1st Inning. For Christmas, I wish that I had one more Christmas morning as a child in the early to mid 1980s. That feeling opening presents under the tree and finding Transformers and G.I.Joes....or the Star Wars toys...Lite-Brite...He-Man and the Masters of the Universe...or that stack of comic books...all of that while knowing my mom bought it as a single parent working as a waitress at a little cafe in suburbia.
2nd Inning. For Christmas, I wish I had one more summer playing baseball with all those guys from the Grandview Baseball Association. Win or lose... standing in line at the concession stand after my Uncle Alton paid for the team to get a candy bar and a soda was always a good way to keep the spirits up or raise them after that loss...Suicide please!
3rd Inning. For Christmas, I wish for one more day to spend at the Grandview Book Gallery. The smell of old books...spending my entire paycheck from working at my mom's cafe...the glass case where they laid out the new comics on top and kept the expensive ones inside...George sitting behind the desk...rifling through the old comics looking for the ones I didn't have but needed to complete my collection...oh, and trying to catch a peek at the old Playboys which were strategically placed next to the old comics.
4th Inning. For Christmas, I wish for one more night to spend driving around in my 1967 Mustang with my friends, Billy Dick, David Peterman, and Chris Zeller. This time we will drive with the headlights on...stop by Taco Bell...cruise around Longview Lake...maybe hit Noland Road or Paul's Drive-In. There is nothing like being with your buddies and driving around in your first car.
5th Inning. For Christmas, I wish for one more meal made by my Granny Brewer. To taste her biscuits and gravy...her white corn bread...that sweet corn she grew in her garden...her chicken and dumplings...fried fruit pies..fried trout...fresh tomatoes also grown in the garden...her banana pudding or blueberry graham cracker dessert or her pineapple orange juice upside down cake... there was nothing she (and her cast iron skillets) couldn't make to eat.
6th Inning. For Christmas, I wish for one more squirrel hunt with my Papa Brewer. Getting to target shoot with my Papa's old Winchester single-shot .22 rifle (it was his father's gun before he had it)...walking through the woods with him passing on his wisdom...hearing his dog 'tree a squirrel'...Skinning those suckers and having Granny fry them up for a meal.
7th Inning. For Christmas, I wish I had said 'Yes' to a couple of guys back in 1999 when they asked me to be President (again) of the Tau Kappa Epsilon, Beta Psi Chapter at Arkansas State University. The time I spent at A-State will be some of the most precious years of my life. If only it had not gone by so damn soon. Being called upon as a leader of other men was special to me and during those months, and after surrounding myself with other great young men, our chapter had a sort of renaissance. We won awards...recruited more good men...reestablished our presence on campus...and had a good time along the way. Then came the end of my presidency and two of the most respected members of that era pulled me aside and asked me to run again. That chokes me up every time I think about it and what else I could have accomplished leading those guys...
8th Inning. For Christmas, I wish I had one more night to spend with all of my cousins going to the movies after Thanksgiving and Christmas at our Grandpa & Grandma Arnold's house. It was an annual tradition once I received my driver's license. We would all (David, Michelle, Merle, Shelley, Karissa, Denny, and numerous friends) go to Ward Parkway theaters for a movie and fun. One of the first things we would say to each other once we got to Grandpa and Grandma's was "What are we going to see?". Being around cousins you don't get to see often always turns into a sentimental feeling.
9th Inning. For Christmas, I wish for something that doesn't involve me but someone else. It would be that Buck O'Neil would have made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame. When he received the news that day 10 years ago, I was glued to the tv just like so many others here in the Kansas City area. If you wanted to see a grown man cry, you should have been in my living room that day. I already admired him greatly prior to that announcement, but watching him handle it with such grace had me admiring him even more. Buck proved you can get further through life with love rather than hate. I've tried my best to adhere to that model, to the Buck Standard. I hope to meet him once again in the afterlife and shake his hand and listen to an old baseball story.
Highlights of the Brew Crew...Granny Brewer. "Is she dead?" my 3 year old daughter, Lulu, asked me as she sat on my lap at the funeral service for my Granny Brewer. We listened to the pastor give his speech on life and death as the body of my Granny lay in the open casket in front of him. As we sat in the pew at the Blue Mountain Baptist Church in north Arkansas, I told her, "Yes". She then asked, "Who killed her?" to which I responded, "No one. Jesus wanted her to go to Heaven." Lulu then whispered in my ear, "Is she alone in Heaven?". I told her she was not alone. She went to be with my Papa Brewer.
Seeing my Granny for the last time laying quietly in the casket brought on so many memories. The dress my little Lulu was wearing that day was made by my Granny for my sister when she was that age. The last time I was in that church was with my Granny around 17 years ago. The feeling of sadness was with me but the overwhelming feeling of happiness (for her) dominated me as she was no longer suffering from the Alzheimer's that had taken her from us close to a decade ago. There have been many days and nights where I wished that my kids could know my Granny and Papa Brewer like did growing up and that they could have similar experiences with them. That is what makes me sad. Well, with all that said I have listed a few of those memories and experiences below that made a mark on me and ones that I will never forget.
Waiting for her to get home from working at the shirt factory. When my sister and me would get the chance to go visit it usually involved getting a ride from my Great Aunt (Granny's sister) and Great Uncle who live in the KC area. We would leave on a Friday after school and get there at night but my Granny worked the evening shift and would not get home until early in the morning. Sometimes we would wait up with my Papa on the front porch. Sometimes there would be a cardboard box on the front porch and me and my sister would hide in it and jump out when Granny stepped up on the porch. Nothing like scaring your Granny at 1am...
Those delicious breakfasts! Granny could cook and she would always make a great breakfast which usually consisted of biscuits and gravy, sausage patties, scrambled eggs, and orange juice. On too many mornings after eating that breakfast I would just go back to sleep and wake up close to noon. Now every time I smell sausage cooking in my house it reminds me of her and those breakfasts.
Quilt making machine. Granny could sew just about anything and something that I felt was a specialty of hers was making quilts. I have several from her and ones that I believe her mom, my Granny Elsie, made many, many, many years ago. But I still have one, the last one she made for me, that she crafted due to my new found interest in deer hunting. It is covered with pictures of a deer and is one that goes with me to the hunting camp or in an RV trip and is always a go-to for lounging on the couch.
Everything else. A montage of memories flies by in my head and I think of things like her swinging on the porch swing while us kids played in the yard; riding in the back of my Uncle Dwight's truck with coolers full of food and Pepsi and Mountain Dew as we headed to Long Creek to go swimming for the day; her dragging me to church and me digging through her purse for a butterscotch candy; sitting in the back room watching tv and her getting onto my Papa for bringing baby animals in for us to play with; helping her snap beans on the front porch; and lastly, the hugs when we arrived for our visits and when we left.
2nd Inning.
Articles of the Week...
The Badass Blackbird..."With a sleek needle nose and a swept double-delta wing with two prominent nacelles, the supersonic SR-1 Blackbird spy plane is the stuff aviation legend. Although the SR-1 first flew in late December of 1964 and hasn't been in service for almost 25 years, it's still the fastest plane that's ever seen action." The coolest, baddest, fastest plane to ever fly...well, until they reveal 'Aurora'. Also, it was a Transformer...wish they would have had it as a toy when I was a kid.
Prepare for Warp Speed..."'Star Trek' introduced the world outside of rocket science circles to the concept of warp drive – the propulsion system that allowed the starship Enterprise to travel faster than the speed of light. Warp speed is the holy grail that would let us explore the universe safely surrounded and protected by a space-distorting warp field. After watching the SpaceX rocket recently just try to land on a platform, you’d think this ability is years if not decades away. Yet the buzz on space websites is that NASA may have accidentally discovered a way to create a warp field. Wait, what?" I hope to see space travel beyond our solar system in my lifetime and I hope this is the start of serious technology to get us going.
I am Batman!..."Jackson Gordon is no ordinary 21-year-old. By day he is an industrial design student at Philadelphia University, but Gordon has another side to him -- a side altogether darker, tougher and more enigmatic. Hanging in his workshop Gordon has a full suit of armor plating, cape and cowl -- matte black and built to stop a knife. Gordon has an alter ego: the Dark Knight himself, Batman." Who wouldn't like to build their own Batman suit of armor?Maybe only the Joker...
Haunted Missouri..."Missouri's hauntings reach back centuries to the Native Americans of the region, who had traditions for keeping the dead from returning to this world. Today there are dozens of haunted spots in the Show-Me State. Many of the sites are open to the public (such as the Lemp Mansion) or can be visited during special events." Speaking of old, creepy places...how about a list of the 10 most haunted places in Missouri?
1985 is Alive..."It’s been 29 long years. It was the year of “Back to the Future.” Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” hit No. 1. “MacGyver” first debuted on television. And during that magical season, the 1985 Kansas City Royals, led by Hall-of-Famer George Brett, battled their way into the playoffs against the Toronto Blue Jays." A great 'Where are they now?' piece on the Royals from that 1985 World Championship team.
McAbandonment..."The three saddest words in the English language may be "abandoned McDonald's barge."Yes, floating McDonald's restaurants were once a thing. There used to be one near the Archway in St. Louis, in fact. This one comes from British Colombia, just north of the U.S.-Canadian border. It is now completely abandoned and floating in Burrard Inlet near Vancouver." Creepy, old, abandoned places are neat to me. I try to visit places like this as much as possible and would love the chance to check this place out.
Rosie the Robot Riveter..."Cheaper, better robots will replace human workers in the world’s factories at a faster pace over the next decade, pushing labor costs down 16 percent, a report today said." You want $15/hour to flip burgers? You need to get back to school and learn a trade or get a degree in a field that is needed say in robotics?
Baseball and Crime, South of the Border..."Tucked away among the tilled plots and scrubby pastures of this rural town, the Seattle Mariners’ baseball academy is mostly abandoned. The weight room has been cleared of machines. The numbered locker-room stalls are bare." I believe baseball is the true international sport (not soccer) and I like the idea of these academies in other countries. It makes me sad as a baseball fan to see them left abandoned.
Love, Charity, Esteem..."You couldn’t put a label on my Teke chapter because we didn’t fit nicely under any one description. We had varsity and intramural athletes, ROTC cadets, scholars in various majors, musicians, artists, comedians (lots of those), and members with many other talents and gifts." A 'successful organization' piece from one of my TKE fraternity brothers from the Beta Psi Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon.
3rd Inning.
Sports...Pete Rose. As I sat in my living room the other night watching my hometown team, the Kansas City Royals, I was appalled to see second baseman, Omar Infante, lollygagging on his way to first base after a passed 3rd strike where he was eventually thrown out and killed a possible big inning. There was a time when ballplayers actually hustled while playing. George Brett was one, Reggie Jackson was one, and Cal Ripken was one. But the king of hustle was ole 'Charlie Hustle', Pete Rose. Regardless of his betting troubles, no one can deny his aggressiveness on the field.
Rose started his career in 1963 with the Cincinnati Reds and played there until going to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979 where he played until 1984. He split the 1984 season starting on the Montreal Expos before later in the season returning to the Reds where he finished his career. As a player he is best known for his hustle on the field and becoming the all-time hits king upon surpassing Ty Cobb (4,189) and finishing his career with 4,256.
FoxSports.com recently published an article that can be found here and listed 7 of his greatest moments. I will list 3 from that list below.
Every headfirst slide. As a kid playing baseball you would always pretend to be a major leaguer. If you were hitting you might choose Darryl Strawberry; fielding you might choose Frank White; and if you were sliding you went headfirst and you were Pete Rose.
1970 All-Star Game. During my lifetime I have seen the annual Major League Baseball All-Star game go from meaning something to a tie to back to meaning something. The level of play over that period started to resemble the NFL's Pro-Bowl which has fell from being a real game decades ago to basically a backyard-bbq pick up game. But there was a time, before player free agency, when guys spent their entire careers with one team or at least with one league and there was actually a rivalry and the All-Star Game meant bragging rights between the National League and American League. One such example of going all out to win the game is Rose's game ending performance in the 1970 game.
All-Time Hit King. Like the consecutive games record that would come later, the All-time Hits record had gone 50 years before Rose surpassed Ty Cobb. The moment was fitting as he accomplished it wearing the old red and white Reds uniform. It will be nice to see him at this year's All-Star Game hosted by the Cincinnati Reds.
4th Inning.
American History...Flag Day, June 14th. As we approach June 14th, some may or may not have noticed the day on your calendars but it is officially 'National Flag Day'. Per NationalFlagDay.com, "On June 14th, 1885, Bernard J. Cigrand, a 19 year old teacher at Stony Hill School, placed a 10 inch, 38- star flag in a bottle on his desk then assigned essays on the flag and its significance. This observance, commemorated Congresses adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777. This observance was also the beginning of Cigrand’s long years of fervent and devoted effort to bring about national recognition and observance of Flag Day. The crowning achievement of his life came at age fifty when President Wilson, on May 30, 1916, issued a proclamation calling for a nation wide observance of Flag Day. Then in 1949, President Truman signed an Act Of Congress designating the 14th day of June every year as National Flag Day. On June 14th, 2004, the 108th U.S. Congress voted unanimously on H.R. 662 that Flag Day originated in Ozaukee County, Waubeka Wisconsin." So, this June 14th make sure you take a moment to fly that flag and fly it proudly. Replace your old one if it has become ragged or faded and if you feel like being crafty you can get with your kids and make your own rotating pvc pipe flag pole. Instructions are below. Enjoy!
5th Inning.
Firearms Corner...How is ammo made? With the plethora of new gun owners everyday in the United States, there is bound to be questions, not only about firearms, but also about ammunition. I have had plenty as I pick the brain of my uncle who is a 're-loader'. Combine the newbies' questions along with the ever fear of government bans on firearms and you have what we have had over the past several years with the hoarding and unavailability of ammo. Well, consider this an educational inning on how ammo is made presented by NRA and showcasing Hornday ammo. Now if only they could wave a magic wand and produce .22LR in mass quantities again so the hoarders can quit posting it for sale online at gouge prices. Video is below. Enjoy!
6th Inning.
Random Facts (after working from home for the past 4 years and now starting a new job in an actual office)...I have to wear pants now during my work day...Shaving is required more than once a year...No more interpretive dancing and singing to Meatloaf at the highest volumes my computer speakers will allow... Afternoon snacks of root beer floats are hard to come by at my new place of employment...The sound of mysterious voices and sounds I would hear while working in my basement office have been replaced by live human voices and sounds from my new office...You have to hold in a lot more farts...Showering is no longer a lunchtime activity...Now, if I have a heart attack I will be treated immediately rather than found dead several hours later... No more conference calls from the bathroom...
7th Inning.
Have you seen it?... Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon. There are many movies from our youth that slip through the cracks and don't always become the 'Big Hit' but stick with you as a personal favorite. An example of one of those and a favorite of mine is 'Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon'.This movie came out during the mid-1980s around the same time as other martial arts flicks such as 'The Karate Kid', 'The American Ninja', and 'Revenge of the Ninja'. It was a time of martial arts craze for us kids of the '80s. I remember seeing this one on VHS after renting it during one of those sleepovers with the friends where you try to reenact the karate moves on each other after watching the movie. Who didn't dress up as a ninja during Halloween during those years? I am guilty of that but due to my 'husky-ness' I more closely resembled 'Beverly Hills Ninja' than I did Stormshadow. Along with a pretty cool soundtrack that includes the Debarge hit--'Rhythm of the Night', the movie is a great representation of that era.
IMDB.com describes the plot as "In New York City, a young man searches for the "master" to obtain the final level of martial arts mastery known as the glow. Along the way, he must fight an evil martial arts expert and rescue a beautiful singer from an obsessed music promoter." It stars Taimak as 'Bruce' Leroy Green and the hero of the movie. His damsel in distress is played by Vanity (from 80s musical fame). The rest of the cast is relative unknowns but contribute to the B-movie entertainment.
If you are looking for a movie that has some comical scenes mixed in with some decent martial arts moves and some good music, then this is for you! The trailer is below. Enjoy!
8th Inning.
FFL Factoid...From the National Shooting Sports Foundation's ATF Q&Apage:
Q: Can a juvenile (18 and under) possess a handgun on the business premises of a licensee?
A: Possession of a handgun by a juvenile is prohibited without express written permission from a parent or guardian except under exceptions granted under 18 USC 922(x).
9th Inning.
Baseball Video...On April 25th, 1976 at Dodger Stadium,one of the greatest plays to happen on a major league baseball field, Chicago Cub's centerfielder, Rick Monday saves the American flag from being burned in the outfield of by a couple of a-holes.
Highlights of the Brew Crew...Birthday Party for Daughter #2. Daughter #2 had a birthday back in February and to celebrate it, we decided to take her and some of her friends out for lunch at a local Japanese steakhouse then back to our house for cake and a sleepover. Due to the number of friends invited, the wife and I split them up into two groups so we could take two vehicles to the restaurant. It was on the drive to the steakhouse that I realized there was a new friend among the bunch that had never been to our home or around us at all. Now over the years I have found myself acquainted with her friends and who are the good kids (ones that you don't mind her spending time with and you can see are a positive influence on her) and who are the bad apples (the ones you hope she never invites over to our house and who you hope never invites your daughter to their house). As we loaded up in my pickup truck and began our 10 mile journey, I had daughter #2 riding with me along with two well-known friends (good apples) and the new girl. Riding down that long stretch of road that crosses from Missouri over into Kansas, I tried to listen to my CD of '80s/'90s hair band rock while also attempting to pay attention to their conversations. They talked about other kids in their classes, their teachers, TV, and then the new girl broke out into an open-mic night.
Apparently she was a walking encyclopedia for momma jokes.
Upon completion of her comedy set that had the other girls left speechless, there was a lull so I turned up the radio as filler when on came Warrant's 'Cherry Pie'. Now it wasn't so much the shock that this 10 year old liked music from my era but the fact that she knew the words to this song. I began to wonder if I somehow had unsuspectingly met Joe Dirt's daughter. Well, once at the restaurant things were pretty normal. The girls encircled the cook/table station and all enjoyed the performance by the cook and the good food. As part of our plan, the wife and I shuffled kids around and each of us took home a different group of girls. Once we returned home the girls played for a bit then it was time for cake and punch. Daughter #2 made me take her to the local U.S. Toy store to pick out some carnival games for the girls to play and they seemed content for a short while. By the time the girls had finished cake and punch and playing 'rings around a 2-liter' it was time for some of them to get picked up. The remaining girls were spending the night so the wife and I anticipated a long night ahead of us.
The new girl needed to be taken home so she could pick up her overnight bag so daughter #2 and a couple of the other girls staying over loaded up in my truck with her and we drove several blocks to her house. As they all ran inside I sat in the driveway in my truck. The house looked very nice from the outside with a well-kept front yard. Alongside me in the driveway were a couple of other nice looking vehicles that would not raise an eyebrow if they were parked next to you in some random parking lot. I was thinking as I sat there 'must be a nice family'. About 10 minutes later the girls came running out with the new girl in tow. When they jumped in my truck and I started backing out of the driveway, a wall of cigarette smoke stench hit me in the face like a brick wall. My first thought was "Dammit! These girls must have been in their smoking a pack of cigs and that's what took so long." But after asking them if I could bum one and their confused look I knew it wasn't them. I was told later by daughter #2 that the new girl's house smelled like that. Lovely, I thought…the new girl lives in a bar that looks like a house in suburbia.
On the ride home the girls, including the new girl, explained that when they entered the home the new girls' relatives were cussing each other loudly with no care for the children present. Yay! It WAS a bar disguised as a house in suburbia! Well, after returning home with the girls, I retreated to my basement office/man cave. It was later on that the wife pulled me aside to explain that during the afternoon the girls were playing in our front yard and the new girl jumped up on the bench on our front porch and proceeded to yell to the other girls, "Hey, N!%%@s!". My wife was mortified when she heard that through the front door as she sat watching her marathon of Criminal Minds. But thankfully, the wife went outside and told the girl to not be yelling or using that kind of language. I told the wife that I was going to count my beers in the fridge before I went to bed and again when I woke up. The new girl didn't have any more surprises for us that night or the next morning and she returned home never to make her way back to our
house….
2nd Inning. Articles of the Week...
Space.Net..."Because he doesn't have enough going on, Elon Musk—he of Tesla Motors, SpaceX, SolarCity, and the Hyperloop—is launching another project. Musk wants to build a second Internet in space and one day use it to connect people on Mars to the Web." If we could only see/hear the thoughts rolling around this guy's head. He is definitely leaving his mark on this planet and trying to drag us into the future.
Effing Hackers!..."In the wake of North Korea’s recent cyber attack against Sony, Breitbart News spoke with Paul Rosenzweig, who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Homeland Security, about the cyber threats we face as a nation today. Mr. Rosenzweig now serves as Principal of Red Branch Consulting, and is the author of Cyber Warfare: How Conflicts in Cyberspace are Challenging America and Changing the World." An eye opening Q&A with someone who is knowledgeable about cyber attacks. As a victim of a cyber attack this one hits close to home and should wake you up as to where our government stands with the threats we face.
I'm Your Huckleberry..."Reading the script for his role of Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993), Val Kilmer saw one scene that made him nervous. It wasn’t any of the parts about riding a horse, as he had ridden plenty of horses, and he’d already convincingly handled guns onscreen in Billy the Kid (1989). No, this was a scene where he had to twirl a tin cup to stand down a bad guy who had just menaced him with a gun. And make it funny." A great behind-the-scenes piece from a couple of great actors. One of my all-time favorite movies!
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/government-politics/article5140158.html#storylink=cpy
Red vs Blue..."One of the great conundrums of the American political scene is why the poorer states, colloquially known as “red” states, tend to vote Republican or conservative, while the richer states, the “blue” ones (and let it be said that this is very confusing for this European, for over here the colours tend to work the other way around, red is Labour, or left wing) tend to vote Democrat. We would think that it should be the other way around, the poor people voting for more from that Great Big Pinata which is government. But it seems that there’s a simple solution to this: the red states aren’t actually poorer in terms of the way people live." An interesting piece comparing red and blue states. I'm still hoping to retire in the Midwest/Midsouth to take advantage of the lower cost of living.
Gun Rights in the Sights..."People like this guy are really a corroding force in our society," said Bray, a Democrat from University City in St. Louis County. "They are not a policy builder of good things. They are the ‘guns-are-the-solution’ crowd." I'm a member of the Western Missouri Shooter's Alliance...are you? Join today at: http://www.wmsa.net/
Bed Rest for $$$..."Usually at some point in the day (and for some of us, multiple points) many of us find ourselves wishing we could abandon our responsibilities to return back to our beds to live out the rest of the day under a quiet refuge of blankets. Despite the guilt of chronic laziness, a day in bed sounds pretty darn relaxing—if only we could financially support ourselves by doing so." Who doesn't like to sleep and lay around in bed? C'mon, you know you would jump at this chance. At least I know my lazy 12 year old would...
Still Hope for Humanity..."Turns out, talking to strangers is not so bad after all. At least for a North Carolina teen, who went to Target to look for a clip-on tie for a job interview. Instead, he became the subject of a touching moment and a viral photo." This story is a bit old now, but who doesn't like to be reminded that there is still hope for humanity?
Go Set a Watchman..."'To Kill a Mockingbird' will not be Harper Lee’s only published book after all. Publisher Harper announced Tuesday that “Go Set a Watchman,” a novel the Pulitzer Prize-winning author completed in the 1950s and put aside, will be released July 14. Rediscovered last fall, “Go Set a Watchman” is essentially a sequel to 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' although it was finished earlier. The 304-page book will be Lee’s second, and the first new work in more than 50 years." One of my all-time favorite books and now there is a sequel? Yes, please!
A message from Ron Paul..."If Americans were honest with themselves they would acknowledge that the Republic is no more. We now live in a police state. If we do not recognize and resist this development, freedom and prosperity for all Americans will continue to deteriorate. All liberties in America today are under siege." Some call him a crackpot...some call him a wise man...I would tend to lean toward Jedi Master.
3rd Inning. Firearms Corner...SHOT Show. As a follow up to my most recent Firearms Corner inning, here is a video by GunBlast.com and Jeff Quinn (one of the best beards around!) showcasing some of the new or improved finds at SHOT Show 2015. Enjoy!
4th Inning. Random Thought...Imagine, if you will, a young, Christian man in the Army Reserves working at his own business with his wife, say a bakery. He has a LGBT customer come in asking for a wedding cake and he refuses. The next day he receives online & in-person protests of his business with threats to his life, his family, and his business. The day after that his reserve unit gets called up and sent to say the Middle East where nations in that region publicly murder LGBT people just for being LGBT and Christians just for being Christians. The terrorists he is fighting would love to come to the USA and establish their rule and therefore kill many people, especially those from the LGBT and Christian community. He ends up getting killed in action. He is sent home in a flag-draped coffin with a military funeral that is protested by the so-called Christians from the Westboro Baptist Church. Is this the world that we live in today?
5th Inning.
American History Lesson...Carlos Hathcock. Recently, a movie came to theaters that portrayed the life of U.S. Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle. It was called 'American Sniper'. Heard of it? Yeah, I thought so. Well, before Kyle there were other military snipers that have become legendary and one of those is Carlos Hathcock. I first learned of him while watching a special on The History Channel. Nicknamed, 'White Feather' (due the white feather he wore in his hat to dare the enemy to spot him), Hathcock would record 93 confirmed kills along with approximately 300 more before he left Vietnam.
Carlos Hathcock was born on May 20th, 1959 in Little Rock, Arkansas (an Arkansas boy!). After turning 17 years old, and after a childhood of teaching himself to shoot while dreaming of being a U.S. Marine, that dream came true. Through his early years in the Marine Corps, he set himself apart from others by winning rifle competitions including one while stationed in Hawaii and Cherry Point, North Carolina and at the national competitions held at Camp Perry in Ohio.
Upon deployment to Vietnam in 1966, Hathcock was recruited into the emerging sniper program. His base of operations was Hill 55, located 35 miles southwest of Da Nang. The success of the sniper team and Hathcock was felt by the enemy to the extent that the North Vietnamese Army placed a bounty on his head.
Per Grunt.com,"As a result of his skill Sergeant Hathcock was twice recruited for covert assignments. One of the them was to kill a Frenchman who was working for the North Vietnamese as an interrogator. This individual was torturing American airmen who had been shot down and captured. One round from Carlos' modified Winchester Model 70 ended the Frenchman's career. On another occasion Sergeant Hathcock accepted an assignment for which he was plainly told that his odds for survival were slim. A North Vietnamese general was the target, and the man died when a bullet fired by Carlos struck him from a range of 800 yards. Hathcock returned to Hill 55 unscathed. In one incredible incident an enemy sniper was killed after a prolonged game of 'cat and mouse' between Carlos, with his spotter, and the NVA sniper. The fatal round, fired at 500 yards by Hathcock, passed directly through the NVA sniper's rifle scope, striking him in the eye. Hathcock would eventually be credited with 93 enemy confirmed killed, including one Viet Cong shot dead by a round fired from a scope-mounted Browning M-2 .50 caliber machine gun at the unbelievable range of 2500 yards."
During a second tour in Vietnam, Hathcock and some fellow Marines were in vehicle that ran over an
anti-tank mine. It was during this tragedy that he suffered terrible burns while rescuing some those fellow Marines. Eventually it would be Multiple Sclerosis (MS) that would end his military career. He would retire in 1979 with 100% disability. Carlos Hathcock would receive a Silver Star in 1996 for his part in rescuing fellow Marines during the anti-tank mine incident. He would pass away on February 22nd, 1999. WeAreTheMighty.com chronicles some of his stories here and they include his encounters with 'The General', 'Apache', and 'The Cobra'. A true American hero that did his part to see his fellow Marines stay alive and make it back home.
6th Inning. Cool Videos...
Combine a tank with a dune buggy and you get the Ripsaw EV-2. Take my $$$ NOW!!!
Fake movie trailers are a regular staple now and bring out the biggest geeks in all of us. Now this is one that I would go see and see and see. John McClane vs Alien vs Predator. Yippee Ki Yay!
7th Inning.
Movie I Want To See...Jurassic World. A movie coming out this June is 'Jurassic World' starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Vincent D'Onofrio. Per IMDB, "Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. After 10 years of operation and visitor rates declining, in order to fulfill a corporate mandate, a new attraction is created to re-spark visitor's interest, which backfires horribly."
The year 2015 is turning out to be the year of the sequel (I know that term gets thrown around every few years) with new additions to the Divergent series, Hunger Games, The Avengers, Mad Max, Terminator, and Star Wars. Jurassic Park came out the same year I graduated high school and I am now 40. I remember how cool the CGI effects were in the original and the trailer for this latest sequel takes me back. Who doesn't love a 'monster' movie (yeah, yeah, they are dinosaurs)? I grew up on Godzilla movies so when Jurassic Park and the previous sequels came to theaters you could count on me grabbing some popcorn and finding a seat and Jurassic World will be no different. With Chris Pratt's rising fame (excellent choice as Star Lord in The Guardians of the Galaxy), he should own this franchise for a few more sequels. Maybe someday they can turn the Jurassic Park/World idea into a reality...with less deaths of course.
The Jurassic World trailer is below. Enjoy!
8th Inning. FFL Factoid...From the National Shooting Sports Foundation's ATF Q&Apage: Q: May a person obtain a dealer’s license to engage in business only at gun shows?
A: No. A license may only be issued to an applicant who has a permanent premises at which the license the applicant intends to do business. A person having such a license may conduct business at gun shows located in the state in which the licensed premises is located and sell and deliver curio or relic firearms to other licensees at any location. [18 U.S.C. 923(a) and (j)]
9th Inning. Baseball video..."Pitching is what you have best on the day you work, and if you can't get your fastball over the plate, then maybe you can win with your curve."--Tom Seaver
1st Inning. You don't give a shit what other people think...I now have a full head of gray hair. I don't plan on dyeing it because I don't give a crap. I'm thankful I have a full head of hair no matter what color. Also, I may or may not have hair growing out of or on my ears. Laugh all you want. I don't care. At this age, if I did care I would spend my entire day in the bathroom attending to personal hygiene and grooming and I don't have time for that. If I want to wear overalls everyday, I will (especially if they are camo). I don't care if the new trend for men is to wear jeans that have sparklies on the back pockets. Just give me my Big Smiths or my Mossy Oaks and be on your way. Oh, and don't count on me spending $100 on sneakers anymore for the latest Jordan's...I get my shoes at Sam's Club ($39.99). If that makes you want to poke fun, go ahead, I don't give a shit...I'm 40 years old.
2nd Inning. You are older than all your favorite sports stars and are old enough to be their dad...You start off life as a kid rooting for those sports stars in baseball or football and telling yourself you want to be like them when you grow up. Then you grow up and realize professional sports was not in your life's playbook. Now I sit down to cheer for guys that are half my age making millions of dollars to play a game. I am now the age they retire from their sport's careers. These young athletes that are entering their first years as pros are still at the age that they could be my kid. Geez...
3rd Inning.
Home & Yard improvements are more important...There was a time when mowing the lawn was something I tried to avoid. Now I look forward to that time when I am all alone with my push mower and my Mp3 player. I strive to have a healthy looking lawn with no dead patches. Do I do this for your approval? No. I do it so I can walk barefoot across my lawn like it is an extension of my house and carpet. I see those Scotts commercials and my inner Carl Spackler comes out. I want to eradicate any lawn pests. Hell, I wish I had a bigger lawn to mow so I could justify buying a riding mower. I also started thinking about additional home improvements and making lists ranking them. I'm not sure if I am really making home improvements or basically building a house-sized coffin because once I get it all done I don't plan on leaving...
4th Inning. Hangovers are HELL! When you are younger you can drink all the alcohol your body can take and enter the 'Hangover Zone' and after a few hours or half a day bounce back and do it all over again the next night. There is no way in Hell that can happen now. I have three non-Light beers in one night and I am hitting the Excedrin the next morning. If I was to go crazy one night at this age then you could damn well be sure to find me hugging the toilet talking (okay, more like apologizing) to Jesus and his dad. There might even be pressure for my wife to take me to the emergency room after all the dry heaving strips a rib or three from my sternum. Once the crying stopped then there would be a week-long bed trip to recover. Sucks getting old...
5th Inning. There is still a bunch of items on the bucket list...Okay, so in my first 40 years on this planet I have managed to mark a few things off my bucket list. But there is still so many items left on the list. If these damn terrorists would just crawl in a hole and die then I might be able to safely travel and mark a few more off without having a panic attack at the airport for fear of living out the movie 'Taken' with my daughters. With the stateside items, I would rather just hop in my RV and drive, stopping at every campground along the way like an old retired couple. I don't need no stinking fancy hotel...
6th Inning. Annual physical exams just got a bit more in-depth...Up till now, my annual physical exam consisted of a few questions, a turn your head and cough, and go to the lab and give a blood sample. Now I get to do all that PLUS have a doctor insert a finger up my butt to check my prostate once a year? Do I get to hold my wife's hand while the doctor does this? Is crying expected? Does the doctor take me on a date first?
7th Inning. Mankind's achievements in my first 40 years versus my Papa's first 40 years...I am a history nut
and with that trait it had me thinking about my first 40 years and how society has advanced during those years versus my Papa Brewer who was born in 1926 and his first 40 years.
He lived through Pearl Harbor and I lived through 9/11.
He lived through the Ford Model T to the Ford Mustang while I have lived through the Chevrolet Chevette to a Google car that drives itself.
He lived through the introduction of TV and I have lived through the introduction of the Internet.
He lived through World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War while I have lived through the Cold War, Persian Gulf Wars, and the War on Terrorism.
He lived through the introduction of drive-in movie theaters and I have lived through the introduction of watching movies on a phone.
He lived through the introduction of space exploration by our astronauts into Earth's orbit and I have lived through the same (how have we not sent anybody back to the moon or elsewhere?)
He lived through the discovery of penicillin and I have lived through the discovery of viagra.
He lived through invention of the laser and I have lived through the laser being mounted on a naval ship as a weapon.
He lived through the invention of the jet engine and helicopter and I have lived through the invention of personal,flying drones.
All that and still no fricken sharks with fricken laser beams strapped to them...
8th Inning. I am not immortal...When you are younger,you don't think about your own mortality. You have thoughts of indestructibility. Nothing can harm you and nothing can stop you. Well, those thoughts fade as you start a family and begin to think about events that await you down the road. Along that road you have classmates from high school or college that die and you have relatives that die that aren't some distant one you only saw at the occasional family reunion you might make every 10 years. You see friends become very ill and knock ever so lightly on Heaven's Door. It is then that you start thinking about college tuition for your kids (and how to pay for it), retirement (where will you live and how will you afford it), making out a will (which kid gets my Darth Vader animatronic coin bank?), and ultimately your health and longevity. My life expectancy is around the late 70s. So, barring any major healthcare breakthroughs that could extend my life much farther, I have already lived half my life. Think about that. After you have, then it starts to really set in...
9th Inning. Partying is Over...Back when I was younger, I didn't mind going out to a club or bar or even some friend's house and slammin' back many, many adult beverages. I didn't mind the bad lighting, the cigarette smoke, the expensive drinks/cheap beer, the occasional dancing (God help me if it was line-dancing), the REALLY loud music, the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, or a bit of karaoke time. There were times that you just forgot about the clock and ran with it until someone got sick or the drinks ran out or the place closed up. There were times where your coworkers tricked you into a tequila walking coma or the times you earned the nickname "Shooter" while celebrating a birthday a bit too hard. I have friends and relatives that still like to partake in those activities and I applaud them for having the stamina and intestinal fortitude, but like Bocephus, I now prefer corn bread and sweet ice tea to all that other stuff that will make your gut hurt and your head ache. I've reached the age now that I would rather be home in bed every night by 9pm and flipping channels for the evening news. Stick a fork in me, I'm done...
Highlights of the Brew Crew...Year Look Back. Well, as 2014 comes to an end here is my 'look back' at some of the highlights (or lowlights) of my year.
15th Wedding anniversary--I made it. Fifteen years of marriage. It may have seemed like a roller coaster but in the end it has been well worth it. Growing up a child of divorce, I always wanted to have one of those marriages that you saw on the '50s/'60s sitcoms. I think I have one.
Lifetime membership in Beta Psi Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Alumni Association--Entering the year, my college fraternity's alumni association was holding a membership drive for lifetime dues paying members. The association is putting forth a grand effort to re-establish our chapter back on the campus of Arkansas State University. I felt that by becoming a Lifetime member rather than an annual dues paying member it would show others my commitment (Lead by example). I believe it did. That fraternity showed me so much and molded me into the man I am today. Brothers, I love this fraternity!
Lifetime membership in the National Rifle Association--Another organization with a Lifetime membership and another organization that I respect and support so it was a no-brainer. I firmly believe that the NRA has been vital in preserving my 2nd Amendment rights and I am proud to be a member and now a Life Member.
Kansas City Royals--The love for my first professional sports team fan-craze is deep. I grew up during the glory years of the Royals franchise and during the time when there was an NBA team in KC and the Chiefs sucked. I have remained a loyal fan through all the bad trades, bad free agent signings, bad managers, and all the 100-loss seasons. To see what they did this year (even though they came up short in the World Series) gave me hope that the franchise can turn things around and be a competitive ball club. Here's to the American League Champions...the Kansas City Royals!
Trip to Mt. Rushmore--I'm an American history buff (hell, I have an inning for American History in each blog post) and therefore I have a desire to visit as many American historical places. Places that yell out loudly, 'Merica!'. Places that are on my personal bucket list to visit before I die. Well, this year I got to cross a big one off during our big family summer vacation to South Dakota. Even though I didn't get to stay as long as I wanted (the females in my family were ready to go) I do plan to go back someday when I can stay longer.
Puppies--Right after celebrating my 15th wedding anniversary, we added two new members to the Brew Crew...Willy Wonka and Augustus Gloop. Willy and Augie have finally adjusted pretty good to our home. But I have it on good authority that our children who begged and pleaded with us to finally adopt a dog (or in this case 'dogs') are really not up to the full responsibility of caring for the dogs. Thankfully my wife (who also begged and pleaded for them) has been there to fill in for the girls during the morning and evenings when the dogs need attention. I like the dogs, especially when they take naps...
John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band--Another item on my personal bucket list presented itself finally when back in the spring I saw that a band that I have wanted see live since I was a kid and first saw 'Eddie & The Cruisers' would be playing a venue in Missouri. Over the years, I had been tracking their tour dates but nothing really ever popped up this far west (they are an East coast/New England band), until this year. In a small canoe-resort town in south central Missouri they performed for one night. I made it there and with front row center seats had one of the best times of my life. Scratch another one off the bucket list!
Broken leg--After 39 years and 306 days, I suffered my first broken bone. During the opening weekend of this year's firearms deer hunting season, I received a text from my cousin that he downed a doe and needed help dragging it out of the woods. I wasn't seeing much so I climbed down out of my stand and headed across our hunting land. On a path that I have walked 100+ times before I slipped going down a hill and BAM! Broke my right fibula right above the ankle. End of hunting season. No venison in the freezer. Deer 1, Jeremy 0. As I write this I have two more weeks of wearing this aircast boot (hopefully) then back to the woods!
Loss of job--On September 30th, 2014, I became unemployed after 12 years with my now former employer, USIS. Upon suffering from a cyber security breach from what they claimed was a hostile nation, our government customer, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, decided to not renew our contract and therefore lead to USIS laying off around 3,000 employees across the nation. I spent the first 4 years of my employment working background investigations in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas; the next 4 years assigning cases to investigators in the Midwest; and the final 4 years in a Logistics & Planning position working on national projects for USIS. I have now experienced filing for unemployment and I have applied to many, many companies and agencies. Here's to an employed Jeremy in 2015!
2nd Inning.
American History Lesson...Crossing the Delaware and Trenton. During the late evening on Christmas in 1776, General George Washington and his army began crossing a half-frozen Delaware River. They crossed at three different locations to ferry 2,400 soldiers across an icy river to reach New Jersey before dawn on December 26th. Washington left behind two other divisions, accounting for 3,000 more soldiers and artillery, due to them not reaching the meeting points to cross the river at the set time.
Once across, the army marched towards Trenton. It was around 8 a.m. when Washington's men reached the outer limits of the town and with the Hessians (British paid mercenaries from current Germany) numbering 1,400 and not suspecting an attack, Washington was able to lead his soldiers in an overwhelming surprise win. The Hessians had spent Christmas night celebrating a bit too much while also disregarding the threat of the Patriot forces due to months of British victories throughout New York. At approximately 9:30 a.m., Trenton was surrounded and almost 1,000 Hessians were taken prisoner while Washington only lost four soldiers. Without his remaining forces that failed to cross the Delaware River, he was forced to withdraw from the town.
The victory at Trenton was not a strategic or significant one but due to many defeats to the British
leading up to it, it became the right victory at the right time. As word spread of the victory, it raised the spirits of the Patriots in the colonies and showed that the Continental Army was capable of taking on the British. On December 31st, many of his troops' enlistments would end and Washington needed this moral victory to keep soldiers in the ranks. The victory at Trenton, and later at Princeton, would prove to the Colonists supporting the Continental forces that they were capable of victory and worthy of their support.
Per History.com, "The image of ragged farm-boy Patriots defeating drunken foreign mercenaries has become ingrained in the American imagination. Then as now, Washington's crossing and the Battle of Trenton were emblematic of the American Patriots' surprising ability to overcome the tremendous odds they faced in challenging the wealthy and powerful British empire."
A great video about the Crossing and Trenton is below and is from the movie, 'The Crossing', starring Jeff Daniels as George Washington. Enjoy!
3rd Inning. Firearms Corner...New firearms for 2015. The annual SHOT Show in Las Vegas is next month and kicks off the year for new firearms that make it to the commercial market. A few of those firearms that will be available for purchase are below.
Winchester XPR Rifle--Winchester has finally entered the bolt action rifle market with an entry
level, black polymer stock rifle. The Winchester XPR will be competing with the Ruger American, Weatherby Vanguard S2, Mossberg ATR, and the Savage Axis lines. It will be initially chambered in .270, .30-06, .300, and .338 calibers but I would imagine those expanding quickly if sales are good. I have wondered for awhile now why they haven't produced a rifle like this as their Model 70 line and lever action lines have just become too expensive for the average working man. So, I'm glad to see they have joined other manufacturers in offering a cheaper, yet still reliable rifle for us hunters. For more info check out this page.
POF ReVolt Bolt Action Rifle--For those states that have highly restricted AR-15 style rifles,
the folks over at Patriot Ordnance Factory have answered with the ReVolt rifle. Take the AR-15 and remove the semi-automatic part of it and replace it with a bolt-action system and you pretty much have the ReVolt. For those folks that like the AR platform and would like to use it when going out to the deer woods to hunt in those states that have the above mentioned restrictions then this rifle is for you. It will be offered in 5.56/.223 and 7.62/.308. For more info check out his page.
Taurus Curve--As the conceal carry market continues to see growth, Taurus' new entry is the
Curve. If you surf the 'Net for any reviews you will probably read more negative than positive reviews on this firearm but not so much on performance but more on the look. Having a curved frame, this small handgun chambered in .380 seems to be targeted more toward a specific demographic that would like to have an accessory to match their new iPhone. It comes with an on-board red laser and LED light made by LaserLyte. This one should be interesting to watch and see if it makes it past 2015. For more info check out his page.
Browning 1911-380--Another new entry into into the conceal carry market is the Browning
1911-380. A scaled down version of the iconic 1911 but chambered in .380, this handgun follows the popular Browning 1911-22 line of pistols and operates and field strips just like a full-size 1911. Now this is one that I would not mind having in my collection (Browning has produced a commemorative model in the iconic .45ACP that I'm hoping leads to them mass producing in the near future). This handgun should be a crowd-pleaser for all those 1911 afficionados. For more info check out this page.
American Tactical Imports Omni Hybrid MAXX--If you were looking for an AR-15 that shoots .410 shotshells, well, American Tactical Imports has the firearm for you. Based on their Omni Hybrid AR-15 platform, this new long gun will feature an 18" barrel and will use Remington chokes. It will ship with a 5-round magazine but ATI will also be selling 15-rounders. This is another one I would like to add to my collection. Beware Squirrels! For more info check out this page.
4th Inning.
Have You Seen It?...Streets of Fire. There are many movies from our youth that slip through the cracks and don't always become the 'Big Hit' but stick with you as a personal favorite. An example of one of those and a favorite of mine is 'Streets of Fire'. This was one of those weekend HBO movies that I caught as a kid. A mix of action, drama, comedy, and music...a rock-n-roll fable, where per IMDB.com describes the plot as "A mercenary goes after his ex-girlfriend, a singer who has been kidnapped by a gang."
Starring a cast of relatively young unknowns, the movie did poorly at the box office but due to video it became a cult classic.'Streets of Fire' stars Michael Pare (filmed a couple of years after 'Eddie and the Cruisers') as the mercenary good guy, Diane Lane (a year after 'The Outsiders') as the ex-girlfriend and damsel in distress, Rick Moranis (yes, that Rick Moranis) as Lane's new boyfriend/manager, Amy Madigan (the wife from 'Field of Dreams') as Pare's sidekick, Willem Dafoe (a couple of years before he filmed 'Platoon') as the bad guy, and a young Bill Paxton as Pare's old friend and local bartender.
If a movie that showcases some great music during the concert scenes with Diane Lane (vocals provided by Holly Sherwood, the female Meatloaf), shootouts with lever action rifles, bikers, pompadour hairstyles, and a straight-up mano y mano duel between Pare and Dafoe, then this movie is for you! The trailer is below. Enjoy!
5th Inning. Cool Videos...
The Wanderers...A great little space exploration 'fan-film' narrated by the one and only Carl Sagan.
All About That Base...Who doesn't like parodies...who doesn't like the Star Wars franchise???
6th Inning. Movie I would like to see... Avengers: Age of Ultron. Next May, the second installment of the Avengers franchise will hit the theaters to kick off the summer blockbuster season.The plot per CinemaBlend, "When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure."
I'll admit, I am a huge fan of the Marvel Movie Universe and I have seen each one of the entries in their Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects, as well as watching the tv show, 'Marvel's Agents of Shield'. As I have mentioned in past posts, I grew up a comic book fan so seeing these characters on the big screen is an awesome experience for me. What is also exciting is how they are taking story lines from the comics and using those as the plot templates. I look forward to the remainder of the second season of 'Agents of Shield' and how it will lead into Avengers 2 this Spring. Another thing to keep in mind is that in this installment, we will be introduced to the 4 new characters--the villain, Ultron (voiced by James Spader); Scarlet Witch (played by Elizabeth Olsen); Quicksilver (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson); and The Vision (voiced by Paul Bettany--Jarvis gets a body!).
The trailer is below. Enjoy!
7th Inning. Articles of the Week...
A.I. is the End..."The eminent British physicist Stephen Hawking warns that the development of intelligent machines could pose a major threat to humanity. 'The development of full artificial intelligence (AI) could spell the end of the human race," Hawking told the BBC.' " Here come those damn robots again...
Speaking of Robots..."Next time you go out to eat, a new kind of waiter might serve you. One restaurant owner in China has replaced his traditional wait staff with robots." If China is making these, just think what Google or Elon Musk could create!
Abandoned..."After receiving a lot of emails and comments about my latest video Tennessee Mountain View, it came as a nice surprise when I received a message from someone letting me know that he made it to the top of the mountain." An interesting pictorial of an abandoned property in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Places like this turn me into part treasure hunter/part amateur archaeologist. For more abandoned places check here.
Marvel Time... A simply breathtaking video of a guy painting. Just wait till the end.
Rewarding the Illegals..."Like millions of other Americans, I appreciate the plight of billions of people throughout the world who would like nothing more than to find themselves in the United States, where they could enjoy a much higher standard of living and wonderful opportunities for advancement." When Dr. Ben Carson speaks, you ought to listen.
10-Year Old Inspiration..."The ABC News profile of ten-year-old Shyanne Roberts, a young firearms enthusiast, seemingly raised the blood pressure of the reporter covering the story." I love stories like this one. I have a goal to educate my children in gun safety while also making it an enjoyable time.
The Fall of America..."What can a chronicler of barbarian invasions, writing in the 18th century, explain to Americans in the 21st century?What lessons can we learn today from the fall of an ancient empire? Plenty. Many. Indeed, as immigration is a hot issue today, we might look to long-ago scholarship to remind us that the basic patriotic loyalty of the home population can never be taken for granted. In particular, if the demography of the population changes, its loyalties will change. " There are so many lessons to be learned from history but we as a civilization seem to forget or ignore our past too easily.
Obama Speaks..."In his 967-word statement to the nation about the Ferguson grand jury decision on Tuesday night, President Obama devoted precisely one sentence to the risks and sacrifices police officers make to keep the peace." January 20th, 2017 can't get here fast enough...
C'mon Frank..."On the biggest night of baseball this city has seen in nearly 30 years, the man responsible for so many great moments here was just like the 40,000-plus people losing their minds around him. About a dozen rows back of the third-base dugout, Frank White sat anonymously – or as anonymously as Frank White can sit in his city – and relished the Kansas City Royals clinching a spot in the World Series for this suddenly baseball-mad town." Maybe the Royals lost the World Series because there is a curse on them because of this Frank White business...
8th Inning. FFL Factoid...From the National Shooting Sports Foundation's ATF Q&Apage:
Q:When purchasing a firearm from a licensee is an approved Request and Approved for Permanent Change of Station (PCS) form sufficient for an active duty member of the Armed Services to prove their state of residency after the reporting date stated on this form?
A:Yes as long as the PCS form has been signed and authenticated by the approving official stated on the form. A member of the armed services on active duty is a resident of the state in which their permanent duty station is located. However military orders approving only temporary duty (TDY or TAD) at another location are not sufficient state of residency when it comes to member of the military when trying to purchase a firearm. Also a valid picture Military Identification must accompany the PCS orders. It establishes the identity of the military service member.
9th Inning. Baseball Sports Video...“It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.”--Babe Ruth. Gotta love this kid's attitude!
2nd Inning. For Christmas, I wish I had one more summer playing baseball with all those guys from the Grandview Baseball Association. Win or lose... standing in line at the concession stand after my Uncle Alton paid for the team to get a candy bar and a soda was always a good way to keep the spirits up or raise them after that loss...Suicide please!
6th Inning. For Christmas, I wish for one more squirrel hunt with my Papa Brewer. Getting to target shoot with my Papa's old Winchester single-shot .22 rifle (it was his father's gun before he had it)...walking through the woods with him passing on his wisdom...hearing his dog 'tree a squirrel'...Skinning those suckers and having Granny fry them up for a meal.
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