Ballseyes Guns Shots 83 - Don't Let Your Holster Confuse You...

...or for that matter don't let any of your other firearms related equipment do likewise. For now though, let me explain what I mean by using a few of my holsters as examples but first let me tell you about the pistols I carry regularly.

I carry virtually everyday. The most recent pistols I carry regularly are my agency issued SIG 229 DAK and my personally owned Glock 26. I highly recommend carrying a back-up pistol if you have high risk assignments. I carry the Glock 26 when I go out on high risk operations such as arrests and searches for contraband. The Glock 2 and the SIG 229 are both fairly different in design but both are double action only. Yet there is so much of a difference between them that if I go for the Glock as back-up after having fired the SIG, I have to remember I am now using a pistol with a much shorter and lighter trigger pull. After much practice, at the range, I have gotten to where this does not present a problem for me - at the range - and where I am pretty sure it will not present a problem in the field.

Normally though, I strongly suggest that if you carry a back-up pistol, the absolute best one you can carry is the same as your primary pistol. Simply put it is in essence exactly the same as the primary weapon and there is no transition in how you grip, sight in, fire or load one from the other. The second best would be one of smaller size but that is basically a sized down version of your primary carry pistol and that can use the same magazines as the primary. (In the case of revolvers, then one that uses the same speed loaders as the primary weapon.) When I was issued the Glock 19 by my agency as my primary carry sidearm, the Glock 26 was the almost perfect compliment to it, only another Glock 19 could have been better. I had an issued Glock 26 then. It was smaller and therefore a bit easier to carry as a back-up than would have been a second Glock 19 and it functioned in exactly the same way as the larger model though the grip was pretty different in that it was so much smaller. In addition, and this is a great plus, it could use the same 15 round magazines as the larger pistol. So, if I had to go to the backup, which I kept loaded with a 10 round mag in the holster, I could use the 15 round magazines I had in my mag pouch when reloading it.

When the job did away with the Glock 19s and went to the SIG 229 DAKs, we were allowed to continue carrying a Glock 26 as a secondary firearm. I bought myself one either just before we got rid of the Glock 19s or just after we got the SIGS. I had quite a bit of transitioning to do after having fired a couple of hundred rounds through the SIG and then had to fire the Glock. I think my first shot went off and hit dead center of the target. The second shot though smacked the paper bad guy in the forehead and I was supposed to be shooting chest shots. This was because, as the pistol recoiled and I brought it back to bear on the target, I started to pull my finger back slightly once on the target at all (as I always do) and the gun went bang when normally it would not have done so. Why - because I did not realize how much pressure I was exerting on the trigger after having fired the SIG with it horrendous DAK trigger that requires way to much pressure to shoot it. Having on gloves - it was very cold out - did not help at all. This is a problem almost all of the Glock shooters faced. I have since gotten used to it and it does not happen at the range, hopefully it will not happen in the field if the pucker factor kicks in during a real life or death incident. I practice regularly to avoid it happening again and am confident it will not but it took several trips to the range to be cured completely. Normally I would follow my own advice and carry the same model weapon for secondary as I would for primary. I did not have much of a choice but did have some. I could have gone with a SIG 239 for a back-up weapon but I was also looking forward to retirement and the Glock 26 was my choice with that in mind.

Now to the holsters. Just as different styles of pistols can cause problems, so too can different styles of holster, even if they are pretty similar in design and operation. It is the little things that can get you (as in get you killed) and that lesson was hammered home for me last week at my agency's firearms qualifications. As is usual, I carried by issued SIG 229 in the holster that was issued with it, a DeSantis model 011 M5 (not currently offered as far as I can tell but very similar to the ICE II holster now offered by DeSantis). Look at the pics and it is easy to tell that this holster is a thumb break. In order to draw the pistol from the holster the thumb snap must be opened and as the name implies this is usually accomplished with the thumb, the thumb of the hand that grips the pistol to draw it.

I have worn thumb break holsters almost exclusively for the 30 plus years (31 years next month) that I have been a federal agent. They hold the gun securely if they fit the pistol or revolver that they carry, the thumb snap is easy to open for a fairly fast draw and the thumb snap offers enough security against a takeaway to thwart one if attempted and if you know what you are doing to otherwise prevent one. They are not the most secure holster when it comes to takeaway attempts but then I can draw with either hand even when it is in a holster on my strong side and that is almost impossible with some other types of retention holsters. I have carried my primary weapons in this type of holster from day one of my armed federal service and have carried my secondary sidearms in one since I was eligible to carry a back-up piece.

Having and using the same type of holster for both my primary and secondary sidearms assured that whenever I had to draw my pistols, the manner in which I did so would be virtually the same. There would be very little difference, if any, in the way my hand traveled to each holster, how I gripped the sidearm, how I opened the retention device to draw, how I drew, or how I then put the gun back into the holster and then secured it.

As you can see in the pictures, I have a few different examples of the holsters I have used over the years with my Glock 26 pistol. All are of the thumb break design, that is except for my most recent acquisition. I got that one from Brendan when he bought it for me at a gun show not all that long ago. It is a DeSantis Facilitator. As DeSantis describes it, it made from Kydex, and uses their Redi-Lok™. The Redi-Lok is basically a spring tensioned lever that locks the pistol in place when it is properly placed into the holster and that requires thumb action against a lever to release the lock allowing you to draw the pistol. Similar to but yet not a thumb break. DeSantis says this about the Redi-Lok: "The Redi-Lok™ is a trigger locking device that is totally instinctual so almost no new training will be necessary." Well, while it seems to be a fine holster and a very nice gift indeed, maybe it is not the holster I should be using when I carry my Glock 26 as a back-up if my other holster is a thumb break design. As a matter of fact, I think you would be reckless to carry both types of holster at the same time. Lucky for me I learned this while I was at the range.

Now, allow me to explain why I say that about what I think is otherwise an acceptable holster. As is usual, with anything I get that is new to me, I practiced my drawing and shooting, from my new Facilitator holster, at the range. The thing was, it was the only holster I was wearing. It took a little getting used to because the Redi-Lok lever that you release with your thumb is not in the same position as were any of the thumb snaps on any other holsters I have ever used to carry my Glock or other service use pistols or revolvers.

With the thumb break holsters, as can be seen in all of the pictures here, the thumb snap closes over the rear of the slide. Thus the snap is at the top of the pistol as it sits pretty much vertically in the holster. So, as your hand goes to grip the pistol, if you position your thumb correctly to first hit the snap, your thumb is in almost exactly the same position each time you draw from any one of these holsters. You could therefore wear one as primary and one as back-up and draw in virtually the same manner with your thumb in almost exactly the same position, relative to each holster, when you draw. That is a good thing. You do not need to change what you are doing from one holster to another and this could be the difference between life and death if speed of draw is of the essence. Even if one holster rides at more of an angle than another, as your hand approaches each holster, regardless of the cant of the holster, your thumb will be in virtually the same position relative to the holster in order to unsnap it regardless of which holster it is from which you are about to draw. Look at each of he pics of the thumb break type holsters and what I mean should be obvious.

While the Facilitator seems to be a fine quality and adequate holster as a stand alone, or as a back up with another holster that also utilizes the Redi-Lok system, I do not think it wise to combine its use with that of a thumb break holster and this would probably go for also not combining any two holsters with differing retention/release systems.

The Facilitator's security device is activated by properly seating the pistol into a properly adjusted holster. Let's see just what that means. First, when you get one of these holsters and take it out of the bag, you realize that in all likelihood it does not fit your pistol securely. I checked this after got mine by looking at others of the same model in gun stores. So you probably ave to manually adjust this holster after you purchase it. I say probably because maybe there are some that already fit the intended pistol securely but that was not my experience. Adjustment requires the tightening and or loosening of a few tension screws. I had to do this several times before I found the spot for each screw that made the pistol feel secure in this holster. To date none of the screws have loosened as far as I am aware and the pistol fits into the holster snugly.

Once the Facilitator is properly adjusted you can securely holster your pistol in it. All this requires is placing the pistol into the holster until you hear a faintly audible click. Under stress you might not hear it so after I holster I give the pistol an upward tug, trigger finger nowhere near the trigger guard or trigger) to make sure it has been locked in place. To draw, you grip the pistol and place your thumb on the inboard side of the pistol grip and activate the Redi-Lok (basically a lever release) and draw the pistol just after doing so. It is a seemingly natural movement. Yet there is a design feature that is an issue, for me, between this holster and those with a traditional thumb break. That issue seemingly, at least to me, conflicts with using both types of holster at the same time - one for primary pistol and one for back-up pistol - in my case the Facilitator for back-up. The design feature at issue may also make you wonder if you should wear a thumb break one day and then this holster the next day.

The feature of which I speak is the location of the thumb release on the facilitator. It is not that this design is one that makes this a bad holster in any way but that, as I said, I think it conflicts with use of the traditional thumb break using one as a back up, or using one on one day then the other on another day. Why? Because during a stressful situation you may go for the release you use most frequently and that can cost you dearly if you go for the wrong one. At the range it only cost me time and a bit off of my score - on the street - I do not even want to think about it.

You see, in order to activate the release, your thumb winds up in a very different positions than it does on a traditional thumb break (blue circle thumb break position, red circle the Redi-Lok release). It is literally inches reward and inches further down from where it would be to open a thumb snap. In addition, it is now between the grip and the side of your body on which you are wearing the Facilitator holster. During practice at my local range (not during my agency's quals), when this was the only holster I was wearing, I had a bit of a problem getting used to its position. I was drawing slowly, consciously making sure I found the release lever, before trying to draw. Several times I found myself going to the area where a thumb break holster would have the snap - at and across the back of the slide but I simply realized this and moved my hand until my thumb found the lever. No sweat, done easily enough, and with lots of practice with this holster I was certain I would always go for the right spot with my thumb. So, I practiced a lot with it and became comfortable with its use over the course of a few to several trips to my local ranges. The thing was, that was not good enough as I was soon to find out.

When I was at the range for qualifications, last week, I qualified with the SIG 229 first. I had a somewhat off day with it. My score is usually above 245 out of 250. I shot in the high 230s. Not good at all for me. I was shooting too slowly on the timed portions and dropped 10 points by not getting off 2 shots. I think my score was 238 and that was even when I made up one of the shots, in a subsequent sequence, that I had not gotten off earlier. In other words I dropped 5 points because I had not gotten off a shot and also dropped 7 points shooting like a loser relative to my usual scores. Then I shot the Glock. was shooting it much faster than i had been the SIG. I am more comfortable with it, and am much more used to it. The thing is I was throwing shots haphazardly. I scored a 236 with the Glock even though I was able to shoot faster since the trigger is much more to my liking than that of the SIG (which is horrendous) and I did not miss getting any off. So why were my shots going somewhat wild? Because I was jerking the trigger most likely. Why was I doing that? To try to make up for time lost in trying to get the Glock 26 out of the new Facilitator holster that's why!

About 25% of the times I went to draw, during this timed course of fire, I wound up going for the thumb snap. Wen I realized their was no snap I then went for the release lever by allowing my thumb to go down to where I thought it would be and I wound up fiddling and pushing and twisting until my thumb got it. by that time a second or maybe even two had elapsed. For about another 50% of the times I had to draw, I went right for the lever and did not find it immediately. I usually hit a bit too high, or got my thumb behind the holster and was hitting the holster body itself thinking my thumb was on the lever. The other 25% of the time, I got it right. That potentially could have gotten me killed 75% of the time if I had been out on the street and had to draw quickly and that is if I had done everything else right.

My solution - next time I will wear two holsters that are thumb breaks, with the snap at the back of the slide. Why chance it with the Facilitator! Now, I am not going to throw out the facilitator. I will practice with it more at the range for those times I may decide to carry it as a solo holster, or with an eye ahead toward when i use it in retirement. I doubt i will ever carry it as a back-up holster again. Then again, I may not carry this holster all that much in retirement because there is something else about it that has come to mind that is unsettling to me. While I can draw from a thumb snap holster with my strong hand very quickly and easily, I can also draw from that same holster (while still on my strong side) using my weak hand. In other words, if my pistol is on my belt on my right hip as is normal, I then normally draw with my right hand. Should that hand become incapacitated for some reason in a fight, then I can also draw from the holster by reaching around with my left hand. I practice it frequently, I am pretty good at it. The thing is, I am very doubtful that this would be an easy, or even possible, accomplishment with the design of the Facilitator. I think at the least it would take a really concerted twisting effort to reach the release lever with my left hand if the holster was on my right hip or even if it was on the right side of my back on the belt. I am not saying it is impossible since I have not tried yet. You can safely bet though, I will be seeing if I can do it from the various positions in which I might find myself if I ever need to draw left handed from that particular holster when it is riding on my right side.

I probably said this up above and if so allow me to repeat myself, if not then let me say it here for the first time today, THANK GOODNESS I LEARNED THIS AT THE RANGE AND NOT OUT ON THE STREET WHERE THE LESSON MAY HAVE COME TOO LATE. My recommendation to you is never to wear two different types of holster, with one for your primary pistol and one for your back-up and also that you do not switch the type of holster you wear from one day to the next relative to retention/release devices. I suggest that when carry a gun as a back-up, you try to use two holsters that both have the same type of retention device and the same type of release. Same goes if you switch from one holster one day to another the next day - try to use ones with the same type of retention/release devices. Unless you have an absolute need to change the types of retention/release types, keeping them the same just might make all the difference for you in an armed encounter - the difference between you being the winner or you being the loser.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Another Fishing Trip Planned

I have not had much luck this summer with fishing trips. Headed to the boat three times to go fishing, one time was turned away by the captain because his crew never showed up, another time caught 4 fish but none of those for which we were fishing, and the last time I caught zilch just like everyone else on the boat that night. So, for an upcoming tip in the near future, I am planning on going out on a different boat from a different location. As a matter of fact, the boat I will be going out on will be about 1,199.8 miles away from my home as opposed to the closer one which is only about 16.1 miles from my house.

Yep, I plan to fly down to West Palm Beach to visit my aunt and uncle next month. I am pretty certain my uncle and I will go fishing and I am planning on driving up to Ft. Pierce with him to fish aboard the Capt. Lew. Last time I fished down that way we had a great time out on that boat. Caught enough fish to keep me happy and the ones we kept tasted great. Besides going out on the Capt. Lew, am hopeful I will also get in some freshwater fishing from a canoe (without being capsized by and eaten by an alligator).

While I am not rolling in dough, and would not be able to afford this trip under normal circumstances with the 2nd half of my son's college bill, and with my property taxes, soon due - I have a $436 credit with an airline because I had to cancel a planned trip to attend an NRA Law Enforcement Instructor's School out in Las Vegas (maybe next year for that one). I bought the ticket early, back in May, cancelled recently due to unforeseen circumstances, and now have to use the credit before next May. May (no pun intended) as well use it now, so I am flying down to FL in early September. Hmm, I'll still have enough of a credit to maybe do that again before May.

I hope the fishing will be even better than last time and that no hurricanes will be on order. Wish me luck please.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History - Some Famous People Were Born but...

...so was one who ruined today, August 15th, as a birthday. Take a look at the list and realize that if you share your birthday with her, well you have my heartfelt sympathy:

1688 Frederick-William I king of Prussia (1713-1740).

1769 Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France (1804-1815) and military leader.

1771 Sir Walter Scott, Scottish novelist who wrote Ivanhoe and Rob Roy.

1845 Walter Crane England, painter/illustrator (Beauty & Beast).

1875 Samuel Coleridge-Taylor London, composer (Hiawatha's Wedding Feast.)

1879 Ethel Barrymore Philadelphia, actress (Constant Wife, Corn is Green).

1888 T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia.

1912 Julia Child, American chef and television personality.

1920 Huntz Hall actor (Cyclone, Gas Pump Girls, The Rating Game or maybe best known as: Horace DeBussy Jones, aka: Sach, of the Bowery Boys)

1924 Robert Bolt, English screenwriter and playwright best known for A Man for all Seasons.

1938 Maxine Waters, congresswoman from California, second African-American woman to be elected to congress.

What a way to ruin an impeccable line of great people born on this day!

All the best,
Glenn B

You May Realize You Are An Ammo Hoarder If:

Your significant other does the laundry and finds several unspent rounds in the washer or dryer.

You do an inventory of your ammunition and it amounts to over 10,000 rounds and you only own one gun.

Your dry cleaner calls you to come pick up the ammo he found in your sports coat pockets while pressing it.

You have a cache of more than 3 calibers of ammunition for which you do not own firearms of matching calibers to shoot the stuff.

You have 500 rounds or more of ammunition for a hunting gun you shoot only a few times a year and even then only shoot less than 10 rounds each time.

Your wife tells you to get the lead out, and she does not mean out of your big fat butt by mowing the lawn or doing other overdue chores, but means it literally because there is no room in a closet, attic or garage because your ammo leaves no room for anything else.

You spend so much on ammo that you have overdue credit card bills.

You empty your pockets looking for a quarter for the parking meter and all you come up with are two rounds of 7.62x39, several 9mm rounds and the closest thing to a quarter is a .25 ACP round.

The dollar amount of the ammo you have on hand exceeds the money in your savings account, checking account, retirement account and your mortgage - combined.

You own more ammo than you could reasonably shoot within the remainder of your lifetime, even if you went shooting every day, and have no heirs to whom you can leave it.

All the best,

Glenn B

Ballseye's Gun Shots 82 - An Off Day At The Range...

...is something I suppose we all should expect now and then but I guess I do not usually expect to have an off day. I sort of take good days at the range for granted. Not granted because I expect to do well each and every time no matter what as if I am entitled to good day. Nope, I know there is no such thing as being entitled to a good range day. You have to work for things you want and being a good shot and shooting good scores are no exception. Yet, I do take good range days for granted but only because I work toward achieving them by practicing a fair amount and by always seeking to improve my shooting. So when I have a bad day, and to me even a mediocre day is a bad one at the range, well then I am taken by surprise and am also highly disappointed.

Such was the case this past Thursday when I went to shoot for my jobs quarterly qualifications. As usual, I have been practicing, maybe even more than usual within the past 3 months or so. I even went to shoot for practice just about a week before my qualification day and I did pretty darned good then. So, when I shot a 238 out of a possible 250, with my issued SIG 229, I was very disappointed. For some reason I was shooting slower than molasses flows downhill on really cold winter's day in Antarctica. I even missed getting off 2 shots during one of the sequences because I was just taking too long to shoot. That really bothers me not just because it really lowered my score but because if it had happened on the street when I may have been involved in a real life shootout - well, I might be dead now. I have never been all that fast on the draw nor to get off my first shot and while followup shots often come out at a good clip, on this particular day at quals I was really way too slow. I guess it is a mental thing, something also to do with the horrendously long double action pulls of the Sig, and just whatever else may have been eating at me on an off day. It is something I will have to work on and you can bet I will be shooting up the 200 rounds they gave me on the practice day and the additional 100 rounds they gave me on the qualification day during next trip or two to the range.

After I shot with the SIG, it was time to bring out the Glock 26. I shoot this one much faster, and was doing just that once I got it out of the holster. In fact, I shot it so fast that I am certain one of the reasons for me only shooting a 236 with it was that I probably jerked the trigger a few times trying to get off my shots within the allotted time of some of the shorter sequences. Now you may be wondering, if I was shooting faster than with the SIG, why on earth would I be jerking the trigger because I was trying to shoot fast enough for the allotted time; I mean that may seem to you like I was again at least getting off my first shot rather late after the draw. If that is what you thought then you would almost be right. I was actually getting off the first shot almost as soon as the pistol was up to eye level but that was still taking too long. The reason for that was because it was taking me what seemed like forever to get the pistol out of its holster and therefor I was wasting precious time in which I should have been shooting.

So why was I taking so long to draw? It was a relatively new holster and I will leave it at that for now if only because I plan to write a piece that deals specifically with problems like the one I had with the holster during this qualification period. The topic is important enough to deserve its own rant and I will give you that over the next day or two. The holster is sort of another thing I took for granted and shame on me for having done so.

Back to the main topic of this piece, I shot pretty poorly for myself. My scores were down for awhile, then back up to normal for some time now and I can say, without a doubt,that 236 and 238 out of 250 are pitifully poor scores for me. More practice required and maybe another holster too but as I said above, I will explain that in more detail soon.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Gun Shots 81 - Ammo Prices Falling?

Oh happy days, it seems that the indications are that prices for ammunition may be falling. "What indications are those?" say you. I answer: "The current retail prices are indications enough for me'. Let's take a look at some of them:

AmmoMan.com has Wolf 7.62x39 in either FMJ or JHP going at 1,000 rounds for $219.00 (including shipping). That is a pretty good price. I have not seen the price that low in awhile, it was certainly not that low when I last purchased it. If I remember right, my last purchase of a thousand rounds in this caliber was on August 1, 2009, almost exactly one year ago, and the price was $249.99 shipped from CenterfireSystems.com. They had the lowest price by quite a bit back then, AmmoMan had it for $279 shipped right around the same time and SportsmansGuide.com had it at about $314 back then. Back to today's price, the $219 shipped available at AmmoMan now is about a 12% price drop in a year as compared to the best price I could find back then. Not the greatest savings but certainly substantial. Had I waited until now to buy that thousand rounds, well I could have used the money I would have saved to buy a decent case of beer, something like Pilsner Urquell but who could have known when the price would come down some.

Other ammo prices also seem to be falling somewhat. Not all that long ago, the SportsmansGuide.com was offering Remington Core-Lokt in .35 Rem. at about $24.97 a box of 20 plus shipping. I just ordered 100 rounds of it (5 boxes), a few days ago, at a price of only $20.78 per box plus shipping. That is almost a 17% savings and I was sure to get in on it.
Ammunition To Go has CCI Blazer .22LR, 40gr. solid points, 5,000 rounds for $189.99. That is not as good as it should be but is not a bad price and i think it has come down a couple of dollars from what I saw a few months ago when I picked up 2,500 rounds for $111 from another dealer and that was the best price I could find for 2,500 rounds then. While there is often a discount when buying 5,ooo rounds as compared to 2,500, you can bet it is not near as much as a $32 difference in price between the two. So, yes I am sure it's price has come down too.

I also recently purchased 100 rounds of 8MM Mauser ammo. If I recall correctly Sellier & Bellot 8x57JS, 196 Gr. SPCE, was priced at $19.68 per box of 20 rounds at Natchez Shooters Supplies. It is now going for $18.49 per box. That is a savings of $5.95, or about 6%, for 100 rounds.

I also just bought a couple of 100 round boxes of CCI Mini Mag, .22LR, round nose ammo, standard velocity, for $6.79 a box at a dealer in PA. The least expensive I have seen this go for at a dealer, including at gun shows, over the past several months has been about $6.99 a box with it usually going for about $7.29 or more per box of 100 rounds. Again a decent savings percentage wise, about 5.5% from the lowest then til the lowest now.

So, it seems to me that ammunition prices are falling somewhat. This could be a result of recent Supreme Court decisions relative to the 2nd Amendment. Those decisions have made it much more difficult for the anti-gun crowd to enact further legislation baning guns and ammo. It has put the brakes on the Obama administration from doing so by way of legislation (though remember they will try by way of treaties made with other nations such as those in the UN). As a result, people who shoot may not be buying up as much ammo to hoard it as they obviously had been just a short while ago. If we vote the bums out of Congress this fall, we stand a chance that our liberties and rights will be strengthened and that prices such as those for ammo will fall even further once the fears of them denying us our rights have subsided in their absence. Of course, there can be other reasons that ammo prices have dropped but whatever the reason it appears to be a good thing and hopefully a downward trend in ammunition prices will lead to much more affordable ammo.

As for me, I would like to take further advantage of the lower prices but just paid my son's college tuition (half of it anyhow) with a credit card and have to get that paid off pronto. I also have a few medical bills still due from my surgery back at the end of may and need to get them paid off too. So it is not likely I will be buying a lot of ammo in the near future although I may not be able to resist if the prices fall even more in the near future and I have been squirreling away a bit of change and dollar bills now and then. Oh for the days of 1,000 rounds of Wolf 7.62x39 JHP ammo at $179 per thousand to come round again.

All the best,
Glenn B

A Farewell To Arms (or at least to a certain longarm)

In the midst of a heat wave, in the mid summer of this year, I shot for qualification at a range on an island that looked across the bay and and outer counties to the mountainous towers of steel, glass and concrete that are the heart of the city. Though there have been other places, this one has been the one place, where I have qualified the most in over a quarter century. In all that time, while there may have been a rare exception, I cannot recall a single qualification day when I did not shoot a Remington 870 Shotgun. Today, I said farewell to that firearm, it is the first time in memory that I did not shoot one for qualification.

It's not that I have lost any of my faith in this fine weapon as being just that - a fine weapon - nor have I begun to think that it would not be among the best of choices as a primary weapon when on a high risk operation, it is more along the lines that I feel I need to start to wind down in preparation for my retirement. Actually, my decision to turn in the shotgun, is a bit more complicated than that and also has to do with some recent politics in the office that have disenchanted me and therefore had me wondering if it is worth it to me to maintain the additional responsibility of being assigned such a gun. Without me going into the details of the politics, allow me to simply say, I decided that if my agency was not able to overcome the muddled bureaucratic nightmare of indecisive micromanagement and instead show some intelligent decision making ability based upon good old fashioned respect for its workers and the level of responsibility they exhibit with firearms, well then it was time for me to put aside the additional responsibility of carrying this particular gun. No I did not have any type of problem with the gun, nor with it having been issued to me, nor with any use of it; I just want to make that clear. The issue was something different but it was an eye opener and enough to make me realize that under the current administration within my office, I probably would be a fool to continue to maintain the additional responsibility of being issued this gun. So, with a good deal of regret, and not any less of a feeling that I was losing an old friend, I decided I would turn it in this quarter.

I miss it already and it has been only the first qualification day without my shooting it. I can live without it though, without the added responsibility of maintaining it or having to qualify with it and without the bruised shoulder that it causes almost every time I shoot it tactically at the range. I have arthritis and bursitis (and maybe other damage) in my right shoulder and wish I had filed the necessary paperwork to report an injury every time I got a bruise from shooting it (especially since my shoulder has never otherwise been injured that I can remember). That way I would never have to worry about paying for the medical bills for the shoulder but I never did file those forms and if it needs fixing now then I guess I'll have to foot the bills instead of worker's comp. I figured all those bruises on my shoulder, the aches and pains, the soreness were all just part of the job and the responsibility and would all be worth it in the long run should I ever actually have needed to fire the shotgun in defense of myself or another agent on my job. As it is, while I carried it on arrest operations and such many times over the years, and was all to often the first in the door, I never once needed to fire it except at the range. I hope, in the relatively short time I have remaining on my job, I will not find myself in a situation where I need it and do not have it.

It is just that the bureaucracy in my office has become unbearable and finally gotten me to the point where any added responsibility, with little or no respect for it, or appreciation of it, is just not worth it to me - the shotgun being just one example. In addition, as I said above, I need to get into the wind down mode looking toward a not too distant retirement. While I have always welcomed a good deal of additional responsibility on my job, and have volunteered for things beyond the scope of most of my coworkers, extra responsibility at this point is not something I need on my shoulders since it seems to me as if my job is discouraging me from taking it on or continuing it.

Did I mention I miss it already? Farewell old friend.

All the best,
Glenn B

A New Poem By Doctor What's His Name...

Someone sent me the following in an email today. There is no credit given but I have to say that whoever thought it up gets my respect and furthermore I just like it a lot. So, I have decided to share it with all of you.

I do not like this Uncle Sam,

I do not like his health care scam.

I do not like these dirty crooks,

or how they lie and cook the books.

I do not like when Congress steals,

I do not like their secret deals.

I do not like this speaker Nan ,

I do not like this 'YES, WE CAN'.

I do not like this spending spree---

I'm smart, I know that nothing's free.

I do not like your smug replies,

when I complain about your lies.

I do not like this kind of hope.

I do not like it, nope, nope, nope!

Now wasn't that amusingly refreshing? I think so and hope you do too. I wish I could thank the author!

All the best,

Glenn B

America Under Attack Since 1979

This speech was given by US Navy Captain Dan Ouimette, the Executive Officer, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida back in Fenruary 2003:

"America WAKE UP!

That's what we think we heard on the 11th of September 2001 and maybe it was, but I think it should have been "Get Out of Bed!" In fact, I think the alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979 and we have continued to hit the snooze button and roll over for a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then.

It was a cool fall day in November 1979 in a country going through a religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. This seizure was an outright attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world's most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. The attack on this sovereign US embassy set the stage for the events to follow for the next 23 years.

America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Viet Nam experience and had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then, President Carter, had to do something. He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert. The ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but stood as a symbol of America's inability to deal with terrorism. America's military had been decimated and downsized / right sized since the end of the Viet Nam war. A poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly organized military was called on to execute a complex mission that was doomed from the start.

Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and killed throughout the Middle East. America could do little to protect her citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued. In April of 1983 a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in Beirut. When it explodes, it kills 63 people. The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more. Then just six short months later a large truck heavily laden down with over 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut. 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more. Two months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait, and America continues her slumber. The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gates of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept.

Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe. In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid. Then in August a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force Base at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the Snooze Alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US soil is continually attacked. Fifty-nine days later a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger list and executed. The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 and the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, killing 259. America wants to treat these terrorist acts as crimes; in fact we are still trying to bring these people to trial. These are acts of war...the Wake Up alarm is louder and louder.

The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America. In January 1993, two CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. The following month, February 1993, a group of terrorists are arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City. Six people are killed and over 1000 are injured. Still this is a crime and not an act of war? The Snooze alarm is depressed again.

Then in November 1995 a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia killing seven service men and women. A few months later in June of 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US military compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It destroys the Khobar Towers, a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over 500.

The terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they see that America does not respond decisively. They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack on two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These attacks were planned with precision, they kill 224. America responds with cruise missile attacks and goes back to sleep.

The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on 12 October 2000, when a small craft pulled along side the ship and exploded killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but we sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep.

And of course you know the events of 11 September 2001. Most Americans think this was the first attack against US soil or in America. How wrong they are. America has been under a constant attack since 1979 and we chose to hit the snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep.

In the news lately we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high official in government over what they knew and what they didn't know. But if you've read the papers and paid a little attention I think you can see exactly what they knew. You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing since 1979. The President is right on when he says we are engaged in a war. I think we have been in a war for the past 23 years and it will continue until we as a people decide enough is enough.

America has to "Get out of Bed" and act decisively now. America has changed forever. We have to be ready to pay the price and make the sacrifice to ensure our way of life continues. We cannot afford to hit the Snooze Button again and roll over and go back to sleep. We have to make the terrorists know that in the words of Admiral Yamamoto after the attack on Pearl Harbor "that all they have done is to awaken a sleeping giant.

Thank you very much."

Dan Ouimette

Pensacola Civitan
19 Feb 2003

We are still snoozing but surely should not be. We need to be ready for this to get worse before it gets better and to realize the enemy does not care about us or our way of life but only wants to conquer and convert or kill us. In order for us to defeat our enemy - we need to first an foremost be united in our recognition of our enemy. If we cannot do that, across all divisive lines such as political, ethical, racial, ethnic, sexual preference, education level, wealth status, and so on, then we are doomed. How dare our politicians ask us to diversify further and how dare thye play one group against another as we face this threat for our very existance. We are already a nation of diverse peoples, cultures, languages, religions and have always been such. Until recent years we have always stood united, regardless of our diversity. Our unity, instead of trying to play one diverse group against another, has always been the true strength of the United States of America. Unite or die!

All the best,

Glenn B

Today In History - An Honorable Man Winds Up Disgraced

On August 8, 1974, Richard M. Nixon announces to the nation, on the nightly news, that he will resign as the President of the United States of America. He resigns officially on the very next day, thus making him the first and only president to have done so in the history of our nation. I call him an honorable man because all of his intentions for America, such as ending Kennedy's war in Vietnam, his entering into diplomacy with China, his efforts in the Cold War, were all honorable because he loved America and her people dearly and sought the best for them during very hard times. I say he wound up disgraced because that is just how he felt about himself after Watergate and after he resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974. He never allowed himself to live it down.

Did he do something wrong with the Watergate scandal, yes he most definitely did so. Did he do any good for America - yes he also most definitely did so. One of the things by which he did good was to finally accept responsibility for his wrong actions and to disgrace and humiliate himself by way of his resignation so that our nation could move on. Can you imagine that any one of the presidents since him would have done so even in the face of as much overwhelming as was piled up against Nixon if any of them had been implicated in a criminal act. Ford - maybe, Carter - no way since he cannot even admit he is an asshole his own incompetence, Reagan - maybe, even probably had he really done something he believed was illegal outside of something to protect National Security, George H.W. Bush - I doubt it, William J. Clinton - if you think he would have resigned in the face of such evidence whom are you trying to kid - he was and remains (in my opinion) one of the most dishonest presidents we have ever elected and in fact repeatedly lied under oath about his affair with Monica Lewinsky, George W. Bush - maybe if his mommy and daddy spanked him first for being a bad boy but I doubt even then that he would have had the courage to do so, Barack H. Obama - In my opinion, I can see no possible way that he would do the right thing and resign even if faced with having been convicted of a crime. That is just the presidents. Just look at folks like Charlie Rangel - I think he probably should have resigned years ago and maybe even turned himself into authorities with a confession that was signed, sealed and delivered.

Yes, Richard Nixon, even though probably guilty of a criminal offense, was an honorable man in that he did the honorable thing. There are not many men or women willing to admit there faults and then take the responsibility for them as he took it for his own misdeeds.

All the best,
Glenn B

You Have Got To Love Be Wary Of Modern Technology

At least, when I point one of my guns somewhere, then pull the trigger, I can be fairly certain the bullet will go where I aimed it and there will not be an accident. That is because I use my brain to help me follow rules of firearms' safety. Thank goodness, unlike the motorcyclist in the video, I do not have to depend upon a technologically advanced electronic computerized super-duper heads up my ass display instead of using common sense and making sure I do it safely. As for motorcycle riding, nah, not for me with or without the computerized display and even though I still would have been smart enough to look both ways before darting out onto a roadway. Of course, this video could be theatrical in nature and not show a real life event at all, but my point is still valid: Be careful out there.

All the best,
Glenn B

Interesting & Powerful Stuff - Makes Me Want To See The Movie

All the best,
Glenn B

Away From & Back Home Again

The Elantra Touring Wagon got us there and back again without problem, it is one nifty little car. Though, I must admit the trip to Hamburg took about 30 minutes longer than expected and the return trip was about 45 minutes longer than expected. Neither delay was due to the Hyundai but because of molasses like traffic in NYC on the way out due to streets being closed for some sort of street race, then bad traffic in NJ and NYC on the way back due to overall crappy traffic conditions like lanes being closed and volume. The car and its riders took it all in stride.

We got to the Field House in Hamburg late this morning and were greeted by a person at the door collecting an $8 a head admission fee. Once that was paid up, we entered the hall and all I can say is that my first impression was 'egad - it is packed'. I headed off to the far right side to start to make my way around the 200 or so tables that were there, all loaded with reptiles, amphibians, feeder rodents (including mice, rats, hamsters and guinea pigs), feeder rabbits, feeder, chickens and insects (mealworms, superworms, crickets, waxworms and fruit flies) care and natural history books, tanks and other accessories, and supplies almost all geared toward the keeping of herps.

It was difficult making my way down the first aisle because of the crowd but I managed. I did not see anything that caught my eye and that meant I had missed something. I headed over to the next aisle, looking at this and that - the Gila Monsters and beaded Lizards one vendor had for sale really caught my eye but were way above my budget at a cost of about $1,200 apiece. So I moved on and admired Thayeri, Gray Banded Kings, Gopher Snakes, Gaboon Vipers, Cobras, Cotton Mouths, Copperheads, other assorted vipers and pit-vipers, poison dart frogs, many species of turtles and tortoises, geckos, agamids, pythons, boas and others. There was certainly a wide variety of animals for sale.

What I did not see were salamanders and newts. I was a bit concerned that Mike S. had not shown up. Suddenly, just as I was thinking that, Brendan walked up and asked me if I had seen the salamanders in the first aisle. He told me that the he had seen the exact salamanders I had wanted. When I asked where he said 'in the first aisle, over there'. I had missed them while squeezing my way through the throng when navigating down that row of displays, had walked right passed them. I headed back over and there, and on one table were 3 of what I wanted - Anderson's Salamanders along with other newts and salamanders. Mike, the dealer, was absent though and a friend of his was watching the table until his return, so I waited for him. Brendan stopped by the table and took a look at the 3 Andersoni that were displayed. Once Mike S was back at his table, he and I chatted a it, and he then pulled out about another half dozen or so Andersoni for me to look over. Brendan and I gave them the once over and then Brendan moved on as I made my selection. I picked out 2 I liked, I figured I could not buy another 3 as I had recently. Those earlier 3 died when a filter in their tank malfunctioned - probably allowing rapid build-up of nitrites and nitrates and amonia - and that was all she wrote. I looked over the available ones with a keen eye and picked out the 2 that appeared to have been the best eaters, those with the most rounded bellies and biggest overall size. All of the available ones seemed to be in great shape. I paid for 2 and was walking away then made a u-turn and then asked Mike if he could do me a deal on a third. He offered a discount and it was a satisfactory deal, so I got a third. More chances of winding up with a sexual pair that way. We chatted a bit more and that was it, time to move on and go round one more time.

As I was leaving Mike's table, I ran into Brendan again, he was across the same aisle buying some Fire Belly Toads. I gave him some advice; he basically told me to get out of there. I walked on to look at other animals. Harry met up with me and we walked around a bit. I pointed out, to Harry, a dealer's table on which there were some containers that held highly venomous snakes and that were not secured in any way except to have the lid snapped on. Should one of em have been knocked off the table, well - all I can say is I would not want to be standing nearby, those lids come off way to easily. Heck, I have seen snakes pop the tops off by pushing with their snouts from inside. At least other vendors had secured such tops with tape and one had the containers with his venomous offerings inside of an acrylic display case which meant at least his were safe and secure. I commended him and when he realized why, he also said he would not want to be anywhere near some of the other vendors' tables who were selling 'hots' because of how poorly they were secured and because he figured they would easily get out if knocked over or mishandled. As for me, I don't mind seeing venomous for sale so long as they are being displayed and sold under safe and secure conditions. Some of the conditions at this show were way too risk laden.

Soon enough we were met by Brendan who showed me the nine (as in the number 9) Fire Belly Toads he had just bought. I hope he takes care of em cause I sure do not want to do it. After we admired them, or should I say after I pointed out that some looked nice while some seemed skinny and needed fattening up. Brendan thought I was being a pain in his behind, and I know I can really be too picky but in this case I was just stating fact. Brendan will learn after this time because by the time we got home it was obvious at least one was near death, probably parasitized and had to be euthanized. I will treat the others for parasites and help him make sure they get nice and healthy, or maybe I will just tell him how to do it and let him get it accomplished. I am sure he will be able to do that and then to take good care of them in the long run but it is always best to start with healthy animals in the first place. The others may or may not be ill but we will take no chances and make sure to treat them all since they share a communal tank and probably did likewise at the dealers establishment.

After a bit of jaw-boning, we decided to get back on the road and head over to Cabela's, and after that to get something to eat. Once at Cabela's we were soon split up, and I went over to view the animal displays for a bit, took a few snapshots, then went to the firearms section. I picked up some CCI ammo in .22LR standard velocity. Other than that, most things they had were just too high priced for me; I knew I could get much better deals elsewhere and held off on any other purchases except for some candy on the way out. Before leaving though, we took a look at the large aquarium displays and viewed some impressive native North American fish. They had bowfin, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rock bass, crappies, sunfish, muskies, pike, walleye, catfish and others. It was feeding time too and we got to see some of them gobble down some nightcrawlers and mealworms. Even though lots of shiners were also dumped into the tanks they were pretty much unmolested by the larger fish which almost all seemed to be too well fed.

After that we were off to a Cracker Barrel just across the road. We all had decent sized meals that were all pretty delicious judging by how they disappeared with some haste. Just lip smacking good as usual at Cracker Barrel. The fact that we had a great waitress, I think Jan was her name, made the meal even more enjoyable. Once we were through, I went to pay the bill and also bought my darling back at home a box of Moon Pies (one of her favorites). Thanks Harry for reminding me to grab a box of them. Then we were on the road again. It took awhile to get home, too long of awhile, but we were all in good company with one another and the trip was a nice one. Hopefully, Harry, who was late to take his wife out to dinner because of the traffic we hit, did not get put in the dog house once he reached home.

All the best,
Glenn B

Road Trip (mini version) Today

Up early and soon to start getting ready for a mini one day road trip today. Brendan, myself and a friend harry F will be off to Hamburg, PA today to attend the Northwestern Berks Reptile Show. It has been several years since I have been to this one. This show is a bit of a twist from those held in NY that I attend in that they allow venomous species to be sold. So if I want to buy one, I could pick up a rattler today or maybe a nice Cobra or Puff Adder. Me being the klutz I can be, you can safely bet I will be staying on the safe side - no 'hots' are coming home to my house.

I don't think I will even consider buying any reptiles at all, although I am thinking of expanding my amphibian collection. I recently had a filter fail in on of my tanks and it caused the demise of three of my favorite aquatic salamanders. So I will most likely be looking to replace them.

Now, being the gun guy I am, and being that Brendan likes em too and that Harry is a retired LEO, I guess we will just have to make an additional stop while in Hamburg today. That will most likely mean spending some cash at Cabela's which is only a short distance from the Hamburg Fieldhouse where the herp show is to be held. I mean if we drive the 145 miles or so to the reptile show, we might as well go the extra 2 1/2 miles for Cabela's. Shouldn't we?

So the trip will be just around 300 miles total, like I said above - a mini road trip. It will be the longest trip the new Hyundai has taken so far. I am very confident will will make the trip with no car problems while getting the chance to see how comfortable the little Elantra wagon is on a longer haul.

Now, I have to go to prepare for the trip. Later for you...

All the best,
Glenn B

A Shot, a Beer and a Bogart Film...

...are all in order so don't pester me tonight. I got home from work at about 9:15 and by 9:25 I had eaten dinner, cracked open a cold one and poured myself a wee dram of Kirschwasser. I also saw that Casablanca was about to begin om TMC. It is not the best Bogart movie, though it comes close to the best - The Maltese Falcon and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre but does not quite reach the heights of either. Nor is it near the best performance given by him, he was far better in The Caine Mutiny (even though he had throat cancer at the time and was gravely ill from it), The Maltese Falcon (the first teaming up of Bogart, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet), The African Queen (a stellar performance) and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (possibly his best character portrayal ever) and I consider the two latter two as a toss up for his best performances. Yet Casablanca is an undisputed classic and the favorite of many and it is one of the greatest films of all time even though Ingrid Bergman thought it just a regular movie and one she hoped would never again be shown after her death. It is a movie that is just fun to watch over and over again. Even though both Bogart and Bergman tried to quit the film both saying it was unbelievable, it certainly is the best love story he was ever in. Yes, as a love story, I suppose it was even better than The African Queen which was most definitely a love story in that he gave up the ship, the African Queen, for a woman. It had, by far, the best musical score of any of his films. And besides being a great thriller and suspense film it showed the absolutely right anti-tyranny message throughout.

Maybe it was its unbelievable fantasy like quality, right in the face of the Nazi takeover of much of the world in 1942, that made it such a wonderful film - one that planted the seed of hope in all who saw it, one that reminded us of the magic of love, the power of righteousness and the unfailing ability of right to triumph over wrong even when the odds were overwhelmingly against it so as to make it hopefully believable. Or maybe it was that there were so many bit actors wo played big forceful roles - the little people made a difference in this film so why not in the world too. Watch the roles of Lorre, of Greenstreet, of Henreid, of Raines, of Veldt of Sakall, that of smaller seemigly insignifcant roles that really made an impression. Those waiters and bar tenders, waitresses and even the customers singing together in force in opposition to the Germans, the parts of all the regular people were stunning and heartwrenching. Maybe that is what made this film so great, so hopeful, so believable. Maybe both Bogart and Bergman should have believed in it just a little bit because surely enough of the rest of the world has done just that since its debut.

It is only too bad that the Victor Lorre part was so, shall I say, short lived in this one. He played a great squirmy little villain.

Now that I have written that, I am going to watch the rest of it - hopefully undisturbed even by my own penchant for blogging.

All the best,
Glenn

Hunting Site Sought

I as seeking permission to hunt on private land during the upcoming squirrel, turkey, deer and bear seasons. Anyone out there have a decent hunting spot available in NY state, southern zone, preferably Broome, Delaware or Chenango Counties? We are willing to try the Finger lakes area and some others also.

Willing to pay a reasonable fee per day/week of hunting for my son and I. We are responsible, law abiding, hunters, do not leave messes, observe your rules, are respectful of landowners and other hunters and so forth. We are serious about firearms' safety too.

I used to hunt my uncle's property near Windsor, NY but he sold out about 7 years ago and we have hunted state without much luck. I am trying to get away from the crowds on state land to a safer and quieter hunting area.

All the best,
Glenn B

"Our Own Government Has Become Our Enemy"

"Our Own Government Has Become Our Enemy" are the words Pinal County, AZ Sheriff Paul Babeu. He is supposedly upset with, angered with, disgusted with the federal government. Does he have the right, does he have just cause, should he be feeling that way. In my personal opinion, I think so. I think we all should feel likewise but again that is my own personal opinion.

When you look at the bailouts, when you look at Fannie Mae, when you look at the seemingly egregious spending of our as of yet uncollected tax dollars regardless of those already spent, when you look at the current national debt and how it is skyrocketing, when you look at all the jobs lost, at the unemployment rates going up or simply remaining the worst they have been in years, when you consider the federal government not only considering mandatory socialized medicine for all Americans for the first time in our history but forcing you to buy it while the politicians have exempted themselves, when you see the left still trying to blame it all or most of it on George W. Bush (just heard it this morning coming out of the mouth of a lib on Fox News) instead of taking any blame for anything, when you look at our foreign policy with regard to China, North Korea, Iran and others, when you see us disrespecting and almost forsaking our ally Israel, when you realize that the war in Afghanistan is going worse than it has in all the years it has been waged and our president goes on golf outings and has gala parties held at the White House with invited ultra leftists like Paul McCartney who mock and insult us as our soldiers die in foreign wars, when you hear of the suicide rate in our own military is out of control, when you consider that our government refuses to call a terrorist infiltrator an Islamic terrorist (or even call him a terrorist at all) after he killed and wounded our men and woman on an army base within our borders and praised his god while doing so, when you realize that soon a Muslim cultural center/mosque will be erected within the shadow of what was the World Trade Center, when you see our leaders saying this mosque will be erected because of freedom of religion even though to many intelligent people Islam is not a true religion but a type of state that masquerades as a religion or at least hides behind one, when you see our president bowing to the rulers of other nations and bowing very low at that, when you hear him apologizing for America all across the globe, when you see - feel - and smell the oil that has polluted our shorelines and seas and wildlife including the seafood we eat - thanks not only to an oil company that our government is still going out of its way to appease but to ineffectual activity by the government itself for months, when you speculate that within a month or two at most - BP and the federal government will say it has all been cleaned up (just in time for the elections), when you see senators and congress people more corrupt than ever despite this administrations promise to clean up the swamp, when you realize that our current government is operating more behind the scenes than any previous one in recent memory, when you observe that our government has virtually handcuffed law enforcement from stopping illegal entry of aliens into our country or throwing out those illegal aliens already here, when you read the draft memo stating that CIS should in essence do all it can do to allow illegals to remain in this country and to get legal status, when you see the federal government suing a state for what it has begged states to do in the past - specifically to assist federal law enforcement by helping enforce federal law, when you wonder what will happen if states stop enforcing federal laws as assistance to the government, when you realize that the federal courts have allowed a foreign country - one that spews illegal aliens and narcotics and probably terrorists into our country - to sue one of our states, when you see the federal government actually closinga long stretch of our border to American Citizens and legal resident aliens and looking the other way as smugglers and illegals flood across it, when you hear the ultra-left is not satisfied that our president is leftist enough even though he has done more than anyone since Franklin D. Roosevelt to socialize our economy - when you see our president trying to save his own image on The View instead of honoring the Boy Scouts of America by attending their 100th Anniversary celebration, isn't it all more than enough for you to realize that those words, "Our Own Government Has Become Our Enemy", just maybe are quite possibly true?

Heaven help us for it has become apparent at least to me that we cannot, or are unwilling to, take the necessary steps to help ourselves. What have we become, what else will we become? It is up to us, We The People, to determine the course of our nation and just as the man promised change in the last presidential election - I think we all need to demand it in the next!

All the best,
Glenn B

Calvary vs. Cavalry...

...you would think someone claiming to be an expert in firearms, among other things, would know the difference betwixt the two. Then again, you would be wrong if you though so about the expert I just saw on the show Pawn Stars. While examining a Civil War era carbine, unless my ears are a lot worse than I thought, he repeatedly said it was used by the "Calvary". I would have sworn, that at Calvary (in its most notable historical sense) the weapons of the day were swords, spears and the nails used during the Crucifixion of Christ.

Even the folks who contribute to Wikipedia know the difference. If you search for Calvary on Wikipedia you get to the page at this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary.

If you look, you will see, the very first sentence, before they even begin to talk about Calvary, is this:

"Not to be confused with cavalry (horse or armoured troops)."

If you want to read about horse mounted soldiers, or Cavalry, go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalry

I would not normally dedicate a blog rant to such a thing but being I was blogging about Wild Bill Hickok and other shootists of his time, while I heard the expert say this, it just got to me. It got deep down inside since when I was a kid, who was adoring of the heroes in the previous post, I was often admonished for getting these two words confused and sometimes admonished hard. That was either when I talked about the Cavalry in the Old West or when we went to visit Calvary Cemetery and I just got em mixed up over and over again until I was well into my teens. So, hearing this so called expert get it wrong just ate away at the pit of my gut like a nasty cemetery worm and I just had to spit it out and let the steeds trample it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History - Aces & Eights (all black)...

...were the last hand ever dealt to James Butler Hickok (a hand later to become known as "Dead Man's Hand'). On August 2, 1876, he was shot in the back of the head, while holding that hand in a game at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon No. 10 in Deadwood, Dakota Territories. Jack McCall had come into the saloon from behind Hickok (who was quite unusually sitting with his back to the door) walked up to him, drew a pistol and said "Take that" while firing into the back of Hickok's head.

While he died at the hands of a coward and paid assassin (it was later brought out in McCall's second murder trial that he had been paid by other gamblers to kill Hickok) it was Hickok's shootout, on July 21, 1865, with Davis Tutt that made him famous. It is also one of the few such gunfights, and was the very first recorded gunfight, in the old west where two assailants faced off against one another and drew from the holster as is typically seen in movies. It most assuredly was not the usual method of gunfighting in that day; the shot fired by McCall that killed Hickok was ore the norm.

During his short life, he died at 39, he was a hunter, frontiersman, shootist, army scout, army wagon master, possible northern spy against the south, womanizer, gambler and lawman. Of all the legends of the Old West, Wild Bill was one of my favorites, if not the favorite, when I was a youngster. He was truly a man among some of my favorite men such a Buffalo Bill Cody, George A. Custer, Daniel Boone, and Calamity Jane (Yep, I know she was a she but have you ever seen her in pictures? Hickok reportedly had little to no use for her, maybe because she looked like a man and bragged and lied like one too. As a prank, his friends buried her next to him and this is well recorded. It was also reported to be one of Calamity Jane's last wishes. I guess both could be true.)

For more about Wild Bill Hickok, visit the sites at these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Bill_Hickok

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/hickok.htm

http://www.digitaldeadwood.com/historylink/people/hickok.html

http://www.historynet.com/wild-bill-hickok-pistoleer-peace-officer-and-folk-hero.htm

All the best,
Glenn B

Speaking of Fems Fatale and Zombies and Guns and Kick Arse Movies...

...have you heard that Resident Evil: Afterlife, starring Milla Jovovich (loved her ever since The Fifth Element, which is on Sci-Fi right now and yes I am watching it) is to be released September 10, 2010. All of the other Resident Evil movies have been great, and I did not think they would be making another, so I am pretty happy about it. I am eagerly awaiting its release even though this one will be in 3D and I am not a big 3-D fan but then again, I have not seen a 3-D movie in several years and I hear they have improved a lot. This translates to I almost cannot wait to see this one.

All the best,
GB

Zombieland...

...is a place where I hope never to find myself and if I do I just hope I am heavily armed and in shape because apparently zombies can overtake you quickly (both the alcoholic beverage type and the creepy type but I am talking creepy type here and remind you do not mix alcoholic beverage type zombies with firearms - not ever). Started out, way back when in some Bob Hope movie I saw, that zombies were slow moving and tenacious with an appetite for human flesh, living human flesh. Well not all has changed but one important thing has, they are now seen as some sort of speed demons. Take for example the zombies in the 2009 movie Zombieland starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenburg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin.

Of course, this movie is a sort of sci-fi comedy but man can those zombies move fast. I don't remember in what movie that speed stuff started for the zombie crowd but it has been showing up in most of the zombie movies of recent years (as in at least 10 or 15 years) as far as those I have seen. If it ever comes to be that zombies, or something like them, become an actuality there is some good advice for you to follow in this movie as seen in the rules that Columbus has for his survival. His rules about limbering up before taking action, use of seat belts, using the restroom, getting and staying in good cardio shape all are bound to make this movie a goofball cult-classic. The prodigious use of firearms (click for the list used in the movie) will not unsettle true zombie-cult movie lovers, nor will Columbus' rule about using them, the rule called - The Double Tap. In fact it might make happy firearms buffs and zombie buffs alike (and aren't they often one and the same).

As for Tallahassee, the character portrayed by Woody H., all I can say is he is a man after my own heart with his affinity for Twinkies and firearms. neither one of the guys, it should be pointed out, seem to have done all that good with the ladies throughout their live and thus the reason that the two fems fatale in this flick are able to get over on the guys as easily and as often as they do. Of course it was nice to see, for an old timer like me, that it turns out that the hero is a.... Watch the movie to find out.

If you have not seen it, I recommend watching it if you are a zombie movie fan. Don't expect academy award winning acting in this one but do expect to see a fair to decent zombie flick, in which the zombies sure could have been better although the belch is great, with lots of guns and a good chance for you to get a couple of laughs along the way.

All the best,
Glenn B

That's Why They Call It Fishing - Not Catching

Sometimes you go fishing and you just don't catch a thing; it happens to the best of us. And that is the way it was on Saturday night for me and everyone else aboard the Captain Al out of Point lookout, NY. I did not catch a thing, I had only one sure bite and never even came close to hooking whatever stole my bait that time. What a sad excuse for a fishing trip but as the guy, from Wisconsin said, "that's why they call it fishing and not catching". Can you imagine how disappointed he must have been, in NY for the first time, gets to go out fishing and to be on the ocean for the first time in his life, and to not catch a thing. he had the right attitude because when the guy from Brooklyn said I was a nice boat ride anyway, we three all agreed. The seas were so calm as to make one almost believe we were on a lake, a calm lake at that. Early on we were treated to a gorgeous sunset. later on we got to watch fireworks in the distance near the shore. We also got to see some squid and some small elongated fish which at first I thought were eels but the guy from Brooklyn told me they were not eels though he could not think of their names. Could have been a small, maybe 10-12 inch, gar like fish.

This guy told me this, that guy told me that, man oh man I wish I was better at remembering names I have forgotten already and only last heard their names about 45 minutes ago! Oh well. There were also two long time US resident aboard who were originally from Russia, I had a nice time talking to the young lady of the pair, who was standing off my right shoulder. We also had a guy who brought along a boom box type of radio and we got to listen to the Yankee game, I only half listened every now and then, I am not much of a fan of athletic sports. All in all everyone of the other fares I spoke to was very nice and that is not always the case on a party fishing boat.

The crew was okay too although, the mates were pretty good and friendly. I was pretty disappointed though that the captain who took us out tonight (the younger of the two I have met for this boat) did not stay out longer as used to almost always be the case, on this boat, if the fishing was poor. Kind of makes me think another old time good thing has gone down the toilet. An extra half hour or hour would have been a nice and welcome touch. Even if it did not accomplish putting any fish on the deck, it would have made the customers happier knowing that they crew had given it their all to try to bring some type of fish up from the deep. I guess it was just not happening on this trip. Oh well, next time - hopefully.

All the best,
Glenn B

Neighbors are...

...a good thing to have fairly nearby but sometimes can be a real pain in the neck or maybe just be someone who you see now and then and give a wave to at most. That view about neighbors came into my head after reading a blog post, Oh Won't You Be My Neighbor by Melody Byrne, over at The Anarchangel. She was talking about her family's recent move to Idaho from Scottsdale, AZ and how their new neighbors in ID differed from those in AZ when she said this:

Sure we had neighbors in Scottsdale, the kind that came with high fences and nods. We even knew a few names but we weren't really, well, friendly. Everybody had their own lives and not much in common and the entire neighborhood was transitory.

Lucky for me, for my family in fact, that we have neighbors too where we live in NY. Even luckier for us is the fact that some of our neighbors, those who live close to us in this pretty congested area, come in a wider variety than just those separated from us by fences, who are not really friendly, with not much in common, who live their own lives...

Well, when you think about it, sure all of your neighbors live their own lives, so I guess I should be rephrasing that to say: Even luckier for us is that some of our neighbors, even though having some pretty different interests than those of my family, still have some interests in common, and those interests include me and my family and they are willing to knock down the fences so to speak, as are we, to come together and enjoy one anothers' company now and again. Some of pour neighbors go even beyond that and we or they have developed some similar interests because of one another. We visit one another now and then to see how the others are doing, we invite one another over for a BBQ or dinner now and then, we chew the fat (gab about gossip - or current events - more or less), watch each others dogs sometimes if need be, collect each others' mail when one family is away on vacation, shovel snow for one another or just for those too old to do it, loan a tool or even the lawn mower now and again, babysit (though that is now a thing of the past) for one another, call the police if we see someone messing with a neighbors' home and so on. Some of our neighbors have even become our true friends - though I will admit they are few, but they are dear to us nonetheless. Some of those who are more than just run of the mill neighbors (as in people who live close by) and yet not true friends are friendly. There are some not all that friendly but we tolerate them as they tolerate us. There is even one who is becoming a real pain in the ass neck lately but we put up with that one too.

The way it works out is that my wife is more friendly with all of our neighbors than am I. I am away more since she works closer to home and gets home earlier than me, therefore sees more of the neighbors. My daughter is likewise. My son not as much so as the ladies, he is more like me. I am grumpier than my wife would ever be and I guess it can be seen by the neighbors, except for how grumpy she can be with me, and that makes it easier for her to get along with the neighbors than it is for me to do so. Still though we get along fairly well with some of them, better than I would have expected when I first moved here.

An example of getting along okay can be seen from just today. One of my neighbors and I were talking about our gardens, asking about each others' families, me finding out she was now a grandma, and so on. Next thing you know she was handing me a huge Zucchini Squash over that very same good fence that some would say makes for good neighbors. I guess on the the good things about fences is that they are not so high as to completely cut you off from your neighbors so you can reach across them with a handshake, an offering of vegetables or just with some kind words now and again. My neighbors, I am pretty lucky to have the ones I have. As for Mel and Chris Byrne and their girls, well they have moved to a place where they basically have only one set of neighbors who are close by. They are lucky too because it seems they have found some goods ones.

All the best,
Glenn B

Making Up For Lack Of Blogging Over The Past Couple Of Days...

...by posting 4 other posts besides this one today has taken a big bite out of my day. So now I am going to get back out into the garden, take care of the tortoises, do some other chores, and then get ready to go fishing tonight.

later for you,
GB