Guard Dog

From CNN: Obviously someone f----d up big time. It sounds like they made him fill out the forms but never did the background check. I strongly suspect this is going to get some scrutiny from law enforcement.

There has never been a time in the history of this country where we haven't had at least 40% of the population owning firearms. There have been periods of greater restriction and greater liberty but they have always been around. But people going batsht crazy and shooting up concerts and churches and killing innocent people en masse with no prior motive or argument is a new thing. Individual acts of violent crime have actually been dropping in recent years and we are certainly in a period of increased liberty. So if the guns have always been there but the mass killings are new perhaps the guns are not the problem. After all, 300 million firearms hurt no one yesterday. I checked on mine, they are all still in the gun safe where I left them.

It's a scary statement coming from a German I would say. We all know that monopoly is always bad in the long run. What I find wierd in US is that with all their culture of gun ownership they don't teach gun handling in school as a subject. I think there should be a class that teaches how to handle guns safely and how to act in different circumstances involving guns. Actually there used to be as late as the 1980's. I had gun safety in my Ag class in middle school.

You know I'd be totally fine with background checks on private sales. But I'm obligated to dig my heels in because every restriction is merely a segue into the next restriction. "They" don't want common sense gun laws. "They" want prohibition and confiscation. When you make a compromise it has to be with the understanding that both sides are dealing in good faith. We don't have that with the left in this country. At least not on this issue. If the powers that be came out tomorrow and said "let's ban all hand guns but that will be it. There will never be another restriction of any kind" I'd buy in if I believed it. But I don't. Because gun control is not about safety or even about guns in the end. And every step no matter how "reasonable" is just the beginning of the next step. It's like boiling a frog. Drop him into a pot of boiling water and he jumps out. But put him in a pot of cool water and slowly turn up the heat by the time he realizes what's happening he's cooked. It's like that.

The husband of the woman in that article is a real piece of ****, abandoning his family. On the discharge thing, one source (daily beast via vox) https://www.vox.com/2017/11/5/16610084/san-antonio-texas-church-shooting says he was discharged for 'bad conduct' but the specifics of that aren't public yet. Not sure if you can have a bad conduct discharge and still have it be honorable, you'd know a lot more about how it works than I do. There is a Bad Conduct Discharge and a Dishonorable Discharge. There is also a General Under Other Than Honorable too. That last one is usually when you lied about something on your enlistment contract that disqualifies you from service and they catch you. The first two are bad but there is a world of difference between them. A Bad Conduct discharge is usually following a Court Martial or NJP over something bad enough they want you out but not so bad they send you to the brig or Federal prison. Assaulting an officer, stealing hardware, stuff like that will get you a BCD. They are not uncommon. It does not look good on a resume and it disqualifies you from some (but not all) veteran benefits but it does not follow you like it's ugly big brother. A Dishonorable discharge is rare. And you really have to f--k up to get one. Treason, desertion, cowardice in the face of the enemy, murder, grand larceny, that kind of thing. If he got a DD there is a good chance he saw brig time if not prison time first. This follows you every where you go. It's as bad as a felony conviction. If this is how someone got out of the service I suggest moving to another country and changing their name. Because they are done here in the US. No guns, no vote, no VA benefit of any kind, no federal jobs of any kind, etc. It's seriously bad news.

Who knows at this point. Heck I am not even saying that much is even true. Just that AP is saying it. About the discharge part at least. I know about the Gun control Act of 1968 because I'm interested in that kind of stuff. AP is pretty reliable though. The only thing I can say for sure is we'll know a lot more tomorrow & Tuesday than we know today about this bastard and his motivations.

Authoritarian Socialism is working wonders in Venezuela. https://www.thedailybeast.com/zoo-animals-on-the-menu-as-venezuelans-starve I know what they mean about rabbits though. A while back I bought a few to raise for the pot. Next thing you know they have names, a house, take treats from my hand.... and died of old age years later.

According to AP the shooter was dishonorably discharged from the Air Force. That means according to the Gun control Act of 1968 he's not allowed to buy or own firearms.

Ok, but drunk drivers are in the top 5.

Don't worry I only drink at home. There is nothing I hate more on this earth than drunk drivers.

Have to find out who what & why before we debate. This is just sickening. People have asked my why I drink so much and why I carry a pistol everywhere I go. It turns out both questions have the same answer: the world has gone to s--t.

I wish I was on this jury. Two words, Not Guilty. There is nothing the government can say that would make me convict on any count. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ranching-standoff-trial-a-test-of-federal-government-control/ar-AAutbRC?li=AA4ZnC&ocid=spartandhp

Rand Paul is a doctor too. He's an ophthalmologist and practiced for 20 years before running for office.

Rand Paul was assaulted at his home in Kentucky. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rand-paul-assaulted-at-kentucky-home-police/ar-AAurMZ6?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

If he did and no one stopped him then you'll know his staff has given up.

When it's sitting I actually use a mix of alfalfa pellets and cottonseed meal. It's pretty cheap and effective. But you have to keep turning it or alfalfa shoots start growing. They will deliver it to me so it's easy to get and spread. Manure compost is less expensive but the only place to get it from would be Millington or Dyersburg and they won't deliver to my area. And I am NOT putting that s--t in the back of my truck! About a month before I plant I'll start doing once a week treatments with a store bought product called Crystal Green. Once the seeds go in is should be good for the duration.

His career slg% in AT&T Park is .633, everywhere else it's .554. That thinner air helps. http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4949&position=OF

This morning I picked the last of the vegetables in the garden. All the was left was a row of acorn squash and a row of turnips. Next week I'll turn the soil and let it sit until spring. Or maybe next spring. That is a hell of a lot of work! But I'm making acorn squash soup in the crock pot. Now it's iced tea and college football all day.

The Pirates exercise their option on McCutchen. Smart money is they will still trade him: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/260650812/pirates-exercise-andrew-mccutchen-option/?topicId=27118122 Mashahiro Tanaka has declined to opt out and will be back with the Yankees next year. The Marlins have let Ichiro Suzuki go. He may have one more season in him though. But even if he does not he'll be in two halls of fame on each side of the Pacific. The Arizona Fall League All Star game is tonight. I'm going to watch and see the stars of tomorrow. Plus it's likely the last baseball game on TV until March. The Winter Leagues in Mexico, the DR, Venezuela, and (maybe) Puerto Rico start at the end of the month. The Australian League starts in January. Houston had a party yesterday. Big time. The Hot Stove will be firing up in a few weeks as free agents declare and restrictions on trades are lifted. Some big names will be tossed around. Giancarlo Stanton may be in LA, Eric Hosmer in Boston, and Japanese dual threat Shoeni Othani figures to make a splash. It will be interesting. And that's it. It's all over. It's been a pleasure talking hardball with all of you. Nothing before us but football, hockey, and basketball. But it's ok.... pitchers and catchers report in 101 days!

The New Yorker ran a nice piece on Tulsi Gabbard D-Hawaii. Of all the Democrats in Congress she is one of the more libertarian members. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/06/what-does-tulsi-gabbard-believe

And on a lawnmower. It happened to country music star George Jones.

Bowe Bergdhal has been sentenced. No prison time. Reduced to Private, fine 10 months pay and a dishonorable discharge from the Army. Seems right to me. I vomited in my mouth a little when Obama called this miserable disgrace a hero. https://www.yahoo.com/news/latest-bergdahl-judge-resumes-deliberations-friday-133637560.html

I received a 30 day notice from my tenant today. Hard to believe it's been a year! So.... anyone want to rent a townhouse?

Wow...this just sucks https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/deshaun-watson-injury-confirmed-as-torn-acl-out-for-season/ar-AAuniAH?li=BBgET5V&ocid=spartanntp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hL6nXfBhj0