Mysterious Missile Fired Near Los Angeles - Why Are So Few Media Outlets Reporting It

I would think a missile being fired near Los Angeles, during rush hour, would be pretty big news. The thing is I can only find stories about it at a handful of online sources. I have not tried television, have no access to one now as I am writing this up at a Starbucks while on a break.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40087187/ns/us_news-security

http://wireupdate.com/wires/12150/mysterious-missile-launch-seen-off-los-angeles-coast/

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/video-catches-mystery-missile-launch-off-la-coast.html

I saw it first at the first link above. Then I found it at some other 'major' news sites but also found it missing at Fox, CNN and so on. If this was not some prank with a hobbyist rocket kit, then this could be a major security issue for our country. The mystery of who fired it, why they fired it, what they fired, how it was armed if armed and so on all need to be answered post haste. A military screw-up by U.S. forces is possible, then again so are things like: a terrorist's missile that misfired and went to sea, a drug trafficker's missile test, a psycho firing a missile, some home spun loony rocket scientist firing one off, a foreign nation's missile being misfired, an enemy's missile being deliberately fired to send a message or any of many other possibilities including a prank initiated by the traffic helicopter crew that got the picture of it. This is all part of the mystery and it needs to be solved now. Another part of the mystery though is why this is not being reported on in ore detail by more of the media - bear in mind it happened last night.

All the best,
Glenn B

You Tell Me - Do You Agree That There Is Something Very Wrong With This Video?

I am a member of the North American Hunting Club, mostly to get their magazine. They send a lot emails to me some with hunting hints or tips and others just outright annoying - mostly the latter with advertisements. Tonight I received an email from them with the subject line: "Video: Woman In Woods Fends Off Attacker". So I take a look by clicking on the video screen in the email. That takes me to another website with the video.

The video is obviously not a news or documentary type I thought it might have been before going to it. It is instead, a pretty cheesy advertisement for a Green Laser Sight. In it the woman is walking through the woods, a bad guy is hiding in the woods near the trail, he gets the jump on her and is holding a knife and is only about 10-15 feet from her max, she drops the binoculars she had been peeping through, goes to her purse, opens it, pulls out a pistol with the green laser sight and points it at the guy with the knife, who as I said is probably not more than 10-15 feet from her if that far away. Then it turns into a commercial that is, in my opinion, one much akin to those alarm company commercials on television where the alarm going off startles the bad so so much he just about pees then flees and the alarm saves the day. Watch it, you will see what I mean.

Then answer me this: Am I right when I think - There Is Something Very Wrong With This Video, As In The Message It Is Sending?

http://www.viridiangreenlaser.com/video/walkinthewoods/

I just may have to unsubscribe for the NAHC emails after this one!

All the best,
Glenn B

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

...oh no it's not. Actually it is sleeting (yes that is actually a verb). I just went to the window to check after hearing the rain pelt the windows rather more loudly than usual and with a pinging noise at that. It is only November and the rain is coming down as ice. It promises to be a wet, cold, bone chilling sort of a day.

I'll keep warm somehow.

All the best,
GB

Today In History - Bourbon Is Born...

...or so goes the story - sort of! In November 1789, Elijah Craig, a baptist minister residing in Kentucky, opened a distillery. (Gotta love a preacher opening a distillery, my kind of religion!) His distillery produced an elixir known as Bourbon which was whiskey distilled from corn. According to some, he was the first to distill whiskey from corn thus being the creator of Bourbon on November 8th 1789; however, according to others, local farmers in the area had been distilling whiskey from corn for at least a few years before Craig did it. Regardless, he was credited with the creation (not the original creation but a rather divine one at that). He has also been credited, or at least his distillery has been credited, with being the first to use charred oak barrels to age whiskey thus adding a taste to spirits that may have indeed been Heaven sent.

Today, he may best be remembered because of Elijah Craig 12 and 18 year old Bourbon which is produced by the aptly named Heaven Hill Distillers. I used to drink bourbon but not for awhile now. Still though, at around only $45 per bottle for an 18 year old bottle of whiskey, I may have to try it. If you go out to buy it, shop around first, some places ask over $75 a bottle!


All the best,
Glenn B

And Now For Something Really Scary...

...click on the link and watch the news video (sorry you have to watch a short ad first) about a new missile system. The world is a scary place and getting worse day by day. Oh yeah, before I forget, I'll take two.

All the best,
GB

We Are The People Our Parents Warned Us About - Part II (now I am the parent)

When I was in my teens and young twenties, one of our favorite sayings, among my friends, was We Are The people Our Parents Warned Us About. Little did I ever expect there would be a Part II to that saying but now that I am a parent and now that I have seen what is in the pictures, I can attest - Part II is upon me except this time: I am the parent and my son just may be one of the guys I warned my son about! Of course, I say that tongue in cheek, my son is a good man. Yet, when I saw him tonight, his first night as a motorcycle owner, I almost needed to have a good stiff drink. Thing was I had just finished a good wee dram of Knappogue castle Irish Whiskey and another was not needed. What was it they used to say about having a drink: Take Courage. Well I have entered a brave new world of sorts tonight (even if he dragged me into it), one in which it seems I just have another thing to be happy to see my son doing worry about. Man this is pretty neat scary.

Now maybe it scares me because I never rode myself except as a passenger. Quite a few knuckleheads I knew of my friends from my younger years rode but I never had the balls since I was pretty accident prone and did not want to tempt fate. Some had Harleys, some had Triumphs, some had Yamahas (one of the few rice burners, as they called them, that they would even consider if I remember right) and maybe one had an Indian and one a Honda. I seem to recall all had accidents, most very minor. My brother rode too, a Harley. He too had an accident but and is still in pain from it today. Oh well, accidents happen but I am pretty sure Brendan will be a good and safe rider as he is a driver and a shooter. I will keep my fingers crossed.

Fact is, he went to take motorcycle lessons about 2 months ago. He had a long wait between then and now to get the bike since he was waiting for the seller to pay off his loan, then for the title to clear, then to get insurance, register it and so on. It was also being checked and worked on at a dealership, basic maintenance is all, and paid for by the seller as I understand. He picked it up this afternoon. I hope he has not forgotten any of his lessons; he is out riding tonight. Shit, did my mother (only real parent I had) worry about me like this - probably worse since I was not as good a kid as is my son! He is a good kid, so why should I worry? I mean if I can trust him with a brand new car on the road, and both an AK-47 and an AR-15 in the house and at the range, and trust him as my hunting partner, I should be able to trust him with a motorcycle - shouldn't I! Oh well, as I said, it is a brave new world into which he has dragged me and I am not going to worry too much, I am just going to take courage. He will be okay. Of course, if I ever seem him try to pop a wheelie I may just have to pop him one on the front of his dome; then again, I think he knows better.

By the way, the bike is a 2002 Yamaha V-Star 650cc with 4,000 miles on it. That is about all I know about it besides that it looks pretty darned scary cool with Joe Cool himself mounted on it - don't ya think!

All the best,
Glenn B

ps: See anything spooky in the picture? Take a look at the window in the top shot (click on the pic to enlarge it first). Those two bright dots are eyeballs, all 4 of our dogs were flipping out when he showed up on the bike and one was right at the window when I took the shot.

Happy Meals Versus San Francisco The City Should Come Out The Loser But It Is Up To You

I would not spend even one penny of your money, let alone my own money, to travel to San Francisco or do business with anyone therein. They are beyond the realm of normality in that city as I see it. They are, in my opinion, so anti Constitutional, so pro disgusting behavior, so pro illegal aliens and now with the Happy Meal ban have proven themselves to be nothing more than a group of kooks run amok with nanny-state control issues as to be totally repugnant to me. The people of San Francisco, on the whole, it seems to me, are the penultimate leftists of the world and those of the entire state of California a close second.

If McDonald's Restaurants bow down to the powers that be in what seems to me to be this modern day equivalent of Sodom, well the chances are I will never spend another penny with McDonald's either. What I think McDonald's should do is fight an all out legal battle and start a campaign to have their customers speak out about this. If that fails then close all restaurants within San Fransisco. Why, because if they bow down or even if they do nothing now then more such legislation is sure to come from other kooks throughout the nation. My bet would be NY city will be next. Chances are that within 5 or 10 years you will only be able to get vegetable burgers at fast food restaurants if this keeps going. Sure, you can say it is an isolated incident, just taking place in one city and a city of loons at that; let me remind you that NYC already forced restaurants like McDonald's to post calorie counts or shut down. Also, bear in mind that our latest Supreme Court Justice Kagan believes it Constitutional to allow the government to control what you eat. Maybe not as isolated an incident as you may have thought. The seeds have been sown nationwide from coast to coast. his is all purely nanny gone berserk type of over control and more is on its way unless it is stamped out now.

Proponents say this will stop childhood obesity and help reduce cases of childhood and adult diabetes, one on Fox News this morning even implied that these meals cause cancer! Want to make a difference in childhood obesity and diabetes, then allow parents the liberty to exercise parental rights and force their kids to work-out in gyms and to allow parents to give their kids a whack on the ass if they catch them snacking between meals. This is a parent's job not the job of a city government. Government is no substitute for good parenting, good parenting requires a sense of responsibility not a sense that someone else will do it for you. Someone else doing it for you is a nanny state mentality or a welfare state mentality. Then again - isn't that the mentality that is rampant in California?

What can you do? Buy more Happy Meals. Contact McDonald's via letters at: McDonald's Corporation, 2111 McDonald's Dr., Oak Brook, IL 60523; or email at: http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/contact_us/social_responsibility/social_responsibility.html. Let them know that you support them and not San Francisco's new law. Also let them know that if they bow to the new law in San Francisco without a legal battle that you will no longer support them or buy from them. Contact the mayor of San Fransicko Francisco and tell him you will not visit the city nor spend in it. Contact the governor of California and tell him likewise. Also make sure to contact the Congress people for your own state and let them know you will not stand for overbearing government like this in your area. Stop it now or live with it later.

All the best,
Glenn B

Fall Is In The Air - The Dogs Know It

Yesterday was the first full day of my wife's and daughter's trip to Germany. That meant I was supposed to man up, get my butt in gear and start taking the dogs for their daily walks. It was pouring - they stayed inside except for a quick potty call to the backyard. Same thing last night, it was raining pretty heavily when I got home form work so just a quick trip to the backyard. This morning was a different story.

This morning I rolled out of bed at about 5:45 to let out the dogs. The morning air was damp, and the steely gray look of the skies promised more rain although it was holding back at that moment. The dogs seemed reluctant to go out but they did. Once back inside they all devoured a cookie (dog biscuit) or two and I left them to themselves and tried to get some more sleep. I was off from work today and could sleep until ten or so when I would have to get ready for a doctor's appointment. They let me sleep too and the 2 chihuahuas joined me under the covers. They love snuggling to keep warm, not with each other so much as with people. The big ones stayed downstairs. By 8 I was up again, this time the big ones seemed restless. I knew what it was, they were chomping at the bit to be outside for a walk. I grabbed their leashes off the hook on the wall and they started whining and jumping with eagerness. Once outside they both sat obediently and let me put their collars on, then we were off.

I don't know if it was just that they missed their walks yesterday or that Fall was in the air but they were pretty frisky on this walk. There were a lot of piles of wet leaves under this tree and the next and that one over there and they wanted to sniff at em all. I imagine getting your warm nose down right into a pile of cool wet leaves must be a rush - well for a dog anyhow - because they sure seemed to enjoy it. Heck, I could smell that certain pungent but not unpleasant and earthy aroma that the downed leaves of a damp fall day give off and it was a good smell at that, one that had me thinking of the upcoming hunting season. Of course, with the two of our bigger dogs Mimi and Roxie, it was not just the leaves that got them going tugging at their leashes. They too were thinking of the hunt but of a more immediate nature. They were on the hunt and I was tugged along many a scent trail right to the base of an old oak tree often left wondering just who was 'on' the leash. That's because they are both nuts about squirrels, especially Mimi and she taught Roxie to be likewise. Mimi runs at break neck speed, jumps fences in a single bound, climbs trees (or tries to) in her attempts to catch squirrels (and birds but squirrels are her favorite prey). Roxie now tries likewise, Mimi was a good teacher. When we got to a small local park with a good number of trees, they both went almost wild sniffing for squirrel scent.

Of course, this is not a great habit for a dog in an urban setting and it is pretty urban around our home. So I let them have some fun then had them both heel. It has been so long since I have walked them they both seem to have forgotten the meaning of the word heel. They soon started remembering though, a tug or three on the choker chain and a stern growling "NO" and they were getting it again. They even walked passed 2 squirrels about halfway through our walk and only furrowed their brows and peaked their ears - then when I said hell, they came right along with me with nary a tug of the leash. Back to another wooded and grassy park-like area and they were given the liberty to pull as they wanted as they sniffed the ground here and there seeking out the scents of other dogs, or cats, or squirrels and birds and I am sure making an aromatic map in their memories of the way we went.

Once home they were spent and relaxed. I made breakfast and am still enjoying a hot cup of Sumatran French Roast, mmm good! As I was taking the first few sips, I did some surfing of other blogs and I came across a piece that inspired me to write about my walk with the degs this morning. Yes I wrote degs, it is what we call the dogs sometimes. The blog that inspired this piece today can be found over at Upland Feathers at this link. It is a much better written piece than was mine, and is also about a man and his dog, or was that a lass and her dog (could have been either) and some fond memories of Fall being in the air and both the dog and the human knowing it and enjoying it together!

As for me, I am looking forward to 3 weeks of walking the dogs even though the skies opened up and the rain poured down on us for the last 1/2 mile or so of our walk today. It was all good anyway. Who knows, I may keep it up once the frau returns and before you know it I may be fit and somewhat trim again. As for the present, I need to get the two little ones out for a walk later this afternoon or this evening.

All the best,
Glenn B

Marxism & Socialism - Are They Here

Here is an interesting video.

All the best,
Glenn B

Soldiers' Care Package Update

I received a big surprise tonight when I checked my email It was an email, via PayPal, saying that I had received another donation. While receiving a donation was not surprising what was a surprise was that it was a second donation from someone who had already donated and this donation was the biggest one to date.

My hat goes off to Mike S; thanks very much - it will go a long way to put a smile on some soldiers' faces. As a matter of fact, the amounts donated by Mike so far could fill two or three average care packages that I send. Wow, that was nice! Good man.

I have been thinking, once again as in past years, of buying some folding knives to send to the troops. Seems they always go over well when received. This year I have not found bargains like in past years but I am still looking.

If you can spare a buck, a fin, a ten spot or more, please consider making a donation. The donation icon is on the upper right hand side of my blog in the red area.

All the best,
GB

The Man Cave

My wife and daughter are on vacation for a number of days, a number which I will not divulge. For that time, the house is the Man Cave. Can we handle it? Who knows. This should be one heck of an experience.

All the best,
GB

Post Election Blues In NY

None of the candidates for whom I voted yesterday won their elections. I still have the same anti-gun Congresswoman, still have a demoncrat for governor though a new one, still have two moronic and ultra liberal senators and am feeling like shit because of it. I have no idea if local candidates for whom I voted won, such a the guy I gave my vote to for state senator or those for judges.

Oh well, life goes on, looking forward to 2012.

All the best,
Glenn B

Nope, My Wife Did Not Vote...

...or so she told me. Oh well, 3 out of 4 is not to shabby.

all the best,
GB

NY Times Election Reporting Website Shows...

...Schumer and Gillibrand as the winners of the U.S. Senate seats for New York with zero votes counted and with zero percentage of districts reporting (at this link then click on NY on the map). I am sure that will change soon since the polls closed at 9PM and vote counts should start rolling in not long after.

This type of election reporting is one of the reasons I hate NY, it is so friggin liberal they have predicted these two have won with no vote count yet reported. Yet I am almost certain the Times will be correct in its assumption because NYC and a handful of other somewhat large cities like Buffalo just about control the vote in this state - NYC and the other large cities in the state being meccas of the far left.

That they would be so smug though to report the wins ahead of even counting one vote is quite amazing and at the same time extremely disheartening.

All the best,
Glenn B

My Daughter Voted - Did You?

I am very proud to know that my daughter did her civic duty today and voted. She was thinking she would not bother but I kept pestering her. She said that she voted straight Republican. Maybe that was to shut me up because I kept asking her for whom she had voted or maybe it was just fact. I hope it was fact. She admitted she did not know much about some candidates but the feeling I got was she was disappointed with the incumbents who were running and with President Obama (she did not vote for him, she voted for McCain) and the apparent way he is ruining running America. If she voted the way she said she did, I have to hand it to her because in my opinion she is old enough, wise enough, smart enough, logical enough and sensible enough to have figured it out herself. If she voted the other way, that was her choice to make - after all it is her vote and she has to be the one to make up her own mind as to how to exercise that very precious right. Yippee she voted Republican is the way I will see it since that is what she told me!

If you have not voted yet and if the polls are still open near you, I implore you to get out to vote. Vote for whom you want and for whomever you believe will help us out of the mess in which we find ourselves - but make sure to vote.

All the best,
Glenn B

My Son Voted - Did You?

I am proud to say that my son has already voted today. Prouder sill that he voted, from the sounds of it, for all the candidates for whom I voted (and I have not even spoken to him about it this election year - he is old enough, mature enough, patriotic enough, smart enough and wise enough to figure it for himself).

I urge you, go out and vote today!

All the best,

Glenn B

I Voted - Did You?

As I wrote earlier, today is probably one of the most important election days in my lifetime, probably in yours too. That is why I went to vote. My vote here in NY State may have little effect because the liberal leftists have a stronghold in this state. Yet, I voted. Imagine how I would feel if I later discovered that my candidate of choice would have won the governor's seat had he garnered just one more vote! Not a likely outcome here in Demonkratic RepubliK of New York but possible. Of course there is hope for some of the candidates for whom I have voted such as one of the candidates for U.S Senator and the guy running for state attorney general. There is probably little hope for my candidate for the House of Representatives. High hopes or little hope, the only way there is any hope is if you actually get out and vote is the way I see it.

On a related note, NY has gone to a computerized balloting system - sort of. In my polling place you voted on paper ballot which I needed to use my reading glasses to read - the stronger pair. The print must be really hard to read for senior citizens. Add to that the confusion of the ballot itself which has almost all the candidates for any position listed in a single column, that is until they ran out of space then added another column, next to the one you are supposed to vote in, with additional candidates or they placed two candidates in a box the sized used for one candidate higher up on the page. This must have been done because the computer only accepts a certain width paper. It could have been easily solved had they laid out candidates in rows left to right instead of columns up and down, but this is the ass end of America, after all it is NY. Sadly, regardless of the state, it is ridiculous and would be anywhere because it definitely could be confusing for a new voter, possibly confusing for the average voter, and probably confusing for an elderly voter. After you fill in the circles for your candidates, and do so on a shaky stand with three so called privacy booths (the partitions of which over which you can easily see the ballot of the person next to you), you place your ballot into a computer which gobbles it up, never to be seen by you again, and then flashes a message on the screen that your vote was counted. It does not allow you to verify your vote or to see that the computer read it correctly or not.

As for me, I had to sit at a table to fill in my ballot since the so called privacy booth stand was shaking so badly. Hopefully the ink in the pen they handed me was readable by the computer. I think the old system of voting booths with levers was overall easier to use than this new system and note there are no directions on how to do anything with this system. I asked the voting clerk, how do I place the paper into the computer. Do I do it face up, face down, this end first, the other end first and he told me - it does not matter. Did that mean he guessed I was a Republican and had voted that way and my candidates would lose because this was NY so my vote did not matter. Or did he mean that the machine could read it no matter how I placed it into the ballot feeder. I find it almost impossible to believe that the ballot read could read it if it went in with the wrong side facing the sensors, or that there are actually sensors on top and bottom to actually read it no matter how entered. I will check on that, that is if I do not forget.

Oh well, I voted. All I can do now is wait to see if my choices are elected or not.

By the way, I was listening to Rush this afternoon, who asked if his listeners were aware that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer was up for reelection this time around and also asked if you have seen one report on the main Stream media that she was up for reelection. Have you? I have not It just goes to show you that the M is a liberally biased left wing organization as far as I can see it. Her running for reelection should be big news but then again any news about her is liable to get her more votes from Arizonans. Less news about her runs with "Out of sight, out of mind" and fewer people are likely to even realize she is running and thereby fewer voters will come out to support her. Hopefully this disgusting show of media bias is not effecting voters in AZ who are probably aware she is running. As for the MSM's handling of this - what a disgrace.

Whomever is your choice in these elections, I urge you to exercise your civic duty and your right to vote - if you have not voted early then get out there and vote today!

All the best,
Glenn B

My Predictions For Election Results

I predict dismal drudgery and miserable oppression should the Democratic party retain control of both the House and Senate. I predict hope for change for the better (as opposed to simply hope & change) if the Republicans, Conservatives and Tea Party backed candidates are elected. Only time will tell who wins, hopefully it will be all of us here in America. The way we are headed right now is down a loser's course, get out vote make a change that counts toward making us a better nation with a better life for our citizens.

Try to remember, our goal for change is really to make America a better place. We should not seek to punish our political enemies (or opponents as the president later waffled) because first of all those in other political parties are not out enemies - they are our fellow Americans. Secondly why would you want to punish a political opponent or someone who opposes your political views in this country. Political dissent, free speech, the right to express opposing views are all part of the bedrock, of the Constitution, of our great nation. In my opinion, anyone who believes that people who vote other than how he wants them to vote are his enemies, or who believes that they who oppose his views and policies are opponents who deserve punishment because their views are different, is simply as un-American as can be and is against the whole fiber of what makes up this country. If he had said, it is high time we begin to work with our opponents to make America a better place, just think how much better a man he would have been for it!

Vote!

All the best,
Glenn B

Today Is Election Day

I am going to vote soon. I hope you will vote today if you have not already done so for this election. It is possibly one of the most important election days to date within my lifetime, probably within yours too.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseyes Gun Shots 100 - Window Shopping For A New Rifle Again - This Time A Remington 700 SPS Varmint

As you are probably aware, if you read this blog regularly, I have been dreaming thinking of buying a new bolt action rifle in .308 caliber for quite some time now. To that end I have been doing what my son did to buy his rifles, I have been saving my change. I probably have about $200 saved up; not enough to buy a decent rifle but almost since I can pick up a Marlin XL7 in 30/06 or an XLS in .308 for about $365 out the door. I am none too certain that is the rifle I will buy, that somewhat depends on how patient I can be in the change collection department.

Of course, as I have been saving, I also have still been looking at other rifles. Seeing some of them has made me reconsider which one I want to buy being that there are so many fine choices out there. Just a few days ago, I received a sales brochure from Dick's Sporting Goods. While they do not have those Marlins on sale, they do advertise a few other rifles in which I have been interested. They are offering a scoped Savage 111 and a scoped Savage Edge for $399.99 each and the brochure contains a $50 off coupon for a purchase of $250 or more on hunting gear. I imagine the rifles qualify. Now depending on which model of Savage 111 is on sale it may or may not have the Accu-trigger. if I were to buy a Savage I would insist on the adjustable Accu-trigger. I do not know if the Savage Edge is/was offered with said trigger. In fact, the Edge has either been discontinued or renamed the Axis Series. Checking the Dick's website, I noticed that their weekly circular is offering both of these for $349.99. If that coupon in my sales brochure is good on them, that means I could pick one up for $299.99 plus tax. Sounds like a good deal.

What might be a better deal is that Dick's also is offering a Remington 700 Varmint. That is exactly what they are calling it. It almost appears as if it does not have a hinged floorplate which makes me think it is not the SPS but Remington does not show a varmint model on their website without the floorplate. So I am not sure if it is the SPS model or some lower end one made for Dick's by Remington. If it is an SPS model it is a very good deal at only $499.99 and a better deal with that $50 off coupon. This one is not in the weekly circular. I was not able to get to Dick's today to actually look at one but hope to before the sale ends. if it is an SPS model and if they take that $50 off coupon, well then I am going to jump on it even if I don't have nearly enough change saved up. Why? Because Remington is offering a $100 rebate on them.

Another reason for wanting one of the Remington 700 models is because it can shoot .75" groups at 100 yards right out of the box on scoped models (which this sale model is one). The model 700 is one of the most inherently accurate rifles out there, and as I understand they are the most utilized rifle by police snipers in the USA. Besides that they are not all that expensive even at the high end. Some go as high as about $1,200 or so but since they can also be had in models as inexpensive as about $449 they are a great deal for such an accurate rifle. Looking at one of these at the right price would totally make me forget about the marlin XL7 or XS7, well at least for awhile.

So you can be pretty sure that sometime this week, I am going to take a drive to one of my local Dick's Sporting Good stores to check out one of the Remingtons. I am not keeping my hopes very high that this varmint model will be an SPS because Dick's also has a Remington SPS Bone Collector advertised for $699.99 in the same brochure. Apparently only checking in person will tell since when I called Dick's earlier today, the guy in the hunting department had no clue if it was a varmint model other than an SPS. Of course, since the ad says the regular price was $649.99 and that is just under but very close to the MSRP, it could be the SPS Varmint. If they have it in .308 or if they can order it for me, then you can consider it sold - to me!

Some specs on the Remington SPS Varmint model are as follow:

SPS Varmint stock with vented beavertail fore-end

Sling swivel studs included

26" heavy-contour barrel (0.820" muzzle O.D.)

Legendary Model 700™ action

Drilled and tapped for scope mounts

Hinged Floorplate

And this one comes with a mounted and boresighted 3x9 scope. It would probably be too good to be true that this could actually be a SPS model and not a lower end model dolled up with some but not all of the SPS varmint features model and made specifically for Dick's by Remington. As I said though, I'll have to go to Dick's to check it out in person. I would hate to miss out on this deal if it actually is the SPS model.

If you would like to read a review of the Remington SPS Varmint click on this link:

http://www.snipercentral.com/remspsv.htm

All the best,
Glenn B

Soldiers' Holiday Care Package #2 In The Works

Costco was a madhouse this evening. People have so few friggin manners and common courtesy is so foreign to most it has become uncommon courtesy. I was almost at the boiling over point by the time I got done shopping for a whopping total of only about 6 items (5 for the package and one personal purchase). I guess people just don't understand anymore that someone exhibiting good manners is no excuse for them to use bad manners. It is absolutely amazing just how many people are rude, obnoxious, ill mannered assholes types nowadays but I survived and care package #2 is in the works.

I was able to finesse my way through the shoving, bumping into, cutting off, hurried crowds and actually keep my temper under control despite them to get the shopping done. Next time I go on a weekday, I hope! Purchases I made were few but should be well liked by the soldiers when they receive them I picked up a box of 100 Slim Jims, a 30 count box of Funbites (a berry flavored all natural candy), a 10 pack of Hi-Chews (another fruit flavored candy), and a 40 pack of Doublemint chewing gum (not 40 sticks of gum but 40 packs of gum with 5 sticks each). Oh, and before I forget I also got them a box of Bicycle playing cards containing a dozen decks of cards. All that stuff for the care package went for just over $52.00. It will probably take me until next weekend to pick up a few more items for the package and then to get it all boxed and shipped out.

If you have not alrready donated and can spare something, a donation toward the Soldiers' Holiday care packages would be appreciated. Remember these young men and women are in harm's way to prtoect us and our freedoms; they can use whatever we can send them.

All the best,
Glenn B

Soldiers' Holiday Care Package #1 Away

I never got around to sending off the first Soldiers' Holiday (Thanksgiving/Christmas/Chanuka) Care Package off earlier this week as I had planned although, I did get it mailed out today. As I posted earlier in the week, it contained a box of tootsie Roll Pops, a box of Chewy granola type bars, a box of assorted Hershey's chocolate bars, a package of AA Duracell batteries (I think a 36 count), and a three pack of Merino wool socks. It will make some soldiers happy, I am sure of that.

The cost of everything in the package was $57, my initial donation The cost of shipping was $17.35, including insurance. That is a total of $74.35. That was all out of my own pocket, money from donations will be used starting on the second package. The reason only my money went toward the first package was because I went shopping before I had any donations; still the box had a note in it letting the soldiers know this is a team effort on the part of me and my blog readers. Right now, we have another $110 or so in the fund from donations for future packages. I will throw in another $20 or $25 toward the next package and that means we have about $135 on hand for the next package or two. As usual I will also be throwing in shipping out of my pocket. This is not to try to convey that I am doing anything grand but rather to give you all a complete accounting of the money being spent on the care packages so you know exactly where your money is going. Receipts for the shipment are pictured in this post. I will make similar postings with each package sent.

You know, for the most part, I do this around the Thanksgiving, Christmas/Chanuka, and New Year season. I continue after that but on my own without asking for donations passed the holidays. When the soldier comes home, I wait until a couple of months before the next holiday and ask that a new soldier be assigned to me from Soldiers' Angels. In case you are wondering about my doing this, here is some background. It is the 4th year that I have been doing it and the 4th soldier to whom I have been assigned, by Soldiers' Angels, to send packages, emails and the like. I started asking for donations for a holiday care package fund back in 2007; I may have sent packages to another soldier before that by way of soldiers angels but I think my first soldier, who was assigned to me in the spring of that year, was the same one to whom we sent our first team effort packages for which I collected donations back then. Now that you know how long I have been doing it, you may also be wondering why I do it. I was never in the military. It is one of the regrets of a lifetime for me. I went right into college at or very near the end of the war in Vietnam. I was not dodging the draft, I fully intended to join up should the war still be going on when I hit 18 bit it was all but over by then and college seemed the smart thing to do. Right after college I went into the federal civil service in LE. I did not think much of the military until I was in my young 30s. Reagan was president, small wars were taking place, terrorism was hitting us hard, and it seemed larger wars were brewing. So, I tried joining the military reserves when I was about 32 or 33. They would not have me because of my age and because I had a back injury that required surgery only a year before my attempt at joining up. He who hesitates is lost for sure and my opportunity to serve in the military was lost because of my hesitation. I continued my civil service as an LEO.

Despite my not having served in the U.S. military, I have great respect for our troops who do serve. I know how tough it can be to serve away from home because of numerous details to which I have been assigned, to fight for your life against bad guys, to be so scared you almost crap in your pants because of an assignment that was terrifying, to have the nightmares that come with having shot someone, and I have seen the devastation of war first hand at the World Trade Center or what remained of it and have been traumatized by it. I know all that but only on an intermittent basis and only have seen any of it a few to several times in my life, I have only seen a very small sampling indeed. I have never seen it each and every day as do many of our young men and women who serve in our military. I can only imagine what it must be like for them to be so far from home, for so long, in hostile lands, surrounded and in the midst of the destruction of war. That is all while most Americans seem to have forgotten that we are a nation at war with an enemy who wants to destroy us and who are doing their best to destroy our troops. I have not forgotten and I am simply trying to do something to help make it easier for some soldiers who are protecting us and our freedoms. I am trying to give them a little happiness and make life a little easier for them with each box that we send them.

Thankfully, some of you, my wonderful readers, have not forgotten either. I have received a good amount of donations from you each time that I have made the effort to put these packages together. Sometimes I wonder why I put up with all the bullshit involved in getting these packages together, sometimes just letting a soldier know we care does not seem worth it what with the asking almost begging for donations, shopping for items, buying shipping boxes and tape, getting the items all packed and packed well at that, making out the customs forms and the insurance forms and the mailing labels, redoing the customs forms because the postal clerk tells me I need to use a different form (this happens almost every time I go to the post office regardless of which form of two available I hand them they always want the other one), then accounting for everything here in my blog so you can see your money was well spent on items for the packages. And I do that several times each year just before and during the holiday season. Then I see something on TV or on the net about some soldiers who were killed, or about a guy with only half an arm, or without legs (or worse) or I see something about babies being blown up by terrorists scumbags, and I remember why I do it. Then I just decide to get it done.

There is also something else that makes getting it done a lot easier. That is people like you, people who show good will toward out troops and who make donations. I would still do this without the money you send me but I can tell you that without a doubt the packages we send would be nowhere nearly as nice as they are because of your generosity. You folks are the greatest, you really are, I mean that. Some of you are vets, some not, some are conservatives, some may be liberals (I don't figure too many liberals read my blog though), and all of you are Americans who care about our troops and who want to help make it easier for them. You guys help make it easier for me too, without your showing of support I would probably have a much harder time at this. You guys boost my morale quite a bit and that helps me get the job done. Thank you.

Enough of my babbling, I have shopping to do for the next package or two. I am probably off to Costco and maybe Walmart and maybe Dick's Sporting Goods to to see what I can get to go in those packages. Of course, when I send them, they will also contain a note about the team effort we are making and that will express to the soldiers that without your help, this would not be getting done near the scale at which we are accomplishing it. Thanks again.

All the best,
Glenn B

PS: The soldier's first initial is M and he is at an FOB. I am not at liberty to divulge more without his permission. I have sent him an email asking for his permission to give some more information but he has not answered it yet. I will try another email soon. Hopefully all is well with him.

Bloggers Money Making Opportunities - Are They For Real

Money is tight and times are hard for lots of Americans. Many are out of work, others have had their hours cut back, some are on restricted incomes or budgets. The great stock market boom of just a few years ago, under the Bush Administration (can you imagine that it was going quite well under him for a good long time of his 8 years). People seemed much better off then. They had lots of money to spend or so it seemed. Many had money in stocks and bonds, and many were earning more and more in dividends almost daily at skyrocketing rates. They thought they were feasting on the fattened cow and they spent like there was no tomorrow. They bought extravagant homes, gas guzzling SUV's, and just about everything on which they could spend money and adorned themselves with just about every bauble they could find. At the time, I played it very conservatively, I bought a brand new Toyota in 2005 for cash (still have it) to replace my then 16 year old Mazda 323 which we also had bought for cash. Both were economy cars and we also had a 1996 Ford Taurus that was bought for cash between the Mazda and Toyota - nothing fancy but we truly need 2 cars. I paid my bills on time (all of them), paid off my mortgage (it has been paid off in full 2 years this December), lived fairly modestly yet had a good time on mostly inexpensive vacations, and managed to save enough money between 2005 and 2010 to buy another new car for cash. Granted it was only a Hyundai Elantra Touring but it replaced out aging 1996 Ford Taurus and as I said we paid cash (except for a $500 deposit on my credit card but that too was paid up promptly).

Since the Hyundai was paid for in cash, it depleted our bank accounts once again and we have very little in them right now. The thing is this time around I will not have my job long enough to replenish them over the next 5 years or so since I face mandatory retirement within 2 years and will probably retire next year. Still though - the accounts are growing slowly but surely even though we keep paying our expenses and paying them in a timely manner each month. While the mortgage is out of the way, we still have college tuition and books for my son, higher auto insuranc, sky high heating oil prices, all the other regular expenses and I just paid off quite a bit of co-payments and deductibles for a medical issue. I am not complaining though because for the first time in a very long time I am considered to be making much more money than the average American; I am not gloating either. That was not true 15 years ago, then my salary was considered substandard compared to the private sector and even to others in my general line of work in civil service. Ten years ago it was pretty much the same but had improved some. A few years after that I was considered fairly well off. Others at my job thought I was nuts because I was not putting a lot of money in my Thrift Savings Plan at work, in fact for the great majority of my career I did not put any money into it or into additional voluntary retirement contributions (something other than but slightly similar to the TSP). Many of my coworkers had put in the maximum they could contribute. I being under the old civil service retirement plan could put in up to a certain percentage to the TSP. Others in the newer federal retirement plan could put in a higher amount and have a certain percentage matched by the government and they put in as much as they could. Who could blame them - it seemed like easy money. They raved about it, they raved about the option of placing their money into stocks in the TSP. Then the bottom started to fall out and they moaned and groaned. When it got worse there was gnashing of teeth. Then they pissed and whined as their funds in the TSP dwindled by tens of thousands in some instances. Me, I put in some money, but when others had well over a hundred or even two hundred thousand dollars invested, I had about 35K. Right now, I still have almost all of that plus a good deal more but still nowhere near 100K. I kept the great majority of mine in the fund made up of government securities - I played it safe with most of what I had deposited. I also had some in the higher risk stock option and have lost maybe a couple thousand dollars while others lost tens of thousands.

I am still playing it fairly safe. Playing it safe has been good for me because even though I do not have anywhere as much money put away for retirement as I should have, I have no mortgage. I think I may regret it though, that playing it safe, when and if the federal government reduces my future pension and I believe that is coming the way we are going. What I will not regret is having bought a way too expensive home on fantasy money that I never saw in my hands that was only in volatile stock accounts, nor will I regret losing tens of thousands of that same money when the markets dive bombed, nor will I regret having bought a gas guzzling monster that I could not fill with gas and could not sell when gasoline prices went through the roof as they are doing again. Regular is $3.03 to $3.21 up my way, it was $2.78 about a month or month and a half ago. Will the media bash Bush, err I mean Obama for it like they did Bush? Heck no. Nope I played it safe and was fiscally conservative - maybe too much so - who knows. But the mortgage is paid off and right now I have a job and an excellent salary (well for most of the country and even a pretty good one for the NYC metro area) and I m not complaining although I sometimes wonder how else I can earn some spare ka-ching since my financial future in retirement looks shaky at best unless we somehow actual have an economic recovery.

For all that playing it conservatively, I am left almost totally dependent on my current salary and that of my wife to make it. If we get hit with a major repair on my home we will have to take a loan. I am also depending on the hope my pension will be there for me throughout my retirement years once I pull the plug (next year sometime). So, when seemingly safe money making opportunities come along they are fairly tempting. I don't mean getting a second job. I do not have the time for a second job, at least not one outside my home, not with my current job and my usual 2 1/2 to 3 hours daily commute time. What I do mean are offers to make money for doing something I like and being able to do it at home. Four times now, within the past couple or few weeks, I have been offered the chance to earn money by way of y blog. These have all been made by different entities or people, all seemingly independent of one another. One person offered my $35 outright just to link to his website that is a gun auction/sales site. I declined the offer but linked to not only his gun auction site but also to his webpage and blog and I did it gratis. Why, who knows! Now thirty five bucks may not seem like much to someone making a decent living but I would bet many others who are hurting would have jumped on it. Maybe I should taken it and put it in my bank account but I did not.

I was also offered at least two other money making opportunities of unspecified amounts should I link to commercial sites (by way of placing their advertisements on my blog) that dealt with firearms and outdoor sports products (like hunting & fishing gear). I again declined but this time, because they were seeking to place actual advertisements on my site, I did not place any links or ads for them on my blog site. Yet another person/entity contacted me offering me money to write pieces for another blog type site. Again, I declined each offer. All were tempting and maybe, if I got and took enough such offers, I could start making a tidy little sum on the side but I suppose I already pay Uncle Sam and NY State enough income taxes and don't need to add to that.

Of course, I have a lot of links on the right hand side of my blog. Most are to other bloggers, some of which I read and enjoy with great interest on a regular basis as in almost daily, some I read weekly, others of which I enjoy but only read as few times as once or twice monthly, and others I almost never read because I cannot stand them for one reason or another. Those last ones, I just mentioned, I link to because they blog about some common interest between the other bloggers, myself and my readers like firearms. I figure they have the same interests so in the event my readers might find them more interesting than do I, I link to them. I figure, even if we do not find one another interesting or all that much to our liking, we can still support one another as bloggers who are freedom lovers, or firearms enthusiasts, or patriotic Americans. I figure supporting one another with links to be a good thing for all of us with like interests. Too bad most others do not seem to think that way, just look at how many people on my blog-roll list link back to me - a paltry amount compared to all those to whom I link, but thems is the breaks.

As for other links on the right side of my blog, some are reference types such as those to news agencies, field manuals, libraries, or historical sites. Others are links for blogs and websites geared toward noncommercial but specific interests such as firearms (the great majority), reptiles & amphibians, hiking, fishing, hunting and so on. These would include links to firearms forums, herpetological societies and so on. Yet other links, and there are a good number of them, are to commercial websites such as online firearms manufacturers, firearms dealers, shooting ranges, sporting good dealers, gun parts suppliers, and organizations which support gun rights. I have also blogged quite a lot about firearms related products, and also mentioned, with a fair amount of frequency, commercial businesses in my blogs. I do not and have never sought out, solicited, accepted even one penny or any other type of recompense from any commercial entity in return for placing an ad or link on my site or for blogging about them.

So am I being foolish? Should I be seeking to make money by way of being paid to place links and or advertising on my blog or by my blogging or writing articles for others for pay? I don't know. I see plenty of other bloggers trying to bring in a few dollars here and there by placing a donations icons on their sites. They usually call them tip jars or something like that. I see that as little different than begging and I know for a fact some of them are quite well to do with decent jobs and incomes and I find that unappealing for myself. I do have a donations icon up right now but that is very different, that is for donations for soldiers' care packages. I don't think I ever have asked anyone to donate funds to me to be used for me. I hope I never have to resort to that. I see other bloggers, many of them, have also taken to placing commercial ads on their sites and some talk about receiving money for testing products or blogging about them. I wonder, am I missing out on something good? Should I be taking advantage of the fact that people have been seeking me out and offering money or is it all not worth it? It would be well worth it to me if I could earn enough in a year to buy a quality rifle or three but somehow I doubt the income would be there.

If you have any first hand info on this, I would like to get some feedback from you to find out if I have been missing out on he cash cow or just shouldn't even waste my time thinking about it because it is not as good as it seems it could be.

Thanks,
Glenn B

Not Just Another Reptile Shop

I was down in Florida back in early September and it was raining and coming down hard on my last morning in sunny West Palm Beach. I almost cancelled my plans for a drive down to Deerfield Beach but as suddenly as the rain had begun it ended. That sealed it, and I was on the road before the rain could start again and get me to change my mind. The ride was a fairly short one, about 33 miles, maybe 35 or 40 minutes and yes there was more rain along the way but nothing like it had been raining before I left my aunt and uncle’s home in WPB.

When I arrived in Deerfield Beach, the roads were wet and the parking lots were flooded. I knew about the parking lots because I made two wrong turns and had to turn around in them to get going right. I was pretty surprised, some spots in the lots had about 5 or 6 inches of water in them. That did not deter me though, I only had a mile or so to go to reach my destination. Once I was oriented in the right direction, I was there in a few minutes.

The there I am talking about was Ben Siegel Reptiles on Hillsboro Boulevard. The shop is in a new location a bit further west along Hillsboro than it used to be. One of the turn offs made into one of those flooded parking lots had been at the old location. Like that other parking lot, the one at the new location was also flooded. I guess they had gotten the same rain that had hit further north in WPB that morning. Luckily, I found a parking spot right in front of the store and it was relatively high and dry. As I walked up to the front door of the store, I could see it all looked pretty new. They did not have a real sign, instead they had a banner saying: Reptiles (or was it Reptile Store - whichever, you get the idea). They had another sign too, this one on the inside of the front door. It said CLOSED. I tried the door it was locked.

I peered inside and saw all he lights were on. I did not see anyone in there though. I was pretty disappointed especially since I had checked their hours and they were supposed t be open at that time. I was just starting to walk away when two other folks walked up, paying no attention to the CLOSED sign and just opened the other of the two doors and walked in. I followed after them, then saw a clerk in the back and asked if they were open for business and he said ‘We sure are”. I told him about the sign and he fixed it. I took a look around the store.

Once inside, I noted the store is a small to medium sized shop. It was clean at first glance and that is always a plus in any type of store but especially in one that deals in animals. I looked at the various reptiles and amphibians in each enclosure and I noticed that not only was the store itself clean, so too were the herp enclosures. As I was walking around looking at the Veiled Chameleons, the Ball Pythons, various Corn Snakes, Northern Pine Snake, Dione’s Rat Snake, Chrondos, Black Headed Python, Bearded Dragons, Black Throated Monitors, single Green Iguana, Mantella frogs, Cuban Tree Frogs, and others - a lady came in and started to question the clerk as to what he was doing. He pulled out what I think was a checklist of his duties and started reading off what he had done, what needed yet to be done and what he was doing. I was pretty impressed by this guy - he seemed to be doing a really good job of cleaning up the store right after it had opened for the day. By the way, they opened at 1100 and it was probably about 1130 or noon at the latest when I arrived. His list included things such as check animals, clean enclosures, do a mite check and on and on. All good signs that this place will remain clean and therefore be more likely to be selling healthy herps.

While I shopped around, he asked me a couple of times if I could use any help. Not pushy at all, just trying to make sure the customer was okay. I told him I was still shopping around and he left it at that the second time. Some of the animals I saw in the shop were on the impressive side. For example, the Black headed Python, while still a juvenile, was pretty nice looking even if it was gong for $900 (which is probably the going price). They also had some excellent Womas and they were going for a mere $250, which is pretty low for Womas Pythons though I will admit their prices have come down over the past couple of years. Some of the Green tree Pythons were also excellent specimens and also had reasonable retail prices. Translucent Veiled Chameleons were also noteworthy. They had normal coloration on most of their bodies but their legs were a pale, almost translucent pink. I imagine if enough light were coming from behind the legs, you would see some of it shine through them. Of course the shop also sol animals with more down to earth prices for us poorer or tighter herpers like those I mentioned above.

All in all I was pretty impressed with the store, just about the same as I have been the few times I have dealt with Ben Siegel Reptiles online. All in all, I have to say, they are not just another reptile and amphibian shop, they truly seem to be a top notch reptile and amphibian dealer. I would not hesitate to deal with them in the future. Nope, no purchases while I was there but if they would have had any of the Bumblebee Toads they had recently, well I would have been sorely tempted to bring home something new for my collection.

All the best,
Glenn B

First Soldiers' Holiday Care Package

The first Soldiers' Holiday care package probably will get mailed out today or tomorrow. I had planned to do it over this past weekend but got busy with other stuff early Saturday and the Post Office was closed by the time I got back home. These are the items I bought before receiving any donations, if I remember right they cost about $56.00. I am still in the process of shopping for more things with the money I have received in donations. To date I have received $110.46 after PayPal took its cut from the $115.00 of total donations that were sent to my account. So, $110.46 is what I have to use for the next package or two plus whatever else I throw in of my own and I always do that. As usual, I also am paying all shipping costs out of my own pocket.

Hopefully I will get to do some shopping this week but if not I'll do it on this coming weekend. I get a lot of the items for the care packages at Costco. It is a good place for price and for buying items that come in packages that are family sized. That way there is usually plenty to go around when the troops open the box.

As you can see in the photo, most of the items are family sized. There is a box of Tootsie Roll Pops, a Hershey's Variety Pack, a Quaker Chewy Variety Pack, a 36 pack of Duracell AA batteries, and a three pack of wool blend socks. I figure the chocolate bars are okay at this time of the year because it is getting cold and they probably won't melt in transit; hope I am right. Everything else will be fine for sure and I am sure all will be appreciated.

Some of the other things I plan to put in future care packages are more wool blend socks, other snack items, toiletry items, reading material, some folding knives for my assigned soldier's unit, and any special request items (within reason and budget) that my soldier or his unit ask us to send to them. I will keep you all advised as I go along.

Before I close let me send out some thanks to those who have donated so far:

Al S.
James R.
Aaron S.
Michael S.

You gentlemen are the greatest.

As I have said before, if you want to donate don't be bashful. You don't need to donate a lot to make a difference. Whatever you can spare goes to help put a smile on some soldiers' faces. If you want to donate, there is a PayPal link on the upper right side of my blog in the red field. All money I receive, after PayPal takes their fee, goes toward the purchase of contents for the care packages, I pay all shipping costs out of my own pocket. Thanks again.

All the best,
Glenn B