I think to myself...what a wonderful world...

1st Inning.

Highlights of the Brew Crew...This year's deer season (main portion) has come to an end and with it the bulk of my time at our deer camp.  The season lasted from Saturday November 16th to Tuesday November 26th.  I arrived at our camp on Friday the 15th in time to check game cameras and start setting up our outfitter tents.  I talked about our hunting camp back in the 3rd Inning of my post 'Venti Vanilla Latte, Please!'.  This year camp participants included my cousin, David; his dad, Uncle Randy; my buddy, Rob; and my mom, Viv, and step-dad, Pat.  The weather was not ideal as it was warm and windy on both the first Saturday and Sunday.  We ended up taking two does that weekend and only seeing a few small bucks that were not legal to shoot.  I went home after the evening hunt on Monday the 18th and returned on Friday the 22nd for the evening hunt. 

 

The second weekend was a total opposite of the first, with freezing temperatures that we had not experienced during the main portion of deer season in the 8 years we have been hunting that land.  After coming in from the Friday evening hunt, we stood around the campfire eating some chili when we heard a sound like animals running down the hill by our tents at us.  We fixed flashlights on the sound and discovered a couple of foxes headed our way but ended up taking a detour back up the hill to a bunch of large rocks where we figured they had a den.  The foxes then began to make a sound that was a bit creepy had we not know the source.  You can hear an example of that sound from a YouTube video here.

I like to play a game of wildlife bingo when I'm in the woods to see how many species I see and this year I was able to scratch off deer, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, chipmunk, birds, coyote, fox, and raccoon.  Four creatures I would love to scratch off while at deer camp are:

1)Bigfoot

 














2)Chupacabra

3)Wampus cat

4)Wookalar.

2nd Inning.
American History Lesson...USMC Birthday.  From History.com, "During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress passes a resolution stating that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" for service as landing forces for the recently formed Continental Navy. The resolution, drafted by future U.S. president John Adams and adopted in Philadelphia, created the Continental Marines and is now observed as the birth date of the United States Marine Corps".  The Continental Marines were an effective force during the American Revolution which saw them launch their first hostile shore landing on New Providence Island in the Bahamas while being lead by Captain Samuel Nicholas in March 1776.  After independence was won, Congress demobilized the Continental Navy along with the Continental Marine force. 

 

During President John Adams' term, conflicts arose with France that required the establishment of the U.S. Navy as a permanent force along with the U.S. Marine Corps a few months later.  Their earliest battles were fighting the Barbary pirates off the coast of Africa but since then they have been a vital fighting force in all U.S. wars with them usually the first in battle.  Since Adams established them, they have executed more than 300 landings on foreign shores including the taking of Iwo Jima in the Pacific theater during World War II. 

Per History.com, "Today, there are more than 200,000 active-duty and reserve Marines, divided into three divisions stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Camp Pendleton, California; and Okinawa, Japan. Each division has one or more expeditionary units, ready to launch major operations anywhere in the world on two weeks' notice. Marines expeditionary units are self-sufficient, with their own tanks, artillery, and air forces. The motto of the service is Semper Fidelis, meaning 'Always Faithful' in Latin."

A list of famous Marines can be found here.

 

Don't forget the "Marines' Hymn" which is the oldest official song in the U.S. Armed Forces.

   

From the Halls of Montezuma

To the shores of Tripoli;

We fight our country's battles

In the air, on land, and sea;

First to fight for right and freedom

And to keep our honor clean;

We are proud to claim the title

Of United States Marine.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze

From dawn to setting sun;

We have fought in every clime and place

Where we could take a gun;

In the snow of far-off Northern lands

And in sunny tropic scenes,

You will find us always on the job

The United States Marines.

Here's health to you and to our Corps

Which we are proud to serve;

In many a strife we've fought for life

And never lost our nerve.

If the Army and the Navy

Ever look on Heaven's scenes,

They will find the streets are guarded

By United States Marines.

3rd Inning.

Articles of the Week...

• Ready to go to Pandora?..."James Cameron's world of Pandora is about to become a reality at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Plans and concept art were revealed at Japan's D23 Expo and from the looks of it there are some pretty intricate designs and a very immersive environment on the horizon, especially for AVATAR fanatics."  Very cool!  Can't wait to get back down to Orlando for the Hogwarts, Simpsons, and now Avatar.  Disney and Universal Studios might as well have me direct deposit my paycheck to their bank account...
  

• Michael Kelso keeps impressing me..."Noting that some of his own friends don’t want to work at Starbucks, because they believe it is beneath them, Kutcher said, 'The only thing that can be below you is to not have a job.' "  Who would have thought the guy that played Kelso would have some inspirational words to say to our nation and its' youth?
• The truth shall set you free..."On September 24, 2011, I won the Florida Republican Presidency 5 Straw Poll by a large margin over the next closest candidate. It was an upset victory and helped propel me to the position of frontrunner in the national polls for the Republican presidential nomination. My messages of common sense solutions and tax code replacement were clearly resonating with the American people."  Herman Cain speaks the truth!  Wish he could have got the nomination.
• Extortion explained..."The public's opinion of politicians of both parties seems to have reached a new low. But no matter how much the voters detest Congress — or how justifiably — that does not mean that there will be radical changes at the next election." Sowell does it again.  Term limits for Congress..now!
  
• Lies, Deception, Fraud..." 'You lie because your premiums will be higher.' 'Never report it, I always lie on my applications.' 'Don’t tell them that.' These are just a few of the comments made by ObamaCare navigators caught on video."  James O'Keefe and his crew put together another great video showcasing the corruption surrounding Obamacare and its' Navigators.
• A continent of sadness..."The mineral-rich Central African Republic is collapsing into chaos amid a worsening religious conflict between Christians and Muslims that could trigger genocide and bring more upheaval to a region already beset by turmoil, observers warn." I studied African politics in graduate school and learned so much about this continent and the potential it has if it could only escape the horrible tragedies that continue to plague too many of the nations.
• I swear, it was a chupacabra!..."A Mississippi man shot a strange creature he believes to be a chupacabra -- a legendary creature that most experts believe to be nothing but a myth."  Real or fiction...you decide.
  
• Finding Bigfoot meets the Fouke Monster..."We’ve got an exclusive look at the premiere of season 4, which shows the team traveling to Arkansas, where The Legend of Boggy Creek was filmed more than 40 years ago. The town still reports Bigfoot activity in the woods, and when Cliff and Ranae go out to investigate, they’re struck by a knocking sound they hear nearby."  Fouke Monster?!?!?  YES!
• One flux capacitor, please..."At any given moment there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the Web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or IndieGoGo and you’ll find there’s no shortage of weird, ambitious, and downright stupid projects out there – far too many for any reasonable person to keep up with."  Rosie the maid from the Jetsons is just around the corner!
  
   

4th Inning.

Random Facts About Me at Deer Camp...Coors Light will be consumed at all hours of the day/night...I will take a baby wipe bath when needed...An empty milk jug makes a great pee jug so I don't have to go outside in the cold...A nap is required daily...There will be at least one doodie bag thrown at someone...

 

I try to go to bed early because I can (I live with my wife and three daughters so you think I ever get to go to bed early at home???)...I will initiate a debate around the campfire about a gun caliber or gun brand...A red union suit makes great PJs...I play wildlife bingo while sitting in the treestand...

5th Inning.

Cool & Funny Videos...

Boar Hunting to 'It's a Wonderful World"...


Batman and Superman have a talk...



6th Inning.

Movie I want to see...Captain America 2:Winter Soldier.

Next April the second installment of the Captain America movie franchise will hit theaters.  In this sequel, Steve Rogers is still adjusting to his modern surroundings after the events in 'The Avengers'.  He has a new suit (modeled after the comics' version of his Super-Soldier title when he was in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D.).  The plot revolves around a global threat with Cold War era roots and finds Cap teaming up with the Black Widow and the Falcon(played by Anthony Mackie).  This movie will also introduce the comic characters, Crossbones(played by Frank Grillo) and Batroc the Leaper(played by George St.Pierre of UFC fame).  But what about the Winter Soldier?  Well, he is Bucky Barnes, Cap's old friend who was thought to have died during a mission in the first movie.  Without spoiling too much, you can read up on the comics version of the Winter Soldier here for additional plot details.  The trailer is below and looks like a great movie!  Enjoy!

 

7th Inning.

Firearms Corner...Glock.  For over 25 years, Glock pistols have been sold in the United States and since they were first introduced to the U.S. market, they have remained one of the most popular handguns ever sold and as iconic, per some in the firearms article writing community, as the M1911.  Per AmericanRifleman.org, "The Glock G17 9 mm Luger pistol is considered by some to represent a milestone for modern combat handgun design. Before the Glock arrived on the market, the idea of using impact-resistant plastic to form a pistol frame was seen as not only impractical, but laughable. It’s been more than 30 years since Austria adopted the Glock for use by its armed forces, and just a little more than 27 years since the pistol began to be imported for sale on the U.S. market. Needless to say, no one is laughing now. Just as the M1911 and CZ-75 have inspired the design features in many other pistols, plenty of gun manufacturers, both large and small, are using the Glock as the inspiration for their own polymer-frame semi-automatic handguns.".   

 

Glock pistols are just about the same today as they were when they were originally introduced except for a few ergonomic changes and functional improvements.   Oh, and they still come in all black (there have been some special editions that come in flat dark earth).  The company is now in their 4th Generation of pistols and they are still go-to handguns for many who are buying their first pistol or for the hardcore gun enthusiast.  You can find models in all of the most popular handgun calibers which are 9mm, 40S&W, and 45ACP.  Each of these calibers can be found in a full-size, compact, and subcompact model.  For a great historical profile on Glock, check out this American Rifleman article here. 

For more information on Glock's U.S. operations and offerings please check out their website here.  The video below showcases why the Glock pistol is popular.  Enjoy!





8th Inning.

FFL Factoid...Big Brother and FFL Dealers. There is a common myth when it comes purchasing a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensed dealer.  The myth revolves around the idea that when a customer purchases a gun the serial number and name of the purchaser are sent to the FBI and put into a registry when they are contacted for the background check.  I have encountered too many people who don't want to buy from a licensed dealer because they don't want to register their firearm.  Well, this myth is false.  After the customer completes the Form 4473, the dealer will typically find a private backroom (or like me and use the E-Check process over the Internet) to call in the background check.  During that phone call the only information shared with the FBI is your name, date of birth, height, weight, state of residence, gender, race, and occasionally social security number(it is not required).  In addition to the personal identifiers, the only information given about the firearm is its category and that is broken up into three categories--1)handgun, 2)long gun, 3)other firearm.  Now the serial number is documented on the Form 4473, but as I have mentioned in past posts, those documents stay with the dealer and the only time a serial number would be needed is if it was used in a crime. 

9th Inning.

Baseball Video..."Why the fairy tale of Willie Mays making a brilliant World Series catch, and then dashing off to play stickball in the street with his teenage pals. That's baseball. So is the husky voice of a doomed Lou Gehrig saying, 'I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth.' "
-Ernie Harwell

With another great World Series over, I searched the YouTube for some all-time World Series highlights and found this one.  Enjoy!  




Extra Inning.
10th Inning.
Veteran's Day was on the 11th of November.  Remember those who have served.

In 1814, We took a little trip...

1st Inning.
Highlights of the Brew Crew...Halloween this year came and went with much celebration in the Brewer household.  Costumes this year--Kylie (Tween Werewolf), Dixie (Vampire), and Lucy (Minnie Mouse)...oh, and me (Hillbilly Werewolf).  The added bonus this year?  My wife's sister came to town.  Her sister brought her two children and they were able to do some heavy-duty trick-r-treating.  As soon as my kids arrived home from school it was a whirlwind of costumes as they all were in a frenzy to get dressed and start hitting the neighborhood, never mind that is was only 4pm and very early. 

 

We like to decorate and go all-out for Halloween (as the video below shows) and each year we try to add a little something new.  This year we bought a couple of more ghost/ghouls to hang up and a fog machine.  The best time to stock up on Halloween stuff is the day of or next day as the stores try to get rid of everything by marking the prices down.  The number of visits we had that night was just right as we were not left with much candy.  The compliments from kids about how 'cool' our house was brought a smile to this hillbilly werewolf's face.      

The weekend after Halloween was the Youth Hunting weekend.  Over the past few years my girls have started tagging along with me into the woods in search of deer and turkey.  I bought my oldest her first deer rifle (Rossi Matched Pair, .243/20GA) two years ago for her first youth hunting weekend.  I made a huge mistake by not understanding the antler-point restrictions for the youth hunt and made her pass on a small buck that did not have 4 antler points on one side when she could have shot it and had her first deer(there is no antler point restrictions during the youth hunt).  So, with the guilt hanging over me I have tried to get her into the woods to get another shot.  This year with a sister in tow, I decided to buy a nice ground blind so the three of us could sit together.  I ended up catching the Barronett Grounder 350 on sale at the local Orschelins.  It was plenty big enough for us and although we didn't see anything while sitting there all afternoon we all had a great time spending it together in the deer woods.

2nd Inning.

Music...Johnny Horton.  With the fall hunting season upon us and deer season coming up this weekend, I wanted to profile an artist that gets a bunch of airtime from our smartphone MP3 players while we sit around the campfire.  My first exposure to Johnny Horton was sitting by my Papa Brewer's record player while he or my dad would play 'The Battle of New Orleans', which was written by Jimmy Driftwood (who lived in Timbo, the same small north Arkansas town as my Papa Brewer).  Jump forward many years to my first apartment roommate after graduating high school-my cousin, David.  He grew up listening to Johnny Horton songs and through his influence expanded my knowledge of more and more songs.  Jump forward to 2007, and every year since, when my cousin, David, his dad, Randy, and me are sitting around our hunting campfire each fall.  There you will find us singing along to Johnny Horton hits that include, 'The Battle of New Orleans', 'When It's Springtime in Alaska', 'Sink the Bismark', 'Whispering Pines', 'All for the love of a girl', 'Jim Bridger', and 'Comanche(The Brave Horse)'. 

 

A little background on Johnny Horton...Johnny rose to fame singing honky tonk/rockabilly songs.  At one point he ended up in California (where he was born) doing a tv show/radio show before he headed to Louisiana for a job singing on the Louisiana Hayride.  There Hank Williams played the part of mentor until his death in 1952.  Horton ended up marrying Williams' widow, Billie Jean.  With his career going nowhere, he changed managers and record labels.  After signing with Columbia Records his career had new life with his new hit, 'Honky Tonk Man'.  As quick as his new hits peaked on the charts he found new ones drying up.  He then released 'Springtime in Alaska' and 'The Battle of New Orleans' which were instant hits.  With their success he concentrated on the folk-story type songs and recorded a number of hits prior to his death in a car wreck in 1960.

3rd Inning.

This Ole...Picture of me and Buck.  On November 13th, Buck O'Neill would have turned 102 years old.  I first mentioned how I learned about Buck in the 5th Inning of 'Top of the mornin' to ya!'.  Well, in 2003 (while in KC for Thanksgiving) my wife and I, along with our one year old daughter, went to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum so I could possibly meet Buck O'Neil and get his autograph. We walked through the museum pushing Kylie around in her stroller but no sign of Buck. After I loaded up on goodies from the gift shop we started to leave and noticed the long line of people headed into the museum and sure enough there is Buck taking pics with folks.   I panicked and headed over to the Jazz Museum's concession stand(the American Jazz Museum is in the same building) to buy an ink pen as quickly as possible so he could autograph his book I had just bought. As I watched him head into the museum, I felt the moment start to slip away, when my wife, Gina, out of nowhere swerved the stroller in front of him to stop him until I could catch up. We introduced ourselves and talked about us living in Memphis and he told us how he met his wife there (He always said the greatest day in his life was a day in Memphis when he hit for the cycle then met his wife that night). I got the autograph and Gina saved the day!

The following spring we moved to the Kansas City, Missouri area and one day I was listening to the local sports radio station, 810am, and they were advertising for Buck's 'Legends Luncheons' which were held downtown at the Madrid Theater.  I was able to attend several of these luncheons before he passed away.  My goal was to always get there early and try to get a conversation with Buck as he was always there early too.  Every time I arrived early you could catch him making his way around the room to greet folks as they arrived.  The picture above was taken at one of those luncheons and to this day it sits on my office desk.  I remember shaking his hand and it was like he had a baseball glove for a hand (his hands were that huge).  A great man that was ever so humble and could always bring a smile to your face.  To learn more about Buck check out his website here.  His speech at the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies is below and well worth watching.  He was snubbed by a committee put together to select Negro Leagues inductees and was already invited to speak by the HOF as they figured he was a shoo-in.  Well, even though he was not selected he still showed up to give a speech about the Negro Leagues and left everyone smiling.  We miss you, Buck!

4th Inning.

 What I'm Thankful For...I have a wife that will pluck my eyebrow and ear hair...To be born in the United States of America...Arkansas State University for introducing me to my wife...Daughters that like to pal around with their dad and go hunting...My employer of 11+ years giving me a chance when so many other companies and government agencies would not...

 

The first person who thought putting sugar in iced tea was a good idea...Having great in-laws...A bathroom exhaust fan in this house...A roof over my head and food in the pantry...

5th Inning.

Articles of the week...

• I like big boobs and I cannot lie..More of a PSA but nonetheless it is still an important topic and this article '23 Things Only Ladies With Big Boobs Will Understand' helps explain it all.
• When will the D.C. madness end?..."When more than 30 police officers in full tactical gear descended upon the house of a successful Washington, D.C., businessman with no criminal record last summer, they were looking for 'firearms and ammunition … gun cleaning equipment, holsters, bullet holders and ammunition receipts,' The Washington Times reported."  When did our capital city become so Nazi-esque??? The founders are rolling in their graves, people...rolling in their graves.
• We are surrounded!..."Americans who were recipients of means-tested government benefits in 2011 outnumbered year-round full-time workers, according to data released this month by the Census Bureau." There is no way a nation can last while sustaining a public dependence at those levels and ratios.
• An apple a day..."A government worker is 38 percent more likely to be absent from work for personal reasons or illnesses than a private-sector worker, and government workers miss 50 percent more of their usual work hours as a result of such absences than do private sector workers, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics."  And you wonder why government workers get a bad rap...
  
• 1st Amendment, 4th Amendment, 2nd Amendment, Raid!..."Audrey Hudson’s husband had just left for work on August 6 when suddenly, her dog began barking. The nationally-known journalist walked over to the curtains and peeked outside to discover her Chesapeake Bay home was surrounded by law enforcement officers wearing full body armor."  My fellow Americans, the Sedition Acts are back!
• The Purge..."Nine generals and flag officers have been relieved of duty under Obama just this year – widely viewed as an extraordinary number – and several sources put the total number of senior officers purged during the five years of the Obama administration as close to 200."  Eliminate the military leadership that does not adhere to your ideology...
• Travel here, travel there, travel everywhere..."10 incredible world landmarks you haven't seen (yet!)".  Need to expand my bucket list...oh, and an attraction in KC made the list!
  

  
• Health Insurance or Health Maintenance..." 'The product we have had since 1959 has been a hybrid of a service maintenance contract plus insurance. If you’re going to buy true insurance, you want to buy it for a catastrophic event, example, auto insurance. If I go to my auto insurer, I don’t want to be covered for oil changes and lube jobs. I want to be covered for a car crash and so when we went to first dollar coverage thats when it [health insurance] became a service maintenance contract.' "  This guy opened my eyes to a better way of understanding the health insurance debate.
• America's Pastime..."For many turning to page three of today’s post was a pleasant surprise. The Red Sox took out a full page ad to say,'Your region, its people and the entire Cardinal`s organization represent everything that’s great about baseball.' " Another reason I feel baseball is the greatest sport!

6th Inning.

President Harry Truman

American History Lesson...Truman saves Europe.  The world emerged from World War II with Europe on the brink of disaster after years of war and devastation and the influence of Communism from the Soviet Union.  President Truman had to act or watch a domino effect of communism take over Europe and spread throughout the world.  From the MarshallFoundation.Org, "Millions of people had been killed or wounded.  Industrial and residential centers in England, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Belgium and elsewhere lay in ruins.  Much of Europe was on the brink of famine as agricultural production had been disrupted by war.  Transportation infrastructure was in shambles.  The only major power in the world that was not significantly damaged was the United States."   

 

Secretary George Marshall

In January 1947, President Truman appointed General George Marshall to be his Secretary of State.  Through this role Marshall implemented what has been called the 'Marshall Plan' (the official title was the European Recovery Program).  The plan's intent was to revitalize and rebuild the economies of Western Europe while also lifting the morale of their citizens.  Both Truman and Marshall believed that bringing back the economies of those nations would provide political stability and keep the Soviet influence at bay.

Germany and sixteen other nations formed the group that received aid.  Initial items shipped to the nations included food, machinery, fuel, and other infrastructure staples.  Later on during the recovery effort, the aid turned into investments by the United States in the industrial infrastructure of the rebuilding nations. 

 

When the funding ended in 1951, the nations that received our aid saw unprecedented economic growth which ultimately fought off any opportunity for influence the Soviet Union might have devised.  These ties between our nation and Western Europe lead to many trade/economic alliances as well as military alliances that have lasted till today.  The Dick Morris video below gives more background information.  Enjoy!

   

 

7th Inning.

Firearms Corner...3D Printed Gun.  News this week in the firearms world revolved around the world's first 3D printed metal gun.  The company, Solid Concepts, used a laser sintering process that took metal powder and made it into a hardened solid object that was capable of being fired.  Their model of gun?  The 1911.  With a design that is open to the public domain they were able take a 3D computer model and create everything needed to build the gun outside of a few springs and a magazine.  What does this mean for the firearms world?  Well, the printer costs around $500,000 so I wouldn't expect to find one in anybody's garage anytime soon like you might find with the hobby printers used to make plastic objects.  But for many collectors that may be looking for a part that is hard to find, this may provide them the opportunity to once again put that priceless firearm together and take it to the range once more.  A video of the firearm is below.  Enjoy! 

8th Inning.

FFL Factoid...Finishing the 'Top 10 Frequently Asked Firearms Questions and Answers' per the ATF..

10. I was the subject of a NICS check when I attempted to purchase a firearm from an FFL, and I received a delayed response or a denial. Please tell me why I did not receive a "proceed" response.

ATF does not operate the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). It is administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Please contact the NICS Customer Service Center at (877) 444-6427 for further assistance. You can also find information about the NICS system by visiting the FBI’s website at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics.

9th Inning.

Baseball Video..."Don't shed any tears.  You think about this: Here I am the grandson of a slave and here the whole world was excited about whether I was going into the Hall of Fame or not.  We've come a long ways."-John Jordan 'Buck' O'Neil.