Open Carry Or Concealed

 

The below was was my reply to a thread in a gun forum about open carry in Texas. Some folks believe there is no risk involved with open carry, I disagree strongly:

 

'I have rarely seen people open carry. While I live in AR now, I am in Texas every day as I live in a border city. The first guy I saw open carrying in TX as best I can recall, literally swaggered into whatever store I was in with his strong hand and arm so far out from his body it could only have been because he was showing off. I guarantee he would have made an easy target for a gun takeaway. Other than him, I have seen very few folks open carry other than uniformed law enforcement. There is one local guy here that I see often at the dog park. He wears a total piece of crap nylon holster that hangs at an odd angle, my guess is that if someone grabbed the holster and tugged hard the whole thing would rip off of his belt. I can only imagine he wears it like that to show it off trying to be tacticool.

As for me I rarely open carry; about the only time I do so is when going out to my car fast to grab something and I don't put on a shirt or jacket to cover it and when I go hunting (which has not been for a while). You can, of course, do as you please but I believe open carry is asking for trouble. While you may think there may have been zero problems to date, that is not factual, takeaways happen from open carriers. In addition, sooner or later there will be someone else who has his or her gun grabbed by a bad guy or a group of bad guys or a guy who gets shot during a crime merely because the bad guy saw the handgun. I see no reason to tempt fate.

Of course, some folks have to open carry. They are mostly police officers or others in law enforcement who are in uniform. They probably amount, by far, to the greatest number of people who open carry. They have their guns taken away and are shot by their own guns all too often. That is why LE concealable body armor is usually required to be at least able to stop the handgun rounds that the officers in any given department are carrying.

While some walk around with their heads in a cloud thinking no one will ever take my gun away from me, stuff like that happens to those carrying openly. Mostly it seems to LE officers but then again that is likely because they are the ones who make up most of the folks who open carry. Here are a few links to and a video of some examples of gun takeaways from people open carrying:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/two-nypd-cops-shot-after-suspect-grabs-officer-s-gun-in-nyc/ar-AA1n5gFC

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/indiana/articles/2023-10-26/an-indianapolis-police-officer-and-a-suspect-shoot-each-other

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/man-open-carrying-in-alabama-walmart-has-gun-snatched-and-a-shot-fired-at-him/

[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/dekalb-county/17-year-old-steals-gun-man-dunkin-shoots-him-death-parking-lot-police-say/AXKCAIEEWNHJJHMMDL7NCWJSDA/[/URL]

[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2021/02/18/video-man-snatches-gun-from-man-at-detroit-gas-station-counter/[/URL]

 

[MEDIA=youtube]bUgx90ewbhw[/MEDIA]

 

I have had to fight for my life in two instances of bad guys (all illegal aliens) trying to take away my handgun. Luckily I survived both but during one where multiple assailants were trying to get my gun my sternum and my zyphoid process were fractured; in the other the bad guy bit my left bicep and I still bear the scar about 40 years later. In that second one I mentioned, the bad guy had my gun half way out of my holster but due to good training in retention I was able to retain and keep control of it. Thank goodness an Immigration Inspector in the port of entry and a Sheriff's officer came to my assistance while several Customs & Immigration Inspectors just watched me battling the guy and trying to hang onto my revolver. The illegal alien was built like Charles Bronson in his prime and I was a skinny 155 lbs when soaking wet. I also had a homeless bum approach me in a parking lot in AZ after the wind blew my jacket up and he saw my pistol. He approached me saying something like so you have a pistol. He started to come at me, put his arms out in front of him, then started moving faster toward me as if he was going to grab for it. He was probably 20 or 25 years younger than me. I took a defensive posture getting my car in between him and me and placed my hand on the grips. When I told him if he took one more step I'd open fire, he stopped; it took a moment more to convince him that I was dead serious.  He ran away. I reported it to the police who as far as I am aware did nothing. My pistol was probably in open view during that encounter for less than 2 seconds but criminals are opportunists and he started to act on what he thought was an opportunity. I was in my mid fifties at that time, I guess he was in his young to mid twenties; he must have thought me an easy mark but soon realized he had guessed wrong. While no one may ever try to take your gun away from you, the truth is you raise the risk of a takeaway or of you being shot during the commission of a crime by displaying it openly. You can choose for yourself, I choose to carry concealed and believe me I try to be more aware of the wind ever since the incident in AZ.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Beaten To Death As Bystanders Merely Watched Him Be Killed

 A man, who as delivering firewood to a house, was beaten to death by a naked man who had grabbed a piece of the firewood to use as a weapon and then attacked the victim. Another man, apparently the resident of the home, reportedly ran away and into his house after also being attacked but did little more, if anything, to help, than remain inside the house and call 911 (more at the source). 

 

So, I am left wondering: 

What in hell happened to all the Texans with firearms? Then again, what happened to the balls of any of the witnesses. The guy who was getting the delivery, if I understand correctly, ran away and hid in his house. What do you think he reportedly said was he all he could do: "...could only watch as Omondi continued beating Jackson with firewood repeatedly" . NO that was NOT the only thing he could have done, even had he been injured by the attacker. As I see it, unless he had been severely injured and close to completely incapacitated (for his conscience's sake, I hope that was why he remained inside), what he did was the only thing that in my opinion a coward would have done. So what else could he have done if not badly incapacitated: he could have stayed outside and grabbed a piece of firewood to arm himself and at least try to save the victim. Okay, he was under attack, so he ran into his house and called 911. Then what could he have done once inside? If he had had one: he could have grabbed his gun or a knife or a baseball bat, or a hammer, or a pry bar or any weapon in the house or outside the house - damn even the garden hose on full blast; then go to confront the killer to try to stop the assault. Instead he  apparently chose to stay inside and a man died a senseless death. Other so called witnesses watched but apparently did nothing physical to actually end the assault. I believe, he died because of the killer who attacked him but I also believe his life was not saved because of the inaction of those who did nothing to help the him. I firmly believe they could quite possibly have prevented his death and saved his life. Yet they all seemingly chose only to watch as he was beaten to death or maybe some called 911. Folks, the police are not likely going to get there in time to save the day unless by some miracle a police car was down the block right when the call came in; sometimes it is up to you to do more than watch and be a witness.

 

I could see myself maybe not stepping into it, meaning not getting into a hand to hand fight as I am kind of old and fairly infirm due to severe arthritis but I doubt that. I certainly could not see myself standing by doing nothing. Shooting the bad guy, if there was a clear shot immediately comes to mind. If the bad guy was too close to the victim to get a clear shot at the bad guy, then heck even a warning shot into the ground to get his attention would probably have been better than nothing, then shoot him if he threatens or engages with you. No gun or other weapon - then there also was the option of grabbing the weapons at hand - a piece of the firewood and bashing the bad guys brains out from behind with it. At the very least I think I'd urge other onlookers to join me in trying to save the victim, there is strength in numbers & unity. Then again, because of years of training and getting into violent altercations when I was a LEO, I may have just dived right into the fray despite my arthritis. I cannot say with absolute certainty what it would have been that I would have done but I'll be damned if I am not sure it would have been more than anyone else seems to have done. 

Why do people essentially do nothing??? I detest the fact that way too many people do nothing in such an instance and pray I never turn into one of them. I think I'd blame and hate myself for that man's demise had I been there and done virtually nothing to try to help him. RIP.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Something Of Interest For The Beretta 92FS Owner

 

That is quite the informative chart regarding the Beretta 92 series of pistols. Credit for that evidently goes to Lucky Gunner. As for copyright, if there is one, and being I am a certified firearms instructor, this is being freely used solely for educational purposes to educate my readers, some of who are interested in learning about firearms in general and others who specifically may desire to learn about the Beretta 92 series pistols.

 All the best,

 Glenn

Something Of Interest For The Colt Detective Special Owner

 If you have been reading my blog for a good amount of time, you probably noticed a post or two about my two Colt Detective Special revolvers - one current and one that I sold. I love the one I have now; I kind of sort of, definitely liked them a lot during my time in the Border Patrol. Wanted one badly but never got around to buying one until I bid on one at a live in person auction at the Hessney Auction Co.'s auction-house in Geneva, NY back in February 2018. That one burned just a couple of dollars less than $385.00 out of my pocket. It happened to be the first issue (version) as later authenticated by the Colt Archives and I think from the very first year of production as I recall. Great price you'd think. The thing is it was nice in every regard excepting one. Someone had ground down the front sight thus making it nearly useless for aimed shots at much passed 10 yards or 15 yards. Well, there was one other thing about it that was no so grand, actually something that was more about me than it. I had been the boob to buy it at an auction after examining it but never noticing the front sight issue! So, once I realized my blunder, I sold it and luckily it sold for only a fairly minor loss; well I lost out totally when getting that archive letter from Colt - that added $75.00 or so to the cost of it on the whole. Anyway I informed the buyer about the front sight and she did not give a hoot because it was still a great price for her and was supposedly going to be a gift for her son. She by the way was a dealer at a gun show wherein I sold it. Sadly, later that night, it turned out that - Once upon a midnight dreary, as I pondered weak and weary over many quaint and curious sale of guns of lore (my apologies to one of the greatest writers of all time Edgar Allan Poe) - I suffered seller's remorse. That was regardless of me doing okay by getting rid of it at only a small loss. Things wound up, as they often do, resulting in me  not seeing another nice one at a decent price for quite a while after selling that one.Thus the seller's remorse got worse as time went on but the fire was still burning in my psyche and I knew I'd someday have another. Let me add, with more apologies to Edgar Allan Poe, I had no fear that: On the morrow my desire will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before; and lucky for me there was no Raven to quoth who told me Nevermore. Believe me, I am at the age now at which I have missed lots of things in life wherein the Raven has or would have spoken the word Nevermore - opportunities lost mostly and dear friends gone to whatever comes, if anything, after life.

Then, in September 2023, I picked up another Detective Special from the same auction house, that time via an online auction. The second one looked really fine in the auction photos but they are sometimes not that clear. So, as I usually do, I also inquired of Joe Hessney, the auctioneer, as to the condition. He told me it looked like new and maybe was unfired. (At Hessney they only list a gun as unfired when they know it is new, as I understand; so, even though not listed as unfired, Joe told me it looked to be possible.) When I ran the serial number through the Colt serial number lookup, I was delighted to find out it was the 2nd issue and was manufactured in 1955. 

So, it coincidentally was a second issue of the original one I had had (which was a first issue & first year gun) and it had been manufactured in 1955. Therein those numbers though,  "2nd" issue and "1955" was/is a greater coincidence than my 2nd one being a 2nd version. You see, I am the 2nd son/child in my family and I was born in 1955. You could have safely bet, back when I first saw it up for auction, that I'd bid more than it was worth to get it if necessary. I wanted to kill that seller's remorse over the first one and snuff out the desire to get another. That was especially true after hat Joe had told me about its condition. So I bid on it and when bidding was over I paid for it. 

It cost me a $650 bid, a 13% buyer's premium on top of the bid and about $60.00 to have it shipped and get an FFL holder to transfer it my hands as mine. It felt like this, and again my apologies again to Poe who is one of my favorite authors and the creator of the modern detective story. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories came about 4.5 decades later and I think definitely were spawned & strongly influenced by Poe's detective C. Auguste Dupin who first appeared in The Murders in theMorgue, The Mystery of Marie Roget and The Purloined Letter. If you like mysteries, detective stories and especially Shelock Holmes stories but have never read any of these by EAP - all I can say is read them. There are many works of Edgar Allan Poe that are great works of literature but I consider his detective stories among his very best works of prose if not his very best among all of his literary works.

I have digressed so, allow me to continue with the Colt Detective Special.The total was just under $800.00 - quite a lot more than the first one I had bought. Still it was not a bad price and I'd bet C. Auguste Dupin would have carried one at any price. Out of a total of five 2nd issue Detective Specials, that have sold on GunBroker over the past year (I checked as writing this), the low price was $545.00 for a nickel model that looked really nice and the high price was $1,425.00 for a blued version, one that probably had been fired judging by a slight cylinder ring evident in its photos and I do mean slight but it definitely was present. The average sales price of all five was $812.80 - very close to the total I paid at just under $800 shipped and including FFL transfer. Those sold on GunBroker would also add shipping and an FFL fee unless the buyer as an FFL holder and did not have to pay the transfer fee. Either way the average price probably went up around $40 when you add shipping. While my deal was not great, it was very close to average sales price or so it seems.

With it and me both being 2nd sons & having been born in the same year (so to speak), can you fault me for paying as much as I did! I certainly cannot fault myself. I have zero buyer's remorse, in fact, I am quite happy with it. I have taken it to the range and it shoots liked it is enchanted - it could be a real zombie, orangutan (read those Poe detective mysteries to see why I included an ape) or  criminal dirtbag  (of course only in legal self-defense or legal defense of another situations). It's a blast at the range to say the least.  

Liking it as I do, I still will readily admit, I only know a little about Colt Detective Specials but I do know they were the spawn of the Police Positive Special and with their barrel cut down to 2" from the 4" barrel, the shortest of the Police Positive models,  Colt decided to give them the new & innovative name of Detective Special. They were a huge hit immediately once they became available and were referred to as "the cop gun" because so many officers & detectives had them. They have gone through several changes over the years; mostly all I know about the changes is that decades ago there were some major changes with a larger grip longer and ramped front sight, shrouded ejector and so on and there were also earlier changes to it when evolving from the 1st issue to the 2nd issue. I kind of like those older ones better than the latest issue, maybe because I am old and nostalgic about them but also because there is an aura, a mystique, about them after seeing them used in films noir and in TV detective series of my childhood like Mannix. Damn, just seeing them for sale and wanting one but never at a price I was willing or able to pay drove me crazy. Well except for the great deal like I'd gotten on my first one but then again, now we all know why that one was such a deal. 

Speaking of what we now know, do you know a lot about the Colt Detective Special? That is if you already own one or more or otherwise have an interest in them even if you don't own one. If you do own one or are possibly interested in finding one to purchase or barter with for yourself, or are simply interested in the history of revolvers - you may want to read the article that can be found via this link. The article quite aptly is simply named Detective Special and the site on which it appears is Colt Fever. com. I'd never heard of the article or the site until this evening when reading a post in Texas Gun Talk (an online firearms forum). I am happy that I read the relative post because now I know about the article. I read a bit of the article so far and must say it looked interesting & informative enough to make me realize I should pass on information about it so others could gain from the knowledge it seemingly has to share. Just in case the above link does not work for you, here is the web address in case you need to copy & paste it: https://coltfever.com/detective-special/. 

Enjoy the article: Detective Special and enjoy the works of Edgar Allan Poe, especially those three detective stories. Sadly he wrote no more of them before he was Nevermore.

All the best,

Glenn B

Fox News - Who Else Is Sick of...

 ...having to enter your email address, then needing to check your email to log into Fox, before you can read article they have selected to require entering it? I am a registered user of Fox New but even if I am signed on to it, Fox is requiring me (and I suppose everyone else) to enter your email address, then wait for an email, then sign onto Fox from a link in the email before you are allowed to read many articles on their site. Their site for them to do as they please but if this continues they will  be losing me as a reader because it is my time to do as I please and it does not please me to have to enter my email address and log in from my email when I want to read an article. They sometimes, though not usually, have required it over and over again during a single session on their site. So sometimes I enter my email, log into my email and sign in via the link they sent me, then I get to read the article, read a few more and suddenly I have found find myself at yet another article again requiring me to do it all over again to read that new one. Kind of a pain in the butt. The last time I checked: One America News Network does not require any such ridiculous nonsense. This is more or less how it looks:

"Read this article for free!

Plus get unlimited access to thousands of articles, videos and more with your free account!

By entering your email, you are agreeing to Fox News Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided"

 

As I said, even if I am logged in to my Fox account, it has required me to do so. I sent Fox an inquiry about this about a week or maybe two weeks ago or so. They have not replied. Add to their lack of respect by not replying in addition to nonsense reporting IMO and they have become much more like the National Enquirer or The Star of years gone by with the content of some of the articles they somehow believe news worthy. How many times Taylor Swift - that in my opinion mediocre voiced singer who looks to me like a busty hormonal 12 year old - (I wonder, is that why men go gaga over her because they think she looks like she is a sexed up 12 year old) - goes to a football game is not my cup of tea. Likewise how many times Fox reports on 'Am I The Asshole' reports (or whatever they are called) from Reddit is just trash reporting as far as I am concerned. I mean does anyone of even slight intelligence think that content from AITAH is really worthy of being national news when, for instance, someone asking if she is the A-hole essentially because she wants to model underwear and her husband is against it, see it here! I would not hesitate to guess there are much more important things to report about in the news. Of course, I also figure: yes it is newsworthy but only for the Mud Slinging Media, the likes CNN or MSNBC or for The National Enquirer as I see it. Most certainly, it is not suitable for what Fox once was - which was my favorite source of actually important & news worthy stories.

All the best,4

Glenn B

The Honeymooners - Now They Are All Gone & All Missed

 Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie Norton on the classic workingman's comedy The Honeymooners, has passed onto the great beyond at age 99. Jackie Gleason who played Ralph Kramden, Art Carney who played Ed Norton and arguably my all time favorite TV wife Alice Kramden who was played by Audrey Meadows all preceded her.

That is Joyce Randolph to the viewers right.

 The Honeymooners (the actual TV show, not including the shorts from the Jackie Gleason show that started it all)  is truly a timeless classic. If humanity survives another thousand years and still has something akin to television, then people will watch reruns of The Honeymooners at least that far into and likely further than that into the future. If you are too young to know what I mean or just have never seen it, search out the show online or on cable to see if you can watch it. It was unbelievably only a one season show in 1955 and consisted of 39 weekly episodes; seasons actually went from September or October through May or June back then. 

It is as funny as anything I have ever watched on TV, and in fact funnier than 99.9% of all other comedies ever in my opinion. It is hard to believe they cancelled it and I do not hesitate to guess that the network, producers and cast all regretted it was cancelled based on how long it's been making folks laugh. Damn, it is as old as me and that's not young. 

Note, the first few or several episodes (known as the lost episodes) had a different actress portray Alice. She in no way compared to Audrey Meadows, not to say she was not a good actress - they just were two very different types in character as Alice. Either would have made the show funny, but the ultimate cast of Gleason, Meadows, Carney and Randolph made it not only hilarious but immortal as well.

My condolences to the family, loved ones, friends and fans of Joyce Randolph. RIP.

All the best,

Glenn B

While I Am THE Great Procrastinator - I Do Somethings Pretty Fast

So there I was, on Sunday December 31 (New Year's eve) stating that I was making a New Year resolution to not purchase one gun, one box of ammo and such during the upcoming new year. Then, just last weekend on Sunday when at a gun show in Texarkana, AR, I purchased a brand new Ruger Mark IV pistol. Got it at a better in my hands price than I saw on Ammoseek.com. So my resolution has gone down the crapper in only seven days! going down the crapper is as have 99.9 % of my other ones in the past. Oh well, there is always next year.

All the best,

Glenn B

 

Undoubtedly Good Advice For Our Citizens As Well...

 ...as those in Sweden, who received notice from their civil defense minister to prepare for war.

"For a nation for whom peace has been a pleasant companion for almost 210 years, the idea that it is an immoveable constant is conveniently close at hand," Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said..."

"But taking comfort in this conclusion has become more dangerous than it has been for a very long time"

 "Many have said it before me, but let me do so in an official capacity, more plainly and with naked clarity: There could be war in Sweden."

More at the source.

So the Swedes reportedly have gone berserk buying everything imaginable, to make preparations for war, clearing the shelves in some stores. Sounds like the bread, eggs and milk buyers here at home when a snowstorm or hurricane is approaching. I think everyone should have a decent level of preparedness meaning at least a months supply of food and water (or water filters). I have my own, and a bunch for my dog (time to get more canned and dry foods for her), I don't really know how long it could last us but I figure at the very least a month - probably a good deal longer like two or three. Of course, I also have some medical supplies, probably not near enough of them but some. In addition I have personal protective gear like gas masks & filters (20 year expiration masks are my latest), full body protective suits, gloves. Then there is the other stuff like: compasses, batteries, candles, plenty of matches, fire-starters, water purification straws, tools, knives, guns & ammo, gun maintenance supplies, gold & silver bullion, a grab & go bag in the event I've gotta get out of here fast, and so on.

I never wanted to be a boy scout, especially after getting kicked out of Cub Scouts (bit of a problem child was I) but I have almost always liked their motto: "Be prepared".

There is wisdom in those two words - lots of it. What they do not mention is that the time to prepare usually is long before you need the things that are necessary to achieve being prepared.

 All the best,

 Glenn B

 

It's Amazing How Long Someone Can Be Wrong About Memories And Observations And Such

 Recently, I was reading about cells and the word chromosomes was in what I was reading. I was surprised, even somewhat amazed about how it was spelled, that for all of my life since I first heard that word, I al3ways thought it was chromosones. It is what I heard every time I heard it mentioned, now has me wondering if that is the way I read it too. I guess it's kind of like folks remembering the peanut butter brand name of Jif (the actual name of the PB) as Jiff or as Jiffy (Jiffy is or was actually a baking mix). Makes me wonder what other things I have gone through life saying, spelling, believing in - that I have had wrong. I remember when I was a kid I thought government was goverment (now I think the more appropriate spelling should be gooberment) and that Wednesday was Wedsday (funny me missing an N each time). I also recall one day when in my early 20s when I noticed a tree that I previously had walked by literally hundreds, if not thousands of times, suddenly appeared very different than I remembered ever having seeing it. In fact I almost walked into part of it leaning over the sidewalk.That day its trunk was bent (it was a very noticeable bend pretty much impossible to not notice it). Damn, to this day I remember clearly it had not been bent before that day; yet, there was nothing to indicate it had been damaged to cause the bend. So, I guess it must have always been bent but for some reason my memory of it was off kilter. Just some weird stuff there. 

All the best,

Glenn B

Ruger Mark II Assembly

On August 19, 2012, I posted a YouTube video about how to assemble a very popular yet PITA (pain in the arse) to assemble gun. That is none other than what may be the most difficult pistol to assemble that I have ever owned - the Ruger Mark II.  Evidently, I am not the only one who thinks it to be a PITA to put back together; there have been 66,141 views of that video since it was first posted 11 years and about 5 months ago. In fact so many folks have complained about said assembly difficulty that I strongly believe that: Even had all the kings horses and all the kings men been adept enough to have put Humpty Dumpty back together again - I think they would have trouble doing the same with the Ruger Mark II. 

 

I am amazed, I am still receiving requests for info about how to get it put back together again, receiving a request for help just a few days ago. I replied and hope my reply was the info the guy needed to get his together again. It's a little uncomfortable for me to give anyone instructions when I do not have the gun in hand and mine are secured away from my home right now. So, I looked at the part of the video about securing the bolt stop pin which is the part he could not get back held in place properly - that, by the way, seems to be one of the most common problems with this pistol. I told him to watch that part of the video and let me know if it works when he tries it. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

If you are having problems with getting your Ruger Mark II assembled try following the instructions in my video:  

 

All the best,

Glenn B

So I Asked My Magic 8 Ball...

 "Magic 8 Ball will it be a good year for me"? The answer was most pleasing as it answered this:

"It is certain".

I am happy is said so and thus has assured me of a good year to come. Do you think that to be nutty, crazy, delusional or somehow unstable of me? If so, let me say this: If someone can believe that he can have his penis cut off and suddenly be transformed into a woman and not be considered (heck - not actually be) delusional; then I can believe that my Magic 8 Ball is infallible, especially when it gives me the answers for which I am hoping! That most certainly must be better than me cutting off my own pee-pee.

 

Proof already beginning to show itself: just felt a fart coming on and as soon as I felt it coming on I wondered wet or dry and should I go sit on the throne. Yes I did run to it and good for me because, IMO, it was much the same consistency of Hershey's syrup (no offense to Hershey's Co. or Hershey's syrup).😂 So you see, my Magic 8 Ball was right. Please note, you may or may not achieve the same amount of satisfaction from your own or from another person's Magic 8 Ball.

Happy New Year,

Glenn  B

My New Year Resolution - No More Guns!

   Well, I may be done buying guns after midnight. You see, my New Year resolution this year is to never buy one more gun, not one more box of ammo and not one more gun accessory during this whole year. I'll let you know how that works out but I should mention that as best I can recall, I have never stuck to even a single New Year resolution. I figure they are all wishful BS so I usually don't make em but this year I need some way to save up cash to bring my somewhat depleted life savings back up to where it was prior to this year's spending of $15,843.18 at online auction houses, online ammo dealers and gun shows. Then there was spending at places like Academy Sports, firearms insurance, cleaning supplies, all which I am guessing totaled up to a a couple or a few grand more. Now that amount may be prohibitive for some and easy on the pocketbook of others but when it comes to my funds though - I've gotta slow down or sell a lot more stuff at higher prices than the prices I normally accept for guns & ammo. Since I am not likely to sell at higher prices (I sell to recoup money spent, so I often sell at cost or a bit above to pay for the tables, also sell at a loss all too often) , I guess my New Year resolution is the key. Time & my bank account will tell how that works out.

 

Damn, I just found another $709.79 so the total for which I have accounted is up to  $16552.97! Woe is my bank account. 

 

Maybe I'll hit that 812 million dollar Powerball tonight. Being the sole winner of that would be just grand but I'd be happy to split it ten ways, even 20 ways, heck even a 40 way split would still be nice and would still be nice after taxes.

HAPPY NEW YEAR - drink and or get high responsibly but remember getting high - on things like weed - is still illegal federally and could wind you up in jail (that is maybe unless you are Hunter Biden), so  just have a drink or two and use a designated driver if available. Party but be careful out there, you don't want to hurt yourself or someone else.

All the best,

Glenn B

 

Maybe The Best Advice For The New Year

Tonight, if you are healthy & hale and none too snockered, just a moment before midnight, stand up and lift your left foot just a bit off the floor/ground. Do not put it back down until it is after midnight. That way you are certain to start the year on the right foot. 

All the best 

and happy New Year,

Glenn B

The Case of The Missing Wallet

 Well, I was in West Palm Beach yesterday morning but last yesterday afternoon, I wound up in North Port, FL at a friend's rental house to help her prepare it for upcoming guests who will be renting it for 2 months.  Shortly after we got here I realized I did not have my wallet. So, I called my uncle to look for it in his apartment and to look in y rental car still parked at his place. He said it as not in either place. So, I called Texas Roadhouse in West Palm Beach, last place I remembered having it out - not there either. I was somewhat concerned or should I say almost in a panic because I was wondering how in hell I'd get through check-in for my homeward flight next week without ID and with two pistols in my luggage!

 

Well, today, my cousin went to her Dad's house and she looked again for me. She called me to let me know, there it sits right smack in plain view on the front seat of my rental car outside of my uncle's apartment. My cousin could not understand though how her dad did not see it. Oh well, he is 90, so I suppose his vision is on its way toward being like his hearing (which is stone cold deaf without his hearing aids). Regardless, I am a happy camper again.

All the best,

Glenn B

on Vacation

I am on Christmas vacation in West Palm Beach, FL, been here a few days already. Blogging will be minimal while I am here. Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanuka or Happy Festivus (which as I recall is tomorrow).

All the best,

Glenn B

Unread Emails

 Wow,I clicked I have not opened my AOL email account since January 13, 2023. In that time just over eleven months, I accrued 6,000 emails- all unread. I received an email from AOL at my outlook account last night; it said my AOL email account would have everything in it deleted if I did not open it by sometime this coming March. So I took a look and was a bit surprised to see how many I had received in that time. I checked off the box to select all, then hit delete. It only deleted 100 of them. What I had to do was to check select all, then keep scrolling down to assure more than 100 would be deleted. I deleted about 1K at a pop;so, did that about 6 times. I did not look to see if any were important or not, if it's important I should receive it in my outlook account. What I did notice at a glance was that most appeared to be spam.I sincerely hope no one of any importance to me had been trying to reach me at that ancient email account. If so, oh well, I guess they'll have to find another way.

 

Just a fun fact: that was about 545 emails a month over 11 months or about 17.75 per day. To break it down to hours and then to minutes that I had not looked at my AOL email, I used this website to do some calculating.  I am not saying they are correct or not because other sites has differing results, each being different from one another. This was their result:

 

337 days 23 hours 15 minutes (about 17.75 emails per day)

8,111.25 hours (roughly about .73 emails per hour)

486,675 minutes

 

Damn, I am sure other folks get more than me but it is still mind boggling to think people, companies and whatever or whoever kept sending me that many unread and thus unanswered emails.

All the best,

Glenn B

Out Of All My Christmas Presents Ever...

 ...this one is the most unique, at least for me. You may have seen in one or more of my posts that I sometimes do not know what day it is. That's because unless I have an appointment, I do not usually need to know. I am retired so I do not need to know if it is a day I need to go to work (ha ha hardy ha ha), I do not need to know when it's laundry day, I do not need to know its the weekend (every day can be whatever day I want so every day can be Saturday or Sunday), being retired and not having many 'which day is it dependent obligations' means I do not care what day it is for the great majority of the time. I do try to remember when the liquor store is open (closed Sundays) and when it's Tuesday now & then so I can get Sonic's two for the price of one cheeseburgers but there is not much more when it comes to me needing to know what day of the week I am in and I often just do not know.

 

Now if a question arises as to which day it is, for whatever reason I need to know, I look at my cell phone to find out. Now though, I have a new way to figure out what day is taking place. 

 

 

 

One of my brothers-in-law sent me a wall clock. This one has a twist, it is not marked off in hours & minutes. Instead of hours and minutes it is marked off in days of the week. I don't know if this clock will be a curse or a blessing but I almost certainly will now readily know which day I am in. It was nice not knowing because I don't need to know but really except for knowing what day it is, this clock changes nothing. I love it.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Did not buy any guns today but picked up my Chinese Military Type 56 SKS from my local FFL today. I had the high bid on this in the BrandUsedWorks.com auction on November 26th. It looks new. The only two minor faults I found with it, on first glance, are that the bayonet looks rusted but then again on closer inspection it seems it may be a dried protective coating and not any rust at all. I will find out when I clean it. The other thing is a small amount of finish wear at a spot on the right side of the barrel where a rivet in the front leather sling strap rubbed against the metal. Otherwise, like I said it looks new, like it just came out of the factory (and who knows, with all the sneaky stuff the Chinese have reportedly been doing in our country as of late and with the borders wide open - maybe a Chinaman brought in a few thousand of them recently).

Sadly - gone are the days when one of these went for $155.95 shipped, that was the price I paid for each of the first three SKS rifles I bought, they were Yugoslavian SKS rifles with a grenade launcher. I purchased them back in November 2002. I paid considerably more for this one than I paid for all three of those Yugos combined but yet, I guess it was a decent price relative to how much they sell for now.

 

I've not really given it more that a cursory look. I still need to take a good look down the bore, field strip it, clean it and remove any cosomoline if I find any, put it back together and shoot it. That may not be until January as I am going t be very busy over the next few days getting ready for a trip to FL to visit my uncle in West Palm Beach. So, I may not have the time to make a range trip. That's okay though, it gets me back into my comfort zone as THE Great Procrastinator.

All the best,

Glenn B

 

 

Buy Ammo Now - Ammo Prices Set To Soar (This is apparently not BS)

 According to an article at MSN, Vista Outdoors - the parent company of Federal Ammunition, also the parent company of other ammo manufacturers -  has announced that on January 1, 2024 (happy friggin New Year), they are going to raise ammunition prices substantially. Vista Outdoor has reportedly sent a letter of intent to raise prices to their customer base. In the letter, they reportedly said: 

 

"Due to world events our suppliers have notified us of unprecedented demand for and an anticipated global shortage of gunpowder, and thus has increased our prices substantially," Vice President of Sales, Sporting Products Brett Nelson said in the letter. We must therefore raise our pricing to help offset those increases." 

 

More at the first source and at the second source and at this third source.

Damn, with all the shooting going on in the Ukraine and with lots of U.S. ammo going there, I guess this was the inevitable outcome. It probably happened sooner than later with the addition of the conflict in Gaza. 

I would suggest that if you are in need of ammo or gunpowder and other reloading components - you may want to start buying as soon as you read the articles and verify to your satisfaction the linked reports. I am going to hate to spend money on ammo when I, like millions of others, are buying presents for Christmas but such is life - life stinks at least under Bidenomics!

All the best,

Glenn B

 

 

Happy Chanukah

 I wish all of you who celebrate it a very happy Chanukah. For those not of the Jewish faith, and who'd like to kno about the celebration, go here for more info: https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/What-Is-Hanukkah.htm.

 

I wish there was a larger community Jewish here in SW Arkansas. I'd love to be able to shop for some Jewish delicacies such as baked breads, knishes and a really good bagel! Most of all, I'd love to find a place that makes potato latke (potato pancakes - how I miss the ones my mother made smothered in applesauce, I miss them dearly and am not Jewish - NY had/has foods of the world over that are to die for). In February, I will miss hamantaschen - heck I miss em now. Great three cornered filled cookies that I used to buy in Willimasburg, NY in February during the celebration of Purim & Queen Ester.

All the best,

Glenn B

 

 

Most News Is Sickening And Or Disheartening...

 ...thus I have little I want to write about because it all sucks. On the nicer side of things it is Channukah and the Christmas Season. 

 

Being The Great Procrastinator, over the years I have often sent out Christmas cards a few days before to a few days after Christmas. In the last couple of years I've actually gotten them out on time. This year, I started writing them tonight -that may be an early record for me. Damn, I may lose status as THE Great Procrastinator!

 

Anyway, I hope all of you are enjoying the season. I have been enjoying late Fall SW Arkansas weather in the 50s & 60's almost every day. If it snows this month, I hope for it on only two days in this neck of the woods - Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. A few inches of the white stuff would be nice.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

My Son's Birthday Is Coming Up Fairly Soon...

 ...and his birthday present should arrive at my place tomorrow. It's a __________ . Oh no, I ain't telling because the male heir sometimes reads my blog - so tough noogies, he has to wait to find out. So if he thought I was about to blab it, I am laughing because no I am not. As Ralph Kramden would have said about him thinking I might blab it now:

 

.  

All the best, 

Glenn B

That's A Fact Jack

 

 

I also stand with the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Norway, The Netherlands, Poland, and a bunch of others, even France.

 

All the best,

Glenn B 

Imagine If You Will: An Ordinary Man With A Bucket...

 ...approaches a group of whackadoo protestors who have glued themselves to the roadway - as did allegedly a group of evident pro-Palestinian protestors & apparent dingbats - causing the stoppage of the Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC (more at the source).

 

As the man with the bucket walks he nonchalantly swings his almost full bucket back & forth just a wee bit with each of his steps. He seems purposeful, maybe on his way to a meeting of some importance but one would wonder - why the bucket! A he gets next to the first self immobilized protester, he grasps the bucket handle in his left hand, places the fingers of his right hand along the rim at the bottom of the bucket and while lifting with his left & tilting with his right he begins to empty the contents onto the protesters each glued in a row one after the other. He covers two of them with the liquid that had been in the bucket. Suddenly as if on cue - another solemn faced man with a bucket walks out of the crowd and goes toward the protestors. He starts to pour on the next protestor after the one onto which the first man had emptied his bucket. A couple of moments later the protestors are all screaming and begging for help saying they cannot move at all. It seems to the bystander that now instead of each protester having merely one hand adhered to the road by self applied glue, each of the protestors is now totally glued to the ground by what had been inside the buckets.

 

Just imagine that those two men with the buckets had them full of super glue or something like it that dried in seconds. I am not condoning anyone doing that but certainly am imagining how much I'd be laughing if I were to see it happen. Please bear in mind this is just an imaginary fantasy of mine. I do not suggest or even hint that anyone should do this; first of all it would be illegal and I in no way condone illegal activity but man of man I think it would be hilarious to see those idiots get a dose of their own medicine, so to speak. 

 

All the best,

Glenn B

We Should Be Terrified

 Listen to the audio that accompanies the video. According to Joe Biden's Apple Polisher, if he is quoting President Reagan in context, then indeed we should realize what he is actually admitting to being when he 'quotes' President Reagan AND leaves off the sentence that puts it in context. We indeed should be terrified too - if only because, they, who seek total control of a mindless masses, are deeply entrenched. Sadly we allowed it to get that way by doing not enough nothing to prevent it.

 

 

All the best, 

Glenn B