Happy Mothers' Day Mom, Linda, Oma and Marlene,

Dear Moms,

What can I say, except that I love you. If not for you none of my life would have been possible, I would never have been raised the way I was, and never would have wound up the best of your 3 children (jab, jab at the other two - lol). Hope to see you around for at least 10 or 15 more of these.

The pic at the left is one of the most recent I have of you (it's my mom and my nephew Daniel).

I don't have a heck of a lot of pictures of you on the computer, but figured I would post this one for all the world to see my wonderful mom on mother's day. Someday soon, I'll have to go through the pictures in the shoe boxes and pick some to scan into the PC.

Even though I do not have a lot of them, here is another, this one with you, Celina and Brendan at Christmas back in the apartment in Glendale. Plastic covers on the sofa and arm chair; I cannot believe we ever did that - can you? Look at how small Celina and Brendan were back then. Wow that had to be about 1992 when she was about 8 and he was about 3! The good old days I suppose. Remember you always told me to enjoy them then, cause they won't get any better. Well I took your advice and enjoyed them then, but they still wound up getting better, and better and better. Just look at em today, and you know that they did. Celina is going for her Master's Degree and Brendan is about to graduate high school.

Then how could they have turned out great without your influence on me, then mine on them (crazy as I can be). I guess they could not have though I'll admit I owe a lot in their upbringing, and so do they, to that other woman in my life who is both a mother and one who must be adored - their mom, my dearest (my only) Linda. Nope I could not have done a thing with the children without Linda - that is for sure. She is the one who kept both of them on the sane side while they were growing up, and that was a good thing. For that, and other things, I love her dearly. She is a great wife, and even a better mom - and I am sure both Celina and Brendan could tell you how wonderful a mom she has been. If our beloved Sprocket (the dog in the pic) could have spoken while she was still with us, she would have surely told you the same.

Now there is, of course, another mother in my life without whom none of this stuff about my wife and kids would be possible. That is my mother-in-law - Oma. I mean, if it wasn't for her there would have been no Linda, no one to fill my life with joy, and no one to give me the best two kids anyone has ever had. Not only did she give me a good wife, she gave me a good wife who loves dogs, and therefore was also able to put up with all the other pets we would have over the years like a cat, birds, snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs, newts, fish, mice and hamsters to name a few. Yes you can see from this pic that the Oma is an animal lover, but I'd bet I could never get her to pose like that with one of the other pets I mentioned except maybe the cat.

Finally, one other mother in my life needs mention, because she is the one who is taking care of Granny right now. That would be my wonderful sister Marlene. Along with Uncle David, and Daniel there are doing one heck of a good job of keeping granny happy, and looking forward to future mothers' days to come. Somehow, despite the crazy upbringing (that would be my influence in her life), my sister turned out to be alright as an adult and did not wind up in an asylum as a convicted psycho killer. Go figure, but Doctor Spock was wrong about whatever it was about how he said to raise children because that is not the way any of us were raised and my sister turned out to become a loving mother, a loving wife, a loving daughter, and a loving sister.

Of course there is always the argument that listening a bit more to quacks like Doctor Spock may have helped in the upbringing of your children. I mean just take a look at your two sons, and you could get the idea that something was just a teeny little bit askew. I am not going to give any commentary on the next pic, except to say that it is Uncle Raymond (my brother).

Well maybe just a little bit of commentary - who could love a face like that? Only a mother, and I guess a wife, and uncle Raymond got a good one in Tante Lorraine. One other comment - there but for the grace of God - go I. Ha, ha!

Tante Lorraine is a wonderful gal, she took care of the black sheep of the family and I have to give her credit for keeping him under control. They make one heck of a nice couple, nicer on her side of course!

Well moms, I guess that it is for now. Hope you are all having a happy mothers' day because you are the best.

Now I had best get my butt in overdrive because I have to be at Tante Lorraine's and Uncle Raymond's in a half hour so we can all drive out to see granny.

Love you all,

Glenn

37 to 12

That is the number of blogs - 37, to which I link over on the right side of my blog that do not provide a reciprocal link to my blog as compared to the ones - 12, that do provide a reciprocal link back to my blog. Actually that number was a bit higher on the nonreciprocating side, but I moved one of those blogs to the News Section (Michael Savage - because his is not really a blog per se), and I totally removed one or two other blogs because after long consideration I figured I could not stand them (just my personal opinion - so why keep link to them since my opinion of them has changed). Then I moved around the blogs into two categories - those who provide me the courtesy of a reciprocal link, and those who have blogs wherein I could not find that courtesy (hopefully I did not screw up). Of course if the courtesy comes my way, I'll have more rearranging to do. Note while I do not agree with everything written by all the bloggers to whom I link, I find a lot of their stuff interesting enough to link to them, or agree with them often enough to think they merit a link, and think you will find it likewise. Some of them are outright fascinating.

Allow me to say thank you to those of you who showed me that little courtesy.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History - Modern America Made Possible

A lot of things happened today in history that made the world a worse or better place, and that truly effected the United States of America in a big way. Today is a significant day regarding important, if not great leaders, for example on this day in 1863 General Thomas Stonewall Jackson passes onto the great beyond due to injuries and disease, in 1865 Jefferson Davis the president of the Confederacy is captured by Union forces, in 1924 (heck the year my mom was born) J. Edgar Hoover was appointed as the head of the FBI, in 1940 Sir Winston Churchill become Prime Minister of great Britain (you ca bet this effected U.S. History). There were important births on this day too: 1730 George Ross a signer of the Declaration of Independence was born in New Castle, Delaware, and the notorious (and I would hope you know why he was notorious) John Wilkes Booth was born in 1838. Some events mark this as a particularly noteworthy day for the USA: in 1775 the Green Mountain Boys led by Etan Allen and Benedict Arnold take Fort Ticonderoga from the British without firing a shot, in 1872 Virginia Woodhull is the first woman to be nominated for the presidency of the United States, the USS Triton completes the first underwater circumnavigation of the earth in 1960 (something of my early childhood); but I don't want to talk about them. All of the above listed events, with the exception of Churchill taking over in England, pale in comparison to the events and years of effort that led up to a ceremony that took place today. That ceremony symbolized something that formed the United States of America as we know her as one of, if not, the greatest nation on the earth.

Today, May 10, 1869 , was the day that the Golden Spike was driven. The Golden Spike was a ceremonial railroad spike, and it was driven into the rails at Promontory Summit, Utah. The spike itself, though golden, really means little; the driving of it home into the rails at the junction where the locomotives of two mighty railroad companies - The Union Pacific's 119 and The Central Pacific's Jupiter - met cowcatcher to cowcatcher meant a great deal. You see, that spike was the final spike put into place in what became known as the First Transcontinental Railroad. The railroad was authorized by law, backed by the federal government, and is one of the great works pushed for by Abraham Lincoln although not finished until a few years after his assassination at the hands of the notorious John Wilkes Booth (whom you may recall just so happened to be born on this day in 1838 - what irony that he drove home a piece of lead in an attempt to divide the nation, and it was a spike of gold, driven into place due in part to his fallen target, that united her eventually, though not in 1869, from coast to coast).

The completion of the railroad assured future wealth for America. It opened the west to settler as nothing had that preceded it. Yet not all was made golden with its completion. For with the completion of the First Transcontinental railroad came other things that showed a darker side of America. With it came the Buffalo Hunters, and with them came a hail of lead that would decimate the bison herds throughout the plains states. With the demise of the buffalo came the fall of the Plains Indian Nations, and the destruction of much of the flora and fauna of the Great Plains. Hordes of Chinese immigrants entered the United States to work on the lines, only later to be the only legally admitted group to be forced to leave the USA in huge numbers. Yes, the railroad was entwined with some of our darker moments. Still though, the United States grew as a result, and at a faster pace than could ever have been imagined when only stage lines, and caravans of settlers wagon trains crossed from one side of the country to the other.

With the railroad came technological achievements (steam engine improvements and so forth), architectural achievements (building bridges and the like), and the opening of the west that allowed for increased settlement and trade. Where traveling from coast to coast had once taken almost 6 months, or more, it could now be completed in only a week. The United States had stepped into a new age, at a speed never before imagined. Looking at all the good and the bad associated with it, I have to think it was good more so than bad, and though I will not belittle the bad that came of it, I certainly cannot diminish the good because of the bad. Both sides of the deeds done stand out on their own in testimony to the building of a great nation and all that comes with it.

To see where I found this information, and for more about all of it, please see:

First Transcontinental Railroad : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Transcontinental_Railroad, and http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/places/states/utah/ut_promontory.htm

Golden Spike: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_spike

USS Triton: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Triton_%28SSRN-586%29, and http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/t8/triton-v.htm

Fort Ticonderoga: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Ticonderoga

Victoria Woodhull: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563714/Victoria_Woodhull.html

Winston Churchill: http://encarta.msn.com/sidebar_1741503234/Churchill_Blood_Toil_Tears_and_Sweat_.html

Many of The Above Dates and Events: http://www.historynet.com/today_in_history (note the apparent error on this one about which submarine first circumnavigated the globe while underwater

Take a look at some of the links, something else that intrigues you may just catch your eye. For me it was the union of a nation, for you it maybe something else.

All the best,

Glenn B

Shark Surfing

There go I but for the grace of God having allowed me to stand in line when they handed out the brains. If this is for real, and who knows it could be, I think the name of the website from whence came this video says it all: StupidVideos.com. The only thing I cannot figure is how he threw the pole off of the pier then retrieved it. To the best of my knowledge fishing poles with reels attached do not float - but who knows. As for the shark in close to the pier like that - I remember my visits to Pacific Beach in San Diego when I lived in CA while in the Border Patrol. There were always surfers, and always guys fishing for sharks from the pier. In fact I saw quite a few sharks swimming by under the pier, and a few caught by the fishermen. Never saw a surfer do something like this though.

All the best,

Glenn B

Balls, Balls everywhere...

...but not a rubber one to bounce. In fact I have 33 new balls - Ball Pythons that is! No I am not an eccentric kook who keeps exorbitant numbers of animals, I bought these so I can trade or sell them later, and maybe even donate a few to a herp society.

Ball Pythons are also called Royal Pythons (Python regius). There are about 15 of them in the accompanying pic, all babies, and if you click on it to enlarge it you can see about 6 heads if you look closely. They are a smaller sized python, they reach about 4 to 6 feet long maximum. Not all pythons are the giants of jungle lore, in fact most are much smaller than the Burmese Pythons that can reach fairly incredible lengths. The Ball Python comes from western Africa, and is found in such countries as Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria to name but a few of their home countries. They thrive in grasslands, and lightly wooded areas; and do a good job of keeping the local rodent population in check - as rodents are their main source of prey. They are a fairly docile and timid snake, thus they got their name from the habit they having off forming their bodies into a somewhat ball shape when threatened. What they do is form a ball, and the head searches out a hole into which to escape if possible. Of course they can also strike and bite, as my fingers could tell you if they could talk, though most don't bite.

These are one of the most commonly bred snakes in captivity; yet export of ball pythons is also a regular trade. Exportation of them occurs in great numbers at this precise time of the year. As opposed to what you may think, export of Ball Pythons probably does not currently pose a risk to their populations because of laws in place to protect them. These laws, in effect in countries like Ghana, require that captive ball python females be allowed to lay their eggs in captivity. Then a certain number of the hatchlings are allowed to be exported while the remaining percentage of them are returned to the wild. So the great majority of imported Ball Pythons appearing in any country outside of Africa are what are called captive hatched, or captive born (as opposed to captive bred and born). The ones I got came about in this manner. I do not import them, nor buy them from an importer (would be a conflict of interest with my job to do so), but rather I buy from a wholesale dealer who probably bought them from the importer. In effect I buy them only after they have entered the internal commerce of the country, and this keeps my employer happy because then there is no conflict of interest.

What I will do with them now is get them to shed, eat their first few meals, and then hopefully sell them at a small profit to help support my reptile and amphibian keeping hobby. I'll try to sell them at my local herp (herpetological) society meetings, at a local Reptile Expo, and maybe to some pet shops. If I am lucky, I will not go broke feeding them before I sell them. Some will also likely be donated to the Long Island Herpetological Society as prizes for our monthly meetings. I also may trade one of two of them for something that catches my eye, but they probably do not have much trade value. Finally, I may wind up keeping two or three and then attempt to mate them in about 3 years from now when they would be of breedable size and age (that is for ones well cared for while kept in captivity, wild snakes probably mature more slowly due to environmental conditions such as food supply or lack of it, droughts, diseases, parasites and so forth).

Ball Pythons come in many color morphs or variations. Some of these are genetic variations and are highly prized in the pet industry. Dependent upon the morph, a ball python can sell for anywhere from about $10.00 to $20,000.00 (maybe more). A few years ago, the most rare of the morphs was selling for well over $100,000.00. There is big money to be made in the reptile business if you are a specialty breeder. Then again I can make a little money too, but certainly not a whole heck of a lot; and with luck I'll make a few dollars profit on each snake. If not then hopefully I will at least break even and have had fun dealing in them.

All the best,
Glenn B

It's Nice To Know Who Returns A Courtesy...

...and nice to know who does not. I guess I do not understand the world of bloggers, although I certainly have tried; or maybe I do understand - and if I do well it just ain't no different from the rest of the world. There are people out there who when shown a courtesy and given a compliment would show a courtesy back at you, even if they decided not to return a compliment. They direct a courtesy back to you because, even maybe while they do not necessarily agree with you or maybe they just don't even like you enough to give you a compliment, they are respectful folks and they know one of life's best kept rules is that one good deed deserves another. They also see a courtesy given to them as a good deed. So it would make sense that if one blogger provides a link on his blog to the site of another blogger, then that other blogger would return the courtesy; but of course that would only make sense if the other blogger was a respectful type of person.

Of course this does not necessarily mean that someone who fails to return the courtesy of a link with a reciprocal link is a cad; there could be plenty of reasons they do not link back. Some of those reasons could be that a courteous and respectful blogger who has not provided the reciprocal link has not: realized his site was linked to on the other site, updated his site in a while, remembered to provide the reciprocal link, does not provide links as a matter of principal. Then again, the blogger who does not provide a reciprocal link could just be an out and out arrogant, disrespectful, discourteous asshole - although I will admit this type is probably the rare exception. I suppose there could also be a number of other reasons, and it is not that they elude my train of thought right now but rather that I am sure you can think of them yourselves.

I have not quite figured out yet, who of the bloggers for whom I provide a link on my list of links fits in any of the above categories - that is except for two of those categories - those who do not normally provide reciprocal links for whatever reason, and those who have had the courtesy and decency to provide a reciprocal link to my site on their blogs. I also know that out of the first 30 links I have provided to the sites of other bloggers, there are only 7 who showed me the same courtesy in return. So I think a little gardening on my side plot of linked sites is about due. Now I have to decide if I want to treat the non-reciprocating bloggers as weeds and just yank em out by the roots, or if I want to treat them as belonging in their own little brier patch apart from those flowers of respect and decency who had the courtesy grace my garden with a link to my blog. Pretty flowery analogies emanating through my keyboard, but not one word of bullshit to be found, I used all of the manure I had on hand in my real garden.

Well, I'll check the rest of the blogs to see how many others reciprocate with a link to my site, and then I guess I'll give it a good think over the next few days on how I should handle it, and if I should do anything at all. I am pretty sure I will do something, and that weeding and replanting will be taking place in the near future with some. By the way, this is not any sort of a threat to those who don't link back to my site on their own sites. I am not foolish enough to think that my removing a link to your site from my little blog has any effect as any sort of threat, and besides that why would I bother with trying to threaten someone into being courteous. Courtesy is a thing you learn, and then that you develop as your character develops. Making any sort of a threat in order to try to guide someone toward becoming courteous would be counterproductive, and is certainly not something I would even think of attempting with a grown adult who has already developed their own character to either include or exclude common courtesy. Of course, if this rant reminds you that you somehow forgot to give me a link on your site to mine, and then you do me that courtesy, that would be nice of you. A reminder it may be, a threat no - not in the least.

I figure most of the bloggers who visit my site are nice folks. I can sort of tell that from what they have written about in their own blogs, and from the quality of comments they have sometimes left on my blog. I would hate to inadvertently offend any of them by having them think that I believe them to be less than nice people, or that I am making some sort of ludicrous threat when I am not. So please, if you are one of the folks who has not linked to this site on your own site, just take my current rant and any action I take concerning weeding or replanting of non-reciprocating bloggers as me being me, and as me blogging about something that is important to me.

One last thing. If you are a blogger, and provide a link to my blog on your own and I have not given you the courtesy of which I have written - well it is most probably because I am not aware you link to this blog. If that is the the case, please let me know you have extended a courtesy to me, and I will gladly return it to you. Thanks.

All the best,
Glenn B

I toned down the above, the morning immediately after I first posted it. Why? Well because I don't want to be offensive to those who read it and are not among the disrespectful type of bloggers who do not give the least bit of concern to common courtesy. I know my fellow bloggers, the ones to whom I have linked on my blog, better than that. I believe you are rather nice people, and would not have wanted to have you believe otherwise because of the way I had previously phrased some things above.

Out Of Touch With The Voters...

...is how I see the candidates on the Democrat side, and I am just talking about them being out of touch with the voters in their own party. I heard this morning, on Fox News, and I believe again on CNN, that no matter how the Democrat primary elections pan out from here until they end, the fact is that Hillary Rodham-Clinton will trail Barack Hussein Obama by more than 150 delegates. If that is correct, then there is no possible way that Clinton can win the primaries. In fact, it means she has already lost and that Obama is the choice of those who have voted in the primaries. Yes I know all about Florida, and was it Michigan, the states in which Clinton apparently broke her pledge of record. They should not, and do not, as far as I am aware, count in this primary. At least they should not count unless done over, and a do over in either state seems unlikely. Even if Florida counted, Clinton would trail. So it appears that when things were run fairly and evenly, the Democrats who voted picked Obama.

Yet the race is not over. Clinton, who has always been on her high horse and out of touch with the people, has decided to stay the course (hmm - where have I heard that before). She decided on that despite her staying the course being in opposition to the will of the people (boy that really rings some bells of familiarity). She apparently is going to go to the Democrat convention and hope that the SUPER delegates give her the nod and select her as the candidate of the Democrat party over Obama! Can you imagine that - SUPER delegates - like what - supermen? Like people who are better than the rest of the Democrats who voted, like delegates who know better than the rest of the Democrats who voted, like some sort of bygone elite class of wundermen (boy that sure sounds familiar too, in a really scary sort of a way)! If they actually bully the whole Democrat party, and disregard the decision of the voters to give Clinton the nod, and she becomes the candidate, well all I can say is it will be time to stock up on guns and ammo. No, not so much because of the pending bans that will come if she is elected, but rather because the USA will have started to look all to much like a Western European nation in the early to mid 1930s (lest you chide me, remember they started out by looking like a rather benign, even whimsically foolish political party and probably less foolish than do these super delegates look today). I for one intend to protect the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies - foreign and domestic; though I must admit - I hope it never comes to that - and I hope this will all blow over and the will of the people - even if Democrats - be honored at least in regard to their own political primaries. You know I want to see the Dems resoundingly defeated in November; but I sure do not want to see an appointed class of self righteous supermen trying to wrest power from whence it truly comes, and that is from We The People whether we are Democrat, Republican, Independent or yet of another political party!

All the best,
Glenn B

New Addition - A Face Not Even A Mother Could Love...

...but somehow a lizard lover certainly could become enamored over this mug. This my friends is the latest addition to my herp collection, albeit only a temporary guest among the many critters that inhabit or stopover at my home. I picked it up from someone who could no longer give it the care it needed, and promised to find it a good home and care for it until I did so. Well I have already found it a good person to care for it, in a home it will share with two others of its kind, but just have not had the chance to deliver it yet.

I guess that by now you must be wondering exactly what kind of lizard it is, that is if you don't know already. My guess is that some few of you may know, and others like Jungle Mom are sitting on the edge of your seats waiting to find out, yet being grossed out every moment you spend staring at it. It is a Sudan Plated Lizard, or in the scientific lingo: Gerrhosaurus major.

They come from eastern and southeastern Africa (like The Sudan) and live in semi-arid grasslands, deserts, and rocky areas. Despite this one mugging it up for the camera, in nature they are quite shy and often spend great parts of a day hidden in termite mounds and animal burrows. They are fond of a variety of insects, bugs (like millipedes), fruits and some other vegetable manner. In general they are opportunistic omnivorous feeders. My guess is they would eat anything that crawled small enough for them to easily overcome, and also add whatever fruits they can devour to their diets in nature. They are not an endangered species, and are readily available in the pet trade. Most are wild caught individuals, and while usually easily acclimated to captivity - captive bred specimens would be the preferred type to keep. Most tame very easily, and become regular family type pets. Brief but specific care requirements can be found here: http://www.reptileallsorts.com/basic-spl-cs.htm.

Now I almost cannot wait for the next additions due on this Thursday - 33 Ball Pythons! I guess that is another story in the making.

All the best,

Glenn B

The Weekend - The Get Together - The Gun Show

Saturday May 3rd has come and gone. As I had promised myself, my son, my friends Charlie and Pete and Charlie's brother-in-law Rob, I drove up to the gun show in Middletown to meet all of them except Brendan there. Brendan was supposed to come with me but could not get out of Lacrosse practice since he came with me and Linda last weekend when we visited my mom. The coach is pretty strict and I figure if Brendan is willing to go with the discipline - good for him.

So there I was driving my wife to the auto mechanic on Saturday morning at 0800 to pick up the Ford, so she could take that to work. Yep the old piece of shit Ford needed $411.00 of work pretty much precluding me buying any guns at the gun show unless I sold something first. When we got there, Linda hopped into the Taurus, and I went inside to pay. Then I was off in the Toyota (saving gas instead of using the Ford for the 85 mile, each way, trip). The Corolla made it without a hitch and before I knew it I was getting off exit 120 in Middletown (Route 211). Good thing that that was my exit, because right there near the bottom of the ramp was a Lowes. I made a quick stop, picked up a can of stain for my front door, and decided to kill two birds with one stone and also bought a couple of wood dowels, a length of yellow nylon 1/4" rope, and a Sharpie marker. Then I drove the couple of miles to the Orange County Fairgrounds and the gun show. Once parked - very close to the entrance despite the crowded parking lot - I popped the trunk and went to work.

What I was doing bent over my trunk was getting to work with marker, paper and dowels. It went something like this: Marlin Model 56 Levermatic, .22LR $150 plus NICS fee, J.C. Higgins Model 43 .22LR $100 plus NICS fee (I was told the fee could run anywhere from $10 to $45 - what a rip off). I cut three pieces of rope, tied the one piece onto each of those two rifles, keeping a piece in reserve in case I later got out the Mosin Nagant M44. I stuck the dowels down the barrels of the two 22s, and made flags at the end of the dowels protruding from the barrels with the little for sale signs I had just made up. Now I knew for a fact that I could sell these legally inside the show; but being respectful of the show promoters and the police I did something first before walking right inside with them slung over my shoulders.

First thing, I secured the trunk. Then I went to the front to look for my buddies; not there, so I paid the $8 entry fee (would have been $9 but I had a dollar off coupon - funny how the price has gone up each time I go to a gun show, but that dollar off coupon always stays only a dollar off), and I went inside. As I went in, I asked the guy taking tickets at the entrance if it was legal to sell guns in a private transaction at the show - he answered yes. Then I saw a couple of state troopers talking to a suit. I also asked them. I already knew the answer but wanted to make sure to keep it on the up and up. They said it was legal and confirmed I would have to get a dealer to do a NICS check on anyone who was not a dealer to whom I sold a firearm (I think that is technically wrong, holders of a 01 FFL or of a pistol permit don't need the check as far as I am aware). Then I took a quick walk around to look for my buddies. I did not see them, but saw a guy walking out of the show with several .50 caliber ammo cans in great condition. So instead of heading right back to the car, I asked him where he had bought them. He told me and I grabbed 4 right way since they sell out fast.

I brought them out to my car to put em in the trunk. Funny thing was those two state troopers followed me. I saw them behind me and did not realize they were actually following me at first, they made it look nonchalant. Yet after I got to my car, and had been bent over my trunk a minute or two arranging the ammo cans and other stuff in there, I came up for air and there they were about 25 feet away, both craning their necks to watch what I was doing. They both snapped their necks so fast into the other direction when I looked up I was surprised their heads did not come off. I guess those two officers should have figured I was going to sell my rifles inside, instead of illegally in the parking lot, since I had the respect to ask them if it was okay before just walking into the place with them slung over my shoulders, but there they were. Oh well, doing their jobs I suppose. I closed the trunk and left the rifles inside of it. I wonder if they were disappointed.

Then back into the show, this time to look around with a keen eye for my pals. This time I only showed my stamped hand for reentry. Once inside I kept an eye out for the guys, and suddenly there was Charlie. I called him over to me, and he let me know Rob could not make it. We both wondered where Pete was since neither of us had seen him, and I told Charlie about Brendan not being able to make it because of his lacrosse practice. We talked for a few minutes, and I decided to go back tot eh car to grab my rifles for sale. This time no police escort. I made sure the makeshift slings were secure, slung the two 22s one over each shoulder, and went back inside to meet up with Charlie. We made the rounds of all the tables. Not bad as gun shows go nowadays in this neck of the woods. I saw lots of guns for sale and that was somewhat of a surprise. Now you might think, hey wait a minute - why wouldn't you see lots of guns at a gun show? Well in recent years with all the restrictive laws put in place for gun shows, there had been a decline in sales. What wound up happening is that you would go to a gun show and see more tables of knives, beef jerky, gadgets, and books for sale than you would see of guns and ammo. My guess though was that this sale had about at least 75% of the tables showing guns for sale, maybe even 85%. That was a good thing, though I will admit the prices were sky high. No great deals at this show, well except for those two on my shoulders.

Charlie and I kept up our search for Pete as we walked around (he never showed up much to our dismay), and we kept an eye out for things we wanted or needed. Besides the ammo cans, I picked up a cleaning kit for an M1 Garand (for a buddy at work), a camo back pack (for a grab and go emergency kit), and was on the lookout for a couple of bricks of .22LR ammo. Sadly there were only two vendors selling any good amount of ammo, one was selling collectible stuff, the other shootable stuff. The one with the shooting ammo did not have even one box of .22LR ammo. Go figure - the most popular cartridge ever, and this moron gentleman was not selling any of it! As we walked around, I had a few people stop me to ask about my rifles, but only one seemed really interested. He went off to look for a dealer for a NICS check or so he said, and he said he would look for me again if he could find one. Sure enough he stopped me again later, but had a newly purchased rifle in hand; but this time he had a buddy in tow. His friend looked at the marlin, but decided against it. Charlies was off still walking around and I was looking at my Marlins big brother in .22 magnum on a table when suddenly the dealer at that table asked: "How much do you want for the Marlin?". Heck he had seen the sign, I would have thought so, but I just said $150, and he immediately and much to my delight said "sold". I completed the transaction and now had $150 for a rifle for which I paid, well let's just say, for which I paid less. Sure I could have probably asked $200, maybe even $250, but I was happy to get a fairly quick sale and be rid of it and its two after market magazines.

After the sale, I looked around for Charlie and spotted him near the front door. He was talking about picking up a pre-ban AR15 (yes NY State still has the ban). He had been holding my other rifle for me since my shoulder had been hurting, and I took it from him and brought it back to the dealer who had just bought the Marlin. He showed no interest at all in the J.C. Higgins. After having asked, it no it did not hurt to ask, I looked around for Charlie. He was one row of tables over from me, eagerly looking at a pre-ban AR15, for which the dealer wanted $1400; but for which Charlie would only go a grand. The dealer would not budge on price, not even a few bucks. Soon after that we decided to call it a day, having spent a few hours at the show. We exited, and took stock outside of what we had purchased. Then Charlie remembered something he wanted but failed to buy, so back inside for him as I waited outside. He picked up some ammo cans himself; and he also grabbed one for me as a gift. That was nice. Then just as he got back, I remembered I wanted some strike anywhere matches they were selling at a table near the front door. I picked up three boxes and a couple of waterproof match cases. Did I mention they sell survival gear at these shows besides just guns and ammo?

Then we were off, but not yet apart. We headed out to grab lunch, stopped at McDonald's,
and actually enjoyed a coup,e of Big Macs (one apiece). As we did I told Charlie again about something I had brought up inside the show - Gander Mountain. He had not wanted to take the extra time to stop there, but I explained again it was only about 1/2 mile away, and it was a store he should not miss if he had never been there. He reluctantly agreed to go with me. Once inside he did not seem impressed. Charlie is not a hiker, camper, backpacker, fisherman, boater; and we passed ost of those departments on the way to the gun department. Once there though his eyes opened wide and a huge smile broke out on his face. He pulled me aside and said 'this place is great'. Charlie got some ammo he could not find at the show and was very pleased. I picked up a rifle cleaning pad, and then went to the bait department and got 15 crayfish (food for my pet Musk Turtle). I would have also bought a brick of .22 ammo there but they wanted $19.95 for a brick of ammo that was worth about $12.00. After that we split up, Charlie headed home and I drove to Wal-Mart just up the road a bit. There i picked up a box of 550 rounds of loose federal 22LR, and 100 rounds of Federal shotgun shells for trap at a much better price than offered at Gander Mountain. While gander Mountain is on the expensive side for ammo, I will admit they probably have the caliber for which you are looking and if you need it you would probably pay the price. Of course while at Wal-Mart, I also picked up a little something for Linda. Not my usual place to shop for gifts for anyone, but on the way to the sporting goods department, I saw a nice garden figurine of a boy with fishing pole over his shoulder, pulling a wagon, the wagon holding a puppy and a bucket with a trout in it. When I got home and showed it to she who must be adored, she loved it.

So I never bought a gun at the gun show, though I did sell one, and i did have one heck of a fun time with my good friend Charlie. Too bad the others could not have made it, it would have been so much more fun had they been there. We had also wished our buddy Don could have been there, but since he lives in Wyoming now, I guess it would not have been a cost effective trip for him. We missed him too since we had been to a few shows together when we used to work with him years ago. Still though it was good to have been there with at least one good friend; and nice to think that there will be other such shows in the future when the other guys may be there too; I hope so.

All the best,
Glenn B

An Apology Due To My Lack of Blogging

Sorry for the lack of blogging over the past 4 days. Some nights when I get home from work I am just too pooped. Getting older I guess. Some other times I just don't have the inspiration. Other times it's both.

I have a few things lined up to blog about over the next few days. For instance I went to a Gun Show yesterday. Pretty much fun because I met an old friend there, but missed some others I wished could have made it. Not as much fun as in years gone by because of the lousy selection and prices, but that will be its own story.

I also have a new addition to the reptile collection. It won't be with me for long, as it was an adoption I took from someone to essentially adopt out to someone else. Easier for me to make sure it gets to someone who will care for it properly, and in the meantime I have another mouth to feed, and something else of which to snap some shots for your viewing pleasure.

Of course I could talk about politics, even though I am getting sick of it, I guess it needs talking about now and then.

Then there is the garden, that is starting to come along too. So as you can see I do have stuff lined up. Later for more blogging though, right now I have to clean my animals, clean the basement, do some gardening, and maybe refinish our front door if it looks as if the rain will hold off. I have to do all that before the liquor store closes because I'd like to pick up a bottle of Vodka. I have sworn off of beers and ales for the most part because I just started a diet. Again, that is another story to come.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Frirearms Training & Tactics - The Rule of 45 (with video)

DISCLAIMER: Remember, the following is my opinion. I show you these things for legitimate firearms training purposes only such as self defense, and not for use in criminal or irresponsible activity. As usual, the earth has no gravity - it just sucks - mostly because of irresponsible and criminal assholes, and shark like lawyers, so here comes my disclaimer: If you read this blog or copy thereof, view the video or copy thereof, listen to the audio or copy thereof, you do so at your own risk and you must agree to the following before doing so. If you do not agree now, then stop reading and do not view the attached video or listen to the audio. Your viewing the video, and or listening to the audio, and or reading my written content herein (or copy(ies) thereof) constitute your agreement with all of my terms; including holding me harmless, and indemnifying me against any claim by you or a third party for any use of this information. You agree to be held liable for your use, in any manner, of this information, and for the use of this information by others to whom you pass on this information either directly or indirectly, in part or in whole, in any manner. If you use, copy, demonstrate, teach, discuss, direct anyone to, anything I have described, written about, shown video of, or presented audio of, you do so at your own risk and you assume all risk to you and to others in any way connected to you having done so whether or not caused directly or indirectly on your part, or caused in part or in whole by you. If you are under 18, please get the permission of a parent or legal guardian before viewing the following. If you have a problem with any of the above, cease from going any further in this blog, and do not view the attached video or listen to the audio.

Over at THR recently, someone who said she had small hands and therefore could not reach the controls on a pistol to operate it one handed asked a question about which type of pistol would be a good size for her. I red the other replies from other knowledgeable shooters. Many of them recommended fall frame pistols, those with single stack magazines, and I think some even recommended a revolver instead of a semi auto. I thought about it for a while before answering, and as I expected I would, I in essence told her almost all pistols are the right size for her.

I said that because I know there is a way around the problem of a small hand shooting a larger gripped semi-automatic pistol. This is of course within limits; and if your hand is so small as to make it either extremely impractical or virtually impossible then don't try this method with a large frame pistol. On the other hand, if you can properly grip grips of a medium to larger pistol, hold it properly, then fire it, the chances are that you can probably use what was taught to me as the rule of 45 to help make it easier to operate the magazine release, and the slide release of the pistol one handed.

Before you look at the video, let me tell you some of the things you may hear from others about why you should never operate a pistol's slide release single handed if you other hand is fully functional. They say hold the pistol in the ready to fire grip, and operate the slide release with the off hand. Fine if you can do it, not so fine if you cannot do it for a number of reasons. Many others will say, you should always slingshot the slide closed to reload, again usually requiring 2 hands, but I will answer it is not always possible. For instance your other hand is holding back a close in attacker; or you may be hanging onto to something to prevent your falling, or you may be pulling an innocent out of the line of fire, or whatever else could and does happen in the real world no matter how likely or unlikely it would be, but at the same time it is happening and you need to operate your pistol with one hand. Many also tell you to always operate the magazine release with the thumb of the off shooting hand, but again sometimes that hand could be occupied - for example it could already be coming up to the pistol with a fresh magazine for a reload, making for a faster reload than by first having it hit the mag release, then grab for the mag, then insert the mag. Even if it comes up mag in hand, and the other mag did not drop, you can use that hand or the mag in it to free the stuck magazine.

Then there are the times when a hand, for this example we will use the weak or off side shooting shooting hand (if you grip the pistol right handed and therefore fire with the trigger finger on that hand, then it is the strong hand, or on side shooting hand) is out of play. It does not function. Why - well heck you are in an armed confrontation. Three people have just attacked you, one fired shots and the bullets ripped through your left arm. You fired back several shots, you have made it to cover, you cannot feel your left arm or hand, it is not functional at all. Behind cover you take a couple more shots at your assailants taking out one of them. There are two more. You need to reload. What do you do? You operate the magazine release one handed to unload the spent magazine (or in the case of a 'break-in-the-combat' reload you may drop a partially full mag and exchange it with a full one). In any case like this, you need to get the magazine out with your strong side hand only. Let's say you are a female state trooper. You are on the petite side. Your hands are not all that big. Yet your issue sidearm is a Beretta 92FS. You have small hands, a pistol with a big grip, and a wide grip because of a double stack magazine. Your thumb barely reaches the magazine release button. What do you do?

Well if you want to do it fast, you tilt the pistol back toward you at a 45 degree angle. No the muzzle does not point at you. Instead of pointing straight out in front of you though, it is now pointing at about 45 degrees to your left. You accomplish this by holding the trigger finger along the right side of the frame, and curling it back a bit then pushing with it to start to angle the pistol, all the while as you other fingers grip with a somewhat relaxed grip on the pistol grips. In fact the other fingers can help shift the grips too, as will be seen in the attached video. Bear in mind I forgot to mention using the trigger finger to help angle the pistol in the audio portion of the show, so I mentioned here, though in one shot you will see that is what I have done. Once in the 45 degree position, your trigger finger can go right back along the side of the slide (always keeping it out of the trigger area), your strong side thumb - be you a small handed shoot, or a medium or even a large handed shooter - will now have better access to the magazine release, and come at it on a more powerful angle to release its grip on the mag. The same will be true of operating the slide release, all working virtually the same, and your thumb winding up on the release in a position better able to activate the release if you use the rule of 45. Of course there are a number of other methods to close the slide in a one handed reload, other than using your thumb on the slide release; however if you choose to release the slide with your thumb, then I suggest to remember to again use the rule of 45.

It is simple, straight forward (or should I say canted to 45) and quite effective. While a one handed thumb release of the slidelock is not necessarily the preferred manner of releasing the slide when you have only one functional hand, using the thumb of that same 'only' functional hand is the preferred way to operate the mag release. Using the rule of 45 makes it easier, from what I have seen, for the majority of those who have learned the technique to operate those functions regardless of small hands, medium hands or even large hands.



This technique requires practice - with an unloaded gun and an unloaded magazine. If you read this, then watched the video, then tried and could not get it right, you need to see a firearms instructor, who is familiar with this method, and who can show you how to get it right before you ever try this with live ammo in the pistol and or magazine. Always practice this in a safe environment and follow the rules of gun safety. Note that this only works when the mag release is midway up the side of the grip, preferable near the front strap. Don't try this with old fashioned European magazine releases at the bottom of the grip frame, or basically in the middle of the grips.

Bear in mind that this blog was in essence only about how to operate the magazine release and slide release using the rule of 45. There are many other ways to operate these two controls in emergency situations when you only have one hand available to you. I am not saying this is the best method or not the best method; but I do believe the rule of 45 to be a technique that will allow someone with smaller hands, to more easily reach both the magazine release and slide release on most modern day self defense pistols; and I believe it makes it easier for even those with medium to large sized hands.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Firearms Training & Tactics - Oiling Your Gun Revisited

I was a bit hasty in my recent write-up about oiling firearms, and I neglected to mention a very important point. Oil is a liquid and therefore is subject to the laws of nature that effect liquids. While it is a great lubricant and protectant you have to bear in mind a few things about it. With repeated use it will wear off (common sense but funny but some people do not realize that). Less common sense, I guess because of how oil seems to cling to things, but still common sense, is that oil like other liquids can be absorbed into some things into which it comes in contact. So putting a gun that has a fine coating of oil on it into a holster results in some of the oil transferring into the holster, likewise a gun bag or whatever else is absorbent. Oil is, like other liquids, subject to the pull of gravity. This is not very noticeable when there is a fine sheen of oil on a firearms, but gravity is at work all of the time and it will cause the oil to run down sooner or later. Finally oil can and does evaporate, albeit it does take a while longer than let's say water for it to do so.

So what is the point of me telling you all of this. Well, even if you clean, then oil a firearm, and do not shoot it but instead store it in a gun case or sock, or put it in a holster and wear it everyday without shooting it, or put it in a nightstand, or put it in a gun locker - the oil will eventually either run or completely disappear. So I find it best to inspect my firearms at least quarterly, and to clean and oil them as necessary, or just reapply a bit of oil that often. This will help protect the finish of your gun, and help assure that it will operate like a well oiled machine when you need it. Also, remember that long term storage of a firearm is best accomplished not by coating it with a firearms' oil, but rather with a long term protectant made for firearms storage (but that is another story yet to come).

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History - Muhammad Ali and Other Top Men Not At The Top Any Longer

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BallsEyes Fireams Training and Tactics - A Little Oil Goes A Long Way

Yes a little oil goes along way, really it does. It goes a long way to assure that your firearm functions properly under most conditions, that it operates smoothly, and that it stays in fine condition both inside and out. For example I went fishing yesterday. A day or so before I went on my fishing trip I had cleaned my sidearm, and put a light coat of oil on its exterior. I also had lightly oiled some of the moving parts that the manufacturer recommends oiling. When I got to the fishing boat yesterday, I thought to myself why on earth did I bring along a pistol. I guess it was force of habit, I work while armed, travel armed, and when I am off duty from my job I am armed 99% of the time; nothing wrong with that, and nothing wrong having the pistol along with me yesterday on the fishing boat. I was thinking of taking it off, but there really was no place for me to have secured it, so in the holster, on my belt it stayed. As the few fish came over the rail it stayed there as they flopped and got water everywhere. As the fishing line went out of the guy's reel next to me the salty water again sprayed everywhere. Not lots of it but I felt it each time. As the mates sprayed salt water on the fish cleaning table and into fish buckets I again got wet. I did not give my pistol a thought for the whole trip. When I got home at the end of my fishing trip, I saw that my gun had obviously gotten wet with salt water. A tell tale dry salt stain was on my holster, and on the gun itself. I took it out of the holster, wiped it down, and guess what - Look Ma, No Rust! Nope it is not a stainless steel pistol, nope it does not have any sort of rust proof finish, heck the finish it has left is pretty worn off in many places. What it did have was a light coat of oil. It got another cleaning and light coat of oil after the trip. I looked at it this morning, still no corrosion. Now if you doubt a gun can corrode that quickly from just a little salt water, well try an experiment someday with one of your guns without any protecting oil on it. Just let it get damp with salt water, and leave it for several hours. I was on the boat for about 7 hours of actual fishing. I have had guns before this one get rusty from less exposure than that.

Besides preventing rust from forming on a firearm, a light coating of oil on some of the moving parts will reduce friction, and often will help to prevent malfunctions. I cannot even estimate how many times at the range I have seen someone show up with a dry firearm (dry as in not lubricated at all). Not only are some of the guns I see dry, they are also dirty. When the shooter who has a gun in either condition goes to fire it, that person has a much higher chance of having the gun malfunction. Often the problem will be either it will fail to eject, or will fail to feed. This is, in these cases, almost always due to the side not operating as freely as it should either because of buildup of fouling or because of lack of lubrication, or both.

Now oil may be expensive, and getting more so, but it is not too expensive to apply to your firearms to protect them and make sure they work, especially if you apply the right amount. The right amount is usually a light coating. When I apply oil to my firearms I usually do so on the out side with my finger (this may not be the best way for the gun or for my health, but it is a habit I have), with a gun cloth or cleaning patch, and with a cotton swab (being very careful that absolutely no cotton strands remain on the firearm). Once I apply what I believe is a fairly light coating, I wipe down the gun with a cloth to make sure it really is a light coating that remains. I don't wipe off all the oil - just most of it. There are a couple or a few reasons you want a light coat of oil instead of a heavy one. A heavy coat of oil can literally gum up the works. No most modern oils do not get gummy under repeated heavy use (such as the slide going back and forth) or when they heated up, but they ca be gunky if too heavily applied. When dirt is added, and oil is a dust and dirt magnet, it can get sort of gummy. You don't need too much oil attracting and holding a lot of dirt. A fine coating will also hold dirt or dust, but nowhere nearly as much as could a heavier coating. In addition the dirt comes off easier when in a fine coating, so just cycling a weapon will make some of it come off. The fact that the light coat holds less debris also means the firearm while lubricated to reduce friction is less likely to jam because of dirt.

Yes a light coat of oil means the gun will attract some dirt, but overall it usually makes the firearm operate with less friction, and protects it from corrosion. That second part, the protection from corrosion is why oil is usually better than a dry lubricant like graphite dust. Graphite and other dry lubricants do have their place. They are used in very dusty environments where oil on a firearm would possibly cause malfunctions because of the dust it would attract. Such places included areas of desert where there is a lot of fine, and I mean very fine sand. I worked in the Border Patrol for 4 years in and around Calexico, California. The area outside of Calexico is about as desert like as you can imagine except for some irrigated areas (even those are dusty when they let them dry up, or when the cattle pens are set up - nasty dust from those cattle for sure). There was a lot of dust in the air that kicked up onto my revolvers and semi-automatic pistols. I always used oil as a lubricant for my firearms while there, and never once had a problem from the dust. Still though, some who lubricate their firearms with oil claim to have major problems with dust in places like Iraq (funny others using the same oil and same firearms don't have a problem at all). Many of them prefer a dry lubricant like graphite or product like Militec-1, or Hoppes Dri-lube. I can tell you, if the soil there was anything like it was around Calexico, just using dry lubricant would make for one heck of a rusted firearm with just the moisture from sweat because of the amount of alkali in it. In a case like that, I would lightly oil the exterior, and use the dry lubricant on the inside, and clean my firearm everyday. Dry lubrication may lubricate well in a dusty area, but it offers no protection from corrosion of which I am aware; although there are claims by manufacturers that dry lubricants protect from corrosion.

Of course, before you lubricate with oil or dry lubricant, and before you apply a protective coat of oil, the firearm preferably should be clean. A good cleaning with a powder solvent is recommended after each time a self defense type firearm is fired. Some modern day .22 rimfire recommend cleaning less often; but that is usually the exception not the rule to cleaning firearms in general. I use products like Hoppes No. 9 Powder Solvent, or Hoppes Bench Rest Copper Solvent which removes fouling from copper jackets bullets in addition to being a gunpowder solvent and lead remover. After cleaning I usually (as in virtually always) apply a thin coat of Break-Free CLP. Keeping a firearm clean, lubricated and protected is worth the cost when you consider that said firearm may someday be called upon to protect you and your loved one; and the cost is minimal when compared to what it could be if you don't!

All the best,
Glenn B

I will probably add a cleaning video at a later date.

Gone Fishing...

...and returned home already. I was out sick yesterday, and did not enjoy the beautiful day as I had hoped to, guess that insomnia thing just had me bushed. I slept better last night though, and called into work early to tell them I'd be taking a vacation day today.It looked as if it was going to be a really nice day, as nice as yesterday, and that would make for a nice day fishing.
I dragged myself out of bed at about 0415. The birds began singing this morning outside my window at 0433, much earlier than the ones I heard yesterday. They sang as I got ready to go fishing, grabbing my gear out of the shed by flashlight. I left my house at just before 0600, got to the dock by 0630, and was on the very crowded boat in no time. The boat was the Captain Al out of Point Lookout, NY, an open party boat (as in open for anyone - not a charter). They were going out for Blackfish. Mmm, good I thought. If you have ever fished on the Captain Al then you know it has one speed on the water - slow. It's an old fishing boat, slower than just about any other in the area, but the crew always does their best to find fish, so I never mind the ride. Scheduled departure from the dock was 7 and we left promptly at right around then if not exactly then

My guess is that 1/2 hour to 45 minutes later we were fishing over a wreck a few miles offshore. I hooked one at the first spot, my guess is a 3 pounder. I was a happy fisherman. Got another at the 2nd or 3rd spot, but it was a short and back in the water it went. After that it was pretty much downhill for me for the next several hours. I caught about 4 Skates (small ray like fish, sort of looked like the first stage of the lifeform in the movie Alien), a Dogfish (kind of a shark), and a small Seabass (no size limit as far as I am aware, but I threw it back, too small at about 12 inches as far as i was concerned). No one was doing all that great, the fishing is not what it was when I was a kid, not by a long shot. It was a nice day though, really mild (in the high 60s ashore, probably in the high 50s to low 60s on the water), sunny clear skies, and virtually no wind - so the water was very calm. My only regret besides not catching more fish was that Brendan could not make the trip. Maybe that was good because there were so few fish;but then again I think he would have enjoyed it anyhow, and I missed him too. Oh well, next time - I hope; and maybe the fishing will be better. Still though, as we say: a bad day fishing beats a good day at work (unless I guess if you are a fisherman for a living).

I kept the Dogfish (if prepared right it tastes pretty good), and have two decent fillets from the Balckfish - so I guess there will be a fish fry on Sunday. Of course the fish will have to be just an appetizer since there is so little of it, but I imagine it will be scrumptious.

All the best,
Glenn B