Happy New Year, Sheepdogs!
“Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
-- missionary C.T. Studd
Table of Sections:
Prevention
Intervention
Postvention
Education
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
Things you can do to avoid the lethal force incident.
Table of contents:
Mindset (thinking correctly to avoid the fight)
Safety
Training (training to avoid the fight)
Practice (practicing to avoid the fight)
Your self-defense instructor should be teaching you how to avoid the fight.
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
"You do not get to pick which day you will need your gun. Someone else makes
that decision for you, and you will typically be informed at the very last minute!"
-- Tom Givens, "Finding Relevant Training"
"It's always good to have lifeguards nearby,
but it's better to learn how to swim!"
-- Sam Rosenberg
"Distrust!" by John Farnam
‟We don’t decide what is necessary to survive a
lethal force encounter initiated by someone else.
That person decides what’s necessary for us to survive.”
– William Aprill
"Do Criminals Target a Specific Age Group?
The bad guys know that as our age increases,
our ability to defend ourselves decreases."
by Shelley Hill
Excerpt:
“For me, the mindset is a simple word to describe a very complex state of mind.
Reduced to its essence, proper mindset is the possession of a mental representation,
AKA a mental map that accurately reflects one’s daily reality. The research from a
variety of fields, whether it’s a professional sports team or a surgeon, tells us that
those with the best mental maps consistently perform the best. A proper self-defense
mindset starts with the acceptance that there is evil in the world. If you don’t or
can’t accept that there is evil in the world, then the mental preparation, tool carrying,
and skill acquisition are just motions gone through to feel better or “safer.” If you
have accepted the world as it is, then all our accepted best practices logically follow.
For instance, if your mental map is accurate, you know that injury is always a
possibility, and it naturally flows that you’ll have the knowledge and tools to deal
with it. Part of a valid mental map includes a risk profile that changes from day to
day, or even hour by hour. This realistic assessment of your greatest threats drives
everything from the tools you carry to the choice to even carry a gun at a particular
location. In a nutshell mindset is the acceptance of the world as it is, not how we
would like it to be, and then doing what is necessary to prepare.”
-- John Hearne
"The hard lesson every safety / rescue professional or medical professional learns
very early in their career is, “You can't save them all.” But it's good to try."
-- Massad Ayoob
"Danger?" by Greg Ellifritz
Excerpt:
"I was essentially unable to flee and had a limited capacity to fight.
That was what bothered me. It wasn’t that we were truly in danger.
It was the fact that if something bad happened, my response options were limited."
‟Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice.”
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
Thank God for free will. You would not be happy as a programmed automaton.
With free will comes choices. Choose well, as such decisions have consequences.
Think! Act! Don't be an automaton.
We have studied automatons at a very high level in classes such as Theory of
Computation. Automatons ALWAYS crash (because they cannot adapt to the
changing environment). Ya, humans crash too. But, humans don't have to always
crash. Big difference.
Some say, if you play with guns long enough, you will eventually have a negligent
discharge. False! Completely false. If you know! and follow! the safety rules,
you will never have a negligent discharge.
If you care, you enforce the safety rules on those around you to ensure they don't
have a negligent discharge. We are not automatons, hence we care.
‷If you look at someone bigger, faster, and stronger and immediately think,
‶I'm at a disadvantage″,
I have news for you: you are.
But that's only because you just put yourself there for no reason.
The truth is that anyone can do debilitating violence to anyone else.
Your size, your speed, your strength, your gender --
all the factors that untrained people think make the difference when it comes to violence --
all matter far less than your mindset and your intent.‴
-- Tim Larkin
This is a basic intelligence test,
Another intelligence test,
"Jeff Cooper's Color Code exists to help you get your head around the need to
kill someone in the immediate future."
-- John Hearne
Dave Chappelle on suicide.
Do not murder.
Killing is fine for many reasons.
"Gunfighter Moment" by Ken Hackathorn
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"I am always amazed at the number of people that have CCWs, yet rarely ever
carry a sidearm. Somehow, they think that they will have time to strap a gun on
if trouble is about to descend upon them."
"Most of these little pocket type guns are perfect for the people that carry them,
as long as they never need them."
You want to be in a shooting, not a gunfight.
A shooting is where you shoot the bad guy
until he no longer poses a threat to you and your loved ones.
A gunfight is where you have allowed the bad guy to shoot at you.
Shame on you. You and you loved ones are going to get hurt.
The shooting is prevention by preemptive strike.
The gunfight is reaction to the bad guy's attack.
Because you were not paying attention to who was around you
and what they were doing.
***** Situational Awareness *****
How to avoid being taken by surprise.
"Surveillance Detection Principles" by the Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
Excerpt:
"The time to notice that someone is following you is NOT when you turn
into your driveway/parking spot as you're a sitting duck. You should be aware
of their presence long before then."
[Always know who is around you and what they are doing. -- Tom Givens]
"If someone is following you, DON’T GO HOME."
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they are NOT out to get you.”
[My sister lives by this saying. A lot of criminals attempt to murder prosecutors.
Some succeed. In the low level gangs, killing anyone will get you promoted.
In the higher level criminal organizations, you've got to kill a prosecutor or
law enforcement officer or a rival gang leader to get promoted.
-- Jon Low]
“You need to have the capacity for danger.
You need to be ‘dangerous’. Yet, you need to
learn how to not use it except when necessary.
And, that is not the same thing as being harmless.
There's nothing virtuous about harmlessness.
Harmless just means you’re ineffectual and useless.”
-- Jordan Peterson
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ORrepRouHLM
The problem with translations is that they are false,
because there are no two languages that are isomorphic.
So you cannot accurately translate.
*************************************************************************
----- Safety ----- (How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
How to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders.)
"Last Quip of 2023!" by John Farnam
"How to Grip a Handgun: Do's and Don'ts
A critical part of gun safety is simply knowing how to properly hold your handgun."
by Frank Melloni
Great pictures to show your newbie friends.
Jeff Cooper′s Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER
ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER
UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.
"NO ONE Is Coming to SAVE You!" by Andrew Branca
Excerpt:
"Today's show will focus on the increasing reality that nobody is coming to help you,
and you must be prepared to be your own first responder -- or suffer the consequences
of being helpless against violent criminal predation."
---
She calls 911 begging for help. But the Sheriff's Department has no one to send,
so no one is sent. She is brutally sexually assaulted.
"You're blaming the victim."
Yes, absolutely. She had the opportunity to get a gun. She had the opportunity
to get training. She chose not to. Actions have consequences. She knew this could
happen and chose to rely on government law enforcement to protect her.
Don't let this happen to you.
"Gun Free Zones" have thus become hunting preserves for psychopathic murderers.
-- Massad Ayoob
‟If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it.
The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury.
Therefore what he must fear is his victim.”
-- Col. Jeff Cooper, "Principles of Personal Defense"
"Fatal Shooting!" by John Farnam
Excerpt:
“ ‘Taking the law into your own hands?’
The law IS in our hands!
‘Law enforcement’ is not something sovereign citizens seize from police officers.
It is a societal function that citizens delegate to civil police.
In so doing, we do not abdicate our own sovereignty, nor our duties as citizens.
Ultimate responsibility is still ours. When those we hire as our “Protectors” are
either unwilling or unable to perform that function at the critical moment, there is
no law, nor standard, that says we cannot perform it for ourselves.
Indeed, when personally threatened, we have no choice! ”
-- Citizen’s Axiom
---
Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network
---
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
(in previous postings, I had given you my paraphrase. I now replace with a quote.)
Don’t go to stupid places.
Don’t associate with stupid people.
Don’t do stupid things.
Have a “normal” appearance.
Be in bed by 10:00pm. [Your own bed. This is what he told us in class. -- Jon Low]
Don’t fail the attitude test.
[You may remember in a previous post, how we explained that the innocent lady
was killed by police because she was consensually in the bed of a violent drug dealing
repeat offender during the execution of a no-knock warrant. So, it is not enough to be
in bed by 22:00. You must be in you own bed. Or at least not in the bed of a felonious
repeat offender with drugs, cash, and guns in the bedroom. As Chuck Haggard says,
the best way to avoid a home invasion (by criminals or police) is to NOT deal drugs
out of your home.
"But, it's so hard to find a boyfriend whose employed and not living in mama's
basement."
Solution: move out of the inner city, move out of the Democrat controlled cities,
move to a rural area, move to the South. The solution is simple and easy. Just
stay out of Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville. (The Democrat controlled cities.)
-- Jon Low]
Q. How often does someone get murdered in [insert name of your hometown]?
A. Just like anywhere else – only once.
-- John Farnam (via Stephen P. Wenger)
"I forgot!"
If you get stopped at the airport by TSA for trying to smuggle a pistol in your carry on
items, it means you didn't know that the pistol was there (assuming someone didn't plant
the pistol in your carry on items, we'll ignore that low probability event for now). Which
means you didn't have control of your pistol. ALWAYS HAVE CONTROL OF YOUR
PISTOL‼ (That's a double exclamation point in a single character, cool eh?)
If you're the type of person who loses their keys or forgets things, you need to fix
yourself before you enter the concealed carry life style. There are persons who forget
their kids in the car. (Admittedly the child was their first and was sleeping quietly in
the back seat.)
If you forget important things, you're not ready to carry a pistol.
---
If you're getting old and the dementia is setting in causing you to forget things,
consider carefully. You might want to give your cars and guns to your kids (not just
for safe keeping, for the rest of your life).
If you come to an intersection and stop, look at the traffic lights, and can't remember
if green means go or stop, it's time to adjust your lifestyle. Age takes us all. Everyone
dies. Ensure you die peacefully in your bed.
My grandmother died peacefully in her sleep, unlike the passengers in her car who
died screaming.
"No Rest!" by John Farnam
Excerpts:
"Accordingly, violent criminals are confident potential victims coming from
and going to such “safe zones” are completely defenseless!"
"Personal safety is a personal responsibility!"
---
“ ‘Faith’ is a luxury reserved only for those who are able to ignore what the
rest of us must see every day.
Pessimism, distrust, and irony are the holy trinity of my religion,
irony in particular.”
-- Brando Skyhorse
Nashvill West Precinct Weekly Crime Update:
(Metro Nashville Police Department, 5 January 2024)
There were 1,203 guns reported stolen from vehicles in 2023, a 13.5% decrease
from 2022 when 1,392 firearms were taken from automobiles. Despite this decrease,
77% of guns reported stolen in Nashville in 2023 were taken from vehicles.
The MNPD strongly encourages Nashvillians to lock their automobile doors in the
New Year, secure any valuables---especially guns, and REMOVE THE KEYS.
Motorists are also strongly cautioned not to abandon vehicles as they warm up in
driveways or parking lots, and to not leave running vehicles unattended outside
convenience stores and other businesses. Doing so makes things very easy for
auto thieves.
*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to practice) -----
". . . the skills of recognition, awareness, avoidance, and de-selection
are probably the most important skills in the tactician's repertoire."
-- Craid Douglas
"Budgeting for a series of classes" by Ben Stoeger
This is why training is so difficult.
The Solomon Asch Conformity Experiment.
---
Sort of like the Emperor's new clothes.
Oh, if only Joe Rogan knew what he was talking about.
Olympic recurve archery (real archery) uses finger to hold and release the bow string,
not any type of mechanical trigger mechanism.
Well trained archers have been using the surprise release for about 5000 years.
Firearms shooters need to use it. Jeff Cooper said so. It is the only technique that
defeats all autonomic nervous system responses (jerk, flinch, push, freeze, etc.)
to the report (loud bang) and recoil (backward jerk, 3rd derivative of displacement
with respect to time).
From an email from Mike Ox --
What does smart training look like?
One popular example that I love is 80% training.
In 80% training, you don't try to become a world champion shooter.
Your goal is to become 80% as good as a world champion.
Then, you develop 80% vision skills that you combine with shooting.
(combining the skills is key)
80% balance skills that you combine with shooting...
80% awareness and threat identification skills...
80% stress modulation skills...
80% movement skills...
80% empty hands skills...
80% improvised weapon skills...
Why 80% and not 90% or 100%?
The law of diminishing returns.
For most skills, it takes more time and energy to go from 80% to 85% than it does
to go from 40% to 80%.
In fact, it's probably easier to hit 80% at ALL of these skills than it is to hit 90% in
any single one.
And 80% in several is much better than 100% in any single one.
-- Mike Ox
In a recent Vehicle Tactics class that I took, we were taught to clear the concealment
garment from our pistols when seated in a car with the seat belt on. So that in the event
of an emergency, you will be able to access the pistol quickly.
If you're going to do that, you must remember to conceal before exiting the car.
I was seated in a restaurant waiting for my food before I realized that my shirt was up
over my pistol. Fortunately, I live in Tennessee, so no one mentioned it, or called the
police. But it could have had negative consequences elsewhere.
"Commandment V: Know what you're doing.
Gunfights are won by those who shoot fastest and straightest, and are usually
measured in seconds. Legal aftermaths last for years, and emotional aftermaths,
for lifetimes. Get educated in depth in the management of all three stages of
the encounter beforehand."
-- Massad Ayoob
You need training because:
You don't know what you don't know.
Much of what you know is false.
It's good to the have the answers before the criminal tests you.
-- Claude Werner (paraphrased)
"Grip Technique For Action Pistol
Grip strength is sometimes overlooked by action pistol competitors.
These tips will help."
by Corey Howard
Excerpt:
"While grip strength is also important, primarily in your support hand,
it should not be your primary focus. You’ll take seconds off your time and
move through your transitions faster if you have stronger legs, a stable core,
and possibly weigh less."
". . . you need to stretch your hands and wrists afterward. If you skip this,
I promise you’ll get a nice painful case of tennis or golfer’s elbow."
--- Start of Classes ---
Bill Armstrong writes --
bill.armstrong@meadhallrange.com
Mead Hall Range and Tactics
2024 Schedule (including prelim)
Immediate Action Combatives -Cecil Burch – 23-25Feb2024 (23Feb is 6pm start time)
Grappling in a weapons based environment.
Sentinel Concepts – Steve Fisher – 2 Day Carbine – 9-10Mar2024
Symtac Consulting – Rob and Matt Haught- Shotgun Skills-23-24March 2024
(Sold Out email Symtac to get on waiting list)
FPF Training – John Murphy- Street Encounter Skills- 13-14Apr2024
Presscheck Consulting – Chuck Pressburg – 18-21Apr2024
No Fail Pistol 18-19Apr2024
No Fail Rifle 20-21Apr2024
Dr. James Williams – Shooting with Xray Vision Instructor – 4-5May2024
Apache Training Solutions – TBD - 17-19May2024
Lone Star Medics – Caleb Causey – TacMed EDC – 29Jun2024
Sentinel Concepts – Steve Fisher – 2 day Handgun – 28-29Sept2024
RangeMaster – Tom Givens – Master Instructor Development – 4-6Oct2024
Agile Training and Consulting – Chuck Haggard – 19-20Oct2024 (waiting on date confirm)
19 Oct Pocket Rockets
20 Oct OC Instructor
Tim Herron Shooting – Practical Performance – 26-27Oct2024
Citizens Defense Research – Melody Lauer and Chris Cypert – 8-11Nov2024
8-9Oct The Armed Parent/Guardian
10-11Oct Contextual Handgun: Public Encounters
John Holschen – Applied Defensive Handgun Skills – 16-17Nov2024
Cougar Mountain Solutions – Erick Gelhaus – 6-8 Dec 2024
Red Dot Instructor Course
As usual Will Andrews will be out here as well during the times of
the year he prefers to teach 😊
2024
Mar 16
Apr 6
May 11
Jun 15
Oct 12
Nov 23
Caleb started a subscription plan for his monthly virtual classes.
You save money, get reminders, and get some refreshers.
That is a limited time only thing so by all means go hit up his
site and take a look at that.
-- Bill Armstrong
[Ya, I know some of the classes lack a URL. Email Bill. -- Jon Low]
FPF (John Murphy) classes
https://www.fpftraining.com/fpf-calendar
--- End of Classes ---
“The secret of success is this.
Train like it means everything when it means nothing –
so you can fight like it means nothing when it means everything.”
-- Lofty Wiseman
"There IS a Timer in a Gunfight
Your target measures your accuracy. The shot timer measures your speed."
by Chris Cypert
Excerpt:
"The shot timer does not provide us opinions about our level of skill.
It provides facts."
“You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol
than you are a musician because you own a guitar.”
from Principles of Personal Defense by Col. Jeff Cooper, USMC, (1920 – 2006 A.D.)
"Safe gun handling and knowing how to operate the gun competently is one thing.
How to fight with the gun is a whole other plane of knowledge."
-- Tiger McKee
"TRAINING FOR ABSOLUTE CHAOS"
by JAMES QUEISNER
"Those motivated by a desire to improve their
gunfighting skills as opposed to a quest for trophies,
must be willing to bleed ego on the match results
to avoid shedding blood in combat."
-- Andy Stanford
"Work Less: The Case for Using Red-Dot Sights
A red-dot can be a great force multiplier in self-defense scenarios
by streamlining the steps needed to put your sights on-target."
By Eric Poole
Narration by Duane “Buck” Buckner
I don't agree with Mr. Buckner, but I cite the article because I think it is
worth considering.
John Murphy writes --
There’s a LOT going on here….
Take a moment to watch the video.
I think there are some lessons to learn from this incident.
1. Enforcing the social norm of “wait your turn” can be a perilous undertaking.
You don’t know who you’re dealing with. Don’t be surprised if people respond
to getting yelled at by yelling back, and then engage you in a loud ego battle.
If you choose to intervene I suggest a tactful, “Excuse me, but there’s a line”
as an opening gambit rather than immediate confrontation. If people don’t
positively respond to that approach the ball is back in your court and you have
a better idea of who you’re dealing with. You can either escalate into a conflict
that could end in violence that can see you injured, arrested or dead, or depart
the scene. It has got to be worth it and as annoying as this behavior is, well,
you just don’t know who you’re dealing with.
2. This situation escalated at the very outset with both participants engaging in
the “eye stare” game to achieve dominance. It never occurred to the alleged
“cutter” that his accuser could be armed, yet there was a holstered handgun in
plain sight from the outset. Here’s a thought exercise . . . what do you think
would have happened if the cutter saw that pistol at the very outset of the
conflict? Escalation or de-escalation? No one can know for sure, so why take
the chance?
3. During an altercation if someone accesses the interior of the car or the trunk
it is a fair bet they are arming themselves. Likewise if someone departs and
returns to the scene of an [incident] it is highly likely they are doing so after
having armed themselves and called their friends. It is best to suddenly not be
there.
These lessons, and much more, are covered in Street Encounter Skills and
Tactics.
See you on the range!
John Murphy
Greg Ellifritz recommends,
"Red Dot Mastery:
A proven system to quickly master the pistol mounted red dot optic,
even if you have challenges with eye dominance, astigmatism,
old eyes, finding the dot, or both-eyes-open shooting"
by Mike Ochsner, Marcus Custer, and Erick Gelhaus
ASIN: B0CR1DWBDD
ISBN-13: 979-8985238952
‟Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice.”
-- Claude Werner
---
And practice is the preparation for combat. Self-defense is combat.
The worst, most ambiguous, type of combat. The type of combat that
includes civil and criminal liability. No one is wearing uniforms.
Everyone is pretending to be a non-combatant. Just asking for directions,
just asking for money, just asking for a light; until they get close enough
to stab you.
*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get competent at that task) -----
“Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans.”
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
"What Comes From 100 Days of Dry Fire Practice?"
by Matthew Maruster
Dry practice is good for you.
Dry practice will not damage anything.
Yes, there are all kinds of Whiz Bang gadgets you can spend money on (hey if that
makes you happy then I guess it's worth it), but you don't need any accessories.
All you need is self-discipline (to do the practice) and a good attitude (to enjoy the practice).
---
I love physics (the philosophy, the thought experiments, the deep consequences, etc.).
I hate math (the mindless formalized symbol manipulation that logicians have proved
can be done by machine or monkey). But I understand that to comprehend the physics,
to understand it at a deep level, I must master the tools (the math) of physics. So I study
and master the math.
Similarly, if you wish to keep your loved ones alive, you must practice.
“Willingness is a state of mind. Readiness is a statement of fact!”
-- Lt. Gen. David M Shoup, USMC Commandant, 1960-1963
"How to Shoot the Bill Drill
The Bill drill seems like it’s all about speed,
but it’s actually a tough test of several handgun shooting fundamentals"
by Tyler Freel
One well aimed shot ain't that hard. Six hits in rapid succession is hard.
‶Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.″
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
Why practice?
“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment
when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and
offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique
to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if
that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that
which could have been their finest hour.”
-- Winston Churchill
"People rust faster than equipment."
-- John Hearne
‟Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat
whatever you have practiced,
no matter how ridiculous.”
-- ‶Shooting in Self-Defense″ by Sara Ahrens
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intervention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to deal with the incident that you failed to avoid.
Table of contents:
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy (deciding on the end state and how to achieve it,
which tactics to use, which includes walking away) -----
“How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.”
-- John Farnam
"According to testimony from eye witnesses, the student had handed over his
wallet and cell phone and was standing there with his hands in the air when he
was shot in the face and killed. “Give them what they want and they'll go away.”
may not be the best strategy. What if what they want is your life? If you wait to
see if they're really going to kill you, and they do, it's too late to stop them from
killing you."
-- Tom Givens, "Finding Relevant Training"
"Terrifying moment Prague gunman David Kozak takes shot after shot as hero shouts
'shoot here you fucker!' in bid to distract him during his killing spree that left
14 people dead and 25 wounded"
by Rachael Bunyan
---
Comments by Greg Ellifritz --
Using a rifle with a magnified optic to shoot from covered positions on a rooftop
is a good strategy for amassing a lot of victims. It worked as far back as the Texas
Tower incident in 1966. More recently the killer in the Route 91 Harvest music
festival shooting in Las Vegas (2017) used this method to shoot almost 500 people.
I think we will start seeing more of these kind of attacks.
A few things to think about:
– Have you adequately secured the rooftop of your school or office building from
unauthorized access?
– Do the cops know how to access the roof of your commercial building or school
to get to the killer?
– Are there areas on the ground nearby that offer good cover from elevated threats
and will provide you with a safe angle to return fire?
– Could you make a 100+ meter shot with your concealed carry pistol?
– If the shooter is on the building roof, is it safer to barricade inside the building
or to escape? Are there any exits that cannot be observed by any potential rooftop
shooting position?
-- Greg Ellifritz
"4 Canadian Churches Burned Before Christmas." by Pulse Wires
Well, you can post guards around the church 24/7/365 (how much would that cost?).
That might help. If your guards aren't killed as part of the attack.
Or, you can kill the arsonist while they sleep in their homes before the attack.
Hey, that's what the Special Operations units of our Armed Forces do. Osama bin Laden
was not killed on the battlefield. He was killed in his home with his wives and kids
present. As were many of our enemies. (Global War On Terrorism, it works.)
I wonder why the Israelis didn't kill the Hamas terrorists before the
October 7, 2023 attacks? Oh, wait, we all know why. Brandon threatened to withhold
aid to Israel. Just as he withholds deliver of the hundreds of thousands of M-16's unless
Israel takes action to prevent the M-16's from being distributed to Israeli civilians.
Brandon and his people are evil. Brandon is directly responsible for the October 7th attack.
But he looks good now giving aid to Israel after the attack. Let's go Brandon!
"You win gunfights by not getting shot."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (maneuver and fire in support of your strategy) -----
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, Escape
"Surveillance Detection Principles" by the Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
Excerpt:
"If someone is following you, DON’T GO HOME."
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they are NOT out to get you.”
[My sister lives by this saying. A lot of criminals attempt to murder prosecutors.
Some succeed. In the low level gangs, killing anyone will get you promoted.
In the higher level criminal organizations, you've got to kill a prosecutor or
law enforcement officer or a rival gang leader to get promoted.
-- Jon Low]
"The time to notice that someone is following you is NOT when you turn
into your driveway/parking spot as you're a sitting duck. You should be aware
of their presence long before then."
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
"The Fatal Funnel: Dealing with Doors" by Richard Nance
Yes, stepping back is an option.
Immediately charging in is also an option. It doesn't give the enemy time to react.
You go up a tempo, if you're competent to use the tempo.
“Fortuitous outcomes reinforce poor tactics.”
-- Chuck Haggard
"Forget what you’ve seen in vehicle gunfighting courses.
We discuss what’s truly important when preparing for
conflict in and around vehicles." by ISG Team
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Pillars (the things that hold the roof up, so the roof doesn't collapse on you when
the car flips over) also offer some protection from gun fire.
"Oops: Officer Responds to Prowler Call, Resident Rushes Out Screaming with Gun"
by Andrew Branca
In a home invasion scenario, NEVER open your door and advance on the bad guy.
That is not tactically sound.
It's unfortunate that the police officer shot and killed the homeowner, but being
a dumbass has consequences.
The police officer's behavior, techniques, and tactics show a great deal of training
and practice. Bravo!
As you present to the target, immediately move to your firing side as you shoot
across your body at your target on your support side. (Learn to use the Chapman
modification of the Weaver platform.) To maximize your angular displacement
relative to the enemy, your velocity vector should be perpendicular to the line
defined by you and the enemy. Move in a circular arc of constant radius around
your enemy.
When you have mastered this technique, try spiraling into your target. This is
much more aggressive and may cause your enemy to panic.
Generally speaking, if you can kill 10% or cause 10% of the enemy troops to
panic, the entire unit will panic. (e.g. low level street thugs, etc.)
If it is a hardened experienced combat unit, it may be as high as 50%.
(e.g. cartel soldiers, trained terrorists, etc.)
If it is a special operations unit, you’ll have to kill all of them, because they
will fight to the last man without panic. (e.g. FBI Miami shoot out.)
Clues as to who you are fighting:
Uniform (colors, patches, tattoos, etc.)
Tactics (How are they maneuvering? You did notice, because you are always
aware of who is around you and what they are doing.)
Venue (Were they intelligent enough to attack in good place? A planned attack.
Or, is this a crime of opportunity?)
Weapons (At what time did they display weapons?)
Of course, it would have been better to kill the bad guys yesterday as they slept
in their beds. That would have avoided the present lethal force encounter.
As Matt Little says, it's always better to be in a shooting than a gunfight. But civilian
defenders don't have those rules of engagement. And police certainly don't.
(Oh yes, the criminals are known by police and anyone who bothers to read the
reports that every precinct disseminates. The reports include photographs.)
Have you ever wondered why some churches never get attacked? While others
have to kill bad guys during their services. While others suffer attacks without any
defense. It's a function of what the church's security team chooses to do or neglects
to do through intelligence, training, and practice;
or ignorance, complacency, and laziness.
Have you ever wondered why the U.S. hasn't suffered a 9/11 type attack
since 9/11/2001? The Global War On Terrorism. Do you know what that means?
Hey, if the strategy works, implement it. It's the only way to ensure zero casualties.
Otherwise, it's just a matter of how many casualties you will tolerate in your "plan".
If you don't understand what I'm talking about, take Ed Monk's course. You'll be
glad you did. The vast majority of church "plans" ensure lots and lots of casualties,
because they lock down and wait for police. Just about the ultimate in stupidity.
"Oh, but what else can we do?"
Arm and train your people. Make it your policy and plan to immediately attack
and shoot the bad guy. Information of your policies and training will leak out.
(Sometimes gossip is a wonderful thing.) It will become common knowledge
that your facility is not a "gun-free-zone". This will have the desired effect.
You won't be attacked in the first place.
"Oh, we could never do that. That's barbaric."
Then you have decided your fate.
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques -----
Ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics,
especially when disabled or under stress.
"How To Make Sure Your Handgun Fits You" by Tom McHale (my friend from
South Carolina, I've been to his house to shoot in his backyard)
Besides Tom's tips on proper grip, I also think that when gripped properly with
the web between your thumb and index finger pressed up tight into the tang of
the pistol, all of your fingers (including little finger of your support side hand) should
be on the grip. If not, the grip is too short for you. [Your support-side index finger
should be pressed tight up under the trigger guard. Indexing is consistency.
Consistency is accuracy.] (Ya, I know that several superstars grip with their
support-side fingers in front of the trigger guard. If you dedicated the time and
effort that she does to your shooting, you might be able to get that to work for
you. But, probably not.)
Your middle-finger-tip and ring-finger-tip should both be pointing back towards
you. If not, the girth of the grip is too big for you.
If you don't have the gap that Tom refers to, you can have a competent gunsmith
move the trigger back to allow you to form the gap. Yes, as a matter of fact, all
triggers can be moved. Many gunsmiths won't do it because they are not competent
to do the job, or they don't want to assume the liability. But it's just mechanics.
A competent gunsmith can move the trigger. Or, it might be easier to replace the
trigger. There are lots of good after market trigger groups that can be dropped into
the frame. Best to have a gunsmith do it, unless you really know what you're doing.
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
May I offer you some things to practice?
---
Talking is a high order intellectual activity. Humans cannot talk and shoot at
the same time. So, shut up and think. As a civilian, if you have gone to your gun,
you are far beyond verbal judo. Your voice will betray your fear, which will embolden
your enemy.
"Move, communicate, and shoot" is all good and fine. But probably requires
way more training, practice, time, and effort than you are willing to invest.
So just keep your mouth shut and think; and if necessary shoot.
---
It's hard to hit your target when you're moving. Better to stay still, focus on the
front sight, and smoothly press the trigger for a surprise break.
---
Stepping to the side assumes that the enemy is aiming at you. This is a false
assumption. Thinking that criminals think the way you think is a fatal mistake.
They will be spraying bullets in your general direction. So, it doesn't matter if
you are here or there. It doesn't change the probability of you getting hit, because
you are not dodging aimed fire. This is not infantry combat.
Thanks to Claude Werner, the Tactical Professor.
---
Lower positions entail less mobility and more stability, hence better accuracy.
Lower positions allow you to change the trajectory of your bullet to avoid hitting
innocent persons. Going to a lower position reduces the probability of you being
seen, because you are below eye level. No, really, it's true. Remember the context
we are operating in; fast moving chaotic situation. And if the enemy doesn't see
you, he won't shoot at you.
Squatting - This is the fastest position to get into and out of, but requires flexibility.
From your bladed standing position, bend your knees to drop straight down. (Don’t
move your feet.) Keep your feet flat on the ground. (Don’t let your heels come off
the ground.) Rest the back of your support side upper arm against the front of your
kneecap, just as in the supported kneeling position. The upper body and arms are
in the same Weaver position as when standing. Pivot around the ball of your firing
side foot to adjust your natural point of aim.
---
Partial presentations depending on threat level --
Hands up in front of you. (So that an upper arm rotation pivoting about the
shoulders, puts your hands in a position to present your pistol.)
Clear concealment garment and establish correct grip on pistol, keeping
pistol in the holster.
Present pistol to low ready or close contact with pistol pointed at ground.
Present pistol to low ready or close contact with pistol pointed at bad guy.
Present pistol to navel of bad guy with trigger finger in register position.
Your pistol and hands need to be low enough to see the bad guy’s hands and
waistline.
Present pistol to bad guy (high thoracic), slack out of trigger.
---
Surreptitious presentations --
Pistol correctly gripped with one hand, still in the holster, but hidden.
Pistol correctly gripped with one hand, out of the holster, but hidden.
(behind your thigh, under the table, under a napkin, etc.)
Pistol correctly gripped with two hands, out of the holster, but hidden.
Pistol correctly gripped with two hands, pointing at bad guy, but hidden.
---
Actually, you CAN do all of these things. It may not be pretty at first, but it will
be with practice. Eventually, it will be smooth with automaticity. You won't know
that you're doing it. Afterwards, you won't remember presenting the pistol. You
will swear the pistol just appeared in your hands pointing at the bad guy. That is
what deliberate diligent practice will give you.
Handling rope,
Bear hug,
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Postvention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to treat your wounds; avoid prosecution, conviction, and prison time.
Table of contents:
Aftermath
Medical
Survival
*************************************************************************
----- Aftermath -----
You must be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.
"In my experience, conclusions the police draw and even the scene investigation
done by law enforcement can be very wrong."
-- Marty Hayes, J.D.
"It is of paramount importance for a defense team to hire at least one private
investigator, if not more, to interview witnesses. I have seen many cases in which
the police account of what a witness said varied widely from what a defense
investigator found out from witnesses."
. . .
"So, if you decide to enroll in one of these plans, you need to make sure that the
expense of hiring private investigators is included in the yearly fee, or be prepared
to foot the bill yourself, too."
-- Marty Hayes, J.D.
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him,
but because he loves what is behind him.”
― G.K. Chesterton
"Accused attacker challenges woman to shoot him — and she does,
Missouri police say" by Jennifer Rodriguez
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
---
Press reports do not always give the full picture but it sounds as though the woman
may have been charged because she admitted to shooting the boyfriend out of anger,
not fear of further attack. Once such statements get into record, it is difficult to persuade
a jury otherwise. This is why detailed statements should not be made without legal
counsel. Note the futility of the “warning shot.”
-- Stephen P. Wenger
---
[That is why you NEVER say anything to anybody, except your attorney when in
a private setting. "Fear" is justification. "Anger" is not.
If you think you know what you're doing, I assure you, you do not know what
you're doing. You can't know what you're doing. You're mental state is not normal.
And even if it were, you're not a legal expert. You have absolutely no business
talking to anyone. Because they will willingly testify against you or will be
compelled to testify against you, under threat of contempt of court (which means
indefinite time in jail). Yes, the judge can put a person in jail until the person testifies.
"But she is my loving wife. She would never testify against me. The court can't
force her to testify against me."
She is now. But in two years when your case comes to trial, she may be your angry
ex-wife who will gladly testify against you. With you in prison, she gets the kids
and will get the court to allow her to seize all of your assets to support the kids.
Since you are not paying child support, because you are in prison.
-- Jon Low]
"Wow Staff, you sound really bitter."
NEVER give interviews with journalists, especially not TV stations. Giving an
interview is an act of criminal stupidity. It will be used against you at trial.
No matter how smart you think you are, if you give an interview, you're a damn fool.
[I neglect to give a list of such interviews, because they insult your intelligence. And
you'll just end up screaming at your monitor, "Shut up! Stop talking!"]
When I worked armed security at the hospital emergency rooms, I would
watch the cops bring suspects in for various things. The suspects would just
run their mouths, as the cop's body camera was recording video and audio.
It was really hard for me to prevent myself from screaming, "Shut the fuck up,
you moron!"
In the right hand column, click on the link labeled "Self Defense Insurance".
Or, the direct link is,
Read this before you buy insurance. You need to make an informed decision.
The various policies are drastically different.
"You need to read the fine print." -- Massad Ayoob
Why do I cite the following articles? Because, if the insurance company
doesn't give you the money in full up front, the insurance policy is worthless.
"USCCA Responds to Critics: But Is It the WHOLE Truth?" by Andrew Branca
This is significant.
The insurance company must pay your attorney in full up front, otherwise the
insurance policy is worthless.
"USCCA’s Dark Tricks Come To Light On Alan Colie Case"
by Heavy Duty Country
When Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network declined to pay a lady, I wrote an
email to Massad Ayoob and asked why. Mas immediately responded and said that
she was committing a home invasion when the shooting occurred. Okay,
I can understand that. May or may not be true, but it is a straight forward honest
answer. When Tim Schmidt is asked why Alan Colie had a public defender instead
of a private attorney paid for by USCCA, he doesn't answer the question. Paying
the legal fees for the appeal is almost completely meaningless, because Mr. Alan Colie
has already been convicted. Appeals almost never vacate the guilty verdict.
"Attorneys Marc J. Victor & Andy Marcantel Analyze
USCCA's Response to Deceptive Claims"
by Attorneys On Retainer
On the criminal side, 95% of defendants take a plea deal and plead guilty to a crime.
Often to the great benefit of the defendant.
Presumption of innocence is at odds with the insurance company deciding that the
client is guilty before conviction.
In the right hand column of this web page, click on "Never Talk To The Police"
or use the direct address
“Your understanding and consent are not required
for someone to take your life, kill your loved ones,
and destroy all you hold dear.”
-- William Aprill
*************************************************************************
----- Medical -----
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
*************************************************************************
----- Survival -----
"If you stay fit, you do not have to get fit.
If you stay trained, you do not have to get trained.
If you stay prepared, you do not have to get prepared."
-- Robert Margulies
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
Table of contents:
Legal
Instruction
Gear
*************************************************************************
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
"Defensive Gun Uses By People Legally Carrying Guns: 20 Cases During September 2023"
For all kinds of good information,
Rangemaster newsletter,
Excerpt:
"So, why do I feel that pistol-mounted optics are for
enthusiasts? The short answer is that the amount of time and
effort required to understand how to properly mount, care for, and
use a pistol-mounted optic far exceeds what the average gun
owner is willing to invest." -- Jeff Boren
---
If you're considering putting a red dot optic on your pistol,
you need to read this article.
There are a lot of things in life that are good. But often, unless you put in the training,
practice, time, effort, and money, they won't work for you. So they are not good for you.
"Pistol vs Handgun: What’s the Difference?
Not all handguns are pistols, but all pistols are handguns. Get it?"
by Richard Mann
"AR-15 Bolt Carrier and Rifle Cut Away Demonstration"
by School of the American Rifle
---
"What Buffer Should You Use In Your AR-15? (H1, H2, H3, H4)"
by Classic Firearms
"Top 10 Most Popular Articles of 2023" by Greg Ellifritz
Excerpt:
"That appeal may not be the market I’m targeting as future students, . . ."
---
I write this blog, DefensivePistolcraft.com, for former students. No one has ever
told me that they requested a class because they were motivated by my blog.
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
----- Legal -----
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
It is wholly inadequate for the governance of any other.
-- John Adams, October 11, 1798
"3 Welcome Surprises of Concealed Carry
What the author thought were invisible hurdles to CCW
turned out to be welcome surprises . . . you may find the same!"
by Frank Melloni
"Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca (free book, just pay shipping)
"Allen Park man sues ATF for confiscating firearms despite clean record after expungement"
by Charlie Langton and Jack Nissen
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
---
It's unclear whether F Troop has any evidence – such as videos posted on YouTube – that
Wilburn was in possession of firearms before the expungement. The law seems pretty clear:
18 USC § 921(a)(33)(B)(ii) “A person shall not be considered to have been convicted of
such an offense for purposes of this chapter if the conviction has been expunged or set aside,
or is an offense for which the person has been pardoned or has had civil rights restored
(if the law of the applicable jurisdiction provides for the loss of civil rights under such an
offense) unless the pardon, expungement, or restoration of civil rights expressly provides
that the person may not ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms.”
-- Stephen P. Wenger
---
When I got my arrest record expunged in New Jersey, the law specifically said that
I can now legally answer "NO", when asked in any official capacity or under oath,
"Have you ever been arrested?" Admittedly that was for an arrest, not a conviction,
but one would think the same legal theory would apply.
-- Jon Low
Handgunlaw.us
"The 5 Elements of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca (free of charge)
“Your character is what you do when no one is looking.”
-- Thomas Jefferson
"No Charges Against Mexican Farmers That Killed Cartel Members In Self-Defense"
by Docent
If you're going to kill members of a criminal organization, you need to kill all of them.
Otherwise, the other gang members will eventually seek revenge.
Or, you need leave. So you must have your escape plan finished before you start
killing the criminals.
Birth certificate (of person of similar age who died at birth or soon thereafter, just
request it by mail or online) → Social Security card (based on birth certificate) →
Driver's license → Passport → bank account → GED (just take the test) → etc.
Basically, duplicate everything in your wallet.
Ya, I know fake driver's licenses are easy to get online and are effectively
indistinguishable from real ones. But, there is no back stop.
Or, you need to do it surreptitiously. If no one suspects you of the killing, you WIN!
"LAWYER EXPLAINS: Cops Have a 5th Amendment LOOPHOLE"
by Hampton Law
You must actually say,
"I request my attorney."
You must actually say,
"I invoke my right to remain silent."
And then you must shup up. If you start talking again, you have effectively waived
your right to remain silent.
As Greg Ellifritz says, it's best to avoid all interaction with law enforcement.
How do you win a gunfight? Don't be there.
How do you win a legal fight? Don't be there.
If you get a phone call, refer them to your attorney.
If you get a summons, tell your attorney. Let him handle it.
If you get arrested, call your attorney. And shut up.
NEVER voluntarily go in for questioning.
NEVER answer questions without your attorney present. Better yet, NEVER answer
questions.
Your attorney should never let police put you in a line up. Because the police can
easily get the witness to identify you.
Your attorney should never let the police take a DNA sample or blood sample.
Because the experts will say whatever the person or agency paying them wants them
to say. Expert witnesses are mercenaries. Extremely high paid mercenaries. Remember,
it's not science, it is the expert opinion of the witness. Data can be interpretted any
way the expert witness cares to. Juries do not, cannot, understand the statistics of
fingerprint identification, DNA identification, etc. Forensic science is not science.
It's much closer to witchcraft. That's why you must hire expert witnesses. That's why
you must have the money to hire the expert witnesses. That's why you must have
a self-defense insurance policy. Your other insurance policies won't cover your legal
defense expenses.
Nothing in science is every proved. You can only prove things in philosophy (logic,
math, etc.). In science, you can only make statistical statements. Even if you sequence
the entire genome of the person and get a perfect match (which never happens because
it takes too long and is too expensive), there are other persons in the 8 billion population
that would match. There are other persons who will match due to mutations (which
occur spontaneously and continuously). So all the expert witness can say is that the
defendant is the subject to a certain confidence level. Usually a very low confidence
level when you look at the details of the experiment and the methodology. But you
need your expert witness to explain that to the jury. Otherwise, the jury will think
that the expert witness had proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt. In America,
you get as much justice as you can afford.
Innocence is no protection against conviction. Even if you are completely innocent,
were not present at the time and place of the crime, and are unrelated to the parties
concerned, you can still be convicted. Lots of documented cases of innocent persons
being convicted.
So you have to follow Greg's advice, avoid all interaction with law enforcement.
Because as Andrew Branca says, even if you are completely innocent,
there is a 10% chance you will be convicted. That's just the noise in the system.
So, you must avoid the trial. By avoiding the indictment. By avoiding being a suspect.
By avoiding all interaction with law enforcement.
"Continued Massacres of Christians in Nigeria Ensured by Citizen Disarmament"
by David Codrea
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
The purpose of gun control laws is to ensure unarmed victims for armed criminals
to hunt at their leisure. If anyone tells you differently, they are lying to you. It doesn't
matter if they believe the lie, it's still a lie.
"Trump's Former Lawyer Busted Citing Fake Cases" by Andrew Branca
Never trust artificial intelligence!
“Is there no virtue among us?
If there is not, we are without hope!
No form of government, existing nor theoretical, will keep us from harm.
To think that any government, in any form, will insure liberty and happiness
for a dishonorable population represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788
*************************************************************************
----- Instruction -----
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
----- Instructors -----
"Remember,
the students who require the extra effort
are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
"Citizens Safety Academy Gateway Instructor Course" (review of class)
by Uncle Zo
---
Gateway Instructor Skills (schedule of classes)
---
"Trainers You Should Know- Citizens Safety Academy" by Greg Ellifritz
Excerpt:
"They have to overcome their misconceptions about students before
they can help students overcome their misconceptions about guns."
"You must teach skill sustainment as part of training."
-- John Hearne
Good instructors only teach what they believe to be true from their training
and experience. What is their training and experience? They should be happy
to tell you by sending you a record of their training and experience. And then
you should decide if that is appropriate for you.
Bad instructors teach things outside of their training and experience. Very
dangerous. They don't know if what they are teaching is correct because they
have no real world experience with the tactic or technique. Their only knowledge
of the tactic or technique may be from YouTube.com videos, as opposed to a
real training class.
Hey, there are a lot of instructors that have never been in any sort of combat,
so they have no combat experience. If only combat experienced persons were
competent to teach, we would have very few instructors. And a negligible
fraction of our gun owning population would get any training. Oh, wait, that is
true even with lots of instructors.
So I don't think combat experience is necessary to be a competent instructor.
I don't think winning matches is necessary to be competent instructor. I don't
think law enforcement experience is necessary to be a competent instructor.
All that's necessary is for the instructor to stay in his lane and teach things that
he is competent to teach. So he has to know what he is competent to teach.
And you know what he is competent to teach, because you have read his training
record. And have done your due diligence.
Be careful what you teach.
Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do,
no matter how ridiculous.
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
----- Andragogy -----
‟An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.”
-- ‶Building Shooters″ by Dustin Salomon
If you don't understand what is being said, stop me and ask me to explain. Feel free
to raise your hand to stop me or interrupt me if I don't see you. You can always ask, "Why?"
If you wait till the end to ask your question, you will forget or the question will lose
relevance. And more importantly, everyone else will lose the benefit of your question.
Of course, there are stupid questions. But following the example of my teacher, Prof.
Baltay, I will assume your question is ignorant, not stupid. If your question is so stupid
that ignorance cannot explain it, like Prof. Baltay, I will assume that your question is
deep but inarticulate, and will answer your deep question.
“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
----- Gear -----
And the safe storage thereof.
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
Greg Ellifritz --
"The “winter clothing” issue requires some additional discussion.
Most people assume that heavy winter clothing will limit penetration
in flesh. The EXACT OPPOSITE is what actually happens. Heavy
clothing plugs hollowpoints and inhibits their expansion. A plugged
hollowpoint acts the same as a ball (full metal jacket) round and will
actually penetrate MUCH DEEPER. The round will fail to expand
in heavy winter clothing. It won’t fail to penetrate."
Excerpt from
"Is the .380 ACP an Adequate Caliber for Defensive Use?"
by Greg Ellifritz
"New Russian Armor Piercing 9mm Ammo: Next Gen Threat?"
by Iain Harrison
No head stamp. So, whose ammo are they testing?
9mm that will penetrate soft body armor.
"How to Tell If Your Gun's Safety Is On or Off
Not all guns have external safety mechanisms,
but if yours does, it's important to understand how it works."
by Frank Melloni
I agree. Magazine safeties are a bad idea, for the reasons given.
"5 Pistols They Didn’t Show You At the Gun Store"
by Graham Baates
"GIRL STUFF
YOU GUYS MIGHT LEARN SOMETHING, TOO"
by Heidi and Clint Smith
Cleaning your magazines –
Disassemble your magazines. Get magazines with removable base plates to
allow easy cleaning of the interior. If the base plate won’t come off, you can trap
the spring (by compressing the spring and sticking a paper clip through the
magazine sideways) and pull the follower out, and then pull the spring out.
Get stainless steel magazines. They won’t rust.
Clean and lubricate the interior of the magazine, the spring, and the follower.
Brass has a low coefficient of static friction, but steel (Wolf or Tul ammo) and
aluminum (Blazer and Federal ammo) have much higher coefficients. So, the
inside of the magazine must be clean and lubricated to allow the ammunition to
feed reliably. (Yes, as a matter of fact, ammo will get stuck in your magazine if it
is dirty enough, especially with double stack magazines.)
"5 Favorite Handguns Under $500
Time was, a good-quality carry gun cost big bucks.
Things have changed . . . for the better."
by Barb Melloni
In this world, you get what you pay for. Sometimes less. Rarely more.
If you buy used in personal transactions from guys in your gun club, that's
probably best.
Buying used from pawn shops is good, if you carefully inspect the pistol.
I have found many that did not work. The pistol at the pawn shop probably
will not be clean. So you may have to clean it in order to inspect it. If they
won't let you clean it, walk away. If they won't let you disassemble it
(at least to the point of field stripping), walk away. If they won't let you
dry fire the pistol, walk away.
Buying used from a gun store, is going to be the most expensive of the
used options. But it will probably be clean. And so easier to inspect.
The gun store probably has a reputation to protect. The pawn shop, not
so much.
Buying used police department trade ins from online stores has been
pretty good for me. But you can't inspect them.
"Inside a Bullet Factory - Norma Ammunition Factory Tour"
by TGS Outdoors
"Exclusive: Inside the factory that makes the Army's rifle rounds" by Forces News
"Creating Bergara Barrels in Spain" by Shooting USA
DSG Arms
They seem to be going out of business and are selling off their inventory at dealer
prices. I got Trijicon night sights for my XD for $93.32 total.
"Burris Factory Tour: How Scopes Are Made in the USA"
by Backfire
AR-15 recoil causes more damage to scopes than magnum rifles,
because there are vibrations due the the multiple moving parts in
an AR-15. The magnum (bolt action) rifles have higher impulse
(technical term from physics) but no vibrations, because everything
in the system is stationary relative to everything else in the system.
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Cryptology ***** ***** *****
"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe,
and preserve order in the world as well as property.
Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of their use."
-- Thomas Paine
Cryptosystems are considered "arms" by federal law, ITAR,
International Traffic in Arms Regulations. That means cryptosystems are
covered by the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Never let the
government infringe on your right to keep and bear cryptosystems, to
include home made cryptosystems. To include publishing cryptology
in the open-source literature. Information wants to be free!
"C++ FULL COURSE For Beginners (Learn C++ in 10 hours)"
by CodeBeauty, Saldina Nurak
Lots of stuff at
From "Probability and Random Processes" by Grimmett and Stirzaker,
Oxford University Press, 1982. ISBN: 0 19 857222 0
---
Augustus De Morgan is well known for having given the first clear statement of
the principle of mathematical induction. He applauded probability theory with the
words: "The tendency of our study is to substitute the satisfaction of mental exercise
for the pernicious enjoyment of an immoral stimulus".
---
"Everything of importance has been said before, by somebody who did not
discover it." -- A. N. Whitehead
---
As a caveat regarding the difficulties inherent in studying the convergence of
random variables, we remark that it is NOT true that, in a 'typical' sequence of
tosses of a fair coin, heads outnumbers tails about one-half of the time. [If you
don't understand this, stop and take some time to think about it. Which maximizes
entropy? Yes, in the real world, the coin flipping experiment is subject to the
laws of physics, 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, entropy. In computer simulations,
not so much. -- Jon Low]
---
. . . in a long sequence of tosses of a fair coin, there is a large probability that
one face (either heads or tails) will lead the other for a disproportionate amount
of time. [Which maximizes entropy. -- Jon Low]
---
Simulation is a dangerous game, and great caution is required in interpreting
the results. There are two major reasons for this. First, a computer simulation
is limited by the degree to which its so-called 'pseudo-random number generator'
may be trusted. It has been said for example that the summon-according-to-birthday
principle of conscription to the United States armed forces may have been marred
by a pseudo-random number generator with a bias for some numbers over others.
Secondly, in estimating a given quantity, one may in some circumstances have
little or no idea how many repetitions are necessary in order to achieve an estimate
within a specified accuracy [he's talking about confidence level -- Jon Low].
---
. . . we can base probability theory upon the expectation operator rather than
upon the probability measure.
From "Reverse Mathematics" by John Stillwell, Princeton University Press, 2018.
ISBN: 9780691177175
QA9.25 .S75 2018
"Reverse" simply means that the author is looking for appropriate axioms to
prove theorems that he would like to prove, as opposed to attempting to prove
theorems from given axioms. By changing and choosing axioms, he is doing a
foundation of mathematics study.
---
All mathematicians know computable properties ψ(z, u) with no known algorithm
to compute the truth value of ∃z ψ(z, u). One is the property "u consecutive zeros
occur before the zth decimal place of π." But it is a different matter to prove that
no algorithm exists. [Is that because the decimal expasion of π is in a sense a true
random sequence, as opposed to a pseudo-random sequence? -- Jon Low]
See
Matijasevič, Y. V. (1971).
"Diophantine representations of recursivel enumerable predicates".
In "Actes du Congrès International des Mathématiciens"
(Nice, 1970), Tome 1, pp. 235 - 238. Gauthier-Villars, Paris.
---
. . . sets of natural numbers cannot all be encoded by natural numbers. This is why
sets of natural numbers are viewed as objects different in type from the natural numbers
themselves (and why the arithmetization project for analysis needs sets of natural
numbers as well as natural numbers). An equivalent statement is that the real numbers
(which correspond to sets of natural numbers) cannot all be encoded by natural numbers.
This limits how many real numbers we can define, because definitions are finite strings
of symbols, which can be encoded by natual numbers.
[The set of all numbers that we can construct / define has cardinality equal to the
countably infinite, the Integers, the Rationals, the Algebraic, the Constructable.
Given a set, S. The set of all subsets of S, known as the power set of S, has
cardinality greater than S. Are there sets with cardinality between S and the power
set of S? Continuum Hypothesis. Which you can accept or deny. Just like the
Parallel Postulate. Denying the Parallel Postulate means you're not in Euclidean
Geometry anymore. Denying the Continuum Hypothesis means you're not in
standard analysis anymore. You've stepped throught he looking glass, like the
mirror visitor.
Bet you never thought you'd be using the Continuum Hypothesis in your cryptology.
-- Jon Low]
---
. . . it is impossible to arithmetically define the sequence of all arithmetically
definable sets . . .
---
A system ACA₀ of analysis based on arithmetically definable sets is big enough
to prove all of the theorems of basic analysis --- the intermediate and extreme value
theorems, Heine-Borel and Bolzano-Weierstraß theorems --- and even some
theorems thought to be quite hard, such as the Brouwer fixed point and Jordan curve
theorems. A system RCA₀ based on computable sets is not as strong, but still useful.
The only theorems on the above list tht RCA₀ can prove is the intermediate value
theorem. However, RCA₀ is strong enough to prove equivalences between many
theorems that it cannot prove outright.
---
. . . there is no algorithm that decides, for any arbitrary polynomial p(x, y, z, . . . ),
whether the equation p(x, y, z, . . . ) = 0 has a solution in integers x, y, z, . . .
This result, due to Matijasevič (1971) [see above], could only be proved after
a mathematical definition of algorithm had been found --- something not even known
to be possible in 1900. The first definitions of algorithms were discovered by Post
in the 1920's, in an analysis of the processes of formal logic. But Post declined to
publish them (see Post (1941)) because it seemed impossible to prove the vague
concept of algorithm, or computation, was completely captured by his definitions.
It was only after Church (1936) and Turing (1936) independently proposed
definitions --- equivalent to each other and to the definitions of Post --- that
mathematicians became sure that the concept of algorithm really had been captured.
---
Post, E. L. (1941). "Absolutely unsolvable problems and relatively undecidable
propositions -- an account of an anticipation". In Davis (2004), pp. 338 - 433.
Davis, M. (Ed.) (2004). "The Undecidable". Mineola NY: Dover Publications Inc.
Corrected reprint of the 1965 original [Raven Press, Hewlett, NY].
Church, A. (1936). "An unsolvable problem in elementary number theory".
American Journal of Mathematics 58, 345 - 363.
Turing, A. (1936). "On computable numbers, with an application to the
Entscheidungsproblem". Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society
42, 230 - 265.
"Computer science has nothing to do with computers or science."
-- Donald Knuth
---
Computers (even quantum computers) are objects of the real world. Science
requires experiments. Experiments are done in the real world.
Computer Science is pure mathematics. Mathematics is a branch of philosophy.
Philosophy is pure thought, no experiments, no connection to the real world.
Using math to model things in the real world is very dangerous. You can
easily think that your model correctly describes the real world. You can easily
predict things from your model that don't exist in the real world.
Conservation of parity was a thing, until Madam Wu did the experiment and
proved that parity is not conserved. Be careful.
Using math to control your computers is not as dangerous. But we still have
overflow, underflow, memory errors, edge cases, exceptional cases, etc.
"Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.
Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have
perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must
believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing
must be attained."
-- Marie Curie
May I invite your attention to
"Elementary Concepts of Topology" by Pual Alexandroff. Translated by Alan E. Farley.
Dover Publications, Inc., New York. A translation of
"Einfachste Grundbegriffe der Topologie", published by Julius Springer in 1932.
ISBN: 0-486-60747-X
LCCCN: 61-1982
Excerpt:
. . . anyone who wishes to learn toplogy with an interest in its applications must
begin with the Betti groups, because today, just as in the time of Poincaré,
most of the threads which lead from topology to the rest of mathematics and bind
topology theories together into a recognizable whole lead through this point.
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
"Computer Security and the Internet: Tools and Jewels" 2nd Edition
by Paul C. van Oorschot
ISBN: 978-3-030-83410-4 (hardcopy), 978-3-030-83411-1 (eBook)
Copyright 2020-2022
Excerpt:
Why computer security is hard
We list a number of these aspects here, for context and discussion:
1. intelligent, adaptive adversary: while most science relies on nature not being
capricious, computer security faces an intelligent, active adversary who learns
and adapts, and is often economically motivated.
2. no rulebook: attackers are not bound to any rules of play, while defenders
typically follow protocol conventions, interface specifications, standards and
customs.
3. defender-attacker asymmetry: attackers need find only one weak link to
exploit, while defenders must defend all possible attack points.
4. scale of attack: the Internet enables attacks of great scale at little cost—
electronic communications are easily reproduced and amplified, with increasing
bandwidth and computing power over time.
5. universal connectivity: growing numbers of Internet devices with any-to-any
packet transmission abet geographically distant attackers (via low
traceability/physical risk).
6. pace of technology evolution: rapid technical innovation means continuous
churn in hardware devices and software systems, continuous software upgrades
and patches.
7. software complexity: the size and complexity of modern software platforms
continuously grows, as does a vast universe of application software. Software
flaws may also grow in number more than linearly with number of lines of code.
8. developer training and tools: many software developers have little or no
security training; automated tools to improve software security are difficult to
build and use.
9. interoperability and backwards compatibility: interoperability requirements
across diverse hardware-software and legacy systems delays and complicates
deploying security upgrades, resulting in ongoing vulnerabilities even if updates
are available.
10. market economics and stakeholders: market forces often hinder allocations
that improve security, e.g., stakeholders in a position to improve security, or
who would bear the cost of deploying improvements, may not be those who
would gain benefit.
11. features beat security: while it is well accepted that complexity is the enemy
of security (cf. P1), little market exists for simpler products with reduced
functionality.
12. low cost beats quality: low-cost low-security wins in “market for lemons”
scenarios where to buyers, high-quality software is indistinguishable from low
(other than costing more); and when software sold has no liability for consequential
damages.
13. missing context of danger and losses: cyberspace lacks real-world context cues
and danger signals to guide user behavior, and consequences of security breaches
are often not immediately visible nor linkable to the cause (i.e., the breach itself).
14. managing secrets is difficult: core security mechanisms often rely on secrets
(e.g., crypto keys and passwords), whose proper management is notoriously
difficult and costly, due to the nature of software systems and human factors.
15. user non-compliance (human factors): users bypass or undermine computer
security mechanisms that impose inconveniences without visible direct benefits
(in contrast: physical door locks are also inconvenient, but benefits are understood).
16. error-inducing design (human factors): it is hard to design security mechanisms
whose interfaces are intuitive to learn, distinguishable from interfaces presented
by attackers, induce the desired human actions, and resist social engineering.
17. non-expert users (human factors): whereas users of early computers were
technical experts or given specialized training under enterprise policies, today
many are nonexperts without formal training or any technical computer
background.
18. security not designed in: security was not an original design goal of the
Internet or computers in general, and retro-fitting it as an add-on feature is
costly and often impossible without major redesign (see principle HP1).
19. introducing new exposures: the deployment of a protection mechanism
may itself introduce new vulnerabilities or attack vectors.
20. government obstacles: government desire for access to data and
communications (e.g., to monitor criminals, or spy on citizens and other
countries), and resulting policies, hinders sound protection practices such
as strong encryption by default.
"What's with all the random quotes, Staff?"
They are answers to questions submitted by readers.
Always cite open source.
I had a professor who would never answer questions directly,
because that wasn't interesting. He would always point the
student in the correct direction to find the answer for herself.
That way the student learns a thing or two. And the professor
never gets accused of plagerism. [Oh, was that hitting too
close to home? Sorry, Harvard.]
"Why Do Exact Equations Become Unpredictable?" by The Action Lab
Are our crypto functions chaotic (the narrator's definition)? Should they be?
Is non-linearity of our crypto functions sufficient?
"Evanescent coupling of two optical fibers" by Nils Berglund
When I worked at
Applied Signals Technology, Inc.
we never got a strong enough signal with this technique.
Always had to file grooves in the fiber to tap.
***** Cyber Security stuff ***** (EW stuff)
AI voice scam,
When I was working on the Joint Tactical Radio System, one of the requirements
was a high enough data rate that the pilots could recognize each other's voices,
because at the time, that was the most reliable way to authenticate. Doesn't work
anymore.
How much voice data of the subject do I need to impersonate the subject?
3 minutes.
Now where have we seen this "buggy" before?
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
-- Second Amendment, U.S. Constitution
The art and practice of Intelligence is an arm.
Never let anyone infringe upon your God given right to keep and bear it.
The enemy will attempt to dumb you down, and make you believe false
things (men can be women by fiat, vaccines that don't prevent Covid-19 are
good for you and your children, etc.). Don't fall for it. If it's false, it is false.
No amount of propaganda should be able to change your mind.
"Cusp of World History!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/cusp-of-world-history/
“I fear Greeks, even when they bring gifts.”
-- Virgil (30 BC)
"What Kind of Leader Are You?" by Soldier Systems
My Marine Corps record from 1985 to 1995 disappeared. That was my time working
for Marine Forces Pacific, G-2 at Camp Smith in Hawaii. I had raised some concerns,
but then a Marine Colonel took me aside and suggested that I couldn't be prosecuted if
I wasn't there. At the time, I didn't realize what a big favor he was doing me. The
prosecutions continue.
" ‘Republican’ Joins With Far Left, Demanding War Veterans Are Prosecuted in EU Courts."
by Jack Montgomery
Facts don't matter. These are purely political show trials. As Greg says, it's best to
avoid any contact with the legal system.
There are those in our country who hate our Armed Forces as much as we love it.
It's just like those Blackwater convictions that President Trump pardoned.
"It's bracing to wake up every morning knowing that half the country hates you."
-- John F. Kennedy
Hopefully, President Trump will become President in 2025. Then he will pardon
those maliciously prosecuted and falsely convicted. Otherwise, you'll never hear of
them. They'll just die in prison. Because that's how our country works. To think
otherwise is naïveté.
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"Israel Kills Top Iranian General In Syria" by Daily Wire News
Read carefully and consider in the context of the totality of the circumstances.
(I believe those are still the magic words. Maybe not anymore. Times change.)
---
Ben Shapiro et al moved the Daily Wire from Los Angeles, CA to Nashville, TN.
I sometimes work security at the synagogue that many of their journalist attend.
Yes, it's conservative.
The vast majority of Jews in the U.S. are flaming anti-gun liberals, especially
in New York City, where I attended college (so I know from first hand experience).
They are seeing their liberal "allies" siding with Hamas against them. And calling
for genocide, "From the River to the Sea". That's the Jodan River to the
Mediterranean Sea. A wake up call, to put it mildly.
"South China sea warning:
Former Navy Seal Erik Prince predicts China will ‘take Taiwan in spring 2024’ "
by Gabrielle Wilde
Excerpt:
"Germany still vastly underfunds their military. Less than half of their tanks are
functional."
"A huge amount of defense stocks have been transferred from those NATO
countries to Ukraine and have been consumed in the battlefield."
---
The article refers to Erik Prince as a former Navy SEAL. But everyone knows
him in connection to his company, Blackwater.
Constellis Holdings nee Academi nee Xe Services nee Blackwater.
I applied to Blackwater many years ago. They rejected me. My background was
too dirty for them. Don't laugh. I'm not joking.
"Denmark's queen abdicates after 52 years on the throne"
by Sky News
"ChatGPT: The Dawn of Artificial Super-Intelligence | Brian Roemmele | EP 357"
by Jordan B. Peterson
"1 in 3 Say Biden is ‘Illegitimate’ President, Including 1 in 10 Dems & 70% of Republicans."
by William Upton
Get all the facts, analyze them competently, because you're going to have to decide
whose side you're on when the shooting starts. If you're still dithering when the law
enforcement officers show up to arrest you, what do you think is going to happen?
(If you think the law enforcement officers would never do this, remember, all of the
conservative officers were purged during the COVID pandemic for refusing to take
the "vacination". Only the compliant officers remain on the payrolls. Yes, this was
intentional and planned. Why do you think the "vaccinations" never prevented COVID
infection? What are vaccination supposed to do? What did the COVID vaccinations do?
Remember, only in the U.S. is it legal to advertise drugs directly the public.
https://tuckercarlson.com/the-tucker-carlson-encounter-bret-weinstein/
Remember, the U.S. Congress passed a law to prevent law suits against the makers
of the vaccines. An unimaginable evil. The vaccinated will die and their families
will have no recourse.)
If you submit to arrest, you've surrendered for the duration.
Very few surive the gulags, nobody survives the gas chambers.
Military officers may be forgiven for losing a battle, but never for being taken
by surprise, and certainly never for surrendering.
I will never surrender. I will never order my subordinates to surrender.
(Remember your Code of Conduct. Not the stupid one the government issued.
YOUR Code of Conduct.)
In Intel School (NMITC), they told us, if you don't want to be tortured and murdered,
don't surrender.
Death Before Dishonor!
"Louis Farrakhan ENDORSES Donald Trump While GOING OFF On Democrats!"
by Officer Tatum
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
[The lowest unemployment of Blacks in the history of the United States (or at
least since they've been keeping records) occurred during the Trump Presidency.]
"ISIS claims responsibility for Iran cemetery bloodbath that left nearly 100 dead
Two deadly explosions tore through a cemetery in the city of Kerman yesterday"
by Rachael Bunyan
Hat tip to Docent.
The enemy of my enemy is definitely not my friend.
One has to step back to understand the political dynamics, way back.
What do you notice about the explosives used? Who would supply
such explosives. Significant body count for two bombs (20 minutes apart).
High order? Could you get such a body count with Claymores?
Do you understand the intelligence prep for this operation?
Time and place. Of whose choosing? Symbolism?
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** After Thoughts ***** ***** *****
Rest In Peace: Gaston Glock.
The Colorado Supreme Court removed Donald Trump's name from the Republican
Primary ballot, the General Election ballot, and ordered the State Election Clerk not to
count write in votes for Donald Trump. Yes, the 4 justices of the majority are responsible.
But who brought the case? Not necessarily the plaintiff, that could be anyone with
standing. Who is the mastermind behind this operation? Noah Bookbinder, attorney
for the plaintiffs who brought the lawsuit against Trump before the Colorado Supreme Court.
It's important to call out evil by name. You have to know who the enemy is.
Nameless faceless bureaucrats are hard to fight.
In case you don't understand who could possibly be voting for Democrats.
Single women. That is precisely why the Founding Fathers did not allow
women to vote. Men voted as representatives of their families (nuclear family).
So each family had one vote. Liberal Democrats could never win elections
without the votes of single women.
Let us never forget.
In case you don't understand psychology.
In case you don't understand net zero.
In case you don't understand the difference between capitalism and socialism.
In case you don't understand politics in America.
"Tragic: Hamas Loses Two Leaders In One Day" by BabylonBee.com
Original Manuscript of Alice in Wonderland
The original manuscript copy of “Alice’s Adventures Under Ground,”
from 1864 is preserved in the British Library.
The manuscript is written in sepia-colored ink, and includes 37 pen and
ink illustrations and a colored title page. The original drawings were only
uncovered in 1977.
"Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland" was created by Lewis Carroll, which
was the pseudonym of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832 – 1898) is better
known by his pen name Lewis Carroll.
"ROBOFORMING: The Future of Metalworking?
(I Had NO IDEA This Was Possible)" by Smarter Every Day 290
The secret sauce is the software.
You can form parts faster than you can simulate them on the computer!
(Super significant!)
"how a simple programming mistake ended 6 lives" by Low Level Learning
If the "programming mistake" were "simple", it would have been corrected
by the programmer. In fact the mistake was subtle and very difficult to find.
"It just software. It's not rocket science. Actually, software is several orders
of magnitude more complex than rocket science. In any spacecraft, the most
expensive component weighs zero and occupies zero volume." -- Jack Gibbons,
Chief Scientist under the Clinton administration
He came to speak to us at Lockheed Martin. At the time I was a Lead Memeber
of the Engineering Staff at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems.
Ya, race condition. But, note that X-rays are electromagnetic radiation. Such
radiation cannot be bent by magnets. The photons have no charge. Only the negatively
charged electrons can be bent by the magnets.
Edge conditions kill. Exceptional conditions kill. If you want safe code / correct
code / code that always works under all conditions, you must be willing to pay the
BIG bucks to get competent software engineers (not just programmers). Such persons
are in the extreme tail of the normal distribution of proficiency. You can't afford
them. No for-profit-corporation can. If you hire such persons at market rates, which
they dictate, it is impossible to make a profit. But, that's okay. Your product doesn't
have to be safe or correct or actually work. It just has to be first to market and suck
less than the competition. (That's how you know that I worked in the industry
for a couple of decades.)
I was always aware that a mistake in our software (due to anyone working on the
software) would get our people killed in the field. Mission Critical Software.
We had to get it right, in budget, in time. The stress was significant, unless you just
didn't care.
"Israeli News Anchor Lital Shemesh Wields Gun Live On Air
Amid Fear Of Another Potential Hamas Attack" by Rahul M
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
She wasn't "wielding" the pistol. She just wore it in an IWB holster behind her
right hip. Not concealed. But this is important to normalize the carry of pistols and
to demonstrate that good people carry.
---
Elon Musk explains,
In case you don't understand the death cult that is liberals in Europe (and America).
Big shout out to our friends in
Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia.
My friends and family are all healthy, out of jail, and off of welfare! (Well at
least the ones who are not intentionally taking opioids.)
My computer is working (free of malicious software, to the best of my knowledge)
and my kidney stone has passed (without surgery or drugs). My children phoned to
wish me a Merry Christmas. Life is good!
It's the little things.
“You can’t truly call yourself ‘peaceful’
unless you are capable of great violence.
If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful,
you’re harmless. Important distinction.”
-- Stef Starkgaryen
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
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