Highlights of the Brew Crew...Well, last Friday was the last day of the girls' Spring Break, so I worked a half-day then took them to lunch and a movie. We headed to the Ward Parkway mall and grabbed lunch at Chick-fil-A then headed over to the theater to catch 'Oz' while enjoying the leather recliners (word of caution--those recliners are VERY comfortable and will make you sleepy!). Great movie and recommend it to anyone....On Sunday, we celebrated Easter by going to services at the local Catholic Church (I am not Catholic nor am I a part of any organized religion although I believe in Jesus and God, but my wife is Catholic and we are raising our children in that faith). Lucy, my 18 month old, became a bit cranky even for the cry room so I stepped outside with her and chased her around the lobby. After church we headed over to my aunt's house in Grandview, Missouri for lunch with 70+ Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents, and siblings. After lunch we had an Easter egg hunt for the little kids and I must say Lucy really enjoyed the candy!...On Wednesday, Kylie's volleyball season kicked off with her first practice. She was really excited for the season to start after playing her first season last fall. A big shout-out to her coach, Sarah Elkins, for creating a fun learning environment that has captured Kylie's interest to stay active in sports...Also, this week I got word that my registering to be a Girl Scout so I could accompany my daughters on a field trip to Jefferson City via Amtrak was all for naught as the trip was cancelled. No badge for Jeremy... 2nd inning.
Sports...My favorite sport is baseball. I grew up playing it and idolizing many of the players on the Kansas City Royals. This was during the era of Royals dominance in the American League West (I still believe the team should have lobbied to stay in the West division when Major League Baseball switched to 3 divisions in each league). The players I grew up with were George Brett, Frank White, Willie Wilson, Hal McRae, John Duke Wathan, Dan Quisenberry, Larry Gura, Dennis Leonard, Paul Splittorff, Darrell Porter, Jamie Quirk, U.L. Washington, Amos Otis, Darryl Motley, Bud Black, Buddy Biancalana, Danny Jackson, Mark Gubicza, Charlie Leibrandt, Bret Saberhagen, Steve Balboni, Jim Sundberg, Dane Iorg, Lonnie Smith, David Cone, Kevin Seitzer, Kurt Stillwell, Bo Jackson, Danny Tartabull, Jim Eisenreich, Kevin Appier, Jeff Montgomery, and Brian McRae. Those years during my youth were filled with games at the then called 'Royals Stadium" (later changed to Kauffman Stadium and named after the original owner) that was always packed and had the excitement of a playoff caliber team every time they took the field. Going to the park and seeing that huge scoreboard with the crown made a lasting impression on me and during the years I lived away from KC I could always remember it. The stadium had a turf field back then and the team was built around speed and they always seemed to deliver. 
I was a devoted fan until the '94 strike (the Royals last good team that had a chance at the playoffs) and then I really turned to football and the Kansas City Chiefs. The greed on both parts of baseball, owners vs. players, convinced me that the 'fan' was the last thing on their mind so I obliged and lost interest for the first time in my young life. My interest would finally return due to a great man and great baseball ambassador by the name of Buck O'Neill and I'll devote some time to him in a future post. With Buck bringing me back to baseball and Royals baseball I felt like a kid again although this time the Royals were much, much worse and were the laughingstock of baseball. As a near-40 year old, most of the players are obviously much younger than me and it's a weird perspective to have now but thanks to the efforts of General Manager, Dayton Moore, the players taking the field will hopefully turn things around and my children will start to idolize these Royals. 
As the players came and went and retired, there are several memories that I have that are simply related to the stadium and the crowds that were there when I went to the game. I remember seeing a drunk lady that was very excited during the game and after a big play by KC she jumped up out of her seat with beer in hand (which due to the law of physics the liquid shot out like a volcano and came raining down on those sitting next to her) then frantically and hysterically plead with the police that came down to discuss the complaints of those around her that were now drenched in Bud Light. I remember the time my parents took me and several of my friends to a game and during the game we went wandering and picking up the souvenir cups to take home and at the end of the game a friend of mine, Robert Cram, had two stacks of cups in each hand that towered above him but as we exited the stadium some drunk a$$ comes running from behind us with both arms out like an airplane and chopped down Robert's stacks and sending cups all over the place. I remember back when Yankees fans visited the ballpark they were REALLY shown the ire of Royals fans with boos and heckles and curse words (if you are a true Royals fan you HATE the Yankees!). One last memory I'll share has to do with my stepdad. Back then he worked for a lawn & garden company that rented golf carts and were rented to the Royals. He would take me with him to the stadium on nights that he had to go pick them up after the games. I would get to go down in the bowels of the stadium under the spiral ramps and drive one up and then he would let me drive around the park and all over the parking lot. I even remember the staff giving us home run balls (back then there were no seats behind the outfield walls so home runs were not always available for keeping by fans unless they were hit in the outfield corners where the old GA seats were at that time).
"In the bullpen, there's no definite mood. Anything goes down there as long as you remember 3 basic rules: No women are allowed, don't do crossword puzzles in the open, and hide the food." - Royals reliever Dan Quisenberry (1983)
3rd inning.
Movie I want to see. Iron Man 3. So, in less than a month the 3rd installment of the Iron Man franchise will hit theaters across the country. As one of Marvel Comics' 'Big Three' which includes Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, it has been interesting to see that the most troubled character of the three has been so successful on the movie screen, but, I guess, that rings true over on the DC Comics side as well with Batman who is part of DC's 'Big Three' which includes Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Casting Robert Downey Jr. in the role of Tony Stark was a home run for Marvel and he has carried the Marvel Phase One project. (Who wouldn't want one of those Iron Man suits?) Well, the plot for Iron Man 3 has Tony battling the Mandarin as part of the Extremis storyline from the comics. The Mandarin has a set of magical/mystical rings (one for each finger) that each hold a specific power (his character was sort of mentioned in the first movie when the terrorist in the mountains mentions the 'Ten Rings' as their group name). In addition, Tony builds more Iron Man suits for specific situations and the audience will be treated to those as the trailer shows. If the trailer is any indication, you should expect lots of explosions and lots of Iron Men. Win-Win! 4th inning.
American History Lesson...On April 6th, 1917 the United States Congress declared war on the German Empire and officially entered World War I. Since the war started, President Wilson tried to keep the U.S. neutral but due to the actions of Germany we joined the Allied Powers that included Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, and Japan. Germany was part of the Central Powers along with Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. The war began in June 1914 when Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Upon Ferdinand's death the dominos started to fall with various nations lining up to support their allies. World War I introduced the world to new types of warfare that included chemical weapons and aerial bombing. For a good history lesson on the war check out the PBS link here. If you are ever in Kansas City, please take time to visit the National World War I Museum.
5th inning.
Firearms corner...Background investigations.
Unless you have been off the grid living in your doomsday bunker since last November you should be well aware that background checks to purchase firearms is a current hot topic. So, I want to spend a moment and examine the subject more closely and hopefully shed some common sense on the subject. First, let's address the two types of sales--Private versus Dealer.
- Private sales do not require a background check. These include such sales as a neighbor who sells his hunting rifle to another neighbor, a father who sells his handgun to a daughter who is living by herself, or a mother who sells her late father’s shotgun to a trap shooter or duck hunter. These would also include sales via the Internet from such sites as Armslist, GunsAmerica, Gunbroker, or Midwest Gun Trader.
- Dealer sales do require a background check. These include such sales as when a customer goes into a gun shop (big box retailer or local shop) or purchases from a home-based dealer such as myself. Dealer sales also include those that occur when a dealer places an online ad on one of the gun selling websites mentioned above.
- Dealer sales require a buyer to complete a Form 4473 and a call to the FBI-NICS system or via the Internet to the FBI-NICS system. The firearm can only be transferred if a Proceed is granted by the NICS system.
- For a Dealer Internet sale, a good example is if a resident of Kansas City bought a gun from a store in Memphis, the FFL in Memphis would send the gun to an FFL in Kansas City. Once it arrived, the buyer would pay a fee for shipping, taxes on the gun, as well as any mark-up for services. They would also have to submit to a background check just as if he had bought the gun off a shelf in Kansas City.
- For a private sale via the Internet--if both the buyer & seller live in the same state, typically they will meet at a specific location and complete the transaction in person. But if the buyer & seller are from different states, the seller must ship the firearm to an FFL in the buyer's home state (this is conducted through the seller taking the firearm to an FFL in their home state where the FFL would ship to the buyer's FFL)
- Private sales would occur if a patron that is attending the gun show is carrying around a gun with a for sale sign and another patron purchases it. There is no background check for this transaction.
- Private sales would also include if the patron carrying around a gun for sale sold it to a dealer at the show. But if the dealer wants to turn around and sell that firearm then a Form 4473 and NICS check would be required.
- Dealers set up tables with many firearms of all types for sale. If any patrons wish to purchase one of these firearms then a Form 4473 must be completed and a call to the FBI-NICS system or via the Internet to the FBI-NICS system.
- The data being referenced is implying that 40% of all new gun sales are conducted without a background check. Which is not true. To buy new guns you either have to be a dealer and buy wholesale or be a customer that purchases from a dealer and therefore has to undergo a background check. Now you could be a customer who purchases a new gun then turns around and sells it but if you try to sell it for more than you paid why would someone pay you when they could go to a dealer and get it cheaper (an obvious exception to this rule is if something is in high demand and short supply but then again if it happens it will happen very little due to the nature of short supply). You could also sell your new gun cheaper than what you paid at the dealer but then you are losing money and that is ignorant (an obvious exception would be someone that made an impulse buy and after their spouse reminded them that they could not afford it they have to sell it quick to get some of their money back before other bills come due). You could sell it for the same price you paid which doesn't make sense either (why would you go wait in line, go through the background check, then sell it for no profit?). But the fact remains, if you are making a habit of buying new guns only to turn around and sell them then that would probably qualify you as an unlicensed dealer or as a Straw Purchaser and both are against the law.
- The data being referenced is from a study that was conducted from a 1997 Institute of Justice report, written by Philip Cook of Duke University and Jens Ludwig of the University of Chicago. The study was based on data collected from a survey in 1994, the same year that the Brady Act requirements for background checks came into effect. In fact, the questions concerned purchases in 1993 and 1994, and the Brady Act went into effect in early 1994 — meaning that some, if not many, of the guns were bought in a pre-Brady environment.
- The survey sample from the study being referenced was just 251 people. (The survey was done by telephone, using a random-digit-dial method, with a response rate of 50 percent.) With this sample size, the 95 percent confidence interval will be plus or minus six percentage points.
- If the 40% figure is suppose to represent private sales how can anyone know how many sales are being conducted through private means when there is no data due to the sales being private?
- Is the data being referenced implying that 40% of all gun sales are being conducted illegally? If so, then that is not true (see point above to understand this).
- Since the 'Assault Weapons Ban' expired in 2004, a multitude of manufacturers have started making Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs; AR-style rifles). From the major manufacturers to start-ups (and the mom & pop gun makers are plentiful), they either make the complete rifle or make the upper/lower receivers or any and all accessories you can put on the rifle. Even with the expanding sales line for these type of rifles and their accessories, violent crime has gone down.
- Gun sales, across the board, since the ban expired in 2004 have increased every year, but especially during the Obama administration, all while violent crime has decreased.
- With the proliferation of guns being made and bought which could end up being resold without a background check through a private transaction you would think that violent crime, but more specifically gun crime, would be skyrocketing, but it is not. Therefore, the 'universal background check' issue should be null and void.
6th inning.
Movie I want to see....again. My Top 10 Teen Comedy Movies of the '80s Countdown..Part 3. Weird Science. So, this past weekend Time Warner Cable provided a free HBO/Cinemax weekend to its KC subscribers and guess what was on??? Well, Weird Science of course. It stars Anthony Michael Hall (after his role in 'The Breakfast Club' and prior to his stint on Saturday Night Live--you knew he was on SNL, right?), Robert Downey, Jr. (early in his career and prior to joining Anthony Michael Hall on SNL--you knew he was on there too, right?), Kelly LeBrock, and Bill Paxton. The movie's plot involves two geeks, Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith(who didn't act in anything beyond 1991 and is now a History Professor), who devise a plan to create a woman through a computer program only to have the woman, played by LeBrock, become real with special reality-altering powers. LeBrock teaches the geeks to be confident and to face their fears when confronted with danger and embarrassment which leads to them getting the girls. Another funny flick and a must-own DVD which I also need to track down for my own collection. The trailer is below. Enjoy!7th inning.
Music...The greatest rock band of all time is Def Leppard. That is my opinion...live with it. The summer of 1988 I started to listen to them and became a fan with the release of 'Hysteria'. I had their concert t-shirt with the image to the left. I give credit to my fandom to MTV back when they actually played music videos and for having their 'Top 20' countdown every afternoon. I recall going over to my friend's house during that summer and seeing that 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' was #1 the entire summer. The band members include Joe Elliot(lead singer), Rick Allen(one-armed drummer), Rick Savage(bass guitar), Phil Collen(guitar), Steve Clark-deceased, and Vivian Campbell(took Steve's place).
Def Leppard is a special band to me due to being my first rock concert. It was the summer of 1988 and on the evening of August 9th, I was in attendance at the old Sandstone Amphitheater with my good buddy, David Peterman, and my parents (buzzkill). So, there we were two soon-to-be 8th graders rockin' out in the lawn section as Europe opened the concert with some 'Final Countdown' but then out came Def Leppard and the place exploded. One memory I have of that concert is of my mom almost getting into a fight with a couple of younger gals (women...they never get along). Cut to December 19th 1992, Def Leppard is back in KC but this time at Kemper Arena with their 'in-the-round' tour for 'Adrenalize'. Guess who is with me this time minus the parents???--David Peterman. It was one of those rare times when a band with a new album/cd out and you knew the songs. While we rocked out to the new stuff they had yet to play the old hits. After playing many of their hits from previous albums, to include Hysteria, they still hadn't played that one everybody was waitin' on. Then Joe asks the audience if they are ready for something sweet...the place went wild knowing 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' (video below) was coming up. Great night with a great band!
**Side note--I remember being in the 8th grade and getting into an argument with a Metallica fan over who was the better drummer, Rick Allen or Lars Ulrich. I think that conversation ended with a "Fu$% Lars! Rick Allen and his one arm could beat him any day!"
8th inning.
FFL Factoid...(Follow up to last week's factoid with more info on the different types of licenses.)
- Type 01--Dealer in firearms other than destructive devices (includes: rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, gunsmith activities, and National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons if you apply for and purchase a Class 3 License. Application fee and the first three years is $200. Renewal every three years is $90.
Baseball is here! The 2013 season is upon us!
10th Inning.
Baseball movie poll...With 38% of the votes Field of Dreams was chosen as the 'Best All-Time Baseball Movie'. Major League received 25% followed by Bull Durham, The Sandlot, and A League of Their Own each with 13% of the vote.
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