As I Was Rummaging Through The Ammo Locker...

...I came up with 500 rounds of 7.62x25 Tokarev that I pretty much forgot was there. I had more of it awhile back, but gave some of it to a friend of mine who owns a Tokarev pistol. Now that I have a new pistol and a new rifle in mind though there is not going to be any giving away of ammo in the near future. This stuff is all price marked at $13.95 per box, that is an old price. The exact same ammo on CheaperThanDirt was going for $19.95 when I checked last night. So I think I will be selling this ammo in the near future. I have already made an offer of it to my friend with the Tokarev. If he wants it he can get it at a pretty good price. If not, well then I'll be putting it up on GunBroker.com or another auction site. I see that CheaperThanDirt.com now has their own auction site, and it is free, as in no charge to list items and no final value fee. Please do not make offers, I'll only sell this over the Internet if I do it on a regular gun selling site like GunBroker.com. I will keep you posted about whether or not I put it up for auction. It would be a nice way to add some money to the new gun fund. Now to rummage around the rest of the house and garage looking to see what else I can sell.

All the best,
Glenn B

Soldiers' Care Package Donations Update

Folks I know it is not the holiday season, but when it comes to our troops, especially those in harm's way, I would think at least a few of you would make a donation to this fund. As of tonight, I have one donation from C.V. of TN, in a pretty good amount. That one donation alone could fund a small care package for a couple of people; but I am pretty sure my readers can do better than that. As a matter of fact, I know you can do better than that because last time around, for the Soldiers' Holiday Care Packages - you guys were really generous. I know things have gotten tighter with gas prices, food prices, paper products prices, utility prices, electronics gear prices, booze prices, travel costs, and just about everything else you can imagine having gone up to the sky - but out men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces are still over in Afghanistan and Iraq fighting for us and the American way - in Afghanistan as for the ones to whom this/these package(s) will go.

So I am making a personal appeal to you to please do what you can to give a donation, even just a buck if you really cannot afford more, to help fund this effort. I would especially ask, heck I even expect, certain of you whom I have helped out in the past to make a donation. No you don't have to repay me what I sent to you, this is not payment to me anyhow; but I sure expect you to make a darned good effort to dig deep and come up with something for Jaime V (my assigned solider by Soldiers' Angels) and his unit in Afghanistan. Bear in mind that these guys and gals are now in the thick of things - as in the country where the war is escalating on a seemingly daily basis. Anything we can do for them is appreciated by them, of that I think we can be certain.

As for you who gave generously last time, I say thanks again; but I also ask you to give something again. You don't have to give as much as last time - as I said a dollar will do. If I get a hundred donations of a dollar, plus the donation I already have from C.V, plus what I will donate (at least $25 toward goodies to include in the package[s] plus the postage to ship the items), it will be a nice package or two or three that I can send to them from all of us.

I am only collecting for one month, until about August 10th at the latest. I will start sending out packages in about 2 weeks, or sooner if I reach $100 before then, and I'll keep sending out packages as long as the funds come in up until August 10th. Every penny you send will be used toward items to go into a care package. I will pay, out of my own funds, for the postage, for the shipping containers and tape, for the premium that PayPal takes right off of the top of the donations you make to this effort, and I will add $25 to $50 to the donations out of my own money. So please - if you are planning on donating - don't put it off. The sooner enough comes in, the sooner the first package(s) goes/go out.

If you want to donate, there is a donate icon on the upper right side of my main blog page. As I did last time, I will scan and document here on the blog the receipts for the items, and for the postage, and all that - and I'll probably post pictures of the items that go into the packages too.

For more info on this effort, go to: http://ballseyesboomers.blogspot.com/2008/07/soldiers-care-package.html.

Before I forget, allow me to say thanks to C.V. of TN.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Gun Thing...

...has been getting to me lately; or maybe I should say it is the lack of me being able to buy a gun in quite awhile that has gotten to me. Sure, I ordered a M1916 Spanish Mauser recently, but those are on back order and I'll not likely see it for at least several months. What I am talking about is I have not bought a new, used, or surplus firearms in way too long, and what with the Heller Decision to celebrate, National Buy A Gun Day having come and gone, my interest in shooting and collecting firearms, my interest in hunting, and well - it just as if all those have ganged up against me like little mischievous spirits. Lately those little imps have been whispering into my ear that I need to buy a new gun Alas I have little ready cash, and I am certainly not putting one on plastic since I just did that when I ordered the Mauser. So if I want one I need to figure out how to make some quick cash, or how to save some of the money I am already earning, but currently have allocated for other things.

Saving in today's world isn't easy. Finding a quick cash making deal is not easy either. Heck with the price of everything going up on what seems a daily basis, by the time I get enough money saved for any gun which suits my fancy, well chances are it will just be too darned expensive because its price will also have gone up. I could be at it a long time with the rifle and pistol I have in mind too - yes there are two of them that have kindled my internal flames enough to have warmed my heart toward them.

First let me cover the pistol, and I'll do it briefly because I have written about it before, and you can always rad about it there. So let me just say, I would like to become the owner of a Heckler and Koch P2000SK Sub Compact. It is one heck of a nice pistol, and I think I can pick one up at a significant discount (last time I checked anyhow). I mean just look at it, then read up on its specs, and imagine the quality of this finely made pistol in .40 S&W, and imagine it in your hand, and imagine the great fun you will have shooting it, and imagine the comfort you would feel, knowing it was there, if you ever needed it for self defense; and oh heck I just would like to get myself one of these before I retire.

Now that I have slapped myself out of that dream, let me move onto the rifle. The rifle is another piece of fine craftsmanship, or should I say two pieces of fine craftsmanship since it is a takedown rifle. Sometime back, I don't know if it is because I saw one in a movie or where ever, I became enamored with the idea of picking up a takedown rifle. I like the fact that it can be broken down into two major components and put into a carry case that does not define itself as being a gun rag. In other words, it can be carried less obtrusively. There is also another aspect of takedown rifles, something that makes them alluring or sexy (as far as a rifle can be such), and I guess that is the adventurous side of such a gun. Takedown rifles have, at least in my mind, always been associated with adventure. From spy movies, to old westerns, to modern day assassins, to big game hunters, these rifles are there - there always seems to be adventure associated with them. Of course I know buying a rifle of any type will not assure adventure, its just a selling point kind of a thing or silly association at best, but it is there and it has played a role in their appeal to me. As for wanting adventure, heck I have had enough in over 28 years as a federal LEO, but I'll save those stories for another time, maybe even for a book after I retire.

Back to the rifle. I suppose by now you are wondering just what rifle I am writing about, so let me shoot down all the suspense and come right out and tell you that the rifle of my desires, the one at the top of my list of want to haves, heck at the top of my list of gotta haves (right now anyway), is the Browning BLR Lightweight Takedown Rifle. I have owned a BLR before, one that was sold to me used, but was virtually as new in the box. It was a great rifle, but I sold it. Why sell a great rifle? I guess mostly because I thought I could not afford shooting it; and what a poor excuse that was for getting rid of something which I should have put away in the gun locker, and treated with reverence. We all make bad decisions, and my decision to sell my BLR was a bad one even though it was chambered for the .358 Winchester round. Yes even though that round was about $1 or more apiece back when I sold the rifle, and even though I feared it would get much more expensive, and even though it actually did become much more expensive, I should have kept that rifle. Ouch, it hurts just thinking about having sold it. By the way, the ammo now being priced at over $2.00 per round has not really made any of the pain go away. Yes folks, over two bucks each time you pull the trigger, just check out the price here: http://www.impactguns.com/store/020892201057.html, and that does not include tax or shipping. So just think of what great condition that rifle would have been in had I kept it even if I decided to shoot it a few times a year -heck it makes it even more painful when I think of it that way. Now when you consider that a new one goes for an MSRP of $893.00, but I have seen them online at about $765 plus tax - ouch to the pocket book. They will probably be closer to MSRP here in NY; and then when you consider I bought that other BLR for only $300, and that it truly was as new (probably unfired from what I could tell), well the brick walls of my house may wind up with some of my forehead skin stuck to them - I could just about bang my head on the walls the way I am feeling right now. But that won't make my desire to own another one go away. So I had best figure out how to save for a new one.

If you are wondering about the one I want now, as I said it is the Browning BLR Lightweight takedown Rifle (my old one was not a takedown version). It is one heck of a nice wall hanger, and even a nicer shooter even though it is a lever action rifle. From its 20" (in the caliber I want) blued steel barrel, to its alloy receiver, to its gold plated trigger, to its highly polished walnut stock with pistol grip, to its removable box magazine, to its recoil pad, to its takedown feature - this rifle speaks quality. It is available in three barrel lengths 20", 22" and 24", and in 14 calibers. Some of the ammo for it is even more expensive than the .358 Winchester round. Of course, if I do save enough for one of these, I will get it in a caliber than is more affordable, yet one that is an all around good hunting round, and good defensive round (no I would not use this gun as a primary defense weapon, but one never knows what one will have at hand if the SHTF). So I am thinking of getting one in .308. The other 13 calibers in which it is available are found here, as is a bit more info about the rifle.

Now to start saving, maybe some brown bag lunches, maybe some bottles and cans to the recycling center, maye sell a few things at a garage sale....

All the best,

Glenn B

I've Been An Ale Man...

...But I've Never Been A Bud Man (yes I used to wear a Bud Man shirt back in the 70s). Yeah sure, I'll also admit to drinking Budweiser Beer now and then years ago, but I truly have tried to avoid it like the plague over the past decade or so, maybe even 2 decades. Why, well I guess one reason is because the name just falls prey too easily to being maligned - I mean who in Hades (or their right mind) would enjoy drinking a beer often referred to as Budwiper! Another reason of course is that Budweiser is like 'sex in a canoe'. If you don't know what I mean, well search that term on this blog.

Now though, we can speculate there may yet be hope for the American brew that thrills the taste buds of millions (and really I cannot fathom just how they do it with beer that is that f''ing close to water - there goes that sex in a canoe reference again). It may well wind up being improved, and I say this hopefully based upon the takeover of Anheuser-Busch by In-Bev a Belgian company ala mega-brewer. Now while Anheuser-Busch was also a mega-brewer, they just never quite made anything I would truly consider a great tasting brew. In-Bev, on the other hand produces one of the best tasting plisners I have had had the pleasure to pass over my taste buds; that would be Stella Artois. One can only hope that the Belgians will cause such changes to come about, that is changes toward making an American beer with some kick and some flavor.

Of course now one also needs to hope that the Belgians don't start closing down Anheuser-Busch breweries and moving operations overseas. The state of the U.S. economy is bad enough already with such problems being caused by the money grubbing executives at Anheuser-Busch selling out to foreigners. I would not take all of the beer in Germany (and man there are some absolutely excellent German Biers - one of which I am enjoying at the moment - a Paulaner Hefe Weissbier - mmm good) nor the $75 per share that A-B accepted from In-Bev if I thought it meant the loss of even one or two American jobs let alone improving the taste of Budwiper. I mean that would be un-American, and if it turns out to be the case - well then I think all of you nitwits who regularly drink that piss ought to stop drinking it. Yeah, I don't drink it, I did not support them, but I do support many American Breweries, and if need be, in order to stop the loss of American jobs I would have started drinking even the slop they passed off as beer to help prevent the takeover - that is of course had I known about it in advance, and had I suspected it would cause us to lose jobs. As it is now, I can only hope we will not lose jobs to Europe, and that Budwiper might be improved to something I consider worth drinking now and again.

All that "born on" crap and advertising money spent on the Clydesdales was apparently wasted when in fact, as I see it, the energy would have been better spent making it taste fantastic.Too bad Budwiper seemingly never got it right in the first place by brewing a truly great tasting product that would have kept them at the top of the heap and untouchable by furiners. Now the consequences, and hopefully they will be an improvement to the beer, while the jobs wind up staying here.

Al the best,
Glenn B

A Day At The NY Metro Reptile Expo...

...was how I spent my day today. Not bad as things go. I helped man the Long Island Herpetological Society table, gave out membership applications, and also passed out vendor packets in anticipation of the 19th Annual LIHS Reptile Expo for this October 4.

I tried selling some of my animals to, a quasi business sort of way to supplement my hobby, and I sold a few, very few, and inexpensive ones at that. I also had a theft. Some dirtbag stole a bearded dragon from me. I am pretty sure I know who it was but did n0t see him, again once I discovered the loss. As it turned out, the show promoter came over to the LIHS table asking us if we had been selling certain type of snake. They had recovered it from a shoplifter along with some bearded dragons, and other reptiles. I told the promoter I had been ripped off to the tune of one baby bearded dragon and he said they recovered 5, and would check around to see to whom they belonged. Apparently, as I found out near the end of the show, some other vendor said they were all his and took them all. I look at it as if I had been stolen from twice because it is very unlikely that the shoplifter stole 5 of the same animals from one dealer without being seen in the act! Its not like you would grab a handful of them without being seen, rather much more likely those animals came from several vendors' tables. Oh well, not the worst loss I have ever suffered.

What surprised me was the action they took with the shoplifter. They took back what he stole, then let him go telling him he was banned from future shows. No arrest - imagine that - and not even a butt kicking. When I spoke to the promoter about it near show's end, and asked him if the guy was a certain race, slim build, mid to late teens, wearing a goatee, and was with another guy of similar build and race - he looked at me as if puzzled how I could know that and then said yep that's the description. Of course it was, because I had figured correctly about whom I had suspected of being the thief who hit me up for the beardie. I guess I should have gotten back one of those baby bearded dragons they recovered, it sure seems pretty clear to me that it was probably the same guy they busted who had stolen mine, so one of the ones he had was almost surely mine. Funny how only I seemed to get that, but maybe because he already gave them to someone else who claimed a loss. Oh well...life goes on.

I managed to spend more than I took in. I had to pick up some mercury vapor lamps for my lizards (sort of artificial sunlight for desert lizards and expensive as a vacation to a sunny part of the world), and some other items like a box of a thousand crickets for the baby bearded dragons.

Then I was off homeward bound. The ride home was drag, way too long. It took me about 40 minutes to get there from my home this morning, but it took me almost 2 hours to get back home from the expo. Traffic was a nightmare on two different roads. It's bad enough I am stuck in that stuff each weekday, when you get stuck on the weekend it really stinks. Arrival at home was nice though. The sweetheart had a nice dinners waiting for me, some BBQ'd chicken fresh from today, and salads leftover from yesterday. That with a tall glass of lemonade ht the spot, and I can say it was the spot that causes one to be quite content.

All the best,
Glenn B.

P.S.: Terrible of me to have neglected to mention I met a friend at the show, a guy who used to work with me but is now retired. He was at the show with his teenaged daughters. Man if you want to see someone who is happy, look at someone who retired of their own volition. My pal Pete K. sure is one heck of a happy man. I guess retirement, and the fact that his daughters share his interest in herps, and spend time with him, keeps him smiling.

Balls Out Jeans - Pretty Much A Funny Adult Video (No Nudity Except For Artificial - I Hope - Body Parts)

I don't know about you, but I think this is a hilarious video; one of the best and naughtiest (without any real exposure) I have seen in a while. Its gross, disgusting, crass, sexist, raunchy, and shows artificial body parts (I hope they are artificial); and as I said it is simply outright naughty - all to a great degree - but most of all it is funny. It is about time someone addressed this issue!

If you are holier than thou, very sensitive, a prim and proper prudish type - then don't watch this - unless you want a naughty laugh but be prepared for that which I noted above.



Well now you went ahead and watched it didn't you. I hope you enjoyed it.

By the way, the video is from eBaums World @:

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/316121/

All the best,
Glenn B

Soldiers' Care Package

Well, as I told you a couple or few weeks ago, I have been assigned to another soldier over in Afghanistan by Soldiers' Angels. I am going to start putting care packages together for him (or maybe her, the name is Jamie, and Jamie did not make it clear). If anyone is interested in helping out with the package, you can send donations to me for the care package via my PayPal account. I can only accept donations over the Internet via PayPal, or can accept cash from people I know locally. I'll place a link on the right side of the page, up near the top. I'll give it a month or so to see what comes in, then I'll put together a care package, and ship it off, with some of my own funds and all of the donated funds. Last time I did this, back before Christmas - it was a great success. Thanks to the generosity of my readers I had enough to put together several high end care packages; and thanks to StreamLight who donated a dozen flashlights we had some high end flashlights with batteries and replacement batteries to include in the boxes.

These guys and gals in our military deserve to remain in our thoughts, prayers, well wishes, and our gratitude forever - but especially while serving on foreign soil or on foreign seas. Anything you can help out with from a few pennies on up would be appreciated by me, and will probably be even more appreciated by the soldiers who receive the goodies in the care packages I will send to them on behalf of all of us who donate through this effort. I can say without a doubt, that Bob S the soldier to whom we sent the other care packages appreciated them as did the rest of his unit, and other units with whom they SHARED. Why not share a bit of what they allow us to enjoy and make a donation. Thanks.

All the best,
Glenn B

Time At The Range...

...is always good time for me. So today when I left the office, i headed to the West Side Pistol Range in the heart of Manhattan. Yep I renewed my membership and have until next April to keep having fun there.

I had my issue Glock 19 and 125 rounds to shoot, along with my Henry Survival Rifle with about 100 rounds for it. Not a lot of ammo, but I figured what the heck it was better than nothing. As opposed to my shortage of ammo, the range had no shortsage of shooters. There were about 10 people shooting when I got there. Surprisingly enough all of them were probably in their young to mid twenties. Can you imagine that - young hipsters, young yuppies, young Manhattanites, young New York City kids - at a firearms range late on a friday afternoon! Are we finally getting our message across that the shooting sports, self defense, hunting, collecting, and everything else legal to do with firearms is a good thing, an American thing. I sure hope so.

Enough for the youngsters though, let me talk about my shooting. It was okay but not great. I was tired, grumpy, and just a bit out of it when I arrived. After 125 rounds of 9mm through the Glock I was feeling a lot better. I was shooting at a distance of only about 50 feet, maybe a bit more; the range is pretty small but big enough for big fun. I put all my shots into a spread hand sized group which was okay by me, and my hand is average sized for a man. Put your hand over the center of your chest, and you will see why that was okay by me. Then I had some fun with the Henry rifle. I had a pretty good group, albeit all to the low left of the bullseye while shooting CCI Mini-Mags, then all high to the left with Remington Golden Bullets. Then with a slight sight adjustment, all of my shots went into the bullseye. That is one thing I like and dislike about the Henry, the front sight, that is, being easy to adjust with just a hard push of the fingers. While easily adjusted, it is also fairly easily knocked out of alignment. Still though I like shooting this little survival rifle, I figure it is good practice just in case I actually ever have to depend on it for its stated purpose.

While shooting the Glock, one of the owners came over to say hi to me. He is a cousin or uncle of an agent from my job, and he makes it a point to stop by to say hi to me when I visit. We chatted a bit, and seeing him reminded me that I have not seen M-------, the agent in quite awhile. I miss her, she is one of the better people on my job but is now working in another office than me. We used to work together at JFK Airport back in the day when things were better (at least for me because I was younger) and the job was somewhat more exciting. Oh well, seeing her relative would have to do for now, and he is always very pleasant.

All in all it was agood 45 minutes to hour that I spent shooting. Next time I'll have to rememebr to bring more ammo (I had thought I had some at the office but must have used it all last time).

All the best,
Glenn B

A Finer Poem

The following is poetry at its finest, and is indeed a poem of great merit full of both wisdom and wit. I would love to be able to say that I penned it, but the truth be told I do not know the author, and have only ever seen it credited as: Anon. As a kid, I thought that Mr. Anon fella was one smart guy because there was so much he had written. Just in case you think or ever thought likewise, allow me to tell you that Anon means the work was attributed to an anonymous author. Sometimes I cannot believe the things I used to believe. Oh to be young, ignorant, and blissful again. Enough of that, here is the poem

THE PRESERVATION OF MAN

The horse and mule live 30 years
And nothing know of wines and beers.
The goat and sheep at 20 die
With never a taste of scotch or rye.
The cow drinks water by the ton
And at 18 is mostly done.
The dog at 16 cashes in
Without the aid of rum or gin.
The cat in milk and water soaks
And then in 12 short years it croaks.
The modest, sober, bone dry hen
Lays eggs for noggs, then dies at 10.
All animals then are strictly dry
They sinless live and swiftly die
But sinful, ginful, rum soaked men
Survive for three score years and ten.
And some of us, the mighty few,
Stay pickled till we’re ninety two.
Anon

I think I'll have to stop over at my local retailer of alcoholic beverages this evening and pick up a bottle or two of fine spirits. I want to hit at least 94.

All the best,

Glenn B

Good Deal - Get Em While You Can

I was just browsing some of the surplus firearms dealer sites, and I came across a good deal. It is on a Russian Mosin Nagant, in aresenal refinish to excellent condition, at a price of only $69.95 plus shipping. That is pretty darned good since competitors are selling the same thing for anywhere from $89.99 to $99.99. Had I not just sent in an order for a M1916 Spanish Mauser to another dealer, I may well have been buying one of these. As a matter of fact, I may just have to count the change in the piggy bank and see if I come up with enough. The ad can be seen here: http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Russian_M44.html


All the best,
Glenn B

So You Tell Me - What's Up With Gas Not Going Down?

I mean, just two or three days ago, Iheard that the price of crude had gone down by just over $9.00 per barrel. When the friggin price of a barrel went up, even by just a quarter or half buck, the price at the pumps went up the next day; but when the price fals by over $9.00 per barrel - well there has not even been one friggin red cent take off the price at the pumps near me! If the info about the drop in crude prices was right, well then it is just gosh darned greed that is all that is keeping the prices as high as they are; greed and an absolute lack of respect for any of us consumers.

All the best,
Glenn B

Did He Really Say, About Barack Hussein Obama,...

..."I want to cut his nuts off"? If you have not heard it yet, well go here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aLGkFpsdHo

I think it is a very revealing piece of truth, but my guess would be one that good old Jesse J did not want us all to hear, or why whisper. What a classic open mike take was this!!!

All the best,
Glenn B

Yet Another Two New Links...

...one to a blog and one to a neat firearms related site. Over on the right, you can now find a link to The Michael Bane Blog ( here it is if that does not work for you: http://michaelbane.blogspot.com/), and down further in the Firearms Interests section you can find DownRange.TV (here is a link just in case: http://www.downrange.tv/). I only found out about both of these because of a nice mention that Damsel gave to me over at: http://capnbob.us/blog/2008/07/09/not-just-beautiful/. These two new ones sure look interesting.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Check Is In The Mail...

...well, so to speak anyhow. I mailed out my order for the M1916 Spanish Mauser last night. Hopefully they will come available off of back order soon and I will have a new rifle to add to the small collection I already own.

All the best,
GB

New Additions To My Blogroll

The two latest additions to my blogroll are:

The Ready Line @ http://thereadyline.blogspot.com/ which is a pro-gun rights blog that seems to have new entries each and every day; and is well written and interesting at that.

Wile, Wit, Wisdom and Weaponry @ http://wilewitwisdomandweaponry.blogspot.com/ is another well written blog, a pro-gun rights and hunting site, but that is added to less frequently than the above blog.

Hope you enjoy visiting them and reading what they have to offer; I know I will do so.

All the best,
Glenn B

M1916 Spanish Mauser

I have wanted to buy a new gun for quite awhile, and it has been way too long since I have bought a new one. I have been thinking about this one and that one, expensive ones and inexpensive ones, new ones and old ones. Of course I could just go out and buy one, and in the end it is what I will do, but heck the search for the right one is half the fun.Now it would help make things quicker if I could afford a new one in the first place, but lately there have been a lot of repair bills that were quite unexpected.

HEY SELF - STOP PROCRASTINATING ALREADY!

Okay, I have made up my mind - finally - that I should at least pick up something even if not my heart's desire (like a new HK pistol), and I have finally decided to buy a surplus rifle. Well, I should say I have decided to send my C&R license to a dealer in preparation for such a purchase because the rifles are currently back ordered.

The one that I have my eye on is a M1916 Spanish Mauser, a bolt action rifle rechambered in .308. It is available through Samco Global Arms at the price of $129.95, shipping adds another $19.50. As I understand the wait for these back ordered rifles could be as long as 6 months. If that is the case then I have plenty of time to start saving for one, maybe even two of them. In order to get the ball rolling, I have to mail them my order along with a copy of my C&R license. I have only heard good things about SAMCO in the past, so I think I am going to begin the process today.

The way I look at it, this rifle should be a good plinker, and a good hunting rifle. It is 5 shot, bolt action, and has a relatively short barrel (good for a deer rifle here in the woods of the northeast). Of course if the deal somehow falls through because SAMCO does not receive any of them for sale in the near enough future, I can always take whatever cash I have saved and buy another Yugo SKS from them. So for just the price of a stamp today, and maybe saving $10 per week for a few months, I will have a nice new (well surplus but new to me) rifle in my collection.

So off to the post office I go, order and C&R in envelope, envelope in hand.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today In History - The Republican Party Officially Kicks Off

Yep, it was on July 6, 1854 that the Republican Party had its first official meeting. The party was formed by anti-slavery activists (imagine that next time someone stereotypes you as a racist for being Republican). Sure there were other things for which the party stood and for which it would stand over the years, but it was born as part of the anti-slavery movement. Soon it was the party of Abraham Lincoln, and the rest is history including Ronald Reagan and right through to today.

For more info on the Republican Party - of which I will admit I am still a member despite my grumblings about dropping out not too long ago - go to:

http://www.gop.com/About/AboutRead.aspx?Guid=a747a888-0ae6-4441-94f4-2a3a6561f872

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_%28United_States%29

All the best,
Glenn B

Mulberry-licious...

...well I think out mystery tree with the berries may be a Mulberry Tree of one sort or another. I have more checking to do, and will bring some leaves (and a berry if I can still find one) to a local plant nursery to see what they think; but from online checks I would say it is a Mulberry. If that is correct, then we have to await next season (late spring into early summer) for any berries. They are supposed to be delicious and quite edible. I don't know what kind of Mulberry tree it could be, there are many different species, maybe a Red Mulberry which would make it native to our area; then again maybe one of more than a dozen other types of Mulberry Tree.

While I am not sure it is a Mulberry Tree but it does have some characteristics of one. For example it has both lobed and unlobed leaves. It has a bark that fits the description I read about. It is fast growing in its early years - to that I can attest. Its flowers, as I remember, look like ones I have seen pictured for a Mulberry tree. Of course, it also produces the berries.

If that is truly what it is, then I expect a load of berries next year, and double that within about another 2 or 3 years because we have another younger one growing also. I uprooted and replanted the sapling of the younger one just last year, and it is already about 10-12 feet tall. From inches to that tall in less than two complete growing seasons. That follows suit with what I have read up on Mulberry trees, fast growing when very young, then the growth slows down markedly. Our older tree has got to be at least 5 , maybe as much as 7 to 10, years old. I used to cut it back every summer thinking it was just a bush that annoyed my neighbor because its branches overgrew her fence. Once I realized it was a tree, I became very selective about how I pruned it. It is kind of messed up now as far as how its branches twist here and there, but it sure produces a lot of berries, and offers some cool shade. I recently pruned the other one - heck they have branches sprouting out every few inches along the trunk, and I am hopeful that one will grow straighter and taller with even more berries. If they actually are Mulberry trees, I will be berry pleased indeed.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Crisp Coolness...

...of a damp morning greeted me as I swung open our side door to let out the hounds a few minutes ago. As usual Mimi, our mutt, ran along the neighbor's fence staring up into the trees. She was looking for our resident squirrels and birds. She even stopped to tinkle, all the while peering intently up into her favorite small tree, one that until a few days ago was weighed down by an abundance of medium sized blackberry like berries (anyone know what kind of a tree makes berries that looks like blackberries). It is the squirrels that make her flip out though, and thankfully there were no squirrels this morning up in the berry tree. Yes those squirrels and many local birds love those berries. I am pretty sure Mimi too has eaten her share as we were seeing evidence of seeds in her 'business'.

When it comes to squirrels, I could use the magic of the Dog Whisperer (or any other dog training magician) to calm her down, she is so intent on them that she hears no or few commands from me when they enthrall her. I don't know if they are singing some high pitched Siren's' Song to her, but about the only way to control her when a squirrel is nearby is to tether her to another tree much as Odysseus was tethered to the mast of his ship. Squirrels simply make her go bonkers and she jumps trying to climb our trees, has jumped over the neighbor's fence, has apparently tried to take flight a couple of times (I am happy she does not have even vestigial wings), and once or twice when out front ran right out into the street chasing a squirrel (no more off leash for her on the street). It is not just the squirrels though. She has already - to our knowledge caught 4 birds in mid-flight in our backyard. She is quick. She has also chewed up a prized tortoise of mine, yes the tortoise is okay but will probably never win Best In Show again, and she has obsessed over a backyard pen that now houses the tortoise and 2 bearded dragons. She is almost possessed by a desire to catch small critters, and no punishment seems to deter her from her mischief. She is so taken by them that she will even sometimes stop playing fetch with her favorite ball; and the way she gets into playing it has to be something pretty compelling to make her stop. Today though, she just watched, I guess because she too was listening to the wonderful birdsong that filled the air.

Her presence under the trees this morning did not deter the flock of mixed species of birds that also greeted us as we walked out of the house. Their symphony of chirps, whistles, and chittering filled the air like it has not for quite some time now. It was late in the day before yesterday that I filled up the bird feeders (2 of them) for the first time in at least few months. Even with our mighty oak tree gone, these tiny winged singers still find their perches among the smaller trees of our backyard and serenaded us and one another with their busy songs, that is once those seeds are back! With so many present at one time, it seemed Mimi did not have a clue as how to react, and she sat there as if mesmerized by their songs. Pepe, our mini Chihuahua, ignored it all and went about getting his morning business done. He has his priorities straight if only because he is a slave to the dog biscuit that awaits him once he gets back inside; and I suppose he figures that birds are basically for the birds although a squirrel on the ground is fair chase for him too.

Today there was a slight delay between the doggy business of the backyard and the biscuit; I had to refill the bird feeders. Funny how fast those seeds disappeared once our feathered friends figured out they were back. Mostly we get English Sparrows, but there is also a good variety of others including House Finches, Doves, Cardinals and others of whose names I have little or no idea. Every now and then, maybe twice per year that we notice, a hawk stops by for a quick lunch too - and brother he is not eating seeds. Of course there are also those rats with wings (Pigeons) and busy tailed rats (Gray Squirrels) that bring their appetites to the feast. It is not until the pigeons show up though that my wife gets upset with me that I have filled the bird feeders. I am hoping they have found other, more abundant and tastier, feeding grounds than my backyard, and that it will be a long time before they again show up here. For now though, as my brief summer morning's backyard interlude fades into the rest of the day, the bird feeders are filled and I can hear the twittering of those more desirable avian songsters as my fingers clack away on the keyboard. Life is good.

All the best,
Glenn B

Happy Independence Day

To all of you throughout the world who are U.S. Citizens, and to the rest of you who are within the United States of America as legal immigrants, I say: Happy Independence Day, and I wish you and your families a safe enjoyable Independence Day holiday.

To the U.S. Servicemen and women around the world, who are busy keeping us a free and independent nation - I wish you safety, health, and happiness and say thanks for this day that you have helped to make possible throughout all the years of the history of our great nation.

All the best,
GB

The Next Time Our National Anthem Is Belittled...

...and if you are there when such is being done, why not stand up straight and proud, and get loud as you sing our National Anthem using the correct lyrics. Don't let someone take it and trash it with something that is unpatriotic.

As an American Citizen, I am ashamed of the people of Denver, CO who attended the annual state of the city address this week who did not sing our National Anthem when the, in my opinion, racist and unpatriotic singer Rene Marie stood up and reportedly started to interject words of Lift Every Voice and Sing, the so called black national anthem, in place of some of the words of our true National Anthem. Read about it here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,375164,00.html

Our National Anthem is not just for blacks, it is for everyone who is or wishes to become an American (as in U.S. Citizen or legal immigrant, not as in someone who lives on the American continents)) regardless of race, ethnicity, color, creed, gender, socioeconomic status and so on. It is about time that everyone who is an American, or who wants to immigrate to America, starts to realize this. To do otherwise is simply Un-American. The singing of the so called black national anthem in place of the National Anthem is, in my opinion, racist, and extremely Un-American. I see no way of getting around the racism of those who prefer a "BLACK" one over the red, white and blue National Anthem; I see no way to hide from the racism that such promotes when one feels compelled to disgrace our nation by replacing our National Anthem with one that is purported to be that of only one race; and I see no way to get around the unpatriotic act of the disrespect shown for our nation and her anthem in the changing of its words to suit a racial agenda.

What a shame that someone would apparently wish to be so divisive. What a shame that the stage and the crowd was apparently full of only politically correct arsehats who had no clue how to take action during the moment in a way that would have snuffed out the singers voice, overshadowed her apparent (to me) racism, and yet shown our national pride shining on in an unbiased manner. All they had to do short of throwing her off of the stage would have been to have started to sing our National Anthem as it was meant to be, with the correct words, and with proud and loud voices - just overpowering the person who was, in my opinion, a racist, and who for the moment was front and center. What shameful wonders of modern humanity we have made of ourselves in that we have bred a manner of man that would allow such an outlandish rendition of the anthem to continue unabated!

With pride in America,
Glenn B

A Commonality: American Beer - German Bier - Sex in A Canoe

I once heard a Lufthansa pilot telling a joke to a couple of Lufthansa stewardesses (that would be flight attendants for you politically correct dimwits who want to put a more modern slant on it). I am pretty sure he only told it to them as loud as he did to make sure he had gotten my attention since he knew I worked for the Customs Service at the time and he wanted to give a little jab to an American. The joke went like this:

Pilot: Do you know what is the same mitt American Biers and sex in a canoe.

Stewardess (after glancing over at me): Vhy No Herr Capitan.

Pilot: They are both f''ing close to water.

Stewardesses: Giggles.

Well, I have had a lot of American beers in my days since then from micro breweries. American beers have improved and while that joke may still apply to beers like Budwiper and Spoors, it most certainly does not apply to great brews like Ommegang.

I have also had a lot of German Biers since I heard that joke, I have almost always loved German Biers; and I must admit that until tonight I have never had one that had anything at all in common with sex in a canoe. Yes, that was until tonight when I had a bottle of Valdensteiner Premium Pils and suddenly I imagined myself in the movie Deliverance. (If you have never seen it, rent a copy. My son watched it last week for the first time and liked it. Although he did say there were too many canoeing scenes, he liked it overall and thought the plot was a good one. I am happy I did not have him watch it before our recent road trip to the Shenandoah Valley for some canoeing.) Back to the Valdensteiner - Had I paid for this stuff, I suppose I could have said I had been f'd by or in something close to water because to me it had that watery taste similar to some American beers.

As it was though, my brother-in-law Hans sent three biers to me on Sunday. He sent them with some darned fine tasting pork ribs, the best ribs I have eaten in years. I had one of the biers with them and that bier was yummy too, or actually I should say it was an ale and it was scrumptious. That was a bottle of Sticke Uerige Alt (Uerige being the name of the company I think). Sorry no pic of the bottle, sort of had the shape of a German WWII grenade, and the bang to go with the looks. Aah here it is here on the Uerige website. It was a Belgian Abby type brew, or so it tasted, darned fine stuff. Very strong and excellent taste indeed. Now I have one bottle left over, it too is a bottle of something by Valdensteiner. My guess is that they cannot possibly make two types of canoeing bier, so I am hopeful that one will be much better. As it turns out, that first Valdensteiner is still passing my lips in sips, and it is starting to taste a bit better, but still kind of close to water for a German brew.

All the best,

Glenn B

Buy Your Watermelons For The Weekend Today...

...because the price is almost sure to rise by tomorrow. The price of gasoline and diesel have little to do with this anticipated price increase, yet the price increase could be a steep one indeed. I base it all on supply and demand, and I expect the demand to rise sharply. Once the watermelon is all bought up, I also expect people not to just eat the fruity red part, but also to start eating the rind, or at least part of it. Why? Well you see, there is this article at FoxNews.com. If reading that is not enough to get at least 25% of the people in the USA hopeful that they can have a much more fun weekend if they eat watermelon (including the rind), and maybe another 15% convinced they will be healthier if they eat it, and therefore cause a price increase, then I don't know a thing about the human condition. There is sure to be a rise in interest in all things watermelon after this article makes the rounds (sorry I just could not resist).

All the best,
Glenn B

This Should be The Law Of The Land...

Read about the Texas homeowner who shot some suspected burglars, how he was then charged, and then how he was vindicated of any wrong doing - see Texas man cleared of shooting suspected burglars. Do I need say anything more than the law in Texas is a good one, and that it should be this way in all of America. Please note the part about the two dead suspected burglars being illegal aliens, one with a prior cocaine conviction. Good riddance, and good for Mr. Horn!

All the best,
Glenn B

John McCain For Prez - My Contributions Begin

The graduation party for my son is over, the guest have left, and I just sat down at the computer a short while ago. I checked my email and there was one from GOPUSA Friends. It was soliciting funds for John McCain and offered a chance to enter a ride on the bus with McCain contest or something like that. I figured it was as good a time as any to start contributing; and who knows maybe I will get lucky and win a ride on the campaign bus with our next president John McCain. So I made a donation. (Please note I cannot and will not even suggest you make one, as a federal LEO I am forbidden by the Hatch Act to do so, although I can tell you my opinion and what I have done.)

What I donated was not much, in fact it was a pitiable amount at best, it was only $10. Yet, I plan to donate again, maybe after some of the bills are paid for this coming month, and I hope to at least quintuple what I just donated the next time. As time goes on, up until the election, I will donate as much as I think I can spare, and I then I will donate more. I am hopeful I can donate at least a few hundred dollars, maybe even $500 or more. That would be the largest donation to a single political candidate in one election that I have ever made as far as I can remember. Giving someone else that much money will not be easy. We live pretty much on a paycheck to paycheck basis. We are not poor, far from it, but that means we have bills and I like to pay them promptly on time. Lately we have been hit with a number of unexpected house repair/maintenance type expenses. It has gotten difficult to make ends meet, and we have had to hit up our meager savings account to pay the bills. We reduced the saving account drastically at that. So as I said, it will not be easy to dole out that much money for John McCain.

You may be wondering then why I would still want to contribute as much as I am planning to give to John McCain in his run for the oval office. The reasoning is straight forward and simple. I cannot stand the prospect of winding up with Barack Hussein Obama as our next president. My opinion of Obama is that he is little more than a scalawag, poor liar, scoundrel, and charlatan at best. My guess would be that is Obama is elected to the presidency our country will fall into the dregs, lower than it has ever fallen before. Any hope of a better America will have been lost.

Imagining McCain as president, I see things in a better light. I see America left with some integrity. I see a man who has been and will continue to be a leader bringing us into a new era of strength on the international scene. I see someone who will not simply act as president, but who will lead us as our president under our Constitution instead of one as Obama whom I believe would lead us to communism and socialism. With John, I see a chance, at least a chance of our economy becoming stronger within his first 4 years term. I do not fool myself into thinking it will be easy with McCain in office, since he has been too ready to concede things to the left; but surely McCain has integrity above and beyond anything seen in Obama. McCain also believes in many of the core values upon which this country was founded, while all Obama can call for is change - yet he cannot even tell you what the changes will be.

So while I cannot campaign for McCain, while I cannot urge you to vote for him without, as a federal LEO, violating the Hatch Act - I can tell you my opinion of the candidates, I can contribute to a candidate, and I can tell you to whom I have contributed and why. I am contributing to John McCain, and I will vote for John McCain, because right now he is the only possible hope to defeat what seemingly amount to communism and socialism on the part of Obama, and John is therefore the only hope we have of remaining We The People of the United States of America; and he is the only hope we have of keeping our rights as we have known them.

All the best,
Glenn B