...here in a commercial airport within the United States of America. It is in the post 9/11 era. In fact, the events on 9/11 were not all that long ago, so it is likely that virtually everyone with a fairly functioning brain knows about what happened that day. Those same people should also know about certain regulations and restrictions that went into effect after 9/11 to prevent hijacking of commercial aircraft. I mean this is the 21st century, we do have television, radio, email, cell phones with text messaging, the Internet, lots of news media broadcasts and so on.
Yet somehow, maybe just by some quirk of a possibly forgetful memory, or maybe by way of heinous intent, a young man reportedly attempts to pass through airport security with a pipe bomb in his carry on luggage. A man identified as Steven Nobles - as reported by Newsday.com - just yesterday reportedly forgot that he had a pipe bomb inside of his carry on luggage at MacArthur Airport in Islip, NY. A bomb he reportedly admitted having full knowledge of and which he reportedly said he made himself. One which he reportedly said he expected would: "cause a giant smoke cloud, a flash of light and hopefully a loud noise,". Wow, can you imagine a bomb doing that! He reportedly also carried, within his carry on-luggage: "... "explosive fireworks, electrical circuit boards, a battery with electrical tape and 14 ... .22-caliber rounds used in a nail gun to drive nails into concrete," ..."
So what does his lawyer say about all of this. Well what would you expect the scum of the earth to say about something like this, because I think what his lawyer said is about the same thing. As reported the lawyer said something to the effect: "Nobles, 20, had not intended to harm anyone and inadvertently placed the device in his luggage as he was returning to visit his mother after a year of working on Long Island." (that is a quote from the paper about what the lawyer said, not a quote from the lawyer.)
According to the FBI, as reported by Newsday.com, Nobles "denied" meaning to set this off on the aircraft, and said he had "inadvertently carried it to the airport".
Now come on folks, tell me and be truthful: Is it just that I am one cynical son of a gun, or does this sound like this guy boarded the plane with the quite possible intent of trying to hijack the plane, and maybe even to blow it up. I mean let's not forget that this reportedly was a pipe BOMB that was found IN HIS CARRY ON LUGGAGE. Also, let's not forget that before the bomb was found, the screeners reportedly also found a 7 inch long knife in his luggage. Okay, maybe I could forget I had a 7 inch long knife in my luggage. Heck I hunt, I fish, I carry knives on a fairly regular basis for work too. I keep knives in grab and go bags and sometimes even grab that bag for use as a carry on, but I check them before I pack em. Of course, maybe I could forget to check to see what was in there before I added more stuff. Thereby I could miss a knife that otherwise would be quite legal to own, and to use when hunting or fishing, or carving the Thanksgiving bird; you know it would be forgetting something that was otherwise legal. Yet to forget the whereabouts a homemade pipe bomb is far fetched. To forget something that is as far as I know absolutely illegal, and is potentially an extremely dangerous device, that could maybe blow up a plane and cause death and destruction of many people, and then inadvertently attempt to carry it in my carry-on luggage while getting ready to board a commercial aircraft full of other people in this post 9/11 world - well I have got to say that even with my muddled middle aged memory it would be pretty darned near impossible for me to forget something like that was in my bag. So how was it forgotten by a young man of 20?
A bomb is made to do one thing - to blow up. He reportedly brought it to a place where it had the potential to do an awful lot of damage, and he brought a knife too - both illegal items to bring onto a commercial aircraft in carry on luggage. Understandably I suppose, his family probably wants to believe him very much. His sister has already reportedly come out with a statement that her brother is a nice guy, who would not harm anyone, and that all of the stuff must have been from his job doing electrical work and she does not think it had anything to do with a bomb. Of course she apparently said that even after her brother admitted it was in fact a bomb, so she would have a very difficult time indeed of convincing me that this guy's intent was not to commit foul play aboard the plane he was about to have boarded before being stopped by authorities.
The truly sad thing is though, without further evidence being uncovered, evidence such as a written plot, a suicide note, nefarious emails, someone coming forward to say yes this man told them he wanted to go out in a blaze of glory, proof of bad blood between him and the airlines, a prior criminal record for violence or other stuff like that, well then my bet is he will get off the hook with only a conviction for carrying these illegal items if in fact he is convicted at all. Yet the fact of the mater as reported so far is that it appears he attempted to board a commercial passenger aircraft carrying a knife and a pipe bomb, and other items that could possibly have been used to dangerous and possibly deadly effect. I think they should put him away for as long as possible if he is convicted.
In closing let me just say this: Thank goodness.
Oh are you wondering why I said thank goodness. Well thank goodness he did not make it to the plane. Thank goodness the headlines on my local newspaper this morning, the ones that caught my eye were what they were instead of reading: Passenger Aircraft en route to Las Vegas Blows Up in Mid Flight. Thank goodness that he did not make it through to the plane and then hijack it and fly it into a building full of office workers. Thank goodness no one was injured. Thank goodness your busy day at the airport, or your already late flight, was not interrupted by all the airports in the USA being closed down because of a terrorist attack.
Most of all folks, thank goodness (and even thank George W. Bush) for the TSA, and for the TSA screeners who discovered this stuff in this guys carry-on luggage. Thank goodness they were being pains in the ass, morons, jerk offs, scumbags, dickheads, jerks, assholes, fuck offs, nosy bastards, storm troopers, useless government employees and whatever other name by which they have been called by hundreds of thousands of irate passengers waiting to board planes. Thank goodness because if they had not been all of those things, all those things that made them vigilant hard working employees who work a truly thankless job, who delay you, who examine your luggage, who randomly search your person, who try to prevent catastrophes, well then you and I would quite possibly have awakened to have 10/16 forever branded into our little gray cells and into our hearts and souls just as we did with 9/11. Maybe the next time you fly, and one of the TSA guys or gals stop you and searches you more than another person, maybe, yep just maybe you ought to look that TSA screener right in the eyes, give him or her a big smile and say: 'Officer, thanks for doing your job and keeping us safe, I appreciate it'. And while you are at it, why not mean it when you say it.
All the best,
Glenn B
reference: http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/friday/news/ny-limac175886742oct17,0,2381010.story
Friday, October 17, 2008
Obama Supporters - Is Their Support Based On Race Or On The Issues?
Boomp3.com
Now you gotta admit, that is just outright funny in a way. Yet it is sad too, even something to make you angry, when you think about suchmorons everyday people casting their votes based upon absolutely nothing that has to do with the issues as the candidates see them, and probably everything to do with the race of the guy who claims to be black when he is in fact mulatto.
GB
Now you gotta admit, that is just outright funny in a way. Yet it is sad too, even something to make you angry, when you think about such
There seems to be some problem with the icon above, if you want you can go to this link to hear the audio: http://boomp3.com/listen/c1hbq1ljl_8/stern-2008-10-01cf.
All the best,GB
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Does The HighRoad.ORG Have Something To Hide?
The post I mentioned in my last blog, about the problems between Oleg Volk and Derek Zeanah has been removed from TheHighRoad.org.
I also posted the following thread, and it too was either moved or removed:
The High Road - A Schizoprhenic Mess (later changed to Our Community In Trouble)
Since I am about to talk about a gun forum, would hope that the moderators do not shut this down. An earlier thread started by someone else was shut down because it was in the wrong forum when it could just have easily been switched to an appropriate forum by the moderator. This one, placed here, could not be more appropriate since it deals with The High Road forums which are definitely gun related. That other thread was at:
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=400102 (The thread has since been removed, I guess someone wants to hide the truth of the goings on here at this site, and the new mirror site.)
The High Road is currently involved in a legal battle, or should I say are the site administrators Derek Zeanah and Oleg Volk. Oleg has gone as far as filing a complaint in Federal District Court if I understand correctly, and he has started a new High Road at TheHighRoad.US.The new site can be seen here:http://www.thehighroad.us According to the complaint the name TheHighRoad.org belongs to Oleg, as does this site. You can see the complaint here:http://www.geovario.com/legal/Complaint1.pdf
I have heard at least part of Oleg's side of the story. To be fair, before making a decision as to which site if either I would like to frequent, I would hope that Derek would give us his side of the story. What say you Derek?
We the users of TheHighRoad.org are a community of firearms enthusiasts who came together because of this site run by both of you. Why not clue us in to your side of the story in the hopes that we can help you guys find a solution to the problem, and so that we can remain a single community instead of separate smaller memberships at different sites.
All the best,
Glenn B
Here is the message I received from one of the site administrators at TheHighRoad.org regarding them moving (or was it removing since I cannot find it and they did not say to where it was moved):
Mr. Bartley,
Derek has deliberately not posted about this because he does not want to wage any sort of public fight, because he thinks such fights are not "The High Road" and because he thinks they are bad for the board. Which they are.
Your post has been moved.
John
Public fights bad for the board - what is bad for the board? My thread was not a fight public or otherwise. My post was an inquiry to find out Derek's side of the story, and a try at helping them find an amenable solution to their problems. It seems though that Derek Zeanah and his minions would rather shroud this whole mess in secrecy, and keep the site membership ignorant of the fact that there has been a parting of ways between him and Oleg Volk.
I must say, now that I have seen how Mr. Zeanah apparently wants to treat the membership of The High Road, all I can say is that it appears some credence has been given to Oleg Volk's side of the story if only because Oleg brought it out into the light of day, and it seems Derek would keep it locked in a dark basement. If not then why is it that Derek Zeanah and his administrators and moderators are moving or deleting threads in which THR members are telling the rest of the membership about this affair. That they don't think a public fight is High Road sounds like pure balderdash to me when it seems by their actions that their plan is obvious - they evidently want to cover all of this up in an attempt to keep the membership ignorant of the fact that there is a problem.
I look forward to using Mr. Volk's forum as opposed to that of Mr. Zeanah since it appears my posts on the subject will be deleted from the site of Mr. Zeanah, and it appears as if Mr. Zeanah prefers secrecy to being open. I would have preferred, as I noted in my earlier blog, to use both sites until this mess was decided by the courts, or by mutual agreement between Derek and Oleg, but it appears as if Derek or his administrator(s) would like to keep me and others like me in the dark. I am not a mushroom, I do not like being kept in the dark and being fed bullshit.
All the best,
Glenn B
I also posted the following thread, and it too was either moved or removed:
The High Road - A Schizoprhenic Mess (later changed to Our Community In Trouble)
Since I am about to talk about a gun forum, would hope that the moderators do not shut this down. An earlier thread started by someone else was shut down because it was in the wrong forum when it could just have easily been switched to an appropriate forum by the moderator. This one, placed here, could not be more appropriate since it deals with The High Road forums which are definitely gun related. That other thread was at:
http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=400102 (The thread has since been removed, I guess someone wants to hide the truth of the goings on here at this site, and the new mirror site.)
The High Road is currently involved in a legal battle, or should I say are the site administrators Derek Zeanah and Oleg Volk. Oleg has gone as far as filing a complaint in Federal District Court if I understand correctly, and he has started a new High Road at TheHighRoad.US.The new site can be seen here:http://www.thehighroad.us According to the complaint the name TheHighRoad.org belongs to Oleg, as does this site. You can see the complaint here:http://www.geovario.com/legal/Complaint1.pdf
I have heard at least part of Oleg's side of the story. To be fair, before making a decision as to which site if either I would like to frequent, I would hope that Derek would give us his side of the story. What say you Derek?
We the users of TheHighRoad.org are a community of firearms enthusiasts who came together because of this site run by both of you. Why not clue us in to your side of the story in the hopes that we can help you guys find a solution to the problem, and so that we can remain a single community instead of separate smaller memberships at different sites.
All the best,
Glenn B
Here is the message I received from one of the site administrators at TheHighRoad.org regarding them moving (or was it removing since I cannot find it and they did not say to where it was moved):
Mr. Bartley,
Derek has deliberately not posted about this because he does not want to wage any sort of public fight, because he thinks such fights are not "The High Road" and because he thinks they are bad for the board. Which they are.
Your post has been moved.
John
Public fights bad for the board - what is bad for the board? My thread was not a fight public or otherwise. My post was an inquiry to find out Derek's side of the story, and a try at helping them find an amenable solution to their problems. It seems though that Derek Zeanah and his minions would rather shroud this whole mess in secrecy, and keep the site membership ignorant of the fact that there has been a parting of ways between him and Oleg Volk.
I must say, now that I have seen how Mr. Zeanah apparently wants to treat the membership of The High Road, all I can say is that it appears some credence has been given to Oleg Volk's side of the story if only because Oleg brought it out into the light of day, and it seems Derek would keep it locked in a dark basement. If not then why is it that Derek Zeanah and his administrators and moderators are moving or deleting threads in which THR members are telling the rest of the membership about this affair. That they don't think a public fight is High Road sounds like pure balderdash to me when it seems by their actions that their plan is obvious - they evidently want to cover all of this up in an attempt to keep the membership ignorant of the fact that there is a problem.
I look forward to using Mr. Volk's forum as opposed to that of Mr. Zeanah since it appears my posts on the subject will be deleted from the site of Mr. Zeanah, and it appears as if Mr. Zeanah prefers secrecy to being open. I would have preferred, as I noted in my earlier blog, to use both sites until this mess was decided by the courts, or by mutual agreement between Derek and Oleg, but it appears as if Derek or his administrator(s) would like to keep me and others like me in the dark. I am not a mushroom, I do not like being kept in the dark and being fed bullshit.
All the best,
Glenn B
TheHighRoad.ORG Versus TheHighRoad.US
One of my favorite websites, a firearms forum known as The High Road may soon go the way of the Buffalo. It appears that the two site administrators are claiming ownership of the site, and this has caused some difference of opinion about how the site should be run between them. One of them, Oleg Volk has come out guns blazing, so to speak, and has apparently filed an affidavit in Federal District Court claiming ownership of the rights to the site TheHighRoad.org, and at the same time has created a new site TheHighRoad.US.
It is usually a sad event for many people when something like this takes place because it is usually to the detriment of the site user. Chances are this affair will linger in the courts for a while, and while doing so wounds will be opened up among those who support either Oleg Volk, or those who support Derek Zeahnah the other site administrator. If the complaint indeed spells out the facts as they are, then my support goes to Oleg; however there are usually at least two sides to any dispute and I for one would like to hear from Derek on the other side.
I am hopeful that the community of members of The High Road will not be torn asunder leaving each site with some users loyal to Oleg and Derek because that will mean that one of the best firearms forums/communities on the Internet will have effectually been destroyed. Hopefully both Oleg and Derek will be able to work out their differences in a mutually agreeable manner, and The High Road will continue on as we have known it.
Edited to add:
As for me, regardless of who winds up being the actual owner of The High Road site registration, and of the actual website itself I figure I will continue viewing and writing at The High Road if it keeps itself up to that name. That means that there would have had to have been no underhandedness by the owner of the site. If it winds up that either of the web administrators was being dishonest, I am pretty sure I will not visit the site owned by that person, or both if they both were dishonest. By the way, I am not saying, or implying, either is being dishonest, this all could be a misunderstanding on one or both of their parts. Let the courts decide that now that it is within the realm of the courts. I guess though what I am trying to express is that I like the site the way it was - on the high road so to speak. I also liked the job that both of these guys were doing to keep it running. So if it is just a misunderstanding with no foul play, well then I suppose if it comes to them each going their own way with different websites I'll have to stick with both of them. If one gets the HighRoad.org and the other the HighRoad.us, I'll have them both bookmarked and links to both will appear on the right side of my blog. If however one is being underhanded and it comes out, and I cannot know that until the gun smoke has cleared, then I'll stick with the good guy, the guy who chose to take the high road. That is sort of why I joined The High Road firearms' forums in the first place, because it promised to be just that - the high road.
All the best,
Glenn B
It is usually a sad event for many people when something like this takes place because it is usually to the detriment of the site user. Chances are this affair will linger in the courts for a while, and while doing so wounds will be opened up among those who support either Oleg Volk, or those who support Derek Zeahnah the other site administrator. If the complaint indeed spells out the facts as they are, then my support goes to Oleg; however there are usually at least two sides to any dispute and I for one would like to hear from Derek on the other side.
I am hopeful that the community of members of The High Road will not be torn asunder leaving each site with some users loyal to Oleg and Derek because that will mean that one of the best firearms forums/communities on the Internet will have effectually been destroyed. Hopefully both Oleg and Derek will be able to work out their differences in a mutually agreeable manner, and The High Road will continue on as we have known it.
Edited to add:
As for me, regardless of who winds up being the actual owner of The High Road site registration, and of the actual website itself I figure I will continue viewing and writing at The High Road if it keeps itself up to that name. That means that there would have had to have been no underhandedness by the owner of the site. If it winds up that either of the web administrators was being dishonest, I am pretty sure I will not visit the site owned by that person, or both if they both were dishonest. By the way, I am not saying, or implying, either is being dishonest, this all could be a misunderstanding on one or both of their parts. Let the courts decide that now that it is within the realm of the courts. I guess though what I am trying to express is that I like the site the way it was - on the high road so to speak. I also liked the job that both of these guys were doing to keep it running. So if it is just a misunderstanding with no foul play, well then I suppose if it comes to them each going their own way with different websites I'll have to stick with both of them. If one gets the HighRoad.org and the other the HighRoad.us, I'll have them both bookmarked and links to both will appear on the right side of my blog. If however one is being underhanded and it comes out, and I cannot know that until the gun smoke has cleared, then I'll stick with the good guy, the guy who chose to take the high road. That is sort of why I joined The High Road firearms' forums in the first place, because it promised to be just that - the high road.
All the best,
Glenn B
Sunday, October 12, 2008
A Nicer day At The Range...
...would have been hard to find. Brendan and I left the house at about 0815 this morning, and we arrived at the Long Island Shooting Range of Brookhaven at about 0910. A drive of almost an hour's duration and about 46 miles just to get to a decent outdoor range. Oh well not much traffic at that hour of a Sunday morning once we were on the highway.
When we entered the range area we saw the parking lot at the rifle range about 1/2 full, and that would mean a lot of shooters. We went to the office and paid our $36 for two shooters. Yes folks, you read it right, $18 each for nonresidents of the town of Brookhaven, for which you can shoot from opening at 9 until they close at 4. We also bought 4 targets for .50 each. We had other targets too, and I only wanted these 4 because they approximated the size of a deer if placed sideways on the backer. Then down to the range which apparently had not started up yet so we were lucky enough to get in on the first round of shooting. It wound up being a good thing we got there when we did. With the shortage of ranges on Long Island or near NYC, shooting space is in high demand just about one month before the firearms big game season opens in NYS. As it turned out we had taken the advice of the guy at the range counter yesterday when we had stopped there to shoot, then decided it was too expensive to kill just the short hour we had; he told us if we come back tomorrow to come early. When we wound up leaving there were at least 15, maybe 20 shooters waiting to get in to shoot.
We shot the Marlin 336 in .35 Remington, and the Remington 870 in 12 gauge over the next few hours, that is up until noon when we called it quits. The Marlin required some tweaking of the scope, yes we have sinned and put a scope on a lever action rifle - but with my eyes that is good. As for the shotgun, nothing but factory original iron sights on it. We only fired out to 50 yards, where we hunt it is very unlikely to get a shot even at that distance. After a few rounds each, I made adjustments to the scope on the Marlin, and it was shooting dead on center for the most part; that is if Brendan did it right, then so too did the Marlin. The shotgun also needed some adjusting of the sights. That seemed strange, but it was shooting quite high at 50 yards. I'll have to give it a check at the indoor range at 25 yards. We did okay with it, but I expect we would do better a little closer in than at 50 yards which would be, as I said before, a long shot where we hunt.
No pics from today. I had the camera, just forgot to make use of it; I guess because I was having fun shooting. of course I would have loved to have had it on video when Brendan beaned himself in his nose with his thumb when shooting the 870. I felt his pain - his nose was that red. He wound up hurting his shoulder too. I guess I'll need to work on how he mounts the shotgun a little bit more. I may also pick up a new recoil pad this year. Remington is making one, called the SuperCell, and they claim: "...our Model 870 pump shotgun now produces 54% less recoil than competing auto loaders with their factory pads." Sound almost too good to be true since auto loaders are known to kick much less than pumps; yet at about $20 each, I'll have to at least try one when I can find it. Thekid young man will learn sooner or later, but I figure I'll make it easier on both of us, especially with not wanting his young joints to be achy like my older ones, with that new recoil pad.
Overall it was a nice day, albeit an expensive one, out with Brendan. Ammo expended in .35 Remington and 12 Gauge: $150 (at today's prices), Gas For The Car: $20.00, Admission To The Range: $36.00, Targets: $2.08, Seeing Brendan Keep Shooting Well After Whacking His Nose and Shoulder: Priceless (as were the chauffeured rides to the range and back to home since he drove).
All the best,
Glenn B
When we entered the range area we saw the parking lot at the rifle range about 1/2 full, and that would mean a lot of shooters. We went to the office and paid our $36 for two shooters. Yes folks, you read it right, $18 each for nonresidents of the town of Brookhaven, for which you can shoot from opening at 9 until they close at 4. We also bought 4 targets for .50 each. We had other targets too, and I only wanted these 4 because they approximated the size of a deer if placed sideways on the backer. Then down to the range which apparently had not started up yet so we were lucky enough to get in on the first round of shooting. It wound up being a good thing we got there when we did. With the shortage of ranges on Long Island or near NYC, shooting space is in high demand just about one month before the firearms big game season opens in NYS. As it turned out we had taken the advice of the guy at the range counter yesterday when we had stopped there to shoot, then decided it was too expensive to kill just the short hour we had; he told us if we come back tomorrow to come early. When we wound up leaving there were at least 15, maybe 20 shooters waiting to get in to shoot.
We shot the Marlin 336 in .35 Remington, and the Remington 870 in 12 gauge over the next few hours, that is up until noon when we called it quits. The Marlin required some tweaking of the scope, yes we have sinned and put a scope on a lever action rifle - but with my eyes that is good. As for the shotgun, nothing but factory original iron sights on it. We only fired out to 50 yards, where we hunt it is very unlikely to get a shot even at that distance. After a few rounds each, I made adjustments to the scope on the Marlin, and it was shooting dead on center for the most part; that is if Brendan did it right, then so too did the Marlin. The shotgun also needed some adjusting of the sights. That seemed strange, but it was shooting quite high at 50 yards. I'll have to give it a check at the indoor range at 25 yards. We did okay with it, but I expect we would do better a little closer in than at 50 yards which would be, as I said before, a long shot where we hunt.
No pics from today. I had the camera, just forgot to make use of it; I guess because I was having fun shooting. of course I would have loved to have had it on video when Brendan beaned himself in his nose with his thumb when shooting the 870. I felt his pain - his nose was that red. He wound up hurting his shoulder too. I guess I'll need to work on how he mounts the shotgun a little bit more. I may also pick up a new recoil pad this year. Remington is making one, called the SuperCell, and they claim: "...our Model 870 pump shotgun now produces 54% less recoil than competing auto loaders with their factory pads." Sound almost too good to be true since auto loaders are known to kick much less than pumps; yet at about $20 each, I'll have to at least try one when I can find it. The
Overall it was a nice day, albeit an expensive one, out with Brendan. Ammo expended in .35 Remington and 12 Gauge: $150 (at today's prices), Gas For The Car: $20.00, Admission To The Range: $36.00, Targets: $2.08, Seeing Brendan Keep Shooting Well After Whacking His Nose and Shoulder: Priceless (as were the chauffeured rides to the range and back to home since he drove).
All the best,
Glenn B
Off To The Range...
...with Brendan in just a little bit; so I guess there will be range report coming out later today. We are only taking two or three guns: the Marlin 336 (for sure), the Remington 870 (for sure) and a Ruger 10/22 (maybe). Brendan and I need to get in some practice before the big game hunting season.
All the best,
GB
All the best,
GB
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Is He Kidding Or Just Out Of his Mind
Now here I go, getting political, and giving my opinion again, after I just said there would be a lack of it from me. What can I say: it's 5:57 Am, I am sitting here, was just reading the news, and read this:
"The anger is getting raw at Republican rallies and John McCain is acting to tamp it down. McCain was booed by his own supporters Friday when, in an abrupt switch from raising questions about Barack Obama's character, he described the Democrat as a "decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States.""
See this for more:
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/11/mccain-booed-calling-obama-decent-person/
You probably can see how it got my blood to boiling, and my fingers to typing.
What in Hades is wrong with McCain. Does he really think that Obama is a good person, or is he out of his mind? Either way: Is McCain going to vote for Obama? It sure sounds like he will vote for him; and he has done all but tell us we should vote for him. I think otherwise though. Obama is less than a stellar American as I see him, heck as most Republicans and many Independents and some Democrats see him. Yet McCain basically abdicates any claim to even being a viable candidate with idiocy like that statement. I would say God damn it if I was a religious man, but for now I'll just say Holy Horse Poop Batman, what kind of shit is this?
I am beginning to think that McCain may be suffering from some form of early and mild dementia. He makes absolutely no sense when he says stuff like that at one moment and attacks Obama at another, unless of course his views are much more in line with Obama's than would his campaign have us believe. Remember he is not the candidate of choice for many Republicans, especially those of a conservative lean. He is the candidate with whom we got stuck after one hell of a convoluted primary. He is the so called Maverick. He allied himself with Kennedy and Feingold - so maybe it is just natural, for him, to do so with Obama. What will McCain do if elected, will he make Obama is co-president, or his closest advisor?
Hell - maybe I am not so sure for whom I will vote on November 4th. I know it will not be Obama, but if McCain keeps spitting out crap like that, well I may have to vote for Bob Barr. McCain is really becoming scary in how much he wants to bend over and be the ass kisser of all Americans. It just ain't gonna happen that he can appease everyone, and it is about time he either realizes that or starts taking psychotropic meds.
All the best,
Glenn B
"The anger is getting raw at Republican rallies and John McCain is acting to tamp it down. McCain was booed by his own supporters Friday when, in an abrupt switch from raising questions about Barack Obama's character, he described the Democrat as a "decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States.""
See this for more:
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/11/mccain-booed-calling-obama-decent-person/
You probably can see how it got my blood to boiling, and my fingers to typing.
What in Hades is wrong with McCain. Does he really think that Obama is a good person, or is he out of his mind? Either way: Is McCain going to vote for Obama? It sure sounds like he will vote for him; and he has done all but tell us we should vote for him. I think otherwise though. Obama is less than a stellar American as I see him, heck as most Republicans and many Independents and some Democrats see him. Yet McCain basically abdicates any claim to even being a viable candidate with idiocy like that statement. I would say God damn it if I was a religious man, but for now I'll just say Holy Horse Poop Batman, what kind of shit is this?
I am beginning to think that McCain may be suffering from some form of early and mild dementia. He makes absolutely no sense when he says stuff like that at one moment and attacks Obama at another, unless of course his views are much more in line with Obama's than would his campaign have us believe. Remember he is not the candidate of choice for many Republicans, especially those of a conservative lean. He is the candidate with whom we got stuck after one hell of a convoluted primary. He is the so called Maverick. He allied himself with Kennedy and Feingold - so maybe it is just natural, for him, to do so with Obama. What will McCain do if elected, will he make Obama is co-president, or his closest advisor?
Hell - maybe I am not so sure for whom I will vote on November 4th. I know it will not be Obama, but if McCain keeps spitting out crap like that, well I may have to vote for Bob Barr. McCain is really becoming scary in how much he wants to bend over and be the ass kisser of all Americans. It just ain't gonna happen that he can appease everyone, and it is about time he either realizes that or starts taking psychotropic meds.
All the best,
Glenn B
The Election Nears...
...and as you have seen the amount of my blogging the body politic has withered. Why as such a critical time approaches?
Well, first of all, I am sick of it all. It has been going on for well over a year already. If you are not sick of it all by now, then you are demented. Just the choice of candidates should be more than enough to make one sick. The only candidate whom I believe has anything on the ball, and who possibly offers some hope of a better way is Sarah Palin. I almost cannot wait until 2012.
Secondly, I already know for whom I will cast my vote. It is a no brainer. I will vote for Sarah Palin. In doing so I will also vote for her running mate, good old John Whatshisname. Can you imagine that this lackluster, lame (I mean mentally as I don't care about his physical aspects all that much), apologetic (why does he continually apologize for those who show his opponent's weakness and inability to be a good president), condescending, flip-flopping, liberal Republican is actually one of only two choices for the top position in our government! It is a disgrace. No wonder all the hoopla is following the other guy right now.
As for the other guy, that one, Barack Hussein Obama, my opinion of him his less than my opinion of McCain by a long shot. He is arrogant to extreme excess, he is a charlatan as far as I can tell, he claims to be black and is less black than an Oreo actually being mulatto, he is a friend of a radically hateful racially preacher, he is friends of another radically hateful preacher, he is friends with a known (from what I have heard) domestic terrorist (the worst kind of terrorist - one who attacks his own nation), he is married to a woman who was never proud of her country until her country or part of it was willing to adore her husband, and he thinks these associations are okay and makes excuses for these people. In addition he has alleged ties to Muslim extremism, has ties to Kenyan leaders who are certainly less than upstanding citizens, has ties to leftists kooks of all sorts who apparently support him in rabid disregard for anything fundamentally American, and he thinks that to be something good. In addition this guy reeks of communist and socialist underpinnings.
Yes I know for whom I will cast my vote. It is not by choice as much as it is by necessity born of the situation in which we find ourselves. If I had a real choice, if there was another candidate for whom I could vote, one who at least truly stood for even half of the things I believe to be important, well I would vote for him or her in a heart beat. As it is, I see my only choice as an asshole who does not even know how to use a computer. Don't tell me that is because of his war wounds either, because I can find you hundreds if not thousands of example of people much more handicapped than him who use computers; some of them without arms let alone arms that just don't work all that well. We are simply stuck with two choices that suck. Yes I know there are other choices, such as the Libertarian Bob Barr, but the guy does not have a chance. In fact all voting for him will do is to steal votes from McCain. Yes dear readers, it sucks to be stuck withan asshole maverick and a bigger asshole change for the sake of change candidate for whom to vote in our presidential elections. Sort of makes me wonder - Whatever Happened To Randolph Scott, when we need a hero to get us out of this jam. Then again folks even the heroes of silver screen couldn't save us from the mess we are in for this election! Well one of them maybe could have, and he was both an actor and a president, but he is gone now. Too bad his memory is not evoked by the candidate of my choice.
But I have digressed, so allow me to get back to my original point. There will be little, if any, political blogging by me from now to the election. Instead, I'll devote my time to watching old westerns on the tube, hoping beyond hope that a hero arises who will mount his steed in time for 2010. Why 2010, well that's when the next round of this political bullshit will begin anew if it follows suit with this campaign; I can only hope that someone will ride tall in the saddle above it all.
All the best,
Glenn B
Well, first of all, I am sick of it all. It has been going on for well over a year already. If you are not sick of it all by now, then you are demented. Just the choice of candidates should be more than enough to make one sick. The only candidate whom I believe has anything on the ball, and who possibly offers some hope of a better way is Sarah Palin. I almost cannot wait until 2012.
Secondly, I already know for whom I will cast my vote. It is a no brainer. I will vote for Sarah Palin. In doing so I will also vote for her running mate, good old John Whatshisname. Can you imagine that this lackluster, lame (I mean mentally as I don't care about his physical aspects all that much), apologetic (why does he continually apologize for those who show his opponent's weakness and inability to be a good president), condescending, flip-flopping, liberal Republican is actually one of only two choices for the top position in our government! It is a disgrace. No wonder all the hoopla is following the other guy right now.
As for the other guy, that one, Barack Hussein Obama, my opinion of him his less than my opinion of McCain by a long shot. He is arrogant to extreme excess, he is a charlatan as far as I can tell, he claims to be black and is less black than an Oreo actually being mulatto, he is a friend of a radically hateful racially preacher, he is friends of another radically hateful preacher, he is friends with a known (from what I have heard) domestic terrorist (the worst kind of terrorist - one who attacks his own nation), he is married to a woman who was never proud of her country until her country or part of it was willing to adore her husband, and he thinks these associations are okay and makes excuses for these people. In addition he has alleged ties to Muslim extremism, has ties to Kenyan leaders who are certainly less than upstanding citizens, has ties to leftists kooks of all sorts who apparently support him in rabid disregard for anything fundamentally American, and he thinks that to be something good. In addition this guy reeks of communist and socialist underpinnings.
Yes I know for whom I will cast my vote. It is not by choice as much as it is by necessity born of the situation in which we find ourselves. If I had a real choice, if there was another candidate for whom I could vote, one who at least truly stood for even half of the things I believe to be important, well I would vote for him or her in a heart beat. As it is, I see my only choice as an asshole who does not even know how to use a computer. Don't tell me that is because of his war wounds either, because I can find you hundreds if not thousands of example of people much more handicapped than him who use computers; some of them without arms let alone arms that just don't work all that well. We are simply stuck with two choices that suck. Yes I know there are other choices, such as the Libertarian Bob Barr, but the guy does not have a chance. In fact all voting for him will do is to steal votes from McCain. Yes dear readers, it sucks to be stuck with
But I have digressed, so allow me to get back to my original point. There will be little, if any, political blogging by me from now to the election. Instead, I'll devote my time to watching old westerns on the tube, hoping beyond hope that a hero arises who will mount his steed in time for 2010. Why 2010, well that's when the next round of this political bullshit will begin anew if it follows suit with this campaign; I can only hope that someone will ride tall in the saddle above it all.
All the best,
Glenn B
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Big Game Hunting Season - Just Around The Corner
So it is high time to get out the hunting shotgun, rifles and maybe even hunting pistols and get them cleaned up. Then a trip to the local range will be in order to make sure they are all functioning properly and that Brendan and I still know not only how to shoot em, but how to hit the target. This will be especially important with out Marlin 336 because it is scoped, and we need to assure that the scope has not been whacked out of alignment. Of course, since we will also likely hunt in a shotgun/pistol only area it will be just as important to get in lots of practice with the 870. I anticipate a couple of sore shoulders already. The pics are of Brendan with the Remington 870 in mid-recoil (note the left elbow in mid-air, and with the Marlin 336 (a posed picture).
Hopefully we will be able to get out this weekend. I am none to sure we can, my mom is not in great shape and we are trying to make long term care arrangements for her; but I am hopeful we can at least get to a local range on our way out to visit her.
I sure have enough ammo to have a decent day at the range. Well at least for the Marlin 336 in .35 Remington. I'll have to check my 12 gauge shotgun slug supply to see if I have enough; but if not well then I have over $100 in gift cards from Dick's Sporting Goods to spend on ammo.
We each have a license, and Brendan has 2 deer management permits (allowing for does to be taken), so I am hopeful we will put some venison on the table this year.
All the best,
Glenn B
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Today In History - Quoth The Raven, "Nevermore"
October has always been a happy month for me. I love the fact that it is the month of my birth, the month with the best weather - yes I love the October weather here in the northeast especially in New York, and I love the fact that it is the month in which Halloween and most of the leaves of the hardwoods fall. Today though, October 7th, is for me a sad day in history. On this day in 1849 Edgar Allan Poe was, in the words of the Raven, "Nevermore".Edgar Allan Poe is undeniably one of the all time best writers of American Literature, and also one of the best writers of all time. In addition his writings are some of the most popular throughout the world despite the somewhat lack of their popularity during his own lifetime. Had he lived a longer and fuller life, had he written more of his maudlin yet haunting poetry, more of his macabre frightening yet intriguing short stories, another novella or two filled with the fantastic, and had he continued with his then unique literary creation and written more modern detective stories, he would likely have gone down in history as a writer unparalleled in his magnificence, or at least as the greatest American writer of all time. Regardless of his short pained life - he died when only 39 - and regardless of his shorter literary life, Poe indeed achieved a greatness with pen that few have ever matched. Be I so bold to say what I am about to, I believe he would have achieved the same greatness as Shakespeare, who died probably a few days short of 52, had he lived and written as long. (Heck I just surpassed old Will in age.)
Poe was a masterful user of the English language, and some others for that matter such as Latin and French. If you have never read any of his work, I suggest you give a few of them a try. Some of my favorites have been:
Poems:
El Dorado
To --- (the one that begins with the words "I heed not...")
The Raven
Lenore
Anabel Lee
Stories:
The Cask of Amontillado
The Murders in The Rue MorgueThe Mystery of Marie Roget
The Purloined Letter
The Pit and the Pendulum
There are many, many others. Besides short stories and poetry he wrote journalistic essays, articles, and one novella or short novel: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (another great one, but not all that easy to read as it is heavily laden with mystic symbolism).
Poe was misunderstood during his lifetime, and was even more so after his death. Most believe him to have been a half depraved drug addict, but much of that belief was based upon a libelous biography written after his death by Rufus Griswold, a man who despised Poe and who let his hatred of him carry on even after Poe's passing.
If you would like to learn more about Edgar Allan Poe, things that even up until a few years ago had not yet come to light (such as the fact that he was not a drug addict) you can find more info on Poe at these links:
The House of Usher: http://www.houseofusher.net/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe
Project Gutenburg: http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/p (page down to Poe)
No matter what you think of him or his life, no matter what you think about his works, he was and remains one of the most influential writers of all time. As in the Raven with thoughts of 'lost Lenore', Poe will never be with us again but so too shall his shadow, cast upon the literary floor, leave us Nevermore.
All the best,
Glenn B
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Florida Fish Tales - All True - You Just Can't Make Up Stuff Like This
When I was down in West Palm Beach last week I got to go fishing 3 times. Not bad in 5 days considering how few times I go when I am at home. The first day out was a nice one, picture perfect as you can see from the pic of my Uncle Ken fishing off of Juno Pier. The sun was shining, well peeking out from behind those magnificent clouds anyhow, the temps were probably in the mid to high seventies, a light breeze was blowing, the surfers were acting as chum in the water. Did I mention it was picture perfect, well maybe it was just a wee bit less than that, and if you look closely at the picture you may notice why. Haven't guessed it yet - okay I'll tell - in the pic there was no fish on his line, in fact none on mine so I had time to snap away, and very few brought to the pier by anyone at all. My uncle did catch one small bluefish, barely a keeper, and I guess that was pretty good considering we had the wrong kind of bait. Yet even those with the right bait were only catching a few now and then. Still it was a nice day. On Tuesday we went out again, this time for fresh water fish at my insistence. I even bought a 3 day non-resident license at the same cost of a yearly resident license - $17.00. They want another $17.00 for a non-resident saltwater license, imagine that. Luckily since our first trip had been off of the pier at Juno, I did not require a saltwater license. The freshwater fishing experience was also picture perfect even though the day was overcast and the weatherman promised heavy rains. My uncle, his grandson Kyler, and I figured if it rained we could always head to Juno Pier and fish from underneath the areas with pavilions. A nice touch for a fishing pier. As it turned out we headed to Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Our first stop was a pond recommended by the ranger who collected our park entry fee. He told us that this pond in particular had some big ones. We fished there for about 2 hours or so, and we caught a decent number of fish - a few each - but all were small sunfish. We moved on at the insistence of Kyler who just did not want to wait for a big one to swim by. We drove down to the other end of the park looking for fishing holes. At the far en we came to the gift shop and canoe rental set on the Loxahatchee River (this is where Brendan and I had fished back in the summer of 2005, also where we saw a good number of alligators). With those clouds obviously so full of rain we decided against renting a canoe. We milled around a bit, then headed back a short distance to a pond we had passed while driving to the canoe rental area.
It was a small dark watered pond. Lots of peat or something else was staining the water a brownish color. probably not poet since the water was not too acidic for plant life. Whatever, we decided to fish in this forbidding looking water hole. Almost as soon as our baits hit the water (night crawlers from Walmart) we all had bites. Once again it was sunfish on all lines. These were bigger and more feisty than were the ones at the first spot, though still on the small side. I also caught a Peacock Bass which looked more like it belonged in an aquarium with other exotic species than it belonged in a pond in Florida. After about a half hour or so, young Kyler got into a discussion with uncle Ken about the best bait to be using. Uncle Ken insisted that the night crawlers were the best, Kyler insisted that some frozen shrimp we had would be best. To prove a point, Kyler baited his hook with a shrimp and cast out about a whole 5 feet from shore. Now if you had an eye that was quick enough, or maybe a camera with a high speed shutter you may have noticed the glass smooth surface of the pond was broken by ripples just before Kyler's bait hit the water. You see, just as his bait was about to hit the still surface of the pond, a largemouth bass affirmed Kyler's knowledge about which bait was best as it jumped out of the water to meet his bait in mid air just above the pond's surface. I don't know how he did it, but Kyler set the hook and then manhandled that big boy to shore despite the drag on his light spinning outfit brrrr'ing away.
That was the fish of the day for sure. As a mater of fact, soon after he caught that it started to rain and we decided to head off to call it a day and go get some lunch. Now you might be thinking that the bass would have made a fine lunch, and so had we. The thing was we threw it back hopefully so Kyler can catch it again on another day. We did not necessarily want to throw it back. Had I caught it I would have regardless of its size after some pics, but Kyler understandably wanted to keep this one. Thing was I did not have the fishing regs and seemed to recall it needed to be 18 inches long to be a keeper. This one was 15 inches, or a tad more, in length. So I called the office of the park. The jerk there actually reprimanded me for not having the fishing regulations, and told me how it was my duty to have them. Well since Walmart did not have any when I bought my license, I also went to K-Mart and guess what - they did not have any either. They told me the State sent them loads of saltwater fishing regs, but almost no freshwater regs and they were all out. So I asked the guy who's fault was that! I also asked him how it was that the admin office of a state park was so lax as to not have the regs available - he shut up. I then asked for the number to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - he did not have that either, can you imagine - government buffoonery at its best - or so you would think - but it gets better (or should I say worse). I went to the car, and I dug out the saltwater regs. I then called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission number on the regs. It was the saltwater division, and that was just how the lady answered the phone. I asked for the number for the freshwater division or if she could connect me to them. She just flatly said: "No". I asked if she knew the size limit on largemouth bass, and again I received the curt answer: "No". So finally I asked if anyone there could help me and she in a nasty tone said: "NO". In a last ditch effort, I explained our situation, and explained that the young lad who caught the fish was hoping his best to keep it. She then softened up a bit, and said give me a minute. I heard her say something to someone else, immediately heard paper rustling, then heard pages turning, then heard her say she was looking it up for me. What happened to NO and NO and NO? I remained silent. In a half a minute she told me that the size limit statewide for largemouth bass was 18 inches if caught by a minor (youth as she put it), and 24 inches if caught by an adult. I thanked her for looking even though I wanted to call her something that rhymes with witch. So on her say so as to size limits, we let the bass go, and each of us were a little sad to see it swim away (happy too that it could still swim away after being out of the pond for a few minutes).
Oh yeah, remember the guy at the park office, the one who tried to chastise me for not having the fishing regulations with me. Well we stopped to show him the picture of the fish as we left the park. He was amazed when we told him where we had caught it. He said that pond has been bone dry a few months back and that there were definitely no fish in it. Once again - government buffoonery shining through. He just could not understand how we caught a bass like that there, nor did he look all that much like he believed me when I told him we caught several sunfish and something else that looked like a colorful mini-tilapia (that was the Peacock Bass). Of course when I described the oddball fish, he also had no idea what it could have been, I had to look it up online letter in the day. Lest you think I am telling a fish tale, you too can take a look at the pic.Once we got home, my uncle, being the skeptic of skeptics, checked the regs online off of the site of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Co mission. He was pretty upset once he did. The minimum size limit was 14 inches - Kyler had caught a keeper and we had thrown it back. The limits I had seen the night before of 18 inches up to 25 inches were for Lake Okeechobee, where I had at first planned to fish. The limits told to me over the phone by the representative of lady at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Shame on her, there was nothing we could find that even closely resembled the so called regulations she quoted us abut a "youth" limit and "adult" limit - she won the government buffoon award of the day. Oh well, at least we have the picture, and Kyler can always dream of catching the same one again.
Enough of Tuesday's trip. On Wednesday uncle Ken and I headed about 60 miles north of West Palm Beach to Fort Pierce. Once there we boarded the Captain Lew, a party (or open) boat. I had done some online checking before I left NY and saw that every boat in WPB only went out for 4 hours at a cost of about $40 - $45 for each person. This boat on the other hand went out from 0830 to 1630, a full 8 hours, and only cost about $50 per fare. They also had a $2 off coupon online, and a senior fare that my uncle could use. I made a reservation. When we got there we saw a freshly paned boat, with a crew of 2, Captain Lew and his mate Mark. There was a small crowd of fishermen and fisherwomen, about 20 to 25 including us. Just before boarding, Mark took everyones' gear and stowed it aboard so we would not have to climb aboard while toting it. Then Capt. Lew read us the rules, a nice touch to avoid any problems aboard. As we boarded, the line of went through the cabin where Capt. Lew collected the fares. He remembered me by name, from my emails, when I paid. Another nice touch (by the way he promptly and courteously answered my several emails to him). One other nice thing, both the captain and mate had great manners. It was going to be a nice trip even if we did not catch any fish.Well it took about an hour and a half to reach the fishing grounds. I could not see land in any direction. My guess was we were 10 to 20 miles out. The day was sunny, promising to hit the mid to high eighties, there was just a hint of a breeze, the water was as calm as the surface of a small lake on a calm day, and the water and skies were blue. On the way out I got a chance to talk to Mark, and to a few of the other fisherpeople. The captain was busy getting us there, but I got to speak to him once we arrived. Not much of a surprise, but at least a few folks aboard - including Captain Lew - were originally from NY. Captain Lew even went to college just a few miles from my home, and he was born in Brooklyn as was I. One of the fares, I think his name was Mike, was originally from Brooklyn, moved to Long Island, then moved to Florida 40 years or so ago. We had a good long talk, and he was a fine and interesting gentleman. We wished each other luck, and then went fishing.
As soon as uncle ken's rig hit bottom, he hooked a fish. Same for me a second or two later. Same for just about everyone aboard. We reeled them in, I got mine on the deck before uncle Ken who was using a lighter pole, and I had a nice double header of keeper Sea bass. Mmm delicious. After that we caught some Yellowtail and Lane Snapper, and a lot of Grunts. According to the captain the Grunts were only worthy of being cut up for bait. So we caught a bunch of them, as did everyone else, and we used em for bait once the squid ran out (that was my only negative complaint about the whole day aboard the Captain Lew - they did not supply enough bait, and actually ran out of the cut squid they had been giving out forcing everyone who did not bring bait to use cut up grunt). Well after about an hours or so of steady fish on action, it sought of petered out a bit. Still we were getting fish, but only Grunts ow and then. I turned to uncle Ken and wondered out loud if the captain would move around a lot, or if we would stay put. Apparently the captain was in the wheel house right over my head when I said that, and within a second he was on the loud speaker saying reel em up, we were about to move to another spot. I guess he had heard me; but if he had or had not, he was moving to another spot to look for more and better fish, and that is a sign of a good party boat captain.
In all we hit a few more spots, 4 or 5 I suppose. We never hit as good a spot as had been the first, but we did catch fish, at least anyone who kept on a bottom rig did so. Uncle Ken changed to a rig designed for bigger but scarcer fish, and he caught fewer than me, and alas no big ones. The Grunts were king wherever else we fished. In all I reeled in 68 fish, and raised a lot of skeptical eyebrows from those who asked me how I had done. Truth is I was pulling in Grunts even when most of the others were not, but most had changed to the rigs meant for the bigger fish. We also caught some small (under the size limit) Sea Bass, Yellow Tail and Vermilion. My uncle also caught an ugly little critter - a Toad Fish that Captain Lew called a Shell Crusher, and one look at its jaws would let you know why he gave it that name. I also had a colorful little sand perch - also a throw back. Out of 68 fish that I caught, and my guess would be 30 or more that my uncle caught, we had a total of only 12 keepers. Of those 2 were Trigger Fish, 4 were Sea Bass, 4 were Yellow Tail, and 2 were Lane Snapper. Other folks caught red snapper, Mutton Snapper, a single Cobia (a throwback at 31 inches), moray eels, grouper (also throwbacks at a pretty large size), scorpion fish, and some others.
All too soon it was 1500 (3PM) and time to head back to the dock. The fish were weighed and the pool fish selected, sadly not one of ours. By the way, the woman with the actual largest fish did not win the pool, she had elected not to enter. That is why I always put up the few bucks to get into the pool. The ride back was more for snoozing than it was for talking, and I got in more than a few minutes f keeping the other fares amused with my musical snoring. Once back at the dock, the mate and the captain got to filleting fish. It is amazing how 12 good looking fish can be reduced to a pile of disappointingly small fillets in a matter of minutes; but I will admit we had a few to 5 pounds of fillets. After that it was off to home to fry some fish, well that is of course after tipping the mate. Being I was on vacation I was somewhat generous and I threw a nice tip his way for my uncle and me. I have to say, he was the best mate, and Captain Lew the best captain, that I have met on a party boat in a long time. What a nice day it was, made even nicer by these two gentlemen.After an hour or so, we reached uncle Ken's place. We cleaned up and uncle Ken got to fish frying. He did a pretty good job too with just some salt, pepper, garlic powder and oil. Those fish were ever so delicious and Uncle Ken, Aunt Glenese and I had a small feast on about 1/3 of the fillets; saving the rest for another day.
In closing let me say that if you ever are down near Fort Pierce, and if you want to go fishing, I highly recommend the Captain Lew. A nice boat, a nicer crew, and a good time is to be had. As for the fishing, I suppose it depends, but my bet is you will catch fish. As for me, I had only one regret in three days of fishing, and that was that my son and best fishing buddy Brendan was not there with me. You can bet, if we ever get to Fort Pierce together, both of us will be going fishing with Captain Lew.
All the best,
Glenn B
Friday, October 3, 2008
I Have Returned...
...and no it is not like I am MacArthur or someone like him, but I figured I'd just let you know I am back home and that my blogging may soon begin again in earnest. I spent the last 5 days in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was supposed to be a business/vacation trip, but the business end never panned out since I was too sick over the past couple of days to go out and get any done. I had been planning on this being a reptile buying trip so I'd have something to sell at the LIHS 19th Annual Reptile Expo tomorrow, but that did not work out.
I did get a few fishing trips in while down there, but in addition to fish (more on this in another post), I also caught one heck of a cold. I am feeling miserable, but somewhat better than yesterday. Now that I am back I have to attend to family matters, my mom went back into the hospital again a couple of days ago, and she is not in good condition. She may require being put into an old age home, and it will not be an easy thing to work out. Without me getting into details let me just say it is probably goig to be absolutely necessary because of her condition. She had been living with my sister and her family but now requires care beyond their abilities and beyond the abilities of any home care giver. So today I am off to my sister's house to help work on the arrangements for that. Of course that is I am off but only after I get my laundry from the trip (and whatever else is in the hamper) done first, which I can only hope will make the wife happy.
I'll post some pics and write about the trip later over this weekend as time allows.
All the best,
Glenn B
I did get a few fishing trips in while down there, but in addition to fish (more on this in another post), I also caught one heck of a cold. I am feeling miserable, but somewhat better than yesterday. Now that I am back I have to attend to family matters, my mom went back into the hospital again a couple of days ago, and she is not in good condition. She may require being put into an old age home, and it will not be an easy thing to work out. Without me getting into details let me just say it is probably goig to be absolutely necessary because of her condition. She had been living with my sister and her family but now requires care beyond their abilities and beyond the abilities of any home care giver. So today I am off to my sister's house to help work on the arrangements for that. Of course that is I am off but only after I get my laundry from the trip (and whatever else is in the hamper) done first, which I can only hope will make the wife happy.
I'll post some pics and write about the trip later over this weekend as time allows.
All the best,
Glenn B
Monday, September 29, 2008
My Part To Get Over Economic Blues...
...amounts to spending money, and trying to make some additional money. Hopefully everyone else is thinking likewise because if they are then the economy will correct itself. If they are panicked like the goobermint officials who decided to agree to the government bail out of the mortgage industry, well then we are doomed because not only do we have morons in Washington, but we have a citizenry made up of idiots. Maybe that is the case, after all who was it that put us into this mess in the first place.
Well according to a 1999 New York Times article titled: Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending, the Clinton Administration pressured Fannie Mae to help expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people. Banks another mortgage lending institutions pressured Fannie Mae to help them make subprime loans. Yes folks this was in 1999, and it has run rampant under Bill Clinton and then 2 terms of George Bush. Both sides of the aisle, so to speak, are guilty as sin in this one; but so too are all (and that means each and every last one of you) of the people who whined and moaned that the mortgage lending industry had to offer loans to those who were extremely poor risks. That group would include the lenders themselves who took advantage of people who want something for nothing and who were in other words extremely high risks of ever paying the loans off, the people who took advantage of the scheme and who borrowed when they could not afford to do so as they had and probably still live by a sense of entitlement just because they say they are entitled (as opposed to responsible citizens who live within their means), the politicians who sought to get political brownie points and win the next election in which they would run, the sign wavers and placard holder and protest marchers who scream racism at every opportunity (most of the subprime rate loans went to or were expected to go to minorities) , the housing industry who screamed we need to build - build - build at any cost, the real estate moguls who screamed we need to sell - sell - sell at any expense, the Wall Street types who screamed buy - buy - buy in the hopes of getting rich quick at the risk of losing almost everything on extremely risky investments, the foreign bankers and market people who did likewise in our market, and on and on.
Me, I have a small amount of money in a regular bank account, less in my checking account and not all that much in my thrift savings plan at work. Why is that when I make a darned good salary? Well firs of all I live in NY State where I pay through the nose for everything like taxes on this that and the other thing and oh yeah on that too, and where prices for everything are pretty darned high. Of course I could move away, but its not all that easy when you have roots in a place. So I worked, and I lived, and in doing so I acted responsibly and I bought a house with my wife for our family, and here is where we live. If the market absolutely collapsed, if a great depression struck, well my house would be just about paid off, and that is as in paid off in just 17 years or so. Now how could I have done that? Well in the simplest terms: I worked and I paid my mortgage. The thing is though that when I took out my mortgage I was fairly certain I would be able to afford the payments. Some of that was guess work, or at least some of it was faith. Faith that I would keep my job, faith that I would stay at the same pay level, faith that I might get promoted, which eventually I did to one level higher than I was at the time I applied for my mortgage. Faith that my wife would work and help with the payments. Faith that, well gosh darn it - just a firm belief in ourselves that we would continue to do what we had been doing and that was work damned hard at making a decent living.
Of course that hard work at making a decent living came only after being brought up in a one parent home by a mom who was a hard worker, otherwise we would have been on welfare. My mom was too proud to go on the dole permanently - yeah I think we were on it for a short spell there with food stamps; but she pulled herself up out of the dumps by good hard work. It was not because she was white, not because she was a divorced Catholic, not because she was a woman (2 out of three traits which were quite negative at the time, and the other was rapidly being overcome by affirmative action to turn it into a negative also) but rather because she was determined to make it, and making it meant making things as good as she possibly could for her children. She got no help from the bum who calls himself my father. He was a drunkard who beat her mercilessly and who did not give us a penny to help us survive. She did it the only way she knew how, by working and scrimping and saving; and in all those years that she did so, from when I was 8 or 9, right up through me going through college for my bachelor's degree, we never once lived in our own house. There were no subprime loans, and had there been, well my mom would have been smart enough to say - that's crazy, and not risk what little she had to get pie in the sky.
My mom eventually got some money, she inherited it from my great-grandfather. She helped us buy our house and bought one for herself. My guess is she may have helped my brother and sister with their homes too. Mom got that money only after spending years toiling for my great-grandparents. Helping them with their business affairs, help them with their health care, helping them with just about every aspect of their live. She did this even though my great-grandmother treated her like trash; and even though she was pretty sure she would not get much out of their estate as other grandchildren were much favored over her. My mother did this for them because it was the right thing to do, to show respect and honor toward your family elders, and because work was seen as a good thing. She did all that for them in addition to working at her regular job.
So that is how I was able to buy and pay for my house. Not because of the money my mom gave me to help me out. Sure that was a big help, but I would have just waited loger to buy or bought a lesse expensive house if I did not get that help; and the help she gave did not pay the payments once they started. For 17 years I paid off my mortgage because my wife and I both have a good work ethic. We do not see ourselves as entitled to anything we did not earn. When both of us were brought up, we were led to believe that you got what you earned. There was little to no sense of entitlement - no sense of a free ride - no sense of hey you have got to give me what I want. Sure you can accept help if needed or accept a gift, but you are not entitled to it just because you do not have it. There is no just reward without hard work, the fruits you reap should be those of your labor not of the labors of other people. If the rest of America thought like that, we would be in a better spot right now. The thing is that way too many people do not think like that. They think they and others are entitled to the hard earned fruits of my labor. They think because they are of one genders of another, or because they are of one race or another, or because they practice one religion of another, or because they are in one socio-economic level or another - that they deserve the money of another. That is bullshit and it is about time people start realizing such and act responsibly.
I am absolutely opposed to the government bailout of the mortgage and banking industries today. Why? Well because it is the perfect example of what I am saying about people believing they or others are entitled to another's hard earned money. It is the perfect example of how way too many folks in the good old US of A believe that no one has to be responsible for their own actions because mommy or daddy will bail them out if things get messy, or in this case that Uncle Sam will bail them out. It is a mess caused by greed, avarice, irresponsibility, and socialistic liberal mind sets. It is a disgrace that for the past half of a century at least, all too many American have raised their children to believe they have it coming at the expense of others.
I can only hope that other Americans will begin to realize that we need to be fiscally responsible, heck that we need to be responsible for all of our actions, and that we need to live with the results of our actions good or bad. I am not saying nothing should be done about the current financial crisis, but a government bailout putting taxpayers at even more risk - putting the solvency of our government Treasury at risk, is not the way.
All the best,
Glenn B
Well according to a 1999 New York Times article titled: Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending, the Clinton Administration pressured Fannie Mae to help expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people. Banks another mortgage lending institutions pressured Fannie Mae to help them make subprime loans. Yes folks this was in 1999, and it has run rampant under Bill Clinton and then 2 terms of George Bush. Both sides of the aisle, so to speak, are guilty as sin in this one; but so too are all (and that means each and every last one of you) of the people who whined and moaned that the mortgage lending industry had to offer loans to those who were extremely poor risks. That group would include the lenders themselves who took advantage of people who want something for nothing and who were in other words extremely high risks of ever paying the loans off, the people who took advantage of the scheme and who borrowed when they could not afford to do so as they had and probably still live by a sense of entitlement just because they say they are entitled (as opposed to responsible citizens who live within their means), the politicians who sought to get political brownie points and win the next election in which they would run, the sign wavers and placard holder and protest marchers who scream racism at every opportunity (most of the subprime rate loans went to or were expected to go to minorities) , the housing industry who screamed we need to build - build - build at any cost, the real estate moguls who screamed we need to sell - sell - sell at any expense, the Wall Street types who screamed buy - buy - buy in the hopes of getting rich quick at the risk of losing almost everything on extremely risky investments, the foreign bankers and market people who did likewise in our market, and on and on.
Me, I have a small amount of money in a regular bank account, less in my checking account and not all that much in my thrift savings plan at work. Why is that when I make a darned good salary? Well firs of all I live in NY State where I pay through the nose for everything like taxes on this that and the other thing and oh yeah on that too, and where prices for everything are pretty darned high. Of course I could move away, but its not all that easy when you have roots in a place. So I worked, and I lived, and in doing so I acted responsibly and I bought a house with my wife for our family, and here is where we live. If the market absolutely collapsed, if a great depression struck, well my house would be just about paid off, and that is as in paid off in just 17 years or so. Now how could I have done that? Well in the simplest terms: I worked and I paid my mortgage. The thing is though that when I took out my mortgage I was fairly certain I would be able to afford the payments. Some of that was guess work, or at least some of it was faith. Faith that I would keep my job, faith that I would stay at the same pay level, faith that I might get promoted, which eventually I did to one level higher than I was at the time I applied for my mortgage. Faith that my wife would work and help with the payments. Faith that, well gosh darn it - just a firm belief in ourselves that we would continue to do what we had been doing and that was work damned hard at making a decent living.
Of course that hard work at making a decent living came only after being brought up in a one parent home by a mom who was a hard worker, otherwise we would have been on welfare. My mom was too proud to go on the dole permanently - yeah I think we were on it for a short spell there with food stamps; but she pulled herself up out of the dumps by good hard work. It was not because she was white, not because she was a divorced Catholic, not because she was a woman (2 out of three traits which were quite negative at the time, and the other was rapidly being overcome by affirmative action to turn it into a negative also) but rather because she was determined to make it, and making it meant making things as good as she possibly could for her children. She got no help from the bum who calls himself my father. He was a drunkard who beat her mercilessly and who did not give us a penny to help us survive. She did it the only way she knew how, by working and scrimping and saving; and in all those years that she did so, from when I was 8 or 9, right up through me going through college for my bachelor's degree, we never once lived in our own house. There were no subprime loans, and had there been, well my mom would have been smart enough to say - that's crazy, and not risk what little she had to get pie in the sky.
My mom eventually got some money, she inherited it from my great-grandfather. She helped us buy our house and bought one for herself. My guess is she may have helped my brother and sister with their homes too. Mom got that money only after spending years toiling for my great-grandparents. Helping them with their business affairs, help them with their health care, helping them with just about every aspect of their live. She did this even though my great-grandmother treated her like trash; and even though she was pretty sure she would not get much out of their estate as other grandchildren were much favored over her. My mother did this for them because it was the right thing to do, to show respect and honor toward your family elders, and because work was seen as a good thing. She did all that for them in addition to working at her regular job.
So that is how I was able to buy and pay for my house. Not because of the money my mom gave me to help me out. Sure that was a big help, but I would have just waited loger to buy or bought a lesse expensive house if I did not get that help; and the help she gave did not pay the payments once they started. For 17 years I paid off my mortgage because my wife and I both have a good work ethic. We do not see ourselves as entitled to anything we did not earn. When both of us were brought up, we were led to believe that you got what you earned. There was little to no sense of entitlement - no sense of a free ride - no sense of hey you have got to give me what I want. Sure you can accept help if needed or accept a gift, but you are not entitled to it just because you do not have it. There is no just reward without hard work, the fruits you reap should be those of your labor not of the labors of other people. If the rest of America thought like that, we would be in a better spot right now. The thing is that way too many people do not think like that. They think they and others are entitled to the hard earned fruits of my labor. They think because they are of one genders of another, or because they are of one race or another, or because they practice one religion of another, or because they are in one socio-economic level or another - that they deserve the money of another. That is bullshit and it is about time people start realizing such and act responsibly.
I am absolutely opposed to the government bailout of the mortgage and banking industries today. Why? Well because it is the perfect example of what I am saying about people believing they or others are entitled to another's hard earned money. It is the perfect example of how way too many folks in the good old US of A believe that no one has to be responsible for their own actions because mommy or daddy will bail them out if things get messy, or in this case that Uncle Sam will bail them out. It is a mess caused by greed, avarice, irresponsibility, and socialistic liberal mind sets. It is a disgrace that for the past half of a century at least, all too many American have raised their children to believe they have it coming at the expense of others.
I can only hope that other Americans will begin to realize that we need to be fiscally responsible, heck that we need to be responsible for all of our actions, and that we need to live with the results of our actions good or bad. I am not saying nothing should be done about the current financial crisis, but a government bailout putting taxpayers at even more risk - putting the solvency of our government Treasury at risk, is not the way.
All the best,
Glenn B
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Ed Freeman - A True Hero - Let His Memory Not Fade
On August 20, 2008, a true hero left this world. He died from the ravages of Parkinson's Disease, yet he had faced death many times before. On November 14, 1965, back when I was 10 and thought playing army was cool, Ed Freeman was going through hell in the la Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. Amazingly enough, it was Ed's choice to pass through the gates of hell, and not just once, but time and time and time again - in order to save soldiers he probably never had met before. He medivac'd 30 seriously wounded soldiers, and brought in supplies for countless others that helped change the tide of the battle, a battle which was one of the most fierce of the whole war. Ed originally received the Distinguished Flying Cross, but men who fought on the ground that day, with help from Senator John McCain and others, fought for higher recognition for his valiant efforts, and he then received the MOH. Why did they fight for him to receive the medal of Honor, well let me begin with the words of President George W. Bush back in July 2001:
"That story began with the battalion surrounded by the enemy, in one of Vietnam's fiercest battles. The survivors remember the desperate fear of almost certain death. They remember gunfire that one witness described as the most intense he had ever seen. And they remember the sight of an unarmed helicopter coming to their aid."
Yep, Ed flew an unarmed Huey helicopter into a fire zone, and he did so after the commanding officer on the ground, in the middle of that fierce battle, closed the helicopter landing zone and ordered the medivac units to stand down because the fighting was too intense and he did not want to risk the lives of the pilots or crew members.
I guess either Ed did not hear that order, or he chose to disregard it. My guess is the latter, because surely once he landed on the ground in the middle of that fight, someone must have told him he was crazy and that the landing zone had been ordered closed. Regardless of the risk to his own life, Ed made that same trip not once, not twice, not even three times but 20 times. He ferried in ammunition, water and other supplies, and he ferried out men who were seriously wounded - 30 of them. Ed was no brash kid at the time either, he flew those rescue missions just prior to his 38th birthday. Of course he was not alone when he did this, he was the wingman for commander Bruce Crandall who also received the MOH some years later, I think in 2007. Bruce flew 22 missions into that same hell hole. Only two helicopters repeatedly flew in and out of the fire zone, those of Ed and Bruce. Bruce had asked for volunteers, I guess Ed was one of them. Bruce is still with us, Ed Has passed on.
I cannot say more about this without letting you read Ed's citation:
"CITATION: Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Place and date: Landing Zone X-Ray, Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam, 14 November 1965. Born: 20 November 1927, Neely, Mississippi. Entered Service At: Hattiesburg, Mississippi Citation: Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November 1965 while serving with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). As a flight leader and second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged American infantry battalion at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The infantry unit was almost out of ammunition after taking some of the heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force. When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water, and medical supplies to the besieged battalion. His flights had a direct impact on the battle's outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival, without which they would almost surely have experienced a much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life-saving evacuation of an estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers -- some of whom would not have survived had he not acted. All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements. Captain Freeman's selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance, and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers. Captain Freeman's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army."Now as it reads Ed saved 30 seriously wounded soldiers that day in 14 flights into hell, and while that is more than enough, the truth be told, he flew over 20 missions into hell that day, and flew out over 70 wounded soldiers. Yes he did - even though not stated that way in the citation which you will note only spoke of the 30 "seriously" wounded soldiers he saved. Go here: http://www.medalofhonor.com/EdWFreeman.htm, and go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Freeman to read more about it.
These two men are real men, real heroes, true patriots. Despite my taking the liberty to call Ed and Bruce by their first names, I have never met either of them. I hope they would not mind a guy like me doing that, but it just seemed right, that another American would call them by their first names. I guess I feel that is so because I think we should all know them, know of them, know of their heroism, and be familiar with them to some extent for the things they did for other Americans like us. Though I never met him, Ed Freeman will be missed by me. By the way, you may have heard of Ed before today, and not yet realized it. You see he was honored in the movie: We Were Soldiers in which he was called Ed 'Too Tall' Freeman. His family can stand tall now with his memory in their hearts; he was and is a real hero. In memoriam of Ed 'Too Tall' Freeman, November 1927 to August 2008.All the best,
Glenn B
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thanks For Your Thoughts and Prayers...
,,,my mom went home yesterday. So as it turns out I'll be going to see her tomorrow for the day instead of having gone yesterday and today for a few hours each day. This way my sister and her family will get a much needed break in the action, they can get out and I'll be with her for much of the day.
All the best,
Glenn B
All the best,
Glenn B
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
My Mom and My Anticipated Lack of Blogging...
I may not be blogging for the next couple of days, maybe not most of next week either. I was supposed to go to visit my aunt and uncle in Florida this coming Sunday and return on Thursday, now all of that may change as my mom is in the hospital. She probably had a mini-stroke last weekend. I had thought she would be out of the hospital by now, when I saw her 2 days ago she did not seem all that bad. My sister, whom she lives with, told me she has taken a turn for the worse over the past day, and I got a first hand idea of that when I spoke to my mom on the phone earlier today. I will be out her way tomorrow and Friday to be with my mom and to give my sister a break; maybe longer if need be. Please keep my mom in your thoughts and well wishes, and in your prayers too - she would appreciate it.
All the best,
Glenn B
All the best,
Glenn B
Red foot Tortoises
They arrived at my house yesterday morning. The 4 of them came all the way from Brooksville, Florida so you can understand why their feet are red. I mean, walking all that way...These guys, Red Foot Tortoises (Geochelone carbonaria) are natives of southern Central America, and mid to northern South America; although I must point out that the 4 that I just got are all captive bred. Right now they are pretty small, but they promise to grow up a bit, that would be to about 14 inches in length measured from end of carapace to end of carapace (the upper shell) in a straight uncurved line. Of course that means if you want to keep even one of them as an adult, you need to give it space as they are active creatures. A 4'x6' enclosure would be a decent sized one for an adult; free range of a backyard in the warmer months would be even better. Since they come from the tropics, you can bet they like it on the warm side. Temps in the high 70s to mid 80s are appropriate for them, with a basking spot of up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit; and of course the require UVA and UVB light (as found in natural sunlight) so that they can metabolize calcium and other vitamins. They also like it on the humid to wet side, and in nature are often most active after a rain. Babies require a water bowl with fresh water in which they can bathe, and from which they can drink, on a daily basis; and fresh water for adults is also best offered on a daily basis.
Speaking of vitamins, these guys get most of theirs from a fairly varied diet as far as tortoises go. They will, on a daily basis eat leafy greens, fruit, veggies; and on a weekly basis should be given some animal protein. Things like earthworms are relished, but other sources of animal protein such as carrion are taken in the wild. Some believe that in captivity a good idea is to supplement any diet for them with commercial tortoise chows such as that offered by Mazuri. All those vitamins keep these tortoises active all year long; what with the warm climate from which they come they do not brumate (hibernate). They are, as are most tortoises, a fairly long lived pet, and I can assure you that if you purchase one under a year old, it is quite likely that if you are as old as me, the tortoise will outlive you by a long shot. They can live until 50 years of age, and possibly longer with proper captive care.
I am pretty sure I will not be around for another 40 to 50 years, so if I decide to keep these guys for the long term I guess I'll have to get Brendan to like them as much as I already do. That way they will be assured a long and healthy life.
All the best,
Glenn B
References:
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
They Are Almost Here
Tracking number 9706-7882-xxxx
Ship date Sep 22, 2008
Estimated delivery Sep 23, 2008 by 10:30 AM
Department number
LIVE TURTLES
Destination Someplace, NY
Service type Priority Overnight - Adult Signature Required
Weight 1.0 lbs.
Status On FedEx vehicle for delivery
Date/Time Sep 23, 2008 8:46 AM
Activity On FedEx vehicle for delivery
Location xxxxx, NY
Details
8:41 AM At local FedEx facility xxxxx, NY
7:40 AM At dest sort facility JAMAICA, NY
4:34 AM Departed FedEx location MEMPHIS, TN
1:03 AM Arrived at FedEx location MEMPHIS, TN
Sep 22, 2008 6:50 PM Left FedEx origin facility BROOKSVILLE, FL
4:51 PM Picked up BROOKSVILLE, FL
3:57 PM Package data transmitted to FedEx
Ship date Sep 22, 2008
Estimated delivery Sep 23, 2008 by 10:30 AM
Department number
LIVE TURTLES
Destination Someplace, NY
Service type Priority Overnight - Adult Signature Required
Weight 1.0 lbs.
Status On FedEx vehicle for delivery
Date/Time Sep 23, 2008 8:46 AM
Activity On FedEx vehicle for delivery
Location xxxxx, NY
Details
8:41 AM At local FedEx facility xxxxx, NY
7:40 AM At dest sort facility JAMAICA, NY
4:34 AM Departed FedEx location MEMPHIS, TN
1:03 AM Arrived at FedEx location MEMPHIS, TN
Sep 22, 2008 6:50 PM Left FedEx origin facility BROOKSVILLE, FL
4:51 PM Picked up BROOKSVILLE, FL
3:57 PM Package data transmitted to FedEx
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The 19th Annual Long Island Herpetological Society Reptile Expo
Yes folks the time is almost upon us for the 19th Annual LIHS reptile Expo. I think I have been there for all but one or two or three of them over the years. I am pretty sure I was there for the first one way back when; but if not then I was definitely there for the 2nd. You see, keeping reptiles and amphibians has been a passion with me since I got my first Red Eared Slider turtle back when I was a mere young lad of about 8 or 9; maybe even younger. Since then herps (reptiles and amphibians) have been a passion with me. I have collected them from the wild, bought them in stores and at herp expos, traded them with friends, adopted them from other keepers who could not keep em any longer, kept them in captivity, and bred them. Why? I guess because when I was a young kid I could not have a dog or a cat - house rules. Somehow though my mom allowed in that first turtle that my Uncle Ken let me pick out at a pet shop. Both my brother and I got one, but only I was hooked and became a reptile and amphibian junkie for life. Not a bad addiction though as things go. My passion has had me see things out in nature, heck even in the middle of cities, that other folks don't know even exists; and I have met and made the acquaintance of lots of good people through my pursuit of this hobby. Heck I have even made some great friends like those at the LIHS.
If you live on Long Island, or if you are close to the area, and you have any interest in these magnificent creatures at all, why not stop by our show on October 04, 2008 at SUNY Farmingdale, and make sure to bring along the kids. It will be held from 10AM - 4PM in Roosevelt Hall. The admission price is well worth it, there should be more herps on display than you would see at the Bronx Zoo Reptile House in a visit there. There are herps and herp keeping accessories for sale, and there is also a judged show. By the way, anyone can enter an animal into the show, you do not need to be a society member. Prizes include ribbons and some pretty impressive trophies. Who knows, maybe you will become a herp junkie too.
If you want more info about the show, go to this link: http://www.lihs.org/files/events.htm .
All the best,
Glenn B
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