Sometimes we are accused — believe it or not — of being overly negative in our annual Year in Review. Critics say we ignore the many positive events in a given year and focus instead on the stupid, the tragic, the evil, the disgusting, the Kardashians.

Okay, critics: We have heard you. This year, instead of dwelling on the negatives, we’re going to start our annual review with a List of the Top Ten Good Things That Happened in 2015. Ready? Here we go:

1. We didn’t hear that much about Honey Boo Boo.

2.

Okay, we’ll have to get back to you on Good Things 2 through 10. We apologize, but 2015 had so many negatives that we’re having trouble seeing the positives. It’s like we’re on the Titanic, and it’s tilting at an 85-degree angle with its propellers way up in the air, and we’re dangling over the cold Atlantic trying to tell ourselves: “At least there’s no waiting for the shuffleboard courts!”

Are we saying that 2015 was the worst year ever? Are we saying it was worse than, for example, 1347, the year when the bubonic plague killed a large part of humanity?

Yes, we are saying that. Because at least the remainder of humanity was not exposed to a solid week in which the news media focused intensively on the question of whether a leading candidate for president of the United States had, or had not, made an explicit reference to a prominent female TV journalist’s biological lady cycle.

That actually happened in 2015, and it was not the only bad thing. This was the year when American sports fans became more excited about their fantasy sports teams — which, for the record, are imaginary — than about sports teams that actually exist. This was the year when the “selfie” epidemic, which was already horrendous, somehow got even worse. Of the 105 billion photographs taken by Americans this year, 104.9 billion consist of a grinning face looming, blimplike, in the foreground, with a tiny image of something — the Grand Canyon, the pope, a 747 crashing — peeking out in the distance behind the person’s left ear.

This was the year of the “man-bun.”

And if all that isn’t bad enough, this was the year they tricked us into thinking Glenn got killed on “The Walking Dead.”

(By the way: spoiler alert.)

At this point you are saying: “Wait a minute! Surely there were some positive developments in 2015! How about the fact that, after so many years of sneering judgmentalism and divisive, overheated rhetoric, we were able to have rational, open-minded conversations about such issues as gun ownership, gay marriage, race relations and abortion, so that, as a nation, we finally began to come together and … whoa! Sorry! Evidently I am high on narcotics.”

Yes, you are. And we intend to join you soon. But first we need to take one last look back at the hideous reality of 2015, which began, as so many ill-fated years have in the past, with …

… which finds the Midwest gripped by unusually frigid weather, raising fears that the bitter cold could threaten the vast herd — estimated in the thousands — of Republican presidential hopefuls roaming around Iowa expressing a newly discovered passion for corn. As temperatures plummet, some candidates are forced to survive by setting fire to lower-ranking consultants.

For most Americans, however, the cold wave is not the pressing issue. The pressing issue — which will be debated for years to come — is how, exactly, did the New England Patriots’ footballs get deflated for the AFC championship game. The most fascinating theory is put forth by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, a man who, at his happiest, looks like irate ferrets are gnawing their way out of his colon. He opines — these are actual quotes — that “atmospheric conditions” could be responsible and also declares that “I’ve handled dozens of balls over the past week.” This will turn out to be the sports highlight of the year.

In Paris, 1.5 million people march in a solidarity rally following the horrific terrorist attack on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Eyebrows are raised when not a single top U.S. official attends, but several days later, Secretary of State John F. Kerry arrives in France with James Taylor, who — this really happened — performs the song “You’ve Got a Friend.” This bold action strikes fear into the hearts of terrorists, who realize that Secretary Kerry is fully capable, if necessary, of unleashing Barry Manilow.

Meanwhile in Washington, a drone crashes onto the White House lawn and immediately becomes a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination.

In sports, the first-ever NCAA College Football Playoff reaches a surprising climax when the Oregon Ducks are defeated in the championship game, 42-20, by the New England Patriots. Asked how this is possible, given that the Patriots play in the NFL, Coach Belichick opines that it could be a result of “global climate change.”

Speaking of surprises, in …

Read the rest here

Via Kenny here

Our friend, reader and commenter Stevienatt unexpectedly passed away on December 18th. A fairly young man, he had not yet arranged provisions for his burial and his family is trying to raise money for his funeral. They’ve set up a gofundme page to raise $5000 they need to complete this sad but necessary task and they’re still short about $1500.
Miss Lisa found about his death when she went to his FB page day before yesterday and saw the many condolences left by friends and loved ones, then went back yesterday and saw the fundraiser and asked me to post it her as she did on her blog.
Sadly enough, writing this out I realized just how little I knew of him. Most of our conversations were of a political nature (he was a hardcore Constitutionalist) and not about personal things. I do know he was an avid outdoorsman and an absolute baseball nut, not only as a spectator but as a player even in middle age.
The last conversation I had with Stevienatt was just before Veteran’s Day when he asked if I would honor his father who had just passed away the month before with a post. Well, of course I would. Not only would I be honoring somebody that served our Nation, but I had a strong feeling it would help Stevienatt with the grieving process for his father, something I had gone through just a couple years before.
Now his children are grieving, and the time of year doesn’t help. If you’d like to help give them some piece of mind concerning the funeral expenses, follow the link below. Thanks.
https://www.gofundme.com/zng47s2s

Letters to the AmmoLand Editor

USA –  -(Ammoland.com)- In my opinion, the Second Amendment is about National Security and only guarantees the right to keep and bear Assault Rifles.

The Constitution ratified in 1788 contains The Army Clause, the Militia Clause and the Organizing the Militia Clause.

The lack of a standing army and small state-controlled militias left the nation vulnerable. And, many Founding Fathers believed an armed citizenry was the best defense against tyranny. I deduce that the intent of the Second Amendment was to solve those two issues. An armed citizenry to aid the militia in defense of the nation in the event of insurrection or invasion and to join with fellow citizens to defend the nation against tyranny.

Explicit is the right to keep and bear arms. Implicit is the kind of arms. To aid the militia, and to defend against tyranny, the arms that citizens keep and bear arms. must be compatible with arms carried by soldiers, not robbers. That right encompasses current arms and arms for individual soldiers that may be created by new technology. In 1791, soldiers were armed with muskets. Today, individual soldiers are armed with Assault Rifles.

Technology does not mitigate any constitutionally guaranteed right. The right to keep and bear is not limited to arms technology in common use in 1791 when the Bill of Rights was approved any more than a free press is limited to printing technology at that time.

Regarding the Bill of Rights, absent is an explicit right to self-defense. That Right is implicit in the Declaration of Independence.

Regarding the Second Amendment, I do not recall any consideration of licensing to purchase or carry, hunting for food or for sport, stand your ground, registration, private militias, castle doctrine, survival prepping, home defense, background checks or competitive shooting.

The Second Amendment intent is to guarantee an armed citizenry to aid the militia in defense of the nation, and to defend the nation against tyranny. To perform those tasks, the citizenry must keep and bear current technology arms.

Today, that would be the “Assault Rifles”.

Merry Christmas to all my readers,hope you all have a great Christmas,with family and friends,good food,and don’t forget the reason we celebrate Christmas- in case you think food,drink and presents are what the holiday is all about.