A Shot in the Dark

Ever mindful of my need to keep up with my blog, Miss Gokey invited me to accompany her this past weekend to the Las Vegas Gun Show. Well, it was either that one or the Crossroads of the West gun show. The date matched with the location has disappeared from the internet. Anyway...

They don't make guns like they used to. Too many of them show signs of shotty workmanship. Haha. This CNN Student Newsworthy pun comes to us from the folks at this website. I apologize.

The Gun Show featured cookies. I was happy with that. It also featured...well, guns and ammo. Among the non-firearm merchandise was a good supply of survival gear. There were rainwater harvesting systems, CPR masks with one-way valves on sale for $15, Scandanavian army jackets, sleeping bags and camping pads, lots of mace (which I guess is called pepper spray, and I really want some, but it's illegal on school campuses), and one charming little old man who had a cell-phone stun gun for sale for $35. As you can see, there are plenty of online sources for these items, and many are not unreasonably priced.

The same held true for what Miss Gokey was looking for, a spare magazine for a Glock 17. One salesman offered to sell her one for $66, which some passersby insisted was a good deal, but when she called home, this turned out to not be the best price.

Should you pay $13 to get into a gun show? I say...probably. There are cookies. And flyers for free classes for Concealed Carry Permits. And an opportunity to visit your old pals from the Zombie Apocalypse Store. In addition, there are plenty of knowledgeable people who are not selling things. You can chat with them and learn a lot about various aspects of gun ownership, survival, and personal safety.

In concluding this post, I return to my family's visit, especially the part where we visited the Mob Museum. We might do well to remember the immortal words of Al Capone:

From See to Shining See

Today I had the pleasure of visiting with my cousin, one of my last goals on a long list that I have accomplished during my holiday break. We spent some time lamenting the death of all of the libraries in our hometown. Every one of them, even the one where I held my first job, has closed, except one. She says there has been a plan to tear that one down as well. She added that they never have anything new, and that if you want something new, you have to order it and they will buy it. I was reminded of volunteering at the library in a town in Pennsylvania during a proposed funding cut. We covered half of the books with black cloth to represent the books that wouldn't be there if the cut happened. There is no Borders anymore. There is no Barnes and Noble nearby - you would have to drive at least 45 minutes to the nearest new book, what gives? We decided that online ordering is about the only option we have left.

Blogosphere, remind me: I can't forget to ship one of the books I have listed on amazon.com once I get home. It sold while I have been here.

Then, this evening my Granny was going through a catalog from See's Candies. Apparently there is a See's Candies in Downer's Grove, IL. I thought it was a western thing. It seems to still be western. The list of See's Candies branches in the back of the catalog (is wrong, first of all - we have many stores in Vegas, not just the ONE listed in the catalog, so therefore what I'm about to say is moot...)only listed one store in the Midwestern region, the one in Downer's Grove.

I propose that the fact that so many businesses exist both here in Chicagoland and in Las Vegas has something to do with the Mob. I'd like to say, "More about that in a future post," but honestly, these two weeks every year are the only ones I have between August and June during which I am able to read books with reckless abandon and blog on schedule. Therefore, I may never mention the Mob ever again.

It is likely that the duplication of our favorite businesses is more about homogenization. I decided to google it, and in the process I believe I did find a new blog to follow. It's right up my alley and is called "Ecological Sociology." Y'all know me, I love maps, so I'll leave you to contemplate the homogenization of our society (and the destruction of our literacy? Or is it only the development of alternative modes of literacy?) by pasting this one from the aforementioned blog. The dots on this map represent McDonald's restaurants. Food for thought.