Firearms & Obligations...

...come in all sorts. Today I fulfilled two of my obligations. One was to renew my membership with the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, the other was to renew my membership with the West-Side Rifle and Pistol Range. These may seem like less than obligations to some of you, but allow me to assure you that they are indeed obligations, firearms obligations, that I take seriously.

As for the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association I find it important to join organizations that help support and protect my right to keep and bear arms under the U.S. Constitution. Said right is being assailed from every direction and has been chipped away at little by little until it has reached the point that my liberties and rights no longer are what is defined in our Constitution. I would much rather that this be corrected through debate, elections, and other peaceful means rather than it coming down to that which said right assures us all - the ability to overthrow a tyranny. So I have joined the NYSRPA on a yearly basis, and I am a life member of the NRA.

Support of groups that try to protect our 2nd Amendment rights is not enough. Active participation in what that right conveys is an absolute must. Therefore I am an avid firearms enthusiast, not only because I like to shoot, but because I want to be able to stand ready and join a militia if ever called upon to defend our constitution against tyranny. Many seem to have forgotten that the 2nd Amendment is the one that allows us to keep all of the others, and without it, we surely would have been overcome by they who seek power in government in any way that they can achieve it. Politicians, and other power hungry sorts, need reminders that we are actively taking part in our right to keep and bear arms, and are not merely paper tigers who join clubs or associations that are mere mouthpieces to help promote our cause.

By joining and keeping your memberships in such organizations active, and by actually participating in firearms related activities, you are contributing to the economy of the firearms industry. Without that financial support our right to keep and bear arms would likely fade away out in short order.

So yes, I see both of these as obligations, and I carry them out faithfully year after year.

All the best,
Glenn B

Not A Perfect Man...

...not for the presidency - that is for sure as I see it. Of course, maybe no one is perfect for the presidency, at least not the current crop of the three major candidates running for that job, but one is better than the rest in my opinion, and he is not saying absolutely stupid things like the following:

"“Now I am the first to admit that some of the words I chose I chose badly, because as my wife reminds me, I’m not perfect. She reminds me of this frequently, and events often remind me as well,” Obama said, reiterating his regret for his choice of words.

“So I’m not a perfect man and the words I chose, I chose badly. They were subject to misinterpretation, they were subject to be twisted, and I regret that. I regret that deeply. But. But. But. When people suggest that somehow I was demeaning religion. When I know that I’m a man of deep faith, somebody who in my own life has held on to faith, held onto my confidence in God during times of trial and tribulation, then it sounds like there’s some politics being played.

“When people suggest I was somehow being elitist and demeaning hunters when I have repeatedly talked about the tradition that people pass on from generation to generation, hunters and sportsmen, and how I have consistently spoken about my respect for the Second Amendment. When people try to suggest that I was demeaning those traditions, then it sounds like there’s some politics being played. And what really burns me up is when people suggest that me saying that folks are mad, they are angry, they are bitter after 25, 30 years of seeing jobs shipped out, pensions not fulfilled, health care lost. The notion that people are surprised, and are suggesting that I’m out of touch because I spoke honestly about people’s frustrations, that tells me there’s some politics going on,” he said." (from FoxNews.com @ http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/04/13/obama-im-not-perfect-mocks-clinton-support-for-gun-rights/

Does Mr. Obama really believe that this piss poor backpedalling is going to get him in good with the millions of people in this country who own firearms, who hunt, or who are frustrated because they don't have great jobs? Does he really think that his claiming to have been a supporter of the 2nd Amendment is going to hold water or votes after those who really hold that right sacred have shot his bucket full of holes?

He went onto say, about Mrs. Clinton:

“She is running around talking about how this is an insult to sportsmen, how she values the Second Amendment. She’s talking like she’s Annie Oakley,” Obama told an audience at a union hall here, invoking the famed female sharpshooter immortalized in the musical “Annie Get Your Gun.” Does he truly believe that his attack on Hillary Clinton for her flip flopping current support of 2nd Amendment lover and the like will do anything to elevate him in the eyes of those same folks after he first demeaned and castigated them? Does he think that insulting the memory of Annie Oakley will help him? Heck, does Mrs. Clinton really think what she is doing now is going to help her.

Well I guess it is going to help one or the other of them to win the Democratic nomination for the run for the presidency; but I can only hope that voters in November do not have short memories when it comes to this absolute hypocrisy on the parts of either Obama or Clinton. I for one will be voting for the man who is running against them because both Clinton and Obama seem to come from another planet when it comes down to the realities of the USA, they are that much out of touch.

All the best,
Glenn B

New Addition - California Kingsnake

Well I have not talked about guns in a while, and I guess I'll skip them today too if only because my other passion took hold today. This afternoon I went to the monthly meeting of the Long Island Herpetological Society . Almost as soon as I walked in the door, Dave F. asked me if I was still looking for a female California Kingsnake. In fact I was, and had been looking earlier today when I had been in touch with someone who had one advertised on CraigList. That person wanted $60, a reasonable deal for a healthy and breedable female. Dave though had a better offer. He had a very nice looking morph of the Cal. King called a 'washboard' It is a banded variety, white/black that has a mottling of white specks throughout the black bands along her sides. Not only did I like the look of her, but I also liked the fact that she is between 2-3 years old (young and probably ready to breed) but she is close in size to my male. Not that size difference is a problem, but they will be less likely to eat one another. Yes kingsnakes are sometimes cannibalistic of their own species; heck they got the name kingsnake because of the fact they routinely eat other snakes - even rattlesnakes.

I'd write more about her now, but I am anxious to introduce her to the male I have on hand, a black and white striped Cal. King. Hopefully the chemistry will be right, and they will hit it off right away instead of trying to eat one another. I'll keep you posted.

By the way, the LIHS meeting was a good one today. Bill Love a renowned herpetologist, animal breeder, photographer, world traveler, and adventurer was there to do a presentation on the herpetofauna of Mauritius and Round island. Bill was one of the few lucky folks - not a scientist - who has ever visited Round Island in the past 15 years since it was granted heavily protected status as a nature preserve. Very good and interesting show with lots of nice pics. He also gave a talk about herp photography on Friday night at the annual LIHS dinner. I'd include a pic of him here from today's event except I would be embarrassed to show it to him after the talk he gave on Friday. Seems everyone else forgot their cameras so I tried to snap one with my cell phone and it was just way to dim in the theater. Oh well, next time I guess I'll remember my camera.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sprocket The Rocket - Heaven Bound

Lately she could not walk very far without just about falling over; heck sometimes she could not take more than a few steps with trembling and having a hard time at it. She would get up in the middle of the night and pace though, incessantly back and forth to her water bowl; and if there was water she would drink every last drop of as if parched from a trek through the Sahara and having finally found an oasis. Other times she would just stare as if out into space pondering the depths of the universe, and while chances were she was just staring at a wall instead of looking out to the heavens - who knows what she saw. At those times when she seemingly was spaced out, she had to be called over and over again before she heard me or saw me motioning to her; and while I don't know for sure where she was then, I like to think it must have been a glimpse of heaven she was seeing. She was old and frail, had a tumor the size of a baseball (had it for many years too), and had many other semi-crippling afflictions.

She was not always that way our Sprocket. She was named Sprocket after a character on the show Fraggle Rock (a favorite show not only of Celina and Brendan, but also of mama and papa). Later on we nicknamed her Sprocket The Rocket and for good reason. She was the fastest mutt I have ever seen, and once she kicked in the afterburners she just kept going. I think if allowed to she could have run for miles. In fact she may have done so more than once at Uncle David, Tante Marlene and my nephew Daniel's place while chasing their dog Milo, or their friend's dog Rudy, two of her canine pals, through the big (really big) backyard. Had she been a real rocket, she would have been a wonder of scientific technology because not only was she fast, and tight in the corners, but she loved the water. When we first got her, I used to take her on long walks to a pretty remote spot (imagine a remote spot in New York City - well there are more than a few relatively speaking). I was trying to break her of some bad habits, and trying to train her to act okay when off the leash. I had her off the leash and she was responding to my commands just fine that day so many years ago, heeling like the best of trained dogs. Then suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks, her ears went up, her brow furrowed, her tail went out, she was as alert as I had ever seen her. I could not figure at what she was looking, but she was looking out over the sump pond in front of us. The next thing I knew she was airborne and then splash she was in the water loving every moment of it. A command or two and she was back at my side. She loved the water - imagine that an amphibious rocket! When we visited my sister and brother-in-law she used to put her paws in a water basin and splash like crazy, yes she loved the water. She loved her trips to my uncle's and aunt's farm too where she could run and swim and play with other dogs there as she pleased. It had the right name for people and dogs alike - Happy Times Farm, and Sprocket's visits there were always happy ones for her and for Celina and Brendan when they were together there.

She was also a loyal companion for Linda (my wife) and for Brendan and Celina (our children). The kids grew up with her at their sides, and Linda was faithful in caring for her taking her for long walks each and every day without fail. I walked her too, but nowhere near as much as did Linda - they were quite the pair those two. In return, Sprocket was protective of the family. At times almost to a fault, and was sometimes nippy of our guests. As some time went by she pretty much dropped her habit of barking and nipping at everyone who visited us first in our apartment, then in our house. She grew accustomed to family and most friends and accepted them all as part of the pack. Still though, with a few people who were friends of the family, she never quite got over whatever joy it was for her to give them a scare - you know who you are Kyle and Laura!

She was that way with other dogs too at first, and it took a long time to get her to be decent with other dogs when we went out for walks; scars on her legs probably proof of a dog fight or three. She wound up getting along fine with Milo and Rudy though, and later on with Onkel Raymond and Tante Lorraine's dogs, and also with Onkel Alex's dogs. She also got along great with Cody our cat. Cody had come to us as an adoption from our neighbor who had moved away and could not take her two cats. We took the saner one, and my wife never let me live down the fact that when asked if we wanted him I said it was up to her. How could she turn down her best friend's request? They were pals those two until Cody left us last year.

Sprocket had other buddies with four legs. When we got Hexi, our mini dachshund, well Sprocket did not know what to do at first with such a little and young pooch. Yet Hexi, with her magic, was able to turn Sprocket into a playful pal in almost no time. Later on when Pepe joined the pack, Sprocket was a lot older, and less playful, but she accepted him pretty much right away, and she often took pleasure it seemed in watching Hexi and Pepe romp in the living room or backyard. What a pack, 4 humans, three dogs, and a cat.

Sprocket, like Cody, also came to us as an adult through an adoption, but a totally unexpected one, at least for me. We had just had to get rid of another dog we had adopted that was vicious and that had attacked both of our kids. That was tough, because the getting rid of part was permanent. Well, not too long after that, in fact sooner than I had expected, since Linda had said no more dogs until Brendan was older - there was Sprocket when I came home from wherever it was I had been. Uncle Alex had brought her by. She had been adopted out at least a few times after her owner had passed away. It seems no one wanted to keep her. Well no one except for us. She grew on us quickly despite her bad habits, I guess because of her good ones. As I said already - she was one loyal family friend and Linda, Celina, Brendan and I loved her dearly. She was part of our pack, and we part of hers.

I have to admit, I was surprised maybe most of all how much Sprocket got along with Granny (my mom), or should I say how much Granny seemed to like Sprocket (she is not an animal lover); but that was Sprocket - lovable. Of course Onkel Alex and Onkel Hans (my other brothers-in-law) and Oma (my mother-in-law) loved her too. Onkel Raymond (my brother) and Lorraine his wife loved her as well, as did Marlene (my sister), David (her husband) and Daniel (their son). Aunt Glenese and Onkel Ken loved her too. Sprocket got along good with all of them. Did I mention, she was part of our pack, and we part of hers.

Sadly those days are over. Yesterday Linda and I took Sprocket to the vet for the last time; and we had her put down. It was one of the toughest things I have ever done, and Linda has done it twice now in the past 3 months because in January our little Hexi had to be put down due to paralysis and seizures. Hexi was only 7, pretty middle aged for a dog. Sprocket was the grand old dame, and as best we know she was around 18-20 years old. We had her for 14 or 15 of those years as far as I can remember. The vet to which we brought her actually has a living room type setup in which they euthanize pets. It was as Linda put it, more comfortable. I think she meant for her and for Sprocket, and I'll admit that during the 1/2 hour or so we spent in that room waiting together, Sprocket seemed at home. The folks there were all very nice, especially the vet who did the deed. She was truly interested in Sprocket and her afflictions, and I think had we left out a few of them, she would have recommended other than euthanasia. She seemed generally interested in what was best for Sprocket. Once we told her about all of Sprocket's problems - she was very understanding, and she agreed with us that this was best. I wonder, but do not judge, if knowing that made it easier for her to do. I suppose it must have been tough for her, and that it is tough each time she does it. It was quick though, and Sprocket never knew what was coming, nor felt a thing from what I could tell. The thought that kept going through my mind as we waited, and as she was leaving us, was that she had trusted us to care for her. I know for a fact it was tough if just for that one thought along, hell it was the toughest thing I have ever done - bringing her there and going through losing her - being responsible for it. I am sure it was even tougher for Linda - she loved Sprocket with her all; and I imagine she had a similar thought to mine yesterday as we waited for Sprocket to be taken from us.

We will all miss her. We all loved Sprocket dearly, and we will miss her the same. Linda sobbed all the way home, nothing I could say or do would console her, though I think she found some comfort in me. Celina was over yesterday and shed more than a few tears for her, and Brendan is pretty torn up too. I am sure that everyone who knew her will miss her. Onkel Alex was hit hard when I told him what we were going to do; and to him I can only say thanks for bringing Sprocket, and a lot of joy, into our lives. I don't know if there is anything I can say or do to help ease their loss, or mine, except maybe to say that Sprocket The Rocket was heaven bound in a flash, and mama and papa were there with her at the end. Now she is in a place with no pain, and with fields through which to leap and bound, and ponds in which to swim at her heart's desire. We miss you girl, and we loved you - but I sure don't have to tell you that because you knew it, it was evident in how you loved us.

Filled with sorrow,
GB

The Common Courtesy Cop

It is annoying, you know the loud mouthed jerk talking on a cell phone while seated next to you in a restaurant, or on a bus, or on a train, or in an elevator. It is even scary to see someone walking down the street apparently having an animated conversation with no one in particular, scary until you realize they are hooked up to a cell phone (and maybe still scary when you think about how animated they were on a phone). I have often wondered why some of these people bother getting a phone and calling plan in the first place since they talk loud enough to be heard in the next state. Still though, its not much different from someone without a cell phone and who is simply having a conversation at way to loud a decibel level in a public place.

Sure some of them do not realize how loud and obnoxious they are being, and all it takes is someone to politely ask them to keep it down; but many of these blabber mouths lack common courtesy, and in that they lack respect for others. They either just keep it going, or even get louder, if someone politely asks them to tone it down. That can be a cause of conflict with those around them, especially the person who was annoyed enough to ask them to tone it down in the first place. So how do you handle the situation if you are the one who is offended or upset about a loud, obnoxious blabbermouth who is incessantly blabbing on a cell phone? I would do it with courtesy, and with respect, and if that did not work, well I would try to enlist the assistance of others who also seemed offended; all the while keeping it civil. I really try to remain civil, but I will admit if some gets in my face I can become pretty loud and gruff myself.

That does not mean I would start trying to grab things from people, or start slapping people, or yelling obscenities at them (though I have done so on occasion, I really try to keep it civil). As to the grabbing and slapping, I see moves like that as not only rude and disrespectful but as a physical threat. If someone came at me to grab something from my hands, or if someone slapped me, well I would defend myself as necessary and then I would restrain the person until police arrived. There is a good chance that something like this could happen to me or you. To me because I sometimes take the Long Island Railroad, and it seems to me that there is a self appointed vigilante common courtesy cop riding the rails of said RR. He was recently charged with a couple or few misdemeanors, and was tried in court, but won his case, see: Man Who Yelled at Phone User Acquitted. I think he feels vindicated that his manner of accosting people on cell phones is the proper thing to do. I think he is an asshole rude and crude in his dealings with folks who are being too loud on cell phones; and I think it would be better handled in a polite and courteous manner. Now this guy is a retired cop (after only 10 years on the job as per the report I read) and is now a lawyer. He reportedly has several law suits filed against other LIRR passengers and against the MTA (the outfit that runs the LIRR). Are you getting the picture? This guy is, I think, an overinflated, pompous, rude, arrogant, nasty jerk someone who is thinking only of himself, and feels he must push himself onto others to make the world right. Right for whom - well for himself I would think, and not for you or I.

Being rude in an attempt to counteract the rudeness of another in no way overcomes the rudeness of others, it solves nothing. Too bad he does not realize that. He seemingly has missed the point that if you want to be a common courtesy cop, then you need to do so with common courtesy, and respect, toward others. If you do not do so with courtesy - well then you have become exactly the type of person against whom you are crusading. Err let me correct that last sentence - you have become worse than those others if only because you are doing as they do while seeing yourself as their better. That is out and out hypocrisy as I see it. I pity this guy, I really do; but I must say that should he ever take a physical swipe at me, it is not pity that he will feel in return.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Weekend - as in this coming weekend

Hump Day has not dawned yet, and I am already pining for the weekend. For many weeks now I have been eager to get away for just one day to have some fun with my metal detector (which has not gotten a test run yet -mostly thanks to Officer Jones ruining my day at Jones Beach some weeks ago - and to other obligations I have had that were carried out over recent weekends. I have also wanted to get away to do some amphibian watching/listening. Those little Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers should be at it by now, and I'd love to hear their springtime chorus as it fills the air under the canopy of a NY forest. There just has not been the time.

This weekend, I also have an obligation to start plastering a room in anticipation of painting it, but that can be done on either Saturday or Sunday. That means one of those days will be - or should be - free for me. So on one of em, I'll hop into the Corolla, take a spin, and hopefully arrive at a place where I can enjoy my two pursuits in the same trip. As a matter of fact, according to my brother-in-law, this time of year is good for the metal detector enthusiast here in the northeast. Why - well because the Daffodils are, or will soon be, in bloom. Much of New York state was populated in areas that I will go exploring with my metal detector. The key word in that last sentence is "was". You see those areas are no longer populated. Farms, homesteads, mines, factories, are all long gone in my target areas. Sure the areas around them are still populated, but not the specific places I want to search. So what about those Daffodils? Well, the Daffodil was apparently a quite popular flower in the early days of New York state. They were often planted around homes, and other areas where people congregated. So if I find Daffodils in the forest, it is likely that the area near the Daffodils had once had a house there. This greatly increases chances of my coming up with some long buried artifact, or so I would imagine. I guess every pursuit of the treasure hunting nature has its little secrets as to how to increase your chances of success. Finding Daffodils is just one of them; and having a knowledgeable brother-in-law is another.

Keep your fingers crossed for me that nothing pops up to ruin my plans, if for no other reason than because you will probably get a decent blog out of my weekend adventures.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History - An Era Comes To An End

"In 1957, shortly after midnight, the last of New York's electric trolleys completed its final run from Queens to Manhattan." (reference: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history)

I was not even 2 years old yet, and something that would fascinate me in later years had already come to its end. When I was young though, there were remnants of trolley tracks set in cobblestone streets throughout much of New York City's 5 boroughs. For some reason they (the tracks and the cobblestones) always fascinated me. Although most have been removed, I would venture to say that somewhere in New York City some of those trolley tracks, and a lot of those cobblestones, still remain - probably covered by black-top; and they are probably one of the reasons for a lot of bumps, and for some of the crappy roads in NYC.
All the best,
Glenn B

Ammo Trade

Today I traded 5 boxes of Winchester 7.62x25., 1 box of Chinese manufacture 7.62x25, 2 boxes of Remington .380 UMC, and a couple of boxes of Samson .223 ammo ammunition for a cup of coffee, a blueberry muffin and a bottle of water. Oh yes, I also got some good conservation from a friend whom I have not seen in about 8 years. He wants his identity withheld as super sekrit, so let's just call him Mr. X.

Let me tell you, the trade off was well worth it. There is just something about sharing conservation over good coffee with a good friend, in this case with Mr. X, that transcends the value of material things, even ammunition.

All the best,
Glenn B

Charlton Heston - In Memorium

I don't know which line I liked better, the one from a work of fiction: "Take your stinking paws off of me you damn dirty ape"; or the one from real life: "...from my cold dead hands".

The sad thing is that his hands are now indeed cold. Charlton Heston has passed away leaving behind an outstanding film career, and one hell of a controversial bit of political activism. Heston became political activist in the Kennedy era. He was a strong proponent of civil rights, and of the Omnibus Gun Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The controversy arose when he later realized the folly of the left, and his own folly for having believed that a leftward lean had been the way to go. He never changed his stance about racism being wrong, nor his stance on civil rights, but he realized that those on the left were stereotypical hypocrites and racists hiding behind an aura of self proclaimed do-gooderness. For example, he was outraged that the Actors' Equity Association refused to allow a Caucasian to play the role of a Eurasian pimp in the play Miss Saigon, but instead insisted that an Asian be selected for the role. This despite the fact that the very same Actors' Equity Association refused to cast an Asian in the leading Asian roles in the same play! Heston quit the association over that. He was in his deeds a man who stood by his principals, and who realized that racism is not a one way street, although he at the same time apparently realized that liberalism indeed saw it as a one way street. Yes in deed and words he expressed himself as an opponent of racism, racism caused by whites, and racism practiced against whites. He both marched with Martin Luther King and was a proponent of the Civil Rights Movement long before it was fashionable for politicians or the Hollywood crowd, and he readily professed his belief that racism worked both ways, and that it was caused by the Cultural Warfare being waged by the liberal left:

"The Constitution was handed down to guide us by a bunch of wise old dead white guys who invented our country! Now some flinch when I say that. Why! Its true-they were white guys! So were most of the guys that died in Lincoln’s name opposing slavery in the 1860’s. So why should I be ashamed of white guys? Why is “Hispanic Pride” or “Black Pride” a good thing, while “White Pride” conjures shaven heads and white hoods? Why was the Million Man March on Washington celebrated by many as progress, while the Promise Keepers March on Washington was greeted with suspicion and ridicule? I’ll tell you why, Cultural warfare!" (Reference: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Fighting_the_Culture_War_in_America)

He had a knack for seeing things as they really were, whether or not his view was a popular one among his peers. Heston was intelligent enough to have seen the error of his earlier ways regarding gun control. Again my bet is that he saw the hypocrisy of the left on this issue. He changed his stance on it and became a strong proponent for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. In fact in 1998 until 2003 he was the president of the National Rifle Association. It was during an NRA event that Heston held a rifle high over his head and aid those words "from my cold dead hands" referring to his willingness to defend our rights under the 2nd Amendment. He also changed his politics from those of an apparently confused Democrat to those of a sure Republican because he realized that it was truly the Republican Party that had stood for those things in which he believed such as the Civil Rights issue.

Sadly, in 2002, Heston made a public appearance telling us all he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Shortly after that, in 2003, he resigned his position as president of the NRA. No not because of lack of personal conviction, simply because he was unable to carry on. Of course there were some who took apparent glee in the fact that Heston had come down with Alzheimer's. One of them was about as leftist as you can get - George Clooney. He reportedly joked about Heston's condition saying: "Charlton Heston announced again today that he is suffering from Alzheimer's." (reference: http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30590) When taken to task over this crass remark, Clooney reportedly said this: "I don't care. Charlton Heston is the head of the National Rifle Association. He deserves whatever anyone says about him." Maybe that is truthfully why I can not name one of the roles in which this scumbag Clooney has starred. I also cannot tell you about how Clooney served his country, but I can tell you that i 1944 Charlton Heston enlisted and served in the US Army Air Forces during WWII.

As for his films, I can name many of the films in which Heston starred, and a great many of them are classics. You can get names of a lot more of them at the IMDB Some of them are:

The Savage (1952)
The Greatest Show On Earth (1952)
Pony Express (1953)
The Naked Jungle (1954)
The Far Horizons (1955)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
A Touch of Evil (1958)
The Buccaneer (1958)
Ben Hur (1959)
El Cid (1961)
55 Days at Peking (1963)
Major Dundee (1965)
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
Khartoum (1966)
Planet of The Apes (1968, the first movie where I remember seeing a line that was blocks and blocks long of people waiting to get in to see it)
Wil Penny (1968)
The Omega Man (1971, I hear tell that I Am legend was basically a rehashed remake of this film depending on artistic license to make it appear as a new idea)
Anthony and Cleopatra (1972)
Soylent Green (1973, in which he costarred with Edward G. Robinson in Robinson's last film)
The Three Musketeers (1973)
Earthquake (1974)
Midway (1976)
The Mountain Men (1978)

And he kept going, acting until 2003, when his life was basically cut short, but not yet ended, by Alzheimer's Disease. Did he truly deserve contracting Alzheimer's Disease for his membership in the NRA, for his support of the 2nd Amendment - of course not; but Mr. Clooney is classless enough to have claimed such. Mr. Heston was a champion in his films, and a champion of our Constitutional Rights in real life. Clooney will never be a champion of anything, other than maybe of being a jerk, as far as I am concerned. Yes Charlton Heston was a champion indeed and a man of conviction. He was a Hollywood actor who stood against the political correctness of the belief in whites' only racism, who was against against abortion, who was staunchly pro-civil rights long before it was a popular stance politically or in Hollywood, who marched with Martin Luther King Jr., who was against a society that was dividing itself leading to its own destruction, who was staunchly anti-communist but yet was anti McCarthyism, who was against against multi-culturism and the culture war (believing instead in a unified United States of America), who opposed the war in Vietnam and then voted for Nixon - the man who ended that war, who had the class to stand up - excuse himself - and walk out of an interview conducted by Michael Moore when Moore tried to blind side him, who was ultimately against gun control despite his earlier stance in favor of it, who vehemently stood up against Time Warner at a stockholders meeting (his own bread and butter so to speak) for their release of the ICE-T song Cop Killer, who stood up for protecting the environment, who stood up for his beliefs in the face of fierce criticism from others in Hollywood (like Clooney who could not even fill one of his shoes acting wise, and who could come nowhere near him conviction wise), who fought the battle for civil rights, who fought the battle to preserve our Constitutional Rights such as the rights of free speech and the right to keep and bear arms. Not only did he tell it like he believed it, he actually lived it like he believed it.

In great part, due to his convictions, and his efforts to protect the rights of others, Heston was awarded the Presidential Medal Of Freedom in 2003. That medal is the highest civilian award in the USA. It was not long after that that his disease progressed so rapidly as to shock those who knew him well. He died yesterday, April 5, 2008, with Lydia, his wife of 64 years, at his side. Imagine that -being married to the same person for 64 years (I guess he held a conviction that marriage was a good thing)! I suppose that is one of the other reasons I liked him so much. One other reason for me to have liked him was that he was born in the same year as my mom, and only a day from my birthday (not year-wise, but month and day wise) though I only found that out today (and of course even this is controversial as some say he was born in 1924 anbd others say 1923). Regardless, he was one of my favorite actors, one of my favorite political activists, and obviously a man who stood by his words with his deeds. He was indeed a great American. He will be missed.

With sadness in my heart,
Glenn B

Support The U.S. Constituion - Defeat Anarchy - Send A Message Now

Article VI: ..." This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding. "...

Lately there have been an awful lot of federal judges, federal politicians, federal executive officers, local governments, and quite a few state governments that have taken the laws of the United States of America to task by in essence ignoring them, or even encouraging disobedience to them. With regard to immigration and nationality laws New York, San Francisco readily come to mind, with regard to the law enforcement authority of the federal government both Wyoming and Montana come to mind, with regard to violations of our rights such as the Right to Keep and Bear Arms many federal courts come to mind. There are many other members of government, besides those mentioned that have recently challenged, balked at, disregarded, or plain outright violated laws of the United States.

Maybe it is time to remind the law makers and the law enforcers in those states that they, under authority of the Constitution of The United States of America either by oath or affirmation, have bound themselves to support the constitution which they now so flagrantly disregard:

Article VI: ..." The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. "...

Have we fallen that much closer to anarchy that the federal government allows such to continue and to spread. Surely if nothing decisive is done to thwart such rebellious (and I mean this - no sarcasm alert here) actions, what will be next - will it be a full scale rebellion, or at least secession of some states? I fear it may be so, we are certainly moving in that direction in leaps and bounds. I wonder what it is that would make people, such as wackos in San Francisco and the libs in New York, and the cowboys of Montana, and the patriots in Wyoming, and all the rest of the citizens and legal resident aliens of the USA, want to abandon the foundations of this great nation - our Constitution and Declaration of Independence. I am by my duty as a federal agent sworn to uphold the Constitution, and I am by virtue of being a U.S. Citizen sworn to uphold the Constitution and the principals discussed within the Declaration of Independence. There are many others out there who, like me, take these breeches of our bedrock as a serious threat to the ability of our nation to survive. Yes a revolution of sorts maybe coming, but it may come from a direction other than in which you are looking.

"I do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter."

You can change the word affirm to the word swear, and you can ad "So help me God", or leave God out of it. I don't care either way. I have not solemnly sworn or affirmed my protection of God, or of a religion, but rather of the Constitution of the United States of America - and I'll be damned if I do not stand for it and our Nation now, in their time of need against the enemies within, whether God is on my side or not. For now, I'll do it through voting, lending my support to political candidates who have gotten it right, writing again and again to elected officials to express my support for the Constitution, lambasting through emails and the mail those politicians who do not get it right, by joining activist groups that support our Constitution (such as the NRA). If however it comes down to it, I will support the Constitution and the United States of America with my life, and it is about time that more of you start thinking along those lines. Our nation is crumbling a piece at a time, and sooner or later those pieces will be so big as to include whole states falling away. Stand up and make yourself heard, stand up as proud Americans who are wiling to defend your nation from those who would topple her by whatever means are absolutely necessary.

Now - today - don't wait - write an email to your elected officials. Send a copy to your state's governor. Send a copy to your two Senators in the U.S. Senate. Send a copy to your Representative in The House of Representatives. Send a copy to the Vice President. Send a copy to the President of the United States of America. Write one email to tell them all that you support the Constitution of the United States of America and that you are sick of seeing both it and our nation assailed by every wacko out there while our federal government does little or nothing to protect it from the enemies who are thriving within our borders. Demand that they take appropriate action against these enemies within. Demand that they support and uphold the Constitution and Nation that they have sworn to protect.

All the best,
Glenn B

Verizon FIOS - Verizon SMIOS

Now that they have installed the new cable outlet, sans faceplate, I found my televisions do not turn on when I turn on the cable box. As a matter of fact they turn on when I turn off the cable box, and then turn off when I turn on the cable box. A little screwy - sure it is. I called for the set in my living room, thinking that had been the only one effected, and it took about 15 or 20 minutes for the person at Verizon to figure out how to have me correct it. Did you get that - I had to correct it! It cost me money today to have a new outlet installed, sans face plate, and they screw things up, now I have to do this and that a number of times with the remote, and the cable box, and the television, to get them synchronized so they turn off and on together. As if one set was not bad enough, now this is on all three sets that we have hooked up to the FIOS. So I guess I'll have to call them again, and reset each of the other two sets.

Now you may be wondering, will Verizon take anything off of the amount they are going to charge me for the install today. Well, I am wondering the same thing. You can bet your bottom dollar that it is a sure thing I am going to make an inquiry about just that when I call them to get the other two boxes synchronized with their respective TV sets. As a matter of fact you can safely bet that I will insist they take off a nice chunk of change on the cost of the install since they left me with this can of worms. And me the big jerk, I gave each of the installers a tip before they left! What a waste of money that was; it sort of sours me to the idea of ever giving a worker in my home a tip again, especially someone from FIOS.

All the best,
GB

Cable Instsallation...

...can be a pain in the butt if you do it yourself; and I am having it done professionally by Verizon FIOS and it still seems to be a pain in the other end. Brendan asked for a cable hook-up in his new room, so I decided to have Verizon come and do an installation for a new FIOS cable outlet in his room, an add on to our existing FIOS service. A lady showed up and got most of it done, but called for help. Then a gentleman showed up to give her a hand. What I thought would have taken an hour at most has now been well over three hours. Not installed exactly as I had hoped with the wire snaked down from our attic through the wall to a wall outlet/faceplate (as is our newest electrical outlet in that room); but instead run up into our attic and down through the closet ceiling, out of the wall and along the baseboard molding to behind the television. Where it comes out of the wall, they did not allow for enough room for a cover plate and it looks like shit a lousy job that was not thought out. I may get over that if Verizon drops the price a bit, or comes back to fix it properly. If not - oh well, I'll have to move the wire myself. I fill the old hole, drill a new one higher up, and put a face plate in. Ah heck, I'll probably just leave it the way it is, sometimes I wind up screwing things up more than they are already (I am no handyman) when I try to correct them. I hate it looking like crap, but if I use some paintable putty to close up the hole a bit around the wire, then paint over it, it will probably look at least a little better than it does now. Hopefully the longer than normal install will not cost more than they told me at $54.99. If it does cost more for any reason though, then I'll raise holy hell about the hole, and lack of a face plate.

I must admit the people who did the job were pleasant enough to deal with. At first I got the idea the lady did not want to go up in my attic - saying something like: "You mean you want me to up there in the dark, and without a floor" (we have sort of running boards up there) I got the idea she was none to happy about having to run the wire like that. When I told her if she did not want to do the job, I'd just cancel she said she would do it. Then I got her a clamp lamp and an extension chord and ran it up there so she could see. She seemed to appreciate that. So even if not the job as I had wanted it, they did it and were both pleasant when doing it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Romanian AKs - Is The Market Going Dry?

Well the folks over at Classic Arms seem to think so. According to them, the main manufacturer (maybe the only one from the way it sounds) has retooled their factory to make auto parts instead of AK rifles. If that is correct, what does it mean in the long run? It means that there will be few relatively inexpensive AK rifles on the market, so if you bought a few of them when you had the chance - you could be sitting on a small gold mine in the near future. It also means that if you don't own one yet, chances are they are going to become a lot more expensive, and you may need to be sitting on a small gold mine to be able to afford one. Click on Classic Arms to see their spiel on all of this.

Al the best,
GB

FITNA Revisted and Reposted

My goodness, I almost cannot believe that LiveLeak has reposted the short film FITNA. Hurry and view it before it gets pulled again. Now I wonder should I retract my earlier comments about the folks at LiveLeak having crumpled like a peed upon wad of toilet paper. No I think not because my bet is that they put Fitna back in place on their site because of pressure from the public. Hmm, pressure from Muslims makes them pulls it, pressure from the public and suddenly it goes back online, at least that is my theory.

Well I must say I am happy that maybe LiveLeak saw the light, and maybe they decided that to air it would be the better thing to do just out of principal. One can hope so, and I am hoping that is the case. If it turns out being the case, well then I will say good for LiveLeak. Until that is proven to me, I'll go with my thoughts above.

You can view Fitna below as I have embedded it in this post. Funny though, I just went to LiveLeak.com and did a search to find Fitna to get the code so I could embed it in this post. That should have been the easy way to do it, but when I searched for Fitna at LiveLeak I got everything and anything to do with it - both pro and con - but not the film itself. I had to go to my previous post and take the code from it, and place it in this post. LiveLeak does not seem to be making it easy. Oh well, you can see it below.




All the best,
Glenn B

The New New Deg

Pepe just did not appreciate the Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix Brandy (aka: Brownie) that we picked up from North Hempstead Animal Shelter, and who could blame him. Brandy was intimidating to say the least, and besides that she took a few nips at our little darling Pepe. It was only in play. The thing was all she wanted to do was play without giving Pepe a break, and some of that play included playful biting. Had she grabbed him just once on the head and shaken hgim, well I am afraid, we were all afraid that would have been it for Pepe. We would have kept her and trained her, that would have been easy enough to do within a week or two, and she was already learning within only the 4 days we had her, but she was just too rambunctious for Pepe. She probably weighed in at about 45 to 50 pounds. Pepe is 6 pounds. She was just too much woman for him.

That all done with, Linda was in the dumps. She and Celina went to look at some other dogs and found a nice Atlas Terrier. I saw it too and thought it looked very nice, but I got conflicting stories in the puppy shop where we found it up for adoption. In the end we decided it sounded like a problem waiting to explode and we held off. Then yesterday Linda, Brendan and I were back at the ASPCA pound in Manhattan. Nothing there that strike dour fancy except for a nice Beagle, but that was spoken for already. What next, hmm. Well a nice young lady volunteer at the ASPCA suggested we try the NY City Shelter on 110th Street. We drove up there with some trepidation. Two weeks ago while at the ASPCA someone had told us the NYC Shelter was not too nice, and things there were uncoordinated. What the heck, we went anyway.

Well when we got there we had to wait a bit before someone acknowledged our presence, not too long though or I would have walked away. When we told them we were there to see a dog, they said go right in and buzzed us into the holding area. No guide or anything like that. We immediately saw they had only 2 smaller dogs on the first floor, and we wanted a smaller dog this time. No more monsters like that Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix. We decided to take a look at a mix, they called it a Shepard mix; but what they did not say was that it was probably an Australian Mix, or an Australian Cattle Dog mix - or maybe a combo of both. Well at least not until later, and it did not matter to me as long as it was not a Pit Bull mix. You can own one, but Pit Bulls are not for me. This dog, white and black and tan, was very jumpy, but being smaller and weighing at my guess about 25 pounds, that was not a problem. She seemed well behaved on the leash, and made pee only when taken out of her cage and brought outside the building. That last was a strong plus in her favor.

We asked some more about her and all we were told was that her previous owner/adopter had brought her back to the shelter, and told the workers he fund her as a stray. They said they knew the previous owner was lying because they had the dog micro-chipped, and had the owner's name in there files. That made me wonder what could be wrong with Mimi. To get more info I was told to go to the front counter where they could pull up her info on the computer. I went, signed in the book, and waited, and waited and waited. Finally they called me and said they had no other info except that she was on hold! Egads - on hold - then why had they said she was available. Well it turns out she had been on hold to do a show at a church or something like that, and they forgot to take her off of hold. So she was good to go, if we wanted her. After seeing her though, we decided to look at a couple of Chihuahuas they had hidden away upstairs. We saw one, a female that looked nice, but was supposed to be nippy None of that for me, and Linda agreed, so did Brendan. He had thought that Mimi, the first dog we looked at was a nice one. We all agreed. I could not wait to get downstairs to adopt Mimi. We went back down to adopt her, and I had to sign in the book again. This time we waited and waited again, but not too long, as they helped other customers. I filled out the paperwork, had my references checked (I guess they checked), then paid $75 plus gave a $10 donation. Then I was asked if I wanted a goody bag, to which I said yes. I was also asked if we needed a leash, which we did, but we didn't want to buy on because we had spares at home, so the nice lady helping us got out a temporary leash for us. She gave me the goody bag, and said the dog would be out soon, and again we waited. The dog was out in about 15 minutes or so, and we were ready to skedaddle, or so we thought. Then we were told we had to wait again, to get some medication for kennel cough from the vet. Aargh - kennel cough! They said not to worry it was just a precautionary preventative since she had been in the kennel. We waited another 20 minutes for the pills, but I took advantage of it and took her for a walk outside. She made a poop outside, and again she got praises and petting for her good behavior.

The ride home was pleasant. Brendan drove, as he had also done on the way in. Linda sat up front, probably only because I jumped into the back seat before she had a chance, and of course Mimi was in the back with me. She was pretty calm throughout the whole trip. She stood a while, sat a longer while, and laid down even longer. She must have been in a car before, she behaved like a well trained dog. We got her home without accident, let her loose in the yard, and she went bonkers. Well not really bonkers, but I can tell you she is fast. She rocketed around the backyard like she had energy built up that wanted to take off to the moon. Then she peed in the yard. What a good dog. We brought her inside and Brendan suggested naming her Rocket. Our older mutt is named Sprocket, and Mimi reminded us all of Sprocket in her younger days when we called her Sprocket the Rocket because of how she ran and jumped when ever off the leash and allowed to play. We thought about it briefly but decided to keep the name Mimi. Celina came over, and she too liked her almost instantly. They played and bonded for a while, and I can just see Celina taking Mimi for long walks and runs to keep her fit (what a good daughter). later on Celina and Linda took Pepe and Mimi for a long walk. I spent some quality time with Sprocket on a shorter walk, and Brendan washed the Toyota (what a good son).

Mimi got along decently with Pepe and he with her (did I forget to mention that Pepe had come to the shelter with us). They remained on fairly good terms with only a few growls and snaps from Pepe once home. I think only a few because although Mimi backed off almost every time Pepe showed curled lips, she went at him twice and gave it right back to him both of those times. I think it made him think twice about bullying her as he had tried with Brandy. A for Sprocket, she showed a lot on interest in Mimi. I think more than she had shown in brandy. They even played awhile in the backyard, and being that Sprocket is 18-20 years old, play does not come as easily for her as it once did, but there she was right at it with Mimi.

Mimi was an angel throughout the night. We put her in a crate, but she started whining about 15 minutes or so after she was crated. I went up, took her out, and she headed for the door. She needed outside where she promptly took a pisser. This despite the fact that she had just done so for my wife 15 or 20 minutes earlier. What a good girl. Then it was back inside where she spent the night asleep without incident, well except for 2:30 Am when I woke up and let the degs out. Sprocket does not do so good overnight any more, so I needed to let her out to prevent an accident. Mimi went and she did her thing again outside, but my bet is she would have slept all night had I not awakened the. By the way, where was she sleeping when I woke them up - in her crate, but I had not put her back in there earlier. I had left the door open, and she just went in there on her own. I like this dog.

This morning I woke up and she was on the floor next to me. I took her out in the back, she did what she had to do, and again she convinced me we have a very good newer new deg on our hands. Right now she is lying on the floor behind me as I type. By the way, since we got her home, all that jumping, well almost all of it has disappeared. When she does it, we tell her no, and she stops.Not bad. She just got up and headed to her crate. As for me, I have to get up and head to the office. Later for you.

All the best,
Glenn B

Spring Ammo Inventory

It was a cold day in Springtime yesterday, sunny but crisp and a bit on the breezy side. Because of that my outdoor activities for the day got canned. I had been planning on traveling upstate to do some frog and salamander hunting. Those spring peepers make some fine music, well worth the hike to listen to them. As it turned out though, it turned out too cold, so I stayed inside. I took care of my animals; and after that to avoid work around the house, I looked for something to do other than take a nap (or I should say other than taking a longer nap).

I don't know just when it came to me, maybe when I tripped over some boxes of ammo laying on the basement floor, but it suddenly dawned on me it was about time to put away some ammo, and to take inventory of what I have on hand. After several hours of searching for, collecting, counting, and putting away in a nicely organized fashion, I figured I have sufficient ammunition on hand for most things that will come up shooting-wise. I was kind of pleased to see that I now have about 2,650 more rounds of ammo than I had last May. I did a fair amount of shooting over the past year, so that high a number of additional rounds came as somewhat of a surprise to me. Those kinds of surprises I like very much.

The ammunition I have on hand is mostly for the various calibers of firearms that I own, but not all of it. I have several calibers of ammo for firearms that I do not own. For example I have ammo in .45 Auto, .380 auto, .38 Special, 7.62x25 Tokarev, .30 Carbine, and 16 gauge. I do not own any guns that will chamber that stuff. Hmmm, maybe I should buy the guns since I have the ammo! If only I had the spare cash to buy a gun, that would be nice indeed. As for the ammo I have that is for guns I own, I have a good supply of .22 LR ammo, and a good supply of 9mm ammo (not all that much really when you consider what I shoot at one setting). I also have a fair share of 7.62x39, .35 Remington, and 12 gauge shotgun ammo to name a few. Ammunition I could certainly use more of includes these calibers: .32 Auto, .22 WMR, 9mm, .22LR, 7.62x39, and 7.62x54R. You probably noted I included 9mm and .22LR on the list of ammo that I need while I also showed them as being in good supply just above that. The truth is despite having a decent supply of these, I can go through them fast; and some of my .22LR ammo is very old and starting to degrade (causing some jamming in semi-autos). Considering how little I shoot of .35 Remington maybe I could say I have a decent supply of that too, but I should would like more so I could shoot it more. Its just too expensive to shoot a lot. I am looking for bargains though, so if you hear of any let me know.

All the best,
Glenn B

LiveLeak and a Peed Upon Wad Of Toilet Paper - what do they have in common?

Serious threats were apparently made, and LiveLeak crumpled like a wad of piss wet toilet paper by pulling the film FITNA from the Internet. So what do they have in common, they are both yellow and both spineless. Whatever happened to having backbone?

What makes them think that pulling the film will help protect them. All it will probably do is allow the cowardly Islamo-Fascist dirt bags to win another victory. How can we unite to fight them, if we are so afraid of them that we wet our pants each time they say boo? What we should be doing instead is saying boo right back at them, and holding onto a large deadly weapon when we do so. There is nothing wrong with self defense, nothing at all. Too bad our political leaders have, for decades, told us we are weak, we need the police to save us, we cannot defend ourselves, we don't need this right, or that right, and have constantly slowly but surely eroded our rights. Why too bad - because now the Islamo-Fascists are playing us for the fools we were to have believed our politicians were doing us any good. They too are hitting at us a little at a time, and we are so self centered not to realize that they are a threat not just to me or you or an entity like Live Leak - they mean to either conquer or kill us all. Wake up, wake up before it is too late, then stand against them because wetting your panties and giving up your rights isn't going to help. They will not become our friends simply because we let them do what they want, and they will not stray from their stated goal of conquest or death for us just because we allow them to scare us into submission.

It is obvious to me, if not to the folks at LiveLeak that the Islamo-Fascists do not want to get along with us or accept one anothers' cultures; so why should we accept them, yet it is what LiveLeak is now suggesting - can you imagine that. Not only did they fold and pull FITNA, now it seems to me they are suggesting getting along with terrorists. They claim to have "stood for what we believe in...", but go onto say that: "...in the end the price was too high". What price would they pay for freedom! What price will they pay to get out from under the Islamo-Fascists once they take over? What in Hades did they expect would happen when they published the movie? It is obvious that those at LiveLeak are not ready to defend themselves, let alone the principles of free speech about which they yammer in the trailer they left in place of FITNA. This is, as they said, "...a sad day for free speech..." - not because free speech is under attack by Islamo-Fascists, but rather because those who exercised free speech apparently were too much of the whimpering coward variety to stand up for that in which they claimed they held a belief. What the hell has happened to the backbone of the people of the world today? If this is how we would support freedom of speech - or any of our other rights in the face of usurpers - well we may as well all start praising Allah and going to the mosque tomorrow.

Holy crap, hold the presses. I just visited the LiveLeak site, and guess what video is now prominently displayed: "Turn To Islam"! Here is the link, but I think it is sickening that they took off FITNA, but yet show this. When you think about it, it seems not only did they remove FITNA, they may well have capitulated to the point of bending over backwards to appease the Islamo-Fascists by placing this new video: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c94_1206737646 in place of FITNA. I mean the other stuff on the page that comes up with this new video is almost all related to FITNA, but this suely is not the film FITNA - not by a long shot. What will they at LiveLeak do next, start beheading people for the cause if the Islamo-Fascists threaten them and then tell them to do it; or wil they just start pointing out the Jews, Christians and other non-Islamists? I may someday have to turn to Islam-Fascism but when I do it will be to defend my way of life and yours - not to kiss an Islamo-Fascist's ass.

All the best,
Glenn B

A Paucity Of Blogs Referencing FITNA...

...has led me to believe that many of the so called right wingers, many of the so called brave arms bearing Americans among us, many of the self proclaimed anti-Islamo-Fascists, are truly little more than virtual windbags. Is it that I am jumping the gun, and there has not been enough time for people to realize that this film is out there to be viewed on the Internet. Maybe, but I think not because if it had been a decision in Heller that appeared yesterday, well you can bet they would be pounding their drums in victory, or wailing at their loss within an hour of said decision coming down. On the other hand, this fim was released yesterday and I could find only one blog among those to which I link that had the film imbedded in is pages, and that was Michelle Malkin's site. That lady has got Chutzpah. Today there were a few with it linked to their site, and a couple more with it imbedded in their blogs, but that is a poor showing indeed. If we are going to unite against a common enemy, then we had all best identify that enemy, and we had best make it plain to other Americans just who is the enemy that we are facing. This film does that job pretty well in my opinion.

All the best,
Glenn B

FITNA

This film is for adults, not for children, only view it if you are 18 or older. It is extremely graphic and portrays extreme violence, the violence of Muslim Extremists. It shows bloody, gory footage, it shows things that should scare you beyond anything you have ever seen in a scary Hollywood movie because it shows things that are scary and real. View it at your own discretion after having been forewarned. Maybe it will wake you up to the threat.



The film FITNA is courtesy LiveLeak @: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7d9_1206624103. It is the long awaited film by Dutch politician Geert Wilders. I placed it here on my blog for educational purposes in that it expresses a view other than that of they who are Islamo-Fascists, other than those who are hard line Islamists who accept the horrendous acts of the Islamo-Fascists, other than those who are devout Muslims but do nothing against the violence and who basically are appeasers of the Islamo-Fascists, other than those who are merely apologists for Islamic extremists, other than those who make excuses, or try to rationalize, as to why Islamo-Fascists do what they do, other than those who are blind to the fact that wherever Islam has planted itself in the world death of non-Muslims has been the rallying cry of all too many Muslims. I am hopeful this will help those in the world who are nonbelievers in Islam, and who are truly moderate Muslims, to wake up to the threat we are facing from Islamo-Facism. I think this film shows a view other than that shown by the hateful Islamo-Fascists who hide behind a religion while they commit atrocities in its name. I think this film shows the view of a rational man who is brave enough to show the truth, as I see it, to us all. That is my opinion, and I stand by it.

Now that you have seen the film, I think that each and everyone of you who have a blog should stand by FITNA and the apparent truths told within it, and I believe you should imbed it into your blog. I think that the more of us who embed this movie into our blogs, the stronger will be the voice that calls out for an end to Islamo-Fascism, so why not do whatever you can to get as many people to watch it as possible. Before you do though let me tell you this: Yes there is a risk to doing so. We have all seen the Islamo-Fascists go berserk, and on a spree of destruction, mayhem, and killing when the cartoon pictures of Mohammad were published. There also will probably be a violent backlash over this film. Yes there is risk, but risk to personal safety is one of the costs of Freedom, isn't it? Stand with us and face those risks head on if you dare to show how much you revere and cherish and are willing to defend: freedom, democracy, civil rights, free speech, freedom of religion (barring those that resort to violation of our rights), and so forth. Stand with us, at risk of peril if you dare, to defend the right to determine how to live our own lives as opposed to standing by idly as the Islamo-Fascists go on a death spree in their attempt to conquer the world.

All the best,
Glenn B

On Violence...

I do not embrace violence as a way of life, but nor do I abhor it and try to rend it from my life. I have been familiar with it as I played as a child, sprouted into a teenager, and to matured as a man. I learned much from both its just and unjust application. I used it to convey a stern measure of discipline to my children as was needed; and I recommend it to other parents so long as wielded within reason. I highly recommend it as a punitive measure, and a preventative one with regard recurrence of crime, for those convicted of certain crimes. I will face it when it is thrust upon me, and I will resort to it to defend myself and my family, my loved ones, my nation, and our Constitution. I will then extol its virtues as I understand that it is a natural, and oft times good, part of the human condition that we call living. It cannot and should not be removed from our lives because to do so would render us spiritless. It should both be wielded and restrained with care as to misuse it can sometimes be devastating, but to incapacitate a peoples' ability to resort to it can be worse and result in catastrophe. A violent nature is just that - Nature - and we should never forget that or try to remove ourselves from the reality that we too are a product of nature and violence is part of what makes us both human and natural beings.

All the best,
Glenn B

In Memorium: Richard Widmark

A great actor has passed on, and although he had not performed in years as far as I am aware, whenever I see a movie in which he performs, I watch it. From Kiss Of Death" in which he costarred with Victor Mature and Brian Donlevy, to "Two Rode Together" in which he costarred with James Stewart, to "Down To The Sea In Ships" in which he costarred with Lionel Barrymore, to "The Bedford Incident" in which he costarred with Sidney Poitier, to "Madigan" in which he costarred with Inger Stevens, to "Panic In The Streets" in which he costarred with Jack Palance and Barbara Bel Geddes he was one hell of a powerful actor who could play all types of characters well. He was a great actor among great actors, back in the day when really acting, as opposed to special effects, was what made for a good film.

Of course I did not agree with him on his ideas about gun control (he was an ardent anti-RKBA and rabidly pro-gun control sort), and was I beleive another of the Hollywood Hypocrites who said he abhorred violence and guns, yet many if not most of his movies were full of both and he made millions off of both due to those movies. Despite that, I liked his acting, he truly was a fine actor. He was 93 years old when he passed away on March 24, 2008. We lost a good actor and a lousy advocate for our rights as Americans. Still though, I will miss him as an actor, because if anything, that is what he was above all else as I saw him.

Now I am off to work. (Yes that last sentence was put here for someone in particular, and you know who you are, and you may suspect so do I).

All the best,
Glenn B

Don't Leave Home Without A Weapon...

...and no I am not kidding. If you can legally carry a deadly weapon upon your person, you should do so whenever at all practical, and sometimes when it seems impractical. If not, then if you can legally carry a less lethal weapon, do so. Why - well because you are the potential target of predators at all times whether you know it or not. Should you ever appear weak to someone who is out to do evil, you may be that person's next victim - and armed or unarmed you may wind up the victim even if you fight back with all you have. The thing is though, if you are armed you stand a better chance, it is plain and simple truth as I see it. It is a plain and simple truth that could have made all the difference in the world to Meredith Emerson.

Now if for some reason you think you may never become a victim, you are wrong. People of all sizes, shapes, colors, creeds and genders are accosted each day by evil doers who thought that for some reason they, at a particular moment, seemed like easy prey. Meredith Emerson was one of those people, one of those who looked like easy prey, like easy pickings waiting to become a victim. She was recently in national headlines when she went missing, and when her killer was caught. Something we have only heard though is this: She was not easy prey, she fought like a true champion. Sadly though, even champions fall, and she fell victim to a heinous killer. Go here to Breda's Fallacy and read another blogger's outlook on this, and make sure while at that other site to click on the 2 different links to 2 different news accounts. Then read the one sentence in Breda's blog that says it all: "I wish she'd had a gun."

Me too. I wish she'd had a gun; but I will spell it out a bit more. I wish not only that she had had a gun, but that she had unloaded it into her tormentor, and that she was alive today. She can not be with us any longer, but you can remain among the living by preventing yourself from becoming a victim. Think about that. Then arm yourself in a responsible way, and remain vigilant and ready to fight for your life. If you don't value your own life enough to fight for it, you may as well be dead already. It is a shame this young lady lost her battle, she did not deserve to die, she deserved to kick ass and live, because she valued life enough to fight like there was no tomorrow. The thing is, deserving something is not always enough, fighting back is not always enough. You need superiority to win, and a gun or other weapon may have tipped the scales in her favor. Too bad she did not have a gun; but all the wishing in the world will not change the fact that she did not have one or another weapon, that she fell to her assailant, and that she will never again walk this earth. What about you? Are you feeling like this could not happen to you? Are you feeling lucky; or are you arming yourself and preparing to fight back.

All the best,
Glenn B

Unplanned Weight Gain + A New Dog =

... time for some unplanned weight loss. Well, unplanned in that I had not necessarily planned on getting a mutt that needs as much exercise as our new dog Br----- is going to need. Our best guess is that she is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever cross. I don't care what the pound said about her being a Shepard cross. Yeah it could be she has some Shepard of one sort or another in her, but my bet is there is an awful lot of retriever packed into this bloblike slightly flabby pent up ball of energy - you should get a load of the webbed feet. She is a bit overweight at only 11 months old; and I am, at 52, a lot overweight. Her weight is probably due to lack of exercise or overfeeding with her previous owners; my weight gain due to me having recently gained a totally unexpected 10 pounds when I was ill a couple of months ago putting me at an all time high of 2--; oh let's just say I have surpassed pleasingly plump, and the dungarees sure are tight. (Any of you youngsters reading this know what I mean by dungarees?)

So there we were tonight out for a nice leisurely walk. We kept it slow paced since it is obvious that neither one of us has had a good workout in months. As it turned out we walked about 3.1 miles in just about an hour. That included quite a few sniffing stops here and there, a few corrective stops trying to get her to heel, and a short break for us (really for her) because it appears she was favoring one foot (but not as bad as she was two days ago). All in all I figure we will both improve over time. I am none to concerned about speed, but figure 4 or 5 miles per walk would be much better for both of us. For now though, 3 miles is okay by me, especially since we will probably go out walking each evening or night. Even if we only do 2 miles a day, that will be good for the both of us. Br---- will probably get another mile or two in there when my wife walks her in the AM. Who knows, if we keep this up, we may become slim and trim within a few months. I am figuring she needs to lose 10 pounds of flab - and it is okay if it is replaced by toned muscle; and I need to lose about almost as many pounds as I am years old! Yeah, I guess that will take more than a few months; hopefully she can train me right and I will stick with the walks.

All the best,
Glenn B

Enjoy Easter...

...and the celebration of your faith should you be faithful (and so long as your faith does not seek to punch anyone else in the nose like one faith of which we can all think). Today is a day for all rabbit lovers to do the funky Alfonso (yes you have to be a Zappa fan) with glee and reckless abandon within the realm of Christendom for all Christians to hold reverent and to celebrate, although I wonder why Good Friday is not celebrated more so! Good Friday seems to me to be so much much more the important day with the events that took place on it. Then again who wants to celebrate death, I can fully understand celebrating resurrection, and what better time of year to do it than in or just before the Spring. Enough of my pondering though - today is a day for well wishes so let me just say:

HAPPY EASTER

and for those of you

of another faith

let me say

HAPPY PURIM

Now as for me, I too will celebrate Easter - not so much as a religious holiday as I have given up on religion - but as a nice day to celebrate family and friends, good things in the world, and the fact that hope springs eternal; and who knows I too may dance the Funky Alfonso. Of course, I'll celebrate much livelier, and be more likely to dance, if I can find a beer distributor that is open today. I just checked and saw my stock has run low - only about 7 bottles of ale left, and my brothers-in-law are coming over for dinner. Egads, I had best get going before they close, that is if they are open in the first place. Then again if no more beer, I do have an unopened bottle of Irish Whisky around here someplace.

Allthe best,

Glenn B

New Additions...

...to the household were inevitable - I guess. Some I was expecting, and another well it came as sort of a surprise. Yesterday, mid morning, was on the chilly side, not much wind to speak of but damp and dreary, with a steady light rain falling. I was waiting for a package to arrive via UPS overnight, and was promised it would arrive before 1030. Around 0940, I asked my wife to stay on the lookout for the UPS truck so I could go upstairs and shower, to get ready for work. Her response really surprised me when she said: "Its outside by the side door, the UPS guy just left it there." No knock on the front door, no knock on the side door, a car in our driveway so even a 10 year old may have suspected someone was at home, and this guy leaves my package containing 6 Dwarf Bearded Chameleons on my side steps in 40 degree temperatures! I almost flew through the door, grabbed the box, and brought them inside to warm em up. Now these guys being from a mountain range in Africa, one that has mountains over 8,000 feet tall, are used to somewhat cooler temps than many other lizards, but the 40s are a bit low for them.

I got the box open quick, took out the deli cups - two of them - one holding 2 males, and the other holding 4 females, and started to put them into their new tanks. Then wham, I noticed right off, before I even picked up the first one, that one of the females was DOA. Funny, the others looked no worse the wear for the trip they had just made to my place overnight from FL Chams in Florida. I checked through the box, and there was a heat pack in there to keep them warm enough, and it was still warm! I doubt very much that the one died from cold. The other felt not warm to the touch but not cold either. Sort of room temp, which was right at 68. I wondered if the heat pack had made it too warm for them, but I don't know.

Well, I had other things to do instead of wonder about why one had died. I got the other 5 of them into their setups, all planted nicely so they could crawl about on thin vines. The substrate in the tanks was sphagnum moss on which they could crawl about, and which maintains a good moisture level to help keep up the humidity a bit. Not as much as for something like a Dart Frog mind you, but these guys coming from mountains covered in forests like it kind of on the humid side as compared to many other old world chameleons. Once they were all set up in their tanks, I got an email off to the dealer. I took a couple of pics of the DOA chameleon, and attached them to the email. I had a refund in about 5 minutes, well a conditional one anyhow. No conditions for me, but due to not enough funds in the dealer's account to fund the refund. Oh well, as long as it shows up in a couple of days I will not mind. Then I was off to work.

Last night when I got home from work, must have been 10PM, I was taking off my shoes by the side entrance and heard my wife and daughter talking in the living room. Then I heard my daughter giggle, and I looked up into the face of Brownie! Thank goodness she had not rounded the corner with any speed and run into me because I would have tumbled down the cellar stairs just like Humpty Dumpty falling off the wall; and the way my joints have felt lately, you would not have been able to put me together again either. Brownie was the bit of a surprise, the new addition that I sort of had not expected. We had looked at dogs at the North Hempstead Animal Shelter this past weekend, and Brownie (soon to have a new name) was the one there that we really liked. Despite my telling my wife this was the dog for us, and I was as sure as anyone looking at a dog in the pound could be about adopting it, my wife insisted on going to the ASPCA shelter in Manhattan saying she would not make up her mind fast. So off we were in the Corolla to the ASPCA to look at other dogs.

At the ASPCA we waited hours before we were able to see a dog I had seen a there a few days before. Then they would not let me socialize with it because Linda was not with me, nor were my other dogs. This time we got up close and personal, and found Mandy, a silver/gray colored supposed Labrador - Weimaraner mix to be quite playful. The thing was she had been adopted previously, then returned to the ASPCA because of bad behavior. Well so too had Brownie been adopted and returned to the North Hempstead Animal Shelter, but for another reason. Brownie had been born at said shelter. She was adopted as a puppy by a couple with a new born child. They thought it would be great to have their kid grow up with a dog. I guess they never thought of how the dog would outpace the child, and at between 10 to 11 months old, Brownie was overwhelming the child being playful with it. Back to the pound for her - or so went the story we were given by the ladies at the shelter. They seemed honest enough, and each of three ladies had the same story about; more than I can say for the differing stories I got about Mandy at the ASPCA. In the end we decided to wait, even though Linda really now wanted Mandy badly. I thought that was the end of it until at least this Saturday. Err, wrong again! Turned out we have her Brownie as the latest addition to the household, and that is fine by me. I just wish the wife would talk these things over with me first, I almost stopped by the ASPCA to pick up the other one as a surprise for Linda. Man oh man am I ever so happy I decided it would be better to ask her if she wanted Mandy as badly as she had seemed to, instead of bringing her home as a surprise. Two of them would have been way too much with the 2 we have already.

So yes, I was surprised by see the big brown eyes looking at me over brown snout and brown nose, when I got home last night. Except for some brindle striping, and a white blaze on her chest - she is indeed a lighter shade of brown all over. Of course, that name is not satisfactory for my wife or daughter and they changed it to Brina. I would have none of it and laid down the law, we would all have a say in whatever is to be her name - Brownie - Brina or something like Whisky. After socializing with her for a while, including a 45 minute or so walk, it was online for me. Of course she would have none of that, and decided to sit next to me nuzzling me in an attempt to have me pet her some more. I was able to push her off of me, and she was distracted by Pepe our chihuahua and left me alone for awhile.

Then I checked my emails and saw an email from mike at FL Chams about the refund, and in which he wondered why the apparently healthy little female Chameleon he had sent me had died in transit. I wondered too. I took a look again at the shipping container, and at the deli cups in which these little lizards had flown first class overnight express, and I noted two of them had pooped in the container. Well one of the poops had some urea attached too it. Like birds, lizards wee in the form of white powdery clumps of urea; except this one was not white, it was pinkish to light red. Whatever it was, this little gal had been ill from something that had her bleeding internally. Maybe a parasite, maybe an illness, maybe just a blockage that kept her from passing the urea as she should have. That last one was my guess as the urea to fecal ratio was quite high from the look of it. Oh well, I got the refund, sort of, and am happy with the other 5 of them so far. I sent off an email to Mike telling him about my observations and suspicions as to the one that died, and left it at that. The refund is still pending, but I imagine that it will clear when they next make a sale. I suppose that is how it works. All in all, right now I am satisfied with the deal I got on them, and the service from Mike will get a high rating from me pending my receipt of an actual refund. I can tell you now, if the refund comes through as expected, I would give an excellent rating to how they conduct business at FL CHAMS.

For now, I have some chores to take care of in taking care of the new critters. Then I am off to the rheumatologist to tend to my old aching bones and muscles, but I'll not bore you with that. So its later for all of you, I need to get busy.

All the best,

Glenn B