Respecting The Flag of the United States of America

Today, I added a link list, over on the right side of my blog in the red zone, dedicated to the Flag of the United States of America. The flag is more than just a symbol of our great nation, it is a living entity as per U.S. law and it should be treated with all due respect. I was brought up to Pledge Allegiance To he Flag. Yes, it was with the words 'under God' included and even though I don't believe in God the way I used to believe, not in the conventional way of organized religions, I still say the Pledge with those words - and mean them too. I show great respect for the flag though will admit I do not usually fly it at my home, though I think that needs to be remedied. I am not perfect and certainly can improve in that regard (among many others).

Yet, despite not being one who normally displays our flag I try not to show it anything but respect, I was raised to do so. So, it sometimes simply amazes me how disrespectful some United States Citizens and others within our borders can be when it comes to our flag. sometimes the disrespect is due to wanton vileness on the part of the person who is being disrespectful such as when someone carries the flag upside down at a rally or in a parade, or when someone drags it on the ground in protest, or when someone burns it while cursing our nation. Other times, the disrespect just may be overlooked because the person committing it has an honestly well intentioned purpose to bend the rules just a bit. Examples of this would be someone wearing a flag T-shirt to express patriotism (I am guilty of this one), or when a politician autographs a flag for a person at a patriotic event. While there are other reasons people may show disrespect to our flag, I suppose the number one reason is probably due to ignorance. Many people apparently do not realize that there is a certain set of rules or protocol to be used, by all of us, when displaying or even sometimes observing the Flag of the United States of America.

I guess that a lot of the ignorance about our flag and the respect tat should be shown for it, is due to the society that we have become. Vandals, malcontents, illegal immigrants, racists of any race, ultra leftists with an agenda, extremist on the right with an agenda, often show disrespect for the flag as a way of showing disrespect for their political opponents or for those who have an agenda that differs from their own. What they fail to realize is that the American flag is not the symbol of those on the right, those in the middle or those on the left or those with other ideals - it is the symbol of our great nation the banner of our citizenry across all political, racial, ethnic, ideological lines for we the People of the United States of America. It is our flag, your flag, my flag, if you are a citizen or legal resident of the United States of America and is also often soon to become the flag of those masses who strive to legally immigrate to the USA and become U.S. Citizens.

I learned that early in life, that it is our flag. I also learned to respect the flag and to pledge allegiance to it. I learned that in grammar school, those nuns sank it in man did they ever, and I learned it at cub scouts, and I learned it at summer camp. One respected our flag. It was awhile later on, probably just before I turned into a teen or maybe in my early teen years, that I truly learned to exactly what I was pledging allegiance. It was not only to our flag but to our nation, to each and every state united under that flag, to the U.S. possessions, and to the people of this great land - all united despite our differences and all living united under our Constitution. Whether or not you liked me, or whether or not liked you, did not give me or you cause to disrespect our flag because in doing so you disrespect not only the other guy but all of the people of the United States of America who ever were, are or will be and everything for which this country stands. Those whom you disrespect when you disrespect the flag include: the Founding Fathers, the pioneers, native Americans, they who carried the flag into battle unarmed, those who dropped their arms to pick it up and continue the charge armed only with it (this was common among Union soldiers during the war between the states), they who sacrificed their lives in wartime and peacetime to keep our nation safe, they who work hard to make America a good place to live (such as farmers, factory workers, teachers, policemen, firemen, nurses, doctors, judges, nuns, ministers, butchers, clerks, auto mechanics, philosophers, professors, dentists, laborers, scientists, blacksmiths, explorers, bankers, even lawyers and politicians). It also includes non-citizens such as they who clamor to come here from abroad and are willing to do so legally because they believe this the greatest nation on the earth and is worth getting to under its laws. Then too, it includes: they who respectfully disagree with your point of view, they who do so disrespectfully or illegally, those who are our political allies or are our opponents. Disrespect for the flag also shows disrespect for our children, our grandparents and other family members, our ancestors, our descendants, and most of all - ourselves.

We have become a nation of folks who show disrespect to one another on a daily basis. It happens while flipping the bird to someone driving on the highway who may have just cut you off, it happens when we don't hold the door for the person behind us, it happens when we try to enter a room or an elevator or a bus or a subway car before letting others exit first, it happens when we fail to say please or thank you or excuse me when appropriate, it happens when we walk down a hallway staying to the left instead of to the right, it happens during political rallies or when we talk politics, it happens every moment of every day and almost every American is guilty of it to one extent or another. The thing is though, it has been happening so much and with such force that we have forgotten the most important thing about being citizens or legal residents of the United States of America - that is that:

UNITED WE STAND - DIVIDED WE FALL

Our flag is a symbol of the unity that we need to survive and to thrive as a nation. Disrespect for our flag is not only a symbol of division, it is actual divisiveness - a destruction of our unity and therefore a destruction of our nation when it is performed purposefully as described above. It is also a plaque on our nation when done for commercial purposes such as selling underwear or other clothing items that represent or look like the flag and additionally is a pox on our system of government when politicians exploit it and that for which it stands or otherwise disrespect it to gain political favor from one side or another. Finally, even inadvertent disrespect for our flag is akin to a social disease from which most of us suffer to one degree or another. So what can be done to remedy it all.

First of all, we can begin again to make sure that respect for the flag is taught in elementary school. It would be a lot better to teach our children that, in the 1st grade on up through graduation from high school, than it would be to teach them about how to use a condom to prevent getting HIV/AIDS in elementary school. That could wait at least until 7th or 8th grade. Anyone who says otherwise has a screw loose if they truly think sexual behavior should be taught to kids younger than that in school, after all they do have parents. On the other hand, teaching them about the flag, and respect for the flag and their country, will teach them about respecting other Americans. Having them all learn that respect for the flag as a unifying symbol of Americans will help create a tolerance that so many seem to demand today but that they not really try to foster. It will show them, that even though they think differently, look different, act different, speak with different accents, come from different places - they are all united under the flag if they are citizens or legal residents (they who immigrated here legally). Let's face it - I am not including illegal aliens here because for the most part they disrespect our flag by there first act on our soil being a criminal act - they just don't care about the sovereignty of our nation at all as I see it.

If we could get back to doing such a simple thing once again, it would do more to create a spirit of unity in this country than any president, any movie star, any catastrophe, any court order or interpretation of the Constitution, or any other thing of which you could think. Each and every parent and each and every school in this country should be obligated to teach our children about our flag and about how we should all respect it if for no other reason because respecting it means respecting one another as one Nation under God (take those two words or not), indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

If you think you may not be upon flag protocol as much as you should be, then maybe you want to click on the links in the red zone over to the right of my blog page under the header 'U.S. Flag". Then again, even if you think you know it all about Old Glory, you might find out a few things that you would be surprised to learn. Once you know the basics, you can start teaching your kids. I am certainly going to use them to educate myself.

All the best,
Glenn B

Have President Obama & The Democrats Stopped Blaming Bush...

...or are they about to stop? Seems to me with rhetoric like that spewing forth from the mouth of Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) this may be the case but they are still seemingly not ready to accept responsibility and still want to blame the other guys. President Obama has been president for 2 years now and as you are aware, if you read or watch or listen to the news, President George W. Bush was the favorite whipping boy of the Obama administration. The democrats blamed him for everything while he was in office and then the Obama administration took the lead and kept blaming him for everything even as it was all obviously being made worse and worse by the current administration. The thing is, after about a year and a half, the people, including many democrats (and even many ultra leftists) began to realize that the Obama administration was nothing like what it promised it would be and was causing many new problems for us (especially regarding our economy and our foreign policies) and that it was exacerbating old problems. All the time the Obama administration was doing so, President Obama and his mouthpieces in Congress had been telling us it was someone else to blame and they themselves were blameless for the most part.

Things have just kept getting worse and new problems keep arising, and our deficit has soared beyond the scope of sanity, and all they could do was blame George W. Bush. Then in November the makeup of the Congress shifted markedly due to the elections. The Republicans took control of the House. Now suddenly it is January and the Republicans are poised to start taking some actions in Congress with the hopes of correcting the foul-ups created or made worse by President Obama and the democrats. So what do the democrats do? Do they say okay we will work with you? No, that would be to much to hope. What they do instead is to start to blame someone else for our economic problems. They are now blaming China and becoming very outspoken about it. Remember how critical of Greece was this administration when the Greeks tried to blame the US for its economic failure! Yet the dems blame another country now for our failure because they can no longer get away with blaming Bush. Senator Charles Schumer (D - NY) has said the following, in essence challenging China with a serious threat, though one has to wonder with what he would back it up. (see: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/01/17/ahead-hu-visit-senators-push-china-trade-legislation)

"China's currency manipulation is like a boot on the throat of our economic recovery," Schumer said in a statement. "We are sending a clear message to the Chinese government: if you refuse to play by the same rules as everyone else, we will force you to."

Hmm, what happened to blaming George W. Bush? I guess, it is no longer his fault, it is now the fault of the Chinese that our economy is failing. Makes one wonder, if they are ruining our economy, why is it that we keep borrowing money from them? Wouldn't it be counterproductive to borrow from someone who is trying to destroy your economic status. The Chinese have admitted as much. Their president, Hu Jintao, recently said that the Chinese yuan should become the prominent currency in the world - replacing the U.S. dollar. Soon, I think, we will owe them so much money we may have to use their currency here in the U.S.A.; it would not be much of a surprise to me!

The thing of greatest concern about all this is not even that we owe the Chinese over 1 trillion dollars (get that - we owe them just about 1/14th of our national debt) but that we are now challenging them about their own prosperity. Do mouthpieces like Schumer not even consider that China is set to become the leading world power, that the balance of power has been and continues to shift markedly in their favor, that they have been building up their navy and air force for several years now, that they are allied with other countries who are our avowed enemies such as North Korea and Iran. Does Schumer forget that our President is seen as weak because of his incessant apologies for everything American after he took office and for his blame the other guy tactics. Does he forget that we are indeed weak when it comes to our economy? (If so, one would have to wonder how he could forget considering just how much he blamed on GWB!) Does he not realize that we borrow more money from China than any other nation? Does he forget that 'Made In The USA' is a lost concept and that many if not most of our manufactured imports are made in China? Does he forget we are currently involved in 2 wars on foreign soil? Does he want to involve us in a war with China - even just a trade war? If I believed that the Democrats under the leadershipmanagement of President Obama could lead us through this crisis while facing off against China - I would applaud him. The thing is, in the long run, we are doomed if we keep borrowing from, then blame our failing economy, on a nation that is set to become the dominant world power of this decade. We really don't need any help from China to destroy our economy; the current administration seemingly has been doing a great job of that - the same administration that just cannot seem to stop blaming the other guys.

I just wish that guys like Schumer would shut up or at least give a good amount of thought to what they say before they say it - and I wish that guys like him would start to accept the blame themselves for things they screwed up - like our economy. Something tells me I will just keep on wishing for at least another 2 years.

The opinions expressed above were my personal opinions.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Gun Shots 108 - A Firerarms' Expert On The News

Not all too long ago, just a few days really, I posted and criticized here about the media's use of expert consultants on almost everything that they report with one big exception - that being news reports on firearms. Well, thanks to the blog over at Armed & Safe, I was treated to a video of the media making an attempt to seemingly utilize the expertise of someone who would at least appear to be a firearms' expert. Now, mind you, he sure sounds as if he might have the credentials to be an expert or at least a limited expert, on some things to do with firearms - he was a government agent for about 25 years, he worked for an agency that dealt a lot with firearms that agency being the BATFE, he carried a weapon for his job, he said magazine instead of clip, after leaving BATFE he supposedly became a N.Y. City Sheriff, and he reportedly investigated a school shooting. Sounds pretty 'expert like' BUT then he opens his mouth and what he spews forth simply makes me think him just another anti-gun media shill. If you have not heard this spiel before, listen to the edited version here (mind you even though edited from its full length you will hear how poor a choice of firearms' expert he was, in my opinion, if you pay attention to him). It simply amazes me the media would use a guy like this who may have kept his issued sidearm in his desk drawer for most of his career from what he seems to know about it based on what he said in this video:



Did you catch it - his blunder? I am not going to be as nice as were the folks over at Armed & Safe and tell you where it was that he screwed up; so if you did not catch it - watch and listen again. Really, even though it is a mistake even most non-firearms people would never make, he makes it. While it should not have been an easy mistake to make, it is easy to miss because he apparently missed it himself and in his so called expertise he seemingly never realized how ridiculously foolish a thing he said thus never correcting himself. Of course, neither did the reporter but that is why they got an expert right - so as not to make stupid mistakes - wasn't that the reason or was it just to ram anti-gun sentiment down our throats.

So tell me, is this guy a real firearms' expert or what? My vote goes for or what! Whew, there I was, just for moment, thinking the media had made a liar out of me and used a real firearms' expert as a consultant! Of course, all of that is just my personal opinion.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Gun Shots 106 - Finally Got A Chance To Go To The Range Today...

...and I can tell you, it was way too long between range days for me. I qualified at work last month or maybe in November but have not been to the range shooting for fun for way too long, it seems like many, many, months already though it's only been since October. I have got to get myself back into the groove and start going at least once a month on average. Not that I shot bad today or anything like that, I did okay, but shooting is something that requires regular practice and besides that - it is fun.

I brought only two pistols with me this evening, my issued Sig 229 and my personal (authorized as secondary for my job) Glock 26. I guess I shot about 400 rounds in all, 150 .40 S&W from the Sig and 250 9mm from the Glock. It was certainly focusing for me and relaxing too.

All the best,
GB

Health Care Repeal Vote Is Either Doomed To Fail Or To Be Vetoed By The President Unless...

...that is the Republicans start using their brains. Of course, simply may be to late for even that. According to a report at FoxNews.com, the Republicans are preparing for the Health Care Repeal Vote (see: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/13/house-republicans-tee-health-care-debate-pausing-tucson-victims/). As I said though it is probably due to fail one way or the other but does not have to fail and there is still time to assure such with a rather simple bill being introduced to Congress.

If the Republicans in Congress had a half a brain between them all, then they would not be rushing to vote to repeal the Health Care Reform Law. What they would be doing instead is a media blitz of how they first intend to force a vote on a bill, call it the No Exceptions Bill, mandating that everyone within the United States of America be obligated to obtain health care under the provisions of the health care law - no exceptions. In other words they would first have a vote to make sure that all Representatives and all Senators, and all members of the Executive Branch, such as the President and Vice president would not be excepted from the Health Care Reform Law (or any arts of it), as they now are excepted, and they should be shouting that from the rooftops. In their media blitz, while presenting this bill to the public, their whole push should be to show all Americans that if the health care bill is good enough for those not in government, like the regular Joe and Jane Citizen, then it is good enough for our elected officials too. They should also point out, that if the No Exceptions Bill is passed into law and the Health Care Repeal Vote subsequently either falls short of enough votes for a real or is vetoed - those who wrote it and passed it in the first place will have to abide by the Health Care law without exception and it will serve them right if they do not repeal it!

Guess what the result would be. The No Exceptions Bill would most certainly be passed because the outrage of the public over the current exceptions would light the fire and the politicians would be too darned afraid not to vote for it. That is if the Republicans presented it right - and that would be none to difficult to accomplish. Once the No Exceptions Bill passed the House and the Senate, you can bet it would be signed into law by the president. After that was done, tell me - do you really think there would not be enough votes to repeal the Health Care Reform Law? You can bet that all those who made sure to except themselves from the provisions of that law in the first place would be none to happy to actually have to abide by its provisions. They would undoubtedly vote to repeal it. My bet is the president would sign it because if he vetoed it then I am guessing there would be enough votes to override his veto - that is of course if they first pass the No Exceptions Bill.

Remember, you heard about this idea here first.

All the best,
Glenn B

As The Snow Falls...

...and the sheep to be counted seem to elude me, I am sitting here at my computer. I have been blogging for a good while now, even though the previous post says it was posted at about 0930 on Tuesday morning, I only finished it about 10 minutes ago. The time stamp goes onto the post as soon as you begin it - not when you finish it. Just as I finished up that post, the side door of my house opened and in came what looked like the abominable snowman although it was only my snow covered son. I asked how deep it was and he told me about 5 or 6 inches. I walked upstairs and took a look outside and said - no way, it's only about a half inch. He then told me a shocker - he just got done shoveling. What a good son is he! Funny, I never even heard the shovel scraping the concrete, I guess I was involved in the previous post a lot, enough to zone out on everything else I suppose. Well anyway, his shoveling will make my job later this morning all that much easier, that is if the wind does not start blowing and just pile it all back on the sidewalk. There is a bit of a wind now but not much and if it stays that way maybe there will only be another 5 or 6 inches when I get my butt out there to shovel around 8 or 9AM. For now, I had better find that flock of sheep and start counting until I fall asleep.

All the best,
GB

Ballseye's Gun Shots 105 - Why Didn't Anyone Else Have A Weapon...

...and use it against Jared Loughner? Think about that as a legitimate question to ask yourselves. While thinking about it, note that I did not ask why anyone didn't have and use a firearm, I specifically said a weapon. While a firearm would certainly be included under the header of 'A Weapon', so to would be a knife, mace, pepper spray, an expandable baton, a sap, and a stun gun. They are so common that they should immediately come to mind when the word weapon is brought up in such a context, and should pop into one's mind even quicker when the discussion turns to self defense. You would think that someone in that crowd of people would have had one of these fairly to very conventional self defense weapons when this apparent madman went berserk and started shooting. Yet, it has not been reported that anyone used a weapon against him to help bring him down. Why didn't they? Think about that long and hard because it is a very important question and your answer to it may just tell yourself an awful lot about yourself and about the society in which we live.

Then, after thinking about the answer to that question, pose another one for yourself. If you had been there, would you have been armed and would you have had the mindset to take out the madman. I can tell you this, had I been there, I likely would have been armed. I also am fairly certain enough of myself to say I would have at least tried to take some sort of action to stop him had I not already been incapacitated. Note I did not say had I not already been shot. If I was able to move, I like to fancy that my training and current mind set would have taken over and that I would have taken action to end the threat. also I would like to think that any action I would have taken would have come long before the action taken by those brave few who tried to and actually did stop him. In other words, I would hope that I would have acted by the time he had only got off no more than a few or several shots and not all 30 that it is quite possible that he fired. (I base this on reports that he was using a 30 round clip magazine.)

By now you may have realized that I have not said I would have shot him but that I would have tried to negate the threat; of course, the implication is I would do that with a weapon. You can bet that I would certainly try with a weapon if the situation presented itself. That is because I would want to inflict the maximum amount of damage to him that I could, in the shortest amount of time, to stop him as quickly as possible. You will also note I am not saying I would kill him. I have been trained to stop the threat, if that means I yell at him and he drops his weapon and surrenders then so be it. Yelling may be my only option in some circumstances but if I was close to him I would choose another more surefire method. So, on the other hand, if I put two in his chest and one in his head, and he winds up dead - well tough shit for him. I would not be trying to kill him though - just trying to stop him.

Now back to why I said I did not mention shooting him right off. In a situation like the one that presented itself that sad day, the chances could well have been that getting a clear shot might have been all but impossible. If I had a clear shot, I would have taken it and a followup or two. What if it was not a clear shot, what if others seemed to be in the way. Would you chance it? Would I? Maybe I would, depending on how much damage he was doing. Then again, maybe I would charge him and stab him with a knife or shoot him if a shot opened up. I always carry one or two knives on me - well almost always, just like I usually have a gun. Maybe I would be lucky and have both with me and have some great options.

Of course, it is quite possible that those options may not have been at all available if it was one of those rare days when I left both gun and knives at home. That is, that would be a rare day for me. Others quite likely would not be as well armed as am I on a regular day for me. Okay - what else to do if you don't have a gun or a blade. Go for the pepper spray, start squirting when double the distance from him you think is effective if you have too, maybe he will dick and someone else will get him down. maybe not - it would be a chance you could take that could make you the hero or the dead guy who tried. Mind you, even when trying to stop a crazed gunman, like him, with your own gun or a blade - you could still wind up injured or dead. Then again, standing there or cowering down and pooping in your pants might accomplish the same thing - you being injured or dead. This was a life or death situation and in such a situation I tend to think that I should try to gain control especially once the bullets are already flying. So what would you decide.

No pepper spray either - heh! ope most people do not carry Guns, knives or pepper spray. most don't have the other weapons I mentioned above like stun guns or expandable batons either. If I had one of them though, chances are I would act and try to bring the bad guy down. Even without such weapons at hand, I think I might try something. First I would try to make my ass stop puckering to hold in the crap that would be about to load down my drawers. I would do that by moving since a moving target is harder to hit. I would seek cover if possible. Once behind cover i would try to arrive at what to do having already assessed what was going on as I was moving for cover and crapping in my pants. Are you chuckling or thinking I am trying to be funny. I am not. I would fully expect to be so scared, if I was weaponless, or just if someone was shooting at me and others were falling shot all around me, that I figure I would either piss myself or shit myself or maybe both. It happens; the thing is I would not let that stop me from taking action.

Hopefully, whatever action I decided upon would be good enough to stop him or to get others to help me to stop him and we would do it. Maybe sticking my pen in his eye, or repeatedly stabbing him in the face with it would work. Maybe grabbing his gun if i could get close enough - and if I am close enough to stab him then a gun grab is definitely within the realm of possibilities. Maybe i could grab a shopping cart (this was at a supermarket) and ram him with it. Maybe I could pick up a rock and throw it at him - no rock - what about my cell phone; and as I did that I could yell get him - or go for him now - just as I throw because by the time it hits him others will have heard it just before he is momentarily stunned or distracted. No cell phone, no rocks, what about my shoe or shoes. Close enough to hit him with something but not close enough to grapple yet. Wow - how did my belt wind up in my hand, buckle end ready to swing at his face. There are weapons - weapons everywhere but not a soul to wield them. Well except for me if I am in the crowd - what about you!

Truth be told - I would much rater have a gun in a gun fight than have a knife or have a show or a rock or a pen or a belt or a gun take away move. The thing is though, when people are being shot all around you and you can get to the shooter within a couple or a few steps, then maybe you had best think of going for him even while he is still shooting. Why - because if you don't try - you may be the next one to take a bullet. Yes, hes, yes - I know - if you do try you may be the next one to take a bullet. You have to decide which is better - to die trying or to die like a cowardly lion or a timid mouse. You could live either way too. So you also need to decide which would be better - to live the rest of your life realizing you did nothing while others were injured and died or to live the rest of your life knowing you tried your best to stop the threat and maybe even to live realizing that had it not been for you stopping the bad guy more innocent people would have been injured or died.

I am not suggesting even for a moment that you try to go at someone like John Wayne if you are not that type of person. I am saying you want figure out ahead of time what you are willing to do to save your own life and whether or not you are willing to save others. Here is where that thing I mentioned above about learning something about the society in which we live comes to play. Most people - and this is a fact of life - do nothing - they expect someone else will do it. Even as people are falling bloodied all around them - they do nothing. They expect John Wayne and the U.S. cavalry to arrive in the form of law enforcement officers or in the form of someone else who will do something. The thing is, it is often too late for too many before that someone else arrives or comes to life inside of someone already at the scene. It happened this time, that some few at the scene had that cavalry come to life inside of themselves. The first one seems to have been the woman who grabbed the gun and magazine (or maybe it was just the magazine). That was all it took folks. Grabbing the gun, or the mag. It did not take The Terminator, not Wyatt Earp, not the cops, not a well armed citizen (though how I wish one or two had been there), not anything like that. It took someone who was driven to her limit to be a target, and to her limit to go with the flow of our society, who decided to turn things around. In that moment she became a shepherd, a sheepdog (if you will) and she protected not only herself but the flock of sheep all around her. So too did at least two others become shepherd at that moment and they went in fighting right along with her - but she was the alpha and the omega because had it not been for her and her actions it is quite possible no one else would have done anything. In that regard, our society is sorely wanting, we lack people like her and the others who brought the madman down. It was not always that way, once upon a time we looked out for one another. Sure most would watch but there were a higher percentage who would have gone in fighting than there is now. We need to turn around as a society to realize we need to take one anothers' backs in such a situation. It would save a lot of lives if we did so. Years ago, this guy would have been beaten to a pulp, lawyers have taken away our resolve to do something like that today but that is no reason to just stand there and get killed or injured. We have a right to fight to protect ourselves and others.

The sad thing is though, with regard to the lady (the hero) who grabbed the magazine (and maybe the gun too) she waited until he was reloading to do so. Now, I am not finding fault with her, not at all. What she did was courageous, maybe even foolish in your eyes but not in my view because it was what saved the day and nothing else was going to do that than someone taking action. Sometimes you need to throw caution to the wind and just do it and take the chance that what you do will win out. As I said though, it is sad she and the others, who then jumped on the guy and got control him, waited that long. Believe me - 30 shots is a long time to wait even though they may have been fired in only seconds. I tend to think this guy was aiming and took a bit longer but that is just guesswork on my part right now. Time, and the greater amount of information that will be released as time goes by, will tell.

So what is the point of all this. There are a couple or a few. You should, in my opinion, always be armed when at all possible. You should, in my opinion, always arm yourself with the most effective weapon that is practical. You should be, in my opinion, well trained and practiced in the use of whatever weapon you are carrying within reason. I say within reason because while I am trained with firearms, chemical sprays, batons and some other weapons, I have no knife training or very little of it. I carry a knife mostly as a tool, I know how to use it that way. Yet, I would not hesitate to use a knife as a weapon if need be. I truly believe in 'any weapon to stop the threat in an emergency' so long as it is not causing more of a threat to me and other innocents. You also need to have a plan as to what you will do in the event you ever find yourself in a situation where your life, or the lives of other innocents, are jeopardized and deadly force is being threatened or actually being used.

Besides having a plan, you need a mindset that will allow you to implement your plan and to take action when the action needs to be taken to save lives. If you do ever wind up in such a situation and then do take action and wind up winning the battle and surviving, you may realize something. That is that, the actions of one person often spur on other people to act. Not always, but often. It seems to have happened this time - one person took the initiative, the first step, and others followed in a heartbeat. Maybe they had all decided to act independently of each other but I think that when one saw the first moving, and then a third saw the second moving - that was what had been needed. It just went on from there and they won. I could be proven wrong on this if the heroes in this one are ever asked what made them move - was it seeing someone else going for the bad guy or not - but it really does not matter if I am right or not. What mattered was that people did act and they took control of the situation away from the madman - they stopped him cold and saved the day because he had another one of those 30 round magazines - didn't he! They just didn't give him the chance to use it, they put him down and saved more lives, maybe even their own. Think about that, think hard and long - then tell yourself what you would do in a similar situation. Yes - YOU!

I am not telling you to do anything like that, not even suggesting you ever do it, I am telling you though to make up your mind now as to what you would do if you ever find yourself in such a mess. If you decide that you would take action, then I am strongly recommending that you start planning, training and practicing now for whatever you would do. You though are the one who has to decide what you would do (and mind you choosing to play dead is even doing something). Read the news about this shooting, watch the news about it, pay attention to how many victims there were and how many of the victims had weapons (or not) and who tried to stop the threat. Think about them as opposed to those who did do something, those who stopped the threat and did it without weapons. Then think about whether it would have been more or less likely that the bad guy would have been stopped sooner if someone had a defensive weapon and knew how to use it and then chose to use it. Think about it all, think about it again and maybe again and only then - tell yourself, what it is you would do if faced with much the same. Think hard though, before you answer, because your life and the lives of others may someday depend on what you decided today.

All the best,
Glenn B

(I'll proofread this again later, just figured the message was worth posting as soon as I could.)

Ballseye's Gun Shots 104 - The Media's Use of Expert Firearms Consultants (or should I say 'lack of use')

It baffles me that the media hires or contracts out for experts in almost every field so that they can consult with them while reporting on various types of news events yet, when it comes to firearms they seemingly never have an expert on firearms on hand.

Let me give some examples from the current news reports that have been dealing with the tragic shootings in Tucson, AZ yesterday. I saw news reports in which the reporters consulted with: Police experts on the investigation, political experts on the impact on politics and gun control, security experts on whether or not Congressmen and women are protected by security teams or should be provided security, One of the main things that has been talked about has been the medical condition of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Gifford's who was shot in her head. I have seen no fewer than a half a dozen doctors (medical experts) siting in a news broadcasts and talking about her chances of survival. They give information about her prognosis as well as giving folks and idea of the problems doctors are facing in trying to assure that not only she will survive but that she will still have most, if not all, of her cognitive brain function when she recovers. They have talked about the brain, bleeding, trauma, gunshot wounds, surgery and so on. At least two of them have also delved into the field of firearms and gave their not so expert opinions on guns, bullets, magazines and one even on how many shots the killer's gun could have possibly fired. This last doctor even stated that the killers gun only could hold 15 rounds of ammunition and since 19 people had been shot (some multiple times with one person shot at least 4 times) it meant that either the bullets had passed through others who were shot then striking other people or that there had been an accomplice who was also firing on the crowd. This all regardless of the fact that it has been reported that the shooter used a pistol with an extended magazine and that during the confusion he may have reloaded while people had their heads down (fear of being shot makes people do that sometimes - duck for cover). Even though he was not an expert on firearms, and apparently knew very little about them, this doctor was allowed to ramble on as if he indeed was a firearms expert and he then began to talk about a bullet trajectory and how it combined with how many bullets were fired would prove definitively if there had been only one shooter. I am almost willing to bet that he has read about the assassination of JFK and the theories involving multiple shooters that surround it.

Another consultant, a retired NY City police officer, an expert being consulted about the investigation that will or should take place, on a cable news program rambled on for minutes about how this country has to come to its senses and mandate that, before they be allowed to own guns, people be trained and tested in the use of firearms just as they are for a driver's license before they can legally drive a car. His premise was that this would prevent such shootings. He certainly seemed less than an expert on the subject matter of firearms or on firearms licensing. I doubt he has much knowledge about firearms beyond his carrying one as a police officer and his qualifying with it maybe twice a year. He almost certainly did have knowledge of how to play the media so as to act as a paid consultant on national news. Well maybe not really because a much better known and readily recognized retired police detective butted in to contradict what the first retired officer had just said. The truth be told, training in firearms would have little to do with preventing such a rampage by a quite possibly deranged individual. Training him would probably have only made him a better marksman. My bet would be that he actually had some training in marksmanship, especially if he was a lone shooter. You may think you could hit all those people, those panicked moving people, easily at close range but I can attest it was a feat of marksmanship or luck beyond the realm of probability. Yet I digress, my aim should be at the so called experts or at the medias lack of use of firearms experts when they report on firearms.

Yet another news report had a reporter give his apparent expert view on what happened. He was reporting on what had happened to Representative Gifford's, in particular the injury to her head caused by gunshot. He did not have an expert at hand with whom to consult so he played the part of the firearms expert himself. Now mind you, he was reporting on the BBC channel. The BBC is based in England where for the most part firearms are banned. Yet, this reporter said that one of the things that saved Representative Gifford's was that the bullet had passed through her skull and exited. (Good so far, I am pretty sure he was reporting on what doctors or representatives of the hospital had told him). Then, before going onto the next point, he looked as if the light bulb had gone on in his head, and he spouted out that another reason she had survived being shot in head was because the bullet had not exploded in her head. Do bullets normally explode? It seems this reporter might think so and that he would have us think so. No bullets do not normally explode. Yes you can place certain substances into a bullet to make them explode on impact but it is not the norm and no one had reported that the shooter used explosive bullets. (Yes I am expert enough, or a limited expert in legal terms, on firearms and ammunition to know this as fact.) Did the reporter mean that the bullet had not expanded in Representative Gifford's head? Maybe that is what he meant but bullet expansion and an explosion are two very different things. Then again, how would he have known if the bullet was of the type that normally expands upon impact? Has anyone in the media been privy to that information or have the police, as they usually would do this early on, withheld information as to the type of bullets used in the attack?

As just seen, the media can get it wrong with or without consultants when it comes to firearms. Another example, one of the most frequently heard and seen in news reports is that a shooter opened fire with an automatic weapon. This was in fact reported in this particular shooting incident. Amazingly enough, within a few hours of the shooting, reporters started to correct this inaccuracy and they started to report on information given to them by the police that the shooter had used a semi-automatic pistol. There is quite a difference between an automatic firearm and a semi-automatic firearm but the media would like us to believe that automatic firearms are the norm or so it seems to me.

The truth of the matter is that those in the media, the great majority of them, know little to nothing about firearms. Add to that the fact that the mud slinging media main stream media is or has been patently anti-gun and you can probably understand how it is that they consult with experts on such fields as medicine and then allow that same expert to ramble on about firearms, ammunition, investigative techniques (probably all just based on them watching shows like CSI) and other aspects of the issue with which they have no expertise. If however the media actually hired or contracted actual firearms experts they might actually get their reporting on firearms correct. Oh my gosh, did I just this moment 0812 AM, as I am typing, hear a CNN reporter say that police have said the suspect had a Glock 9mm pistol and at least 90 rounds of ammunition and that he had fired using a 90 round clip! Yes that is what she called it - a 30 round clip. It is not a clip, it is a magazine but there is a good chance that the police told her it was a clip. It just proves my point, they have no to little knowledge of firearms, nor do most of their consultants, so they ought to hire consultants who actually are at least knowledgeable of firearms and their nomenclature, if not actual firearms experts, who can guide them before they open their mouths and get it wrong over and over again. Imagine that though, the media speaking about firearms intelligently instead of solely with anti-gun bias and ignorance. Is it going to happen? I doubt it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Videos Supposedly Made By Alleged/Suspected Tucson Shooter - Jared Loughner

This and a few other videos or sound tracks are still up on YouTube, as I write. They were reportedly made by, and apparently attributed to, Jared Loughner. He is also reportedly the main suspect who reportedly was arrested in connection with the Tucson shootings, today.

My opinion, of this video, is that it is kooky ranting. The guy who made these videos probably had, in my personal opinion, gone off the deep end. After listening to just this one (below) I have to wonder if he was psychotic. If these videos/audios were made by the killer, it makes it much easier for me to understand how he (if indeed it was him - he has not been tried yet - bear that in mind and bear in mind the police are also seeking another person at this time) could have shot all those people. It does not, for me, excuse such behavior or criminal acts - just makes it easier to understand how it may have happened if the shooter/killer and the guy who made these videos was one and the same person.



What a shame, lots of lives ruined. Too bad no one in the crowd had a gun and shot back and got the killer(s) before he (they) got as many as he (they) did.

All the best,
Glenn B

Tucson Shootings

My heart felt condolences to those who lost loved ones in the mass shooting in Tucson today. My well wishes go out for those who were shot and survived and my prayers are going out both for the survivors and the deceased.

If they find, arrest, try and convict the killer, I think they should execute him. I know they arrested someone already, or so it is being reported, but just as anyone, he gets his day in court before judgement and sentence can be passed.

As for whoever is the actual killer, once he is convicted (if ever), I think he should be killed as would be a rabid dog - swiftly and with no amicable regard for him, but that is just my personal opinion.

My condolences,
Glenn B

President Obama Wants You To Get Internet Identification

The man who would not produce, as I seem to remember, his birth certificate (I do not mean his certificate of live birth which someone supposedly did produce but his birth certificate which is legally nowhere near the same as a certificate of live birth), nor his travel records regarding which passport he used, nor produce his college records, nor his health records and maybe not his tax records (not sure on that one) is now virtually demanding that all Americans who use the Internet be issued an Internet ID as a trust issue! This is simply astounding. Remember, this is also the same man who wants to allow undocumented aliens (illegal aliens) to stay in our country and receive loads of great benefits all leading to U.S. Citizenship but does not trust you enough to use the Internet without you having a special Internet ID. Even if you voted for him the first time around, if you vote for this guy in 2012, my personal opinion is that I think you will need to have your head examined.

According to Fox News:

"Trusted Identities in Cyberspace is currently being drafted by the Obama administration and will be released by the president in a few months." (see: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/08/report-obama-administration-plans-create-internet-id-americans/)

Trusted Identities in Cyberspace??? Doesn't our own government trust us already - hell they work for us - we are not their slaves or underlings. It is we who should be questioning whether or not government workers and officials are trustworthy of the positions they hold as our servants!

In the same article, they also quote the Commerce Secretary as saying this:

""We are not talking about a national ID card. We are not talking about a government-controlled system. What we are talking about is enhancing online security and privacy, and reducing and perhaps even eliminating the need to memorize a dozen passwords, through creation and use of more trusted digital identities,""

I wonder, as a private citizen, are they also talking about something like wearing a digital star? I am not saying that lightly either. Remember, it was taken with a grain of salt when ordered for certain people just a bit over half a century or so ago (wearing a star that is). What is the next step, segregating those who are not trusted from those who are trusted in Cyberspace? Who is making the determination as to whom our government trusts and upon what objective measures will trust in Cyberspace, or anywhere, be judged?

What do I think needs to be done? Rise up folks, mandate that you elected officials put a stop to this by them demanding to hear from President Obama just what is his Constitutional authority to do so! Hint - there is none - not in the commerce clause or anywhere else in my understanding.) Our freedoms are being flushed away, in my personal opinion, by this administration on an almost daily basis as it seems to me. For how much of this can we stand, will we stand, before we stand united against it all?

All the best,
GB

Fresh Water Tropical Fish...

...keeping is one of my hobbies. I used to keep them when younger because my uncle was a great fish keeper. He taught me a lot of what he knew. Of course, I also keep reptiles & amphibians and that is also mostly due to my uncle because he bought me my first Red Eared Slider Turtle. I wound up getting away from the fish for the most part, although I did keep some on and off over the years; usually for food for my turtles or snakes but sometimes for the sake of keeping fish. Then I got back into keeping them, maybe a year or two ago, for the sake of being a tropical fish hobbyist once again. I had decided to keep less reptiles and delved into amphibians, specifically newts and aquatic salamanders and figured that fish would go well with them. Or was it the other way around, maybe I got the fish first - oh it doesn't matter.

Anyway, I now have one semi-aquatic tank set up for fish and frogs, one tank set up for my turtle and fish (it was not meant to hold fish but two feeder goldfish survived until they got too big for the turtle to chase down and make a meal of so they are living large in the turtle tank), one tank of aquatic salamanders (no fish), one tank for several Blue Tailed Fire Bellied Newts, a couple of Gold Mystery Snails, a few Green Aeneus Catfish and several guppies, and a tank with virtually all tropical fish save a single Iberian Ribbed Newt that shares their tank.

The one tank with mostly tropical fish holds: 5 Paleatus Corydoras, 2 Pictus catfish (often mislabelled as Angelicus Cats), 2 Kribensis, 3 Rams, 1 Cardinal Tetra (used to be about 5 or 6 but the Pictus catfish got the others, the remaining one is now too big for them to gobble up), several guppies (plain, more or less feral and not one of the many varieties with fantails), one Golden Algae Eater and a Gold Mystery Snail. I would love to get myself several more cardinals but they have been hard to find in good health. The only times I have seen them over about the last year, and they are scarce in pet shops and aquariums up this way, they have been emaciated looking and in water that has been treated with medicinal chemicals. (Anyone know the reason they all seem to be in bad shape? If so please leave a comment or email me with info.)

I have been hoping to breed the Aeneus corydoras and the Peleatus corys too. The green Aeneus cats have often laid eggs but none have ever been fertilized although I am sure I have at least one male in the group. As for the Peleatus cats, they laid eggs once, all were fertile, but all were eaten by tank mates. Since then, probably over a year ago, they have not bred again. I'll have to read up on them a bit and condition them properly to induce breeding, they are nice fish. As for the Kribensis, I am surprised they have not bred as all is as it should be for them to do so. I have a definite male and female in the community tank (they often breed in community tanks) but I may put them into a tank of their own to see if they will mate.

On the whole, tropical fish are fun to keep, interesting too. They are not difficult to keep once you get the hang of it, especially if you start with a large enough tank (at least 30 gallons - makes it easier to maintain good water chemistry with a larger tank, larger than 30 is better yet) and fish that are on the easier side to keep. Note they don't have to be drab or plain to be easy to keep, fish like Kribensis, Rams, Cardinals, Pictus cats, Algae Eaters, Guppies (even the fancy ones) and all virtually all of the Corydoras catfish are pretty easy to keep. If you are looking for a hobby, that is fun, interesting and does not cost an arm and a leg (initial costs are moderate fairly high, compared to other pets, for a complete set-up, but after that costs are usually low to moderate depending on your tastes in fish or if you expand to more tanks) I highly recommend tropical fish keeping.

All the best,
Glenn B

My New Mag Pouches...

...were supposed to arrive yesterday via UPS and there was a UPS package awaiting me when I got home from work. When I opened it I was dismayed to find only one (1) Uncle Mike's Double magazine pouch in the package. I called up Optic's Planet, which was the company name on the invoice regardless of the fact I ordered from a place called the TacticalStore.com. When I explained that only one of the two I had ordered had actually arrived, the man at the other end, in Customer Service, said "REALLY" (in the most incredulous tone of voice I have heard in awhile). Instead of reaming him a new one, I decided to stay nice and just said "really", leaving it at that. He said someone would contact me, either on Monday or Tuesday, about it after they checked out my claim. I mean - what is to check?

My guess is that either some dimwit was not paying attention to bag stuffing 101 but got hired as a stock-boy anyway or that a real jerk saw the word "double" on the packaging and thought that qualified as two items because it was, well - double! Of course, maybe it was just an oversight due to a brain fart, I can understand that but do not understand the tones of incredulity in the Customer Service guy's voice. Hopefully, they will make it right and I won't have to contest the charge through my credit card company. One thing I have going for me is they labelled the package as being 1 pound in weight but the UPS tracking notice said it was only 0.4 pounds in weight. Whoops - I guess they REALLY goofed and forgot to add the other pouch to the order, which would have made it much closer to that 1 pound weight.

Oh well,
GB

A Great & Tasty Sandwich...

...just traveled through my teeth, over my tongue and down my gullet to plop in my stomach's acidic pit like a clod of soft mud thrown off of a cliff into the sea. Maybe not the most appetizing picture but let me say it sure was tasty.

I started off with some Beefsteak Soft Rye (seedless), then a sliced up half of a loaf of the Food of The Gods Spam and laid 3 heated thick slices of it across the bread. I then slathered the top slice of rye with Weis Horseradish Mustard (a store brand but a great buy that I picked up while on a hunting trip, full of zesty zing), then slathered the slices of Spam with about a tablespoon of Gold's Prepared Horseradish for some added equine zing (strong as a good kick in the head from a mule by now) and finally rubbed in about 1/2 a teaspoon of some truly scrumptious Tortuga Caribbean Hell-Fire Sauce to make sure that the kick was all it could be. I bought hot sauce in Grand Cayman while on my cruise - best thing I bought except maybe the bottle of dark rum that I have not opened yet).

I took a bite of those fixins' and though my eyes teared while at the same time opening wide, and my nostrils flared and my tongue was stung, that first bite was heavenly (as was each that followed). The fact is that sandwich was damned good eats and it went really well with a bottle of St. Pauli Girl Lager. It just doesn't get much better than that - well maybe had I added a couple slices of raw onion - yeah that's what I'll need to do next time. Yet, missing onions or not, it was delightful and delicious just as it was - mmm-mmm good and you can be sure there will be a next time with or without those onions! Of course the other thing that was missing was a German frauline to serve it to me with along with a bier.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Gun Shots 103 / Gun Gear Review / Tru-Spec Double Magazine Pouch

Back when I was still in Phoenix, I purchased a double magazine pouch for double stack magazines. I planned on using it mostly for carrying my issued SIG 229 magazines and that is pretty much all I have carried in that pouch with the exception of once or twice carrying Glock 19 mags in it. Although I bought it back in April, I did not start using it until well after I got home later that month. My best guess is that I started using it in about June or July of this last year - 2010.

Since then it has seen almost daily use by me. I wear it on the front left side on my belt. I mention where I wear it not to suggest you should wear yours likewise but because it is important to understand that it has not been jutting out to the side on either hip and banging into things. Even if it had been, as had pouches I wore in the past, it should never have arrived in the condition it is in today. Yep, you guessed it, it is not in good condition, in fact it is falling apart. After only about 5 to 6 months of almost daily normal wear (no rough and tumble stuff at all), this magazine pouch is literally unravelling at the seams and other stress points. The fabric seems to be about the worst I have ever seen used for the purpose and I can say without a doubt that this mag pouch is, in my opinion, the worst piece of junk I have ever purchased as far as pouches and other nylon accessories go.

Previously, I used Uncle Mike's Double mag pouches. I think I have owned three of them over the past 15 or so years, probably more years than that. The first one lasted a long time, I am figuring at least 10 years. It took a lot of abuse and was replaced with the same thing. The second one lasted a year or so and had problems with the snaps falling off. I go in touch with uncle Mike's (Michael's of Oregon) and they replaced it free of charge. That last one lasted a few good tough years then it tore on something into which my overfed bulk decided to walk into to, I do not remember exactly what it was. That tear was small but slowly and surely got larger and I decided I needed a new mag pouch back this past April because I had the cash and would need the pouch soon.

I looked for another Uncle Mile's because I liked the design. basically it was a plastic box made to snugly fit 2 double stack magazines in two compartments side by side (no space between them but the wall of the box), the box was covered with what I think was Cordura. It had two flaps fastened into the body of the pouch by Velcro at the back and by snap closures at the front. The Velcro made it adjustable for different sized magazines. I did not change it much and the Velcro never got worn out or clogged with lint as it will sometimes do. The snap closures on the front assured that if I ever need to access a magazine more quietly than ripping open Velcro, I could do so. I much prefer snap closures. The belt loop on the rear was made of plastic and I always thought that a poor choice but to tell the truth it never failed. The loop was big enough to accommodate at least a 2 1/2" belt. Very good to excellent mag pouch, thing is though - I could not find one when I needed a replacement after trying about 5 or 6 gun stores and a few police supply stores.

While in the last police supply store that I visited, another mag pouch caught my eye. It was made by Tru-Spec. It looked similar to those made by Bianchi - double pouch for double stack mags with two snap closures on each flap and the other end of the flap sewn into the pouch. Adjustable depending on which snap you used but sometimes the snaps were actually noisy with a slight rattle because one on each flap was always not fastened. This pouch was wider than the Uncle mike's because each pouch was separated by about a finger's width of space. There was no plastic box inside the pouch on this one either, just two side by side pouches made out of black nylon of some sort over what seems to be another fabric like material. Not much to my liking but I figured I needed or would need a new pouch soon because the old one was failing so I bought it. I don't remember the price but am thinking it was about $15 to $20.

Surprisingly, well not really to me, I misplaced the new pouch and kept wearing the old one. it held up pretty good through June or July. I had found the new one again sometime between April and then and started to use it about the same time that the old one was on its last legs, or at least what I thought was its last legs, truth is compared to the Tru-Spec, I am pretty sure the Uncle Mike's would have gone on for another year or so. The Tr-Spec is ready for the garbage can and I mean that most literally.

The problems with the Tru-Spec pouch started about 3 months ago. I noticed that the material of which it is made was unraveling on the front of the flaps. I examined the rest of the pouch, back then, and the rest of it looked okay.I figured I must have somehow really raked the front of the flaps across something abrasive but for the life of me I could not remember hitting anything hard enough to tear fabric nor could I remember squeezing past anything that might have caught on it. It was just unraveling. About a month later I realized that a seam was beginning to open on the front of one of the flaps. This worked its way over the top of the flap to the back of it. Then, about a week ago, I noticed that one of the belt loops on the back of the pouch begining to come apart just a bit too. Within a week the belt loop was literally falling off, the fabric all around where it was sewn to the pouch was unravelled and the seam had opened up much more.

This damage was not there when I first noticed the damage to the front of the pouch flaps. I thought and thought again if maybe the pouch had gotten caught on something when I was wearing it, then it hit me that I would have had to have been moving backwards for that to have happened because the belt loop that has come loose with all the unravelled fabric around it is the one that sits mostly to the left and rear rear when I wear the pouch. In fact, the area of damage on the front of that flap is opposite of where it is on the other - I would have had to have gotten it caught twice - once in one direction then once in another to have ripped it. As I said though, I don't remember ever having it get snagged on anything, not even once so it just did not get damaged by me. Since that is the case, I have to think it is just piss poor manufacturing that is to blame.

I will be in touch with the manufacturer, Tru-Spec, to see if they will back up their product and send me a replacement. That is if I can find a customer service contact number or email address for them. I have always been a fan of Tru-Spec products, well, at least since I bought some BDU pants made by them many years ago. They were of good quality and products I have bought from them recently also seem to be of good quality - that is clothing products. This mag pouch is the first thing other than clothing that I have purchased that bears the Tru-Spec label. It may be the last, other than clothing, too. of course, that depends on their response and how well any replacement they offer stands up to normal use.

I ordered two of the Uncle Mike's pouches and hope they arrive soon. While they seemingly are not quite as well made as they used to be, in my view they sure beat the Tru-Spec pouch in question by a long shot.

All the best,
Glenn B

Note To Self 2

Try To Do Good Deeds For Respectful People

Not For They Who Will Try To Knock You For It

2010 Soldiers' Christmas & Holiday Care Packages Final Update

I received an email from Mike _____ saying that the last packages we sent out were received. If you remember, I detailed all the contents of all but one of the care packages we sent to him. I held off on that one because it was something a little special but since mike has acknowledged receipt, I can now give the details of that one to you too. The below is a copy of an email I received from Smoky Mountain Knife Works once the order shipped:

Greetings from smkw.com

We thought you'd like to know that we shipped your items on 12/13/2010. Your order 9942414 is being shipped and cannot be changed by you or by our customer service department.

You can track the status of this order and all your future orders at: http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/Order.do?action=trackUPSOrder

The following items have been shipped to you:

Qty Item Price Shipped Subtotal

7 CASE LT1405LSS CALIBER LOCKBACK 147 (5) $11.99 7 $83.93

6 CASE CALIBER LOCKBACK/CAMO $11.99 6 $71.94

1 CASE KNIFE ROLL/2010 PROMO $0.00 1 $0.00

1 CASE 2-SIDED STONE AND POUCH/2010 PROMO $0.00 1 $0.00

Shipped via

Tracking number: 000241562

Item Subtotal: $155.87
Shipping and handling: $20.78
Tax: $0.00

Total: $176.65

Paid by: Card with last four digits = xxxx

This shipment was sent to:

SPC MICHAEL _____ (I deleted the last name & address)

Thank you for shopping with us. smk

smkw.com is a division of Smoky Mountain Knife Works, Inc.

The knives we sent to Mike and his unit were all Case brand Medium Caliber Lockback Knives. They had a choice between two colors that were included in the shipment, thus 6 of one and 7 of the other. Note that the knives usually went for $14.99 each but I somehow got 20% off; I think it was an online coupon but cannot recall for sure. Also note the knives are all CASE brand knives. That means they were MADE IN THE USA and are all quality knives. I figured that those points might be appreciated by our soldiers. The knives shipped with some freebies, also shown above, from Smoky Mountain Knife Works which is the company from which I ordered them.

So that last package with the knives accounts for what remained of the money donated toward the care packages for the 2010 Christmas holiday season; I gave a breakdown of spending for the last packages, including the knives, here.

I want to thank all of you who donated this year. There were not as many people who donated as in previous years but there was a good amount of money thanks to the generosity of those who did give something. You are all good folks and deserve a thousand thanks and a pat on the back (so feel free to start patting). You all already know that you have my thanks but I have thanks from some other folks of which I need to make you aware. So, let me convey to you the message of thanks from Mike in his most recent email to me, it was dated December 30, 2010:

"hey glenn we got your packages thank you so much for the knives every on got one with one extra so i gave it to one of our civilian guys that works with us every one said thanks for the gift and thank you for everything you have sent me it means a lot. stay safe and keep in touch and tell everyone that is helping with the care packages thanks for their support as well
your friend mike"

That is exactly how it appeared in his email to me (except for the color and bold face which I added).

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. I think we can rest assured that we helped some other folks, ones who deserved it most of all, have likewise.

All the best,
Glenn B

PS: Please do not send any more donations, I will not be accepting them again until next fall. I will continue to send packages to Mike ____ for him and his unit until the end of his deployment but will fund those myself. It was very nice of you all to have helped make the holiday packages much, much nicer than they would have been had I tried on my own. I am thankful to you all - you are truly very good and generous American patriots without whom it would not have happened.

One Month & A Wakeup Until The Best Holiday Of The Year

Yes you revelers of the new year, you may have all sat snug around the hearth last night and had a few hot toddies, or maybe you were the type to go out and dance the night away while sipping highballs, or maybe the heartier or wilder type to brave the chill night air (not to chill last night) at places like Times Square and watch the ball til it dropped then scream like bloody hell was upon you, or just the type (like my wife) to visit neighbors for a rather quiet party - but me I pretty much stayed home. I did manage to get out at about 900 last night for dinner. My repast consisted of a finer green bottled lager of the Netherlands and an all American classic - a cheeseburger deluxe platter but it was more than enough festivity for me to end the old year. Starting another year for me was/is nowhere as of great import as was finishing off the old one. To see another one go by is to know I have beaten the odds, cheated the devil, robbed hell of a soul that already has one foot inside it, and just made it through another one. I was delighted to walk to a local pub, have a couple of beers, eat my meal and head right back home. Once there I commenced watching the tube - then fell asleep just around 11PM. I was awakened by our dogs, who seemingly wanted out for a pee, at precisely 12:02 of the new day. I guess that was about how long it took for the first successful drunkard reveler in the neighborhood to get outside, set up the fireworks, set them off - and for their retort to reach the ears of our pooches. I only realized, about a minute after letting them out and standing in the portal awaiting their return from the dark depths of our postage stamp sized backyard, that it was the new year. I let the dogs back in, went down to the basement, turned the TV back on, tuned into the Twilight Zone, realized my wife was still out, and then dozed off watching some weird scene or another flit across my television screen in black and white.


As for the rest of the world, much of it was partying like my wife, daughter and son who were all out having a good time. I gave up on New years' celebrations long ago - it's just not my bag. Much like those wonderful in that wonderful family called Addams, I prefer the offbeat when it comes to celebrations. So, it is on the 2nd of next month, that I will celebrate the holiday of holidays. Sadly I will probably be the only one to celebrate among my family members and more sadly still I will probably wind up celebrating it alone, as in all by myself. Don't get me wrong - others celebrate it too. I mean, how could you not. It is a holiday of hope, where humanity has determined that the whims of a fairly small furry creature should decide the fate of the global climate - well at least the climate in the northern hemisphere. No, I do not mean that pompous ass Al Gore. I do mean the Ground Hog!


Yes folks, to me Ground Hog's Day is the penultimate of all holidays. Maybe that is so, first and foremost, because it is not an official holiday. I like that because no one is telling me when to celebrate. Besides that no one has created Ground Hog's day greeting cards, Ground Hog's Day floral arrangements, Ground Hog's Day candies, at least not any major retailer on a national level. About the only almost obligatory thing to do is to watch ground Hog's Day with Bill Murray and even that is really optional. Granted, I do not get the day off but I do get to waste spend a lot of it watching the TV and Internet news about Punxsutawney Phil (and all the other impostors) and their predictions for just how long winter will last or just how short it will be. Hope springs eternal folks and spring and nicer weather are hopefully always only 6 weeks away from the little fur ball giving his best shot at figuring when it will arrive.

I just love the holiday - as I said none better. I am looking forward to it and to my own personal celebration of furry little critters predicting the weather better than Al Roker and Al Gore and to the fact that hope springs eternal - so much so we pin our hopes on whether or not a rodent sees its own shadow!

All the best,
Glenn

H N Y

There Was A Moon Out Last Night, Rembering Nick Santamaria of the Capris

Yesterday afternoon, Nick Santamaria - a devoted husband and father, pretty nice guy, our neighbor and great singer left this world. It was only right that there was a moon out last night - a waning crescent - one of the prettiest moons - I have to think it was for him. You see, Nick was the original lead singer of and a songwriter for, The Capris. Their biggest hit, or at least most memorable song for me, was this one, There's A Moon Out Tonight:



Nick left singing many years ago and became a NY City Police Officer and made a career of it. After retirement from the job, he then then came back to singing. Once again it was as the lead singer of the Capris. They did oldies shows. As you can hear in this video, he had not lost it - his voice was still golden.



Sadly, Nick would not long remain as the lead singer for the Capris. Several years ago now, Nick was diagnosed with mesothelioma. Amazingly enough, even though he had a lung removed, he tried his best to keep at singing. Here is yet another video of him singing: There's A Moon Out Tonight, this one after doctors had removed one of his lungs. In this one, Nick explains what happened to him with the cancer. Then he sings. You can see, it wasn't easy for him to get through it but he did it and he still had it. That was in November 2007.



Soon afterward his singing career came to an end, it was a difficult choice for him to make. Nick's health problems remained, then yesterday, he lost the battle to live. His family and the rest of us lost him and his golden voice but heaven most certainly has gained a voice that is sure to compete with those of the angels.

On a personal note: My family and I will miss him. He was always nice to my wife and children. I am sure they will miss him in their own ways. I'll miss him calling me Greg (over the past 16 or 17 years that we had been his neighbors he almost never got my name right but that was okay), miss the occasional talk about politics or current events or about our gardens or about our kids, miss him out there in the deepest snow with his snowblower cleaning my sidewalk when I least expected it, miss sometimes shoveling for him when he no longer could get it done and my back was willing and able, and I will miss him shaking my fence. I don't think he ever knew I caught him at that, I don't remember ever telling him. He used to complain about my dogs barking at him if they and he were out in our adjoining backyards at the same time. Over the years, I often looked out the side window to see what they were barking at and there was Nick, at least a few times, shaking the fence and teasing the dogs as they just barked away at him and as he talked to them. I am sure he liked them pretty much when they were quiet but I think maybe he had a secret - that he liked them even more when they were barking at singing to him.

Our condolences to his family and loved ones.

All the best,
Glenn B

Couple of New Links Added To The Blog Roll

For your reading pleasure, I just added a couple more blogs to the blog roll, these are both under the new and improved header: Take A Shot With (not at) These Shootist Bloggers

In Jennifer’s Head (http://injennifershead.com/)

Violent Indifference (http://violentindifference.blogspot.com/)

All the best,
Glenn B

All That Snow and No Kids Out Playing

Yesterday I drove into work later than usual (worked later than usual too). That means I drove down several miles of residential streets to get there. As I was driving I noticed that something was missing - there were no kids out playing. Despite the fact that there were huge piles of snow everywhere, either from plows dumping it here and there or from people piling it up near he curb while shoveling there were no snow tunnels with kids crawling in and out of them, no snow forts with kids attacking them and other kids defending them, and there was not one snowball flying through the air. Likewise, I have not seen almost any kids out sleigh riding. I have passed spots that used to be literally covered by scores of sleigh riding kids right after a good snow and those places have been empty of children. Since Sunday I have seen only 3 kids with sleds.

It was not that long ago that my son would have been out there with his buddies having fun in the snow with all I mentioned above - maybe as recently as 7 or 8 years ago by my guess. Other kids used to do likewise all the way back to a very long time ago; so where are all the kids today? What are they doing instead of having snowball fights and sleigh riding? Is their a virtual snowball fight game out on Nintendo or Xbox? Does Wii have a virtual sleigh ride game? Or is it that kids just have become intolerable homebound wussies because their parents have steered them in that direction due to political correctness, police who would arrest them for assault if they throw a snowball or lawyers who would sue their parents for the family home and life savings if they broke a window or if someone slipped and fell on snow they got on the sidewalk while playing? Maybe I just drove past all the wrong places and they were out elsewhere but to tell the truth I have not seen more than 3 kids out enjoying themselves in the snow since Sunday! It just baffles me that they would forsake all that good, wholesome, healthy, normal type of active fun, that only comes with a good sized snowfall, for anything else.

All the best,
GB