Friday night ramble

It occured to me that I might post some info what this blog is and isn't. It isn't in any way related to the abhorred Necronomicon, except that I am a fan of H.P. Lovecraft and when trying to think of a catchy name for a blog, thought this one up. It is not a blog recording occult experimentation with said tome. Neither is it a blog about blogonomics, or the economics of blogging. It isn't the place to come to stay updated on all the latest shenanigans of all your favorite people/organizations/politicians/governments. There are lots of other bloggers who have the time and talent to do a much better job of such things than I. It is primarily a collection of links which I find interesting, amusing, or important. Such links will often be in regard to the right of personal self defense, various links & info about guns, and occasionally items relating to my job as a meter reader.

I went back to meter reading on Thursday, after spending nearly a month at delivering overdue bill notices. This means that last night I was nearly dead from exhaustion, since my legs had lost their long-distance walking condition through lack of intense daily exercise. I encountered only one questionable dog this week (today actually). It always cracks me up when people warn me about their dog because it likes to bark. There was one doberman that couldn't get far enough away from me and a pit bull that wanted everyone to be his friend. Yesterday held the most interesting encounter, with an idiot mailman. "How do you handle that dog," he said, pointing across the street. "What dog?" I asked. The only dog I could see was a little scruffy whitish cur about 3 times the size of your average barn rat. "That dog there," he said, "I had to spray him to keep him off me." "That dog by the door over there?" I asked, incredulously. "Yeah," he replied, "I had to spray him." I snorted, trying to suppress laughter. "You sprayed that dog? All he does is run around and bark!" "Oh," he answered sheepishly as he drove away. I got news for everyone who carries dog-grade pepper spray: It doesn't work. The only dogs it works on are the ones that don't need it. Any dog who's really going to attack will not be stopped by a little pepper burn. Here's some more news: I don't carry dog spray. I use an item called a dog stick. It is only a length of PVC with a tennis ball attached to the end. Mine is long enough to use as a walking stick, a jimmy for certain types of gate latches, and to fend away dogs. It isn't used as a weapon, but simply as something to put between the dog and myself. I also use my own wits and judgement to determine if I should even enter the property in which a dog lives.

I only recently discovered the tradition of BAG Day. Unfotunately, since I recently purchased a computer, I felt that I didn't have any business making another large purchase. But if I had participated in BAG Day, I would be looking at things like the Ruger PC9, the Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Long Colt, or even one these Raging Bees. Why would I want a .218 Bee revolver? Well, when I was a teenager, I said to one of my friends, "I wish someone would make a big revolver in something like .22 Hornet or .218 Bee. He thought it was a dumb idea, but there you go.