Greybeards Gripes

“”MICHIGAN CCW RECORD PROVES ANTI-GUNNERS LIED…AGAIN, SAYS CCRKBA
BELLEVUE, WA – After six years of expanded concealed carry in Michigan, the record speaks for itself: No shootouts at traffic stops, a decline in firearms deaths and suicides, and violent crime is down. Concealed carry works, and the hysteria pandered by anti-gun extremists who opposed the law has been proven false.

“Michigan’s armed private citizens have provided the evidence we knew would come,” said Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. “Lawful concealed carry reduces crime and does not result in mass mayhem as the anti-self-defense crowd wanted us believe. Six years ago, they pulled out all the stops, fabricated every dire prediction they could imagine, and essentially told lies about concealed carry and passed them off as truth, and too many in the media ate it up as if it were manna from Heaven.””"

And unfortunately,  the collective recollection of the American public seems to be about 6 weeks. 

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Global Cool Down!! 

We’re on our 3rd day of grey foggy wet weather.   We’ve had varying amounts of rain,  with the most rain and the highest tempuratures today.  (49 degree’s this morning)

In two days it’s gone from looking like winter,  to early spring.   There’s still ice on the river,  but it has 6 inches or so of water running over it.   All this water,  and our house,  totally out of character, is bone dry??  Normally in mid winter,  our windows run with sweat,  but this year,  they’re dry as a bone,  and we’re waiting for the fog to clear up so we can make a trip to town to purchase a small humidifier for the bedroom.

Attributable to January thaw, I guess.  Or,  I suppose the Global Warming enthusiasts could start yelling “Global warmup“,  EXCEPT,  I just heard yesterday,  that NASA scientists have predicted a major cool down,  (mini-ice age in their words),  coming in the next couple of years,  due to the Sun’s long term cyclic heating and cooling patterns.  Confusing Eh?

>>GB  

This is from CNN, so it must be true. 

Barack Obama
Supports extending the assault weapons ban. Supports national law against carrying concealed weapons, with exceptions for retired police and military personnel. Supports limiting gun sales to one per month.

Here it is in it’s entirety.  NEMCOG is one of the organizations behind build non-motorized trail systems in Michigan.  Grates on my Nerves a bit!

 —-

As noted by my nickname,  I’ve been around awhile.   I’ve been here long enough to have been and avid motorcycle trail rider in my youth,  before the anti crowd got ahold of the sport and ruined it.  Over the years I watched as various long standing motorcycle trails were closed,  graded and seeded.  Strangely enough,  the ones that were just closed,  and left alone,  have dissappearred as completly as those of which a bunch of money was spent to return them to their natural order.

I’ve even noted where old barely visable  (barely visable, translates to: a single track trail,  about 10 inches wide on the ground,  with 30 clearance between the tree’s at handle bar height.) , motorcycle trails were closed and reseeded,  now the ground is being torn up again,  this time for non-motorized vehicle trails,  or just to widen the road right of ways.

It seems to me that a whole culture of Michigan trail riders,  was destroyed for little or no reason,  other than those in power didn’t understand what the sport was all about.   Some might argue that the sport continues today better than ever,,,   I respond with the knowledge that there are almost ZERO single track, natural motorcycle trails left in Michigan and (maybe even very few left in the United States, since Michigan was always Nirvana for trail riders).

I don’t really have a problem with your building of non motorized trails.   But,  from what I can see of their use in our area,  I do have a problem with my tax dollars being used to build them.  Bags of dollars being spent to build a paved trail,  right next to the State highway.  A few locals and an ocassional event,  otherwise they look real nice, with their empty smooth black top, spit rail fences,  and wooden bridges over the gullies.  (Of course,  that view would only be true for someone who prefers 10 ft wide blacktop, over a 10 inch wide dirt or sand trail).

The most exciting times of my younger years,  and my childrens,  were those 100 plus mile long rides on those 10 inch wide trails,  through country that only experienced motorcycle trail riders,  and a few hardy hunters had ever seen.  We often went all day without seeing a car,  or a road, (other than occasional road crossings).  We saw wild life galore, (very unafraid of our bikes).   I know time is  a changing thing,  and everything has changed,  but that doesn’t make it right.

I doubt that my bad knee’s will ever feel the surface of one of your trails.  If I do feel up to walking,  it will be in the woods,  hopefully tight woods, behind a good bird dog,  not on a paved trail.  But then,  who knows,  maybe that will be outlawed too.

It’s makes me rather sad to think about what the people of Michigan have lost,  what they have traded away,  and sold.  More than often the trades were bad,  and the sales were way to cheap.

Greybeard
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http://greybeard.igogg.com

“Is fear rith maith ná drochsheasamh ,
Sláinte chugat”

The Detroit, Ultimate Fishing Show,  looks pretty interesting.  Tickets are normally 9 bucks each,  but Frank’s Great Outdoors is giving away a ticket good for two,  with a purchase from the store.  To far for this country boy to range out,  but it sure sounds like fun.

“”Michigan’s BIGGEST Pure Fishing Show!

This show is all about fishing tackle, fishing trips, fishing boats and features:  Lake Ultimate, Trout Pond, 3 Seminar Stages, Walleye Fish Fry and more.  Detroit is the largest freshwater fishing market in the U.S.  …and now it has the Ultimate Fishing Show in the BEST suburban expo center!”"
Dates:  Jan. 10th thru 13th.

~~>GB

It’s been kinda busy around the ol’ home front.  New Year’s Eve came and went quietly,  we did manage to make it until Midnight though.

I’ve been pretty busy getting the 2008 membership mailings out for the Sportsmens Club.  Doesn’t seem like a lot,  but went you start talking 200 plus reminder letters,  then 200 plus membership cards,  it take a bit of time and a bit of postage.  Even a little writer’s cramp from signing all those cards!

Today,  was a grocery day,  and we included a little spring shopping.  Stocking up the tackle box, to make maximum use of “Precision Trolling version 8“.   I’m a little frustrated,  because it seems that the lures that are written up in the books tables,  aren’t that easy to find around here.  To make the table work,  you need the correct lure,  and a correct line counter,  (plus the correct speed).  I have the line counter,  I think I can reproduce the speed,   but,  the exact lure is going to be a little tougher.  Oh well,  I guess I’ve got a little time to shop before trolling season arrives.

~~GB