At Least 86,000 Arsehats All On Facebook

I have what I believe is definitive (or at least apparent to me) proof that there are a minimum of 86,000 totally idiotic arsehats who use
Facebook. 

See:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/06/21/jeremy-meeks-handsome-mugshot-subject-says-no-criminal/

What is wrong with people today? I just don't get how they can be so enamored by something and someone of that alleged caliber.

All the best,
Glenn B

Mystery Mail

Today, I got an envelope in the mail with no return address but opened it anyway; I hope it was not impregnated with ricin. The envelope contained an article, from the Financial News,  "Retirement Secrets of How To Avoid Being Forced To Work FOREVER Because Of The Economic Meltdown". There was a yellow Post-It note attached, signed with only what looked like the letter J. I have no clue who sent it to me but to that person go my thanks.

I will read it tonight or tomorrow. As far as work goes, I sure could use a job right now. I put in for another 5 of them today, probably 15 to 20 of them this week. I need the cash and I could use something to keep me a bit busy where I am not spending but earning.

All the best,
GB

The How Well Do You Know America Quiz

I took this quiz after seeing a friend of mine posted a link to it on Facebook. It is not difficult but I expected to maybe get one of them wrong because I could not recall with certainty the correct year relative to one particular question; I guessed right though. I scored 15 right out of 15 questions. So how good is your knowledge of the US of A (probably much better than needed to ace this test, at least if you are 40 or older)! Take the test via this link:

http://quizified.com/how-well-do-you-know-america/index1.html

A hat tip to Doreen M-D.

All the best,
Glenn B

Eagle Claw Minnow Trap - More Like A Sucker Trap

I bought myself an Eagle Claw Minnow Trap yesterday. Before I tell you about it, I guess I should start at the beginning and tell you why I bought it especially since I already own two other two minnow traps. When I was getting ready on Wednesday morning
to head up to Geneva, NY later that day, to pick up some guns I had the high bid on at an auction there last weekend, I went out to the shed and grabbed both of my minnow traps. I figured I would get in some fishing while I was upstate. Nope, not for trout, or bass or catfish - just for minnows. My water turtles love them. I made sure that each had some line and the clamp that keeps them closed that attaches to the line. Then I went and got my minnow bucket and two battery powered air pumps and some extra batteries for them from my basement. I was set to catch me some minnow.

After I picked up my guns in Geneva, I headed down to Windsor, about 20 miles south east of Binghamton. My uncle used to own a farm there and I spent enough time there to be familiar with the area and with the hot-spots for minnows. When I finally got to the first spot I wanted to try, at about 3PM, I opened the trunk of my car to retrieve the traps. Was I ever bummed out, they were not there. The minnow bucket and air pumps were there but no minnow traps; I guess I forgot to take them along (I need to check around the house cause I have not seen them since before getting home). I thought for a moment of going into Binghamton but figured that Deposit NY and the sports shop there was closer. I went there only to hear the word "nope" when I asked the proprietor if he sold minnow traps. Then I headed toward Binghamton and remembered a garage sale I had passed on a side road earlier in the day. I turned off the highway and headed there. When I asked the lady of the house if she had a minnow trap for sale she said maybe over there and pointed to the inner portion of an old metal minnow bucket - definitely not a minnow trap. She said to ask the man of the house if he had one and he told me he threw one in the lake the day before. I don't know if he was kidding, had just thrown it away or was trying to catch minnows for bait. I excused myself and was outta there headed for Dick's Sporting Good in Binghamton.

When I got to Dick's, I wasted no time. By my estimation, by the time I would be back at the minnow hot-spot it would be about 4:30. That would leave me enough time to hit 3 or 4 spots and also to get in a short hike. I grabbed an Eagle Claw minnow trap, paid for it and was off to catch little fish. When I got to the stream, and started to set up, I noticed that the trap did not close properly.  The opens ends that were supposed to come together to close the trap at its middle were not melding properly. I bent this and that and got it to fit somewhat better but did not want to bend too much and break anything. This minnow trap is not made like my old ones wherein the mesh wire of the trap fits neatly into a rim that is bent over the mesh. There were just steel rings there and the mesh was apparently welded to the rings. I also noticed that the tensioned clamp that keeps the two halves closed and connected was very weak in the tension department. Oh well, made in China - what would you expect - certainly not the quality of stuff made in the USA in the 50s or 60s. After getting the two halves together, I put a 25 foot line on the clamp so I could cast it out a decent distance and then retrieve it. Anyway, I finally got it set up and tossed...whoops what was that?

On my first attempt at tossing it maybe 10 to 15 feet away into a deep spot in the stream on the down stream side of a culvert, I saw something fly behind me. It was half of the trap and luckily it landed on the rocks at stream side. I got it, put it back together, and paid extra attention to the clamp assuring it was on right. I tossed the trap out and left it in the deep spot, then I went looking for crayfish under stones downstream. I did not find even a single crawdad and that is unusual in and of itself, BUT I did trap at least 18 or so minnows, in the minnow trap, while I was doing that.

I put them in the minnow bucket with stream water and turned on the aerator to keep them alive. I tried again but caught only one other minnow - the others having spooked. I moved on to spot two. Once there I tried another deep spot. Nothing ,not one after 10 or 15 minutes but I left the trap  sitting there with hope of catching something. (And yes there was bait in it, I did not forget to bait it, just to mention it sooner.) I walked up stream on the other side of the road under which the stream passed through a culvert. In the shallow water on the other side of the road, I found a school of about 75 or more minnows. I went to the deep spot to grab the trap and while headed that way, I gave one swift sweep with a net  I had with me. I scooped up a couple.

Well, I got the minnow trap out of the deeper water on the other side of the road and was about to head back to that school of minnows when I had the thought to give it 5 or 10 more minutes to let them calm down and re-school since they had been spooked when I netted that couple of them. What to do while waiting, I put new bait into the trap and tossed it out into the deep spot again. That deep spot has got to be about 7 or 8 feet deep. It should have been filled with minnows but all I could see in it after I tossed my trap was two silvery looking buckets of metal about 4 or 5 feet apart. The trap came apart in mid toss and the piece that was not attached to the clamp and line sank to the deepest point, the other half I pulled out still attached to the line.

The half that sank in the deep spot, it just came right off of that weak clamp when I tossed it out there. I was pissed on and off. Had I been of another mind, I might have stripped and dove right in. The water was cold but not that bad. I just was not in the mood and decided to leave; with my luck I a cop would have passed by and arrested me for indecent exposure or something. As for the half of the trap, I will try to retrieve it next time I am up that way if it has not been washed away. If it does wash away, I'll take a hike along the stream to find it. The stream is not more than ankle to knee high for most o the length though the state forest where I was trapping minnows. Now I have an excuse to go back soon. After that, I just left, I did not even go on my hike. I was simply not in the mood.

Now to that minnow trap - need I say much more about it! In my estimation it was an absolute piece of junk and a waste of about $11.00. I have never had one fall apart like that in mid-toss that I can recall. My other two minnow traps have been around for a combined total of at least 30 to 35 years, one of them at least 20 years old. I took a few more looks at the clamp that was supposed to hold the new trap halves together; it really is junk in my opinion, not like what they used to make. I think the clamp was not of the proper length to close securely nor was it strong enough to stay closed when I tossed the trap into the water or otherwise jostled it. As I said earlier, the two halves did not even fit together properly, there had to be at least a half inch gap between them for at least a few inches around their circumferences luckily I was able to squeeze that down to a bit smaller, otherwise I may have caught nothing except the two with my net.

While I cannot take a photo of mine to show you that gap, just look to the right at the photo that Eagle Claw has on their website because it shows it plainly (fair use to educate the potential minnow trap buyer).  Folks, next time I am in the market for one, if I cannot find a new minnow trap built like my old ones, I will look for used ones at garage sales. That should be enough said right there except to add that next time I will try really hard not to forget the old ones I already own.

All the best,
Glenn B

The New Pistols Have Arrived...

...home with me. I drove up to the Geneva, NY area yesterday. Spent the night at Holiday Inn in Canandaigua, then headed to the Hessney Auction house this morning. When I arrived, almost everyone who works there was busy getting ready for their classic car auction of this coming weekend. One nice lady, a shame I did not get her name, was  inside handling those of us who had the high bids on handguns in last Saturday's auction and who had come in to pick them up and deliver the required paperwork. That was quick and painless, in fact delightful as the lady behind the counter was charming.

The rest of my day consisted of driving through the countryside, making a few stops here and there, catching some minnows to bring home as food for my turtles and the drive home. I am hoping that I will have the guns at the range before the weekend is over but first will have to get them on my pistol license. I am hoping to get that done tomorrow.

All the best,
GB

Remember Hillary's Concussion...

..well there reportedly was a little heard of conversation between Bill Clinton and Barack Obama shortly after she was supposedly injured.

A hat tip to Jim McK for this one.

All the best,
Glenn B

Always Have A Good Story Ready...

...because you never know when you may need one and your life may depend on it. The guy in this video could be the best story teller of all time or it could all be the truth. Who knows, certainly not the other guy in the video.



Thanks and a hat tip to Rich M for this one. Great stuff had me laughing my arse off.

All the best,
GB

The Gun Auction

The Hessney Gun Auction that I was at on Saturday, in Geneva, NY, was fairly good but there were only a few great bargains, in my estimation, to be had. I did not get any of those great bargains even though I did have the high bids on a couple of handguns.



Smith & Wesson Model 22A-1, has two mags, new in box.

 

When I figured it out, I took a hosing on one of them - a Smith & Wesson Model 22A1 and that most definitely because of my own stupidity. I read my own notes wrong and bid too much on it and realized it as soon as I raised my hand that I had read the bid I was willing to offer for the next item on my list. But the bid was in and no one else was bidding higher and there was no retracting it.  Well, I suppose I could have retracted it but sure did not want to be thought of as a total arse-hat by the owner like some folks who had high bids on other guns and then said they had not bid at all on. So, I gritted my teeth and carried on.

 

With my bid, the 10% auction premium, and with either my expense to either return to Geneva to pick it up or the expense to ship it to a local FFL - I will have wound up spending a bit more than the price at which I could have bought one locally. Can you say brain fart! My local county requires a purchase document from the county be obtained so the transfer can be made and the new gun added to my license. used to be they gave an open purchase document, you went, you bought, you filled out the form and returned to PD with it. Now they only give the form out after you make a handgun purchase so I have to go to my county PD, pick up a couple of purchase documents, fill them out, then get that to the dealer, have the dealer sign off on them, before the gun is actually transferred to me. I will have paid about $25 to $50 more than I should have for a new one in  local gun shop. Oh well, sometimes those brain farts can be expensive. As for the other one, a Taurus Model PT-145 Millennium Pro, with all costs considered as above, I probably got it at about $50-$75 less than I would have had to pay at a local gun store. 

 

With this PT-145 Millennium Pro, I now
have two pistols in the .45 ACP caliber.

Since I bid on both of these with having fun with them in mind, I am not too worried about paying too much for the one since it was balanced out by the other one. If I was thinking of selling them to support my gun collecting, that would be another story and I would be kicking myself in the butt for losing any chance at making a small profit. Still though, I am  none to happy that I screwed up on the bid on the S&W. I can say, almost without a doubt, that when I go to their future auctions, I probably will no longer be bidding on handguns since it is going to be way to much of an expensive pain in the arse for me to carry out the whole new purchase order process to get them put on my license. Rifles and shotguns are another story and do not require licensing (yet) and thus do not require a purchase document. I guess I will just set my sights on them at the next auction I attend.

 

The one rifle that was supposed to follow me home but didn't.

 

I did bid on one rifle for which I had the high bid but alas it did not follow me home. That was a new, in the box, Rock Island Armory (trade name for Armscor in the USA) M20P in .22LR. I realized after winning he bid that it had a 15 round magazine. That is a no-no in NY since the NY unSAFE Act went into effect. I may still get it, that is if I decide to travel back up there to pick up my pistols instead of having them shipped but only if I find out that an Armscor 10 round, 22LR, magazine will fit that rifle and that said mag is the same as the one used for their model 14Y (because I have extras). Of course, only if they still have it but since no other gun auctions are scheduled before I would get back that way, I imagine they will still have it. I bid $130 on it but would offer them $110 or $120 to take it since I cannot take the 15 round mag for it. I have to mention, they took it off the list of items for which I had the high bid and did that without hesitation once I told them it had a 15 round mag (as an FFL they can have it legally but not me as a citizen gun owner).

As for the guns and other items (like ammo) on which I was outbid, let me just say that most of the times I was outbid it was either one of two guys who outbid me. Those guys were racking up the high bids and that means one of two things about either one of them. Either each was a collector or a dealer and both had plenty of bucks or  big credit line. Sure, some other people outbid me on some items, but these two guys (one of them far more than the other) outbid me on most of the items on which I was bidding. Come to think of it there could be a third possible (but improbable) explanation as to what one or the other was, or both of them were, besides dealers or collectors - they could have been shills for the auction house. I am not accusing, not for a moment, I say that only hypothetically as within the realm of possibility. Just for the record, I trust this auction house and I do not believe there was anything shady going on with the bidding a all.

Anyway,  missed out on some really nice firearms and a good deal of ammo. As for the ammo, bricks of 22LR (some very old, some new - it did not matter) were going for bids as high as $120 per 500 rounds of Remington Thunderbolt and as lows as $45 for a box of 525 rounds of bulk packed Federal ammo. That was the least expensive 22 ammo to be had here, $45 for 525 rounds, working out to 8.6 cents per round. I will admit to picking up those two sealed boxes of older Federal bulk pack ammo  at that price. I was bidding $40 not $45 but someone else who bid at the same time as me got in his bid at $40 and mine seen secondly was the $45 bid; bidding was fast and furious especially on 22LR ammo. While it was no great bargain, it was about a little below the low average  price on 22LR ammo lately. I just checked http://gunbot.net and found out that the lowest price available, on 22LR, as I typed this post was 9 cents per round for 1980s production 22LR ammo loose in an ammo can; that was at J&G. My stuff is from the auction was made in the mid 1990s and is almost 21 years old but has to be in better shape than the stuff at J&G and better than some older stuff I already have in the ammo locker. Since it is copper plated, it will function better than the lead bullets of the older 
ammo I already had in storage. I plan to shoot it up soon, not to save it and if it goes bang, I'll be happy with it even at that price considering the prices nowadays. I already have fresher ammo, purchased within the last year or two that is going the long term storage route. I guess maybe I should sell the even older stuff I have on hand to offset the cost of the ammo I got at the auction. Other ammo on which I bid was just out of this world as to the high bids. Two boxes of Remington Core-lokt .35 Remington went for $30 per box if I remember right. Twenty round boxes of .308 Win. were selling for $30 to $35 per box even though newly manufactured ammo in the same caliber and same general type (soft point) is selling at prices as lows as $20 per box (at least both at Walmart and Gander Mountain in Middletown, NY as of today - Gander tn had 150 grain, SP, Remington Core-Lokt in .308). Maybe the craziest price on ammo, after 22LR, was for .22WMR. Two boxes of older CCI Maxi Mag went for $32.00 per box of 50 rounds! (I can attest with certainty that Walmart (in Middletown, NY) had CCI Maxi Mag today at under $15 per box. I know because I bought four boxes of it.) I may be nuts the way I sometimes bid or buy but praise the gods that I am not that bonkers as to pay $32 per box of 22WMR rounds. The biggest bargain on ammo had to have been a box .38 Special wad-cutters that went for $5.00.

Of course, this was primarily a gun and rod (as in fishing rods, reels and tackle) with the primary focus on guns, so I guess I should zero in on them for a bit. I pre-selected about 60 firearms on which to bid out of the few hundred (282 more or less) that were up for auction and previewed them on Friday night and on Saturday morning before bidding on them commenced. Many of them were brand new, in the box, having come from a gun store that went out of business for whatever reason. Others, that were used, ranged in condition from irreparable parts guns or wall-hangers to almost pristine high end classics. The second gun up was the first on which I was willing to bid. It was a Remington Model 798 in .458 Rem., and was being sold as new. It looked brand new too. I bid up to $450 and stopped there. It sold for $725.

Winchester Model 70 Heavy Varmint, lot 4.

Another that I bid on soon after was a Winchester Model 70 Heavy Varmint, heavy s/s barrel, in .223 caliber. What a nice gun, in almost pristine condition save for one minor mar on the stock's finish that was almost not noticeable. The high bidder's $600 bid outbid me by $150. Now that I am thinking of it, I wish I had been ready to put a bit more into some of the rifles instead of into pistols. What I would have saved without having to pay the transfer fees and shipping for the pistols could have been added to bids on a rifle and maybe could have had me being the high bidder. I regret not having bid higher on this one. A browning BAR MKII Safari, in .270 Win went for way above my measly bid and sold for 1K. A year or two ago, I may have been the high bidder on that one but not this year as I had a lot less cash on had this year compared to the last couple of times at the same auction. (Speaking of which, I will be listing some guns on GunBroker.com within the next week, currently have some .223 Rem. ammo for sale there, auction ends tomorrow. I need to pay for my new guns somehow.)

One gun that I had planned to bid on but decided not to after seeing its condition was a Ruger Mini 14 with wood stock and standard sights. Giving it the once over, then a second and third look,  saw that the rifling was pretty much invisible, there was rust where the wood met the metal and where metal met metal, and the rear sight was loose. I guess whoever bid on it either did not notice or didn't care about those failings because it sold for $575.

Weatherby "Orion" model 12 Ga. 3" O/U, 30" vent
ribbed full/modified barrels, in excellent condition.

Another gun on which I bid was a very nice Weatherby Orion 12 gauge O/U shotgun. Once again, I was outbid but this time the bids were a bit closer to one another; my high bid was $575 and the winning bid was $625 (I call it the winning bid but I realize you do not win at an auction, you just bid more than others and then buy at the high bid - I have no illusions about being a prize winner when at an auction.)

Moving on to pistols and revolvers, an extremely nice, as new and in the case, S&W Model 29-2 revolver in .44 magnum went for only $775. I had been thinking of bidding up to about 1K on it but was hesitant because of my cash situation and would have had to put it on plastic. I am debating whether or not I should have bid more than whatever I did bid. It was that nice of a gun and worth every penny of at least 1K. I am sure I could have held onto it for a couple of years and sold it at a nice profit; heck I could have turned around today and sold it at a profit.

Then there was the Walther PPK that was listed as being in stainless steel but I beg to differ. I am almost positive it was chromed making it a bit less valuable. Anyway, I was ready to bid up to $400 on it and it sold for exactly that much. The thing was, the way the bidding worked out, I had the bid of $375, and the next and last person to bid did so at $400. It hit my limit and that was it for me bidding on it. Very nice, new gun. I also bid on a very nice (new) S&W Model 41, a 22LR target pistol. I was thinking of bidding more but only went up to about $650. The high bid was $750 and someone walked away with a truly excellent deal on that one. Another great deal was made by whoever had the high bid on the Precision Small Arms Featherweight (Baby Browning). It was a limited edition, 1 of 250, aluminum alloy frame, stainless slide, in an aluminum case with accessories - a true collectors piece or a really nice vest pocket gun for an uptown pimp or maybe a high end hooker's gun to be held in her garter belt; it was a flashy little thing. It sold for $525 and the going price on them is about $850 to 1K.

All in all there were about 282 guns up for bids. I sat through them all and then through all the ammo and through some of the fishing and miscellaneous items. I was there from about 0800 until about 1530 when it was over and I had paid for my gun and ammo purchases. Sure, I could have bought the same two guns at a local dealer for close to the same I paid for these once all things were considered. I consider my trip expenses as separate because I basically went away for a weekend to have a good time and I did have a good time at the auction. Had I gotten a few rifles and shotguns at prices after which I could have profited it would have been all the better but I am satisfied even though I only bought the two guns this time. The last two times I made out much better and made some cash off of a coupe of my purchases and helped fund my collection.

I have to say that one of the things that makes it a pleasure, (or at least worth it) to drive 6 1/2 hours each way, to pay for a hotel (thank you IHG for points) and food and gas, was the nice group of folks who work for the Hessney Auction Company. If you are looking for an auction house whose employees have excellent business manners and great customer service, the way it should be, you can find it there. Joe Hessney, the owner, is a very personable guy and one heck of an excellent auctioneer to boot. They make being at the auction a nice and memorable day. By the way, if you are interested in classic cars and Coca-Cola memorabilia (like Coke machines), those will be auctioned off this coming weekend. I did not see any of the cars but some of the coke machines and gas station related signs were excellent pieces. A great opportunity for collectors of such. My thanks to Joe and his crew for an enjoyable day.

All the best,
GB


 

I'm In Geneva!

No not Switzerland, so I won't be climbing the alps, yodeling or picking wild flowers. I am in Geneva, NY - well actually right now I am at a Holiday Inn in Canandaigua, NY. I will be in Geneva tomorrow for an auction and stopped there earlier to preview the items up for bids. I think this will be my third time that I will be attending the Hessney Auction house for one of their gun auctions. I don't know if it's just me, or the fact that this is no longer new to me, or if it really is that the guns are not all that impressive for this one because that is what I got out of the preview earlier tonight. 

Maybe it's none of those reasons, maybe it's because I am almost flat broke. Just paying for the gas to get here had me emptying my change jar. At least the hotel is free, sort of, I am using points for my stay. Being I have very little cash with me, it is unlikely I am going to wind up going home with a bunch of guns like I did the last two times I was up here for their auctions. Then again, they accept credit cards and they also buy silver coins. I have about thirty such coins with me and silver closed at $19.67 today; it will be close to the same tomorrow in all likelihood. I could find myself exchanging those coins for almost $600 tomorrow. That added to the cash that I do have in my pocket could buy me a couple of decent finds. 

If I do buy anything, then once I get home, I will be selling some others that I already have but have little interest in keeping. I don't have any great money makers right now but could sell some to offset the cost of any new ones for which I may have the high bids tomorrow. There is a two tone Glock 19 calling my name (apparently new with the box), a Remington 700 BDL in .243 (it's got scroll engraving and is in like new condition), a Mossberg Model M44 .22 trainer (marked government property - I think), and Browning BAR, a Precision Small Arms Featherweight (Baby Browning modern clone, a masterpiece), a S&W Model 41 (that looked pristine) and a Rock Island Armory 1911 A-1 MS new in the box among some others. Did I say something to the effect that the guns did not impress me - whom was I trying to kid! That was before I figured out how much I can get for my coins. 

So, it looks as if I will be bidding on several items. In fact, I need to get out of the hotel's business center and back to my room to go over the auction catalog and make sure I am ready to play the part of the bumbling (but secretly savvy) bidder. I may not win many, if any, bids but I am going to have fun wishing and bidding anyway.

More on this tomorrow or Sunday.

All the best,
GB

WILLIE!

Brendan and I had a great time Tuesday night. Yet, I almost missed Willie Nelson at the show last night at Radio City Music Hall (RCMH) in NYC. Dropped off my pistol at a local NYPD precinct for safe-keeping while I was to be at RCMH because those bastards have a very restrictive policy for armed patrons -  not allowed in unless you are active duty NYPD. Could have left it home but the way I figure it, I was not about to travel to NYC unarmed at least part of the trip. Luckily, the NYPD showed me the courtesy to voucher my pistol while I would be in the show. The only catch, I had to pick it up by 11PM which at the time I thought would be fine because last show I saw him at, Willie played for less than an hour. That done, we decided to grab something to eat because we had about an hour and a half before show time. We picked a local pub and while the food only was mediocre at best, the ciders were cold and tasty (Strongbow) and the service was excellent.
 
 
 Then we walked over to RCMH. When we got close the RCMH, it was pretty obvious as to some of whom among the crowd would be seeing the same show. I gave up wearin cowboy boots about 20 years ago but the babe in the red dress in the first pic looked pretty good in them. There were quite a few big city cowgirls around! Brendan and me moved on and  entered the hall. First things first, a head call, then right to the bar. We got a couple of beers (Blue Moon), found our seats and sooner than later the show was on.

The first group, don't know their name, started around 8PM and played for 45 minutes. The lead singer was a babe in a pretty short black and she had legs, all the way up to there! But yes, even though the dress was short and the legs were long, I still noticed she and the band were very good. She had a voice, if not of an angel then of one in training. They played as long as Willie hd at the last show at which I had seen him and that was a good omen that maybe he would play longer but maybe a bad one too as you will see. Then a break to set up for second band.



Not only could this lady sing, she played a mean fiddle.

The second group, Alison Krauss (she holds 27 Grammy awards as of 2012) and Union Station, was very good, played for 1.5 to 1.75 hours from about 9PM or so. Then at about 1040 or so, during their last song, I left to pick up the iron while the band was still playing. Told my son if I did not get back in time to stay and just enjoy I. We were both bummed out because I would not likely get in again. He texted me that Willie was just starting up a moment or two after I had left the police precinct with my piece.

 

As I approached RCMH, I was thinking of how to grovel and beg so security would allow me inside while armed. Let me just say I got back in with no chicanery on my part, I told the guard I was armed an as  was doing so with ticket and ID in hand he told me something very lose to this: 'Go ahead, my supervisor told me you're okay, you can go inside no check'. I had just passed by an obvious supervisor while walking in. Let me put it this way, while the first singer of the night only may have been an angel in training, this guy was a prince of angels and he did not have to sing a single note for sweeter words to have been heard. Better luck than that I have not had in a long time. In I was without delay and there was Willie or as Johnny Cash would have said - The Man In Black.

I got back inside to my seat just as he started song number four. I cannot for the life of me remember which one it was but I do remember it was great. My son was pretty surprised to see me - butnot as surprised as me that I not only got back inside to see Willie but that I had approval from security. As for Willie, he was Willie as usual. He smiled, and sang, and joked, and commented and through some of his sweat laden bandanas to the ladies who cherished them like diamonds. He crooned on and on and on for about an hour and a half. That was much longer than when we saw him last year in Westbury, NY where he played for all of 45 minutes and I have to say that it pleased me and Brendan no end because the show was excellent.

Willie is one hell of a musician and singer and when you consider that he is in his young eighties it is amazing that he is as good as ever. Maybe there a little different timber to his voice, as to be expected, than 20 or 30 or 40 years ago but his singing is as mystical as holly, strong as an oak, wistful as a willow and come to the listener like a gentle breeze rushing through the leaves on sultry summer's night. At the end of the show, he was gracious enough to call everyone out on stage, all of the performers and whomever else came out with them and they sang the final song of the night together along with Willie and the audience.

All the best,
GB

PS: I forgot to add this, so will do it here. I probably never had to worry about being searched while walking into RCMH in the first place. As Brendan and I walked in (the first time for me) guess who got selected to be searched and who was allowed to walk in unimpeded. Just go back up top and look at the shirt he is wearing and you'll be able to figure it but if not I'll just say it wasn't me who got stopped. I wonder why?

Me and My Son Have Got The Willies!

At least we don't have crabs. Now seriously, we are soon to be headed out to Radio City Music Hall in NYC. To be honest I cannot remember the last time I was at Radio City Music Hall but I am fairly certain it was to see the first run of The Sound of Music back in the 60s. What can I say, my mom dragged me along. We are going tonight and just the thought of going there, after last being there for The Sound of Music gives us the willies. Kind of ironic it is that tonight we are going there for the sound of music too - just not the play. The reason we have the willies is because we will be seeing Willie Nelson and listening to his music and words!

It is a good thing when he is up this way. I have seen him twice before in NY, once at either the Hammerstein or Grand Ballroom (they share the same building) and then at the NYCB Theater at Westbury; also saw him once in New Mexico (many, many, many years ago).

All the best,
Glenn B

A Law Enforcement Officer's Life Can Get Pretty Shitty

They are often under a lot of stress on the job an sometimes take that stress home with them. It can make for a shitty life but I never would have expected it to have led to something the likes of which one (now former) police officer was charged. Read the article at the below link because if I told you, you probably would not believe me and I don't even know if I believe it yet. See:
 
http://fox2now.com/2014/06/06/chesterfield-police-officer-accused-of-invasion-of-privacy/

I have to hand it to the police department for whom the suspected pervert worked. They investigated, apparently arrested him, and fired him with no delay.

How come people, in general, are so sick that we they do things like this?

All the best,
Glenn B

Why Have I Never Bought A Hot Shots Calendar?

I sure don't know the answer to that question. Now now that I have seen the video, on YouTube, called Hot Shots Calendar 2014 - Behind The Scenes, I regret never buying one before but regret even more so that I never watched one of their videos before. I am pretty sure that if I see their 2015 calendar for sale this coming December, I am buying one for me and one for my son.

Men, the video is well worth the watch - lots of guns and lots of jiggling boobs. Women, unless you prefer women, don't bother because I am sure one of you will just call me some sort of sexist pig, as did a recent commenter on one of my older posts. I can only imagine that comment was brought on by her panties wadding up betwixt her camel's toes and I don't want to discomfort any more of you.



All the best,
Glenn B

If and When The Revolution Begins...

...I would hope it would not be an act of cowardly lunatics for ambush anyone as were the two police offices in Las Vegas today. It is a tragic tale, a male and female suspect entering  pizzeria, shooting the two officers who were eating lunch (one officer reportedly getting off at least one shot before he died), the suspects taking the officers weapons and ammunition then telling restaurant patrons to "tell the police this is a revolution". They then headed across to and entered a Walmart where they reportedly shot an innocent bystander. One report says that bystander was a licensed concealed weapons holder who engaged the bad guys and shot one of them, other reports make no mention of that person engaging the bad guys. Then the suspects reportedly went to the inside back of the store where they were engaged by responding police officers. The woman then reportedly killed her male counterpart and then turned the gun on herself committing suicide. Not exactly the type I would choose to follow into battle during a revolution.

Condolences to the families and loved ones of the officers and of the innocent civilian who were gunned down by these bastards.

All the best,
GB

June 6th - Seventy Years Ago Today...

...is a day that humanity should never forget because it was the day that began a push, like none before it or after it, to liberate Europe from the Nazi horde and to save the world from being overrun by them. Today is the anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy or D-Day (as it is widely known). It was the allied invasion of mainland Europe that ultimately led to the defeat of Germany and the Axis forces in WWII. Many died before that day and many after it but that one day was and remains a day that changed history and a day that was bathed in the blood of allied, and especially American, heroes. More American troops, were killed that day than from any other allied nation - far more than half of the casualties were from the USA. Think about them today, remember them, honor them and their memory, teach your children about them so they can teach their children and their children's children. They were true heroes that day, they really did save the world.

All the best,
Glenn B

Beretta Fathers' Day Sale

I just went to the Beretta site and ordered a 92 Series Spare Parts Kit. I have wanted to purchase it for awhile now and either it has been out of stock or I just did not have the $164 for asking price when it was in stock. I don't really have the cash right now either but I figured it would be a good deal with the 25% off for their Fathers' Day sale (and I have a couple of guns up for sale so probably will have the cash sooner or later and if not that's why I put in on plastic).

The deal wound up surprising me and being even better than I imagined. There was a link on the left side of the page to like Beretta on Facebook that, had it worked, was supposed to get me an additional 10% off. As I said though - that would have been had it worked. The link let me like Beretta on Facebook but did not give the 10% off code. So I searched around for it. I visited RetailMeNot and checked for Beretta coupon codes. They had several of them but none worked, that is except for one - the Facebook code - fbfan13. That got me the additional 10% off of my order for a total of 35% off or a discount of $57.40 - sweet! So, I got the 92 Series Spare Parts Kit for $106.60 instead of $164.00. Of course, I had to pay shipping and tax and that amounted to another $20.00 between the two. Total for it shipped, with the tax man satisfied, $126.60. Not bad at all. I wish I could buy a 92FS, or any Beretta pistol, at a 35% savings but I'll have to settle for the spare parts kit.

Just a reminder, the 25% off Fathers' Day Sale is running through June 13th and is site wide at http://www.berettausa.com/. I have no idea how long that Facebook code will continue to work for that extra 10% off. It's a good deal if you want anything from their site, too good for me to pass up anyway.

All the best,
Glenn B

Remembering The Man...

...and missing him and his presidency too tens years after he passed. I think of how it was then and how it is now and I realize the buffoon in office currently is a disgrace; Ronald Reagan was a real take charge kind of a guy who loved the USA, our way of government under the Constitution and all of our rights and freedoms that came with it. I miss him and his vision for America.

All the best,
Glenn B

Deciding On Guns To Sell - It Ain't Easy

I am planning on attending an upcoming gun auction later this month but am kind of low on cash. With that in mind I was thinking of maybe going through my collection and making a decision as to which of them I could sell. And I thought about it and thought some more and hemmed and hawed and finally, after about a week of that, pulled them out today to give them all a once over to see if I have any with which I feel I can part.

I decided to offer up my Winchester Model 12, break action, single shot shotgun. It is an oldie, I figure made before 1952 and thus older than me and it has been through a lot. There is pitting on the receiver and barrel but the bore is nice and shiny and everything works.

 

My son has test fired and so did I and it went bang every time. So, I am asking $200 (negotiable) for it but only in a local sale through Long Island Firearms classified section. If it does not sell within a few days, I may take the ad down and put up another but on GunBroker.com. Then again, I may decide to keep it if it does not sell on LIF. My son just found out I am selling it and his was highly disappointed. He told me it is a great gun and to keep it. It cannot get a better recommendation than that as far as I am concerned.

 

I haven't listed anything else yet but an considering whether or not to sell my Remington Model 241 Speedmaster. There are a few small surface scratches on the metal but I think it is in excellent condition as there is at least 90% metal finish remaining (maybe more) and the wood is in very good condition. It works flawlessly. That one will be a bit harder to part with so I am still hemming and hawing over the possibility selling it. I am guesstimating I could get about $350 for it, maybe more. I am basing my price assessments on the Standard catalog of Firearms but my edition is 2 years old; I ordered a new one and should have it by Wednesday.

 

I my also sell a New England Firearms Pardner shotgun that I own. It is a break action, single shot and it great shape except it has some rust freckling on the barrel. I removed the rust with an oiled cloth. Otherwise it is in excellent condition and you can barely notice the freckling. It would not bring in much but would probably give me enough cash a motel for the trip to the auction. I am guessing I could get $100 for it.

 

I also have a Polish Trainer, Mosin Nagant type, single shot rifle in .22LR. I may sell that one too. Who knows; not me, at least not yet anyway! I don't know if any of them will actually sell or even if I will put more than the Winchester up for sale. If they do sell, then I am certain that I will regret having sold them after the sale. It has been that way with almost every gun I have ever sold. The only solace I would have is if I actually used the money from their sales to buy a gun or three at the auction. Of course, that is iffy because even though I bid someone else could always out bid me.

 

Decisions, decisions - I think I will have a beer and ponder all that for a bit.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

 

 

 

 

Decent Deal On 50 Caliber Ammo Cans

Gander Mountain currently has mil-spec, new, 50 caliber M2A1 ammo cans on sale at $14.99 apiece and if your order is over $50 you get free shipping. So, buying 4 of them would get you the free shipping. That is a pretty good deal, for new ammo cans, at least in my neck of the woods. See:

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Crow-Shooting-Supply-M2A1-50-Caliber-Ammo&i=732803

All the best,
GB

I Thought 20 Pounds Of Binary Explosives Was A Lot...

...and I imagine that if I set off all 20 lbs. at once, it would be one heck of a boomer and quite the sight at that. Still, it would never compare to 300 pounds of it being blasted off at once. Watch the embedded video and see for yourselves. Yes, the video is in essence an over 9 minute long advertisement but it was fun watching the buildup to the explosion nonetheless and certainly was enjoyable, for me, to see the detonation. It also gave me kind of a chuckle to see the cheek weld of the millennium. Watch it, you will see what I mean.



I figure it would have been a whole lot more awesome had they included a gallon or two of gasoline atop all the binary compound but then I imagine the cost would have been prohibitive to bring in the local fire company to make sure that the forest did not burn down had something like that gone off. Kids (and adults) don't try it at home with or without the gasoline. Seriously, if you don't know what you're doing that would be an extremely dangerous undertaking.

Many thanks to Funker Tactical for posting the video and even more thanks to USA Chemical Supply for supplying the big bang. Somehow though, I don't think all of the earthworms in the area were too happy about them doing it but sometimes worm puree is the special of the day.

All the best,
Glenn B

Budwiper May Have Finally Gotten It Right...

...with their product (or Bud Light's product) Mang-O-Rita. I have had a few of them tonight and must say that they are a pretty tasty beverage and they have decent effect (at least on me). Four small cans of them have me decently buzzed. They are much better than Lime-A-Rita and I am sure (even though I never had one) that they are much more to my taste than the similar ones flavored like strawberries.

Mm-mm good.

All the best,
GB

My Sister Sent Me An Email...

...just minutes ago (or at least that I read minutes ago) in which she called someone a "twat-waffle". In my 58 years, I have never heard that one, leave it to my own sister to enlighten me. I replied to her that:

The "fucking twat-waffle" that is a good one. I can only imagine how hard a woman's legs would have to clamp around my head to turn me into that - oh what a delightful thought!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then again sister-dear, what have you been doing?????? LOL."

That was appropriate, don't you think?

Oh well, life goes on.

Later 4 U,
GB

Can You Help Me Figure Out The Caliber...

... of these massive looking shooters? Yes, that was a question for my red blooded manly readership and you ladies should notice that the "s" in the word shooters is crossed out making it another word altogether. Men (or women so inclined), take a look at the photo and tell me if you can guess the caliber of what this young female gunslinger is packing. A friend of mine said they were 40's maybe even 45's but I said they had to be 50 caliber - at the very least.

A hat tip to Richie M for this one.

All the best,
GB

It's Kind Of Hard To Say - Happy Memorial Day...

...not because I am anti-military and not because I am a bad American (I am neither) but because this day is the one on which we are supposed to honor they who gave their lives in military service while defending our great nation. How can you easily look someone in the eye and tell them to have a happy day when they lost someone and today is the day to remember them? It is a tricky thing because the tears may flow as old wounds are brought to memory.

Nonetheless, I wish all of you a happy Memorial Day as I ponder what life would have been like had those who have fallen in our defense not made the ultimate sacrifice. While it does not in any way make me happy that they are gone from among us, I think we all can be happy that they were so courageous and patriotic to have defended us and that we live essentially as a free nation because of them. Take some time today to think about them and to honor them - we owe them our lives.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Isla Vista Shootings

I just finished watching the morbid manifesto video (be advised it is pretty intense, graphic in the mental picture he paints, and not for the weak of heart or young children) allegedly left by Elliot Rodger prior to his allegedly killing 7 people and wounding others in Isla Vista, CA. I also read up some more on it as I have been doing on and off all day.

To me, the most disturbing thing of all was the fact that his parents notified the police, weeks ago, about YouTube videos that the alleged shooter had posted and that reportedly dealt with killing people and suicide (source); and then the police investigated and it seems it was left at that, with the soon to be alleged shooter remaining free. Had the laws been more similar, than not, to those in effect when I was a young lad, the guy would have been detained at the very least for a mental evaluation in someplace like Bellevue (a hospital in NYC with a mental facility where police often bring emotionally disturbed suspects) and if found to be bonkers and a threat to others he would have been detained in a mental institution, by force if necessary, possibly for the long term. That surely does not happen today, as regularly as it once did, when potentially harmful crazies are encountered by the authorities.

It truly is a crying shame that dangerous lunatics are allowed to roam freely among us and yet we law abiding citizens are punished for their, the crazy people's, actions by repeatedly having our rights and liberties restricted more and more after each such act of madmen. What makes it worse is that our rights and liberties are continually restricted more and more not to really protect anyone but merely for political reasons so leftists can get votes and gain control over us. After all, isn't California one of the most restrictive states when it comes to firearms! Yet, this obviously, in my opinion, very mentally ill person was able to acquire a gun or guns and kill people even. That even after the police were forewarned (and I am not blaming the police) weeks in advance of his potential and or his intentions to kill folks. I would bet that their hands were tied because being tolerant of loonies is par for the course in CA (as it is in too much of the USA). If that is not a shameful situation for us to be in then nothing is and something really ought to be done about dealing with the real problem - the people who are out of their minds and who actually pull the trigger in such shootings because they are free to do as they please even when seemingly an obvious threat.

All the best,
Glenn B