Oh The Joys Of Post Radiation Life...

...are seemingly never ending. Tomorrow morning, I will start taking medicine for low thyroid hormone production to boost those hormones. Seems my thyroid has started to get sluggish and probably explains why I have felt like run down crap for the past couple of months or so. Can be due to age and such but they think it probably a product of my having gone through getting my neck broiled by radiation treatments last year. That was over with early  last November but it  apparently just keeps on giving more joy as time goes by.

It is better though than had it not worked. The real bummer is, I will probably have to take this crap for the rest of my life - or so it says in the info sheet from the pharmacy. Then again, if it makes me feel better -  suppose that's going to have to be okay.

At least the doc told me that both my blood pressure and my triglyceride level had dropped. The BP was 124/82. The triglycerides fell from about 450 to a decent normal range, I think 139. I guess that a couple of weeks of cutting out an ice cream bar per night had something to do with them getting lower, maybe cutting back on the beer too. The vodka and other hard spirits, that I have been drinking in place of some of the beer, may have helped there since carbs convert to triglycerides. As usual, my cholesterol levels were very good; they are virtually always good ice cream and beer or not.

The doc also told me, I lost a couple of pounds. That is also good since having low thyroid hormones often means you gain weight. Nice to see I bucked that trend.

All the best,
Glenn B

In Honor of Jay G Shaving Off His Stache...

...as part of a pledge raising promise he made for Kilted To Kick Cancer, during September; I figured the least I could do to sow some solidarity was to shave the beard. Sorry Jay, my stache stays.

This is my new profile pic, taken tonight. I know its a lousy pic but that is exactly how I wanted it to look. Well, maybe I would have liked to look about 30 years younger and in better shape but you get my point (and if you don't, tough noogies).

All the best,
Glenn B

U.S. Department of State - Bizarro World Style

I don't know what it is that makes the Obama Administration think that the American people will keep buying into its bullshit on almost every topic imaginable but here they are doing it yet once again. Do they expect to get a rise in the polls from this sort of obviously outlandish falsehood?  They are now reportedly claiming the the State Department never said the attack on our consulate, resulting in the deaths of our ambassador and three others, was related to the so called anti Muslim video.

See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/10/state-department-denies-concluding-film-sparked-consulate-attack-in-libya/

The sad thing is that there are probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of the American public who will buy this story, from the Obama Administration, as 100% truth. Truly, we do live in Bizarro World!

All the best,
Glenn B

Eat Some Roaches (& Maybe Some Worms) - Win A Snake

That was seemingly the idea. Then there was the added requirement of you eating the most bugs, after all it was a bug eating contest -something like the hot dog eating contest at Conney Island each year except this time the food was apparently alive and tasted nothing like beef.
 
It was called Midnight Madness and the contest reportedly was held by Ben Siegel Reptiles of Deerfield Beach, FL this past Friday night. (Side note: I have been to the shop once when I visited my uncle down in Florida. Nice place and nice folks running it. I have also dealt with them online.) The winner was said to have been Edward Archbold. He supposedly ate dozens of roaches and worms all for the sake of winning a snake, a python valued at $850.00. They said Ben Siegel was reported as saying that Mr. Archbold "was the life of the party". How ironic a well meant comment. Shortly after having won the contest, Mr. Archbold complained of feeling ill. He started to vomit. Someone called 911 for him and he also called 911 himself. He wound up outside the store, my guess would be waiting for the ambulance, when he collapsed. After that, an ambulance transported him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy is planned. My guess is that he did not die from eating the bugs. That is my guess because I would not think you would be poisoned that quickly by anything they could have living in them or on them. Of course, I am not a doctor nor a pathologist and they will make the final determination, I am just guessing. 

I have always thought that reptile keepers tended to lean toward either being weird, doing weird things now and then, or just liking weird pets. I know that by way of personal experience since I have been keeping them (the reptiles and amphibians not the keepers) since I was about 8 or 9 but now I am convinced more than ever. I am not saying that to deride the memory of Mr. Archbold, there is not anything necessarily wrong with weird as long as it is not harming anyone in any way or violating the law - it just means being different in a sort of far out way.

Eating those bugs, to win a snake, classifies as kind of weird in my opinion. I have to hand it to the late Mr. Archbold though, and to the other contestants, they did something I would probably even be somewhat squeamish about even in a survival situation if bugs were the only food and I was starving. A guy who would eat bugs, to win a contest with a prize of a snake, now that is a different kind of a man. Yet, everyone who met him that night thought he was a nice guy and I would have no reason to doubt that at all had I not read here that he had once been convicted of indecent exposure. Yet, doing something weird or being different, like by eating roaches, in and of itself, does not preclude one from being a nice guy, just ask any of the herpers you know. Indecent exposure, well depending upon the circumstances, that could mean something altogether otherwise as to whether or not he was a nice guy, at least in my estimation.

All in all, it was a life cut way too short. Mr. Archbold was only 32 years old or so said the reports I read.  My condolences to the family, friends and loved one, of this fellow herper.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sources:  
http://myfox8.com/2012/10/09/florida-man-dies-after-winning-roach-eating-contest/

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/man-dies-eating-roaches-587314
 http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21008744010489/man-dies-after-live-roach-eating-contest-in-fla/

The Most Arrogant Man In The World

This video is friggin' great even though I was rather expecting to see a new 'most interesting man in the world' gig when I received it in an email from a friend. The line about Joe Biden having been selected as VP just to show the world that Obama did not need a VP had me laughing so hard and so loud for so long that I had to play the rest of the video over because I missed it due to my laughter. I have never, not ever, heard a better explanation of why - that useless, foul mouthed, bumbling, arse wipe - Joe Biden was chosen to run as Obama's VP. That line alone would have made the video absolutely precious even if the rest of it had sucked. Of course, the rest of it was just about as funny - and sadly - just about as true!

A hat tip to my good friend Bob C. for sending it to me in an email!

All the best,
Glenn B

Another Résumé - This One With A Bit Of A Bang

If you read my blog, with any regularity, then you know I have been putting in for a lot of jobs over the past few months. I finally got one too and I like it.

Yet, I sent out another résumé just today. The job I have set in my sights with this application is a bit different than most. It is as a writer for The Firearm Blog. They are seeking writers and I figured why not me. I don't know if they offer any type of compensation but regardless, it sounds like there would be the potential of receiving firearms and other firearms related items for reviews. That might make it worth it without any compensation. It would also be a welcome change from my usual blogging in that blogging for them would mean no political blogging, just firearms related posts. Well, on their site anyway, I imagine I would continue with my usual in BallseyesBoomers. 

Wish me luck, I am guessing there will be plenty of competitors who all are shooting for the same position.

All the best,
Glenn B

Interuppted By A Bandit On My Way To Aurora

I had just settled back, much like Plainclothes Detective C-7 Elijah Baley, for the long trip through the stars to the distant planet Aurora. Baley in a spaceship and me in a chair on my patio, under the light of one incandescent bulb and the stars, Isaac Asimov's - The Robots Of Dawn - in my hands and open in front of me. As I read on about Baley commencing his trip to Aurora, I was interrupted, suddenly aware of a low and really guttural growl coming from behind my right shoulder. It was Pepe, our adult male Chihuahua, who had just been at my side . He was growling as I had never heard him growl in all the 6 plus years we have owned him. I turned to see what it was at which he could be growling like that, automatically reaching for the Glock 26 on my side, half expecting an intruder to try to make his way into my back yard. Then as I twirled around toward the commotion, there he was, masked and all, a thief in the night climbing over my gate and with one bound my mutt Mimi sprang out of the side doorway growling at him as well. The intruder jumped from the fence and was then, in a split instant, climbing up the Dogwood tree next to our fence. No sooner had I gotten my flashlight out and on him than he was already 15 feet over my head and still climbing. Suddenly, as Pepe kept on barking and growling wildly, I heard a swooshing sound to my left and thought maybe there were two intruders but then realized it must have been Mimi jumping over the fence into our neighbor's yard to position the intruder between herself and Pepe who was still on our side of the fence. I called out to Mimi to come, and she ran round, from the neighbor's yard, to the front side of our house and up to the side gate which I opened for her to come back inside. As I opened it though, Pepe ran outside at once.

I went after him without delay. I was not really concerned about the burglar. I had never seen one in our area before but it was treed and why should I worry about a medium yet good sized raccoon anyway. Pepe was nowhere to be seen and I called and called. He just took off like a bat out of hell once the gate had opened. Maybe by then, the raccoon had come down and headed the same way, I did not know. All of a sudden, I head someone down the block calling out in the darkness - "here he is" and I saw Pepe running back toward me. Jus as he was about up to me, he veered sharp right into our neighbor's lawn to head toward the backyard. Right then, I also heard a commotion in the backyard, I guess the bandit was making its escape in that direction. I had forgotten about Mimi and just kept calling Pepe. (Mimi jumps the fence with some frequency, Pepe has never run out of the yard like that on his own and I was much more concerned about him winding up getting thrashed by the coon than I would be for the larger Mimi.) Well, in a moment or two, Mimi came running over to me as I called for Pepe, and thankfully our little rat Chihuahua Pepe was right behind her. I opened the side gate and they were both back in our yard. I got them both inside right away, then accounted for Lucy, our other adult Chihuahua, and for Roxie our 65 pound mutt, they were still both inside. Actually, Roxie had come down and come out once she heard the commotion but by the time she was outside, I think the raccoon was gone so she lost interest right away and went back inside. Luckily the puppy A-B (said like Abby but meant as in "A-B Something" or "A-B Normal" for the brain that was used in the movie Young Frankenstein) was at my future son-in-law's place with his two Chihuahuas.

I have lived in this house for about 20 years now. I have seen a  lot of squirrels, a rabbit or three, a few Opossums and have seen damage done to one of the tops of my plastic garbage cans that I figured was from a raccoon (or rats) - but until tonight, I had never seen one of those masked critters in the flesh anywhere near our house. That was a bit of a treat and a bit of a scare with a minor pain in the butt trying to get both dogs back on the property but it was fun in the long run. Had I lived in most places, other than in the overpopulated part of NY in which we live, I might have blasted that masked bandit and would have been BBQ'ing or smoking it by tomorrow. Oh well, as it turned out, he lives to steal another night and I can go back to my book.

All the best,
Glenn B

Obama's Debate Notes (well maybe and maybe not but funny as hell)

Had me laughing my arse off ! Click to enlarge so you do not miss a thing. I don't know the author, could have been Obama himself, I suppose. Hat tip to Peter Q for this one.

All the best,
Glenn B

Which Is The Most Ignored Rule Of Firearms' Safety

My guess would be that most folks, who are familiar with firearms, would probably say that the most overlooked rule of firearms safety is the one about keeping your finger off of the trigger before being ready to shoot or maybe the one about keeping it pointed in a safe direction. Violation of the the nose picking finger rule might lead to the most accidental discharges (whether or not negligent on the part of the handler) and pointing a gun unsafely may be the most violated rule. Yet, my guess is that neither is near being the most overlooked rule of firearms safety, overlooked as in forgotten, ignored or simply unheard of in the first place. As a matter of opinion, based upon about 48 to 49 years of personal shooting experience, with me being an enthusiast who has shot frequently for 33 of those years, and with about 15 of those as a firearms instructor, I can say with nary a doubt in my mind that the most ignored rule of firearms safety is that most people do not bother to properly:

Whenever practical, you should learn the characteristics of a firearm and how to operate and shoot the gun safely before handling it. Then, once you have learned 'hands off', you need to learn 'hands on' how to use it and how it handles, at a firearms range, until you are proficient in its use. (my words)

Now, some of you may think that what I just said is not one of the rules of firearms safety. You may think there are only 4 rules of firearms safety and that they will prevent all accidental discharges and other safety violations (negligent or otherwise) and that you have to follow those 4 rules to the letter in absolutely every case of handling a firearm. If that is what you think, let me tell you that you are dead wrong on all counts. Firearms' safety is much more complicated than just 4 absolute, rules that simply and absolutely do not work as absolutes in the first place. 

Think about it. Knowing how a gun operates and being knowledgeable of its handling characteristics (in general), before handling it, is one of the most intelligent and important things you can do when it comes to firearms safety. How many times have you seen some pick up or accept a firearm from another person, that he or she has no idea how to operate properly. They try to do this or that with it, such as maybe open the action, remove a magazine, operate the safety (if there is one), load it, shoot it and all they wind up doing is violating one or more of the so called 4 rules because of them becoming flustered by their ignorance. Usually it is the one about keeping it pointed in a safe direction, followed by the booger picker on the trigger thing - just watch someone to whom you hand an unfamiliar gun that has a different operating characteristic than most other guns. Even if they do not violate one of the 4 rules, watch them as they try to figure out how the guns works. Most folks, who are fairly experienced with guns do not bother to ask: "is there any characteristic of this gun that makes it handle differently than most" or "hey, how do I operate it" or "can you show me how it works". Most will not bother to ask to look at the manual for it, most will just take it and start fiddling with it as they expect it to operate like any other gun they have handled before. When it doesn't is when things can get dicey and very unsafe.

I am not the only person in the world who thinks that learning the proper operation and handling characteristics of a firearm is an important safety rule. As a matter of fact, I earned at least 10 rules of firearms safety at the young age of 8 years old. Back then it was the job of firearms instructors to teach you them and the rules often were printed up in their manuals, the ones that came with new guns. The rules could also be found in books about shooting and were offered up for your knowledge at events like hunter safety courses. Today, many years since I was an 8 year old, many firearms related organizations and companies post firearms' safety rules on their websites; you will be hard pressed to find any of the major ones listing a mere 4 rules.

Here are the ways that some of those companies and organizations list the particular rule I have been writing about:

The NRA says it like this, on their website:

"Know how to use the gun safely. Before handling a gun, learn how it operates. Know its basic parts, how to safely open and close the action and remove any ammunition from the gun or magazine. Remember, a gun's mechanical safety device is never foolproof. Nothing can ever replace safe gun handling."

Remington Firearms lists a veritable litany of firearms safety rules in the manuals (PDF) for their firearms and on their website (make sure to click on each rule for a full explanation of each). They call them the 10 commandments of firearms safety, here is number 10:

"Learn the Mechanics and Handling Characteristics of Your Firearm. Not all guns are alike. They have different mechanical characteristics that dictate how you should carry and handle them. Anyone who plans to use a firearm should first become totally familiar with the type of firearm it is and the safe handling procedures for loading, unloading, carrying, shooting and storing it.
 

Before you even unpack your new Remington firearm, read this instruction book from cover to cover and familiarize yourself with the different component parts of the gun. Then read, understand and follow the Ten Commandments of Firearms Safety in this book."

 

Wow, did both of them actually say that you should become familiar with a firearm before you handle it. They sure did, didn't they! And so you should when possible, for the sake of being safe with firearms. Of course, like any rule, there are exceptions. You would not want to wait for instructions or take the time to read a manual in the event of an emergency wherein an unfamiliar firearm was available to you as your only method of self defense. In addition, there are those times when you might come int possession of a firearm for which you can not find a manual and for which you can not find, within reason, anyone willing to tell you how it works. You would have to learn yourself in each instance but in one their would be an immediate need to go hands on and in the other you could at least give the firearm a good looking over before attempting to operate any of its mechanisms.

 

I have a gun like the second that I just mentioned. It is a military training rifle in .22LR caliber. It didn't come with a manual. I made several attempted to locate a manual for it, by way of the company from which I purchased the rifle and via online inquiries on gun forums, commercial gun websites, gun auction sites and the like. I did not come up with anything, so I posted on a few forums that I could use some pointers on how it operates; nothing was forthcoming from those inquiries either. I have had the rifle now for about a year. Yes I have 'handled' it but I have not shot it. Not even put one round through it since I got it last November. Now that is not solely because I have not familiarized myself with it by way of operating instructions. It is also because I got it when I was pretty bad off due to cancer and I put it in a corner out of the way for future shooting fun.

 

Recently, I took it out and tried to figure it out. It certainly has one of the most different looking actions I have ever seen for a single shot rifle but I think I could handle and shoot it safely but that only after hours of  me trying to figure it out first. I should note that when I did handle it to examine it, I always made sure there was no ammunition available anywhere near the rifle, that it was pointed in a safe direction and that my finger was off of the trigger or any moving part unless  was certain I had it pointed in a safe direction. None of that necessarily means that if I take it to the range and try to fire it, I will do so without a mishap, as I am still not completely familiarized with the workings of the action of this rifle. Yet, based upon my experience with other guns, and upon my hours of examining this rifle, I will test it at the range someday soon. I will let you know, after my testing, how it went or in other words if it blew up or will continue to be a fun to shoot gun for years to come. Again, my guess is it will fire safely even though I did not familiarize myself with it by way of a manual, although not for lack of trying on my part. I figure, I am familiar enough with firearms that I have figured this one out properly enough and safely enough to take it to the range for a test firing but I have to admit I surely still would like to have the manual or other instructions giving me full knowledge of how to operate this rifle in a safe manner and as to how to disassemble and reassemble for maintenance.

 

As I said above, their are some exceptions to the rules and this  training rifle may just have to be one of them. That is if I ever intend to fire it. Of course, I will take every other reasonable safety precaution while doing so. As far as the great majority of firearms go though, I strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with their mechanical and handling characteristics before you handle them. I do it myself whenever I can and that is almost always with very few exceptions. The best way to do that, if you can, would be by reading its manual and by having those characteristics explained to you by someone already  thoroughly familiar with that particular type of gun. In the absence of one, then do the other. Better safe than sorry especially since accidental discharges can have consequences that last forever.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Death & Taxes

There are two sure things in life. One is getting closer and closer as each day goes by and the other keeps getting to be a larger and larger burden when each payment comes due. I just got my property tax bill, for the school tax portion of my property taxes, it has risen by $485.78 since last year. I cannot wait to see how much my general property tax will go up. Those are both just my 'town' property taxes, then there is the annual 'village'  property tax. I just paid that and think it too went up since last year.

It all almost makes me wish for death to hurry on up and get here to help put an end to high taxes. Just in case you think I am getting suicidal, allow me to assure you, I do not mean my death.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today

57.

All the best,
Glenn B

Just So Friggin' Tired Lately...

...and have been that way for the last couple of months and it just keeps getting worse. Have actually fallen asleep, momentarily, on my feet a couple of times in the past week. Sleep a few hours, wake up, am as tired or more so, as when I first hit the hay. Doc thinks my thyroid is low, more checking on Monday - already know it looks heterogeneous as per the CT scan that was run on me recently. I am hopeful that the big C has not come back, have had some scary thoughts centering all round that lately. Really hoping that is just a pointless worry.

Not posting this to bitch about my health or how I feel but more just to let you know why I have not been blogging as much this week. Hope to get some done this weekend.

All the best,
Glenn  B

Another One Added To The Blog List

Lurking Rythmically is the latest edition to the blogroll. This one can be found, on the right side of my blog in the blue zone, under the header: TAKE A SHOT WITH THESE SHOOTIST BLOGGERS, Not At Them.

All the best,
Glenn B

Bonnie & Clyde's Pistols Sell For Over A Half Million Dollars

Wow, talk about inflation. Bonnie Parker's Colt Detective Special sold for $264,000 (despite ATF ruining the revolver in my opinion) and Clyde Barrow's Colt 1911 sold for $240,000 at an auction in New Hampshire over the weekend. I guess the fact that ATF placed a serial number on Bonnie's Colt revolver was of little consequence to the buyer, maybe because it could be considered the gun closest to her at the time she died in a hail of lawmen's bullets; it was found taped to her inner thigh. Clyde's 1911 was found in his waistband.

One report I read said the same buyer bought them both; it must be nice to be filthy rich. That same report said the guy who owned them, prior to this auction, supposedly bought them for $50,000 apiece back in 1986. As if going from $100K to over $500K was not inflation enough, just think of how much more these were valued today than they were when Bonnie & Clyde owned them in the early 1930's (these guns were taken from them upon their deaths in Louisiana back in May 1934). My bet is that each probably sold for less than $50 back then and almost certainly less than $75.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Old Tasco Scope On My Marlin 336 Makes Me A Happy Shooter

I sighted in the Marlin 336 on Friday night at a local range. I usually like to sight it in at 50 yards since I figure that to be the range distance closest to the average far distance I might shoot to get a deer. I hunt in fairly heavy brushy areas and or woods (in the openings of course when I can) and usually have shot deer out to no more than 35 yards. This rifle is scoped so I figure maybe I would shoot out to 75 yards or even 100 yards but 35 to 50 is much more like it. Well regardless of me liking to sight it in at 50 yards, I could only get to the indoor range and that only has a 25 yard range. So that is the distance at which I checked the scope.
 
I set it it on it weakest power 2.5X. It goes up to 10X, it's a pretty big scope. I had thought that maybe the scope had gotten knocked out of alignment on our trip to the Fifth Annual Northeast Bloggershoot not too long ago and wanted to make sure I had it pretty much zeroed in before hunting season. I thought that if it was still zeroed, that would be fine. If not, then that would mandate a trip to the outdoor range to zero it at 50 yards. My 336 shoots .35 Remington caliber. I remembered that it shot about 2-3" low at 25 yards with Winchester-Western ammo. I could not remember how low it shot at 25 yards with Remington Core-Lokt ammo but it also shot low with that ammo at 25 yards when zeroed in at 50 yards.
 
Somehow, I forgot to bring along a box of the Winchester-Western Ammo. I brought only a box of the Remington Core-Lokt and 3 rounds of the Winchester-Western that I had loose in my bag. So, I loaded it up with 3 rounds of the Remington first. I figured if it was really off the mark, since I suspected it had gotten knocked out of zero at the bloggershoot, I could sight it in good enough with the 20 rounds of that ammo. I fired the first 3 shots of Remington Core-Lokt at 25 yards. That is all I needed to fire with that ammo, it told me all I needed to know once I saw the grouping.

I had the scope set on 2.5x for the first shot. I set it to about 6X for the second shot and back to 2.5X for the last shot. I was standing, leaning over the bench, with my right elbow supported on the bench, left elbow up in the air. No sand bags or anything like that, I wanted this to be somewhat like me maybe leaning on a stump or log out in the woods or as if I was firing from a seated position supporting my arms on my knees. It was about as realistic as I could get at this range. The target was a 12" x 12" sheet with a 3 3/4" x 3 3/4" diamond outline around the center. I aimed the cross hairs dead center, at the smaller orange diamond, which is just about 1/2" by 1/2" across. The small squares in on the target are 1" x 1". My group size, across the widest spread from outside rim of one shot to outside rim of the other, was about 11/16th of an inch across. If you measure from the outside of one the shot on the left, across the center shot, to the inside of the shot on the right, then it was a group size of about 7/16th of an inch or thereabouts - hard to measure because it is a one hole group for all three shots and the inside rim of that shot hole had to be estimated.

As you can figure from the picture, I figured it was still zeroed. Also, as I had thought it would do, it shot a bit low at 25 yards, in fact, if I recall correctly the Core-Lokt would shoot about an inch or two high at 50 yards when the gun had been zeroed in with the Winchester-Western ammo, which is what ammo was used the last time I zeroed in this gun. That means it would not shoot quite as low as the W-W ammo at 25 yards. As you can see, it shot about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch low at 25 yards. Splendid - I tell you - splendid! I then took the three rounds of the W-W ammo I had on hand and shot it. Well, I shot my Glock 19 and my Ortgies pocket pistol first. Then I shot the Marlin 25MN in 22 WMR, I went through about 50 rounds with that rifle. After that, I decided to shoot up the three rounds of Winchester-Western ammo, that I had with me, through the Marlin 336.

The W-W ammo shot about an inch and a half to two inches low and the group was opened up quite a bit over the Remington Core-Lokt ammo out to 2 1/8th inches at the widest spread, outside rim of one hole to outside rim of the other. Not so good but okay for deer hunting. I know can do better with it, probably as good as I do with the Remington ammo, and am guessing that after the first few shots with the 336, followed by about 100 with the Glock and another 16 with the Ortgies, and then 50 with the 25MN, I was a bit fatigued (Bear in mind that I broke 2 ribs just 2 1/2 weeks before and they are still aching a bit when I do certain things; good excuse for crappy shooting anyway.)

When it comes right down to it, the old Tasco scope I have on the Marlin 336 was not knocked out of zero at all.  I will take it to the range again, maybe in a week or two, next time with more ammo, and will shoot it more to make sure it is good for myself. Hopefully Brendan will cone along and shoot it too although if zeroed for me it is usually okay for him too. I have to say, I have surely gotten my money's worth out of that scope. It was very inexpensive, on sale, several years ago. I was advised against getting a low end scope and almost regretted it because within a year or three of me having bought it, Tasco went out of business. They have since reopened under another corporation and no longer honor the warranties on older scopes like mine but mine has taken a beating at the range, in the trunk and while out hunting and has remained in great shape. I have had that scope on the Marlin since about 2006, taken off for cleaning the rifle now and then but that has been the scope for the Marlin since then. I have owned it at least a couple to a few years longer; it sat around in the box that long before it went onto the Marlin. I had bought it with an idea of getting a very different gun on which to mount it but when my eyes started to get a little weak, I put it on the 336 and am happy I did so. Not a bad decision at all, Brendan got his first big game animal, a black bear, with the Marlin 336 with that scope on it - a one shot and immediate kill.

Yep, you can say, I am a pretty darned happy shooter with that Tasco scope sitting on the Marlin 336.

All the best,
Glenn B

Essentially Free Firearms Training Offered

I am offering free basic firearms training to anyone who can legally possess firearms and who has little to no experience with firearms. This includes training in firearms safety, basic nomenclature, basic handling, basic marksmanship, and basic care and maintenance of your firearms.

The deal is this, I will train you at a local range - you pay for the range time for yourself and for me. You will need to supply the firearms (I may be able to supply a .22 bolt action rifle, for training only, to those who do not yet have one); I will not supply handguns. If you wish to learn how to shoot a pistol or revolver, you will have to be properly licensed if required. You will also need to supply your ammunition (I can supply some 22LR ammo free of charge in some instances) and safety equipment such as eye protection and hearing protection.

This is pretty much a local offer, to people living within a reasonable distance from my home in the greater NYC area and western Long Island. Of course, if you live outside of that area, and would like me to train you, I could possibly do so but then some arrangements would need to be made for my travel expenses. I would love to train someone in Lake Placid, NY or Tucson, AZ but it's not like I can just hop on a commercial jet, fly to your location, put myself up in a hotel for a few days all at my expense just to give you free shooting lessons. I may be a feller but certainly am not a Rockefeller.

The offer is good for anyone, who can legally possess a firearm: who is 18 years old and older who wants to learn how to shoot rifles and or shotguns and is also open to anyone 21 years old and older who would like to learn to shoot pistols and revolvers. I reserve the right to end this offer at any time and or to deny training to anyone for any reason whatsoever at my personal discretion.

As for my qualifications, I had collateral duties as a firearms instructor for 14 years while in the employ of the U.S. Customs Service. I have received firearms instructor training from and been qualified as a firearms instructor by:

The National Rifle Association (currently certified as a Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor for handgun and shotgun)

The United States Customs Service (where I was certified to instruct: handgun, shotgun, rifle and submachine gun)

I have also received additional firearms training from several other sources.

If interested, please contact me by way of the email link on my profile page.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sold Some Ammo Day Before Yesterday - How Did I Do?

I sold a couple of boxes of .380 ammo yesterday. Winchester, Silvertip, hollowpoints, 50 rounds in each box, factory fresh, old reserves. I got $10 a box for them and gave the guy about 50 to 75 rounds of loose .40 S&W ammo, also factory fresh, old reserves, for free. I was happy with the transaction. How did I do? Do you think I qualify as a good businessman?

I imagine if I was in the ammo selling business, I would be going broke soon. Truth be told, I almost hated having to sell it to him. The "him" in question was a good friend of mine. Still though, I find I cannot just keep giving away ammo as I have done in the past, even if the people I have given it to have been friends. Well, at least not give it all away for free, after all I did give him a good amount of the .40 cal stuff for free. The twenty bucks I did get will go to a good cause. I will buy a box of .45 Auto with it. Now, if I was a businessman, I would have gotten at least $25 to $30 apiece for each box of the .380 ammo and then bought at least three to four boxes of .45 ACP with the proceeds. Oh well…

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Just How Does President Obama Feel About Islam

He pretty much summed up how he feels about Islam in a single sentence, when he told the world leaders, at the recent General Assembly of the United Nations, this:

“The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/09/26/media-ignore-obama-attack-on-those-who-slander-prophet-islam/#ixzz27gJCgF5s

So, when someone says Jesus Christ is God, or that Yahweh is God or that Vishnu is God or that Buddha was a great religious teacher, or that there is no God, I guess he is saying they should have no future because they are saying, in sum and substance, that the prophet was wrong, and would't that be slander, or worse would it be blasphemy, in a Muslim's eyes. I wonder if Obama thinks beheading would be a proper way to end their futures, as it seems many Muslims believe. Voting for this guy, I think, is a vote to destroy the Constitution of the United States of America as we know it and once that is gone so to is the nation and the American way of life - freedom.

All the best,
Glenn B

Just How Do You Feel About Islam

If you are anything like me, then you will agree with what you are about to hear in the embedded video. Once again, Pat Condell hits the nail squarely on the head.

Why is it that non-Muslim people across the world do not get this message. I suppose mostly because there are so many far left leaning liberals in the world. If you are a far left leaning liberal, don't be offended, think about why I said that. In fact, no matter who you are, think about it with me for a few moments. Liberals want, even demand, tolerance yet do not one for moment tolerate anyone who disagrees with them. Just go out and tell some gay or lesbian, at a gay pride parade, that while you can tolerate them living near you, you will never accept their sexual choice as anything but deviant or as anything less than abnormal behavior or immoral behavior or whatever you believe it to be. Then watch their reaction. I guarantee you will make the news because of their intolerance. The same goes for anyone from a staunch women's lib movement, take NOW for example. I would bet if you spoke up in support of Sara Palin at a NOW meeting, saying she is a woman and you support her wholly and believe in her politics, they would vehemently denounce you. The same, in essence, for welfare recipients that make a life of being on the dole instead of working and same for all the Occupy crowds. Disagree with them and their so called values and they will attack you with hate in their eyes.

Does that sound at all familiar. It is the mantra of the Muslim, they (for a large part of the Muslim world) hate anyone who is not Muslim. Well, that is only going to make me more resolute to stand against them. I am sick of pandering politicians like President Obama, bowing and apologizing to them and telling them how hateful and disgusting it is when someone in this country exercises his or her rights. Yet, Obama has continually been derogatory toward Christians, conservatives, 2nd Amendment Advocates, free speech advocates, people who wish to live and work in right to work states and so on. But I digress, this is about Muslims, not about Barack Hussein Obama (AKA: Barry Sotero - self professed Muslim).

No more ranting, without further ado, here is the video:



Hat tip to Peter Q for the heads up on the video.

All the best,
Glenn B

Well Shiver Me Timbers - All Men Abandon Ship

What a friggin' mess, a half million dollar rescue/pursuit boat reportedly sinks, due to the commands of a seemingly incompetent yet experienced Port Authority (of New York and New Jersey) Police Department Sergeant, in New York waters. And to think that the boat in question had the number 7211 (or 7+2=9 followed by 11 - which I would guess was no coincidence) but had what I can only consider as an asshole in command, who listened to whom I guess was another asshole - who was reportedly a civilian safety training instructor.

I do not know who of the both of them was the bigger moron, the trainer who reportedly recommended opening a submerged hatch on the vessel or the sergeant in command who reportedly ordered that the underwater hatch actually be opened. If the report got it right, and if the trainer is still working for his private company, or the sergeant still working for the PAPD after this is over and done with, I think it will only go to show how unions need to be scaled back immensely. I believe there is nothing short of union skullduggery that can save either one of them.

Of course, the greater part of the fault, I would think, would go to the officer for ordering the hatch to be opened and to the vessel's overall commander. Imagine being in charge of a boat, or boat's crew, and losing the boat because you ordered the crew to open a hatch that was submerged (as in under water)! How he even could have considered that advice, from a so called civilian safety instructor, is beyond my comprehension. Even as a little kid, I knew if you pulled the plug out of the bottom of the boat, it was going start to fill with water and probably sink. Just about any good cartoon or slapstick comedy, with boats in it, taught you that.

See:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/blunder_is_dumb_as_hull_YbkDyUUNo6ksxENXK8alKI

Hat tip to Jay G of MA-rooned where I first read about this incident.

All the best,
Glenn B

Obama Supporter 2008 versus 2012

This video about says it all.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

 



Jihad - It Seems Someone Out There Gets It - We Need To Save Civilized Mankind

An ad that has run for weeks in San Fransicko (where the media apparently considers vandals as artists), on buses, will soon also run in the New York City subway system. Read about it here. My guess is that, even though the courts have said it must run, it will either be banned by politicians or will result in violence, sooner or later, caused by fanatical Muslims in in the USA. In a way, although I do not want to see anyone injured by them, maybe people being injured again in the USA by Muslim fanatics would be the wake-up call that is needed to get people to realize that Islam, as it now stands and as is now practiced by hundreds of thousands if not millions of Muslim fanatics, is the enemy.

Yes, there may be moderate or non-violent Muslims out there but those are not the ones with whom I am concerned, I am concerned with the fanatics and there seems to be no shortage of them in the form of violent rioters, death dealing Jihadists, the ones who fulfill fatwas of death, the ones who kidnap then torture then behead people with different beliefs than their own, the ones so offended by a cartoon that they go berserk, the ones who kill people of other faiths routinely, the types that flew the planes on 9/11 and so forth. I think that they need to be converted to non-violent ways, post haste, but I am at a loss, as seems the rest of the world to be, as to how to accomplish that goal. I think though that such a change must come from within Islam itself but I do not see it coming any time soon. It needs to happen fast though, otherwise, I fear that the only other tenable solution may wind up being to be wipe them, the Muslim fanatics, off of the face of the earth to protect the rest of us.

All the best,
Glenn B

Decisions, Decisions - I Missed The LIHS Opening Meeting Today

I am a member of the Long Island Herpetological Society, have been for well over 20 years now. I joined up in the first or second year. Just as luck would have it, I was looking through the classified section of my local news paper and saw the LIHS ad for a meeting under the Pets section. I went to that meeting and have been going, as often as I can, ever since.

Well, maybe not quite as often as I can, I mean I could have gone to the opening meeting, today, for the 2012/2013 season but chose not to go. Normally I would not have missed it if I could have gone and I certainly could have gone today but chose to do something else. I got to thinking over the last couple of days about roasting/smoking something in my BBQ grill this weekend. For the past two days or so, I gave that a lot of thought and yesterday I bought a 5 3/4 pound boneless leg of lamb to that end. I have also been promising my wife, for the past couple of days that I would prepare it today. Had I thought of the LIHS, in that time, I would have waited until tomorrow to smoke the lamb, especially since the wife already had planned to roast 2 ducks today (which she did and they were ever so delicious). As my little gray cells had it, my muddled middle aged memory and little gray kicked in once again in forgetful mode and thoughts of the LIHS meeting eluded me on Friday, Saturday and up until almost precisely 1PM today, the start time of the meeting; which was also the time I checked my email and saw a reminder about the meeting. Damn, I had just fired up the grill, had the wood, hickory and cherry, soaked and was almost ready to throw on the lamb.

It was a tough decision for me to make and I mean that too. That because I have not seen the folks from the LIHS since June or July and I miss them, many of them good friends. Then there was the other side, the lamb would be part of a family dinner and we don't have enough of them. (Or so I had hoped it would be part of dinner tonight, it took until at least an hour after dinner started to get it to being what I hope is perfection, it is resting in the kitchen as I type.) I chose the family dinner thing. Had I not already had the meat sitting out of the fridge for about 15 to 20 minutes, and had I not already salted it, I would have put it back into, or left it in, the fridge and headed to the meeting getting there about a half hour to 45 minutes late.

As it was, I stayed home and smoked the lamb. My loss in one the one regard that the meeting is lost, I cannot go to the meeting tomorrow. I could have waited until then to smoke the lamb had my timing just been different by several minutes and as it is will probably wait until then to eat it regardless. Oh well, there will be the October LIHS meeting. I will have to make sure not to be working that day and set a reminder on my cell phone's calendar for the meeting date. I don't have many other interests that would get me to join  other societies to more enjoy those other pursuits, I truly enjoy the reptile and amphibian thing that much. I can tell you, I am more than a little perturbed with myself that I went shopping while hungry yesterday and sort of got a one track mind all set on smoking the lamb today. Since the lamb only was done well after dinner, I have not even tasted it yet . I think it would have tasted best shortly after coming off of the grill but things worked out the way they did and now I suppose I'll wait until tomorrow. Perhaps I would have just been better off waiting until tomorrow to smoke it in the first place.

Damn those aging little gray cells and my muddled middle aged memory. Oh well, decisions - decisions, you have to live with the ones you make and now I'll have to wait until next month for the next LIHS meeting.

All the best,
Glenn B

Muslims Now Want An International Anti-Blasphemy Law - What Are We To Come To Next?

I am willing to bet, and mind you the following is all my estimation, my opinion and my guesswork that:

Many nations of the world will actually offer serious consideration to Muslim demands for an International Anti-Blasphemy Law (and mind you only anti-blasphemy against Islam) and among them will be at least several to many non-Muslim nations. Let's face it folks, it is time to wake up to the teachings of Islam, Muslims intend to conquer the world. True, they have not made many demands on the world community as of yet but they have started to do so and this is just the latest of such demands. Why would they start now? Let's face this too, they have the bomb and more than one of them (in Pakistan, the country that shielded Osama bin Laden and is a Taliban stronghold) and it looks promising another Muslim nation, Iran, will also soon have nuclear weapons capability as the USA, Europe, and Israel all dawdle over how to handle the Iranians while they happily fire up their reactors.

In fact, the Pakistani government is so immersed in all of this that it has been reported that a Pakistani Government Minister has offered a $100,000.00 reward for the murder of the person who made the video / film Innocence of Muslims. That same minister reportedly also said that anyone responsible for blasphemy deserves death (source). Think about that for a moment, and bear in mind that to Muslims "There is no God but Allah...", so if you come right out and tell a Muslim that Jesus is God, or that Yahweh is God, or that Vishnu is God, you have in effect committed blasphemy against Islam. So, it is about time that you should realize, Pakistan is not an ally but a bitter enemy of America, of freedom of speech, of freedom of religion, of Christianity, of Hinduism, of Judaism, of Buddhism, of Taoism and of any other religion you can think of and of any nation in the world that is not Islamic. 

Not sure of that yet because you are saying, hey - that minister was only the minister of railways in Pakistan and you bet he was not authorized by the Pakistani government to offer the reward. Well think again. Take just another moment, in fact take minutes, hours and even days to think about what what happened when Pakistan declared "A Day of Love" so there could be peaceful protests of the above mentioned film while at about the same moment the Prime Minister of Pakistan reportedly said: "... an attack on Islam's founder was "an attack on the whole 1.5 billion Muslims." " (source).

Is there any wonder that the Muslims of Pakistan and other Muslim nations broke out in violent riots resulting in scores of deaths and injuries and that they are calling for the destruction of the USA. The PRIME MINISTER of Pakistan just said, in essence as I see it, that all 1.5 billion Muslims have been attacked by way of that film that was made in America. How is it he has such audacity. Is it because Pakistan has nukes and because, President Barack Hussein Obama bends over backwards to kiss the ass of the Muslim world.

Bear in mind, Pakistan is supposed to be our ally in the war on terror. (Whoops sorry President Obama, I forgot I am not allowed to say "war on terror" anymore. Now that I think of it though, I am retired from government service and now and can say what I want, so yes it is a WAR ON TERROR.) Regardless of their so called allied status with us, they have seemingly: shielded the Taliban and given them refuge since shortly after 9/11, shielded Osama Bin Laden and gave him refuge for several years, fueled the fire of anti-Americanism among the Muslims not only of their own nation but of all Muslims nations and Muslims everywhere as well. Do you really need more to think about to come to the realization that Pakistan is an enemy of the United States of America and of all freedom loving peoples?

When are our so called leaders going to realize that it is the Muslims against the rest of the world. They are already starting to spout such rhetoric (no not our leaders, the Muslims) and they are doing it with brazen indifference as to what might be the consequences. That is about the greatest indication to me that Iran is probably closer to having nuclear weapons than anyone suspects but that is pretty much gut feeling guesswork on my part. If I turn out to be right, and even if I am wrong, what does it matter. Iran will have them sooner than soon enough and then we will be facing at least two Muslim nations with nukes and who knows to how many others they will then export them. It will not be more than 5 years away, at most, that one of those countries nukes Israel if that long, or maybe even nukes the USA. I think - much sooner. Then what? World War III or will President Obama just apologize and surrender.

Could we not avoid it all, could we not end it relatively much sooner? How? Could we not end all, and I mean every penny's worth, of any type of aid to Islamic nations overnight? If that does not work within a few months, could we, with Israel and at least some of our other allies nuke Iran's nuclear facilities, and then threaten to nuke Pakistan and end it right then and there? Would there not be a definite turn of events and would it not be one in which the world would see an end to continued protests of America, of Europe, of Freedom of Speech and Freedom Of religion taking place in the Muslim world. Can we not bring them to their knees now or a year or two from now and then it thus not be too late to save us from either conversion or death at their hands? Or is it too late already, are our heads destined for the chopping block? You decide! Are you going to wake up and demand our leaders take immediate action against Islam to fight, to protect us and all freedom loving nations and people, in the war against terror or not? Islam, in its current form, is the enemy - that can be no plainer or simpler as I see it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/22/14036172-pakistan-official-offers-100000-reward-for-killing-of-maker-of-anti-prophet-muhammad-film?lite

Summer's Last and Fall's First Partial Day, Soon To Be The Skeeters' Last Day

Today has been not all that much different than yesterday and probably will prove to have been not all that much different than tomorrow. Yet, the seasons have changed and I have to say that Fall has definitely been in the air around my way. Right now its a cozy and mostly cloudy day with a temp of 74 degrees Fahrenheit, the breeze is blowing from the south at about 16 mph with gust up to 24 mph and my wind chimes are chiming in every couple to few seconds. They are a little heavier weight than some and the music they make is a bit subdued and deeper toned than from most similar chimes I have ever owned. It is nice and I am enjoying it. I was outside a little while ago with all 7 degs (not a misspelling that's what we call em sometimes). Not a miscalculation either. Right now all 5 of ours are here and so too are both of my future son in law and daughter's degs. I think they enjoy the fall weather, well the early to mid fall weather, as much as do I.

It always amazes me, it happened last night, just out of the blue and into the black by around 8PM or so. The days certainly have shortened considerably from even a month ago let alone since the last day of spring back in June. So far the temps and the daylight have both give up quite a bit. About the only thing that has not lessened is the daily attack by those little whirring vampire wanna-be's that just live to suck your blood and breed. Man, the mosquitoes have been hot and heavy this year, worse than last year. I have noticed not only that they have gotten worse but that my assessment, from last year, of the types we have around here was correct. We have a new kid on the block in the skeeter department, Tiger Mosquitoes. Now, I am none to sure that is their real name, but I am guessing it is. When I was in Haiti in 1998, we were told that not only were there a lot of mosquitoes to get you at night and that the ones that got you at night carried malaria but there were also another species during the day that transmitted Dengue fever. They were described as being black with gray stripes (or gray with black stripes) and not only voracious for blood but as being mosquitoes that dove right at you without that incessant flying and whirring around for any amount of time. Well, last year, I noticed that the mosquitoes around here were doing just that. I took a good look at one and guess what, yep gray and black striped. Not quite as big as the ones I recall from Haiti but very similar in appearance and habits. If I remember correctly, the ones in Haiti supposedly came from japan. I figure if they could survive in japan, then Haiti, they sure could make it in New York. I probably should do some checking to see what kind the ones around here are, but for now I just call them Tiger Mosquitoes. Even my brother-in-law in Queens, a borough of NY City, commented on them to me recently. He too noted their marking and their habit of coming right in at you at full speed and then just harpooning you in broad daylight. While they are out in the daytime, most of them, along with most of all the other types here, come out at twilight - just like vampires.

Just a little longer for all of them to be about. One frosty night and that is usually it for them. They will definitely all be gone after one freeze. It is amazing their eggs survive the winter but obvious that they do so. Last night, I was literally buzzed back into my house after sitting outside for about 10 minutes just after dusk. I did not get bitten too many times, maybe 5 or 6 that I know of and all of those on my left hand. It seemed that for some reason, last evening, my left hand was an extremely attractive feeding spot, go figure. I slapped em all almost immediately, so luckily did not see more than one bite mark/bump after they bit me. I will be happy to be rid of these little blood sucking buggers to be sure.

All the best,
Glenn B