregano, paprika, lemon zest, and thyme and used it to stuff the bird under the breast skin (between the skin and breast meat). I added a bunch of baby red potatoes to the roasting pan along with some cut up white turnips, and some of the left over stuffing mixture, and there it was. As for me I really couldn't taste it, I haven't been able to taste almost anything in about a week now, though some of the flavors did get through to me.

Then today I made a mixture of east meets west kind of a meal. I sauteed young octopus in a pan then added halved cherry tomatoes, about 1/2 of a jalapeno pepper, a small green pepper, a bunch of green onions, regular onion, minced garlic, fresh thyme, fresh basil, a leaf or to of fresh spearmint, salt, pepper and the juice of half a lemon and let it cook. Later on I added bean sprouts (the type used in Chinese cooking), and snow pea pods (nice fat ones), and a bit of soy sauce. This time I could taste it a bit. Mmmm good, and Brendan said so to. The wife is about to sit down to try it. My guess is she will say too much salt but that she will like it. The great thing is she complimented me on how clean I kept the kitchen. That means I may start cooking more often. I do love to cook, and I love to eat what I cook even more.

Added Note: The wife sat down to a huge plate of it, all that was left. She ate with some gusto, said too salty and a bit too spicy, but overall was good. Oh well, she ate it all; and I am pleased to have pleased she who must be adored.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History: 10 Years of Controversary...

...began on today's date in 1997 when scientists announced that for the very first time human stem cells had been cultured in a lab. A progress report of his work was announced by Dr. John D. Gearheart, prior to his publishing it, in order to begin discussion of ethical guidelines for using stem cells. (see: http://www.todayinsci.com/7/7_25.htm)

I think there is a lot of medical promise in the use of stem cells, but I do not agree that they should be taken from aborted human fetuses. If someone wanted life that badly as to need stem cells from an aborted fetus, why not let the fetus live in the first place? No I am not totally against abortion, I believe there is a just and moral place for it, such as in instances of rape, medical need, and incest, but I also believe it should not be used as birth control for sluts who choose not to keep that pin between their knees. There are however, new methods of culturing stem cells, and I think these should be studied vigorously, and used to the benefit of mankind and the natural world around us.

All the best,
Glenn B

Classic Leading Man Test

Your Score: John Wayne

You scored 54% Tough, 4% Roguish, 23% Friendly, and 19% Charming!

You, my friend, are a man's man, the original true grit, one tough talking, swaggering son of a bitch. You're not a bad guy, on the contrary, you're the ultimate good guy, but you're one tough character, rough and tumble, ready for anything. You call the shots and go your own way, and if some screwy dame is willing to accept your terms, that's just fine by you. Otherwise, you'll just hit the open trail and stay true to yourself. You stand up for what you believe and can handle any situation, usually by rushing into the thick of the action. You're not polished and you're not overly warm, but you're a straight shooter and a real stand up guy. Co-stars include Lauren Bacall and Maureen O'Hara, tough broads who can take care of themselves.

Find out what kind of classic dame you'd make by taking the Classic Dames Test.

Link: The Classic Leading Man Test written by gidgetgoes on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Well that is how I rated on the Classic Leading Man Test. If you want to try for yourself, go to:

http://www.okcupid.com/tests/8651547809586515731/Classic-Leading-Man

A Parable...

...as well written as what I am about to show you is a rare thing, especially in today's world; but what I am about to show you is well written indeed. It explains an awful lot about the world we live in, here in the USA and anywhere in the world. I received it in an email from a friend. I do not not know if there is any truth to the fact that it was supposedly written by someone in the U.S. Military to someone in academia, but I think little of that matters. What matters is the content of the parable, and the moral it conveys. Aesop would be proud of the man who wrote this.

Now please note, I don't have permission to reprint it here, then again I do not know if it is copyrighted material. I believe though with all my heart that the person who wrote it would want me to share it with you, and you with others. I hope so, but if he does not, and tells me to pull it from my site, I will do so. Yet I think that very unlikely just from the spirit in which it was written. Read on, it is on the long side, but well worth the read:

***

This letter was written by Charles Grennel and his comrades who are veterans of the Global War On Terror. Grennel is an Army Reservist who spent two years in Iraq and was a principal in putting together the first Iraq elections, January of 2005.

It was written to Jill Edwards, a student at the University of Washington who did not want to honor Medal of Honor winner USMC Colonel Greg Boyington. Ms. Edwards and other students (and faculty) do not think those who serve in the U.S. armed services are good role models.


To: Edwards, Jill (student, UW)Subject: Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs

Miss Edwards, I read of your "student activity" regarding the proposed memorial to Col. Greg Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor winner. I suspect you will receive a bellyful of angry e-mails from folks like me.

You may be too young to appreciate fully the sacrifices of generations of servicemen and servicewomen on whose shoulders you and your fellow students stand. I forgive you for the untutored ways of youth and your naiveté. It may be that you are, simply, a sheep. There's no dishonor in being a sheep - - as long as you know and accept what you are.

William J. Bennett, in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997 said: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

Then there are the wolves and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

Then there are sheepdogs and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf. If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the unchartered path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheepdog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours. Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them.

This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door. Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America , more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." You want to be able to make a difference. There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa , when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself. Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey . Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When they learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd and the other passengers confronted the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

"There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men." - Edmund Burke. Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice.

But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision. If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

This business of being a sheep or a sheepdog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between.

Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. Its ok to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheepdog. Indeed, the sheepdog may just run a little harder, strive to protect a little better and be fully prepared to pay an ultimate price in battle and spirit with the sheep moving from "baa" to "thanks".

We do not call for gifts or freedoms beyond our lot. We just need a small pat on the head, a smile and a thank you to fill the emotional tank which is drained protecting the sheep. And when our number is called by "The Almighty", and day retreats into night, a small prayer before the heavens just may be in order to say thanks for letting you continue to be a sheep. And be grateful for the thousands - - millions - - of American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.

***

It does not matter who wrote this in the end, what matters is the content, the moral contained within. It is masterful. I have not ever heard it said better. I think it should be required reading in grammar school all the way up through post-graduate schools. It should be something that parents read to their pre-school kids. It should be something read from pulpits in churches, synagogues, and mosques throughout the land. It is something that should be posted on billboards in our inner cities and suburbs. It is, I think, something that someone like Garrison Keiler should read on the radio, though I doubt he would ever recite anything as right as this. It is something that should be seen and heard nightly on the news. It is something our politicians, civic, religious and educational leaders need to emphasize. It is something all Americans need to wake up to and take to heart.

My thanks to the supposed person who wrote it: Charles Grennel - or whomever was the author - a true patriot indeed.

All the best,

Glenn B