Tonight Is What It Means To Be Young...

1st Inning.

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&A page:

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!