...the NAACP wants to push the U.S. Department of Justice, run by that Black Panther protecting piece of shit Holder, to file a civil rights action against him. It is amazing how a group that purportedly is fighting against racism would keep trying to perpetrate it through this case where the only known racial remarks, between the two players, were made by Trayvon Martin. Of course, should the NAACP admit that there was no racism in this case, except for that caused Mr. Martin, by them and by Mr. Martin's supporters, and that race for the most part is not an issue in this country with a half white and half black president (who ironically enough considers himself black thus playing the race card himself), they would crumble and be no more. They won't do that though, too much money in it for them and too many idiots out there buying it all.
As it is, the jury has spoken and George Zimmerman is a free man, at least until the feds try to rail road him. You can almost bet they will try, what can we expect under the auspices of a half-breed who in essence refuses to accept he is half white and his ethically deficient henchman Holder. Hmm, maybe there should be an NAAWP but I digress, this is about justice, and Justice is truly blind when it comes to the color of one's skin or at least it was in this case.
All the best,
Glenn B.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Transparency in Government - But Obama's Glass House Still Opaque
Really amazing but certainly quite true, no doubt about it. Yet, so absurd and not right that it almost boggles the mind.
All the best,
Glenn B
The Kentucky Gun Co. - A Class Act
I had never heard of the Kentucky Gun Company prior to the assassination of Bardstown, KY Police Officer Jason Ellis on May 25th of this year. You may recall reading about him in the news; he was shot after stopping to remove some debris from an exit ramp off of a highway. The killer had evidently left it there and called it in and had pre-planned the assassination, if not of Ellis then of any officer who would have responded.
Then somewhere, I do not remember where, maybe on a firearms forum or on a gun blog, or on Facebook, I read that the Kentucky Gun Company (http://KYGunCo.com) was holding a fund raising raffle event for the family of officer Ellis. As I recall, the tickets were $5.00 each and the prize was a Henry rifle. I was really amazed, and I use that word literally, to have received an email from the president of KYGunCo yesterday with an attached video announcing the winner of the rifle. No, I did not win; I received the email because I had bought a few raffle tickets from them and thus made a donation. While the video was part of my amazement, what amazed me was not so much that they sent out a video to make the announcement but the content of it. That content reflected what I am sure must be the nature of all those involved with the fund raiser and the making of the video. That nature and the outcome were beyond my expectation. You have to watch the video to understand what I mean.
The folks at KYGunCo are a class act. The dedication of a small company, its owner and its employees, to do something nice for the family of the fallen officer, and the response coming from what assuredly was mostly the firearms owning community, was impressive. Together they raised a substantial amount of money for the fallen officers family and showed me that all is not lost in America.
All the best,
Glenn B
Then somewhere, I do not remember where, maybe on a firearms forum or on a gun blog, or on Facebook, I read that the Kentucky Gun Company (http://KYGunCo.com) was holding a fund raising raffle event for the family of officer Ellis. As I recall, the tickets were $5.00 each and the prize was a Henry rifle. I was really amazed, and I use that word literally, to have received an email from the president of KYGunCo yesterday with an attached video announcing the winner of the rifle. No, I did not win; I received the email because I had bought a few raffle tickets from them and thus made a donation. While the video was part of my amazement, what amazed me was not so much that they sent out a video to make the announcement but the content of it. That content reflected what I am sure must be the nature of all those involved with the fund raiser and the making of the video. That nature and the outcome were beyond my expectation. You have to watch the video to understand what I mean.
The folks at KYGunCo are a class act. The dedication of a small company, its owner and its employees, to do something nice for the family of the fallen officer, and the response coming from what assuredly was mostly the firearms owning community, was impressive. Together they raised a substantial amount of money for the fallen officers family and showed me that all is not lost in America.
All the best,
Glenn B
Ray Kelly As The New Head of DHS - Oh No!
So, Senator Chucky-cheese Scummer Charles Schumer is saying there is no doubt that the current NYPD commissioner, Ray Kelly, would be excellent as the replacement for Janet Napolitano as head of DHS (source1, source2). He quotes Kelly's leadership of the NYPD, mentions how Kelly as thwarted terrorists, and even that Kelly has equipped the NYPD with the capability to shoot planes from the sky (remember Bloomberg calls the NYPD his army). Well, based on my recollections of Kelly as my boss and based on my opinion of Kelly, I have my doubts. I would bet so too does Schumer and the media. You see, there is no mention of any statements by Schumer that Kelly already headed up a federal agency and no other mention of it in the news reports I have seen. Do you wonder why that could be?
Kelly was, as I recall, the commissioner of the United States Customs Service when morale in that agency hit rock bottom. If you are wondering why, let me give you a few examples: He apparently believed that there was a very high degree of corruption in the Customs Service. Yet, despite his statements to that effect, there were not large scale numbers of corruption arrests in much higher percentage during his reign than before he was the boss there. Why not? Moist likely because, like in any law enforcement agency, corruption existed - but it was nowhere nearly as bad as he seemingly believed or fantasized it to be.
Then there was the case of a black Jamaican woman who was searched by Customs Inspectors after arriving at JFK airport aboard a Jamaica Airlines flight. She claimed she was stopped because of racism and racial profiling. Kelly, as I recall, immediately agreed with her, seemingly without checking into the facts of her case and she was suing the government over it. Indeed there had been profiling, but not of her due to her race. The profiling was routine and legal. You see, the flight had been profiled, as were many other flights targeted that were coming from known narcotics transfer and source countries and as for having had transported many a smuggler in the past. Jamaica was both a source country and transfer point for illegal narcotics that would be smuggled in the US. The flight was a choice flight for smugglers to use. People on that flight were often subjected to Customs searches based on that knowledge as well as over considerations.
In addition, as I remember, there was the legal blooper of the century made by Kelly when he in essence said that Customs officials were illegally searching people at the border because they were doing so absent probable cause and that he was going to eliminate that illegal practice. Had he even done one tiny little bit of research on the subject of Customs search authority and border searches he would have realized that Customs searches, at the border or its equivalent, do not require probable cause and can be performed on as little as a hunch on the part of a Customs official. He would also have learned that such searches had been upheld as legal by SCOTUS many years before Ray Kelly was born. Customs searches, at the border (or its equivalent) are very different in scope of authority that are most other searches conducted by law enforcement officials. Kelly though, barged right into the Customs Service, with preconceived legal notions and with his prior hang-ups over the amount of corruption he perceived in the NYPD and he weighed down Customs with them. Add to that the fact that almost every other memo, signed by him, for about his first 6 months or so in charge, to reach field personnel (at least those I saw) had to do with integrity problems that he perceived and you can understand how morale plummeted under his reign in Customs.
To be quite frank, he was in my opinion the biggest asshole in charge of any government agency that I have ever seen except maybe for Janet Napolitano but if he takes her slot he is, I think, sure to surpass her ineptness. When he was in Customs, it was rumored that he was supposedly gunning to get the directors spot in the FBI. In fact he was in the running for it: "Kelly, who has been leading the city’s police department for more than a decade, was considered a one-time contender to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the Clinton administration" (source). He did not get that position but left Customs and returned to the NYPD. Many Customs personnel, whom I knew, were happy to see him go and many NYPD officers seemed none too happy to be saddled with him again. I imagine it was his inability to adjust to federal service and his apparent misunderstandings about legal issues (in my estimation also his ego driven overall piss poor performance and his seeming paranoia about corruption) in the Customs Service, under Clinton, that assured he would never sit in the seat of power at the FBI. Funny how Schumer is not quoted as telling us anything about Ray Kelly as the Commissioner of Customs and how he was passed over in the selection process to lead the FBI - isn't it! And no that's not George W. Bush's fault.
In my opinion, and I am nowhere near being alone on this point, Kelly is a super ego maniac. He evidently does not give a rat's ass about the rights of people he is supposed to be serving nor about the Constitution he has sworn to protect and is supposed to uphold. He instead seemingly acts as if he is the puppet henchman of a despot (take your pick of either Clinton or Bloomberg or both) and that he is mostly employed to see their will is done without regard for the law unless such concern is politically beneficent to his bosses or himself. Just take a look at his number one pet project on the streets of NY - Stop and Frisk. I think it is a racist system of profiling black, Hispanic and even white people. Just ask any white guy who has had the nerve to let the cops see him walk through a black neighborhood at night. Strange though, you hear little or nothing about that in the media but if you are a white guy traversing a black neighborhood you seemingly are a likely target of the NYPD stop and frisk program based only on your race.
As noted above, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has bragged that his army is the third or fourth largest in the world- he made it quite clear that he was referring to the NYPD as an army. Mr. Kelly never once corrected Bloomberg to tell him that he is in charge of a police department and not an army nor that it would be illegal for Bloomberg to be running an army in NYC. Kelly apparently just kisses the asses of those with whom he is in favor and with those whose ultra leftist politics he agrees in order to advance his own power hungry agenda.
In my opinion, Ray Kelly would be about the worst possible candidate for the job of running the Department of Homeland Security under any administration that would be mindful of the Constitution and of the rights of the People. Under the current administration though - he might fit in perfectly and I have little to no doubt he would be willing to pull the trigger (or order his personnel to do so) when aimed in law abiding and patriotic citizens of the United States of America to promote his bosses political agenda.
Of course, I guess to be absolutely fair, I should mention that I think he would, in all likelihood, be a step up from Janet Napolitano as the head man (yes that pun was intentional) at DHS. So, instead of being the ground on which the dog has shit and pissed, he would be the shit itself. If you want to see another petty tyrant in charge of a department in Washington, then do nothing. If you want someone in charge of DHS who is actually qualified for the job and who will support the Constitution, then I think you need let your elected officials know, immediately, that you oppose Ray Kelly as the head of DHS.
All the best,
Glenn B
Kelly was, as I recall, the commissioner of the United States Customs Service when morale in that agency hit rock bottom. If you are wondering why, let me give you a few examples: He apparently believed that there was a very high degree of corruption in the Customs Service. Yet, despite his statements to that effect, there were not large scale numbers of corruption arrests in much higher percentage during his reign than before he was the boss there. Why not? Moist likely because, like in any law enforcement agency, corruption existed - but it was nowhere nearly as bad as he seemingly believed or fantasized it to be.
Then there was the case of a black Jamaican woman who was searched by Customs Inspectors after arriving at JFK airport aboard a Jamaica Airlines flight. She claimed she was stopped because of racism and racial profiling. Kelly, as I recall, immediately agreed with her, seemingly without checking into the facts of her case and she was suing the government over it. Indeed there had been profiling, but not of her due to her race. The profiling was routine and legal. You see, the flight had been profiled, as were many other flights targeted that were coming from known narcotics transfer and source countries and as for having had transported many a smuggler in the past. Jamaica was both a source country and transfer point for illegal narcotics that would be smuggled in the US. The flight was a choice flight for smugglers to use. People on that flight were often subjected to Customs searches based on that knowledge as well as over considerations.
In addition, as I remember, there was the legal blooper of the century made by Kelly when he in essence said that Customs officials were illegally searching people at the border because they were doing so absent probable cause and that he was going to eliminate that illegal practice. Had he even done one tiny little bit of research on the subject of Customs search authority and border searches he would have realized that Customs searches, at the border or its equivalent, do not require probable cause and can be performed on as little as a hunch on the part of a Customs official. He would also have learned that such searches had been upheld as legal by SCOTUS many years before Ray Kelly was born. Customs searches, at the border (or its equivalent) are very different in scope of authority that are most other searches conducted by law enforcement officials. Kelly though, barged right into the Customs Service, with preconceived legal notions and with his prior hang-ups over the amount of corruption he perceived in the NYPD and he weighed down Customs with them. Add to that the fact that almost every other memo, signed by him, for about his first 6 months or so in charge, to reach field personnel (at least those I saw) had to do with integrity problems that he perceived and you can understand how morale plummeted under his reign in Customs.
To be quite frank, he was in my opinion the biggest asshole in charge of any government agency that I have ever seen except maybe for Janet Napolitano but if he takes her slot he is, I think, sure to surpass her ineptness. When he was in Customs, it was rumored that he was supposedly gunning to get the directors spot in the FBI. In fact he was in the running for it: "Kelly, who has been leading the city’s police department for more than a decade, was considered a one-time contender to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the Clinton administration" (source). He did not get that position but left Customs and returned to the NYPD. Many Customs personnel, whom I knew, were happy to see him go and many NYPD officers seemed none too happy to be saddled with him again. I imagine it was his inability to adjust to federal service and his apparent misunderstandings about legal issues (in my estimation also his ego driven overall piss poor performance and his seeming paranoia about corruption) in the Customs Service, under Clinton, that assured he would never sit in the seat of power at the FBI. Funny how Schumer is not quoted as telling us anything about Ray Kelly as the Commissioner of Customs and how he was passed over in the selection process to lead the FBI - isn't it! And no that's not George W. Bush's fault.
In my opinion, and I am nowhere near being alone on this point, Kelly is a super ego maniac. He evidently does not give a rat's ass about the rights of people he is supposed to be serving nor about the Constitution he has sworn to protect and is supposed to uphold. He instead seemingly acts as if he is the puppet henchman of a despot (take your pick of either Clinton or Bloomberg or both) and that he is mostly employed to see their will is done without regard for the law unless such concern is politically beneficent to his bosses or himself. Just take a look at his number one pet project on the streets of NY - Stop and Frisk. I think it is a racist system of profiling black, Hispanic and even white people. Just ask any white guy who has had the nerve to let the cops see him walk through a black neighborhood at night. Strange though, you hear little or nothing about that in the media but if you are a white guy traversing a black neighborhood you seemingly are a likely target of the NYPD stop and frisk program based only on your race.
As noted above, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has bragged that his army is the third or fourth largest in the world- he made it quite clear that he was referring to the NYPD as an army. Mr. Kelly never once corrected Bloomberg to tell him that he is in charge of a police department and not an army nor that it would be illegal for Bloomberg to be running an army in NYC. Kelly apparently just kisses the asses of those with whom he is in favor and with those whose ultra leftist politics he agrees in order to advance his own power hungry agenda.
In my opinion, Ray Kelly would be about the worst possible candidate for the job of running the Department of Homeland Security under any administration that would be mindful of the Constitution and of the rights of the People. Under the current administration though - he might fit in perfectly and I have little to no doubt he would be willing to pull the trigger (or order his personnel to do so) when aimed in law abiding and patriotic citizens of the United States of America to promote his bosses political agenda.
Of course, I guess to be absolutely fair, I should mention that I think he would, in all likelihood, be a step up from Janet Napolitano as the head man (yes that pun was intentional) at DHS. So, instead of being the ground on which the dog has shit and pissed, he would be the shit itself. If you want to see another petty tyrant in charge of a department in Washington, then do nothing. If you want someone in charge of DHS who is actually qualified for the job and who will support the Constitution, then I think you need let your elected officials know, immediately, that you oppose Ray Kelly as the head of DHS.
All the best,
Glenn B
What Was The Worst Gun You Have Ever Owned...
...as in the unmitigated most poorly
constructed or designed piece of junk that you have ever shot a bullet,
shot or slug through. While I have owned several guns that I have really liked,
others that were okay, and a fair amount of others with which I was not pleased,
you might think it would be really easy for me to select which among them was the
worst clunker. Yet, it is sort of a tossup between two or three of
them and I thought each a piece of junk for different reasons.
The first real piece of garbage gun I ever owned was in fact the very first gun I ever owned. I should have thrown my money into the trash can for all it was worth. It was an RG 25 auto, a diminutive pocket pistol that I bought while living in Las Vegas. I would have been very lucky indeed to have been able to have gotten off 5 or 6 shots in a row without it having a failure to feed or to extract or to eject. Being I was a newcomer to buying guns, I did not know what to look for and the guy behind the counter who sold it to me was no help there. Live and learn. I wound up taking the gun apart and disposing of its pieces fairly far apart by throwing them into a deep channel, in salt water, far from Nevada. By the way, in case you were wondering what the initials RG stood for, I think they meant Rotten Gun.
My next firearms purchase did not come for a few years after that but as I recall it was a either a Beretta 70S or a Beretta 950BS (one was followed shortly by the other). At least my second purchase was made with some forethought; I studied up on what to buy and bought quality guns made by a world renowned gun manufacturer. No problems with them, in fact they were great and the 70S still is great. (Well, I have my 2nd one that replaced the first when it was stolen back in the early 1980s.) After that first piece of junk, the RG 25 auto, I had made up my mind to become more knowledgeable before buying any more guns and I pretty much have stuck to that for almost all of the guns I have bought in later years. There were a few bought on impulse but I have to point out I already knew the reputation of the manufacturer if not the specific gun I was buying. After reading that last sentence you might think that I would never again have bought another clunker but you would be wrong.
I guess the next piece of junk gun I bought was actually two of them since I bought two different versions of the same model revolver. When I was in the Border Patrol, we got a deal offered to us by Smith & Wesson for a direct sale from the manufacturer on S&W Model 66 revolvers with 2.5 and 4 inch barrels. How could I resist, bought one of each. My anticipation while waiting for them was pretty intense and I was full of excitement as I opened the boxes for each. I took out one of them, checked it over, made sure it was unloaded, pointed it in a safe direction and dry fired it. The clinking noise it made, when the hammer fell, was almost as high pitched as a sonar ping. It had also made a grating noise as the trigger traveled rearward. Something fell out of it when I opened the cylinder to check it again. That something landed in my hand and had apparently fallen out of the opening in the frame through which the trigger goes; the something was metal shavings. A quick shaking of the pistol revealed more shavings still inside the works. The 4 inch model was somewhat better but also contained metal shavings, made grating noises until the shavings were cleaned out of it and also made two twangy pings each time the hammer traveled rearward. In other revolvers, that twangy ping would have been a set of a low pitched clicks. I sold both of them. I am not two sure those were worse than the RG 25 that I had owned previously but they were just as disappointing if not more so. Smith & Wesson was supposed to have been a manufacturer of high quality firearms but they were junk as far as I am concerned. I was not the only one with those problems; as I recall, every one of my coworkers who bought them had the same issues with them to one extent or another.
Sometime after getting back to NY after my Border Patrol days, I decided to buy a Ruger Mini 14. I used them at work often and was a fairly good shot with them. I liked just about everything about them, in fact I liked then more than an AR. So, I got myself one. I could not hit paper at 50 yards and believe me I was shooting at a big target. I adjusted the sights over and over again and finally was shooting a widespread group of about 15 inches or more at 50 yards. I sold it to someone by way of either GunBroker.com or AuctionArms.com. I warned the guy to whom I was selling it about me not being able to hit the target with it. He shot it and got back to me telling me it was a virtual tack driver! I did not get it then and am not sure I get it yet but think that maybe it was the ammo I was using - which may have been the wrong grain weight for the Mini-14. I have shot others since, all with no problems, in fact was an excellent shot with them. So, I am not sure it was the gun that was a clunker but for me, at the time I sold it, I sure thought it was one.
Then there was the Marlin 9mm Camp Carbine (commonly called the Camp 9). It was a 9mm carbine that was advertised as being a great defensive weapon. I read review after review about it being an excellent firearm. It had a number of features I liked such as being fairly short, using the same caliber that my then work issued pistol fired, it also used the same magazines that the S&W 6906 (which was our work issued pistol at the time), the safety was at the forward area of the trigger guard, and as I remember - it was not too expensive. Again, it was touted, by the gun gurus, as an excellent choice for self and home defense. How could I not buy one and yes, I bought one. As soon as I took it apart for a thorough cleaning I came to hate it and realized one of its design features was one of the poorest I have ever seen in any firearm. It had a pivoting feed ramp. I guess the fact that the ramp pivoted was not too bad, it probably assured good feeding although I have never see a pivoting ramp in any other firearm I had handled. It seems that this novel design required something else that was novel in the form of a tiny coil spring that had to be set under the feed ramp just right in order to assure that it pivoted into place properly each time it fed a round. The spring gave a small amount of upward pressure on the ramp. Why it was designed like that is beyond me, you would think there would be no need for the ramp to pivot if it had been designed properly in the first place but there it was and there was no getting rid of it. What was easy to get rid of, although not intentionally, was the little spring I just mentioned. The first time I cleaned it the spring fell out of the nook in which it was seated and it took me hours to find it. Yes there it was, shown on the diagram of the rifle but there was no notation explaining that it was not permanently seated or held in place by anything and that it would just fall right out if you were not extremely careful. Once I found it, subsequent to a lengthy search after it had fallen out, I realized that getting it back into place just exactly right was no joy either. If you decided to clean this gun while afield and dropped that spring in leaf litter, forget about finding it unless you had a good magnet with you or had as much luck as a group of at least 14 Leprechauns. That one design feature alone made the Marlin 9mm Camp Carbine worthless to me as something upon which I would depend to defend myself. I sold it and do not miss it in the least. Since I had mine, I have heard several complaints from other owners of them about that same dratted spring.
When I think of it, I do not know which of the above, excluding the Ruger, were the worse pieces of junk, it is a difficult decision to make. The two S&W revolvers, the RG25 and the Marlin 9mm Camp Carbine each had pretty bad flaws. Considering that the S&W revolvers and the Marlin carbine had great reputations as being very good to excellent firearms, I can easily say that they were much more disappointing to me than was the RG 25. I paid all of about $40 to $45 for the RG, out the door and brand new. It was a fine example of getting what you pay for. As for the others, I paid decent amount of money for each and should have gotten a much higher amount of quality than I got with the RG. So, while quality was lacking in the RG, I have to say it was also pretty much absent from those S&W revolvers too. The Marlin Camp 9 seemed to be of fairly high quality but had that tiny disappearing spring and that was one heck of a terrible design feature as I see it. I guess when it comes down to it, the RG 25 and those two specific S&W Model 66 revolvers (note I have owned another since then and it was greatly improved) tie for the worst guns I have owned. The Marlin 9mm Camp Carbine edges them out as a better gun just by a tiny bit, an edge smaller even than that pesky little spring.
Then there were the guns that I almost owned but avoided after a little bit of checking them out before taking the plunge. Some of them were the not so fine pieces as a: Jennings 22, Erma KGP-69 (a .22LR Luger look alike), a High Standard Sentinel (steel framed combination gun with cylinders for .22LR and .22 WMR), High Standard Derringer, Marlin Camp 45, but I suppose I am getting away from the original topic.
So tell us, what was the worst gun you have ever owned?
All the best,
Glenn B
The first real piece of garbage gun I ever owned was in fact the very first gun I ever owned. I should have thrown my money into the trash can for all it was worth. It was an RG 25 auto, a diminutive pocket pistol that I bought while living in Las Vegas. I would have been very lucky indeed to have been able to have gotten off 5 or 6 shots in a row without it having a failure to feed or to extract or to eject. Being I was a newcomer to buying guns, I did not know what to look for and the guy behind the counter who sold it to me was no help there. Live and learn. I wound up taking the gun apart and disposing of its pieces fairly far apart by throwing them into a deep channel, in salt water, far from Nevada. By the way, in case you were wondering what the initials RG stood for, I think they meant Rotten Gun.
My next firearms purchase did not come for a few years after that but as I recall it was a either a Beretta 70S or a Beretta 950BS (one was followed shortly by the other). At least my second purchase was made with some forethought; I studied up on what to buy and bought quality guns made by a world renowned gun manufacturer. No problems with them, in fact they were great and the 70S still is great. (Well, I have my 2nd one that replaced the first when it was stolen back in the early 1980s.) After that first piece of junk, the RG 25 auto, I had made up my mind to become more knowledgeable before buying any more guns and I pretty much have stuck to that for almost all of the guns I have bought in later years. There were a few bought on impulse but I have to point out I already knew the reputation of the manufacturer if not the specific gun I was buying. After reading that last sentence you might think that I would never again have bought another clunker but you would be wrong.
I guess the next piece of junk gun I bought was actually two of them since I bought two different versions of the same model revolver. When I was in the Border Patrol, we got a deal offered to us by Smith & Wesson for a direct sale from the manufacturer on S&W Model 66 revolvers with 2.5 and 4 inch barrels. How could I resist, bought one of each. My anticipation while waiting for them was pretty intense and I was full of excitement as I opened the boxes for each. I took out one of them, checked it over, made sure it was unloaded, pointed it in a safe direction and dry fired it. The clinking noise it made, when the hammer fell, was almost as high pitched as a sonar ping. It had also made a grating noise as the trigger traveled rearward. Something fell out of it when I opened the cylinder to check it again. That something landed in my hand and had apparently fallen out of the opening in the frame through which the trigger goes; the something was metal shavings. A quick shaking of the pistol revealed more shavings still inside the works. The 4 inch model was somewhat better but also contained metal shavings, made grating noises until the shavings were cleaned out of it and also made two twangy pings each time the hammer traveled rearward. In other revolvers, that twangy ping would have been a set of a low pitched clicks. I sold both of them. I am not two sure those were worse than the RG 25 that I had owned previously but they were just as disappointing if not more so. Smith & Wesson was supposed to have been a manufacturer of high quality firearms but they were junk as far as I am concerned. I was not the only one with those problems; as I recall, every one of my coworkers who bought them had the same issues with them to one extent or another.
Sometime after getting back to NY after my Border Patrol days, I decided to buy a Ruger Mini 14. I used them at work often and was a fairly good shot with them. I liked just about everything about them, in fact I liked then more than an AR. So, I got myself one. I could not hit paper at 50 yards and believe me I was shooting at a big target. I adjusted the sights over and over again and finally was shooting a widespread group of about 15 inches or more at 50 yards. I sold it to someone by way of either GunBroker.com or AuctionArms.com. I warned the guy to whom I was selling it about me not being able to hit the target with it. He shot it and got back to me telling me it was a virtual tack driver! I did not get it then and am not sure I get it yet but think that maybe it was the ammo I was using - which may have been the wrong grain weight for the Mini-14. I have shot others since, all with no problems, in fact was an excellent shot with them. So, I am not sure it was the gun that was a clunker but for me, at the time I sold it, I sure thought it was one.
Then there was the Marlin 9mm Camp Carbine (commonly called the Camp 9). It was a 9mm carbine that was advertised as being a great defensive weapon. I read review after review about it being an excellent firearm. It had a number of features I liked such as being fairly short, using the same caliber that my then work issued pistol fired, it also used the same magazines that the S&W 6906 (which was our work issued pistol at the time), the safety was at the forward area of the trigger guard, and as I remember - it was not too expensive. Again, it was touted, by the gun gurus, as an excellent choice for self and home defense. How could I not buy one and yes, I bought one. As soon as I took it apart for a thorough cleaning I came to hate it and realized one of its design features was one of the poorest I have ever seen in any firearm. It had a pivoting feed ramp. I guess the fact that the ramp pivoted was not too bad, it probably assured good feeding although I have never see a pivoting ramp in any other firearm I had handled. It seems that this novel design required something else that was novel in the form of a tiny coil spring that had to be set under the feed ramp just right in order to assure that it pivoted into place properly each time it fed a round. The spring gave a small amount of upward pressure on the ramp. Why it was designed like that is beyond me, you would think there would be no need for the ramp to pivot if it had been designed properly in the first place but there it was and there was no getting rid of it. What was easy to get rid of, although not intentionally, was the little spring I just mentioned. The first time I cleaned it the spring fell out of the nook in which it was seated and it took me hours to find it. Yes there it was, shown on the diagram of the rifle but there was no notation explaining that it was not permanently seated or held in place by anything and that it would just fall right out if you were not extremely careful. Once I found it, subsequent to a lengthy search after it had fallen out, I realized that getting it back into place just exactly right was no joy either. If you decided to clean this gun while afield and dropped that spring in leaf litter, forget about finding it unless you had a good magnet with you or had as much luck as a group of at least 14 Leprechauns. That one design feature alone made the Marlin 9mm Camp Carbine worthless to me as something upon which I would depend to defend myself. I sold it and do not miss it in the least. Since I had mine, I have heard several complaints from other owners of them about that same dratted spring.
When I think of it, I do not know which of the above, excluding the Ruger, were the worse pieces of junk, it is a difficult decision to make. The two S&W revolvers, the RG25 and the Marlin 9mm Camp Carbine each had pretty bad flaws. Considering that the S&W revolvers and the Marlin carbine had great reputations as being very good to excellent firearms, I can easily say that they were much more disappointing to me than was the RG 25. I paid all of about $40 to $45 for the RG, out the door and brand new. It was a fine example of getting what you pay for. As for the others, I paid decent amount of money for each and should have gotten a much higher amount of quality than I got with the RG. So, while quality was lacking in the RG, I have to say it was also pretty much absent from those S&W revolvers too. The Marlin Camp 9 seemed to be of fairly high quality but had that tiny disappearing spring and that was one heck of a terrible design feature as I see it. I guess when it comes down to it, the RG 25 and those two specific S&W Model 66 revolvers (note I have owned another since then and it was greatly improved) tie for the worst guns I have owned. The Marlin 9mm Camp Carbine edges them out as a better gun just by a tiny bit, an edge smaller even than that pesky little spring.
Then there were the guns that I almost owned but avoided after a little bit of checking them out before taking the plunge. Some of them were the not so fine pieces as a: Jennings 22, Erma KGP-69 (a .22LR Luger look alike), a High Standard Sentinel (steel framed combination gun with cylinders for .22LR and .22 WMR), High Standard Derringer, Marlin Camp 45, but I suppose I am getting away from the original topic.
So tell us, what was the worst gun you have ever owned?
All the best,
Glenn B
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Pork Prices May Soar - So The Media Is Finally Reporting It...
...but I blogged about it on June 25th. So not only do I blog about what the news media has already doled out, I sometimes beat them to the draw.
Media reports:
http://money.msn.com/now/post--the-virus-that-could-hike-bacon-prices
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-57593163/pig-virus-migrates-to-u.s-threatens-pork-prices/
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/2540621632001/virus-could-lead-to-higher-pork-prices/
My blog report:
http://ballseyesboomers.blogspot.com/2013/06/expect-price-of-bacon-to-skyrocket.html
I beat the media by over 2 weeks with my prediction that pork prices may soar because of the virus. I must be some sort of a perspicacious pig predictor (too bad I did not buy pork belly futures two weeks ago). Next thing you know, they will report it is an Islamist plot to devastate the pork industry or a plot by Obama to do the same (but I just said that in other words did I not). Oh well...
All the best,
Glenn B
Media reports:
http://money.msn.com/now/post--the-virus-that-could-hike-bacon-prices
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-57593163/pig-virus-migrates-to-u.s-threatens-pork-prices/
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/2540621632001/virus-could-lead-to-higher-pork-prices/
My blog report:
http://ballseyesboomers.blogspot.com/2013/06/expect-price-of-bacon-to-skyrocket.html
I beat the media by over 2 weeks with my prediction that pork prices may soar because of the virus. I must be some sort of a perspicacious pig predictor (too bad I did not buy pork belly futures two weeks ago). Next thing you know, they will report it is an Islamist plot to devastate the pork industry or a plot by Obama to do the same (but I just said that in other words did I not). Oh well...
All the best,
Glenn B
Mantyhose - Please Tell Me This Just Ain't So...
...and if it is so, tell me - why weren't they named Pansyhose as I think the name would have been much more suited to most men who will wear them. Yeah, I know, the metrosexuals of today would say I am manty-phobic or something like that. The truth is I am not afraid to tell it like it should be: pantyhose and stockings are women's wear and what are Mantsyhose but pantyhose with a letter changed. After all, it sure as shit does not appear like the gender of those wearing them has changed because every guy in the pics on the Mantsyhose website and in the accompanying video looks like a wussie to me.
It was bad enough when my son bought me some tight Under Armor long-johns but at least they were in Realtree camo. What can I say, I have values and sensibilities of yesteryear.
All the best,
Glenn B
It was bad enough when my son bought me some tight Under Armor long-johns but at least they were in Realtree camo. What can I say, I have values and sensibilities of yesteryear.
All the best,
Glenn B
Monday, July 8, 2013
Bacon Just Isn't Enough...
...when you think about all of the other delectable goodness in a pig. Which would you rather settle for, a lifetime of eating just bacon or the whole delectable swine-ness of his highness - The Holy Whole Hog? Me, I prefer to go whole hog.
Mind you, I can not do it all at once. I have to get mine in shoulders, buts, loins, tenderloins, chops, ribs, standing loin rib roasts, hams, pigs feet and knuckles as well as the jowels and belly of the beast and its bacon. It is all ever so good. Take a look at some of these pics, all found on the web, and let your mouth water.
If all you eat is bacon - you don't know what goodness you are missing.
All the best,
Glenn B
 |
| The Whole Hog, or what's left of it. |
Mind you, I can not do it all at once. I have to get mine in shoulders, buts, loins, tenderloins, chops, ribs, standing loin rib roasts, hams, pigs feet and knuckles as well as the jowels and belly of the beast and its bacon. It is all ever so good. Take a look at some of these pics, all found on the web, and let your mouth water.
 |
| Ham, probably a shank roast, skin on. |
 |
| Ham Shank Roast. |
 |
| Pork Breakfast Sausages, good at any time of the day or night. |
 |
| Rack of Ribs. |
 |
| Standing Pork loin Roast. |
 |
| My very own Roasted Pork Tenderloin & German Potato Salad. |
 |
| My very own, Smoked Pork Tenderloin. |
 |
| Short Ribs. |
 |
| Smoked Ham, bone in. |
 |
| Apple Stuffed Loin Pork Chops. |
 |
| Melt in your mouth goodness, Pickled Pigs Feet. |
 |
| While the list above is not complete, how could I omit this. |
All the best,
Glenn B
Sunday, July 7, 2013
I Wonder - Did The Crowd Roar With Applause...
...as Brazilian soccer referee Otávio Jordan da Silva de Catanhede was: rushed by assailants, tied up, stoned to death (one hopes he was dead before what comes next), quartered (major limbs cut off), beheaded - all on the soccer field. I also wonder, did anyone continue to cheer when his head was paraded around the field and staked at midfield. Somehow, I can not imagine it otherwise than at least some of the crowd cheering on they who were committing this brutal murder as such seems to be the state of the liberalized world today. People nowadays have little regard for human life and even less for respect of the law.
Now, there is good chance he deserved to die since he reportedly had just killed a soccer player, Linda dos Santos Abreu, by stabbing him to death. (I'm not saying he should have been killed but that maybe he deserved to be killed.) It seems that Jordan and Santos got into an argument over a call made by the referee. During the argument, Jordan reportedly pulled out a knife and fatally stabbed Santos who died while being taken to a hospital. Enraged family and friends of the player reportedly stormed the field and carried out swift but grisly revenge on the referee. Why law enforcement had not already arrested Jordan is unclear but it could well have been a rapid spontaneous reaction to the stabbing and he could well have been killed before he family even knew that Santos had died of his wounds. Still though, if this was a sanctioned match with police presence, shouldn't the police have done something to try to stop it - all that was done to him must have taken at least several minutes. Of course, that is supposing they were at the game which may not have been the case. Yet, for the assailants to carry out the killing in the gruesome way they reportedly did so is only an indication that we live in sick times, very sick times at that.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/07/brazil-soccer-referee-killed-during-match-his-head-displayed-on-stake-midfield/?test=latestnews
My advice, never attend a soccer game - not anywhere, not in Brazil where this happened, not in Germany, Nigeria, India, England and not here in the USA - not anywhere. Madness and bloody violence are all too frequently something that happens before, during and after soccer matches. Of course, if you can attend one while armed, so you could be able to defend yourself, you might consider going but that would probably be illegal, at least, where I live, they don't let us carry machine guns here. Anyway, I do no think I would chance it.
All the best,
Glenn B
Now, there is good chance he deserved to die since he reportedly had just killed a soccer player, Linda dos Santos Abreu, by stabbing him to death. (I'm not saying he should have been killed but that maybe he deserved to be killed.) It seems that Jordan and Santos got into an argument over a call made by the referee. During the argument, Jordan reportedly pulled out a knife and fatally stabbed Santos who died while being taken to a hospital. Enraged family and friends of the player reportedly stormed the field and carried out swift but grisly revenge on the referee. Why law enforcement had not already arrested Jordan is unclear but it could well have been a rapid spontaneous reaction to the stabbing and he could well have been killed before he family even knew that Santos had died of his wounds. Still though, if this was a sanctioned match with police presence, shouldn't the police have done something to try to stop it - all that was done to him must have taken at least several minutes. Of course, that is supposing they were at the game which may not have been the case. Yet, for the assailants to carry out the killing in the gruesome way they reportedly did so is only an indication that we live in sick times, very sick times at that.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/07/brazil-soccer-referee-killed-during-match-his-head-displayed-on-stake-midfield/?test=latestnews
My advice, never attend a soccer game - not anywhere, not in Brazil where this happened, not in Germany, Nigeria, India, England and not here in the USA - not anywhere. Madness and bloody violence are all too frequently something that happens before, during and after soccer matches. Of course, if you can attend one while armed, so you could be able to defend yourself, you might consider going but that would probably be illegal, at least, where I live, they don't let us carry machine guns here. Anyway, I do no think I would chance it.
All the best,
Glenn B
Someone At Fox News Needs A Geography Lesson
It always amazes me when I see or hear glaring errors in the media. One would think that in order to report the news, a person would be required to have a certain amount of education and integrity and that among those who apply for reporter jobs, only the best of the applicants would be selected (I would expect that sort of section process for almost any job). I would think the process would be likewise for they who proof and edit news reports. Sadly such does not seem to be the case, at least based upon what I have seen in online news reporting lately.
For instance, take a look at this regional listing for current news, in the northeast United States, that I found on FoxNews.com under the header: U.S.:
Not only does it show the error once but twice. Come now don't tell me you don't see it! Someone please tell me, since when would news about an jet crash in San Francisco be considered news that took place in the northeast United States? That type of mistake is not uncommon either, just take a look at this:
The same story is also listed under regional news for the southeast U.S., it is mind boggling. Even a kid in the 4th or 5th grade would should know that San Francisco (the SF in the link about the crash) is on the west coast. The misplacement of these links, under the wrong regional header, is nothing new and certainly not only one made by the news crew at Fox News. I have seen similar inaccuracies on the websites of CNN, the BBC, MSNBC and other media outlets.
News reporting, as of late, also seems plagued with other glaring errors as well in such things as grammar, punctuation, spelling that would make one think some of the news articles were written by the semi-illiterate. All of those gaffes seem minimal though when compared to some of the reporting that has been presented to us though, it seems that all to frequently the media just can not get their stories straight on important events. That, and the political partisanship expressed by many major media companies gets me to wondering just exactly how it is that the Supreme Court of the United States keeps upholding the freedom of the press for the media when in fact it is more like the media is a group of political hills - or at best fiction writers not at all reporting the news but presenting the tallest of tall tales I have read in years.
I guess, when I think about it a bit, I should not be surprised by the terrible grammar, the abysmal lack of knowledge on basic school subjects such as geography, the glaring political partisanship or any other fault with media reporting when it seems they in the media strives to sling mud more so than they strive to accurately report the news. No wonder, that when I pick up a newspaper, I go straight to either the funnies or the crossword puzzle.
All the best,
GB
For instance, take a look at this regional listing for current news, in the northeast United States, that I found on FoxNews.com under the header: U.S.:
Northeast
southeast
News reporting, as of late, also seems plagued with other glaring errors as well in such things as grammar, punctuation, spelling that would make one think some of the news articles were written by the semi-illiterate. All of those gaffes seem minimal though when compared to some of the reporting that has been presented to us though, it seems that all to frequently the media just can not get their stories straight on important events. That, and the political partisanship expressed by many major media companies gets me to wondering just exactly how it is that the Supreme Court of the United States keeps upholding the freedom of the press for the media when in fact it is more like the media is a group of political hills - or at best fiction writers not at all reporting the news but presenting the tallest of tall tales I have read in years.
I guess, when I think about it a bit, I should not be surprised by the terrible grammar, the abysmal lack of knowledge on basic school subjects such as geography, the glaring political partisanship or any other fault with media reporting when it seems they in the media strives to sling mud more so than they strive to accurately report the news. No wonder, that when I pick up a newspaper, I go straight to either the funnies or the crossword puzzle.
All the best,
GB
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Fruit of the Week - Third Edition
Not much fruit in the house this weekend so I did something a bit different for me. I mixed some Apple Juice, OJ and honey with a good sized dollop of Appleton's Rum. Not bad at all. Got those nasty bastard Islamists and their heinous and cowardly killings of children mostly off of my mind.
All the best,
GB
All the best,
GB
If This Is What Allah Wants - Fuck Allah Where He Breathes...
...preferably with a .45 ACP. I would gladly do it to Allah, to Mohammad and to any of their followers who would attempt to duplicate an attack like this in my presence. Hell, if Jesus Christ, Buddha, Vishnu, or any other god or prophet (or any of their followers) tried likewise, in my presence - I would gladly give each of them an oral enema (or a shot to center mass) with my 1911 in order to protect the innocent from they who are hell bent upon dealing out death and or severe bodily harm to innocents. Many of the dead and injured were children - fuck the cowardly bastards who carried out this attack. See:
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/06/19318588-29-boarding-school-students-burned-alive-shot-dead-by-islamist-militants-in-nigeria?lite=
I am sick and tired of not saying it as it should be said. FUCK ISLAM if this be what it spreads. Anyone else, in the free world, or any so called moderate Muslims, who do not think that everything and anything must be done to prevent more such killings, in the name of Allah, is a piece of pig shit.
Infidel forever,
Glenn B
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/06/19318588-29-boarding-school-students-burned-alive-shot-dead-by-islamist-militants-in-nigeria?lite=
I am sick and tired of not saying it as it should be said. FUCK ISLAM if this be what it spreads. Anyone else, in the free world, or any so called moderate Muslims, who do not think that everything and anything must be done to prevent more such killings, in the name of Allah, is a piece of pig shit.
Infidel forever,
Glenn B
I Give Up - I'm Letting The Real Me Out
For most of the time that I have presented this blog to you, I have remained mostly conservative, somewhat libertarian, usually very objective, more often than no very logical, properly civil, usually cordial and fairly proper in my language. I have also remained respectful (as long as you gave me respect too) and so forth. From now on, while that does not all go out the window, I have to tell you that I am going to allow some of it to be flushed right down the shitter. I have, for awhile, been tending to lean that way, and once I started to do so I watched the daily visits to my blog decline by quite a bit. Regardless, I am about to speak much more freely without constraint of conservative formality or any pretense that I cannot and will not be a foul mouth who can tell it like it is at all times but now use more o f the language I was brought up using.
Now mind you, I have told it like it is, as I see it, all along. Make no mistake of that. It is just that from this point forward, I will begin to take liberty with my right to free speech and say whatever it is I want to say in any god damned way I want to say it. This does not necessarily mean I will utilize foul language in every post, nor that its use will be overboard, but I'll be damned if I am going to restrain myself from using it any longer, when I think it more than appropriate to get my point across. If you do not like it, either lean how to put up with it, or don't read my blog.
All the best,
Glenn B
Now mind you, I have told it like it is, as I see it, all along. Make no mistake of that. It is just that from this point forward, I will begin to take liberty with my right to free speech and say whatever it is I want to say in any god damned way I want to say it. This does not necessarily mean I will utilize foul language in every post, nor that its use will be overboard, but I'll be damned if I am going to restrain myself from using it any longer, when I think it more than appropriate to get my point across. If you do not like it, either lean how to put up with it, or don't read my blog.
All the best,
Glenn B
Today In History - Happy Birthday George W
I bet you never before realized that George W. Bush was born on July 6, 1946, the day after the bikini was debuted. I have to say, while I did not think him all that great of a president, I certainly thought of him as being far better than Jimmy Carter, whom at the time GWB was president, I thought was the worst president by far in my lifetime. Now though, someone else has far surpassed Carter as the worst president ever and Obama makes Bush look like he was a superstar. One thing about Bush, he was a truly patriotic American and I am none to sure the current one is either a patriot or an American. Well, anyway, I just wanted to wish GWB a very happy birthday.
Now that I think of it, I guess good things come in threes. July 4th - Independence Day, July 5th - Bikini Day, July 6th - GWB day.
All the best,
GB
Now that I think of it, I guess good things come in threes. July 4th - Independence Day, July 5th - Bikini Day, July 6th - GWB day.
All the best,
GB
Friday, July 5, 2013
Today In History 1946 - The Beginning Of It All In Two Pieces
 |
| Micheline Bernardini wearing the first bikini, in 1946. No 'respectable model' would wear it. So, the 19 year old Micheline, who was nude dancer, donned it for all to see - much to the delight of most men since that moment in history. |
My posthumous thanks to Louis Reard, thank you sir so very, very much for so very, very little!
Video Source:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bikini-introduced
Photo source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MichelineBernardini.jpg
All the best,
Glenn B
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Happy Independence Day To Those Of You Who Get It
For today, I was thinking of writing a very patriotic blog post about our independence, our freedoms, our rights and patriotism in general but decided against it. If you don't get it, that is what today is all about, what our Constitutional Republic is all about and on what basis our great nation was founded and about the rights, liberties and freedoms we should all be celebrating - there probably is no amount of explaining it to you, that I could do, that would accomplish understanding on your part.
If you are an adult of normal or higher mental capacity and yet are one of those who will never get it about freedom and about God given and/or Natural given rights and about our Constitutional Republic - fuck you asshole. However, if you are among the dwindling minority who really do understand, if you are a patriotic American, if you take the liberty to exercise your rights and to assure that others can do likewise without encroaching on the God and or Natural given rights of them, then I say to you: Happy Independence Day - long may Old Glory wave and long may you stand under that banner. That is all.
All he best,
Glenn B
If you are an adult of normal or higher mental capacity and yet are one of those who will never get it about freedom and about God given and/or Natural given rights and about our Constitutional Republic - fuck you asshole. However, if you are among the dwindling minority who really do understand, if you are a patriotic American, if you take the liberty to exercise your rights and to assure that others can do likewise without encroaching on the God and or Natural given rights of them, then I say to you: Happy Independence Day - long may Old Glory wave and long may you stand under that banner. That is all.
All he best,
Glenn B
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
If All Muslims Were To Walk Like An Egyptian...
...there could be hope yet for the rest of the Muslim world. It appears that it did not take the Egyptians all that long to realize that following in the footsteps of Islamic extremism, in the form of President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood running Egypt, was not the way to go and that they needed to change direction.
Millions of them taking to the streets in protest against Morsi and his extremist government were supported by the Egyptian army and within mere weeks of the commencement of these latest sets of protests the Egyptian Army stepped in and has taken control of Egypt pending new elections. I guess the many years and billions of dollars worth of U.S. support for the Egyptian military was not wasted after all. Hopefully, something good will come of this in that it seems the Egyptians have taken a step toward a right turn by realizing that hard line Islamist extremism is not for them. See:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/03/egypt-teeters-on-brink-overthrow-as-army-deadline-is-set-to-expire/
All the best,
Glenn B
Millions of them taking to the streets in protest against Morsi and his extremist government were supported by the Egyptian army and within mere weeks of the commencement of these latest sets of protests the Egyptian Army stepped in and has taken control of Egypt pending new elections. I guess the many years and billions of dollars worth of U.S. support for the Egyptian military was not wasted after all. Hopefully, something good will come of this in that it seems the Egyptians have taken a step toward a right turn by realizing that hard line Islamist extremism is not for them. See:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/03/egypt-teeters-on-brink-overthrow-as-army-deadline-is-set-to-expire/
All the best,
Glenn B
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Cops Get It Right In One Heck Of A Tough Spot
All I can say is that they did it right. We can second guess them on this one until the cows come home (which will never happen in my house) but another report said he believed the guy was already starting to hurt the little girl. Anyway, the bad guy was counting down as if her demise, at his hands, was imminent. I imagine the little girl may wind up with hearing damage or may have gotten powder burns and may be mentally traumatized for a long time BUT she is alive and I dread to think of the outcome had these officers not fully assessed the situation and their options and then done the right thing in a very tough to call situation. I also imagine that the mom and the rest of the little girl's family will be eternally grateful to the officers.
All the best,
Glenn B
This Man May Need To Think About Changing Jobs
A police officer in Indiana responded to the scene of an accident in which a truck had struck a deer injuring it but not fatally. Seeing that the deer was suffering and that it needed to be put out of its misery, the officer reportedly drew his could, then with tears in his eyes said he could not do it and handed his firearm to someone in the gathered crowd of onlookers to shoot the deer. See:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/07/02/indiana-police-officer-reportedly-too-distraught-to-kill-wounded-deer-handed/
Now the article does not say if the guy who had the officer's gun actually shot the deer or not. It does sound as if the deer was shot though because the article does say this:
"Anderson said he was surprised the officer didn’t disperse the crowd prior to the shooting." (I added the underline.)
So not only was the officer reportedly: incapable of carrying out the euthanasia, and was so emotionally charged as to reportedly have tears in his eyes, he handed his loaded service weapon to someone in the crowd, and also did not think out the situation enough to move onlookers safely away from the scene when the animal was shot. Yep, I think that he should be thinking about a new line of employment for himself and so to should his bosses be considering that for him.
There is a bit more info in this article:
http://www.indystar.com/article/20130628/NEWS/306280048/Richmond-man-says-police-officer-handed-gun-stranger-shoot-kill-injured-deer?nclick_check=1
Al the best,
Glenn B
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/07/02/indiana-police-officer-reportedly-too-distraught-to-kill-wounded-deer-handed/
Now the article does not say if the guy who had the officer's gun actually shot the deer or not. It does sound as if the deer was shot though because the article does say this:
"Anderson said he was surprised the officer didn’t disperse the crowd prior to the shooting." (I added the underline.)
So not only was the officer reportedly: incapable of carrying out the euthanasia, and was so emotionally charged as to reportedly have tears in his eyes, he handed his loaded service weapon to someone in the crowd, and also did not think out the situation enough to move onlookers safely away from the scene when the animal was shot. Yep, I think that he should be thinking about a new line of employment for himself and so to should his bosses be considering that for him.
There is a bit more info in this article:
http://www.indystar.com/article/20130628/NEWS/306280048/Richmond-man-says-police-officer-handed-gun-stranger-shoot-kill-injured-deer?nclick_check=1
Al the best,
Glenn B
Monday, July 1, 2013
The Latest Addition - Another Bearded Dragon
Got an email a couple of days ago, forwarded to me from a couple of friends, who like me are Long Island Herpetological Society members. Seems that someone was looking to adopt out a male bearded dragon. Seems I was thought of as a likely candidate to accept it since I already have two females and kind of have been looking for a male to join them. I knew where I could buy one or three adult males but I figured why bother with one for sale and why pay the expense when I knew that sooner or later one would wind up showing up, needing a home, and being offered for free. As it was, I also was not looking to hurry up the inevitable events that would result by adding a male to the enclosure with two females already in it.
I contacted the lady about the male bearded dragon yesterday and arranged to pick it up today. When I got there today, the woman recognized me immediately and I thought she kind of looked familiar. As it turned out, I had already met the lady and her family; they had come to visit the LIHS exhibit at Reptile & Amphibian Appreciation Day at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium on June 1. When they were there, they had paid a lot of attention to my bearded dragons that I had on display. Her husband and daughter were home (son was at day camp) and we had a nice talk. Then I left with Seamus or Shamus - I hope I remember the name right.
Once at home, I put him into the tank with the two females and all I could think was that they are going to need a bigger enclosure for the three of them. No problem, I have one on hand that is big enough for them all. I decided that it would be best to keep them all fairly calm until they were used to one another and I figured feeding them would do the trick. I gave them a good amount of Blaptica dubia but only the females ate. For some reason, maybe because he was in a new home, or maybe something else, Seamus did not even look at those delectable six legged, inch and a half long, roaches. It certainly was not because he was ill or anything like that. He was obviously well kept by the people who gave him to me regardless of him missing a couple of inches of his tail (an injury that was preexisting relative to them getting him).
Anyway, all three remained calm in the BD tank. They all sat around taking turns under the heat lamps. Every now and again one would move and another would take its choice place under one of the bulbs. It went on like that for hours, I got him at about 1100, had him in the tank by 1230 or so, and nothing changed much until just a few minutes ago, at about ten after 7. That's when I noticed the male bobbing his head while displaying his beard and that was coal black and spread as wide as he could spread it. It wasn't long after that display that he did one of the inevitable things. He mounted one of the females and mated with her. She did not object. Now another seemingly inevitable event is almost sure to take place. In about 4 to 6 weeks, as I understand it - if the mating was successful - another inevitable will take place - she will lay eggs. Time will tell if the mating was successful. Of course, him having done it once does not mean it will end there. He will likely continue to mate with both females as long as they are together and so long as the gals do not rebuff his advances.
The reason I was in no great hurry to get my females a male was because of the inevitable breeding and all that comes it. The first time I bred bearded dragons, my female laid 26 eggs. I think almost all of them hatched and maybe it actually was all of them. Anyway, a lot of them hatched out. That meant I had to take care of and feed a lot of babies. I have two adult females now and if both lay that many eggs each, I will likely wind up with a lot of babies. Then what? I sure don't want to have the expense or pain in the butt of feeding them for any amount of time. Thus, I will have to try to get rid of them without giving them away. (I may give some away though.) That could mean trading them or selling them. My guess is that I could easily get about $20 apiece for them, if not more. If any hatch out and have desirable coloring hey will go for more. Even if drab and regular, and if the market is slow, I think I will be able to get at least $15 apiece and they would sell quickly at the lower price. It would be a decent chunk of change to help foster my hobby. Of course, if I really get lucky, I will find someone willing to take the whole lot of them and trade me something that tickles my fancy - like ammo. Of course, I am not counting my baby lizards before they hatch, I'm just pointing out possibilities and potentialities.
All the best,
Glenn B
I contacted the lady about the male bearded dragon yesterday and arranged to pick it up today. When I got there today, the woman recognized me immediately and I thought she kind of looked familiar. As it turned out, I had already met the lady and her family; they had come to visit the LIHS exhibit at Reptile & Amphibian Appreciation Day at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium on June 1. When they were there, they had paid a lot of attention to my bearded dragons that I had on display. Her husband and daughter were home (son was at day camp) and we had a nice talk. Then I left with Seamus or Shamus - I hope I remember the name right.
Once at home, I put him into the tank with the two females and all I could think was that they are going to need a bigger enclosure for the three of them. No problem, I have one on hand that is big enough for them all. I decided that it would be best to keep them all fairly calm until they were used to one another and I figured feeding them would do the trick. I gave them a good amount of Blaptica dubia but only the females ate. For some reason, maybe because he was in a new home, or maybe something else, Seamus did not even look at those delectable six legged, inch and a half long, roaches. It certainly was not because he was ill or anything like that. He was obviously well kept by the people who gave him to me regardless of him missing a couple of inches of his tail (an injury that was preexisting relative to them getting him).
Anyway, all three remained calm in the BD tank. They all sat around taking turns under the heat lamps. Every now and again one would move and another would take its choice place under one of the bulbs. It went on like that for hours, I got him at about 1100, had him in the tank by 1230 or so, and nothing changed much until just a few minutes ago, at about ten after 7. That's when I noticed the male bobbing his head while displaying his beard and that was coal black and spread as wide as he could spread it. It wasn't long after that display that he did one of the inevitable things. He mounted one of the females and mated with her. She did not object. Now another seemingly inevitable event is almost sure to take place. In about 4 to 6 weeks, as I understand it - if the mating was successful - another inevitable will take place - she will lay eggs. Time will tell if the mating was successful. Of course, him having done it once does not mean it will end there. He will likely continue to mate with both females as long as they are together and so long as the gals do not rebuff his advances.
The reason I was in no great hurry to get my females a male was because of the inevitable breeding and all that comes it. The first time I bred bearded dragons, my female laid 26 eggs. I think almost all of them hatched and maybe it actually was all of them. Anyway, a lot of them hatched out. That meant I had to take care of and feed a lot of babies. I have two adult females now and if both lay that many eggs each, I will likely wind up with a lot of babies. Then what? I sure don't want to have the expense or pain in the butt of feeding them for any amount of time. Thus, I will have to try to get rid of them without giving them away. (I may give some away though.) That could mean trading them or selling them. My guess is that I could easily get about $20 apiece for them, if not more. If any hatch out and have desirable coloring hey will go for more. Even if drab and regular, and if the market is slow, I think I will be able to get at least $15 apiece and they would sell quickly at the lower price. It would be a decent chunk of change to help foster my hobby. Of course, if I really get lucky, I will find someone willing to take the whole lot of them and trade me something that tickles my fancy - like ammo. Of course, I am not counting my baby lizards before they hatch, I'm just pointing out possibilities and potentialities.
All the best,
Glenn B
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Fruit Of The Week - 2nd Edition
There I was thinking that I was going to enjoy the last two Franziskaner Weiss Biers that I had in my mini-fridge in the basement and indeed I had one. Ten the vodka caught my eye and I immediately thought of a nice fruity concoction to assuage my desire for fine spirits while at the same time having something healthy. I went upstairs and checked in the fruit basket and fridge. I was amazed to find our supply of fresh fruit at almost nothing. There were a few limes, two bananas, two kiwis, a bunch of green seedless grapes and some blackberries. There was also OJ in the fridge. What to do? I decided that despite the paucity of fruity goodness, I would go for it anyway so as to be able to write up my Fruit Of The Week blog entry for this week. This is the 2nd such posting in my latest line of regular blog entries that commenced just last weekend. In the past I have done sort of regularly serialized entries related to guns, others on shooting tactics and hooting pointers and others on history. So why not now to fine fruity drinks especially since they have caught my fancy as of late!
Okay, back to tonight. I took about a cup to cup and a half of blackberries, one kiwi, two bananas, about a cup of OJ, the juice and some pulp from one large lime, and nine standard sized ice cubes and threw it all into the blender. Then I blended it to a smooth but somewhat thick slurry. I added about 4 ounces of vodka to a 20 ounce glass, then poured in the fruity medley of my own contriving, stirred thoroughly and imbibed. I am enjoying it as I write this post. I can describe it in one word: Ambrosial!
I can see though, that tomorrow, long before our BBQ, I will have to head to Costco to pick up a case of bier or two, fresh fruit (bananas, pineapple, apples, kiwis, blackberries, raspberries and whatever), and maple syrup. The bier is for drinking (for me, my son and my two brothers-in-law and would be here and not on honeymoon for my new son-in-law too), the fruit for my family to eat and me to drink (as in one of my fruity mixtures), and the maple syrup to add to my secret recipe for fall off of the bone pot simmered pork ribs (which I will admit will contain at least one or two of whatever bier I buy).
By the way, I mixed up a nice dry rub for one of the two full racks of ribs I will prepare tomorrow. It is kind of a Memphis style rub, no sugar. It is going to be on the hot side if the pinch of it I threw into my mouth and swirled around a bit is any indication. I guess four teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper and two of finely ground cayenne pepper are going to give it some kick. That rack will be in addition to rack that I will simmer in the pot in my secret sauce (so secret I am not yet sure of everything that will go into it). I am salivating already just thinking of tomorrow's upcoming and very toothsome banquet - for it will be just that and of that I am sure!
All the best,
Glenn B
Okay, back to tonight. I took about a cup to cup and a half of blackberries, one kiwi, two bananas, about a cup of OJ, the juice and some pulp from one large lime, and nine standard sized ice cubes and threw it all into the blender. Then I blended it to a smooth but somewhat thick slurry. I added about 4 ounces of vodka to a 20 ounce glass, then poured in the fruity medley of my own contriving, stirred thoroughly and imbibed. I am enjoying it as I write this post. I can describe it in one word: Ambrosial!
I can see though, that tomorrow, long before our BBQ, I will have to head to Costco to pick up a case of bier or two, fresh fruit (bananas, pineapple, apples, kiwis, blackberries, raspberries and whatever), and maple syrup. The bier is for drinking (for me, my son and my two brothers-in-law and would be here and not on honeymoon for my new son-in-law too), the fruit for my family to eat and me to drink (as in one of my fruity mixtures), and the maple syrup to add to my secret recipe for fall off of the bone pot simmered pork ribs (which I will admit will contain at least one or two of whatever bier I buy).
By the way, I mixed up a nice dry rub for one of the two full racks of ribs I will prepare tomorrow. It is kind of a Memphis style rub, no sugar. It is going to be on the hot side if the pinch of it I threw into my mouth and swirled around a bit is any indication. I guess four teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper and two of finely ground cayenne pepper are going to give it some kick. That rack will be in addition to rack that I will simmer in the pot in my secret sauce (so secret I am not yet sure of everything that will go into it). I am salivating already just thinking of tomorrow's upcoming and very toothsome banquet - for it will be just that and of that I am sure!
All the best,
Glenn B
A Cardinal Rule of Firearms Safety: Alcohol/Drugs & Gunpowder Do Not Mix
Although not mentioned in Colonel Jeff Cooper's 4 Rules of Firearms Safety (believe me there really are quite a few more cardinal rules of gun safety than merely four) that same rule is an important one to remember when handling guns. It also fits in nicely with fireworks too. See what I mean here:
http://www.kptv.com/story/22720211/medford-man-hospitalized-after-blowing-hand-off-with-illegal-firework
All the best,
Glenn B
http://www.kptv.com/story/22720211/medford-man-hospitalized-after-blowing-hand-off-with-illegal-firework
All the best,
Glenn B
Friday, June 28, 2013
Off To The Airport - Maybe This Time I Will Get It Right
This morning, I was up and about at about 0340 because I was led to believe my daughter and son-in-law were leaving on heir honeymoon and needed a ride to the airport for a 0530 flight. Well shame on me for not double checking with my daughter and just taking it for granted my wife gave me the right information. They did not leave today, they are leaving tomorrow. So, once again, I will be getting up way too early, at least for me, to take them to the airport. I suppose, after I drop them off and if I am awake enough at that point, I could head right to the pier to hop on a party fishing boat for a day of fun and maybe even to be lucky enough to catch a few keepers. I'll have to give that some thought.
All the best,
GB
All the best,
GB
Prosecutuion Witnesses Helping The Defendant George Zimmerman?
It seems that at almost every turn so far, witnesses for the prosecution in the George Zimmerman trial have helped the defendant. First they put on their so called 'star witness' young woman who took Trayvon Martin's call(s) the night he was shot and killed by George Zimmerman. She was abysmal as a witness for the prosecution and fair to good as one for the defense although that certainly was not the plan of the prosecutors. See:
http://video.foxnews.com/v/2514191660001/zimmerman-trial-prosecutions-star-witness-a-mistake/
Later prosecution witnesses described how they apparently saw Zimmerman on the ground taking a beating from Martin and also that Zimmerman was bleeding from his nose/mouth and from the back of his head immediately after the altercation supporting his claim of self-defense. See:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/28/zimmerman-defense-grills-witness-for-second-day/?test=latestnews
All the best,
Glenn B
http://video.foxnews.com/v/2514191660001/zimmerman-trial-prosecutions-star-witness-a-mistake/
Later prosecution witnesses described how they apparently saw Zimmerman on the ground taking a beating from Martin and also that Zimmerman was bleeding from his nose/mouth and from the back of his head immediately after the altercation supporting his claim of self-defense. See:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/28/zimmerman-defense-grills-witness-for-second-day/?test=latestnews
All the best,
Glenn B
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Probably No Real Content Here Today
Got up kind of late. Then had to go to Costco (where I picked up a nice couple of slabs of St. Louis ribs for this weekend's BBQ. Then to pick up some wine for the bride. Had to go to the bank too. Need to do a few chores and go to a couple or a few more stores. Then this evening I will be at a retirement party. Then at about 0330 tomorrow morning, I have to drive the daughter and new son-in-law to the airport for the first leg of their honeymoon. I'll later blog tomorrow.
All the best,
Glenn B
All the best,
Glenn B
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)