StreamLight Just Keeps Making The Holidays Brighter For Our Troops

Six or seven posts back I commented on the generosity of StreamLight because once again they were to have donated 12 tactical flashlights to the Soldiers' Holiday Care Package this year as they did last year. Well it did not happen, and it is not going to happen. Now don't get it wrong, it is not that they have rescinded their offer or anything like that. The truth of the matter is that they made it even better. You see they sent me 16 TL-2 LED Tactical Flashlights instead of 12, and I received them today. It was not a mistake either, it was Angel DelliGatti and StreamLight being very, very nice. You see when I inquired about purchasing flashlights this year directly from Streamlight, Angel told me that we would again get a dozen flashlights from StreamLight for free. Well it was great news, but I again asked for a price so I also could buy a few to go into the package from the donations you guys sent in for the package contents. That way at least we could have shown our appreciation and support of StreamLight and Ms. DellliGatti by actually making some sort of purchase from them. Well instead of sending me a price, they sent another 4 flashlights for free.

Once again, I find myself humbled. I have to say that StreamLight and Ms. Angel DelliGatti have left me absolutely amazed at their kindness, and at their unflinching support for our troops. Heck they don't know me from Adam, yet they sent me 16 flashlights that I found retailing anywhere from about $57 apiece to $65 apiece depending on the dealer. The lights they sent me are the TL-2 model, not the NightFighters I thought we were going to get, but appear to be quite similar and I am not complaining. In fact the lights are fine looking pieces of tactical gear at that, and you can see just what they sent here:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=36

The specs seem much the same if you look at the NightFighter here:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=32

Or you can compare the specs for both side by side here:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/productcompare.aspx

Now if there is any doubt as to how much these little beauties retail for, just go here and take a look:

http://www.streamlight-flashlights.com/881-5.html

Yep, the price tag shows them ON SALE at $64.95 each, and shows the regular price of $99.95! Of course, as I said earlier, I have found them as low priced as about $57.00. Still that is no little amount especially when you consider that StreamLight sent 16 of them. If we bought them at the lowest price I found, that would have amounted to about $912! Yet Angel DelliGatti of StreamLight got her company to send them to us free of charge for inclusion in the Soldiers' Holiday Care Package. I think you have to agree that Angel and the rest of the folks at StreamLight are truly generous and GREAT AMERICANS! I have to hand it to them, they are awesome in their kindness and patriotism.

Last year, StreamLight sent extra batteries for the lights. This year they did not. Don't misunderstand me - no complaints from me especially since they sent 4 additional free flashlights this year over last year's dozen. I just mention it because it means I may buy 32 replacement CR123A lithium batteries this year from your donations, two extra batteries for each light. Each flashlight requires 2 batteries, and each is packaged with two batteries, but I figure it would be a good idea to send some extras. After that I would imagine the troops can get their own from their commissary or base exchange, or sent to them from home. If not they can always drop me a line and I'll see what I or we can do. I'll see how the money situation works out after I buy some other things for the packages first.

My next stop will be somewhere for some decent folding knives. If I recall right, last year I bought some Gerber and Buck folders. This year I am thinking of buying 11 folding knives. That way, of the 26 guys in Jamie's unit, one can get a knife, the next one can can get a flashlight, and so on alternating down the line. Jamie himself will be given a light and a knife - so my math works out okay. One of each to Jamie, leaving 10 knives and 15 flashlights (25 items) to be distributed among the other 25 guys. They can do it by drawing straws or numbers or like a grab bag, but each guy will get either a knife or a light if Jamie follows my suggestion on how to dole em out to his unit.

Enough of this for now.

Oh, one other thing, I got another $10 donation sent in via PayPal. I think that makes the total something like $290 in monetary donations so far. I'll only be collecting up through next weekend, so keep it coming please so we can make a real difference for these guys this year.

Again, in closing, allow me to say:

THANK YOU ANGEL DELLIGATTI AND STREAMLIGHT.

All the best,
Glenn B

Margaret Thatcher, I think we all can agree...

...was a pretty smart lady, and that stands whether or not we agreed with her politics. I truly believe that she hit the nail on the head when she said this: "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money".

That problem will be one of the biggest ones with socialized medicine should it ever be fully implemented here in the USA. It is certainly one of the biggest problems elsewhere around the world with socialized medicine right now.

Don't believe me or Margaret Thatcher, well then maybe you would believe the words of another smart lady, one who said: "That was disgusting". She was only 3 when she said it, and she was, possibly without even realizing it, making reference to socialized medicine. Go here to read the whole story.

All the best,
Glenn B

One More For My Love Linda...

When I'm Sixty-four

Dear Linda,

I hope the answer is yes.

Love,

Glenn

100 Things I Have Done - Have You Done Any Of Them

Have You Ever:

1. Waited for someone special who did not show up, and realized years later that your experience of that event had shaped much of your life?

2. Gotten so drunk you passed out and later had no memory of some things that happened before you passed out?

3. Repeatedly guessed what was inside wrapped presents each Christmas before opening them?

4. Taken a bus cross country?

5. Driven cross country, more than 2,000 miles by yourself?

6. Been wounded badly?

7. Seen the smile on a child’s face when he or she caught their first fish?

8. Field stripped and reassembled a firearm with eyes closed/or while blindfolded/or while in the dark?

9. Successfully hunted for wild game?

10. Achieved straight A’s in 2 or more consecutive semesters?

11. Walked more than 10 miles in one day?

12. Been to a foreign land?

13. Been overseas?

14. Sat patiently for hours, on your deer stand, in the rain or snow waiting, for a deer to show up?

15. Caught frogs, with your children, using your bare hands, and realized they were better at it than you - especially your daughter?

16. Ridden in a crowded subway and enjoyed it?

17. Heard someone in screaming in terror for help and actually gone to help them while unarmed?

18. Had nightmares because you had shot someone justifiably?

19. Seen the view from the top of the Empire State Building again and again and again?

20. Been to Ground Zero while it was still smoldering?

21. Taken a ferry ride for no particular reason?

22. Hiked to the top of a mountain?

23. Sinned while in a house of worship?

24. Grown a vegetable garden?

25. Been seriously assaulted and successfully defended yourself?

26. Bathed naked in a cold mountain stream?

27. Dug sea life fossils out of the ground near the top of a mountain?

28. Swam in the ocean at night after first having seen the movie Jaws?

29. Scored several consecutive bull’s eyes in archery?

30. Not balanced your checkbook in over one year, and not once having overdrawn your account?

31. Enjoyed sex more than 2 times in one day?

32. Broken a bone and set it yourself as best you could before getting to the doctor?

33. Visited your nation’s capital?

34. Enjoyed a visit to a museum more than anything else on a particular vacation?

35. Taught someone else how to shoot?

36. Sharpened a knife with a honing stone?

37. Gotten sunburned so badly you blistered on the same day as getting the burn?

38. Eaten a live animal?

39. Baked a traditional apfelstrudel (apple strudel) from scratch?

40. Gotten beaten up badly by multiple attackers in a fight, and still won the fight?

41. Told your child more than one bedtime story about more than one real life adventure you had and realized in the telling that you were your child's hero?

42. Stared at the sky for hours watching the stars or clouds pass by?

43. Been more than 100 miles out to sea for more than a day?

44. Volunteered for a dangerous job?

45. Slept outdoors without a tent?

46. Started a fire for cooking or warmth on a camping trip without matches or a lighter?

47. Been stung by a bee?

48. Caught a rattlesnake and held it in your hands?

49. Ever realized, as an adult, that you were so scared of something that you just wanted to cry?

50. No matter how scared, faced down that fear I just mentioned in number 49?

51. Marched in a parade as the color guard?

52. Been a pallbearer?

53. Lost over $500 in one card game, and won it back shortly thereafter?

54. Lied to a loved one, and later admitted the lie and told the truth?

55. Been in a car chase at 140 mph or faster?

56. Really fought for your life because someone was trying to kill you?

57. Thought the mailman was the greatest guy ever?

58. Forgotten your best friend’s name even briefly while speaking to him?

59. Gone backpacking for at least a few days in one stretch?

60. Been so broke you had to hunt for food?

61. Given $20 to a homeless guy you just happened to pass on the street?

62. Been in a car crash where the car was totaled and you received only minor injuries?

63. Had a body part removed by surgery?

64. Hitch hiked to anywhere more than 50 miles from your starting point?

65. Spent the night in a cemetery?

66. Watched children build a snow fort and tunnels in the snow and wonder why you remembered the snow being so much deeper when you were a kid?

67. Found a piece of buried treasure or a buried artifact?

68. Found everything you would eat in a day out in the wild?

69. Made a piece of wood furniture - no matter how crude?

70. Been humbled by a child?

71. Learned more than one language?

72. Lost more than 30 pounds?

73. Truly loved and lived knowing the future was uncertain and the end is always near? (Thank you Jim Morrison.)

74. Run more than 6 miles without stopping?

75. Canoe through rapids?

76. Walked up to within 25 feet of a wild bear in the woods?

77. Seen a Peregrine Falcon or other raptor in a large city like New York City?

78. Been in an earthquake of more than 5.0?

79. Swam in different oceans?

80. Read a good book end to end in one day?

81. Gone shopping routinely on Christmas Eve for your loved one’s gifts?

82. Seen at least one of your children being born?

83. Swum more than 5 miles without stopping?

84. Hiked in the woods at night?

85. Given blood?

86. Flown in planes 75 or more times in a single month? (Yes that means on 75 or more individual flights.)

87. Realized for whatever reason you had been an idiot at sometime in your life – and more than once at that?

88. Been taught what to do if you find a bomb on a plane, and actually be ready to do it if need be?

89. Been charged by a bull or a steer and actually push off of its head to get away?

90. Remained true friends with someone even though you had not seen each other in years?

91. Been terrified to do something and yet you did it anyway because you knew it should be done?

92. Been so sick in the hospital that the doctors were convinced of your imminent passing – but here you are after having surprised them?

93. Truly enjoyed your own company for a night out?

94. Enjoyed German beer in Germany?

95. Kissed someone while in your car at a drive in theater?

96. Been thanked by someone for having taught them something important to them?

97. Cared for a young wild bird that fell from its nest?

98. Dropped to your knees and then crouched down some more to really see why the snow looked so much deeper, or the trees so much higher, or an adult so much more imposing to you when you were a child?

99. Realized your children have become young adults and decent, hard working and loving ones at that?

100. Been truly satisfied with your life overall as you have lived it?

Yes I have done all of them, a lot more too when I think about the strange, wonderful, fun, difficult, easy, regular, unusual, recurring, unique, mundane, happy, sad, silly, smart, dangerous, and other things I have done in my lifetime. Nothing great, no bragging, just some 100 things that I have done or that have happened to me so far in my lifetime. I saw another blog with a similar list and it got me to thinking about my expereinces and I posted on some of them here.

All the best,
Glenn B

Dear Mr. President...

...is how I was thinking of beginning a letter to President George W. Bush but I know I probably should not send the letter I am considering sending to him. You see the letter I was considering sending to him was something I just cut out of an email I received. I admit I have no idea who thought it up (that person is a genius) and I would never take credit myself, but I was still thinking about sending it to our current president before it is too late to accomplish what was spelled out in that email. Here is the copy of the email I received, you can judge for yourself whether or not it would be appropriate to send to President Bush (it sure would make him laugh - wouldn't it, and if he pulled it off, it sure would piss off the ultra liberals):

"I am sure that this would really do the trick!

That would make for an interesting Holiday season! You know what would really P**S OFF the Democrats...Bush should resign now.

Then Dick Cheney becomes President (that would really P**S OFF the libs)!!!

Then Cheney appoints Condoleeza Rice as VP (and allow me to add to this email this tidbit: that if he cannot appoint her then he resigns, and the next person becomes VP then resigns, all the way down to Condoleeza Rice in the chain of succession).

Then Cheney resigns two weeks later and Condoleeza Rice, a Republican, becomes the first BLACK - WOMAN President!!!

Yes that should do it alright!!!!!!! "

All it needs is for me to add: Dear President Bush, or Dear Mr. President, then tell him nope it was not my idea but I felt it worthy of sending to him. Then I would have to sign it. Now considering that President-elect Obama will soon be my boss, I was wondering, would this be appropriate for me to send to President Bush? I figure that President Bush has a good sense of humor, I wonder does President-elect Obama have one likewise!

What a truly unique and marvelously mischievous idea.

All the best,
Glenn B

Generosity Of Another Sort

As I said in my last post, so far this year's Soldiers' Holiday Care Package fund has received monetary donations amounting $280. Some people have given pretty sizable amounts, the largest being $50.00. I have got to hand it to them that was generous. Others have given less, and I have got to hand it to them too because what they gave was also generous. StreamLight is again donating a dozen expensive flashlights, that is another form of wonderful generosity. Yet there has been a generous donation that goes beyond those I have just mentioned, not in amount money wise, but in how much of a sacrifice it was to make it.

One of the donations I received, from a source who wishes to remain anonymous, was in the amount of $10.00. It was a cash donation, and besides the cash I donated there was only one other cash donation (you know who you are). I think one of the reasons the person wants to remain anonymous is because of the amount of the gift, and another reason is because that person is humble and is proud at the same time (nothing wrong with being either or both). That person wrote me a note, saying in part: "I wish it could be more". From what I know, the person who sent me that $10.00 made a real sacrifice in order to send that much because that person truly could not afford to send that much money, heck probably could not afford to send anything. Yet the donation was made.

Now you may think - 'What is a measly $10.00 to any of us'. Well with knowing the little bit I do about the person who sent it, I can tell you it is not measly to that person or that person's family. When your income is very low, when you have no reasonable hope to expect your income to be going up any time soon, when you have to eke out a living because circumstances beyond your control put you in a tough spot, when your dignity and work ethic will not allow you to accept government handouts in the form of welfare, well then $10.00 to that person is probably like $50.00, maybe even like $100.00, to the rest of us.

The purpose of this blog-post is not to shame any of you into donating, it is not to try to get any of you who already donated to donate more. Nope those are not the purpose of this post. The purpose of this post is to let the person who donated that hard earned and much needed $10.00 (much needed by that person and that person's family) know that the donation is much appreciated. There is nothing for you to be ashamed about, no reason for you to wish it could have been more, no reason to think it less worthy of note than any other donation I have received toward this effort. As a matter of fact, it is certainly the most generous doantion I have received to date considering your circumstances and you should be proud of yourself.

You know who you are; and while others may guess, I will not tell because I know you would not want me to do so. Heck, I know you would not have wanted me to write this, but truth be told, I wrote it anyway because your generosity deserves at least annonymous recognition. Thank you to you and your family.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Generosity Is Streaming In - StreamLight Does It Again

To paraphrase an email I just sent to Angel DelliGatti of StreamLight:

"Once again I am truly humbled by your generosity. I don't know what else to say except thank you very much. I will of course pass the word onto others about what you have done, and when I shop for lights they will be StreamLights. You folks at StreamLight are so nice it is almost unbelievable, it is people like you who really make this country a great place! I am sure that my Soldiers' Angels soldier for this year - Jamie V., and his fellow troops, will make good use of them.

I would still like to know what price you can offer these at because I would buy at least a few more to ship to the troops. Please don't ad more to the freebie pile, it would be the right thing for us to make a purchase after how nice you have been."

Why am I humbled. Well, like last year, this year I sent out a few emails making inquiries in an attempt to get discounted pricing on some things to include in this years Soldiers' Holiday Care Package(s). One of those emails was sent to StreamLight. I really did not expect them to duplicate their generosity of last year when they donated 12 flashlights and batteries to the care package effort but that is what they did then, and they are doing it gain this year! She is going to send a dozen NF2-LED lights for the package(s). As far as I can figure, the NF2 stands for NightFighter 2.

When I checked their site, this is what I found for the NightFighter LED lights:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=32

While there is little more that I can say than I did in my above email to Ms. DelliGatti, there is something I have to say: She truly is an Angel, she lives up to her name, and how appropriate since I was put in contact with Jamie V., the soldier to whom I will be sending this year's package(s), through Soldiers' Angels!

One other thing I think I must say is that if you are considering a high quality flashlight, especially for tactical purposes, please consider StreamLight. I have used their products and can tell you they have met and exceeded my expectations in tactical flashlights just as their generosity has far surpassed even my wildest expectations.

As I mentioned in my email, I am hopeful we can also buy some lights from StreamLight, also for the troops. I figure it would be the right thing to do in light of their generosity. I realize that this year there is no way we will be able to supply each guy in our soldier's unit with a light (heck there are 26 guys in his direct unit, not 12 like our soldier from last year). That is there is no way unless you guys are extremely generous. So if you can find it in your hearts, please dig up some of your spare change or bills and send in a donation for this year's effort. So far we have gotten together a total of $255.00 including $160 of donations made via my PayPal account and $95 checks and cash.

As with last year's effort, I will document each and every penny of the donations I spend on this, and 100% of your donations will go to purchases of items to be included in the packages. I will pay for shipping charges to include boxes, tape, and postage to send the care packages to Jamie V. over in Afghanistan, and I have also made a $25.00 (included in the above total) donation toward purchases of items. I will also be donating another $25.00 out of my pocket. I suppose that Ms. DelliGatti's and StreamLights generosity has motivated me to do so - so the total of the monetary donations is now: $280.00.

To those of you who have made donations so far, money or otherwise I say THANK YOU; and likewise to those of you who will be making donations.

All the best,
Glenn B

Spent A Day Hunting...

...and sleeping in the woods on Saturday; all the deer just laughed at me probably thinking I would be out cold like RVW for about 20 years or so. I almost did it too, that is stayed asleep for 20 years. I left home at about 12:30 or 1:00 AM, got to the selected happy Hunting Grounds by about 3:00 AM, slept fitfully in my car to the music of Traffic, and Black Sabbath, was awakened at about 5 by a car load of hunters who were yakking away outside my window as they geared up in the icy cold of the predawn morning, slept another half hour (really maybe 10 minutes dozing on and off), a finally got my butt in gear at 0530. I was in the woods by 0545 with sunup and legal shooting time at 0702.

I sat in my portable sport chair for almost 4 hours. It was chilly out, even fairly cold, I guess in the 20s. Just sitting there and the cold gets to your bones even if dressed as warmly as was I. I have to say though that once the sun got around to shining my way, the warmth was wonderful, and I nodded off not for the first or last time while on my stand. After a while longer, I took a walk around for an hour or so. Then back to my stand where I sat (sitting on a stand - what terminology) for a couple more hours. Then I again took a walk. Found another hunter just outside the woods in an overgrown area of a farmer's field. He was completely in camo; and that was a surprise. He did not move a muscle as I walked up from behind, and I noted his shotgun was grounded so I was not expecting him to turn and aim in on me thinking I was a deer or something. Once I was abreast of him we had a short talk, and I headed back from where I had come not wanting to be out in his line of fire. Nice guy, but wearing all camo in firearms deer season!!! Oh well, his hide not mine.

Back on stand until sundown, well actually until at least 20 minutes after sundown. The last thing I remember was looking at my watch and thinking I had 20 minutes left to hunt. I rattled and used my deer calls. Then sat back and waited. I was somewhat hopeful because I had heard a doe bleating in the woods earlier, and she was walking around in circles. I was thinking she might respond to my calls and rattling. As it turned out, an army of deer could have come by, had a few beers few apples from the nearby apple tree, and sniffed at me with the residual deer scent on my gloves. I was happily sound asleep. I don't know exactly when I nodded off, but do know that when I opened my eyes it was well into twilight and the vampires would be out soon. If I had fallen asleep right after looking at my watch - which it the last thing I remembered - then I had slept for about 40 minutes. Oh well, I have slept on deer stands before only to be awakened by an approaching deer that later was my dinner so sleeping is okay by me while hunting. This time though the deer just laughed at me once again. At least my brief naps helped revitalize me for the ride home. Still though, I have to do something about this insomnia thing that only allows me to get sleep in spurts. I could surely use a nice long nap, maybe though not quite as long as good old Rip Van Winkle.

Sunday, I spent the day at The New York Metro Reptile Expo in White Plains New York. I helped man the Long Island Herpetological Society tables. Spoke to a lot of people about how to take care of this or that, and had a good time as usual with the regular society members who show up for this event. I did not even consider buying any animals while there this time around though, something different from the norm for me. What with the prospect of being detailed to my employer's HQ in Washington, DC for 3 to 6 months looming, well I figured I may have to get rid of a lot of my critters so why add any now. I'll find out for sure in January sometime if I am going on that assignment. By the way, on he ride home, I saw a nice 6 pointer on the back of an SUV. Maybe that was one of them that laughed at me - who knows.

After the reptile show I came home to a nice dinner of Pot Roast, homemade red cabbage, oven baked potatoes (like french fries but done in the oven and covered with oil and spices - mm good), and asparagus. It was one heck of some good cooking, as my wife can do when she pleases. Well that was it for the weekend for me. Right now, as you can guess, I am at the keyboard because sleep once again eludes me. I am getting a bit weary being it is after 0200, so I think I'll head off to the sack. Sleep well...

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Gastronomica - Frogs Anyone?

A few days ago I decided that it had been way to long since I ventured into the land of the lost, which for me would be my kitchen. Yes - I am ashamed to say that I have been a stranger to my kitchen - at least as a man who practices the art of culinary grumpiness - for way too long. So I decided, a few nights ago, to take a trip down to Little Italy where it blends together with Chinatown near Mott and Grand Streets. I was determined to pick up something from Di Palos, and Italian food store that sells absolutely scrumptious things. Not that I knew that from personal experience, but I had watched some cooking show the night before (actually a show about food stores and restaurants and such) and this place was given high kudos.

So I made my way there, the very next night after having seen the show, and I entered the place full of gastronomic anticipation. I expected my senses to be overwhelmed by the sight of the delicacies, the aromas of the many cheeses and meats, and hopefully by the flavors after a taste of this and a taste of that. What I had not been expecting, but will admit I had given a passing thought to, was the other customers who would be shopping therein. So when I walked in the door, and almost had to push my way inside because of the crowd, I was - to say the least - disappointed. I grabbed a number from the glossy red dispenser on the wall just inside the entrance, and they immediately called a number. Heck it was about 20 ahead of mine! I decided to take my number and take a walk.

I walked toward Canal Street on Mott, or maybe it was Elizabeth, but it was southbound. There were a lot of Chinese markets mixed in with the occasional Italian business. Over the years Chinatown has expanded northward to include much of what was once hardcore Little Italy. What a blend - east truly meets west - and when you think of Marco Polo - what could be more appropriate! Yet there have been some hard to blend issues among the Italian Immigrants and Chinese Immigrants, they don't always blend so well; yet I think they get along pretty well all things considered especially because they all they wanted to do was to become Americans. Two groups of immigrants that came to the USA with the same goals -seeking to better themselves and both groups offering their unique cuisines to the rest of New York. I was about to take advantage of one of them, but not the one I had expected.

As I walked along checking out the Chinese vegetable, meat and fish markets, my eye was caught by some movement. There in a bucket inside a fish market was a drum full of frogs. Nice, big, fat, frogs, with pretty good sized rear legs. My mouth watered, I had not eaten frogs' legs in probably 20 years or more. I thought about it for a moment. It would mean buying at least a few live frogs, transporting them home in my car, then keeping them alive until I decided to cook em. Of course this also would mean that if my wife saw em I might be outside in the cold really quickly - she has had enough of my pets, or at least thinks I have enough of them. Heck, there was only one or two other customers in the store, and Di Paolos' probably still had a good 12 to 15 people ahead of me since I had only been out of there for about 5 or 10 minutes at most. It was an easy decision, I bought three frogs, then I headed back to Di Paolos'. I turned out they had only gotten past two or three numbers, I walked back out and headed home.

Now three frogs is not enough to feed even one person on frogs legs even if they are big ones. I had thought I would be buying a few other things at Di Palos' but it just did not happen. So I headed home and figured at least Brendan and I could get a taste as an appetizer to something else. I guess that was Tuesday night. On Wednesday I decided to head back to the same area. I did not even give Di Paolos' a thought, it would be there when I again get a hankerin for Italian fixins; this time I headed right toward some Chinese fish markets on Canal Street this time coming from the other side of Chinatown. Nope, I was not going to the same one where I had bought the first three frogs, they had ripped me off, or tried. I had thought the frogs seemed lighter than that for which I had been charged, and I went back and asked them to reweigh them. They did and refunded me a couple of bucks. So on Wednesday night, I headed for place that I sometimes shop in for fish. No luck finding any frogs there; but I got some nice shrimp - 2 pounds of it. I made to yet another place. They had plenty of frogs and I got another three of them. Then I spied a container of sea scallops in another store and I got a pound and a half of them too. I also picked up some hot pepper sauce with crushed hot pepper in it. That was not for the dish I had in mind though. For the frogs, shrimp and scallops I figured to do something along the lines of sauteed bat wings pond/seafood in a mixture of shredded onions, thinly sliced mushrooms, slivered almonds, a touch of garlic, butter, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and yes maybe even a touch of that pepper sauce. I was planning either one hell of a case of agita or one fine tasting meal.

I got the three new frogs home, and put them into the tank with the three I had already purchased. They did splendidly together. As the night wore on, at least one of them started to croak and sing his froggy song to the ladies in the tank. Lord knows what else happened. Little did they know this was to be their last such encounter, but such is the life of a Bullfrog - which by the way is the type of frog that they were. They grow fairly fast from tadpole to adult maturing in a year or two, they have a furious ferw seasons of mating if they have any luck at all and are not eaten by something else first. They can live up to about 8 years in the wild; in captivity, when kept as pets, they have been known to live much longer. Bullfrogs were native to the eastern and central United States but their range has spread markedly across many parts of the USA and sometimes across the oceans to foreign lands. They did not increase their range by themselves, they had lots of help in the form of people who liked to eat frogs' legs. They are the largest native North American frog, and tey eat a lot to gain the size they can attain. As nature would have it, it is often the destiny of the Bullfrog to eat other smaller creatures, only itself to wind up being eaten by other larger creatures. In this case these were destined to be eaten by other creatures - me, Brendan, and maybe even Linda and Celina.

Well, of course it was not time to cook them on Wednesday night, not with Thanksgiving being the next day and not with me having made a stop in my old stomping grounds on the way home. I got home kind of late after meeting up with a few good friends from the Farmer's Oval days. So I waited until today. Not a bad idea, actually cooking a fresh meal on the day after Thanksgiving and therefore getting around the whole 'we gotta eat leftovers thing. Well at least we got away from leftover turkey for a day, there is always tomorrow and there sure is plenty of turkey from yesterday.

Today, Linda and Brendan were out with Oma (Louise, my mother-in-law) to visit my mom; and Celina was working. Around noon or so, I went down into the basement, figuring this was the day for the frogs to meet their maker, and I clobbered them pretty good to make sure they would not feel a thing when I prepared them for cooking. Then I got down to the butchering part, I guess that is what you would call it. A sharp knife, and a pair of pliers were all I needed to get the job done. As it turned out, for some reason I only slaughtered 5 of the frogs, and gave one a pardon. I seem to recall something about me thinking there would be no pardons around here - but oh well what the heck.

After butchering the frogs, I rinsed the legs well, and I put then between several sheets of paper toweling in the fridge. I had time to kill before I would be ready to cook since it was only about noon. Then I went to work on our checking account, 6 months of unbalanced mayhem and a few hours of working it all out. Once I had gotten that dirty deed out of the way I poured myself a nice iced tea and Potato Vodka and then got to work on cooking the evening's meal. I did not have time to take any pictures when I was actually cooking it like I did when I was butchering them. It is just too hectic for a high strung type like me in the kitchen, especially since it has been such a long time my not being in there cooking (well truthfully I made an apple pie not all that long ago - yes from scratch, but it had been awhile since I did the main meal). Anyway, I got right down to it. I sauteed the frogs legs separately. Then I sauteed the onions and mushrooms and almonds, then added the shrimp to that. I sauteed the scallops on their own. When everything was ready I combined all the ingredients. Sides were boiled Yukon potatoes, and steamed corn kernels. When I sat down to chow down, I decided it would be best to slice up one of the Yukons then toss some of the pond/seafood mixture on top of it. Man it was good, and I can not think of a better complimentary vegetable than was the corn. Mmm, mmmmmm goooood.

While eating, I told Oma what was the one mystery ingredient in the dish. She asked me in sort of an incredulous tone: "What is this?". I told her again and she made a face showing her disgust. A few seconds later she was smiling telling me how wunderbar it tasted. Linda gave me sort of the same look but she too gave it a try and shortly thereafter her portion was devoured. Brendan hardly spoke except once or twice to say it was good and to say the frogs' legs really did taste a bit like chicken. He ate every morsel too. All throughout the meal, I was none too sure it was really to every one's liking; I am burdened with a lack of self confidence, something I have carried with me since childhood. Yet even I could see that from the looks of the cleaned off plates, yes indeed everyone had loved it.

Celina just got home from work as I sit here typing. She usually visits us on Friday nights. When she came in she asked what smelled so good. She sat down to eat almost immediately, and she called out to me that it was great. I guess I've done good today. I think maybe I should start getting back into cooking, maybe at least one or two meals a week, a loaf or two of bread a week, and at least one baked desert weekly too. Time will tell. I stopped cooking for a reason, it got me to wound up if something went wrong and my being wound up affected everyone. I have to admit though, I don't let it get me that way nowadays. Besides that, if I must say so myself, I can whip up a pretty tasty meal now and again, and when I make my genuine Apfelstrudel, it is to die for - I mean it.

Hmm, things have just changed a bit. Celina suddenly has stopped eating the frogs' legs. She had been devouring it, then I asked her what she thought it was that she had been eating. She said shrimp, scallops and squid. I asked her if she had ever seen squid with bones, and she was baffled. Then Linda told her what it was that she had been enjoying ever so much. That was it, she would not eat another bite of it, although she ate everything else. Oh well, she ate everything else, and had been eating the frog thinking it was delicious until learning what it was threw her appetite off. Ignorance can truly be bliss! Luckily for me none of them saw the pics that accompany this post, and better still did not see the pics I did not include with this post (much gorier). Brendan could handle the pics but I am pretty sure the girls would not have been happy, at least not if they saw them before the meal. Then again, that last pic is not bad at all - is it?

All the best,

Glenn B

I Suppose I'll Have To Go Shopping...

...sooner rather than later for items for the Soldiers' Holiday Care Package for which I have been accepting donations. So far I have collected $25 from me (I'll also throw in whatever I pay for shipping the package(s) to the soldiers) $50 in a check, and $150 of donations sent to me via PayPal 150. Those bastards at PayPal would not waive their fees on my received into my account relative to money donated toward this effort for a mere three weeks. Their explanation laid out the rules, which apparently they would not budge on, regardless of the fact that I am collecting for a care package and that every penny more we collect means all so much better contents inside the box. So far the fees I asked them to waive have amounted to an astronomical $5.87. Can you imagine that they would not waive those fees when it really could mean adding something nice to one of the care packages. My bet is that the fees will not amount to more than $10 to $20 for all the donations I receive toward this effort; and they are apparently too tight to want to help that effort by waiving those fees. Certainly has me considering whether or not I should keep using PayPal. I will make up the fees out of my own pocket, screw them. I digress from the original idea of this post, sorry bout that...

Okay, so I now actually have received $225.00 in donations. Some of it has already been spent, but not much of it. I bought the cigars, a box of Tootsie Roll pops, a package of ChapSticks, and another thing or two I cannot recall right now. I am probably left with about $165 to $170. I had been planning on buying including some flashlights in the care package like i did last year. too bad Streamlight has not gotten back to me on my inquiry about whether or not they could sell me some tactical lights at a discount. Last year they donated a dozen of those lights, very nice of them. This year not a peep from them, but I'll keep hoping. I also was going to buy ear plugs directly from the manufacturer - E.A.R. Inc. since they offered a 10% discount off of their online pricing. I have discovered that many retailers sell them online for even less than that - much less. I suppose they get em less expensive because they buy in bulk - so I'll be looking to an online dealer for them. The manufacturer was asking $42.00 for a box of 200 TaperFit 2 earplugs. I found them as low as $27.90 plus shipping per box of 200. Wait a few minutes here, I'll be right back. I am going to order them right now...

Five minutes or so later I am back at the blog, the ear plugs have been ordered from Cooper Safety at a total cost of: $35.04. That was a pretty good price. I probably could have found them at an even lower price but the Cooper Safety website looked real business website as opposed to something from a fly by night company, that is one that flies away at night with our money.

Okay, let me take a look at the receipts:

$35.04 - 200 pairs of Ear Plugs

$29.23 - Costco for Tootsie Roll Pops, 12 decks of playing cards, and 10 pack of ChapSticks

$34.90 - A Cigar Sampler, box of 25 cigars

That makes it $99.17 spent so far; and that leaves us with $125.83, and hopefully with at least a few more nice donations to add to that later since $125 and change will not go far. If I do not get enough for 6 tactical flashlights (about $40 each not including), then I will just buy some decent pocket knives to include in the package. I'll see what I can do. I may have to shop for them now, and you guessed it, that means from right here where I sit via O.M. (online magic, if only all the gurus of old who chanted "om" while meditating could have guessed how important that word would become).

Later for you, I need to get shopping.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Am Thankful...

... just as much today as I was yesterday on Thanksgiving for many things:

For my family whom I love very much, for their health and well being, and likewise for my friends.

I am thankful for my upbringing, for the attitude toward life that it has given me. One aspect of that attitude is that I should earn my keep, and earn the things I want to keep. There is a much more than subtle difference between those two objectives, but both involve the same work ethic. I am thankful I have it, though i will admit to all to often wanting something for as little work as possible. The thing is I never achieve anything without work, so even if I want something for nothing I always wind up working if I ever truly expect to get it. That goes no matter how much I might bitch and moan and complain about things. Sometimes I wish others would be more able to see that in me, some of my bosses at work for instance. Then again the ones who ever truly took more than a mere moment to try to get to know me have realized that I am one of the better workers they have ever met. As for the others who have not seen it, they are shortsighted and that is not my shortcoming. As for my family, I sometimes wonder if they realize how much I have worked to make things as good for them as I could make them. I suppose someday they will realize it if they have not already done so.

I am also thankful for the questioning attitude I often exhibit. I do follow or obey blindly they who tell me how it has to be. I am the penultimate cynic, and I find myself questioning the reasoning, the motivation, behind others words when they tell me THIS IS THE WAY IT IS, as in their way or no way. Sorry I was not born yesterday, and during the course of my life I have seen lots of folks who have told me their way was the the only way, the best way, the way I had to do it or see it and so on. I find it difficult to accept that others think they can think better for me than do I. I think for myself and do it quite well.

I am thankful that I am loyal. You see, even though I often question authority, or question those who tell me how they believe it should be, I also can and will follow they who have earned my trust, and they who have demonstrated to me that they are worthy of my loyalty. Maybe I should have said that differently, I am happy I do not give my loyalty cheaply or blindly, but only to someone who has earned it. Imagine that - as I expect myself to earn things, I also expect the same of others.

I am thankful that I can and allow myself to sometimes be vindictive. No it is not always better to turn the other cheek, but rather to be prepared to defend ones self and one's family. If you want my trust and loyalty earn them; however if you destroy that trust by hurting me or my family - don't expect me to say: 'Please do it to me or us again'.

I am thankful for the good life that my beliefs and my work have afforded to me. I am thankful for the roof over my family's head, the floor under our feet, the earth in which we garden, the cars that we drive, the clothes on our backs, the food that feed us, the education we have received, the rights we are at liberty to enjoy, the life we lead.

I am thankful to be an American, a citizen of the greatest nation that this earth has ever known. Greatest not in size, not in strength, not in number of conquests, not in number of citizens, but rather in our freedom, our rights and liberties.

I am thankful to those Americans, and others, who help us maintain our great nation as a beacon of righteousness and freedom.

I am thankful to and salute those of our military who are on foreign shores protecting us from they who would harm us.

I am thankful to and salute our Law Enforcement Officers, those who protect us from the same; but please do not confuse this with promoting self inflated pompous buffoons in law enforcement who seek to steal away our rights and control us by way of police power and excessive government regulation.

I am grateful and thankful that I have been allowed to serve my country, even if only in the civil service, for the past 29 years.

I am thankful I have known my limitations, but also that I have been able to shoot for the stars on certain occasions damn the limitations.

I am thankful that I have known when to quit asking for or expecting more - this especially with regard to my having been satisfied, even happy, in the levels I have achieved in my career. We were not all meant or cut out to be bosses, and I have always been quite content being in charge of an army of one - that being myself. It's not that I think I would not have been qualified to have become a boss, heck I am positive could do the job better than many if not most of those who have been my supervisors, just that I was content not to do so - I guess mainly because I see how self inflated many become once they achieve a level of power over others.

Mind you, I am very thankful for the good bosses I have had; and thankful that most of the less than good ones were pretty benign.


I am thankful that I have been able to pursue interests other than simply working my life away; thankful for the down time - even just for moments of leisure where and when I found them.

I am thankful for the opportunity to tell you all of this, and more importantly thankful to you for reading it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseyes Firearms Accessories Tournament 2 - Winner

There were only 9 entrants into this version of Ballseye's Firearms Accessories Tournament. The contest was to guess how many boxes of ammunition were in my foot locker/trunk, on November 6, 2008, the person coming closest would be the winner.

The guesses sent in were: 325, 166, 158, 137, 117, 98, 75, 72, and 61.

The actual number of boxes of ammo in the foot locker was 266. That makes the guess of 325 the closest. That entry was sent in by Jered, who now needs to contact me with his mailing adress and some other info, upon which I will send out the scope that was the prize to him.

All the best,

Glenn B

Ballseye's Firearms Accessories Tournament 2

I will announce the winner sometime this afternoon. This morning I'll be driving out to see my mom and should spend a few hours with her. I should get back home by around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Right now I have got to get going. Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Later for you,
Glenn B

6 Pretty Hefty Frogs...

...2 pounds of shrimp, and a pound and a half of scallops should blend nicely with some other ingredients (like butter, salt, white pepper, sliced almonds, or sliced chestnuts, some shallots or green onions and whatever else I can come up with) for me to come up with one heck of a delicious appetizer for our Thanksgiving dinner. Then again, I may have to hold off on things because I have to travel to see my mom tomorrow, then head back home for our holiday meal; and you can bet my wife is not going to off a half dozen frogs then gut em and saute em . An outdoorsy catch em, skin em, cook em Sarah Palin type she is not; but she is one darned good cook. It's just she sure won't cook those frogs, I'd bet on it myself. But I digress. My day will be filled with running around and that will have time being very tight for me, so those frogs may yet make it until Friday - but you can bet they are not getting any sort of a presidential pardon around here from me. It's just been way too long since I have enjoyed frogs legs.

Oh, if you are wondering where I came up with 6 large live frogs in New York in November just let me tell you that you can buy just about anything in Chinatown when it comes to good eats. Thats where I picked up the shrimp, the sea scallops and the chestnuts too. I am getting hungry just thinking about it all. Mmmmmm gooood.

All the best,
Glenn B

Happy Thanksgiving To All

May it be a peaceful day here in the USA. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the world, but India is having one hell of a troubling time right now. Damn these piece of shit evil terrorists who prey on the weak, the unsuspecting, the innocent. While we are at damning them we really ought to think about killing all of em too, and then ought to get serious about it. Maybe that is not a very Thanksgiving like thought or so you may think; but I would be darned thankful to wake up to find out every last one of them was wiped out while I slept.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Firearms Training & Tactics - Some Observations of Bad Habits At The Range

While over the course of a few trips to a local range recently, I got to watching other people shoot. Nope, that is not why I went, I went to shoot but I also got to watch some others shoot. Of those of note, one of them was shooting a revolver, another a semi-auto pistol, and a couple of others were shooting 22 rifles. All of them (well one of the two shooting the 22 rifles anyhow, and the 22 pistol shooters) did things you should not do when shooting or examining guns.

I am not reporting on what they did in order to chastise them, I am dong it to save you some grief by pointing out what they did in the hope that you will avoid mimicking them. Let me start with the two guys shooting the 22 rifles. They were shooting safely, minding there own business, and doing nicely until they got curious. Now it was not the curiosity thing that got them doing anything wrong, it was probably a lack of manners or just lack of common sense where they fouled up. You see they came over to my shooting point and started to ask me about the Remington 870 shotgun my son and I were shooting. No problem since they waited for a break in the shooting, and were polite about it. Well almost no problem. As they were talking to me, one of them reaches out and picks up my shotgun. I remained calm and polite as I immediately explained that he should not be doing that without asking me for my permission to handle my firearms first. He put it down right away and all was well. The thing is, it is absolutely not alright to pick up someone else’s guns at a range or anywhere else without first obtaining there permission. Just don’t do it – it could get you yelled at, or could even result in something as extreme as you being shot.

The other things I saw happening were problems of a tactical/training nature, and are definitely things to avoid if you want to be the winner in a gunfight. One of them was, at least to me, so comical I almost burst out laughing. I mean it almost looked slapstick ala Charlie Chaplain and the Keystone Cops. I remained stoic though because I did not want to embarrass anyone. What was happening was that a pistol shooter was firing on a silhouette target and blasting away slow fire. No it was not the slow fire that was funny, but how the shooter was drawing his weapon. He appeared to get a decent grip on the holstered gun, then drew it, and as he drew the pointed it upward at about a 45 degree angle, pushed his arms out both forward and up at that angle to maximum extension, locked his elbows, then tilted his arms at the shoulder to raise the pistol even higher, then brought the pistol down to eye level to sight it (well actually dropped it a bit below eye level as do most shooters using this well outdated method of drawing and sighting in and then raised it back up a bit to eye level, then fired. All this drawing his pistol from a strong side hip holster. He then reholstered and started over again and repeated this over and over. I have not seen someone draw and aim in like that in years. I used to see it done often by old time shooters who shot revolvers, and who were trained in how to draw and shoot sometime, oh about in the stone age or at least 25 years ago or so. It seems to have been a method taught by police departments, federal agencies and the military, and was usually taught for one handed shooting though it carried over to two handed shooting. It was and is most obvious if the shooter was firing one handed.

So what is it about this method of drawing that I don’t like besides it looking funny to me. Well – it can get you killed. Anyone who draws and then sights-in in the manner I just described is using up valuable time that may mean winning or losing a gunfight. You see, when you draw from a strong side hip holster (the only type I recommend wearing) the best way to get your weapon on a target that is further than about 3 yards away is to punch it out at the target. I mean that almost literally too. By this method, as you begin to draw, already having acquired you grip, you pull the pistol up and out of the holster. This causes your arm and wrist to be bent at an awkward position but one necessary to effect the draw. As soon as the gun clears the holster though, you no longer need to maintain that awkward bends in wrist and arm, and you can point the muzzle toward your intended target. As you point the muzzle at the target, you immediately will notice that your arm and wrist are more relaxed and in more of a position to control the gun. So why ruin that better ability to control the gun by then contorting yourself into another position in which you have less control of the pistol? Instead of doing what the shooter above did, once the gun is clear of the holster, you should point the muzzle at the target, and then punch or push your arm out and up to eye level with one controlled continuous and smooth movement so long as the target/adversary is not close enough to attempt a takeaway.

Why not try it now and see how it feels. NO DO NOT USE A GUN. Place your hand at your side, with index finger extended like a gun barrel. Then pull up as if drawing from a strong side hip holster, when at the point where you think you have cleared your imaginary holster, point your index finger out at your imaginary target as if it were the gun barrel and push or punch your hand forward toward the target while smoothly raising the hand to eye level along with the movement of the punch. Have the left hand move to meet the right hand as doing so to acquire a two handed grip. Both hands are basically punching out and raising up in one fluid movement. Do not make it two separate moves - do not punch out your hands then raise up your hands. Do it all in one smooth motion so that as your hands are traveling toward the target they are also moving up at an angle to reach eyelevel or just under it when your hands are extended to shooting distance. You can also do this with just the shooting hand to practice one handed drawing and shooting. Once you get it, try it at the range with an unloaded weapon. When ready, try it with a loaded weapon with which you will actually shoot right after you draw and achieve you aiming hold using this method. Remember the trigger finger stays off of the trigger unless you intend to shoot and are actually ready to shoot. Do not draw from the holster with the finger on the trigger, only place the finger on the trigger when ready to fire.

If you have been doing it the wrong way as was the shooter whom I described above, well you will probably notice a few things right away. The movement is more natural the way I described, it gets you right on target faster and more accurately, it is easier to repeat over and over again with the same result and that is you being right on target, your shooting will probably improve.

Okay enough on that, now for the other bad habit I observed. I watched a revolver shooter who was shooting much the same as was the guy who was drawing incorrectly but who was also doing something else very wrong. It also happened to be another old school technique that was taught by many police departments and federal agencies, and probably in some branches of the military. Before I tell you what was being done wrong, allow me to say it was probably taught with neatness in mind. Now mind you, neatness is a good thing, but is not called for when you are shooting in a combat situation except maybe as to where you neatly put your bullets, and by that I mean on target.

What I saw though was neatness of another type and it had nothing to do with hitting your target, and could in fact prevent you from hitting it. You see, as the guy unloaded his revolver, he dropped the empty shell casings into his right hand. How did he do that. Well he activated the cylinder release with his right thumb while still maintaining a grip with his right hand. Then he pushed open the cylinder with the fingers on his left hand as he should have done. The he canted the muzzle upwards somewhat and took his left thumb and pressed on the ejector rod ejecting the spent shell casings. Instead of letting them fall to the ground as he was getting more ammo with his right hand (as he should have been doing to combat reload) he held his right hand cupped under the cylinder and allowed the spent casing to fall into his hand, then placed them into his pocket, then grabbed more rounds with his right hand and reloaded. How much faster would his reload have been had he allowed those shell casing to fall to the floor as he grabbed a speed loader, or even loose rounds, with his right hand. He wasted an awful lot of time - an awful lot of time in a gunfight could be a split second, and he wasted several of them – catching and placing those rounds in his pocket all for neatness.

Even if you only shoot competitively, you should unload and reload a revolver in the combat style in the event you are ever called upon to defend yourself with the revolver. It is a good habit to have, and you can always bend over and pick up the spent shell casings after you are done at the range, or after you win the gunfight – although it would be better to leave them there for the police in the aftermath of a gunfight. By the way, the same holds true for a semi-auto. Unless you are doing a tactical reload during a break in the action, you do not catch and retain a magazine that you are dropping from the magazine well. Instead you allow it to free fall to the ground, and as you are doing so your weak side or non-trigger finger hand should be reaching for, grabbing, then inserting a loaded magazine.

All the best,
Glenn B

Where We're Headed - We're Not Headed There If I Can Help It

By Robert A. Waters April 7, 2003

You're sound asleep when you hear a thump outside your bedroom door. Half awake, and nearly paralyzed with fear, you hear muffled whispers. At least two people have broken into your house and are moving your way.

With your heart pumping, you reach down beside your bed and pick up your shotgun. You rack a shell into the chamber, then inch toward the door and open it. In the darkness, you make out two shadows. One holds something that looks like a crowbar. When the intruder brandishes it as if to strike, you raise the shotgun and fire. The blast knocks both thugs to the floor.

One writhes and screams while the second man crawls to the front door and lurches outside. As you pick up the telephone to call police, you know you're in trouble. In your country, most guns were outlawed years before, and the few that are privately owned are so stringently regulated as to make them useless. Yours was never registered.

Police arrive and inform you that the second burglar has died. They arrest you for First Degree Murder and Illegal Possession of a Firearm. When you talk to your attorney, he tells you not to worry: authorities will probably plea the case down to manslaughter. "What kind of sentence will I get?" you ask. "Only ten-to-twelve years," he replies, as if that's nothing. "Behave yourself, and you'll be out in seven."

The next day, the shooting is the lead story in the local newspaper. Somehow, you're portrayed as an eccentric vigilante while the two men you shot are represented as choir boys. Their friends and relatives can't find an unkind word to say about them. Buried deep down in the article, authorities acknowledge that both "victims" have been arrested numerous times. But the next day's headline says it all: "Lovable Rogue Son Didn't Deserve to Die." The thieves have been transformed from career criminals into Robin Hood-type pranksters.

As the days wear on, the story takes wings. The national media picks it up, then the international media. The surviving burglar has become a folk hero.

Your attorney says the thief is preparing to sue you, and he'll probably win. The media publishes reports that your home has been burglarized several times in the past and that you've been critical of local police for their lack of effort in apprehending the suspects. After the last break-in, you told your neighbor that you would be prepared next time.

The District Attorney uses this to allege that you were lying in wait for the burglars.

A few months later, you go to trial. The charges haven't been reduced, as your lawyer had so confidently predicted. When you take the stand, your anger at the injustice of it all works against you. Prosecutors paint a picture of you as a mean, vengeful man. It doesn't take long for the jury to convict you of all charges.

The judge sentences you to life in prison.

This case really happened.

On August 22, 1999, Tony Martin of Emneth, Norfolk, England, killed one burglar and wounded a second. In April, 2000, he was convicted and is now serving a life term.

How did it become a crime to defend one's own life in the once great British Empire?
It started with the Pistols Act of 1903. This seemingly reasonable law forbade selling pistols to minors or felons and established that handgun sales were to be made only to those who had a license.

The Firearms Act of 1920 expanded licensing to include not only handguns but all firearms except shotguns.

Later laws passed in 1953 and 1967 outlawed the carrying of any weapon by private citizens and mandated the registration of all shotguns.

Momentum for total handgun confiscation began in earnest after the Hungerford mass shooting in 1987. Michael Ryan, a mentally disturbed man with a Kalashnikov rifle, walked down the streets shooting everyone he saw. When the smoke cleared, 17 people were dead.
The British public, already de-sensitized by eighty years of "gun control", demanded even tougher restrictions. (The seizure of all privately owned handguns was the objective even though Ryan used a rifle.)

Nine years later, at Dunblane, Scotland, Thomas Hamilton used a semi-automatic weapon to murder 16 children and a teacher at a public school.

For many years, the media had portrayed all gun owners as mentally unstable, or worse, criminals.

Now the press had a real kook with which to beat up law-abiding gun owners. Day after day, week after week, the media gave up all pretense of objectivity and demanded a total ban on all handguns. The Dunblane Inquiry, a few months later, sealed the fate of the few sidearms still owned by private citizens. During the years in which the British government incrementally took away most gun rights, the notion that a citizen had the right to armed self-defense came to be seen as vigilantism. Authorities refused to grant gun licenses to people who were threatened, claiming that self-defense was no longer considered a reason to own a gun. Citizens who shot burglars or robbers or rapists were charged while the real criminals were released.

Indeed, after the Martin shooting, a police spokesman was quoted as saying, "We cannot have people take the law into their own hands." All of Martin's neighbors had been robbed numerous times, and several elderly people were severely injured in beatings by young thugs who had no fear of the consequences. Martin himself, a collector of antiques, had seen most of his collection trashed or stolen by burglars.

When the Dunblane Inquiry ended, citizens who owned handguns were given three months to turn them over to local authorities. Being good British subjects, most people obeyed the law. The few who didn't were visited by police and threatened with ten-year prison sentences if they didn't comply. Police later bragged that they'd taken nearly 200,000 handguns from private citizens. How did the authorities know who had handguns?

The guns had been registered and licensed. Kinda like cars.

Sound familiar?

WAKE UP AMERICA, THIS IS WHY OUR FOUNDING FATHERS PUT THE SECOND AMENDMENT IN OUR CONSTITUTION.

"..It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.." --Samuel Adams

© 2003 Robert A. Waters - All Rights Reserve

**********

I received permission from the author to publish this here in my blog. An amazing story. Of course there is another side to it that you can read at Wikipedia wherein it is claimed that the home owner shot the thugs as they tried to flee. Heck that would be legal in Texas wouldn't it? Regardless I think the whole atmosphere surrounding firearms, heck any arms, in England is ridiculous; and their attitude about someone trying to act in self defense is terrible; and besides that their police are a sham. Don't let it happen here, even with an all lib power surge in the House, the Senate and the oval office. Fight for your rights.

By the way, the author's current website is: http://www.robertwaters.net

His blog can be found at: http://kidnappingmurderandmayhem.blogspot.com

I may have to start visiting there with virtual regularity.

All the best,
Glenn B

Emails Away

I sent an email to StreamLight asking if they would consider being generous to allow me to purchase some flashlights directly from them at a discount for inclusion in the care packages.

I also sent an email to E.A.R Inc, the make of the E.A.R. Taper Fit 2 foam ear plugs that Jamie V and his unit appreciated so much in a previous package I sent them. I am hopeful that E.A.R. Inc. will sell me a box of 200 pairs at a good discount for inclusion in the package. These earplugs are great for the range as stand alone ear protection or as additional ear protection under a set of shooter's ear muffs. I also use them to help me sleep when in a noisy location. They are soft enough to remain comfortable for long periods. I imagine that Jamie and his unit - being an artillery unit - can find good use for them.

A third email also went to PayPal to ask them to waive their fee for when I receive any money as a donation toward this effort. If not, I'll cover it out of my own pocket so all your money goes toward purchase of items for the packages.

All the best,
Glenn B

Soldiers' Holiday Care Package - aother update

I have got to hand it to you folks - you are generous. I started this up this morning, and I already have collected $175 in donations (including my own) from only 6 folks; and I have a promise for 2 more donations. Wow that is great.

Since I started this thing late it is nice to see that those of you to whom I sent out the emails asking for donations are wasting no time getting them to me. I am not wasting time either. Today I had to stop at Costco for some stuff for home. I got there pretty late, they usually close at 4 on Sundays, and I arrived at 3:30. It was mobbed anyway; then I found out why - because they were staying open until 6 today. I figured while I was there I may as well start shopping for the care packages for the troops.

So far, besides the cigars I ordered online earlier from Thompson Cigar, I picked up the following at Costco:

A big box of Tootsie Roll Pops

A box of 12 decks of Bicycle brand playing cards.

A 10 pack of ChapSticks.

A 5 pack of Gillette Deodorant.

I just pretty much grabbed some things that caught my eye that I figured our guys and gals could use. Tonight I'll probably order a large box of ear plugs. I sent some of them in the first package I sent a few weeks back, and Jaime V. told me they were a very appreciated item. I guess they come in handy for sleeping, and probably also come in handy because Jaime and his buddies are in an artillery unit if I recall correctly.

Like last year I will check into getting them some higher end items like nice pocket knives, and maybe some nice compact high intensity flashlights. I don't figure we will be as lucky as last year to have Streamlight donate another dozen flashlights and extra batteries but you can bet I'll ask them. Even if they do not donate them outright as they did a year ago, maybe they will give a good discount on them.

For now I have some online shopping to do since time is short and the money is there to spend for these care packages.

All the best,
Glenn B

Soldiers' Holiday Care Package - update

I don't know a whole hell of a lot about cigars, but I am considering this deal for a purchase toward the Soldiers' Holiday Care Packages. It has a variety of hand rolled cigars, light, medium and dark wrappers in different sizes, and comes with a carrying case. That case might be just the thing to keep them safe in a war zone, but something tells me once the care package is opened and these are seen inside, there will be lots of aromatic smoke in the air pronto and no cigars left to protect.

http://www.thompsoncigar.com/default.aspx?page=product&sender=csearch&uid=2680

Powerhouse 25 Sampler Case, Set

Contains:

5 CHAVON

5 EROS ROBUSTO

5 DONA INES

5 MIRAFLOR

5 BELMONDO VIN RES

1 TRAVEL CASE

(Edited to Add: Well within the first hour, I received 2 $25.00 donations, plus my own $25, so I have placed this order, and have money left over for more good things. The cigars will be sent out quickly after I receive them to make sure they are fresh when they get there.)

All the best,
Glenn B

The Donations Are Already Coming In...

...and not more than 1 minute after I posted the notice about collecting for the Soldiers' Holiday Care Package and posting the PayPal icon, I received the first donation from Al S. I have to hand it to him too because it was a generous one. Thanks Al.

All the best,
Glenn B