Highlights of the Brew Crew...This past weekend I had the opportunity to take my daughter, Dixie, to the World's of Fun (WOF) amusement park in Kansas City. As a child in the Kansas City area I remember many trips each summer to WOF. I recall how afraid I was of The Orient Express and Zambezi Zinger roller coasters until I actually rode them and had lots of fun. Per Wikipedia, "The park is themed around the Jules Verne book, Around the World in Eighty Days. Worlds of Fun is divided into five major sections (Scandinavia, Africa, Europa, the Orient, and Americana). Rides, attractions, shops, shows, and restaurants are named according to the area theme. Guests enter the park in Scandinavia." Over the years since I was a child, many of the rides I looked forward to have been retired and replaced with bigger better rides but there is a sense of nostalgia as I walked through the park for the first time in almost 10 years. 
This trip was Dixie's first time to WOF and it was just she and I for most of the day. My oldest daughter, Kylie, was at Oceans of Fun (next door and starting this year you get to go to both parks now with one ticket) with her Girl Scout troop and we didn't have to go get her until 3:30. Dixie and I arrived shortly after the park opened around 11am. With her being nervous about some of the rides based on looking at the WOF website, I wanted to walk her through the entire park to see all the rides so she could make the call on whether we rode them or not. So, we made our way through Scandinavia with her only choice being the Viking Voyager, but they had not opened it for the day (had to wait another hour or so). 
Once we made it to the Africa section, we found our way to the new Dinosaurs Alive attraction (which costs an extra $5). Dixie really seemed to like seeing the animatronic dinosaurs and reading about them from the display boards. We continued on through Africa with an "I don't think so" and a "No way" before we made it to the Fury of the Nile which still needed another hour or so before they would open it (Did I mention how chilly it was on this day? Had to buy Dixie a hoodie from the first gift shop we found). Well, on the other side of the Fury of the Nile is the Monsoon. We rode that and I could tell she was excited but didn't want to ride it again due to getting wet and shivering. Eventually we made it to the Europa section and the LeTaxiTour, the drivable taxi rides, and the Flying Dutchman. She enjoyed both and we ended up riding the taxis several more times that day with Dixie as the driver. While in the Europa section we took in a live show where the old 'Stax of Wax' show once played when I was a youth. This show was called the 'Party Rockin' show and was the same format only instead of 50s/60s/70s music it was 70s/80s/90s/2000s. After grabbing a late lunch and Dixie winning herself a stuffed animal at one of the carnival games and one ride on the Ferris Wheel, we headed over to get Kylie at Oceans of Fun. We rode the Fury of the Nile and the taxis one more time then grabbed some funnel cakes and fried Oreos for the ride home. All part of a really fun day!
2nd Inning.
American
Per http://www.americanflags.org: "To salute the flag, all persons come to attention. All persons in uniform should give the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may also render the military salute. All other persons should salute by placing their right hand over their hearts. Men wearing a head covering (a hat, cap or other headwear) are to remove it. Women do not have to remove their head covering.
In parades or reviews, at the moment the flag passes, each individual should stand at attention facing the flag and salute.
The Flag of the United States is saluted as it is hoisted and lowered. The salute is held until the flag is unsnapped from the halyard or through the last note of the national anthem, whichever is longer.
When the national anthem is played or sung, citizens should stand at attention and salute by placing their right hand over their heart at the first note and holding the salute through the last note. The salute is directed to the flag, if displayed, otherwise to the music. If in uniform, the person should salute in the formal manner. It is proper to salute wherever the national anthem is played, for instance, on a college campus, in a public park, in a church, at a ball game, sports event, etc.
When, on U.S. soil, the national anthem of more than one nation is played, the visitors’ national anthems are played first, and may or may not be followed by our National Anthem. During the visitors’ anthems, all present should stand at attention and face the flags of the nations (or the music, if they are not present). Men not in uniform should remove their hats as well.
We contacted the Institute of Heraldry (Army) regarding the rendering of a salute during anthems of other nations. They did not have an official answer to this question but commented that they felt it would be appropriate for U.S. citizens to salute only during the playing of our National Anthem. We concur with that recommendation.
To salute a flag in a moving column, it is proper to start the salute as the flag enters your position and end when it has passed..
When the Pledge of Allegiance is recited, citizens should stand at attention and salute by placing their right hand over the heart with the first word and hold the salute through the last line of the Pledge. The salute is directed to the flag by facing it during the Pledge."
Well, in the recent news story that caught my attention, a young man playing the cymbals in band encountered an obstacle that left him confused momentarily until he decided to act and conduct himself like a true patriot. Video is below. Enjoy!
And remember, KC folks, the national anthem ends in "...home of the brave" not Chiefs.
3rd Inning.
Politics/Religion...There will only ever be one Paul Harvey. He could tell it so anyone could understand. I'm going to start adding some Paul Harvey audios going forward. Listen and enjoy...and maybe learn something.
4th Inning.
Movie I want to see again...The final installment of My top 10 Teen Comedy Movies of the
'80s Countdown--Part 10....Secret Admirer. My countdown
wraps up with an entry starring C.Thomas Howell. Mr. Howell was in a few hits in the early '80s including 'E.T.' and 'The Outsiders'. Secret Admirer was released in between his role in 'Red Dawn' and 'The Hitcher' (great horror flick!). It also stars Kelly Preston (Mrs. John Travolta) as Deborah, Lori Loughlin (from Full House fame) as Toni, and a young Corey Haim (as Howell's little brother).
On the last day of school of his junior year, Michael, played by Howell, receives a mysterious love letter and he suspects(wishes) it is from Deborah, who he is obsessed with. Well, he quickly realizes that she didn't write it but that doesn't deter him a bit. He confides in his friend, Toni (who is also a friend of Deborah), about how he loved the letter. Toni then convinces him to write Deborah a couple of anonymous letters which turn out to be greeting card retreads and Toni ultimately ends up re-writing both. After the letters are written they end up in the hands of Michael's parents and Deborah's parents and all kinds of confusion ensues with possible affairs/fights/jealousy running amok. In the end, Michael realizes Deborah is not for him (the old 'be careful what you wish for because you might get it and it won't be what you want') and it is Toni that wrote all the letters and that she is in love with him and he with her. Great flick so add it to your movie collection! Trailer is below. Enjoy!
5th Inning.
Articles of the Week.
- Ghostbusters need to head to Columbia University..."One of the speakers at the 30th reunion should have reminisced about 'my days with the future President.' But no one did. You’d think Obama might have sent a video to tell us all how much he enjoyed his time at Columbia. You’d think he’d have sent at least a letter to be read aloud from one of his former college buddies. Right? But he didn’t. Because Obama has no former college buddies. No one that ever met Obama, let alone befriended him, was in attendance at our 30th class reunion." President Obama must have been a ghost or took all his classes online, right? More people need to be asking questions. Where's the National Enquirer? We knew everything about Bush and Clinton and their college years so why nothing on Obama?
- One vote, two vote, three votes, fraud..."People have to present ID to cash a check, buy a beer, test drive a car, and sign their children out when they get picked up for day care. Why does Eric Holder think casting a ballot to elect local, state, and national leaders is so much less significant?" I support Voter-ID laws. There is no excuse for anyone to not be able to present some form of government-issued ID to vote. How else are they functioning in today's society without it? Are they living in a cave and off the grid?
- Hey, hey, you, you, get off of my sidewalk..."James O’Keefe’s latest Project Veritas undertaking is something we’ve long suspected but rarely proved — the hypocrisy of liberal lawmakers. O’Keefe does so magnificently." Gotta love hypocrisy! The Bill of Rights is on the chopping block folks. Wake UP!
- Transparency, Shransparency..."The scope of using the secret accounts across government remains a mystery: Most U.S. agencies have failed to turn over lists of political appointees’ email addresses, which the AP sought under the Freedom of Information Act more than three months ago. The Labor Department initially asked the AP to pay more than $1 million for its email addresses." No.More.Secrets. I thought President Obama said this would be the most transparent government in history?
- You put the balm on? Who told you to put the balm on? I didn't tell you to put the balm on. Why'd you put the balm on?... "Major League Baseball will seek to suspend about 20 players connected to the Miami-area clinic at the heart of an ongoing performance-enhancing drug scandal, including Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, possibly within the next few weeks, "Outside the Lines" has learned. If the suspensions are upheld, the performance-enhancing drug scandal would be the largest in American sports history." Might as well as mark out all baseball records from 1995 to the present. (SMH)
- We are 1776..."We Are 1776 provides an exciting tool libertarians can use to stay informed on policy, and to stay consistent to libertarian ideas." Three young men out to try and inform the masses and promote freedom. Hats off to these guys!
- WWHD..."If Alexander Hamilton were alive in our time, he would have plenty to say about the seemingly endless Chinese cyber-espionage on US defense assets, which even the Defense Science Board, an advisory group to the Pentagon, admits has caused “staggering losses” to US national security." A good little piece on Alexander Hamilton and the defense crisis of today.
- WWJD... "Andrew Jackson, one of this country’s greatest presidents, would have seen China’s latest attack as a direct affront to American honor, requiring immediate and decisive action." A good little piece on Andrew Jackson and the defense crisis of today.
- The Taxman Dumbeth... (yeah, I stole that line from 'The Daily Show') "The Flat Tax and the Fair Tax each have pluses and minuses that need to be debated. But in the end it really doesn't matter which idea triumphs. America and all Americans would be better off with either one. Either would eliminate the progressive tax system and make federal taxes simpler, fairer, smarter and apolitical. And, best of all, either one would kill the IRS as we know it -- forever." Check out the Fair Tax or the flat tax and contact your representatives in Washington!
6th Inning.
Firearms Corner...Top Shot returns! One of my favorite shows (and my daughters' as well) has been Top Shot on The History Channel. The show is a typical reality-game show hosted by former 'Survivor' contestant, Colby Donaldson, and features 16 contestants that start off the show on 1 of 2 teams competing against each other in shooting/weapons challenges. At the end of each show the team that lost the weekly challenge would nominate two people to face off in an elimination challenge. This occurs until a point where they merge the teams and there is one remaining. As we have watched over the past seasons there have been some pretty interesting characters that have appeared on the show. Good guys and gals and some several jerks that needed a good ass-whoopin'! Every contestant that has emerged 'Top Shot' deserved it and had to complete some very tough challenges. While showcasing the skills of each contestant each week, Top Shot also adheres to its History Channel roots and provides a good history lesson linked to the firearms/weapons used for the challenges. Well, as the summer begins and the show enters its 5th season, the contestants are comprised of 'All-Stars' from the previous shows. There are no teams in the current season so that should be interesting as they widdle down the 16 contestants to 1. Tune in to The History Channel on Wednesdays at 10/9c! 7th Inning.
Cool & Funny vids...
Star Wars vs. Star Trek...Wouldn't we love to see a trilogy of these two franchises versus each other?!?! Enjoy!
Grayson...this is a movie that NEEDS to be made! I ran across it several years ago and I check it out every so often because it's really good and gets the fanboy in me all excited. Enjoy!
8th Inning.
FFL factoid...This week's FFL Dealer type: Type 10.
- Manufacturer of firearms, ammunition and ammunition components, manufacturer of destructive devices, ammunition for destructive devices, and armor piercing ammunition; may also deal in all of the aforementioned items. Requires payment as an SOT Class 2 (can act as an NFA Dealer). To manufacture any destructive device with an explosives content (e.g. flash-bangs) requires an additional Federal Explosive License (FEL) as a Type 20 Manufacturer of High Explosives. Fee is $3000 for three years.
9th Inning.
Baseball video...With the baseball season approaching the All-Star break and little leagues beginning their seasons I thought it appropriate for some John Fogerty's 'Centerfield'. But this video version I found on YouTube was made by some high school kids. Enjoy!
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