Articles of the week...
- Remember...we the people are the boss in this country: Kurt Schlichter--"Americans were born a rebellious, nearly ungovernable bunch of independent individuals, and we need to reclaim that honorable heritage. We have to decide once and for all whether we are going to remain free citizens who answer to no one but God, or become a sad selection of submissive serfs living out our collective political daddy issues."
- We need more politicians that are statesmen like ole George: Chuck Norris--"With Feb. 18's being Presidents Day and Feb. 22's being the actual day George Washington was born, I thought there would no better time to honor the man I consider to be one of the greatest leaders ever born."
- As a father of three daughters I know if I was faced with the choice of whistle or gun to give them for protection it would not be a whistle: Michelle Malkin--"If radical gun-grabbers have their way, your daughters, mothers and grandmothers will have nothing but whistles, pens and bodily fluids to defend themselves against violent attackers and sexual predators."
- To right this ship called the United States, we must understand how the economy works and that government intervention is more likely to slow down than speed up recovery: John Stossel--"The Federal Reserve says that U.S. manufacturing output is up from 2000, and up almost 50 percent from 1990. Yes, manufacturing employment is down because automation and government's labor rules led companies to automate and produce more with fewer employees, but that's OK."
- Time to wake up and understand that forces are at work to disarm our society by any means necessary: Bob Barr--"The chips are down, and the opponents of the Second Amendment are going all in."
- A topic that is rarely addressed by leaders on the Left but is obviously a core root to the problem of violence in our inner cities: Larry Elder--"Most gun murders in America are committed by people of color, with the victims almost always people of color. Whites have the same access to firearms, listen to the same "urban" music and play the same violent video games. Why, then, do the murders disproportionally involve racial minorities, principally blacks and Hispanics, usually young men in urban settings, many with gang ties?"
- I'm all for immigration, legal immigration that is...the comedian Ron White has a pretty good idea on how to fix our border issue but less politically correct: Michael Reagan--"Mexico has become one of the most dangerous places in the world. Deadly criminal cartels effectively control the U.S.-Mexican border, trafficking in drugs and humans."
- It has been said by many in the firearms industry that President Obama is the best gun salesman ever and the fact that in the last 4 years one of the only industries to not see a downturn is the firearms industry and now his administration is attacking it: Michelle Malkin part 2--"But while he pays lip service to supporting businesses that build their products on American soil, Obama and his left-wing operatives are hell-bent on driving a key sector of the U.S. manufacturing industry six feet under: the American firearms and ammunition industry."
2nd Inning.

3rd Inning.

4th Inning.
This ole...Ford Mustang. 1967 Ford Mustang to be exact. My first car was a 1967 Mustang.
![]() |
This is not my Mustang but one that is very similar. |
Here I was cleaning one day and came across a photo album and flipping through it I found some pictures of my first car. I first spotted the one I would eventually purchase sitting in a car lot off the outer road along 71 Highway in Grandview, Missouri. I was 15 at the time but I had been working in my parent's restaurant in Grandview as a dishwasher for a few years and saving money. I washed sooooooo many dishes to earn enough money to buy it. I remember being in California at the time on a vacation with a friend visiting his dad and getting the call that my parents had withdrawn the money from my account and went and bought the vehicle for me (they did not front the money--this car was purchased with MY money). If you can imagine the excitement in a 15 year old boy knowing he owns a car then, well, you know I was EXCITED! After returning home to Grandview we stored it in the garage of my step-dad's brother (I grew up in an apartment complex). It sat there until I turned 16 and received my driver's license (I took my driver's test in my parent's El Ranchero). Once I got behind the wheel of that car, which had a 351 Windsor motor, I felt like one BMF. I instantly became the official chauffeur for my friends. I know that many fellow students back in high school thought I was conceited and I may have come across as such but when you go to school with kids that have their parents buy them their car which just adds to their snootiness and I bought my car with my hard-earned money, well the pride in my accomplishment just shined through--tough noogies.
![]() |
This is my Mustang the day after the wreck. |
I owned the car until July 1992. On the night of the 17th I drove out to Olathe, Kansas with my cousin and a couple of his friends to cruise a strip. We got into a heated exchange with some young adults in another car and they began threatening us with knives and throwing beer bottles at my car. With my cousin behind the wheel (it was his birthday and he wanted to drive) we tried to get back to Missouri without any trouble. But in our attempt we ran a red light and hit a car coming from our right. Both vehicles were totalled while the young adults that were the aggressors in the situation drove off never to be seen again. I was sitting in the passenger seat when we collided with the other car (one really weird note-the young lady we collided with shared the exact same birthday as me). We were very lucky no one died. The intersection is at Santa Fe and Murlen. I still get chills even to this day when I drive through that intersection.

5th Inning.
Firearms corner...Winchester Model 94. This iconic lever-action rifle is one that is very recognizable. You have seen this American Classic in any number of Western movies/tv shows through the years. It is one of the most popular rifles (if not THE most popular) to have ever been sold. It is typically found chambered in .30-30 but can also be found in other calibers, to included handgun calibers. At a couple of gun shows last year I encountered a fella selling a Bicentennial version made in 1976 at a very good price and I ran across a John Wayne commemorative edition also at a good price and didn't 'pull the trigger' on either one (even though the wife would've killed me when I get home but the secret is to just put it in the safe before she finds out and pretend you have always had it). Anyhow, I do not own one but I plan to in the near future and I hope it is a Pre-'64 model. Post 1963, Winchester re-evaluated the cost of production of the Model 94 and found cheaper ways to make the rifle which lead to an outcry from Winchester traditionalists. You can find a brief history & explanation of the specific changes of the rifle here. Now, when perusing the tables at a show or at the local Cabela's I always check to see (and they are usually marked) if it is a Pre-'64. Winchester ceased production of the rifle in 2006 then reintroduced it in 2010 with limited edition models but they are now in regular production, although they are pricey (even at dealer cost).
Although I don't own one, my uncle that hunts in our deer camp has been trying to get a tradition started where one day of camp is designated 'lever-action' day. He has brought all of his Model 94s(and a Marlin) for us to use and it has been a fun experience. If you are looking for a compact hunting rifle with a popular cartridge with a tolerable recoil then you have found your gun. For those preparing for the Zombie-Apocalypse, this is recommended due to the ready availability of the .30-30 round and hey, who wouldn't want to Cowboy-Up and take out some walkers!
6th Inning.
FFL Factoid...Buying/Selling out of state at a gun show...As a Missouri dealer I'm required to only sell firearms at the address on my Federal Firearms License. The exception to that rule is a gun show. I am allowed to rent a table and sell firearms at a gun show within the state (Missouri) where I hold a license. All rules apply the same no matter which location. Since I live close to the Missouri/Kansas border I could rent a table at a Kansas gun show and take orders if someone wished to purchase from me but I could not transfer the firearm directly to them (I would need to wait until the show is over and meet with the FFL in Kansas they are using for the transfer and hand over the firearm). Upon transferring the firearm to a Kansas dealer the customer would then complete the Form 4473 background paperwork before taking possession of the gun. The typical transfer fee is around $15.
7th Inning.

8th Inning.


9th Inning.
Baseball is back...Who remembers the Baseball Bunch?
10th Inning. Extra Inning.
There are moments you can't explain that find you performing an action or doing something you would not otherwise. Moments that just appear out of nowhere like a voice in your head giving you instructions. This may sound weird but this week I had the urge to go online and search Facebook for an old teacher of mine from elementary school. Her name was Mrs. Walton, Mrs. Charlene Walton to be exact. She was my 3rd grade teacher at Conn-West Elementary in Grandview, Missouri. Mrs. Walton was my all-time favorite teacher. I wish there would have been more Mrs. Waltons as I moved through junior high and high school and I wish that my daughters have a Mrs. Walton as they go through school. She was always pushing me to be my best and gave me some freedom to do that but was quick to keep me in line if I stepped outside her boundaries. I remember playing 'Around the World' with flash cards in her class and never being beaten and I remember laughing and cutting up with my friend, David Peterman, one day and both of us being held out of recess to reflect on our behavior during class. It may seem odd to search for old teachers but I can proudly say that I am Facebook friends with two of my graduate school professors, Dr. Charles Hartwig and Dr. Cathy Reese, that had a very positive impact on me when I was ready to quit and leave the program at Arkansas State University. With Mrs. Walton it was a desire to show her that I turned out pretty good and to introduce her to my family, but most of all it was to just tell her 'thank you' for being a great teacher. Well, I didn't find Mrs. Walton on Facebook so I did a Google search for 'Charlene Walton Kansas City' and there at the top of the search results I found her. Charlene (Belser) Walton passed away two years ago on February 21 in Arizona and was laid to rest in Kansas City, Missouri on February 26th. Rest in Peace, Mrs. Walton...and thank you for being a great teacher.

She was a great teacher. Conn-West was truly full of great teachers & staff. We were very lucky to have had such a wonderful public school. How about the awesome lunch lady in 6th grade? Lol
ReplyDeleteI don't need new socks. I like wearing yours. It makes me smile to think that is the only time even a small piece of you could ever fill my shoes :)
ReplyDelete