11/13/2022 - BLOG COMMENTS are again allowed and are moderated to exclude only the bots, advertisements, racial / ethnic pejoratives, and embedded links. I'll attempt to honor Chicago's historical "Bughouse Square" concept of free-speech and open debate --- spanning the curve from the far-left to the far-right. /JZ
Blogging to you from the Northeastern Badlands of The County of Lake, in the state currently known as Fatmanistan, DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEP inside the heartland of the Banana Republic formerly known as the USA, WELCOME TO THE NEXT CHAPTER! WARNING! ALL FORMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ARE ADDICTIVE; EXCESSIVE USE MAY LEAD TO MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, REDUCED JOB PRODUCTIVITY, INSOMNIA, SOCIAL ALIENATION, GENITAL ULCERS, BLINDNESS, POLITICAL EROTICISM, AND / OR DEVIANT FUNAMBULISM. NOTICE: NO GUNS OR AMMUNITION ARE FOR SALE VIA THIS BLOG. (No, I will not trade my Colt Python for some lubricious adventures with your trophy wife and a future first-round draft pick.) CAVEAT: This blog is not suitable for viewing while at work, while inside a public library, while inside any public or private school, or while inside any public or private restroom. Do not view this blog while driving a motor vehicle or while piloting an aircraft. Viewing this blog may be illegal inside the EU, NYC, Chicago, Seattle, and other parts of the Third World. THIS BLOG CONTAINS (albeit often very childish) ADULT-CONTENT. DISCLAIMER: This blog is a hobby, it is not a livelihood. Even though much of what I blog about relates to firearms collecting and recreational shooting, I am not an expert (by any measure) on any facet of guns, shooting, hunting, or personal defense. Entries at this blog are akin to good old-fashioned campfire chats or post hunt bourbon-fueled barroom-bluster; I offer no opinion on what you should or should not purchase, or what you should be using or doing. What does or does not work for me could be rugged-country-miles away from your tastes and your needs. All products, places, and miscellany that I review for this blog are purchased / rented / leased at retail price by me. I do not accept payment, gifts, discounts, freebies, products on loan, distilled spirits, recreational pharmaceuticals, plea-bargains, probation, parole, Papal Blessings, Presidential Pardons, or sexual favors for doing any review or blog post. TRACKING COOKIES: Google et al stick tracking cookies on everybody. If you are online, you are being spied on via one method or another, for one reason or another; 'nuff said. You may be able to minimize your online DNA residue by using Tor and Duck Duck Go. Vive la liberté! Vive all y'all! Ante omnia armari. To each of you, thanks for stopping by!

Friday, December 31, 2010

To those days gone by

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As I grow ever older, it is more difficult for me to remember those profound people, places, and events that molded me during my younger years.

Here is a year-end toast to those fading memories. Promising never to forget was a vow I could not keep.

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Our snow is gone…

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This is a great way to end 2010! Except for a pile here and there, our snow is GONE! The temperature was in the 40s yesterday; currently it is 54F and BEAUTIFUL outside. I used this thaw as an opportunity to take down all outside Christmas decorations and to plant a few more tulips and daffodils (the gardens froze in sooner than I expected in the fall so I did not finish my planting).

We had snow on the ground for Christmas, and then added another 10’’ to it Christmas night. The morning after Christmas I was busy clearing my driveway and those of three neighbors (two were out of town and one cares for his sick wife).

We wish a Happy New Years Eve to all! Party hearty but responsibly.

A NOTE FOR THE CLIMATE CHANGE ZEALOTS: While our mild temperature today was more than 20 degrees higher than normal for the final day of December, it was still well below the 68-degree record set in 1875.  Tomorrow we are supposed be back to a high temperature of 29F, which is normal for this time of year.

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Rocky River Leather Company

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I am proud to welcome Rocky River Leather Company to our growing sidebar list of Gun Holster and Custom Leather websites. Rocky River is a full-blown custom leather shop, with a list of goods that will make your eyes bug out. If you can dream it, they can do it.

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Broken links

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I know that many of the links in many of my older posts are now dead. On rare occasion I can find an alternative source for the news item (or video) and re-link; most of the time any such effort is futile. Yes, I know that some of the older posts make no sense at all without the original link; please accept my apologies. When I find the time, I do edit or delete the ones brought to my attention.

I can understand a blogger taking a site down or accidently dumping archives, but for the life of me, I will never understand why a news organization posts a story, along with obligatory warning against copying, and then purges it from their server within a matter of weeks or months. Is storage still that expensive? I would think that making stories permanently available would add exposure to their paid advertising. It just does not seem logical for a news organization to copyright articles then yank them from public view. Methinks they are depriving themselves of many moneymaking mouse clicks… and encouraging copyright infringement.

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Saturday, December 25, 2010

A 2010 Merry Christmas to ALL!

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Merry Christmas! A hearty "Thank You!" for visiting. I am honored and humbled beyond words and promise to pay your kindness forward. Be sure and visit the blogs listed on the side bar of this site; those bloggers are all far better writers than I am and know far more about most everything than I ever will.

Over the past year, a number of folks from 164 countries other than the USA have stumbled upon this obscure little blog site. I find that unbelievably cool! Wherever you may be, below are Season's Greetings to all y'all! May there be peace on earth...

SOURCE
Afrikaans: Geseënde Kersfees
Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees
African/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-Ledeats
Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden
Arabic: Milad Majid
Argentine: Feliz Navidad
Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Bahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal
Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha
Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce
Bosnian: (BOSANSKI) Cestit Bozic i Sretna Nova godina
Brazilian: Feliz Natal
Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!
Chile: Feliz Navidad
Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsian: Pace e salute
Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La Roo
Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian: Sretan Bozic
Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish: Glædelig Jul
Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast
English: Merry Christmas
Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian: Rõõmsaid Jõulupühi
Ethiopian: (Amharic) Melkin Yelidet Beaal
Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua
Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French: Joyeux Noel
Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Galician: Bo Nada
Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!
German: Fröhliche Weihnachten
Greek: Kala Christouyenna!
Haiti: (Creole) Jwaye Nowel or to Jesus Edo Bri'cho o Rish D'Shato Brichto
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi: Shub Naya Baras (good New Year not Merry Christmas)
Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Icelandic: Gledileg Jol
Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat
Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.
Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie
Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Jiberish: Mithag Crithagsigathmithags
Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Lao: souksan van Christmas
Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus
Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu
Low Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Luxembourgish: Schèine Chreschtdaag an e gudde Rutsch
Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik
Maltese: IL-Milied It-tajjeb
Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori: Meri Kirihimete
Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh (good New Year not Merry Christmas)
Navajo: Merry Keshmish
Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul
Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado
Papiamento: Bon Pasco
Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo
Philippines: Maligayang Pasko!
Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Portuguese:Feliz Natal
Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha
Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!
Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele or Craciun fericit
Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh
Serbian: Hristos se rodi.
Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovene: Vesele Bozicne Praznike Srecno Novo Leto or Vesel Bozic in srecno Novo leto
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tamil: (Tamizh) Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal (good New Year not Merry Christmas)
Trukeese: (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!
Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai or souksan wan Christmas
Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym or Z RIZDVOM HRYSTOVYM
Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho (good New Year not Merry Christmas)
Vietnamese: Chuc Mung Giang Sinh
Welsh: Nadolig Llawen
Yoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye'dun!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Happy Christmas Eve!

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Here it is, Christmas Eve. (ahem) I suppose I best go do that shopping... first... I gotta make a list...

JUST KIDDING!  Shopping is all done...

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Monday, December 20, 2010

Note to self 12/20/2010

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I guess that maybe I should think about doing my Christmas shopping soon; I don’t want to be among the fools waiting until the last minute.  Yep, that's what I'll do... I'll think about it.  First I need to make a list... then check it twice...

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Sunday, December 19, 2010

WE’RE #1! WE’RE #1! Illinois is the worst state to live in for retirees!

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Of the ten worst states for retirees, Illinois tops the list. Some folks may be just a might skeptical when I make such claims. This MarketWatch story carriers a bit more clout than my ramblings do.

Why do I stay? Family reasons, mostly. The final chapter of my retirement years is still a rough draft, so I’ll stay put for a while longer. However, the state and local taxes may just force me out sooner than later.

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Saturday, December 18, 2010

Carteach0 reviews reduced recoil 12 gauge Rio Royal 00 Buckshot

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To read his report and watch the video, CLICK HERE.

Use coupon code 12gaXMAS for $15 off a 250 round order of 12ga Rio Royal Buckshot Ammo from BulkAmmo.com. The offer expires on 12/26/2010.

FULL DISCLOSURE: This is NOT a paid advertisement (no money, no free ammo, or special discounts) and I have no affiliation with BulkAmmo.com or Rio.

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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Chic Gaylord, holster artisan extraordinaire and top gun of his time



Charles "Chic" Gaylord 8/21/1914 - 6/8/1992 R.I.P.

How many of you out there remember Chic Gaylord? Okay then; how many of you have never even heard of him at all? Yeah, that’s pretty much what I thought; some people should never be forgotten yet they seemed destined to fade into obscurity. My guess is that few people alive today knew Charles “Chic” Gaylord as well as did Lefty Lewis of Bell Charter Oak; they were friends during an era when the friendship was something sacred. My hope is that Mr. Lewis someday will put to pen all he remembers of Chic Gaylord the man.

Somewhere in the archives of the major gun-publications are articles on Chic Gaylord that deserve a home on the web. Until then, the best collection of Chic Gaylord information that I have found is at The Fishing Musician blog.

Click HERE for Chic Gaylord Part 1
Click HERE for Chic Gaylord Part 2
Click HERE for Chic Gaylord Part 3

EDIT 11/19/2016:  Click HERE for Taffin article!

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A one-word review of 2010 for President Obama

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Sunday, December 12, 2010

For the 12 gauge of Christmas, my true love gave to me, more blammunition, for use on reindeer and zombies…

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Use the coupon code 12gaXMAS for $15 off 250 rounds of 12ga Rio Royal Buckshot Ammo from BulkAmmo.com. Expires on 12/26/2010, so don’t be scrooged. Please pass the word.

WARNING: using buckshot on reindeer may not be legal in all areas, even if they are defecating on your roof or threatening you with grave bodily harm. Check with you local conservation department and all other relevant law enforcement agencies beforehand.

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Saturday, December 11, 2010

Cowboys & Aliens; my 2011 must see movie

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This is my kind of movie! Cowboys, armed with sixguns, shotguns, and what look to be 1892 Winchesters, battling invading space aliens undocumented interstellar immigrants in 1873 Arizona.

Click here for IMDb




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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

See Mel Gibson in Jodie Foster’s Beaver

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CLICK HERE for the movie trailer.

CLICK HERE for IMDb

Mentally ill Mad Max meets Muppet. Jodie Foster directed this film and costars in it with Mel Gibson. My instincts tell me that the best parts of the movie are in the trailer; hopefully, the rest of the film is not just syrupy “chick movie” filler. Due to Mel Gibson’s private life upstaging the movie’s plot, the release date has not yet been set in stone.

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Monday, December 6, 2010

Revolver Malfunctions

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I struggle to avoid arguments over whether pistols are better than revolvers. Choosing one handgun over another is a personal choice; what works for one person may not work for another. However, it is especially hard for me to remain quiet when I hear that “revolvers NEVER jam” or that “revolvers are 100% reliable.” My experience, however limited compared to that of many other revolver shooters, is that it is more than a bit of a stretch for anyone to declare that revolvers NEVER jam and/or that they are 100% reliable.


CLICK HERE to learn remedial measures to take in case “NEVER” and “100%” fail to prove true with your wheel gun. Regarding operator error, CLICK HERE to learn what happens when you “short stroke” the trigger.

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