This ole...College education. It has been 17 years since I made a decision to go back to college...out of state and away from my Kansas City family and friends. I had wasted a few years after high school attending then dropping classes at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) before hitting bottom with no job and no prospects for my future. I was leaning towards a Criminal Justice degree at UMKC so I thought I would stay in that area when looking for another school. Since my dad's family is from Arkansas I figured I'd check out schools in that state. After reviewing several schools I found Arkansas State University (ASU) in Jonesboro and their Criminology program (hey, Batman was a criminologist so who wouldn't want to pursue that degree) and decided it was the school for me. It also helped it was 2 hours from my grandparents home in Timbo, Arkansas. So, during the summer of 1996 I moved myself and all my belongings to my grandparents house and finished the summer helping out on their little farm before making my drive to Jonesboro for move-in day at the dorms.
Not knowing a soul on campus, I still found friends quickly through my dorm roommate and fraternity (see previous posts). I spent the first semester getting acquainted with the campus and getting acclimated to living in the South. I ended up working at an off-campus bookstore for a few semesters thanks to a fellow fraternity brother who also worked there but then I moved to a work-study job on campus. I received my work-study paperwork that had me reporting to the Reng Center Student Union. After spending my teen years working in my parent's restaurant along with a few other food service establishments I was not thrilled knowing I had to go to the location of the campus cafeteria to report for duty. After finding my supervisor, I was told I would be working in the new Campus Information Booth helping students, faculty, staff, and guests with any questions they might have about the Arkansas State University campus. It is at the Information Booth where I met my future wife. I continued to work at the student union through my undergraduate graduation and made many more friends through that interaction with folks from all over the college.
I attended ASU on a full-time basis from the fall of '96 through the 2nd summer semester in 1999 (no semesters off even during the summer) and earned my Bachelor's degree in Criminology. At that point, with my wife deciding to go to graduate school at ASU I also went down that path to a post-graduate degree. There was no graduate degree involving Criminology so I turned my interests over to the Political Science department and their Public Administration program. During my semesters of graduate study I encountered times of giving up and quitting the program but through my interest in a particular class project I found my reason to stay. The project involved an examination of the wet-dry county issue (yes, ASU was in a dry county meaning no alcohol) in the State of Arkansas which was a hot-button issue in Jonesboro. This study turned into a joint-paper with two of my professors that I presented at a couple of state political science association meetings in Illinois and Arkansas and which ended up getting published in a scholarly journal. In May of 2001, I completed my degree requirements and walked across the stage to receive my Master's degree in Political Science.
2nd Inning.
Random facts about me...I believe my wife and kids are afraid of the toilet paper roll holder and due to that fear never put a new one on it after it's all gone...I believe in Jesus while also believing in aliens, dinosaurs, and evolution...I believe the majority of humans are morally good people...I believe that diversity makes our nation stronger...I believe any flavor of cola can be made better with cherry flavoring...I believe every man should be able to have a mini-fridge as a nightstand for a quick beer when you jump in bed...I believe we as a species need to focus our efforts on space exploration fast because this planet is not getting any bigger but our population sure is...I believe two requirements for the perfect sandwich are bacon and cheese...I believe a family that watches cartoons together stays together...
3rd Inning.
Firearms corner...A brief history of police side-arms in the United States. I was reading one of my latest issues of 'Guns and Ammo' and came across an article that was a good little history lesson on the evolution of the police side-arm. This evolution started with firearms purchased by the officer themselves due to departments not issuing them. You see the police officer go from a small caliber revolver to larger and larger caliber revolvers to the semi-auto pistols which are the standard today. Calibers started with the .32 then to .38 to .357 to .45ACP, to 9mm, then to .40. The two major manufacturers involved in the ever-evolving police side-arm race were Smith & Wesson and Colt. Several iconic handguns were developed with the police market in mind during the 20th century such as the Colt Python (used by Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead) and the Smith & Wesson Model 29 (used by Dirty Harry).
It wasn't until the 1970s did we see other manufacturers make their presence known and these included Sturm-Ruger (Security Six) and Beretta (Model 92). The 1980s/90s saw the semi-auto pistol attain dominance in the police market with the introduction of the Glock Model 17 and its revolutionary design. Once Glock saw success other manufacturers such as Sig Sauer and Springfield Armory introduced high-capacity pistols aimed at becoming the standard for police pistols. When the 2000s arrived Smith & Wesson unveiled their new M&P line of semi-auto pistols that has seen success with many departments. Good article and history lesson!
4th Inning.
Articles of the week.
- Hollywood censorship...An interesting read on censorship in modern-day Hollywood. With the history of censorship issues in Hollywood and the blacklisting scandals through the mid-20th century you would think Hollywood would be leading the fight against any form of censorship.
- Business of guns...A simple video to explain the economic aspects of the firearms and ammunition industry in the United States.
- Shepherds and sheep..."Too many among today's intellectual elite see themselves as our shepherds and us as their sheep. Tragically, too many of us are apparently willing to be sheep, in exchange for being taken care of, being relieved of the burdens of adult responsibility and being supplied with "free" stuff paid for by others."
- Black Leaders...We need to listen to minority leaders that know about working hard, not making excuses, and overcoming obstacles in life...all of which has lead to their success. They are out there and we need to get them to stage so they can speak.
- The DH belongs in both leagues...I say put the DH in the National League and raise the pitcher's mound back up to 15 inches. Thank you and you are welcome!
- Police survey...One group that has not had a consistent (or any appearance in some cases) presence during the gun control hearings is the police. "In March, PoliceOne conducted the most comprehensive survey ever of American law enforcement officers’ opinions on the topic gripping the nation's attention in recent weeks: gun control. More than 15,000 verified law enforcement professionals took part in the survey, which aimed to bring together the thoughts and opinions of the only professional group devoted to limiting and defeating gun violence as part of their sworn responsibility."
- A Protest on the Left...Take a bunch of communists, mix in a group of cop-haters, add a pinch of Black Panthers, and top it off with an angry woman wearing stolen theater 3D glasses with the lenses popped out and you have a great recipe for disaster or fun!
- A survivor...The modern day Paul Reveres are those who have lived under and escaped oppressive regimes only to find freedom once they made it to our shores. "A man who escaped communist Cuba gave an impassioned defense of the rights of his adopted country Friday, saying “only [his] death” will stop him from speaking out about freedom and the Second Amendment, which he says are one in the same."
- We are not alone..."A crowd-funded documentary scheduled for theatrical launch April 22 is beginning to get some buzz for a trailer it released on YouTube in late March. In the trailer are clips showing what is said to be a 'humanoid of unknown classification.'”
5th Inning.
American History lesson...Wacky and Bizarre facts about U.S. Presidents.
6th Inning.
Desert Island exercise...You are stranded on a desert island for the rest of your life and are given the choice of one person to spend that time with (cannot be your spouse), five books to take, 5 movies to take, and 5 CDs to take with you.
5 Books:
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Extreme Edition
- Where the Red Fern Grows
- Lord of the Rings Trilogy
- The Dark Knight Returns
- Forrest Gump
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
- Anchorman
- Shawshank Redemption
- Disney's Swiss Family Robinson
- Elvis' #1 Hits
- Def Leppard's Hysteria
- Johnny Cash--Live at Folsom Prison
- Eddie and the Cruisers Soundtrack
- American Graffiti Soundtrack
7th Inning.
Movie I want to see...again. My top 10 Teen Comedy Movies of the '80s Countdown Part 4--'Back to the Future'. Here we have Michael J. Fox (during his 'Family Ties' years) portraying Marty McFly, a teenager that is accidentally sent back in time, through the use of a DeLorean time machine built by his older friend, Dr. Emmett Brown, where he meets his parents and must find a way....back to the future. This movie launched Fox's career into super stardom but many people don't know that the actor, Eric Stoltz, was the original choice and filmed many scenes before being replaced by Fox who had to re-film those scenes. If you haven't seen this movie then either you have been on another planet or in a coma for the past 30 years. This is a classic sci-fi/comedy that spawned two sequels and a now-closed simulator ride at Universal Studios in both Florida and Hollywood. With lots of humor and catchy lines, it is a fun movie you can watch with your family. You can buy this in a boxed set with the sequels which I need to do since I don't own this one (becoming a pattern with this countdown!). Trailer is below...Enjoy!
8th Inning.
FFL Factoid... (Follow up to last week's factoid with more info on the different types of licenses.)
- Dealer Type 02.--Pawnbroker in firearms other than destructive devices (includes: rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, gunsmith activities, and National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons if you apply for and purchase a Class 3 License). Application fee and the first three years is $200. Renewal every three years is $90.
9th Inning.
Baseball Rule #1...There is NO crying in baseball!
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