Recent content by Mr. Vito

When I think about Viet Nam what comes first to mind was the oppressive heat and humidity, and the smell of burning feces all the time. I came back from 'Nam the thinnest I have ever been in my adult life because I never had an appetite there due to what I describe above. When I got on the plane...

I live in Rockford, IL where I came for work in 1996 and retired here. Because of the location of much of my family (3 of my 5 kids and 9 of my 13 grandkids) and the close friends that my wife has made its likely we will never leave. Despite the reputation of being an anti-gun state, and the...

My Mom would made sliced up hot dogs with baked beans and called in "Frankfurter Hash". My brother and I loved it and thought it was a special treat. It really was her way of stretching the food budget.

My Dad used to eat peanut butter and sardine sandwiches. I like both ingredients but never wanted them in the same sandwich. When I was a kid, bread meant white bread. We rarely had any other kind, and on the occasion when we did it was always just seeded rye bread. I didn't eat much peanut...

Sadly AI makes it even easier for troublemakers to create what appears as reality but is totally fake, seemingly just for the amusement of those creating the video. I recall a few years back a semi-comedic video claiming that the large 9 volt battery was nothing more than 16 (if I recall) AA...

I'm 82, and in the last year or two I really notice the negative changes of aging. But complaining about it will not suddenly make me young again. I've lost two close old friends within the past year, so I remind myself that things could be a lot worse. Just last night I had dinner with a friend...

Most of us will never use our firearm in self defense, and I would guess that most of us will never have a reason to draw our weapon. Yet I read frequently about folks carry two, or even three guns routinely, and/or carrying several extra magazines. Maybe I am being naive, but it seems that...

When I first started carrying concealed, many years ago, I found I was very vigilant in observing other people, trying to determine if they also were carrying. In many ways my sense of situational awareness was much stronger than it is now. I try to be aware of what is going on around me, but...

My EDC is my Ruger LC9s with an extended magazine. This small semi auto has never, ever had any failures of any kind. The extended mag makes it easier to grip and gives 9+1 capacity while it easily fits into my Desantis pocket holster for easy pocket carry. I considered the S&W Shield but...

Losing any pet is hard, and I hope you are doing okay now. I've never been much of a cat person, having had dogs my entire life (and have two right now). We've had a few cats over the years but I don't think I bonded with most of them as I have with my dogs. But on a recent visit to my oldest...

After every thunderstorm, the scammers offering roof repairs show up. I have been told that many of these crooks are from the South Carolina area, and called "travelers", who will ask for a deposit for the roof work, and then disappear. I have no idea if this is actually the case but there is no...

When France fell to the Germans, the remnants of the British Army were trapped at Dunkirk. Goering wanted the honor of destroying the British force with his Luftwaffa, but bad weather kept them from effectively doing the job, giving the Brits the opportunity to evacuate most of the troops back...

Saw an SR-71 at the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH. I hadn't realized how big that plane was.

If you have natural gas coming into your home for your stove, water heater, furnace of fireplace, you can have a line run to wherever you want to set up a grill. No more propane tanks running out in the middle of cooking those burgers or steaks. No more running out to exchange a tank for a full...

My EDC is a Ruger LC9s with the extended 9 round magazine, giving me a 9+1 capacity. Very slim, lightweight, but very manageable recoil. More accurate than what I am capable of. 100% reliable in the several years that I have carried this gun, never failing to go bang when the trigger is pulled...