Police Reportedly Use Mugshots As Targets...

...and I am just about at a loss for words to say how this makes me feel but believe me, it is not good at all. To say I am disgusted, by such behavior on the part of they who have sworn to uphold and or protect the Constitution and who supposedly are to uphold the law while serving us and protecting us, would be an understatement.

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2015/01/16/north-miami-beach-cops-shoot-at-mugshots-of-black-teens/

That a police department's snipers reportedly were using mugshots, of people they had previously arrested, as targets at a range where others could readily see what they were doing was not merely stupid but was blatantly arrogant. To make it even worse, the mugshots allegedly were all of black men which of course, in todays racially charged atmosphere, was not only piss poor judgment but was asking for trouble.

Not only does behavior like that perpetuate racism, the arrogance of the us against them mentality (the 'us' being the police and the 'them' being everyone else) but it also reeks of impropriety. It hints that the department involved, from their chief (who was apparently aware of the practice) down to whatever lowest level officers were using those targets (with whatever supervisors and range officers fell between those ranks) were possibly well on their way to criminality. It makes me wonder, though I doubt it, if summary executions were not far over the horizon. That said, I must ask: What could possibly drive the department to use those mugshots, of their own past prisoner? It is beyond the realm of logic and reason.

Yet, the chief of the department excuses it as them not violating any laws or policies! In fact, the chief was reported to have said that the technique is in wide use and the photographs are vital for facial recognition. One has to wonder - for facial recognition as related to what? Were they planning SWAT missions against the specific people in those mughsots? Otherwise why use them for facial recognition. Anyway, that is obvious BS because in any police departments facial recognition drill there would be (or should be) included other photographs of similar looking individuals who were not criminals or in other words which were 'no shoot' photos among the actual 'shoot targets' of the bad guys. Without the no shoot targets their is no facial recognition worth a darn that is getting done (unless of course you intend to actually only go out and shoot the guys specifically pictured on your targets).

Now, if you think I am wrong about what I just said, go to the linked article and watch the second video in it. It is of Chief Dennis explain why and how the muGshots were supposed to have been used as facial recognition targets. One persons mugshot in the photo array of six mugshots was to have been the target - YET ALL SIX  OF THE MUGSHOTS IN THE PHIOTO ARRAY SHOWN HAD BULLET HOLESIN THEM! It is painfully obvious that if his snipers shot all those holes into the targets, they were not using them for facial recognition unless of course the sniper(s) firing those shots were remarkably terrible at facial recognition and thus should not be qualified as snipers. Once again, I am brought to wonder were they planning summary executions, or were they being absolutely moronically stupid in using those targets. I am not giving them an out by saying maybe it was stupidity - well, maybe I am because either way, I think these buffoons should be severely disciplined and at least the chief should be stepping down as it out of the department (if not all of them).

The chief though was also quoted as saying this:

“Our policies were not violated,” “There is no discipline forthcoming from the individuals who were involved with this.” (source)

Their policies were not violated so no discipline is about to be doled out - is he trying to tell us that behavior that likely would get a civilian investigated and maybe arrested and charged with terroristic threats, or maybe with the civilian being placed into observation at the local looney bin and all his guns seized, is okay for the police to carry out without repercussions! Is he also trying to tell us that officers who use extremely bad judgment in the performance of their duties should not be disciplined at least with mandatory training on how to practice better judgment or is he trying to tell us to mind our own business and that the police department, and only the police department, will determine the practices and policies for officers to follow without the public having a say regardless of how irrational was any given police behavior. I think this man needs to turn in his badge and gun without delay if only because he is a liability to the department that hired him and to the community that pays his salary. In fact, I think that any law enforcement officer who endorses that type of behavior should hand in his or her badge and gun and then go to a shrinks office where his or her head can be pulled out of his or her asshole so it can be thoroughly examined.

Now mind you, I am not opposed to using actual photographs of people as targets, especially for sniper targets. That is when the sniper would be preparing to go out on an operation that would specifically target and individual or group of them. Say for instance the suspect in the not too long ago shooting of the state police officers in PA, or say of a dirtbag like Osama bin Laden, or of some other legally sought after individual who was considered armed and dangerous. To do what it seems they did in the North Miami PD though, I believe, is inexcusable and I think there should be several jobs openings in that department in the near future if what has been reported is true.

Is that anti-police? No it is not. It is anti bad law enforcement practices and it is anti-employment of arrogant morons working in law enforcement.

All the best,
Glenn B

What Drives A Man To Do This?

Truthfully, I hope I never find out. Most assuredly, I never will find out - at least not by way of first hand experience.

 

 

I realize it's not restricted to being a Walmart thing but wonder if this kind of behavior is solely found within the USA. I suppose not, weirdoes seem to be on the loose everywhere today. Then again, maybe it was a Halloween costume (or would it be Halloweeny).

 

All the best,

GB



Men, You'll Notice This Is Smoking Hot But...

...it's not those pistols that are smoking!

All the best,
GB

Why A Man Might Carry Duct Tape (or even a roll of stickers)

She won't likely fall for the line "Hey lady, I think your shoelace is untied" but she may damned well step on a piece of sticky tape or a sticker (left behind by a thrill seeker) on the floor and bend over trying to get it off of her shoe. Of course, being a gentleman, I would never do such a thing and I am posting this only as a public service warning for all babes who wear very short skirts.

Now for those of you men who think me posting such a warning will ruin your chances of pulling that off, just think about how many hot mini-skirted babes are reading this blog. You have no worries there.

Hat tip to Lenny L for the poster.

All the best,
GB

Has The Pope Yielded To Islamic Terrorists?

So the Pope has come on the record to say that Freedom of Religion overrides Freedom of Speech. In sum and substance, he said that it is not permissible for someone to disrespect anyone's religion through their expression of free speech (source). So tell me: If I asked the current Pope whether or not he thought Islam to be the one true religion, and whether or not Mohammad's teachings were absolutely correct and were the words of Allah (God), and also asked if Allah was the one true and absolutely the only God - and finally - if I asked the Pope if he would denounce Jesus  - would he respond with an absolute and infallible yes to all of those questions? It seems, he must do so because for him to do otherwise would be seen, by many Muslims, as disrespecting and ridiculing Islam or worse still as blasphemy in their eyes. Islamists have beheaded and put to the sword untold numbers of people for less than that. Would the Pope not then, by answering any of those questions in the negative, be guilty of doing exactly what he says others should not do! Since he has preached that it is not right or permissible for others to do so, and since I am certain he is a man of his word who would never lie to his flock (aren't all Catholics just as certain as am I), I have arrived at the conclusion that he must have recently and secretly converted to Islam. Otherwise, without any doubt in my mind, he is just another bull-shitter of the politically correct (PC) ilk or should that be religiously correct (RC) type. (Hmm, maybe RC has not stood for Roman Catholicism over all these centuries but instead has meant religiously correct, it would explain a lot!)

I do not believe for one minute that the Pope is infallible or incapable of lying or that he truly is a man of faith more than anyone else. Based upon his cowering statements, I do believe, despite denials by the Catholic Church, that threats have probably been made against him or Catholic targets by Islamic terrorists. I also believe that he has yielded to those threats and is condescending to the level of other appeasers of terrorism who do or say nothing - or worse yet to the level of those who actually bend over backwards to defend or justify the actions of religious terrorists. He, in my opinion, has justified the recent Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack. You see, no matter how much he says he is anti-violence, he still winds up using an example in which violence is the result of ridicule and then explains that it (the violent response) is normal and implies that is true in the case of religious ridicule. So in other words, he has in fact - as far as I can see, yielded to they who wield murderous violence in the name of Islam (or for that matter in the name of any religion).

Of course, maybe I am wrong and no such threats were made that caused the Pope to yield to Islamic terrorism but if that is the case then the Pope evidently is simply hedging his bets by way of a lightly veiled justification of the Charlie Hebdo murders. Make no mistake about it, with that punch in the nose example he gave, supported by him saying  "It's normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others." that is exactly what he was doing - supporting the terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo. As far as I am concerned that makes the Pope, at least this particular pope, no better than the anti-Christ.

A hat tip and my thanks to Peter Q for sending me the link to that article.

All the best,

Glenn B

The Charlie Hebdo Cover - Have You Posted It Yet?

Have you shown your support for freedom? Have you stood up for your rights lately? Have you added it to your blog, Facebook page or website yet? The New York Slimes Times is too respectful to fearful of Islam to do so. Are you afraid to post it? I am but I posted it anyway. Then again, the difference between me and those killed recently is that I intend to fight back if I have the chance.

Hat tip to Aaron for his post as being my inspiration.

All the best,
Glenn B

That-A-Way

This one is for Wirecutter, in light of one of his recent posts. He'll understand.

All the best,
Glenn  B

Islamic Cleric & His Perverted View Of The Rest of The World

...is apparent in the latest ruling by Sheikh Mohammed Saleh al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi cleric, that building snowmen is sinful and against Muslim teachings because man cannot make that which has a soul. In his ruling he stated that: "God has given people space to make whatever they want which does not have a soul, including trees, ships, fruits, buildings and so on," he wrote in his ruling."
 (Source)

I find myself asking, since when does a snowman have a soul! In answer to myself, I guess since we live in Bizarro World with thinking like that, especially when others of his faith showed support for his ruling:
 
"It (building snowmen) is imitating the infidels, it promotes lustiness and eroticism," 
 
"May God preserve the scholars, for they enjoy sharp vision and recognize matters that even Satan does not think about." (Source)

Can you imagine a snowman or snowwoman promoting lustiness and eroticism. I think a snowwoman would be a bit too cold me to get me all fired up in the lust department. The absolutely perverted view of the rest of the world that this type of Muslim cleric has is truly bizarre and never ceases to amaze and disgust me.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Must Admit That As Much As I Can Use The Money...

...I hope they don't call me into work tomorrow. Coming home today to absolutely NO beer in the fridge but yet a good stash of my Moonshine Cherries (that had already been reinforced with extra moonshine) has me feeling less than like I want to work tomorrow.

Later for U (and much later for work),
GB

I Am Back Home At Last...

...after spending a week and a day in West Palm Beach, FL and not having a whole lot of fun. Then again, I did not go there for fun, I went to help out my ailing uncle or at least lend moral support which is about all that I did. Well, I actually did a little more than that but not much.

While there, I managed to meet up with a good friend (a brother indeed) from my Border Patrol days (or daze depending on how you loo at it), went out to dinner with my uncle and a cousin (twice), went out to dinner with my favorite cousin and a nephew (or something like that) and met up with a dear friend for lunch too. Planned fishing trip went to pot but I did manage to get my uncle up off of his arse and out of his condo for a short trip to a couple of pet shops to get some stuff for his tropical fish. Other than that, yesterday I drove about 130 miles (each way) to find a gator head at a tourist trap sort of gift shop at a gator farm yesterday because I had asked my son if he wanted a gator head and he said "yeah".

Today, I flew back to a local airport, on Southwest Airlines and while this was a MUCH better flight than my flight down there - with a much better set of flight attendants, I could have only wished to have a flight attendant like this one to have made the flight down there more fun:

As for the flight back though, I got two of those mini bottle of Wild Turkey (wow is it really 101 proof) for free! So, maybe my flight attendant today was the best for which I could have ever hoped. Then again, he was a guy, I guess he appreciated the fact that I ordered (and thus needed) two instead of one of those Wild Turkey minis and also empathized with me when the nice lady next to me spilled her drink on my left leg. I believe that only the second time ever, in my history of flying (which has been extensive) that I have gotten free in flight alcoholic drinks.

Anyway, I are home and are loving it - especially the facts that my daughter and wife met me at the train station and that the gifts I got for everyone made it through the flight okay. Of course, finding my Glock still in my luggage was also a very good thing. Most importantly though, I left my uncle feeling better - or at least I think I did so.

All the best,
Glenn B

Where In The World Is President Obama?

As far as I am aware, he is in Washington, DC but he could be just about anywhere. I can tell you, with a good mount of certainty where he is not though. He is not with the 40-50 other world leaders and tens to hundreds of thousands of demonstrators (source, source 2) who have unified to protest the terrorist slayings in France. While they are there in solidarity, marching in opposition to terrorism and in memory of the 17 innocents slain by Muslim terrorists, the Cowardly Lion Obama is safe and sound surrounded by Secret Service Agents maybe either in hiding or snubbing the rest of the world.

Maybe he is out for a bike ride on the White House lawn wearing his dork's helmet on his sissy bike (did they edit out the training wheels), maybe he is walking in the rain not knowing how to get his umbrella around an obstacle (God forbid a raindrop hit him), maybe he is out playing a contact sport (contact only in as much as his clubs contact a golf ball) or maybe he is merely being the arrogant standoffish snob that he is at most times (except when he is bowing to world leaders and apologizing for America). Of course, we may never know what he is or was doing today as his schedule for today reads like this:

"No public schedule." (I added the boldface.) (Source - make sure you key in the correct date if you view it on a day other than today January 11, 2015.)

President Obama certainly is not marching in unity with the world leaders who have come together in Paris to make a strong statement that they stand against terrorism. Just as he truly does not work in unity with Congress, he has evidently has refused to work together with the leaders of the civilized world at defeating Islamic terrorism and has snubbed them just as he does our own elected officials in the House and the Senate. He is, without a doubt in my mind, the worst president in my lifetime and Jimmy Carter now can be proud of his own presidency as compared to Obama's.

All the best,
Glenn B

Je Suis (I Am) John Bieker

As I posed in a recent blogpost, I am not Charlie (reference Charlie Hebdo). Yes I mourn for those (Charlie) killed in the terrorist attack of January 7, 2015 and while they were brave enough to face legitimate death threats and ultimately gave their lives for their beliefs - they did not fight except figuratively with a crayon. I am not Charlie because if ever in a similar situation, I intend to fight and win but if I go down - I intend to do so fighting. Thus, in any language, I am John Bieker.

John Bieker was the owner of a gun shop, She's A Pistol, in Shawnee Kansas.  He was gunned down in, what I can only say, was a blaze of glory while defending himself, his wife and his property during an attempted armed robbery at the gun store. Reportedly confronted by 4 alleged assailants he decided to fight back. The result was that his wife received only minor injuries while Mr. Bieker was critically wounded and later succumbed to his wound(s) in the hospital. Two of the suspected robbers were also critically wounded (it might be quite the service to our nation if both cease breathing soon). An additional suspect was also shot but his wounds were not considered life threatening (of course it is always possible that his wound(s) will become infected and he will writhe in agony as he dies from the infection). The fourth suspect was reportedly uninjured (and in his case it is possible that he may feel guilt ridden and hang himself in prison). (source)

My condolences to Mrs. Bieker and to the rest of Mr. Bieker's family and his loved ones. If it is any condolence at all:

Ma'am your husband died a true hero protecting you - the woman he loved. If there is a God in Heaven, I am sure he is with him now.

All the best,
Glenn B

New High End Terrorist Attacks? How Easily They Forget!

Former CIA director, Michael Hayden has been quoted as calling the terrible terrorist attack in Paris yesterday "the high end of the new genre of attacks.” He in essence is reported to have said that larger scale attacks are more easily thwarted and that terrorists have now resorted to this more sophisticated type of attack that involves shootings like the one in Paris, drive-by shootings and the unsuccessful attempt to detonate explosives in Times Square (source).

How soon these bureaucrats seem to forgotten all of the other similar 'high end' terrorist attacks, in the name of Islam, that have been taking place for decades, if not longer. A few I can think of, in fairly recent memory, that took place within our own country and with which Hayden should be familiar were:

The 1994 Brooklyn Bridge Shooting

The 2009 Fort Hood Shootings

The 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing

There are many, many more examples that can be found worldwide of Muslim extremists using like methods to effect a reign of terror. In fact, using such methods as small scale bombings, drive by shootings, hit team shootings (for want of a better term, like the one in Paris) and lone wolf attacks have been favorites of terrorists of all religions, of all nationalities and of every political ilk for centuries not just decades. Only a truly ignorant moron could call that type of terrorist attack, that took place in Paris yesterday, the high end of a new genre of attacks - and to think he was the head of both the NSA and CIA.

All the best,
Glenn B


 

Although I Mourn Him - I Am Not Charlie

Je pleure pour Charlie , mais je ne suis pas lui. Quand les ennemis de la liberté me attaquent, je serai armé d'un fusil, pas avec un crayon, et je vais les combattre de toutes mes forces . Charlie peut avoir été prêt à mourir pour ses droits, mais je ne suis pas prêt à mourir pour moi sans combat. Vive La Liberté!

Just in case it lost something in Google Translate, here is the English version:

I mourn for Charlie but I am not him. When the enemies of liberty attack me, I will be armed with a gun, not with a crayon, and I will fight with all my might. Charlie may have been willing to die for his rights but I am not willing to die for mine without a fight. Long Live Liberty!

All the best,
Glenn B

Facebook Page Calling For Execution Of French Cartoonist

If you do not complain to Facebook about this, and complain hard and often until they delete such Facebook pages, then you, like Facebook, support terrorism. The type of Facebook page I am talking about are ones like this one:
 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/351028091652326/?ref=br_tf
 
Yes, that is the web address for a Facebook page that was advocating the illegal execution of someone who was executed in the terrorist attack that took place in France today, January 7, 2015. It was a page created by a Muslim; however I would bet that if you or I created a page calling for his execution, my page would be closed down by Facebook within a day or three. Facebook is bending over backwards to appease Muslims and terrorists at that. The page is still up! That is not freedom of speech, that is a worldwide organization (that according to their on terms of use do not allow advocating illegal activity) allowing a terrorist group a means of communication for their hateful ideas and for their calls to illegally execute people.
 

Register your disgust with Facebook and then if they do not remove such offensive pages that advocate criminal and terrorist activity - why not boycott Facebook. Then again, you could always start your own Facebook page advocating the termination of terrorists and Islamists, just don't depend on Facebook allowing it if you are not a Muslim.
 
As far as I am aware, you cannot contact Facebook by a readily accessible to the public email address; however here is their postal address:
 
Facebook
1 Hacker Way
Menlo Park, CA 94025
 
There is also an address for their board of directors:
 
Facebook Corporate Secretary
1601 Willow Rd.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
 
The board of directors consists of (source):   

Facebook, Inc. INSIDERS ON Board Members

Name (Connections)	Relationships	Title	Age
Mark Zuckerberg	9 Relationships	Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer	30
Sheryl Sandberg	25 Relationships	Chief Operating Officer and Director	44

Other Board Members on Board Members

Name (Connections)	Relationships	Type of Board Members	Primary Company	Age
Marc Andreessen	111 Relationships	Member of the Board of Directors	Andreessen Horowitz LLC	43
Donald Graham	30 Relationships	Member of the Board of Directors	Graham Holdings Company	69
Erskine Bowles	104 Relationships	Member of the Board of Directors	Carousel Capital Partners LP	69
Peter Thiel J.D.	63 Relationships	Member of the Board of Directors	PayPal, Inc.	47
Ronald Conway	63 Relationships	Member of Advisory Board	Altos Computer Systems, Inc.	62
Reed Hastings	34 Relationships	Member of the Board of Directors	Netflix, Inc.	53
Susan Desmond-Hellmann M.D.	117 Relationships	Member of the Board of Directors	University of California-San Francisco	57
Jan Koum	9 Relationships	Member of the Board of Directors	WhatsApp Inc.	38

 
You can also leave feedback through their feedback link but a letter sent to them through the mail is much more likely to have the desired effect - at least if tens of thousands of us protest Facebook allowing such disgusting and unethical pages to continue to be posted on Facebook.

All the best,
Glenn B

It's Not Like There Hasn't Been Anything To Blog About...

...but obviously I have not blogged since Saturday last. To tell the truth, I have been involved down here in West Palm Beach, FL with my uncle and making sure he is feeling okay - so how the fuck can you blame me for not blogging; I certainly cannot blame myself.

As it turns out, he is feeling somewhat better. The latest news from one of his docs (actually a physician's assistant) is that THEY AGREE WITH HIM SOMEWHAT that his current maladies may have been caused by either one of two (or both) medications he was prescribed shortly before he became gravely ill. He stopped taking one a few days ago and stopped the other today and has been feeling somewhat, though far from totally, better ever since.

He has to make an appointment to see his cardiologist as soon as possible and maybe that doc will have brass balls large and metallic enough to admit to him if it was the meds that got him so ill. I checked the meds online with the National Institute of Health and according to that website each of the two meds, that he was prescribed just a few days before he got deathly ill, can cause most of the symptoms he has been having. Heaven knows what both combined could do to a body. Hopefully it will have been the meds, and nothing else, that put him pretty much on death's doorstep and now that he has stopped them he will continue to improve. Time, and maybe his cardiologist (since they were both heart meds) will tell.

Who knows, within another day or two, we may be able to actually go out and have some fun together - like fishing off the pier at Juno Beach. It might even be possible that this time, as opposed to in times past, we may actually catch something we can keep other than baitfish! If that's not possible, and he is still feeling like bat piss running down a rat's nose on a bitter cold day in Pocatello, I guess we won't go fishing. Still though, I plan to take my favorite cousin out for dinner on Thursday night. I also hopefully will visit with a couple of other friends I have down this way over the next few days - if time permits - and then visit my other favorite cousin (dragging my uncle along) on Saturday. Of course, that all depends on how my uncle is feeling - his welfare is my primary and overriding concern. I am supposed to return home on Monday but that all depends on how well he is feeling by then and whether or not I can afford changing my flight if need be.

Maybe some more blogging tomorrow.

All the best,
Glenn B

Why Does Even A Single Public Health Clinic Remain...

...open within the United States of America? Think about that. We now have Obamacare, aka: the Affordable Health Care Act, in full force. Every American citizen (with few exceptions like the president and Congress) and every legal resident alien within our borders is supposed to have health insurance - in fact is legally bound to have it. So why in Hades are we the tax payers still paying to maintain the facilities, pay salaries for the doctors, nurses and for other medical, administrative, and maintenance personnel who work in them or run them and pay for drugs and other medical equipment and supplies for them? If we still want to hand out free condoms, let's just open some street corner stands and kiosks at malls to get that job done and hire some crack whores to man them to dispense the government approved rubbers. 

The whole idea of maintaining and paying for a very expensive public health care system is not only the antithesis of Obummercare, it is or should be abhorrent to the taxpayer. It is also unethical now that we have the Messiah's health care plan in full effect and may be criminal. The bottom line is that when a public health care clinic now gives free medical exams, treatments or advice to patients, who are not covered by a health insurance plan, they are in fact facilitating people breaking the law by making it easy for them to get medical treatment (and thus giving incentive to folks who refuse to sign up for Obummercare) even though they effuse to sign up for an insurance plan. The only way anyone in this country, except a visiting foreigner (or a member of Congress - remember they excluded themselves) should be getting health care should be through their insurance plan. Foreigner's should be getting it through whatever insurance they had at home. Illegal aliens should not be here in the first place so screw them, they should go to their home countries for health care.

We, as in We The People, really need to start inquiring about why public health care systems still exist and about what our legislators and other elected officials plan to do to close them down without delay. All the money we save can help defray the average tax paying citizen's (or resident alien's) cost for health insurance.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sometimes The Police Get It So Right...

Ouch!

...that it appears there is still hope of things getting back to the way they should have been all along. Take for instance the reported police statement about a man attacking his uncle who was accused of raping the nephew's girlfriend. I am not talking about the nephew reportedly pummeling his uncle in order to quell the alleged rape. I am talking about, after the alleged rape, when the accused rapist was telling police that the sex had been consensual and the nephew reportedly attacked him again right then in front of the police. They said that the nephew was defending the victim at that point (source).

All the best,
Glenn B

I Haven't Been To A Gun Show In Awhile...

...but I see there is one scheduled for Miami on Jan 10th - 11th. The Miami Florida Gun Show will be held on those dates at the Miami-Dade County Fair and Expo. being that I'll be in FL that weekend, I might just be compelled to attend. Not that I'd buy any guns but then again Who knows - I might buy a gun and have it shipped to an FFL in NY'istan. I can also buy something else or just look. My bet is there will be lots of gun goodness there.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sometimes I Just Want to Say

Another Morale Anchor For DHS

DHS and the agencies within it typically have had some of the lowest levels of employee morale for several years now. It doesn't look like that is about to improve any either as DHS is once again getting slammed for shoddy performance:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/03/oversight-report-finds-major-problems-with-dhs/?intcmp=latestnews

It all only makes me happier than ever that I retired when I did. DHS totally destroyed what was once one of the finer U.S. government agencies, the U.S. Customs Service, by combining it with what I think was one of the worst, the I&NS. It has pretty much screwed up some other ones too. In all, it has been pretty much downhill for any agency that falls under DHS since its inception.

All the best,
Glenn B

Is It Also "Unacceptable" For Israelis To Exist

A map maker / publisher decided that in order to boost sales of its atlas in the Middle East, they would eliminate Israel from the maps of that region. They said it was "unacceptable" to include Israel on an atlas being distributed in the Middle East (source). It begs the question: What is the next step - would it be eliminating Israelis, specifically Jews, from the Middle East? With a mindset like the one that allowed the elimination of an entire nation, on a map because it was said to be unacceptable, I cannot see that as the next step as being far off - at least in the minds of the publishers of that atlas.

It is the kissing of Muslim arse (and you know Islam is the reason Israel was not included on those maps) that will someday result in them eliminating Israel and then conquering the entire world.

I am thinking that the publisher, reported as being HarperCollins, may be one whose publications might be well worth avoiding.

 All the best,
Glenn B

Reloading Equipment Sale

Palmetto State Armory has an excellent sale ongoing on reloading equipment - 30% off their normal prices. I had been pricing reloading die sets for rifle calibers and they had prices close to or equal to the lowest ones I found. Taking another 30% of their already very competitive prices made ordering from them a no-brainer. I ordered two sets of rifle dies, 8mm Mauser and .308 Winchester for a total of about $55 shipped. That is nothing to shake a stick at so, if you need reloading equipment, check them out before the sale ends on January 4th at 11:59 PM.

All the best,
Glenn B

Florida Bound

Looks like I am heading down to WPB, FL for about two weeks. Will be leaving this Sunday. Will be spending all, or at least most, of my time with my uncle as long as he can bear me. Maybe I can get him to take in something relaxing like a fishing trip. That would be nice. Hope to see all of my FL cousins too, that would be excellent!

All the best,
Glenn B

Facebook Has Its Uses

Wow, it has been an unsettling experience finding out from a stranger, and on Facebook at that, that my uncle is in need of prayers and in some sort of distress. My wife and I called my uncle on Christmas to wish him a Merry Christmas and we left him a message. It was not unusual that I could not get him or that he did not return the call so we did not think anything was amiss. Then I tried maybe a half hour ago to call him to wish him a Happy New Year but no answer at his home phone. Shortly after I made that call, I saw a post on Facebook saying someone on FB was praying for him! I called him on his cell phone (which he rarely answers) and to my surprise he picked up right away. I was shocked to find out he has been in the hospital for the past 10 days and no one let us know about it! Luckily, he is getting out tomorrow but they still don't know what is or was wrong with him that put him inside a hospital in the first place. Hopefully he will be well sooner than later.

Of course, I only thought of this a bit later, maybe he told my cousins not to tell me he was not well. Who knows. I am not placing blame or anything like that, just shocked to find out, he was in the hospital, the way I found out. 

This may require a trip to FL. My uncle is much closer to me and loved much more by me than was my own father - much, much, much more than was that man loved by me - if ever after I was eight.

All the best,
Glenn B