The Breed of Peace

Reposted from Social Media:

By Robyn Eshelby-Theart.
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I'm a qualified dog behaviourist. Not only that, but I spend my entire life working with dogs. It's literally my 24/7/365 as, beyond being a behaviourist, I have a doggy daycare and boarding facility. My job is dogs.
Tonight I will share something with you. And for the sake of all innocent animals, I hope that you read it.
PIT BULLS ARE NOT PACK DOGS.
PIT BULLS ARE NOT MULTI-PET-HOME DOGS.

 
Now before everyone launches into the "I know a nice pit bull who nurses kittens and walks around with a duckling on his shoulder" stories...
Everyone knows a nice pit bull.
If everyone here was to post their nice Pitbull story, within a minute or two people who truly understand the breed would refer 100+ pit bulls currently sitting in rescue within 50km of Fourways, with profiles on social media, whose only crime was being true to their breed design. Hundreds of Pit bulls around the country, possibly thousands in fact, just in SA.

The pit bull’s breed design is dog-on-dog combat.
Dog-on-dog combat is quite literally the ONLY reason that pit bulls as a breed exist.
Pit bulls do not need to be trained to fight.
Pit bulls do not need to be abused to fight.
Pit bulls are not jealous.
Pit bulls do not need you to be the alpha.
Pit bulls cannot have their genetics loved out of them.
Pit bulls may only show their character after the age of 3. And sometimes, much later.
Pit bulls are not and never were nanny dogs.
Pit bulls were never intended to live in group environments.

Now...

Like any statistic, anomalies exist. The pit bull with the duckling on his shoulder is an anomaly and must be viewed as such. The anomaly is not the majority!

Thinking you can love the genetics out of a Pit bull is probably the most naive thing you can do. By thinking you can do this, you put other animals at risk. While your Pit bull’s life matters, so do the lives of their victims. Whether your own pet or someone else's - the irresponsible keeping of Pitbulls contributes to tens of thousands of other animal deaths every year.

If you truly love the breed you acknowledge their potential. You enjoy your social Pitbull while it is social - if it is social. You plan for the future that one day you may need to separate your house, yard and time, stop going to the park, to keep everyone safe. You advocate for responsible Pit bull ownership, not "raise them right".

Pit bulls are NOT unpredictable. In fact, they are highly predictable. HIGHLY.
I am not saying Pit bulls are not nice. I am saying that Pit bulls, like all breeds, were engineered for a purpose. And their purpose does not correlate with the lifestyle desired by the average dog owner.

All dogs bite. Anything with teeth, bites. But no other popular dog breed was specifically engineered by humans to fight other dogs to the death, and to be so impervious to pain while doing so, that they themselves will die fighting. Their jaws don't lock - THEY DON'T WANT TO LET GO. They have genetically reduced bite inhibition. Even if it is a single snap event, that single snap is enough to break a small dog or cat's spine. It's not their bite strength, it's the way they bite.

This nonsense needs to stop. We are already well on our way to mimicking the absolute rubbish that is going on in the USA. This is what is getting people and pets killed by Pits EVERY SINGLE DAY. Local shelters and rescues posting dogs as "Lab mixes" or "mixed breeds", the favourite "Staffie mix" or "Boxer mix". If people are going to own a Pit they should be prepared to own a Pit. Denying the Pit genetics is, ironically, killing Pits!

Haters gonna hate, but until you're the one picking up literal pieces of other dogs and cats, fielding the phone calls and messages about Pits "snapping" or "turning", then you are really not qualified to have an opinion on this, no matter how many nice anomalies you know or know of.

Stop the murder of Pits and other animals. Stop buying Pits, stop adopting Pits that you think you'll love the Pit out of. If you want to own a Pit bull then acknowledge it for what it is.

And if a dog professional tells you that they'll socialise your Pit, know that what will happen is SUPPRESSION. Your Pit will never be social, it will simply (temporarily) suppress it's instinct to fight. This is usually achieved through aversive methods. Suppression never lasts. All it does is get you to the point that you let your guard down, and then the tragedy occurs.

We need to stop this madness."
STOP THE MADNESS.

Carry Insurance Questions

A post on social media... but is it true?

There is some companies selling this " Pre-Shooting Insurance ". Please DO NOT BUY it. It is just a way for them to get your hard-earned money. But if you feel that you want it. Ask the sales rep these questions. Make them answer each one in writing before you sign.
T.C.A. 39-11-611, 39-17-1322 & 29-34-201 (c) provides criminal and civil immunity in the event you are in a justifiable shooting in Tennessee.
Here is some questions to ask them and get it in writing.
1. Do they cover ALL expenses (attorney fees, attorney employee costs, costs for expert witness, cost of independent ballistic testing, hotel fees, court costs, filing costs, etc.) related to your case?
2. Will they cover a bail money (no matter what the cost is) if you are arrested?
3. Do they reserve the right to cancel your contract for any or no reason at all?
4. If you are found guilty in a court of law. Will they file ALL appeals and cover ALL costs related to your case?
5. Will they cover ALL costs, including any damages (no matter what the cost is ) if you are found guilty in a civil suit?
6. Do you get to choose your own attorney? Or do they reserve the right to choose for you? Will this attorney be local or in another state?
7. If you are in a shooting and charged with murder. How far are they willing to go so you will be protected and not spend life in prison?
8. How many cases have they lost in a court of law?
9. How many civil lawsuits have they lost and how much damages did they pay out?
10. How many cases have they taken to the appeals court after their client was found guilty in a court of law? How many did they win and how many did they lose?
11. If you are involved in a shooting and you shoot an innocent bystander, Will they provide you with legal protection, including a civil lawsuit?
12. If you are involved in a shooting and you damage or destroy private property, Will they protect you in a civil case and pay all damages?
13. If you're traveling are they going to cover you in whatever state you happen to be in?
This post is only designed to get you to ask questions and get to the truth. If after asking these questions and you still feel the need to sign. Then by all means do. After all, it is your money.
Ask them to not only show you cases that they won but more importantly, have them show you cases that they either cancelled or lost in a court of law. Surely, they cannot have a 100% winnings.
Make sure to get it in writing before you sign up..

Put aside spelling and grammar, and let's look at these things:

T.C.A. 39-11-611, 39-17-1322 & 29-34-201 (c) provides criminal and civil immunity in the event you are in a justifiable shooting in Tennessee.

Link to 39-11-611

Link to 39-17-1322

Link to 29-34-201

The first two provide for the self defender to not be subject to prosecution for the act of self defense. The third provides that a felon may not recover damages for injuries suffered during the commission of the felony in question. The problem is: Police and District Attorneys may be of the opinion that you as a self defender committed some crime in the act of self defense. Those opposing opinions (assuming you are of the opinion that you were defending yourself) must be settled by a judge and/or jury! 

This statement is very misleading. 

For the rest of the "questions to get in writing," here are the summaries for each of the three major companies: USCCA, CCW Safe, and US Law Shield (as of March 2024). We will not include prepaid legal as it is much more restrictive in scope, and really is not applicable. 

1. Do they cover ALL expenses (attorney fees, attorney employee costs, costs for expert witness, cost of independent ballistic testing, hotel fees, court costs, filing costs, etc.) related to your case?

All three cover all these things, up to policy limits (which should be more than enough for you)

2. Will they cover a bail money (no matter what the cost is) if you are arrested?

All three will, up to policy limits (which should be more than enough for you)

3. Do they reserve the right to cancel your contract for any or no reason at all?

(Every company that makes a contract will include language to allow them to do this). All three do, just like any insurance company will. 

4. If you are found guilty in a court of law. Will they file ALL appeals and cover ALL costs related to your case?

All three include language to include up to the final appeal. 

5. Will they cover ALL costs, including any damages (no matter what the cost is ) if you are found guilty in a civil suit?

All three cover attorney's fees, court costs, etc. None of the three cover the actual damages - BECAUSE: an illegal act cannot be covered by insurance! 

6. Do you get to choose your own attorney? Or do they reserve the right to choose for you? Will this attorney be local or in another state?

US Law Shield and CCW Safe require you to use their attorneys. This blog author would encourage you to find out who those attorneys are, as not all attorneys are created equal. USCCA allows you to pick an attorney, and has a network to choose from if you are unsure. 

7. If you are in a shooting and charged with murder. How far are they willing to go so you will be protected and not spend life in prison?

All three include language to indicate up to and including the final possible appeal. 

8. How many cases have they lost in a court of law?

By law, they cannot disclose this - there are things called confidentiality agreements, attorney-client privilege (which extends to insurers who are paying for the attorney), and court orders where applicable. 

9. How many civil lawsuits have they lost and how much damages did they pay out?

By law, they cannot disclose this - there are things called confidentiality agreements, attorney-client privilege (which extends to insurers who are paying for the attorney), and court orders where applicable. They do not cover damages. 

10. How many cases have they taken to the appeals court after their client was found guilty in a court of law? How many did they win and how many did they lose?

By law, they cannot disclose this - there are things called confidentiality agreements, attorney-client privilege (which extends to insurers who are paying for the attorney), and court orders where applicable. 

11. If you are involved in a shooting and you shoot an innocent bystander, Will they provide you with legal protection, including a civil lawsuit?

Perfectly gray area. Likely no coverage will be afforded, as this is an illegal act. HOWEVER: it is extremely rare for a citizen acting in self defense to shoot an innocent bystander. At the time of this article, this author could not find any such instances via standard web searches. Police, on the other hand, tend to shoot innocent bystanders 38% of the time - and a third of those are fellow officers! 

12. If you are involved in a shooting and you damage or destroy private property, Will they protect you in a civil case and pay all damages?

If your actions were justified, all three include language to say they will cover the legal costs, but not civil damages, as detailed earlier. 

13. If you're traveling are they going to cover you in whatever state you happen to be in?

It will depend directly on the state and the laws of that state. Some disallow concealed carry insurance altogether (Washington State as of the time of this post.) And self defense laws vary greatly. Because an illegal act cannot be covered, a much better question would be: to what states does your coverage extend? Each of the three main companies will be happy to tell you. You may also be able to look it up on their website. 

This post is only designed to get you to ask questions and get to the truth. If after asking these questions and you still feel the need to sign. Then by all means do. After all, it is your money.
Ask them to not only show you cases that they won but more importantly, have them show you cases that they either cancelled or lost in a court of law. Surely, they cannot have a 100% winnings.

By law, they cannot disclose this - there are things called confidentiality agreements, attorney-client privilege (which extends to insurers who are paying for the attorney), and court orders where applicable. 

Make sure to get it in writing before you sign up.

There is no insurance company around that is going to make specific statements to you about additional coverage in writing. Dream on. A better statement might be: read and understand their policy language or terms and conditions. This is good advice for anyone signing up for anything. 

As a disclaimer, this blog author purchases carry insurance and has for years. Also, the author regularly compares the policy language or terms and conditions of the three companies listed herein. This blog author is a licensed P&C agent, as well, lending professional credence to the opinions expressed herein. 

Welp, It's True

Seen on Social Media:

There are three types of HR people:

1. Those who are oblivious. 

2. Those who are dishonest. 

3. Those who are both. 

Welp, it is true! 

Time Is Money

Seen on Social Media: a woman is complaining that time is money. She claims she does not have time for coffee dates, or walks in the park. She states she is an entrepreneur, she has kids. She wants dinner at the least. 

Counter point, from someone I know, who is in the dating arena:

First meetups are a complete gamble.
Some people are GREAT over text, and in person they have no personality.
Some people are awful over text and GREAT in person.
You have no real idea if you want to spend time with them, in person, until you're actually in person with them.

Hence... I do a basic inexpensive "vibe check" meetup. Could be coffee. Could be a walk at a park. Something where it's only a 30 min time commitment on my part, and only a max of $8 monetary commitment.

If they've catfished me (only used pics on their profile 50+ pounds ago), no big loss. If their personality in person sucks, no big loss. If for whatever reason I'm not interested, no big loss.

I'm not planning a 2-3 hour date that'll run $100-200, with someone I haven't met. That's throwing away time and money.

At least 80% of the time out of all the couple hundred first dates I've had... probably closer to 90% or more of the time... I'm not interested in seeing the person again. So why would I blow $100-200 each of those times? Why would I set up 90 mins - 3 hours of time to go spend time with someone and gamble with my time and money?

I call it "vibe check"...
I mean:
- can they hold a conversation?
- is there any physical attraction?

If it's a "no" to either of those criteria, I'm not interested in seeing them again.

He has a point. Thoughts?

Well, If You Don't Know

From the archives, here is a funny conversation that I was part of some years ago whilst job hunting. 

<<phone rings>>

Recruiter: "Hi. I am calling about the job you applied to."

Me: "Good morning. I have applied to several positions. Which one are you referencing?"

Recruiter: "Well, if you are applying to multiple positions, then that shows a lack of commitment, and our company really doesn't like that."

Me: "Well, if you don't know who you work for, nor what job you have available, I most certainly do not want to work there. That's a major red flag."

Recruiter: <<radio silence>>

Me: "Have a great day!"  <<hangs up>>

The rare jobs like this, that do not tell you the position, remind me of the little girl in 3rd grade that proudly exclaims, as if it were some sort of flex, "well, if you don't know, then I am not going to tell you." And, just like that little girl, it means they don't know, themselves, but somehow expect you to know - which is just asinine. 

What We Know Early On

This past Sunday, there was an attempted mass shooting at Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. Lakewood Church is known for being the home church of Joel Osteen. 

Facts can be difficult to obtain early on, so I generally avoid forming opinions on situations such as this until at least three days have passed. Much gets circulated, and that includes less than reliable information. Here are some early observations, and I have included a comment about whether each fact is typical, or atypical in parentheses; and a short elaboration on each factor. 

The Shooter was a middle-aged transgender person (typical). 

97% of mass shooters are male. On this blog, Trannies are treated as male - so they can be privileged. Recent trannies who have conducted or attempted mass casualty events:

• Lakewood (this one)
• Iowa High School
• Nashville Covenant
• Colorado Springs
• Denver
• Aberdeen

The shooter was known to Law Enforcement

Multiple arrests. Also, neighbors to the church had been raising alarms over the actions of this person for quite some time. 

The Shooter has links to mental illness (typical). 

Mass shooters have a known link to SSRI "medications," and other forms of mental illness. As there is a clear link between transgenderism and mental illness, this cannot be ignored. 

The shooter started shooting with a long gun (typical)

The vast majority of mass casualty events start with a long gun. 

The shooter has ties to Radical Islam (typical)

The shooter had "Free Palestine" written on one of the firearms recovered. There is almost always a link to either mental illness, or radical Islam. 

The shooter was a leftwing person (typical)

The shooter has been linked to being a Bernie Sanders supporter. If we could somehow prevent extreme leftists from obtaining firearms, mass shootings would disappear. 

The church was attacked in the entryway (typical)

This was because there were metal detectors the killer would have had to navigate. 

Church shootings tend to start in the parking lot and/or entryway. 

The shooter was met with force early on, and hence, there were only 2 casualties - both wounded (typical). 

When met with force, mass shooters tend to cause fewer than 10 casualties, with 3 casualties being the mean (average). When people wait for police to respond, the expected number of casualties goes way up - average of 27. 

The shooter has an extensive arrest history and might be an illegal immigrant. (typical)

If this person were in the US legally, it would be all over the news. Had they purchased the gun legally, it would be all over the news. 

Police took roughly 15 minutes to arrive (typical). 
This is so close to the national average, that there really isn't much to add. 

The defenders were an off-duty law enforcement (typical with caveat). 
Defenders tend to be civilians and/or off duty police officers. This just depends directly on who is there. There are conflicting reports as to whether it was one defender or two.

There was no cross fire (typical)

EVERYONE asks me about training the entire church body when it is known that many in the church carry - the purpose is to avoid cross fire. Cross Fire when civilians respond has never happened in a mass casualty event. Uniformed police responses usually include cross fire. Police have a 38% hit ratio. One in three innocent people struck by police cross fire are fellow uniformed officers! 

The defender engaged with a handgun (typical)

In a mass killer event, statistics indicate there will be a casualty every 10 seconds. You do not have time to go to your car and get a rifle. You must respond with the pistol you are carrying. 

It is unknown at this time whether the defender(s) spent time in jail that night. If they are truly off duty or undercover officers, then they likely did not spend time in jail. If they were civilians, they likely spent time in jail that night. 92% of citizens involved in a defensive shooting go to jail that evening. 

When You Learn Something New

Setting: I was sitting in high school, Algebra II class. The teacher, who was a talented teacher of math, needed some tape - the purpose of which I do not recall. As he picked up his tape dispenser, something caught his eye...

Upon further investigation, he popped open a panel on the body of the dispenser, and made a realization. He exclaimed "some dummy filled this with sand. Of all the pranks!" And he proceeded to dump the sand into the nearest wastebasket. He popped the panel back onto the dispenser, and went to set it down. 

Then he realized...

"Oh, maybe that was what gave it some weight," he said as he gestured with the dispenser, realizing how light it was now. 

We all had a good chuckle. 

And I learned that day that sand is put inside tape dispensers to give them a little weight.  

Another "Good Riddance"

Some time back, while researching for another post, I came across a fact that I found interesting. First some of the back-story:

As has been mentioned countless times on this blog, I worked for a major car rental chain right out of college. My experience was standard, based upon the sharing of tales with others whom have also worked for this chain (there's a whole Facebook group that proves this). And, it was a good learning experience. Naturally, not all of it was good - there have been negative things about every employer I've ever had. 

One of those negative things was my 3rd manager at this company. I was at the same location where I started, and six months later, we were on our 3rd manager - the previous two having been promoted. While we got along, I noticed at the next payday that my check was surprisingly low. 

For context, we worked an average of 55-60 hours per week, and I was paid overtime for hours worked over 40 in a week. 

Well, my paycheck was seriously short - so the first thing I did was to check my hours. Perhaps I had forgotten to enter them into the computer? No, I'd entered those hours. But what showed in the computer was not at all what I had worked! For an entire week, it showed me coming in at 9:00 am and leaving at 4:30 pm - no more than 8 hours per day. For reference, we came in at 7:00 am and rarely left at closing - 6:00 pm. Often going until 7 or 8 pm. And it wasn't like my manager didn't know this - she carpooled with me to the office (it was 38 miles away)! 

So I took action - after submitting my hours the following pay period, I checked every morning and every afternoon for a week. Sure enough, I saw when my manager had changed them again! My first solution was to change them back to the accurate hours - and that worked. So I did this every week. Finally, after 6 weeks or so of this cat-and-mouse game, my manager confronted me: "are you changing your hours after I approve them?" was her question. 

"Yes, and if you would like to chastise me, then let's include HR as I have proof you were changing the hours to intentionally not include time when I was on the job - and that is illegal." was my reply. 

She did not have a reply for that, and we immediately discontinued car pooling. I was moved to another branch within weeks, and all was well in the world. When another Management Trainee started at her location, I reached out to that person privately and warned them. Sure enough - it happened to them, as well. 

Back to the main part of the story. 

So, I was conducting research for an article, and I came across this obituary. As I have stated before, in the words of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain), "I have never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." And this was an obituary that gave me a measure of pleasure to read, as I despise thieves, cheats, and liars. 

Be Able to Accept Criticism

A reader wrote in and said that this blog is "too negative." Well, if you think honest assessments are negative, then who am I to argue?

Nevertheless, the Bible states in Proverbs 15:31: "One who listens to live-giving rebukes (we might call that "constructive criticism") will be at home among the wise."

Therefore, in an effort to be wise, if a potentially "negative" post, tale, story, etc. needs to be published, I will also offer a positive one in return. Stay tuned this week for more. 

They Are Full of Jokes

Yesterday, this blog discussed how #LibNuts know so much that isn't so. Today, they have jokes. 

"Thoughts and Prayers Tax’ bill filed in Tennessee legislature"

Joke #1 - #LibNuts make fun of people who offer up thoughts and prayers when there is a tragedy. It's a shame. And it is natural, because #LibNuts would not offer prayers for those affected, nor positive thoughts. 

From the article: 

Rep. Bo Mitchell (D-Nashville) filed HB 2193, which would impose a new 15% tax on the retail sale of all firearms in Tennessee. 

...

When crafting the legislation, Mitchell said the 15% figure included came directly from an assault-style rifle: the AR-15.
“Tongue in cheek, I made it AR-15 percent,” he said. “I call it the ‘Thoughts and Prayers Tax.’

Joke #2 - an "AR-15% tax. Joy. 

 

Also from the article:

Mitchell asked all responsible gun owners in the state to contact their legislators to show support for safe storage laws, a red flag law and an assault weapons ban. If all of those bills were to pass, Mitchell said he would even be happy to sponsor legislation to remove all gun sales taxes.

Joke #3 - A #LibNut politician saying he would vote to revoke a tax. 

None of these jokes are funny. 

They Always Miss The Mark

“The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant. It’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.”
― Ronald Reagan

Many times, the things they know that aren't so, is because they intentionally misrepresent things. Problem is: it is very hard to tell which one sometimes. 

Recently, my friend posted on a "Hip" page on social media a link to Patriot Training. I did not ask him to do this. In fact, I did not learn of the post until 10 hours later. Here is the post: 

Because Blogger deletes photos for unknown reasons, here is my friend's text:
If you are interested in weapons training, I highly recommend Patriot Training!! Amazing instructor!! Locally owned!!
Here’s the link:
https://patriottraining.info


Since the full text is not visible as the picture is cut off, here is a screenshot from that part of the Patriot Training website:

The segment reads:

Patriot Training is a civilian firearms training academy.

THE RIFLE

At Patriot Training, we specialize in teaching people the use and art of the rifle. The United States of America was founded by Riflemen who stood for freedom. And while there are still many freedom lovers in America today, there are not as many Riflemen! Patriot Training seeks to change that.

Millions of Americans own AR-15 rifles. 

Millions more know how to shoot them.

But this is not enough!

At Patriot Training, we take your skills to the next level and forge Americans into RIFLEMEN.

"Regular" civilians come to Patriot Training to gain and improve their skills with a rifle.

Current and former military come to Patriot Training to fill in the gaps and round out their skill set.

Current and former Law Enforcement come to Patriot Training to build on skills and learn new ones.

Naturally, the #LibNuts were triggered. When aren't they? 

The triggered #LibNuts reported the post. The moderator let the post stand, citing, "There were reports concerning a post on firearm training. It is encouraged that if someone is going to handle a firearm that they know how to safely use it. For safety reasons the post will remain."

This #LibNut triggering, and the refusal of the admin to delete the post, prompted this reply post: 

Again, since Blogger deletes pictures without warning, here is the text (this author has included some spacing to make the post readable):

"I was one of those reporting the post with the "gun safety" ad. Believe me, I'm all for educating gun owners about safety. If that were all the ad was about, I would be fine with it. The full text of the ad is about something else entirely. It literally gave me nightmares. I have been directly impacted by mass shootings with AR-15's, not just once, but 3 times in 3 different communities. A friend of mine was killed and friends of mine lost family members, including children. 

What is objectionable about the post is: 

1. It equates owners of military grade weapons with riflemen of the American revolution which is a false equivalency. 

2. It equates ownership of military grade weapons with patriotism which is a false equivalency. 

3. An elected public official posted the ad. Whether intended or not, it can be read as a veiled threat against people like me who hold different political views, especially around 2nd amendment issues. 

That's why I'm posting anonymously. I joined this group hoping to find a friendly place to share news about the community we live in. I know it's no skin off anyone's back, and some of you will even say good riddance, but I will be leaving this group as it is no longer a safe place for me."

As Reagan said, there is so much in here that just isn't so. Let's break it down since this person either has poor reading comprehension, or is engaged in willful misrepresentation. 

The full text of the ad is about something else entirely.

This was no ad. This was a screenshot of a webpage. The post was a suggestion for those who might seek training. The owner of Patriot Training did not pay for this promotion, nor was aware of it at the time. However, the owner of Patriot Training was quite happy to see the post!

1. It equates owners of military grade weapons with riflemen of the American revolution which is a false equivalency. 

False. In fact the text from the webpage specifically states, "Millions of Americans own AR-15 rifles. Millions more know how to shoot them. But this is not enough! At Patriot Training, we take your skills to the next level and forge Americans into RIFLEMEN." There is no equivalency drawn by mere ownership. The webpage clearly indicates one needs to train to gain the skills of a Rifleman, like the Founding Fathers did. Ownership is not enough - and that is clearly stated!

2. It equates ownership of military grade weapons with patriotism which is a false equivalency. 

False - no such claim is made. This #LibNut is being triggered by the name of the firearms academy, specifically, the "Patriot" in Patriot Training. Here's a hint - the owner of Patriot Training could give two flips of a wooden nickel about offending people who dislike the word "Patriot." 

3. An elected public official posted the ad. Whether intended or not, it can be read as a veiled threat against people like me who hold different political views, especially around 2nd amendment issues. 

False. The amount of cognitive dissonance it takes to draw this false equivalence is mental gymnastics, the likes of which have not been seen since Mary Lou Retton. There is no threat here. People have different opinions on things. If you don't want to take a class, then don't. 

Conclusion: 

The mark has been missed. By a mile. You have to wonder how hard they have to try to miss by that much. 

Everything They Say Is a Lie

Everything they say is a lie. By "they," it means anyone in any arm of law enforcement. 

Country singer Chris Young was arrested by Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission officers on Monday, January 22. The charges were disorderly conduct, assaulting an officer, and resisting arrest. It took the DA just a few days and a released video to conclude the officers were lying, and to drop all charges. 

For future reference, here is a quick and dirty translation guide to "police speak:"

• Disorderly Conduct: You did something a cop didn't like, literally anything.
• Resisting arrest: While a cop was punching you in the face, you raised your arm to stop his punches.
• Assault an officer: Cop hurt himself punching you in the face.

Who Will Submit?

Came across this gem on social media, and it is most appropriate to share here:

Speaking of Biblical submission in marriage - specifically how God commands the wife to be in submission to her husband. 

Caveat: 

EVERY time anyone speaks positively about Biblical submission, total and complete IDIOTS come to the conversation and start throwing around the term "abuse." So, if you are being abused: stop right now, go report the abuse to the local authorities immediately - this is not an article for you. As this blog has discussed before, abuse and submission are not related in any way, shape, or form. 

So, back to speaking about submission - there are only three options for submission in a marriage:

1. The wife will submit to the husband.

2. The husband will submit to the wife. 

3. Neither the husband, nor the wife, will submit to the other. 

And here are how these three situations will pan out:

1. The wife will submit to the husband.

This marriage will be blessed by God and will be a fruitful and positive marriage. Hard Stop. 

2. The husband will submit to the wife. 

This BETA male will be henpecked by his wife for years. Robbed of his zest for life. Similarly, the wife will grow resentful of this man, and grow to despise him. This marriage is doomed. She will divorce him or give him reason to divorce her via her infidelity. She will take much money from him. 

3. Neither the husband, nor the wife, will submit to the other. 

This is not a marriage. This is mutual combat. This is living Hell. This marriage will also end in divorce. 

So, you see, my friends: it is not the behavior of the husband that causes the vast majority of divorces. It is solely the actions of the wife. Whether she chooses to live a Biblical life or not. 

Everything Costs Money

Recently, this author has seen more and more online posts by Millennials and Gen Z folks, lamenting the fact that it "costs so much to just live." Other similar statements might include "everything costs money." The implication is clear - it is resentment that things cost money, and that money is hard to come by. It is a mindset that things should be free. At its root, this is a socialist mindset. The schools have done their jobs. 

So, let's go back to a time when there was not much formal society: in order to obtain the necessities in life back then, one had to work to acquire them. 

Food?

Had to hunt it or grow and harvest it. Also had to process it from beginning to end. Every part of it. Certainly not labor free. 

Clothing?

Had to grow and process the cotton. Had to kill the animal and tan the hide. Had to shear other animals and process the wool. Very labor intensive. 

Shelter?

Had to gather the things - wood and stone - used to build your shelter. Had to manufacture the joining devices. Had to build it all from the ground up. Lots of labor. 

Water?

You had to fashion and create containers to hold the water. Had to go to a source of water and retrieve it. Had to do this daily. 

These are just the basics. There was a LOT of work involved in procuring these things. And the funny thing is: there is nothing stopping anybody from going back to this way of life, if they want to. 

The other method is money. Money is an object that society agrees upon to have value for the purpose of trade for goods and services. One generally performs some sort of work to acquire money - the sale of a good or a service at its core. In the US, we use a unit called a "dollar." The average income in the US at the time of this article is $59,430 per year. For the sake of simplicity, lets call this $60,000. 

The work week in the US is 40 hours. Yes, many people work more, and many people work less. That's why the average income was used in the preceding paragraph - to account for these variances. Since there are 52 weeks in a year, and 40 working hours in a week, it is simple to calculate that there are 2080 working hours in a year. Another simple calculation tells us that the average income is $28.85 per hour. 

So, for the sake of illustration, let's take something from the essentials above, and compare it to the money, so we can get an idea of how hard it is to come by the means to buy something. Let's also see if it is easier to buy, than to create by hand oneself. 

For this article, we will use a piece of clothing as an example. Wrangler jeans from Wal Mart (this author's favorite pants) cost $20 - $25 plus tax. That is approximately an hour's worth of work from the average income earner. Even a master of all the things needed to create clothing would find it hard to grow cotton, process it, and construct a pair of pants in an hour. We definitely have things easier now, and a big part of it is because we use money. 

Complete the same exercise with food, shelter, water, and any other service or good you wish, and the same story will ring true: we have it easier than at any time in history. 

And these nutjobs have found a way to complain about that. 

Counting Blessings

As a lifelong Vols fan, I was happy when the football team finished 9-4 with another blowout win in a bowl game over a Top-25 opponent. There are some Vols fans who were quite disappointed with the 8-4 (later 9-4) season. I would agree that the Vols should have won one or two of those losses, but that is not what happened. 

As I get older, I take these things less seriously. To be fair, I barely noticed when the Titans fired their head coach this week. 

Then, as of last night, news is that Nick Saban is retiring. That means more good recruits to go around. That means less referee interference (assuming the NCAA will lose its hard-on for Alabama). Perhaps Kirby will go to the NFL. Perhaps all will be right in the world. Even if the Vols do not win a national championship, it is still a brand new day, with endless possibilities. 

Who knows... maybe Josh Heupel will become the NCAA's new messiah and get all the favorable referee calls.