I know what you're thinking...'Did he fire 6 shots or only 5?'

1st Inning.

Cool Videos...So,  here we are in 2013.  I am closing in on 40 years old and my 20-Year High School Reunion is in a couple of months.  It's time to admit I'm getting old.  But while I'm getting older, so are my children.  My oldest starts the 5th grade this fall and that got me thinking about when I was in the 5th grade at Conn-West Elementary in Grandview, Missouri.  Well, if you don't recall 1986 this little video below should help you.



So, remembering the years of my youth with the upcoming high school reunion on the horizon, I also started thinking about my high school years and ran across this video about 1990 when I started high school.  Geez, I hated my high school years...




2nd Inning.

This ole...Comic Book collection.  As a child in a recently divorced family, I was looking for an escape from reality that would allow me to forget for awhile and drift off to another world where amazing things can happen to amazing people.  Comic books provided me that escape.  I remember one of the first titles I started collecting which was the Transformer series as I was just beginning to collect the toys likewise for G.I.Joe and its comic series that came out after the '80s toys came out.  I would occasionally get my books from the old Skaggs Drug Store in the Truman Corners shopping center and the old tall, spinning rack that was right there by the door.  It wasn't much later that my mom introduced me to the Grandview Book Gallery on Main Street in Grandview, Missouri. 

 

The Gallery was a mom & pop bookstore with comic books, books, and magazines.  As cliché as it is , I remember like it was yesterday walking in that store(as I spent a good part of my youth in that store).  Glass door with a bell that rang when you walked in...magazine rack to your right...glass display counter to your left (on top was where the comics would be lying when the new ones came out on Friday) with the expensive comics in the glass case...then the little desk where George sat and took your money and kept the 'hold' files(you could tell them what titles you wanted to collect and they would put them aside every Friday when they came in for you)...across from George were the regular books (lots of paperbacks and many hardbacks and where I picked up most of my Stephen King books)...on George's left were the old comics...and on the back wall were the nudie magazines (lots of old Playboys).   

Samples of my current collection

Through most of my elementary school years my mom would give me an allowance to spend there every couple of weeks which was about $20.  The early titles I started to collect were based on toys I was also collecting but after seeing the Gallery I started to branch out into the superhero comics.  Spiderman, Batman, X-Men, and Justice League were all titles you could find in my hold folder in those early days.  But once I started washing dishes in my mom's café in Grandview I found myself with more money than I knew what to do with at that age.  I was easily spending $100 a week in the bookstore with a wider range of titles that I was placing in my hold folder and then the search for older copies to complete my sets of Batman, Detective Comics, X-Men, Spiderman, etc.  I was a mini-hoarder before that damn show ever came out.  It was all about having the most valuable/rare comics, then the sought after artists like Todd McFarlane and Frank Miller, then to having multiple copies of the same book because it was a 1st issue of a series or some other special reason like a popular character/villain.  Well, I had my run at it and compiled probably 10 long boxes containing my collection.  I had a great Batman consecutive run that extended from the early 1970s through the late 1980s which was probably the most impressive part of my collection at that time.  Around my ninth grade year I began to realize that the money I was making working for my mom could be better spent elsewhere like a car for me.  I pretty much stopped the majority of my collecting and started a car fund.  Also at that time, the comics industry was in a whirlwind of popularity which was resulting in the comics companies trying to take advantage of folks like me that were collecting.  What they were doing was printing a comic book and slapping multiple covers on it to get you to buy each book with a distinct cover and not that it was some fabulous artwork.  The companies made it about the money and I walked away. 

 

Well, being that I was from a blue-collar family that didn't make enough for me to go to college I planned on using my collection to help get me through my college years to pay for whatever I may need (minus tuition).  The collection did help while I was at Arkansas State University thanks to a couple of fraternity brothers that collected and bought stuff from me.  I was able to pay bills and buy groceries thanks to them.  So there I was not collecting for almost 10 years then I moved back to the Kansas City area and started buying a few titles again.  This time there was no searching for a rare/valuable issue or getting all the copies of the 1st issue or anything with a popular artist...just a good story with cool characters to help me drift away on occasion

to an amazing place with amazing people.   


3rd Inning.

Firearms Corner...One firearm that can be considered iconic over the past 40 years is the Smith & Wesson Model 29.  From its beginning as an experiment by Elmer Keith to its development by Smith & Wesson(firearm side) and Remington(ammo side), the Model 29 has been synonymous with power.  I have read several articles and seen numerous testimonials on tv about the handgun.  Most of the stories relayed this--in the early history of this gun many people would see these for sale as a used firearm with a box of ammo missing one round in the local store.  Story goes that many people bought it, fired one round, then realized it was too much gun for them and took it back to where they purchased it.  This was obviously not good for Smith & Wesson but once the movie Dirty Harry came out and he uttered those famous words, "most powerful handgun in the world", well their sales skyrocketed.  It is important to note that even though they were selling most remained in their box probably in a sock drawer.  This handgun is not very well suited for the average police officer or a civilian that wishes to open/conceal carry.  The Model 29 and the .44 Magnum cartridge did eventually find use in the hunting realm.  You can take this firearm hunting for any North American big game animal and wild hogs and if you ever make it to Africa for a hunt it would be useful for any of their big game.  Nevertheless, I would love to own one someday and add it to my collection.  

4th Inning.

Movie I want to see...Pacific Rim.  I grew up in the age of Transformers toys and Godzilla re-runs on the Saturday night 'Creature Feature'.  Staying up late to catch either the black & white older movies or the newer ones in color always had me excited and with the introduction of Transformers the idea of robots fighting monsters was in my head, especially with the old cartoon, Voltron on tv every afternoon.  Well, in this latest installment from Guillermo del Toro we have a new rendition of monsters versus robots that takes a page out of Voltron and Godzilla.  Per Wikipedia, "The film is set in the near future where soldiers pilot giant robots into battle against invading giant monsters who have risen from beneath the ocean."  You can expect lots of action, violence, and MONSTERS!  The trailers for this movie look really good but you be the judge...final trailer is below.  Enjoy!

5th Inning.

American History Lesson...On June 27th, 1950, President Harry S Truman ordered U.S. forces to South Korea to aid the democratic nation in fighting an invasion by communist North Korea.  This was prompted by action from the North Koreans on the morning of June 25th where they sent 90,000 troops across the 38th parallel (the north/south boundary decided upon after WWII) and sent the South Koreans scrambling in retreat as they were caught off guard.  Truman knew the USSR had approved the invasion and it was learned that the North Koreans were using Soviet-made weapons.  In the opening months of the war, US-led UN forces, commanded by General Douglas MacArthur, advanced against the northern opposition.  But in October of 1950, Chinese communist forces came to the aid of the North Koreans and sent the southern forces into retreat.  In April 1951, MacArthur was relieved of his command by Truman for publicly threatening to bomb the Chinese which went against Truman's war policy.  It was through his fear of further Soviet Union interference that kept Truman from unleashing MacArthur on China.  In May 1951, the communist forces were pushed back to the 38th parallel.  An armistice was signed on July 27, 1953 that ended the conflict and solidified the boundary line.  Total U.S. forces killed in the war were 36, 516.  For information on the Korean War Memorial click here.

Here's a viewpoint on how the U.S. should have handled the Korean War.



6th Inning.

Games...You are given omnipotent power as the world’s Evil Emperor.  You have power over the space/time continuum and must eliminate the following from history.  Who would you eliminate?

 

1)One world leader--Joseph Stalin  

2)One musician/group--Nirvana

3)One actor/actress--Lindsey Lohan

4)One invention--Cell phone

5)One movie--Superman IV

6)One TV show--Keeping up with the Kardashians

7)One species of animal--cockroach

8)One Country/nation/state--France

9)One corporation/company--MSNBC
 

 

7th Inning.

Music...One of the first artists to capture my attention as I began to listen to country music back in the early 1990s was Travis Tritt.  His style of country and Southern rock was a good transition from my earlier days listening to the hair metal band ballads.  Hell, he has long hair too!  His first two CDs are my favorite but he had several more hits after those.  He released 'Country Club' in 1989 with a hit title track 'Country Club', 'Help Me Hold On', 'Drift off to Dream', and 'I'm Gonna be Somebody'.  His follow up to 'Country Club' really put him on the map in the transition going on in country music in the early '90s.  'It's All About to Change' brought him hits with 'Anymore', 'Here's a Quarter(Call Someone Who Cares), 'Nothing Short of Dying', 'Bible Belt(featured in the movie 'My Cousin Vinny'), and his collaboration with Marty Stuart on 'Whiskey Ain't Workin'.  My first country concert at the old Sandstone Ampitheater in Bonner Springs, Kansas was to see Tritt.  The highlight of the concert was when he played 'Here's a Quarter' and prior to playing it they warned the crowd to NOT throw quarters at the stage (apparently a problem at other venues) and of course the crowd did throw them but with Travis playing on a scaffold at the back of the stage.  My favorite songs/videos revolve around his 'Anymore/Tell Me I Was Dreaming/If I Lost You' trilogy.  You can see them below.  Enjoy!

8th Inning.

FFL Factoid...Pistol Grip Shotguns.  There may be some confusion when selling/buying a pistol grip shotgun as it is classified as 'not a shotgun' even thought it shoots shotgun shells which puts it in the AOW (Any Other Weapon) category.  The reason for this is because it lacks a buttstock per the Gun Control Act.  One of the more popular models sold is the Mossberg 500 Cruiser and typically comes with a 18.5 inch barrel.  An important note for buying or selling is that since it is not a shotgun you must be 21 years old to purchase one.  In addition, shotguns that have both a buttstock and a pistol grip are classified as shotguns and only require you to be 18 years old to purchase one. 


9th Inning.

Baseball video...
Found this 'blast from the past' on YouTube.  Did you know George Brett had a song written about him?  Neither did I.  Enjoy!

"Don't Fire Until You See The Whites Of Their Eyes!"

1st Inning.

My daughter, Kylie, patiently waiting on a play at first base.

Highlights of the Brew Crew....So, we are now 7 games into the season for my daughter's 3rd/4th grade softball season.  The team is sponsored by Mason Exterminating and the girls chose the nickname 'Hornets'.  This is the fourth summer in a row that we have kept a core group of girls together (primarily the coaches daughters) and seeing each year how they have taken another step to understanding and playing the game has been enjoyable.  As a little league coach you volunteer your time a couple of nights a week to teach these young children how to play the game.  Some of the girls show up with no knowledge of softball or baseball and some show up having played a few years and are ready to go.  But as a coach with a child on the team there is a moment when your kid gets a great hit or makes a great play that you are extremely proud of them and there are those moments when the young child that showed up on the first day of practice with no skill, glove, bat or understanding of the game finally gets their first hit five games into the season.  At that moment, as a coach you want to run across the field and hoist that player up and say to them, "See, I told you, you could do it!" 

Coaches kids and Billy's Hit it a Ton BBQ Sauce.

 

Now on the opposite end of the little league coaching spectrum you have the 'Why-is-my-kid-not-playing-that-position' parent sitting in the stands.  You know the one (hell you may be that person) that questions every call the coach makes on the field and loudly coaches their child from the stands contradicting everything you have told their child.  They are no fun to be around so either shut your yapper or volunteer to be a coach because as a wise, fellow coach once said, "We are always looking for extra coaches!" Well, seven games into the season our record is 5-1-1 (yes, we have ties in this league) and we are sitting in first place.  I like to blame coaching but this year we are getting a little help from a certain bbq sauce.  (Shout out to Billy Butler of the Kansas City Royals).   

2nd Inning.

Uncle Jeremy's Tips to get the nation back on track...Abolish the IRS and implement the Fair Tax...Eliminate 'Zero Tolerance' in our public schools...Take all the money we are spending on Food Stamps and put it towards providing better Veteran's Benefits...Hold a month-long conference to examine the redundancy and waste at the Federal level and finally eliminate it...Pass two new Constitutional amendments for Congressional term limits and a Balanced Federal Budget...Repeal Obamacare...Examine opportunities for certain counties in certain states to group together to secede from those states and create new ones...Make space exploration our national goal...Put gun safety and marksmanship classes/teams back in our schools...Drug tests for any welfare recipients...

3rd Inning.

Articles of the week.

• Science takes a leap forward..."Our study shows that for the first time, humans are able to control the flight of flying robots using just their thoughts, sensed from noninvasive brain waves," said Bin He, lead scientist behind the study and a professor with the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering."  Truly amazing! Can't wait to see what the next 20 years brings us.
• Welcome to the Matrix... "In just over 30 years, humans will be able to upload their entire minds to computers and become digitally immortal - an event called singularity - according to a futurist from Google."  Red pill or blue?
  
• Free at Last... "He went on: 'You see, at the heart of liberalism, is the idea that only a great and powerful big Government can be the benefactor of social justice for all Americans. But the left is only concerned with one thing: control. And they disguise this control as charity.' "  I always find it interesting when a politician changes party affiliations.
• Evil Dreams Big... "Evil never takes a holiday; in fact, it capitalizes on them. Evil sees a busload of tourists as a piñata it would like to see burst."  Gutfeld delivers!
• The Sound of Silence... Like him or hate him but Glenn Beck delivers a powerful piece by not saying a word.
• Gotta pass it to find out what's in it... "When the Democrats were trying to sell Obamacare to the public, they told us that because of Barack Obama's magical health care elixir, Americans are going to live forever, in perfect health for free while unicorns will tote them back and forth to magical fairy doctors who will cure all their ills with pixie dust."  Another examination on how Obamacare is not what it seems.
  
• Do as I say, not as I do... "The threat of complying with the Affordable Care Act is apparently so unpleasant for a few U.S. lawmakers and their aides, that some are considering avoiding it entirely by retiring early." Good enough for the peasants but not the nobility.
• The Amnesty mob vs. America... "You can try to put "conservative" lipstick on the lawless amnesty mob. In the end, however, it's still a lawless mob. The big government/big business alliance to protect illegal immigration got a lot of mileage using foolish Republicans Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan as front men. But the true colors of the open-borders grievance-mongers always show through."  I'm all for immigration, legal immigration that is...
• GLG-20... "More and more personal and household devices are connecting to the internet, from your television to your car navigation systems to your light switches. CIA Director David Petraeus cannot wait to spy on you through them." An older article but very relevant in today's climate on government spying.

If you have seen this movie, you will get the GLG-20 reference.

4th Inning.

American History Lesson...On June 17, 1775, in the early stages of the American Revolution, the Battle of Bunker Hill occurred in Massachusetts.  During the 'Siege of Boston', colonial forces learned of a British plan to move their troops in an attempt to occupy the hills surrounding Boston.  Under the leadership of William Prescott, the Colonials moved in and constructed fortified lines along both Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill.  The following day the British saw what the colonial forces had done and mounted an attack.  It took three assaults on the hill to overtake it from the Colonials and that was mainly due to the Colonials running out of ammunition.  The colonial forces retreated and were able to regroup to fight another day.  Although it is described as the 'Battle of Bunker Hill', the battle was mostly fought on or around Breed's Hill.  The British casualties numbered 1,054 while the Colonials saw 450 men lost.  The battle is widely recognized through the painting by John Trumbull titled, "The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill".  The famous order, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes", is linked to the Battle of Bunker Hill and will be a war cry that Americans will remember forever.  

5th Inning.

Sports...Much has been said over the years and especially this season about the lack of home run power my Kansas City Royals have on their roster.  For those not aware the single season record for home runs by a Royal is 36 by Steve "Bye, Bye" Balboni during the 1985 season.  Yeah, it's been that long and the record is that low.  The single season tallies for the Royals can be viewed here.  The highest total in the last decade was the 29 Billy Butler hit last season.  Per Jeremy Sickel over at www.bleacherreport.com, "The Royals are the only current team to not have a single player hit at least 40 home runs in a season, including the relative new kids on the block the Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Rays."  Pathetic!  Simply Pathetic!   Even with all the has-beens the Royals have been able to pick up in the last 28 years not one of them could at least hit 40 in a season while wearing royal blue.  Take into account many of the great hitters that the Royals have had during their prime such as George Brett, John Mayberry, Bo Jackson, Danny Tartabull, Mike Sweeney, Carlos Beltran, and Jermaine Dye and understand that none of them could hit more than 36 during their tenure as a Royal.   Beltran did end up hitting 38 in a season during 2004 when he was traded to the Houston Astros(combined totals from the Royals and Astros) and then 41 in 2006 with the Mets.  Dye hit 44 with the White Sox in 2006.  I hope to someday see this inexcusable record go down in my lifetime.  Pray my fellow Royals fans, pray!  

6th Inning.

Movie I want to see...The Wolverine.  In late July another installment of Hugh Jackman playing Logan will hit theaters.  This movie takes place after the events of 'X-Men: The Last Stand'.  Per Wikipedia the premise is as follows : "Logan travels to Japan, where he engages a mysterious figure from his past in a fight that has lasting consequences.  Vulnerable for the first time, and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel, but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than ever before."  This story is based on the comic book story mini-series by Frank Miller and Chris Claremont.  You can pick it up and any comic book store or regular bookstore under the title "Wolverine" which collects issues 1-4 of the miniseries and Uncanny X-Men #172-173.  It is a great story that really put Logan on the map.  During the 1980s, anything Frank Miller touched in the comics world turned to gold and this is no exception.  But if you want to read the best Wolverine story that should someday be made into a movie check out the "Wolverine: Old Man Logan" story in trade paperback (can be purchased at any comic book store or regular bookstore).  Can't wait to see 'The Wolverine this July! Trailer is below. Enjoy!

7th Inning.

Firearms Corner...With many people across the nation taking classes to get their conceal carry licenses, I thought I would take a moment to highlight some of the conceal carry holsters for women.  Men have a standard selection of conceal carry holsters and clothing.  From 'Inside-the-waistband' holsters to pocket holsters to ankle holsters to vests with built in concealed pockets to hoodie sweatshirts with concealed pockets, the male side of the situation is pretty covered.  But women tend to wear tighter clothing along with dresses and skirts that require a different perspective on how to conceal carry.  One of the newest and more popular holsters is the bra holster.  The bra holsters tend to come in two styles--one that attaches between the cups and one the attaches to one cup.  Each of these are designed for specific attire as the one that attaches between the cups is more suitable for a woman wearing a shirt that allows for quick access while the one that attaches to one cup is more suited for a woman wearing a dress to allow for down-the-front access.  Below are a couple of videos to highlight how they work.

 

8th Inning.

FFL Factoid...This week's FFL Dealer type: Type 11.

• Importer of Destructive Devices, Ammunition for Destructive Devices or Armor Piercing Ammunition.  Requires payment as an SOT Class 1. To import any Destructive Device with an explosives content (e.g. flash-bangs), requires an additional FEL as an Importer of High Explosives.  Fee is $3,000 for three years.

9th Inning.

Baseball video...After suffering through a bad stretch that saw them lose a franchise record 11 straight home games.  Well, after bringing ole #5 back to act as a temporary hitting coach and several bottles of Billy Butler's BBQ sauce, the Boys in Blue have turn things around and climbed into 2nd place and back to .500 baseball in mid-June.  Contenders? We'll see...

Put me in, Coach! I'm ready to play!

1st Inning.

Highlights of the Brew Crew...This past weekend I had the opportunity to take my daughter, Dixie, to the World's of Fun (WOF) amusement park in Kansas City.  As a child in the Kansas City area I remember many trips each summer to WOF.  I recall how afraid I was of The Orient Express and Zambezi Zinger roller coasters until I actually rode them and had lots of fun.  Per Wikipedia, "The park is themed around the Jules Verne book, Around the World in Eighty Days. Worlds of Fun is divided into five major sections (Scandinavia, Africa, Europa, the Orient, and Americana). Rides, attractions, shops, shows, and restaurants are named according to the area theme. Guests enter the park in Scandinavia." Over the years since I was a child, many of the rides I looked forward to have been retired and replaced with bigger better rides but there is a sense of nostalgia as I walked through the park for the first time in almost 10 years. 

 

This trip was Dixie's first time to WOF and it was just she and I for most of the day.  My oldest daughter, Kylie, was at Oceans of Fun (next door and starting this year you get to go to both parks now with one ticket) with her Girl Scout troop and we didn't have to go get her until 3:30.  Dixie and I arrived shortly after the park opened around 11am.  With her being nervous about some of the rides based on looking at the WOF website, I wanted to walk her through the entire park to see all the rides so she could make the call on whether we rode them or not.  So, we made our way through Scandinavia with her only choice being the Viking Voyager, but they had not opened it for the day (had to wait another hour or so). 

 

Once we made it to the Africa section, we found our way to the new Dinosaurs Alive attraction (which costs an extra $5).  Dixie really seemed to like seeing the animatronic dinosaurs and reading about them from the display boards.  We continued on through Africa with an "I don't think so" and a "No way" before we made it to the Fury of the Nile which still needed another hour or so before they would open it (Did I mention how chilly it was on this day?   Had to buy Dixie a hoodie from the first gift shop we found).  Well, on the other side of the Fury of the Nile is the Monsoon.  We rode that and I could tell she was excited but didn't want to ride it again due to getting wet and shivering.  Eventually we made it to the Europa section and the LeTaxiTour, the drivable taxi rides, and the Flying Dutchman.  She enjoyed both and we ended up riding the taxis several more times that day with Dixie as the driver.  While in the Europa section we took in a live show where the old 'Stax of Wax' show once played when I was a youth.  This show was called the 'Party Rockin' show and was the same format only instead of 50s/60s/70s music it was 70s/80s/90s/2000s.  After grabbing a late lunch and Dixie winning herself a stuffed animal at one of the carnival games and one ride on the Ferris Wheel, we headed over to get Kylie at Oceans of Fun.  We rode the Fury of the Nile and the taxis one more time then grabbed some funnel cakes and fried Oreos for the ride home.  All part of a really fun day!

 2nd Inning.

American History Citizen Lesson...Saluting the American Flag.  I came across a news story recently that involved saluting the American flag so I figured I would devote an inning to this good citizenship action.

Per http://www.americanflags.org: "To salute the flag, all persons come to attention. All persons in uniform should give the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may also render the military salute. All other persons should salute by placing their right hand over their hearts. Men wearing a head covering (a hat, cap or other headwear) are to remove it. Women do not have to remove their head covering.

In parades or reviews, at the moment the flag passes, each individual should stand at attention facing the flag and salute.

The Flag of the United States is saluted as it is hoisted and lowered. The salute is held until the flag is unsnapped from the halyard or through the last note of the national anthem, whichever is longer.

When the national anthem is played or sung, citizens should stand at attention and salute by placing their right hand over their heart at the first note and holding the salute through the last note. The salute is directed to the flag, if displayed, otherwise to the music. If in uniform, the person should salute in the formal manner. It is proper to salute wherever the national anthem is played, for instance, on a college campus, in a public park, in a church, at a ball game, sports event, etc.
When, on U.S. soil, the national anthem of more than one nation is played, the visitors’ national anthems are played first, and may or may not be followed by our National Anthem.  During the visitors’ anthems, all present should stand at attention and face the flags of the nations (or the music, if they are not present).  Men not in uniform should remove their hats as well.
We contacted the Institute of Heraldry (Army) regarding the rendering of a salute during anthems of other nations.  They did not have an official answer to this question but commented that they felt it would be appropriate for U.S. citizens to salute only during the playing of our National Anthem.  We concur with that recommendation.

To salute a flag in a moving column, it is proper to start the salute as the flag enters your position and end when it has passed..

When the Pledge of Allegiance is recited, citizens should stand at attention and salute by placing their right hand over the heart with the first word and hold the salute through the last line of the Pledge. The salute is directed to the flag by facing it during the Pledge."

Well, in the recent news story that caught my attention, a young man playing the cymbals in band encountered an obstacle that left him confused momentarily until he decided to act and conduct himself like a true patriot.  Video is below. Enjoy!


And remember, KC folks, the national anthem ends in "...home of the brave" not Chiefs.

3rd Inning.

Politics/Religion...There will only ever be one Paul Harvey.  He could tell it so anyone could understand.  I'm going to start adding some Paul Harvey audios going forward.  Listen and enjoy...and maybe learn something.



4th Inning.

Movie I want to see again...The final installment of My top 10 Teen Comedy Movies of the '80s Countdown--Part 10....Secret Admirer.  My countdown wraps up with an entry starring C.Thomas Howell.  Mr. Howell was in a few hits in the early '80s including 'E.T.' and 'The Outsiders'.  Secret Admirer was released in between his role in 'Red Dawn' and 'The Hitcher' (great horror flick!).  It also stars Kelly Preston (Mrs. John Travolta) as Deborah, Lori Loughlin (from Full House fame) as Toni, and a young Corey Haim (as Howell's little brother). 

On the last day of school of his junior year, Michael, played by Howell, receives a mysterious love letter and he suspects(wishes) it is from Deborah, who he is obsessed with.  Well, he quickly realizes that she didn't write it but that doesn't deter him a bit.  He confides in his friend, Toni (who is also a friend of Deborah), about how he loved the letter.  Toni then convinces him to write Deborah a couple of anonymous letters which turn out to be greeting card retreads and Toni ultimately ends up re-writing both.  After the letters are written they end up in the hands of Michael's parents and Deborah's parents and all kinds of confusion ensues with possible affairs/fights/jealousy running amok.  In the end, Michael realizes Deborah is not for him (the old 'be careful what you wish for because you might get it and it won't be what you want') and it is Toni that wrote all the letters and that she is in love with him and he with her.  Great flick so add it to your movie collection!  Trailer is below.  Enjoy! 

5th Inning.

Articles of the Week.

• Ghostbusters need to head to Columbia University..."One of the speakers at the 30^th reunion should have reminisced about 'my days with the future President.' But no one did. You’d think Obama might have sent a video to tell us all how much he enjoyed his time at Columbia. You’d think he’d have sent at least a letter to be read aloud from one of his former college buddies. Right? But he didn’t. Because Obama has no former college buddies. No one that ever met Obama, let alone befriended him, was in attendance at our 30^th class reunion." 
  
  President Obama must have been a ghost or took all his classes online, right?  More people need to be asking questions.  Where's the National Enquirer?  We knew everything about Bush and Clinton and their college years so why nothing on Obama?
• One vote, two vote, three votes, fraud..."People have to present ID to cash a check, buy a beer, test drive a car, and sign their children out when they get picked up for day care.  Why does Eric Holder think casting a ballot to elect local, state, and national leaders is so much less significant?"  I support Voter-ID laws.  There is no excuse for anyone to not be able to present some form of government-issued ID to vote.  How else are they functioning in today's society without it?  Are they living in a cave and off the grid?
• Hey, hey, you, you, get off of my sidewalk..."James O’Keefe’s latest Project Veritas undertaking is something we’ve long suspected but rarely proved — the hypocrisy of liberal lawmakers. O’Keefe does so magnificently."  Gotta love hypocrisy!  The Bill of Rights is on the chopping block folks. Wake UP!
• Transparency, Shransparency..."The scope of using the secret accounts across government remains a mystery: Most U.S. agencies have failed to turn over lists of political appointees’ email addresses, which the AP sought under the Freedom of Information Act more than three months ago. The Labor Department initially asked the AP to pay more than $1 million for its email addresses."  No.More.Secrets.  I thought President Obama said this would be the most transparent government in history?
• You put the balm on? Who told you to put the balm on? I didn't tell you to put the balm on. Why'd you put the balm on?... "Major League Baseball will seek to suspend about 20 players connected to the Miami-area clinic at the heart of an ongoing performance-enhancing drug scandal, including Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, possibly within the next few weeks, "Outside the Lines" has learned. If the suspensions are upheld, the performance-enhancing drug scandal would be the largest in American sports history."  Might as well as mark out all baseball records from 1995 to the present. (SMH)
  
• We are 1776..."We Are 1776 provides an exciting tool libertarians can use to stay informed on policy, and to stay consistent to libertarian ideas."  Three young men out to try and inform the masses and promote freedom.  Hats off to these guys!
• WWHD..."If Alexander Hamilton were alive in our time, he would have plenty to say about the seemingly endless Chinese cyber-espionage on US defense assets, which even the Defense Science Board, an advisory group to the Pentagon, admits has caused “staggering losses” to US national security."  A good little piece on Alexander Hamilton and the defense crisis of today.
• WWJD... "Andrew Jackson, one of this country’s greatest presidents, would have seen China’s latest attack as a direct affront to American honor, requiring immediate and decisive action." A good little piece on Andrew Jackson and the defense crisis of today.
• The Taxman Dumbeth... (yeah, I stole that line from 'The Daily Show') "The Flat Tax and the Fair Tax each have pluses and minuses that need to be debated. But in the end it really doesn't matter which idea triumphs.  America and all Americans would be better off with either one.
  
  Either would eliminate the progressive tax system and make federal taxes simpler, fairer, smarter and apolitical. And, best of all, either one would kill the IRS as we know it -- forever."  Check out the Fair Tax or the flat tax and contact your representatives in Washington!

6th Inning.

Firearms Corner...Top Shot returns!  One of my favorite shows (and my daughters' as well) has been Top Shot on The History Channel.  The show is a typical reality-game show hosted by former 'Survivor' contestant, Colby Donaldson, and features 16 contestants that start off the show on 1 of 2 teams competing against each other in shooting/weapons challenges.  At the end of each show the team that lost the weekly challenge would nominate two people to face off in an elimination challenge.  This occurs until a point where they merge the teams and there is one remaining.  As we have watched over the past seasons there have been some pretty interesting characters that have appeared on the show.  Good guys and gals and some several jerks that needed a good ass-whoopin'!  Every contestant that has emerged 'Top Shot' deserved it and had to complete some very tough challenges.  While showcasing the skills of each contestant each week, Top Shot also adheres to its History Channel roots and provides a good history lesson linked to the firearms/weapons used for the challenges.  Well, as the summer begins and the show enters its 5th season, the contestants are comprised of 'All-Stars' from the previous shows.  There are no teams in the current season so that should be interesting as they widdle down the 16 contestants to 1.  Tune in to The History Channel on Wednesdays at 10/9c! 

7th Inning.

Cool & Funny vids...

Star Wars vs. Star Trek...Wouldn't we love to see a trilogy of these two franchises versus each other?!?!  Enjoy!


Grayson...this is a movie that NEEDS to be made!  I ran across it several years ago and I check it out every so often because it's really good and gets the fanboy in me all excited.  Enjoy!


8th Inning.

FFL factoid...This week's FFL Dealer type: Type 10.

• Manufacturer of firearms, ammunition and ammunition components, manufacturer of destructive devices, ammunition for destructive devices, and armor piercing ammunition; may also deal in all of the aforementioned items. Requires payment as an SOT Class 2 (can act as an NFA Dealer). To manufacture any destructive device with an explosives content (e.g. flash-bangs) requires an additional Federal Explosive License (FEL) as a Type 20 Manufacturer of High Explosives.  Fee is $3000 for three years.

9th Inning.

Baseball video...With the baseball season approaching the All-Star break and little leagues beginning their seasons I thought it appropriate for some John Fogerty's 'Centerfield'.   But this video version I found on YouTube was made by some high school kids.  Enjoy!