Donald Trump - A Tax Victory & Much More

As for the tax thing, I can only hope I understand the changes correctly because if I do, I may get about $1,400 more or so back each year even though I live in super high tax NY State.

Damn Republicans (or should I say RINOS because that is what the great majority became) have been promising tax reform or change for around 20 or more years. Do they do it on heir own - no they whine and moan and groan about how it is impossible right now but they are getting closer. Then in comes president Donald trump who gets them all pissed off at him by calling them arsehats and worse, while at the same time concentrating their ire and maybe their determination, and bitches slaps them with embarrassment over their past performance and what do they do - they overwhelmingly vote for his tax reform plan after he works the art of the deal on them! 

Since Donald Trump has become president: The GDP and GNP are up markedly. Employment is up. Businesses are promising more jobs. There are less people on public assistance. Influx of potential terrorists from certain countries has been put at a virtual freeze because no immigrants are being allowed in from those countries. ISIS is being beaten back soundly (see this) and although not dead there has been great progress, under Trump, in the fight against them; yet, the MSN (Mud Slinging Media, as I call them) refuses to report it, we are for the first time in decades approaching the problem of North Korea in a different way (more here and here) than that which had only emboldened and empowered them in the past, and we finally and seriously may be beginning to address the problem of illegal aliens in essence sucking the lifeblood of our country dry!

The Republicans this day are actually acting more like true Republicans, than the RINOs they have been for the past 8-12 years or so, now that they are under Donald Trump - the man they said was anything but a Republican. It makes me think that if Trump is not our merely a last hurrah (as my pal CF says he may be) then there is truly hope for America to become exceedingly great again.

Donald Trump may be much more the man than the one for which I had dared to hope!

All the best,
Glenn B

Men

All the best,
GB

You Can Give It Your All But Not Me Mine

All the best,
Glenn B

Heart Warming But Yet Very Concerning News

My heart has been warmed to its cockles after watching the video in the accompanying article and of course after reading that piece here at the source. What can I say except I think it right and just each time a piece of shit terrorist (or wanna be terrorist or someone stupid enough to mimic a terrorist) is shot down and prevented from potentially harming many others in a possible act of terrorism. If the suspected suicide belt, that the person who was shot was wearing, actually turned out to be a fake as per what was claimed in the article (reportedly by a third party), well tough noogies - you always face the consequences of your actions, especially the truly monumentally moronic ones. Then again - either way - live suicide bomb belt or dummy suicide bomb belt - I think the guy got what he deserved for making himself out to be a potential terrorist threat to others.

Now as for my concern and I have been concerned from a bit before President Trump actually deciding to tell the world he was moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The way I see it, it is all well and fine that he decided to move the location of the embassy. He is the president and it falls within his decision making and authority to do so. I have zero problem with just about wherever he wants to put it. My concern though is that he should have waited to make the announcement, even to hint at it, until after the holidays. It truly was a novice move on his part to have done so before the holidays. I like Trump, I see him as doing good for the U.S of A. and for our allies and in general for the world. I am happy about our economy already improving markedly under him, about his appoint to the Supreme Court, about his stance on the RKBA, about his attempt at changing the tax system, about our prospects for a prosperous future under him, about the way he has broken the mold on how to handle North Korea, China and Russia (and all the others), about his allowing the military to actually commence annihilation of ISIS and his new approach to working with our allies in Israel and on and on.

Then again, I do not like him seemingly not having given what I believe was enough serious and balanced thought to his timing on the decision to make the announcement regarding the embassy move. Why potentially give terrorists another excuse to set into motion something that is likely to jeopardize Americans and their allies around the world at a time when we will be coming together in droves to celebrate the major religious holiday of Christmas, the religious holiday & military victory commemoration of Chanukah,
the new year, and whatever else - like maybe the winter solstice - that folks around the world flock together to celebrate. To me it was a bad call but hopefully it will work out ok although with violence already under way because of the announcement I tend to doubt there will not be more trouble and possibly many killed or wounded. Mind you, I understand President Trump is not going to be blowing up folks or shooting them down or beheading them or stoning them - the terrorists will be doing that though and they will be coming at us while we are at our most vulnerable - if they get the chance. Mind you, if they get the chance, they will take advantage of it - they have a track record of doing so. 

What can we do? Right now, I pray we will remain vigilante and safe and ready to take all the action necessary to protect ourselves and our allies.

All the best,
Glenn B

Best Holster Ever - Maybe...

...but maybe not.



I knew where that was going after he said where it was not, you probably guessed too. Still, I was amused.

All the best,
Glenn B

Happy Chanukah

Here is wishing all of my Jewish friends a very a happy and peaceful Chanukah. I hope it has been going well so far and that it gets better as it runs its course through the 20th. May the dreidel always spin your way.

All the best,
Glenn B

A Bit of Christmas Music - Lest You Think I Forgot What Christmas Is About...

...by way of my last two musical Christmas selections in my previous two posts. So, if you have got several hours you can listen to tall of these and if you are not in the Christmas mood by then - you are hopeless.
 

 

That last one was definitely not the best I have ever heard it sung but if did not bring a tear to your eyes and fill you with the true spirit of Christmas and the wonderful gift we received on the first one - well, you just might just be a combination of the Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge before they reformed! Anyhow, I think there has got to be something there for you if you celebrate Christmas.

All the best,
Glenn B

If That Last One Did Not Work For You...

...this one can probably get you in the Christmas mood.



All the best,
Glenn B

Santa Baby

Gotta love this song, especially if you're Santa!!!

All the best,
Glenn B

Christmas Shopping Update

Christmas Shopping has been completed for: She who must be adored (at least at most times), the son, myself (a bottle of Schladerer Kirschwasser), the brothers-in-law and a couple of friends of mine.

That leaves my daughter, son-in-law, grandson, mother in law, my nephew (almost forgot I need to get him something) and another friend of mine. Working almost all this coming week week and little time to get it done except for Tuesday when I will be off because of other commitments. That should be all the time I need. of course, there is always the obligatory shopping at the last minute on Christmas Eve that I look forward to and enjoy each year and this year should be no exception.

All the best,
Glenn B

Total Wine Has Arrived Near Me

Back in 2009, I was on a 4 month detail in Tucson, AZ. Several times while driving in either direction on the highway south of the city, I noted a place called Total Wine. Stopped in there to see if they had my favorite wine (MD 20/20 - not really) and was amazed to find a huge warehouse type wine, booze and beer store. The next year I was again in AZ for 4 months and shopped there as needed. Their selection is huge and their prices were relatively low, lower than anywhere else I bought my booze out there.

About a year and a half ago, I found out there is Total Wine in CT. Never got the chance to stop there though I had wanted to do so. Then forgot all about it.

On Wednesday this week, I worked in Long Island City and took the LIRR to get there. There was a sign for Total Wine at the LIRR station. Yes, Total Wine has come to Nassau County, NY; it is located next to Walmart on Old Country Road in Westbury. I stopped there today after about a two to two and a half hour pain in mine arse shopping trip to the madhouse known as Costco. I got so carried away looking around trying to find this or that when I meant to be there only 10 or 15. I needed to get home and drop off the haul from Costco and then pick up a rifle to bring to UPS to ship to my son. That now has to wait until Tuesday because I must have been in there for well over an hour trying to find stuff - their system of stocking the shelves leaves something to be desired. Anyway, I wound up spending a tidy sum on some of my favorites and saved money over getting it where I normally buy it. For instance, a 750 ml bottle of Schladerer Kirschwasser (supposedly a cherry brandy but it tastes more like white lightning or moonshine than brandy). It normally costs me $49.99 where I buy it; at Total Wine, the same bottle was just under $35.99! The wife likes Nurnberger Gluhwein, a spiced wine from Germany. I normally pay $9.99 per bottle. I bought a case of 6 at $5.84 per bottle (individual bottles went for $6.49 each). They also had something I have not drunk in well over 35, maybe 40 years - Mellow Corn (100 proof corn whiskey). It was only $10.99 for a 750 ml bottle, quality stuff made in the US of A. I bought two - one for a gift for a guy who drank it with me way back when and one as snakebite medicine to put on the shelf until I get bitten. They also have a beer side (not allowed to sell liquor, wine and beer in the same store in mega-regulated NY state, so it was an attached but different store set-up of the same name where they sold the beer. That was emptier than the booze side but has a huge selection of beers and ales.

I could become an alcoholic shopping there although I must say it too was a madhouse with all the Christmas shoppers in there. I want to take about a three hour tour of the place after the holidays kind of like they were supposed to do on The Minnow. Who knows, I may buy enough booze to last a lifetime of being shipwrecked on a desert island just like Gilligan and the all rest. It has only been open about a month, or so I was told by an employee. Maybe that is why a couple of other workers there told me they did not have things I asked for but then I found them on my own. They have some bugs to work out but I am sure that will happen and it will be my go to liquor store when I am purchasing in quantity. My local mom and pop store (literally so) will still get my business for a bottle or three. Anyway, I highly recommend Total Wine - based on my prior experience and my shopping tonight - for somewhat large quantity purchases.

All the best,
Glenn B

Down The Gout - Up The Moonshine (Or should that be: Down The Gout & Down The Moonshine)

Damn my current gout attack - it was a moonshine cherries kind of night no matter what!

All the best,
Glenn B

Yep, I Was Thirsty

All the best,
Glenn B

I Would Be Afraid - Very Afraid

 

All the best,

Glenn B

 

Christmas Shopping Well Under Way - At Last

While I picked up a coupe of things for my son awhile back that I am sending him for Christmas, and one or three other gift items, I only got into Christmas shopping earnest last Friday at Porto Rico Importing Company. I went into Manhattan in NYC to their shop in Greenwich Village and bought 7 individual pounds of coffees from various places around the world (already had an eighth from hem at home also meant for a Xmas gift).

Tonight, I hit up Brownell's and selected some goodies for my son. Even if he reads this, it will not be ruined for him since I already let him know about when to expect a package from them. No matter what he might think is in it, he will be happily surprised (I am certain of that). Then I hit up Pajama Gram tonight and ordered something for the wife. I am sure she will not read this post so this here is what she is getting. Got a free shipping coupon over at RetailMeNot.com so it was a decent deal even though I think that price a friggin awful lot for a set of PJs. The wife loves their stuff though. In addition to that, I think she loved the I Love Lucy show and anyway our Chihuahua Lucy sleeps with her every night. So that was that!

I also already got a couple of items for our Christmas Eve game of Yankee Swap (We try to stick to $25.00 or a bit more for the gifts for the swap). One  gift is a three pack of Ommegang beer with a nice beer glass. The other is that really nice Kevin Johnson made fillet knife with green Micarta handle that I posted about previously here. I am kind of hoping Brendan wins it but if not him then me! We still need another gift, one from Brendan for the swap. He will be joining in the fun, on Christmas Eve, via a video phone call. Modern technology often sucks as an intrusion into our lives but sometimes it's just what we need and in this case will make it a much better Christmas Eve for all of us. That's because while he cannot be here in person, we can at least have him join in the festivities via the video call.

Did some shopping for the dogs already too. I got them some bags of treats and a can of alligator dog food. Oh yeah, I also got a couple of gifts for someone on a gun forum by way of which the forum members are having a Secret Santa event. Also donated over 1,000 rounds of ammo as a raffle prize to a raffle being held by another gun forum to raise money for kids in a hospital. We raised over 8K toward there Christmas wish list and a forum admin goes out and buys, then delivers the gifts. I missed the related dinner with the raffle (thanks to the gout) but had fun contributing the prizes and hoping the tickets I bought would include at least one winner (they did not). Oh well, I did not need to win a prize to win some good feelings by participating for a good cause.

Other than all that, I suppose I need something for my mother-in-law, the two brothers in law, my daughter and son-in-law and the grandson. Cannot forget my son-in-law's parents either. Then there is my wife's boss, she gets something to. Also a friend or three get something. Think I will get them all something locally instead of doing any further shopping over the Intraweb. Nothing extravagant except maybe what I got for my son, will get for my daughter & son-in-law and of course for the grandkid.

I hope I don't forget that other thing I need to do - send out Christmas card b tomorrow at the latest. Yes, it is late, and some cards will be late, but that's me - The Great Procrastinator.

Hope you are getting your Christmas stuff done and that you will not be broke as I expect to be when all is done.

After all that is done, I am taking a weekend trip - on January 12 & 13 to another Hessney Auction where I will pick up a Glock 17 pistol I bought at the last one. Sadly, the paperwork requirement for my NY pistol license requires me to get a purchase document from my county police, in person, to bring back to the auctioneer to be able to pick up the pistol. Instead of taking an extra trip there and back, I decided to await their next auction, that I have been planning to attend anyway, to get it done. At least it will be a relatively inexpensive trip - gas money and food only because I am using points for my one night hotel stay. Anyway, that is it will be inexpensive unless I have the high bid on an auction item and thus buy myself a belated me to me Christmas present.

All the best,
Glenn B

Dear Santa

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Don't Know Which Was The Bigger Pain Today

Suffered trough two pains today - one a pain in the neck and the other a pain in my knee.
 
The pain in the neck was trying to get the sound to work again on my laptop ed a new windows 10 update last night. I had to crank just about anything up to 90% volume in order to hear it well after that update. I figured ok, I will just do a system restore. Finding that function on Windows 10 is like looking for buried treasure on Oka Island. One I did figure out how to do it, I tried running and got the message that there were no restore points. I imagine that the Windows10 update wiped out all of the saved restore points. Then I got to somewhere or another where it asked if I wanted to revert to an older version of Windows 10. So, I chose to do that. had to fiddle around with the speaker & sound settings several times, with a  restart after each, to get the sound working properly again. If I had to do it all over again, I'd use dynamite. That was not as much as pain in the neck as it was in mine arse. Screw Windows 10 and Microsoft.
 
Then there was, and remains, that other pain. The one, by my guess (and my doctor's guess) is being caused by the gout. I have not had a bad gout attack in over a year - maybe longer (well maybe one kind of bad a couple of weeks ago that I attributed to a heel spur but now that I think of it was probably gout). Come to think of it, as best I can recall, I have not had any other gout attacks, than those wo possibilities just mentioned, for over a year - maybe a year and a half. This one started on Monday afternoon or early evening. Just thought my knee was hurting maybe from walking too much and not being used to that much exercise. had walked 5 miles or so on Friday then about 5.5 on Monday after not having exercised much in a couple of weeks. Tuesday, it seemed somewhat better then got much worse. Took a colchicine pill and hit did little if anything and I slept like hell on Tuesday night as in almost no sleep. Wednesday, on my mile walk to the train station, it felt a lot better - figured the colchicine had kicked in. Nothing going as it progressively got worse all day once I was stuck in the chair at work (sit most of the work day). Last night it was unbearable and while not the worst gout attack for me ever it was in the top five. I took another colchicine (only allowed one per day - it is a seriously dangerous drug that can screw up your liver & kidneys or even kill you from a relatively small overdose). I also took 450 mg of Aleve. The gout just dug its teeth, so to speak, in and got worse. I slept even less than on Tuesday night.

Called my doctor today, explained what was going on to the receptionist and miracle of miracles they made an appointment for me at noon, which would be only two and a hours or so after my call. Then I got another call about 15 minutes later and figured hey were about to tell me no go for that appointment but surprised me by asking me to come in as soon as I could get there. I was there 20 minutes later. Doc took a look at it and grimaced. My gout attacks never look anywhere nearly as bad as photos I have seen of bad ones but they often hurt like hell. I usually have little or no swelling and only faint pinkness. This time though, my knee was obviously very swollen and red and hot. Of course, it hurt like hell too. Doc said she would prescribe me prednisone (a steroid). I asked for pain pills too and she said the prednisone would reduce the pain as it caused the inflammation to go down. I told her I needed something to make the pain go away right away and that thus that would allow me to sleep after three lousy nights trying to sleep but failing pretty much to do so for more than maybe a few hours the first night and maybe two the next two nights. She said she would give me oxycodone with Tylenol. I asked her to just give me straight oxycodone since Tylenol and me do not play well together and Tylenol has zero effect on any pain I suffer. She agreed and at my request gave e three days worth, I figured I would not need more based on past experience.

Went to the pharmacy, picked up the meds and headed home. Went to take an oxycodone and saw the instructions said to take three pills once a day for three days! called the pharmacy and the guy who answered the phone told me that was correct. When I explained that a normal dose would be one ill three times a day, he put me on hold, came back and said that I was right. I called the doctor's office to confirm and they said I had it right. Just a couple of minutes later, I read the instructions on the prednisone. There were 42 tablets of it in all and the instructions said to take three pills 2X per day for two days. Then take one less pill for the next two days and so on until it got down to one pill twice in a day - that day being the last day. Doing that would have left 18 extra pills. Called the pharmacy and this time they put on the pharmacist. He said my doctor said to do the regular progression with the prednisone. That is usually starting with however many pills you are to take the first day, and you take em all at once, based on my experience with it. The next day you take one pill less, the following day you again reduce it by one pill. Somehow though the pharmacist decided to start me with three pills and do it twice per day. That was screwy.

Anyway, the normal way I have done it would use all the pills if I did it the way my doc seemed to want me to do it - taking the tablets for two days, instead of only one day, before reducing the number and progressing that way. So if I took six today and six tomorrow, I would take 5 on Saturday and five on Sunday, then 4 on Monday and 4 on Tuesday and so on until none were left. That would work out perfectly and all 42 tablets would have been taken in that progression down to the last two days of one pill per day. The pharmacist said - no way.

I called the doc, spoke to a nurse, said my way sounded more sensible as it would expend the entire prescription. She admitted though, the directions were very confusing as written on the pill bottle. She also said she would talk to the doc and get back to me. Still waiting for someone, anyone, to get back to me with the correct instructions. Just another pain in the arse and the pain in my knee persists although I must say it has lessened. Not sure if its been the prednisone working in combination with the oxycodone that has reduced the pain or just one or the other. I kind of think it is the prednisone because the pain has not reduced enough to make me think it was both. At least though there has been one nice effect, I have been zonked rather pleasantly all afternoon and evening.

Will call the doc tomorrow and try to get it straightened out. Hoping not to OD on prednisone in the meantime. I may work tomorrow, if feeling better enough - so no oxycodone during the day, just the prednisone. Hopefully that will work well enough to get me to work, through the work day, and back home with less pain than the last few days.

Mind you, if the above made any sense to you at all, it is only because I have taken oxycodone before in massive quantities (when I had throat cancer and was getting radiation treatments and eating throughout it all) and I guess I got used to thinking while under its influence during the 4 or 5 weeks or so I took it in high doses. If the above is pretty much gibberish, I must be higher than I think.

By the way - gout sucks bigtime. So, it is again time to cut out all beer (which I have drank more of than usual lately and may have caused this attack). While no beer might seem to some to suck worse than gout - believe me no beer at all will be better than another gout attack like this one. My doc suggested if I drink, I drink vodka. I told her I do like drink and gave her my recipe for vodka cherries after telling her about moonshine cherries and my liking for moonshine and white lightning. She maybe knows me better than even she suspected but  think I kind of know her too. My bet is she makes up a batch of those vodka cherries before too long. Amazingly cherries, which were once considered a cause of gout, are now considered to be a gout preventative!

All the best,
GB

Bacon Nevermore

One of the things about hunting wild game is that you never quite can tell, at least with fairly big game, when the tables may be turned and the hunter becomes the hunted. Such was the case with a German hunter who was after wild boar. He shot at one and followed it into some reeds and the beast attacked. My guess is he was gored by the boars tusks. The hunter later died at a hospital. Getting gored and dying sucks, doing it while hunting down your next rasher of bacon and getting to taste it nevermore makes it an even more terrible way to go. More at the source.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sexual Adviser

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Light Posting Anticipated

I will be working all this week and thst is okay by me because I can use the cash. I may be working full time, more or less, for the next month or more because someone quit and I will be covering until they find a replacement. I would say thank goodness except in this case it came about because of someone else's misfortune. Still though, I am grateful for the work when I need it. Because I will be working full time for awhile, I imagine my blogging will be very limited but I will try to blog at least a few days each week.

Now to get some chores done, like: do my laundry, attend to my critters,  clean some guns, put a rifle or three up for sale, find out which rifle of mine is missing a bolt I cannot identify, vacuum the basement, clean out the trunk of my car, and whatever else I can do to appease the wife by my being busy. Then I will put seeds in the bird feeders and also enjoy a fine German bier.

All the best,
GB

Kindness Rebuked

After reading this article about a donut shop being shamed by the LGBT community (or whatever they call themselves today) I immediately thought of my post 'Kindness'. My words in that post could not be more true.

Merry Christmas except to you whining snowflakes who fill the world with vitriol.

Al the best,
Glenn B

The Call Of The Dollar

Just when I thought I'd be spending some days Christmas shopping in NYC and still have enough down time left over to get in some late season deer hunting, someone at work quit. What that means for me is that instead of working part-time on-call, I'll probably be working full time until they hire someone new. That could take awhile unless they find a candidate with the proper license and who has an active background clearance. The darned background investigations can take a couple of months, or more, to conclude. Not bad for me money-wise though, that is if it takes a month or three, because I will be raking in a steady cash flow and what I can get before Christmas will be a big help. Any money made after that probably goes into my very meager savings account (or to buy yet another gun).

Of course, maybe the person who quit will have second thoughts and come back, that is if the bosses allow for such, and I will wind up with those eggs I just counted not hatching at all.

All the best,
Glenn B

Canine Christmas Delight

All the best,
Glenn B

A Modern Times Job Interview

All the best,
Glenn B

Elf On A Shelf

 

Well, not this one!

 

All the best,

GB