If someone in the recent past week or so wrote them, they might reappear in certain climate conditions. It happened to me before.

Except noone has been in my apartment that I know of. I shudder to think anyone has seen it, it's a mess!

As for guns, I was a Military Police-person in the US Army. I learned how to fire and qualify as a marks-person on the M-16. I learned not only how to field strip and clean it, but also an M-60 (I think) machine gun, a .45 and a .38 revolver. I also learned to fire a shotgun.

I had to carry the .38 and brandish it every time I was called to an alarm. I was at Ft Gordon in GA home of the Signal Corps so there were a lot of alarms.

I also guarded a building in Heidelberg, Germany with 5 bullets in my pistol and skeet shot in my shotgun at a time in the '70s when the Red Brigade was a very active terrorist group.

I think people who think they need to carry guns, unless they are cops, soldiers or actively hunting game are potentially stupid and/or dangerous. This includes my active duty nephew who has an 18-month-old daughter and a new baby on the way who never goes anywhere with out his loaded .45.

Sorry if I offended anyone.

I would love to have you give that speech to the moron at the buffet restaurant with the Glock on his hip.

Warning, vent ahead. Blah, my brother and I are butting heads because I'm so "politically correct." Boy do I wish that phrase would die in a fire. At issue is the Imagine Dragons video where a bunch of Latino men are watching and betting as stuffed animals fight (instead of roosters) while the poor indie rockers are trapped in the cellar. A white girl rescues them with a pink teddy bear that shoots lasers. My sister and I both failed to appreciate it - her more for the echoes of cock fighting, me for racial stereotyping. He looks up where cock fighting is prevalent. Then he brought up Godfather. Because Italian Americans were othered too.

I am, apparently, humorless and overly sensitive. I think he feels attacked as a white dude, IDEK.

I'm not denying that some Latino cultures practice cock fighting. But why that story? Why not Mixed Muppet Martial Arts in the Octagon? I guess I should be grateful it wasn't black dudes and a metaphor for dog fighting?

Uggh. This is frustrating because I love my brother so much and he's so smart. I hate butting heads with him. But he questions my shit and then when I back it up with facts he says he feels like I'm lecturing him.

he feels like I'm lecturing him.

Not to side with him or defend him, but you are lecturing him. You're taking the high moral stance and trying to correct him.

Sorry, smonster, I'm not trying to lecture you.

Just making an observation about the dynamic in play.

The weapon in the restaurant reminded me of something Gavin de Becker wrote about. He'd gone to Texas to testify about some public-places carrying initiative, which he opposed, but on a lunch break he asked some citizens "What do you want this for? I don't understand."
And they were all like "In case something happens...we'll be ready."

De Becker's like "Can you do the Heimlich? If someone were anaphlactic in here right now, do you think you could keep their airway open? Because that is far more likely than an armed gunman really." "Ugh..." one guy says. "I wouldn't want the responsibility for that!"

He had to conclude they were perfectly fine with the responsibility of firing lead into fellow beings at 150 MPH, though.

A .45acp fires at roughly 845ft/sec. Which is roughly 576 mph. Only a wimp would fire something at 150 mph.

ducks n covers

So I express an opinion, I get eye rolls, I explain my opinion and I'm lecturing? Awesomesauce.

"Expressing my opinion is not a terrorist action."

"Tell that to Bobby Ridgeway. By the way, his testicle retrieval operation was a success."

"I still maintain he kicked himself in the balls."

You're lecturing him. Because he asked you to! Next time he pulls that, tell him this. "Asking a question is like inviting a vampire into your home. If you don't like the outcome, it's your own fault."

BT for the win!!

It's only lecturing if he was proven wrong.