“I read, I study, I examine, I listen, I think,
and out of all that I try to form an idea
into which I put as much common sense as I can."
— Marquis de Lafayette
Portrait By: Joseph-Désiré Court, Public Domain.
Greetings Sheepdogs,
J. K. Rowling speaking to the woke mob --
‘What a woman means has changed over time’
makes as little sense as
‘what the sky means has changed over time.’
No amount of fashionable jargon, pseudo-science, or religious belief
will alter the nature of women or the sky. You are not God.
Reality exists independently of you. ”
-- J. K. Rowling
Online scams. Beware!
"Grandma got her gun:
How scam concealed carry ads are targeting seniors and veterans on Meta platforms"
by Will DiGravio
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
The Good Samaritan is only remembered because he had money and was
willing to spend it to save a life. Good intentions without money don't achieve anything.
-- Margaret Thatcher
Want to be a hero? The real kind that saves lives? It's going to take time and
effort on your part. You will suffer a puncture wound. Donate blood. The
American Red Cross has offices all over the place. You can easily find one.
If you're getting paid for your blood, it's not a donation. You're just a
mercenary. Don't be a mercenary.
"Don't have a gun? Buy one.
Don't know How to use it? Learn.
Don't believe in guns? Get ready to hide behind someone who does."
-- Charlie Daniels
My thoughts are in yellow. Extended thoughts by others are in light blue.
Table of Contents:
Software ---
Prevention --
Mindset
Situational Awareness
Safety
Training
Psychology
Practice
Intervention --
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
Postvention --
Aftermath
Medical
Survival
Education --
Legal
Instruction
Hardware ---
Gear
Intelligence ---
Counter Intelligence
Signals Intelligence
Cryptology
Politics and Religion ---
"No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
-- Thomas Jefferson
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
Things you can do to avoid the lethal force incident.
Table of sections:
Mindset
Situational Awareness
Safety
Training
Psychology
Practice
“To those who have fought for it,
freedom has a flavor that the protected will never know.”
― P. McCree Thornton
*************************************************************************
“Then Jesus said to His disciples,
whoever does not have a sword should sell his coat and buy a sword.”
– Book of Luke 22:36, New Life Version of the Bible
------------------------------ Mindset and Attitude --------------------------------
Figuring out the correct way to think.
"Principles of Personal Defense" by Jeff Cooper
"Without discrimination,
you're going to shoot the wrong person really fast."
-- Paul Howe
"Before You Carry a Gun, Make These Decisions
with John and Vicki Farman" hosted by Terry Vaughan
Hat tip to Kristen Wilson Day.
Excerpt:
"Vicki describes experiences with instructors who were successful teaching
one group of students but struggled with another. Her central point is that
repeating the same words does not guarantee that every student receives the
same information."
You can watch it on YouTube.com,
Lots of interesting videos at
". . . only shoot as fast as you can assess, and . . . assess after each shot,
both of which, we should be training to do all the time anyway."
-- Ralph Mroz, "Street Focused Handgun Training"
Email from Gabe Suarez --
"DON’T LOOK AWAY!!" by GABRIEL SUAREZ, October 7th, 2026 A.D.
Don’t look away. Look at the image.
[It is a photo of a girl being kidnapped. This blog won't accept the format of
the photograph. So I could not embed it. -- Jon Low]
See what is taking place?
Understand it as you sit in your safe home with your cute little Glock 42
in your expanding belt line. As you watch your soft innocent kids playing
their video games and your lovely wife is cooking dinner.
God only knows the horror this poor woman experienced, but we can
assume the ugly brutal story line. Even Ray Charles could see it. No, its not AI,
nor a fantasy . . . it is real.
First of all, I am an American - by my own choice.
. . .
One thing is certain in my mind. It is certain because I have seen it,
experienced it, and fought it to the death before. I know evil when I see it.
It is undeniable. This enemy is evil, and he despises you, and craves your death.
Just like they did the victims of October 7th. And simply because of who you are.
You won’t reason with them, nor compromise and negotiate as you might with
an educated modern person. This enemy is zealously single minded and will do
anything to accomplish his mission. And that mission includes what you see in
the image - for your wife, your mother, and your children . . . and a bullet in
your brain after you are forced to witness the facts.
So I ask you this. Regardless of your age, what are you doing to be the
hardest fucking target they will ever face? Is your mind and resolve right,
or are you one of those fear-driven, liability-focused gun pussies that infest the
US CCW world, hiding under a bed while children are being killed?
Are you certain and steadfast with the idea of terminating a terrorist with a smile,
or will you debate the use of righteous and required violence with yourself until
you are uselessly late to save anyone? Is your body fit for battle, or are you an
over-indulger with a man fetus spilling over your straining belt line that can’t run
to the bathroom without losing your breath? Are the weapons you keep with
you the sort that will make you a terror to the terrorists, or are you carrying
some convenient key chain gun, suitable only to frighten beatniks and meth heads
in dark parking lots?
This is reality! We live in a time of war. We should act like it.
Sarah Adams says the enemy is here and they will strike at any moment.
I believe her. So this October 7th I challenge each and everyone of you to start
on the warrior path. Make yourself fitter, stronger, more accurate, more tactically
skilled, and more dangerous every motherfucking day. Let’s make the enemy wish
he had never chosen his path, and that he had never set foot in our great nation.
-- Gabe Suarez
"Your gunfights will always be anomalies.
So are those of all the instructors you venerate.
It’s useful to keep those facts in mind."
-- Greg Ellifritz
"Arrogance: Lindsay Clancy" by Orion Taraban
The women and men who voted not guilty in the Lindsay Clancy trial were not just
arrogant. They were activists. Hard core liberal activists, who valued their political
agenda over justice for 3 murdered children and justice for a serial murderer.
“If you really want to be a game changer, become a master observer.
Just the willingness to stop and look at things that no one else has even
bothered to look at enables game changers to identify real points of meaning.
The simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted
can be a source of great power and creativity. We learn when we observe,
we pick up on clues, we figure things out. That is what preparation is all about.”
– Peyton Manning
“America's ‘intellectual community’ has never been very bright, nor honest.
They're all sheep, following whatever the current pseudo-intellectual fashion
happens to be, and snobbishly demanding that everyone follow their dicta in
lockstep.”
-- Orson Card
"Random?" by John Farnam
“So long as free citizens do not exercise their freedom,
who lust to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent,
and devote themselves, in the name of any number of gods,
religious and otherwise, to placing chains upon sleeping men.”
-- Voltaire François Marie Arouet
"Self defense is the highest of all human rights."
-- Lord William Blackstone
"I am honored by any woman who would claim me the father of her child."
-- Benjamin Franklin
You must remember the times. The women were begging for charity from
a wealthy powerful man. And to his credit, Franklin put his money where his
mouth was. May he be an example to us all.
The Good Samaritan is only remembered because he had money. And he
was willing to spend it on a stranger, to save his life. May he be an example
to us all.
‷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
"First, say to yourself what you would be, then do what you must."
-- Epictetus
"When young men seek to be like you,
when lazy men resent you,
when powerful men look over their shoulder at you,
when cowardly men plot behind your back,
when corrupt men wish you were gone, and evil men want you dead;
only then will you have done your share."
-- Phil Messina
"An unarmed man can only flee from evil and
evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." -- Jeff Cooper
"Creativity is not rewarded.
What is rewarded is precision and analytical thinking."
-- Magnus Carlsen
"Your life is as good as your mindset." -- Nicola Cavanis
"Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist.
Children already know that dragons exist.
Fairy tales tell children that the dragons can be killed."
-- G.K. Chesterton
‟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.
It is high time for society to stop worrying about the criminal,
and to let the criminal start worrying about society.
And by "society" I mean you.”
-- Col. Jeff Cooper, "Principles of Personal Defense"
"There are no victims, only volunteers.
You volunteer by looking uncertain and afraid.
You volunteer by being, as grass-eaters invariably are,
unprepared to confront the hazards of life."
— Jeff Cooper
"Be so focused on watering your grass that
you don't have time to check if someone else's is greener."
-- Nicola Cavanis
‟Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice.”
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, U.S. Navy
"The line between everyday life and sudden violence is thinner than most realize."
-- Tim Larkin
“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
“Your character is what you do when no one is looking.”
-- Thomas Jefferson
“The Man in the Arena”
by Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909), 26th President of the United States
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how
the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have
done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in
the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who
strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who
does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms,
the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at
the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and
who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so
that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who
neither know victory nor defeat.”
"I do not carry a pistol so that I may impose my will on others.
I carry a pistol so that others may not impose their will on me."
-- Tom Givens
"Nobody is coming to save you.
On the bright side. . . it means
nobody is coming to stop you either."
-- Gabe Suarez
"Without courage, all other virtues lose their meaning."
-- Sir Winston Churchill
"Survival is a mindset, not a skill set."
-- Greg Shaffer
*************************************************************************
"Saratoga: The Victory That Changed the Revolution"
Surrender of Burgoyne
By John Trumbull, 1821, United States Capitol, Public Domain
John Trumbull was the son of Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. (October 12, 1710 – August 17, 1785).
Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. then governor of Connecticut,
was the only Colonial governor to support the American Revolution.
Trumbull College at Yale is named for Jonathan Trumbull, Sr.
My father was in Trumbull College when he attended Yale.
*************************************************************************
----------------------------- Situational Awareness --------------------------------
How to avoid being taken by surprise.
"Many people don't realize that your awareness skills
are more important than your marksmanship skills.
Well, you can't shoot something you don't know is there,
or don't know it needs to be shot!" -- Tom Givens
You absolutely must pay attention to the people around you. Because some
of them will kill you.
The Whiskey Cowboy's Post --
Hat tip to Tom Givens.
Excerpt:
"Gayden was yet another KNOWN mentally ill person with a violent criminal
record, that was allowed back on the streets. The catch and release, revolving door,
criminal "justice" system . . ."
Jesus says,
"Stay alert. This is hazardous work I'm assigning to you.
You're going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack,
so don't call attention to yourselves. Be as cunning as a snake,
inoffensive as a dove."
-- Matthew 10:16, The Message (The Bible in Contemporary Language)
"Armed DoorDash Driver Stops Attempted Carjacking in Georgia"
by Duncan Johnson
Excerpt:
"For gun owners, the case illustrates why carrying matters:
avoiding a confrontation does not guarantee an aggressor will let you leave."
"Jeff Cooper's Color Code exists to help you get your head
around the need to kill someone in the immediate future."
-- John Hearne
---
Jeff Cooper's Color Code of Mental Awareness
UNAWARE - of what's going on around you. (White)
AWARE - of who is around you and what they are doing. (Yellow)
ALERT - to a POTENTIAL threat and taking action to avoid the threat. (Orange)
ALARM - by a REAL threat and taking action to escape the threat,
which might include shooting to PREVENT the attack. (Red)
COMBAT - front sight, press. Shooting to STOP the attack. (Black)
"An officer may be forgiven for losing a battle,
but never for being taken by surprise."
-- Jeff Cooper
Zugzwang is a thing. But with situational awareness, you can avoid it.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Safety --------------------------------
How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
How to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders.
"Medical Aid to Suspects!" by John Farnam
Tom Givens's Post --
I received a bulletin today from the Bureau of Justice Statistics
informing the public that they had revised the 2024 crime/victimization report.
According to their new numbers, there was one violent victimization
(murder, aggravated assault, robbery, or rape) for every 34.8 persons
in the US in that year.
I have to laugh out loud when I hear someone say
“the odds of needing my gun are 1 in a million”.
No, they are 1 in 35, in a single year, not your lifetime.
"You brought a gun to the fight. That doesn’t mean it’s YOUR gun.
The gun belongs to whomever can keep it."
-- Greg Ellifritz
"Flying The Friendly Skies" by Docent
"Everything We Know About the FlyDubai Hijacking Attempt"
by Ben Shapiro
In case you only read the New York Times.
Why were the passengers able to break the door to get to the pilots?
The liberal media says the pilot opened the cockpit door to allow the passengers
in to rescue the plane. Kiriakou says that's false.
---
“The System” fails!
by John Farnam
Excerpt:
"They didn’t hesitate, didn’t ask permission, and didn’t have to agonize over
whether doing right is “okay!”
Our liberal media hates happy endings like this one, which is why they have
mostly failed to report the story. They detest heroes, because “hero” is something
sleazy leftists can never be!"
"It's easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble."
-- Claude Werner
Tom Givens says, "If you think the system is going to protect you and your family
you are delusional."
Democrat Judge releases violent repeat offender on zero-cash-bail.
Violent repeat offender then commits home invasion, murder, and aggravated assault.
How surprising!
"You are not responsible for negative reactions to your boundaries."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Home Defense with Tom Givens"
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
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 10:00 PM (your own bed).
Don’t fail the attitude test.
Huge age difference. Huge difference in physical fitness. Compromised
position (down on his hands and knees). And yet he won.
Because the handgun is the equalizer.
“It is usually impossible to know when you’ve prevented a bad outcome.”
-- Mokokoma Mokhonoana
"The Citizens Should Be Upset About This" by Active Self Protection Extra
"Safety is something that happens between your ears,
not something you hold in your hands."
-- Jeff Cooper
"Bodycam Shows Colorado Deputy Stop Charging Black Bear With Handgun"
by Dean Weingarten
The shotgun was non-lethal (to the bear). So, the Deputy transitions to his pistol
to stop the bear.
The bear was there in the first place because the stupid humans were feeding the
bear. DON'T FEED THE BEARS!
---
On the other hand.
Sorry, between the time I wrote this and published it, YouTube.com removed the video
for graphic violence. It showed the result of not being willing to defend yourself from
a bear attack. He had the tool, but couldn't get himself to decide to press the trigger.
"Gut feelings are guardian angels."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Former CIA: The 5-Second Rule I Use Before I Get Out at a Gas Station"
by Jason Hanson
Jeff Cooper′s Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING
THAT 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.
---
RULE V: Maintain control of your gun. -- Stephen P. Wenger
"Pedal to the Metal: 5 Tactical Driving Tips for the Everyday Civilian"
by Wyatt Knox
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Are YOU easy prey for pickpockets?
Watch a professional demonstrate the seven ways that victims are targeted –
and he reveals how you can avoid being robbed"
by Elizabeth Roberts and Francis Scott
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Active Shooters-Myths that need to die" by Brian Kowalski
Hat tip to Gabe Suarez.
Excerpts:
That’s the idea that the police are coming to solve the problem.
. . . you face a huge danger from other guys with a CCW and
from the police themselves. Also from Lott/Moody:
Not a single bystander, innocent person or fellow CCW responder
has ever been killed by a guy with a CCW.
If you’ve got a preconception of a deranged incel with a trenchcoat and a gun,
you’re doing it wrong. The demographics on these guys are all over the place,
and the demographics get even broader when you lump in the DVs, conflicts,
or street crime that are deadly violence, but aren’t the stereotypical active shooter
event.
Brian Kowalski's substack,
"He Says A Dog Protects Your Family Better Than A Gun . . . Is He Right?"
by Colion Noir
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Learning / Training --------------------------------
Figuring out the correct tasks to practice.
"A Glaring Evidence Gap" by Dustin Salomon
---
I agree with Dustin.
The only naturally emergent phenomenon in shooting that I know of are:
1) that with sufficient practice and without instruction to do so, the high level target
shooter will automatically release the shot between breaths at the respiratory pause
between the exhale and the inhale.
2) that with sufficient practice and without instruction to do so, the high level target
shooter will automatically release the shot between heartbeats, that is between the
high pressure pulses of blood.
I have witnessed untrained persons develop all kinds of bad habits. I do not
believe that persons will develop correctly without expert training.
---
This seems to be a rebuttal to Dustin's essay.
"Two Imperfect Environments
What ecological dynamics implies for firearms training"
by Pete Blair, Chris Butler, and Rob Gray
Excerpt:
"Show trainees a safe place to start. Then build practice that contains the
information and the decisions they will actually face. Let them find solutions
that work for their hands, their weapon, and the situation in front of them.
Guide them toward better solutions."
---
This is so verbose that it is hard to read. Which is not a good sign.
-- Jon Low
Kyle McCabe's Post
Excerpt:
"Growing up I somehow absorbed the attitude that if I wasn't good at
something right away, it wasn't for me. Imagine how much I missed out
on because of this. And where did that idea come from, anyway?
No one ever said those words, that I can recall . . ."
"From ‟Falling off the Bike” by Shawn Myszka
I suspect there will be a lot in this book that should apply to firearms training."
"Ineffective and potentially dangerous, point shooting should be avoided
at all costs and aimed fire employed in any lethal-force scenario."
-- Massad Ayoob
"Constraint Theory"
If you're putting in the work and your discipline is good, the problem may be
that you are working on the wrong thing.
Get an expert coach to help you find your bottlenecks. And work to fix them.
Your eyes are part of your brain.
"You need training because:
You don't know what you don't know.
Much of what you know is false. [Humans have superstitions, myths, etc. -- Jon Low]
It's good to the have the answers before the criminal tests you."
-- Claude Werner (paraphrased)
"The Modern Technique of the Pistol" by Gregory Boyce Morrison
This may be too deep down a rabbit hole,
but I think this applies to our training.
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities,
but in the expert’s mind there are few.”
— Shunryu Suzuki
Email from Trident Concepts --
If you have carried concealed for years, the challenge is no longer learning
the basics. The challenge is making sure your equipment, skills, and
decision-making continue to hold up under realistic conditions. Experience is
valuable, but it can also create familiarity and complacency. Here are five areas
worth revisiting.
1. Pressure Test Your Gear
Your carry gear should be tested under more than ideal range conditions.
Shoot from concealment, work from awkward positions, move, kneel, and
train while wearing the clothing you actually use day to day. Pay attention
to what shifts, binds, comes loose, or becomes difficult to access. Equipment
earns your confidence through performance, not reputation.
2. Build Confidence in Your Skills
Confidence should come from demonstrated performance, not simply years
of carrying a gun. Regularly test yourself against measurable standards
involving accuracy, speed, distance, and gun handling. A cold performance
test can tell you far more about your current ability than another comfortable
practice session. You should know what you can do on demand.
3. Introduce Novelty Into Your Training
Experienced shooters can become very good at solving familiar problems.
Novelty forces you to think, adapt, and apply your skills rather than simply
repeat a rehearsed sequence. Change distances, starting positions, target
presentations, time constraints, or the order of tasks. The goal is not
randomness for its own sake, but learning how well your fundamentals
survive an unfamiliar problem.
4. Practice Decision-Making, Not Just Shooting
Carrying a firearm is ultimately a decision-making responsibility. Not every problem
requires drawing the gun, and not every shooting problem begins with the gun
already being the answer. Incorporate scenarios that require you to identify threats,
process information, move, communicate, or choose not to engage. Technical skill
matters, but judgment determines when that skill should be applied.
5. Train Around Your Limitations
Everyone has limitations, whether they come from environment, clothing, injury,
position, reduced visibility, or simply being caught off guard. Do not build your
training around the assumption that you will always have two hands, perfect
footing, plenty of time, and a clear presentation. Spend time working one-handed,
from compromised positions, and under less-than-ideal conditions. The seasoned
carrier should know where their weaknesses are before those weaknesses are
exposed under pressure.
The longer you carry, the easier it becomes to assume you have already solved
these problems. You haven't. Skills deteriorate, equipment changes, circumstances
change, and new weaknesses appear.
Keep testing. Keep refining. Keep earning your confidence.
"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
The outlaw matches can do things that are outside of the safety rules of the IDPA,
IPSC, USPSA, etc. matches.
While sitting on the toilet with your pants / panties down around your ankles and
shirt / dress pulled up as you would when defecating in a locked private stall of a
public restroom facility (Assume no hooks to hang any clothing. Assume a wet
dirty floor, so you are not willing to lay anything on the floor.), respond to gun fire
and your loved ones screaming outside of the restroom. [Hey, you may not have
your pistol in a holster on your belt. That's okay. In your purse, shoulder holster,
whatever is fine.]
Think it through. What would you do? What are your priorities? In what order
would you execute the necessary operations? Are you stepping out of the restroom
with pistol in hand? With hand on holstered pistol? With hand on holstered pistol
under concealment? Pistol holstered and concealed, leaving both hands free?
Much can be done through visualization.
Try it in the bathroom of your abode. Do it slowly at first. You will notice many
things. What is a reasonable speed for you to operate at? (Don't want to outrun
your headlights. Chaotic situation, very little information, you don't know exactly
where your loved ones are. Lots of no-shoot targets. In a real situation, there would
be a lot of bystanders running around. So, your headlights are not illuminating very
far.)
Under a little stress, many persons were not able to open the latch on the stall
door. (Admittedly, many persons had not seen such a latch before, but they are
common in large airport restrooms. Some people don't fly much.) Don't let this
be you. Slow down, breathe, look at what you're doing. Shouldering the door
to break it open, is not a reasonable technique. (Everyone who tried, failed.)
The hard smooth floor was wet (this was pointed out to competitors before
hand) and several of the yellow plastic "wet floor" signs were placed around the
restroom. Many people slipped on the floor, some fell. No one was disqualified
as they were able to keep their pistol pointed in a safe direction (or had not drawn
their pistol). Hey, I was impressed.
The props in the scenario were not perfect (as the real world is not perfect),
so the doors on the restroom did not all open by pushing from the inside. This
caught some by surprise. Don't let this be you. Look for hinges, which way does
the door open? Look for signs (Exit, Entrance, Wrong Way, Exit Only, etc.),
is this door only for people coming into the restroom?
The restroom was very dark. Outside the restroom was bright daylight.
Several people later reported that they could not find the dots in their red dot sights.
The daylight was just too bright. Several had thought that they would be shooting
in the restroom and so turned the brightness down. Some had sights that
automatically adjusted the brightness of the dot to the ambient lighting conditions.
None of them worked very well. Because they had all made sure that their sights
were turned on before the scenario started. So, the automatic sights had adjusted
to the low light of the restroom. And apparently did not respond very quickly to
the bright daylight.
Very few were able to find the shoot-targets in the crowd of no-shoot-targets.
And yet they were pointing their pistols at innocent bystanders while searching.
That would be aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Got to keep your pistol
pointed down until you find your target. (Pivot from the shoulders and elbows,
not the wrists. Keep your wrists straight for a strong grip.) Where's Waldo?
(My kids loved playing Where's Waldo. I've got a couple of large plastic Waldo
cups drying on my kitchen counter. There is a Waldo's restaurant in Nashville.)
If you can't find Waldo, you've got no business pointing your pistol, maybe no
business having your pistol out of its holster.
"There are three different areas, or disciplines,
in which the armed person must train.
These are mindset, gun handling, and marksmanship.
Each is equally important, and you must be at least
competent in all three areas."
-- Tom Givens
"Terminal Ballistics III: Tactical Anatomy & Defensive Marksmanship"
by Justin Carroll (Swift | Silent | Deadly)
YouTube.com video,
Excerpt:
"Are you ever justified in shooting someone in the back of the head?
The answer is an unequivocal “yes.” "
"If he or she is facing away from you, the occipital protuberance
(that bony knot on the back of your head) is a good place to aim."
[I disagree. As the author said earlier in the article, the probability of
penetrating the skull is not very high. So, I think a better target would
be the spinal column at the base of the skull. -- Jon Low]
"Terminal Ballistics 1: How Pistols “Stop” Bad Guys"
YouTube.com video,
"Terminal Ballistics II: What Pistol Bullets Do (And Don’t Do)"
YouTube.com video,
"If you’re not measuring your training,
what you’re doing is called playing."
-- Chris Sajnog
"In order to measure, we must be able to quantify."
-- Aaron Cowan
"Why Elite SWAT Teams Miss in the Shoot House (It's Not a Marksmanship Problem)"
by Aimpoint USA (Rich Nance and Chuck Pressburg)
Excerpt:
"It's not a marksmanship problem. It's a judgment problem."
[Where have we heard that before? -- Jon Low]
"Guys will normally stay committed to a shot, and fight through what they got,
rather than fix things in real time."
"When you're training to protect yourself and others, speed always comes last.
In the more than twenty-five years I've been training people in self-protection,
I've never heard from someone who used self-protection tools in the field and
felt like they suffered from a lack of speed at the moment of truth. In fact, I
usually hear the opposite: it's much more common to suffer from a lack of
accuracy or force." -- Tim Larkin
"More rantings of a madman 🤪" by Mike Pannone
"In reality, we are training for an unknown event, against unknown threats,
by developing as many known skills as possible."
-- Jeff Gonzales
"Competition Shooting vs. Combat Training" by by Steve Tarani
Excerpt:
"Performance shooting and tactical application are
complementary, not competing, disciplines."
"A mistake that makes you humble is better
than an achievement that makes you arrogant."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Shoot sooner, not faster."
-- Matt Little
“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
"Most deadly force encounters occur spontaneously, without warning and
at extremely close ranges. Realistically, you may not have the time or the
space to effectively draw, no matter how fast your draw stroke."
-- Jeff L. Gonzales
“The world is filled with violence. Because criminals carry guns,
we decent law-abiding citizens should also have guns. Otherwise,
they will win and decent people will loose.”
-- James Earl Jones
"Proper training ingrains the proper responses.
Repetition is the mother of all skill. With skill comes confidence.
With confidence comes the ability to think under pressure and
make sound tactical decisions."
-- Tom Givens
“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.)
Simple is faster. Simple is more reliable. So, simple is better.
"Before all else, be armed." -- Nicolo Machiavelli
"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
"Superior judgment trumps superior skills." -- Dan Millican
"Never believe anything you read or hear.
To figure out what’s best for you,
experiment until you have no doubt."
-- Brian Enos
"Having a gun is important.
But knowing WHEN to use it is even more important."
-- Greg Ellifritz
Ansatz is a thing. And the better your training, the better your guesses / estimates.
"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."
-- Henry Ford
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Psychology --------------------------------
"Happiness is not a reward - it is a consequence.
Suffering is not a punishment - it is a result."
-- Robert Green Ingersoll
ALWAYS positive self talk → positive self thought → positive self talk →
positive self thought → <ad infinitum>. Create a positive feedback loop for
yourself. Never say, "I can't . . ." Because whether you believe you can or
you can't, you're correct.
"Train and practice so that you can stay in your rational mind,
and force your enemy into his emotional mind. The emotional
mind makes bad judgments which will allow you to win."
-- John Hearne
"Be stronger than your strongest excuse."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment
to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."
-- Vince Lombardi
“Training deals not with an object,
but with the human spirit and human emotions.”
--Bruce Lee
“There are things that you cannot imagine,
but there is nothing that may not happen!”
-- CIA Axiom
*************************************************************************
"When they ask you what you would have done,
but you like being outside of prison,
so you must smile."
-- Nala Knight
------------------------------ Conferences --------------------------------
Attending classes and conferences is required for growth.
There is nothing worse than teaching obsolete shit. Because your
students don't know any better.
"The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword;
because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force
superior to any bands of regular troops that can be, on any pretense,
raised in the United States."
-- Noah Webster
Rangemaster Tactical Conference
Friday-Sunday, April 2-4, 2027 A.D.
Dallas Pistol Club
1830 W Belt Line Rd, Carrollton, TX 75006
Bullets & Bibles
August 20, 21, and 22 of 2027 A.D.
Hosted at Living Water Ranch, north of Manhattan, KS
4122 Living Water Rd, Olsburg, KS 66520
Guardian Conference
September 17th - 19th, 2027 in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Gun Club
12465 NE 234th St, Arcadia, OK 73007
*************************************************************************
"I was called hot today . . . well the exact term was psycHOTic,
but I focus on the positive things right now."
-- Nala Knight
------------------------------ Classes --------------------------------
Attend classes so you know what the best practices are. They change.
It is a mistake of youth to think that the way things are
is the way they have always been, or that they always will be.
"Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Course - NAEMT Certified - GHCC26", $695.00
October 23 24, 2026 A.D.
Green Hills Community Church
5035 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215
Protective Pistolcraft Instructor, 5 Days, $ 1350
Mon, Nov 2, 2026 – Fri, Nov 6, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST
Last Resort Firearms Training, 4220 Gravel Pit Road, White Hall, AR, USA
Defensive Handgun by John Farnam, $850
14 - 15 November 2026 A.D.
Firearms Instructor Development Course, $785 (this is a handgun course)
Instructor: John Hearne
Fri, Nov 20, 2026, 9:00 AM CST –
Sun, Nov 22, 2026, 6:00 PM CST
Top Gun Academy
2770 Whitten Rd, Memphis, TN, USA
"The Tactical Anatomy Summit", $650.00
January 30-31, 2027 A.D.
Lakeland Training Center
1421 Fish Hatchery Rd
Lakeland, FL
Time: 8 a.m - 6 p.m.
*$35 per day Range Fees will Apply at Location
Last Resort Firearms Training (Ed Monk)
Agile Training and Consulting (Chuck Haggard)
Thunder Ranch (Clint Smith)
ConcealedCarry.com (Jacob S. Paulsen et al)
Project Appleseed
Gunsite Academy
Lee Weems
Massad Ayoob Group
West Coast Armory North, Martha Holschen
Active Response Training, Greg Ellifritz
Dustin Salomon
KR Training
Kari Grayson
Citizens Safety Academy
Carry Trainer, Mickey Schuch
Paladin Training, Inc.
Citizen-Defender, John Murphy
Defensive Training International, John Farnam
Rangemaster, Tom Givens
Trident Concepts, Jeff Gonzales
Apache Solutions, Tim Kelly
Harris Combative Strategies, Randy Harris
Mead Hall Range & Tactics, Bill Armstrong
Two Pillars Training, John Hearne
Mike Seeklander
Claude Werner, The Tactical Professor
Tatiana Whitlock - Training in Context
Rangemaster Certified Instructors
Map of Rangemaster Certified Instructors
NRA Instructors and their classes.
‟Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice.”
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
"After a few drinks I don't open my legs, I open my mouth, it's 10 times worse."
-- Nala Knight
------------------------------ Practice --------------------------------
How to get proficient at that task.
The only thing you have 100% control over in your fight is the
preparation you put into it.
In practice and training, you will fire thousands of rounds. So, it makes sense
to shoot 9mm or 22 long rifle practice ammo (full metal jacket over a lead core);
less recoil, cheaper.
In civilian self-defense combat, you're probably going to fire zero (with 90%
probability according to the NRA Personal Protection curriculum), or one or more
rounds (with 10% probability). Twenty+ rounds is 2 magazines. So you better
have at least one extra magazine. (You're going to need the extra magazine to clear
malfunctions because Murphy's Law is a law, not a suggestion.) So, it makes sense
to shoot 45 ACP +P hollow point ammo; more mass causes deeper penetration
(Which is required to reach vital organs, due to more momentum in terminal
ballistics, due to more mass. Sorry that's just physics. Remember gelatin tests
are just a model. They are not reality.), more recoil, very expensive (but that's
okay, you're not firing many, just enough to know the point-of-impact relative
to your point-of-aim).
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
"Why You Hate Shooting Practice (And How to Fix It)"
by Brent Wheat
Key Takeaways
• Shift your perspective from “I have to practice” to “I get to have fun shooting.”
• Avoid the trap of mindlessly burning ammo; practice should be intentional
and deliberate.
• Be present during your range sessions — put away the phone, stop worrying
about social media, and focus on the mechanics and enjoyment.
• If you are feeling frustrated or anxious, it is okay to stop, take a break, and
reset your mindset. [I often take a break to eat lunch and then come back
feeling better, because food in the stomach always makes me feel better.
-- Jon Low]
• View challenges as an opportunity for growth, a concept inspired by Stoic
philosophy.
• Learning curves improve drastically when you are actually enjoying the
process of improvement.
"Where to Shoot" by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
I went to practice at my favorite indoor range in Smyrna, TN to determine my relative
points-of-impact under given conditions. Five yard range.
---
Slow fire, precisely, 1" groups tolerated for the experiment.
Right handed Chapman version of the Weaver position - 1" low.
Left handed Chapman version of the Weaver position - 1" high.
Right hand only - 0" (point-of-impact matched point-of-aim).
Left hand only - 0" (point-of-impact matched point-of-aim).
Harries right handed - 1.5" left. The center of the beam had to be on the center of the target.
Harries left handed - 2" low right. The center of the beam had to be on the center of the target.
---
Quick fire, carefully, 2" groups tolerated for the experiment.
Right handed - 2" low right.
Left handed - 2" low left.
---
Rapid fire, quickly, 3" groups tolerated for the experiment.
Right handed - 2" low.
Left handed - 2" low.
---
Now that I have some data, I will analyze and try to figure out my errors.
‶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 are the little things called little things?
They are everything."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"People rust faster than equipment."
-- John Hearne
"Remember, the day you plant the seed is not the day you earn the fruit."
-- Nicola Cavanis
“Willingness is a state of mind. Readiness is a statement of fact!”
-- Lt. Gen. David M Shoup, USMC Commandant 1960-1963
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”
-- Aristotle
"Maybe you can't achieve it in one day.
But you can achieve it one day."
-- Nala Knight
"Remember, growing may feel like breaking at first."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"You have to be lucky to win. And the more you practice, the luckier you get."
-- Col. Lones Wigger
“An ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory.”
-- E. F. Schumacher
"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
*************************************************************************
********************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
"You're all against alcohol, cigarettes, and sugar now.
But who was there when life fell apart?
It sure wasn't broccoli."
-- Nala Knight
***** ***** ***** Intervention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to deal with the incident that you failed to avoid.
Table of sections:
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Strategy --------------------------------
Deciding on the end state and how to achieve it.
Generally speaking, you want to escape and facilitate the escape of your loved ones.
“When you will not fight when you can easily win, without bloodshed,
and when you still will not fight when victory is sure and not too costly,
you may well come to the moment when you will have no choice but to
fight with the odds against you, and you have only a small chance of survival.
There may even be a worse case: you may have to fight when there is no
hope of victory, simply because it is better to perish as warriors than to
live as slaves.”
-- Winston Churchill
"Creativity is not rewarded.
What is rewarded is precision and analytical thinking."
-- Magnus Carlsen
"Immature strategy is the cause of much grief."
-- Miyamoto Musashi
"You win gunfights by not getting shot."
-- John Holschen
"Never let fear decide your fate."
-- Nicola Cavanis
“How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.”
-- John Farnam
************************************************************************
------------------------------ Tactics --------------------------------
Maneuver and fire in support of your strategy to escape.
Sometimes you must close with the enemy to
destroy him with fire and close combat (Which includes biting and eye gouging.
If you're too dainty to do this, well that's a decision . . . that has consequences.).
"Creativity is not rewarded.
What is rewarded is precision and analytical thinking."
-- Magnus Carlsen
“People shoot you because they see you.
They see you because you let them.
Don’t let them see you.”
-- Clint Smith
"Ayoob: Should You Always Get Off the X?" by Massad Ayoob
“Fortuitous outcomes reinforce poor tactics.”
-- Chuck Haggard
Email from Gabriel Suarez --
"PERFORMATIVE VERSUS COMBATIVE" by Gabe Suarez
October 5th or 2026 A.D.
"Takedown or Knockout: Same Law, Different Reactions" by Pete Blair
https://tacticalscience.substack.com/p/takedown-or-knockout-same-law-different
I read the above article in a substack post and - I must say was astounded
at the perspective. Here is a quip I posted earlier that I sorely need to expand on.
---
I was a Gang Cop in the 1990s. Got into plenty of fights . . . never lost any.
I got all my training on my own. It was old school karate. It worked well.
Never grappled with anyone. If they wanted to fight they got hit hard in the
head with fists or flashlights. Never relied on the agency for skills and got it all
on my own. Most of us did and I dont recall anyone getting their asses kicked
by anyone.
What we didn’t have was the drastic and intrusive oversight you have today,
nor the restrictive policies, nor miniature police officers, nor cameras in every car.
The criminals feared us. And we shot a hell of alot more bad guys too, when
they chose to arm themselves.
Very fashionable to poke fun at the older generations but we did stuff the
new centurions will will never be allowed to experience.
---
That is my real-world, learned in blood, perspective. Now if you have time
read the article. If not, the author is saying in essence that while a double leg
take down is as effective as a right cross to the jaw, the public and the masses
of “modern police” both see the take-down as proper and tend to see the
right cross as improper. And he arrives at the conclusion that police should be
learning to grapple rather than strike. In my opinion, to perform for the cameras
and the public rather than to solve the problem in as safe a manner as possible
for them.
The police can do as they please, or as they need to to hang on to their
precarious jobs, but that should not and must not influence your handling of
combat problems on the street as an individual operator.
Grappling burst onto the scene in the late 1990s as various Gracie-based
instructors worked hard to make inroads into the police world. It was not easy
for them as the standard directive for police handling of street problems started
with this -
DON’T TIE UP WITH THEM
The solutions were to spray them with OC, beat them with sticks, or as I
often did, hit them with my fists, feet, or flashlight . . . or choke them into
submission if they were alone. As I recall we did fairly well on the street.
Defensive Tactics Training was minimal and ridiculous. That was a product
of funding of course, but also time, and the fear of injury. An officer with
a broken bone or torn this-and-that from defensive tactics training was a
squad that was down one man, necessitating not only a worker’s comp issue,
but overtime to fill his spot.
Then, as today I imagine, there were physically fit and motivated police
fighters that ran, lifted weights and trained in boxing or other forms of street
martial arts. And even if they were not “cage ready” they did just fine on the
street. But nobody that I recall, ever grappled or wrestled with a suspect.
We avoided that like the plague and you will see why as you read.
In those days (maybe its different today) one officer often faced multiple
thugs simultaneously. To tie up with one in a tangle - specially on the ground -
was to invite the others to join in to aid their comrade against Five-O. Maybe
bad guys today have a greater sense of fair play and will leave an officer to
figure out the proper moves against a combative adversary, but that was not
the case for us.
In those days we also had armed criminals that would pull knives,
razor blades, and even used syringes to deploy in street fights. When homies
did that, it ended with a screwdriver in the taint, or a razor blade across the face.
We saw it happen in criminal on criminal fights and knew what would befall
us in a ground fight or grapple. Add to that the very real situation of the
homeless lack of hygiene problem, and prevalence of blood borne pathogens
in certain street populations. No thank you.
But lets make it even more plain. As Dan Inosanto once said when asked
about a small fighter facing a larger fighter - “You cannot ignore nature”.
The very real disparity of size that often happens on the street cannot be ignored.
To suggest that a 150 pound officer is going to successfully throw a Kimura
on a 250 pound weightlifting convict stuns the suspension of disbelief.
I understand what the dynamics are. You have the market forces of jujitsu
attacking the police market from every angle. And you have the mass perception
that grappling is good but hitting is bad. The poor hapless police chief sitting
in his office hoping to make it just one more year is between a rock and a hard
place. We all know what he is going to lean toward. He would rather retire an
officer that was injected with tainted blood or got stabbed in the ass with a
screw driver, than explain to the fatiguing crowd why his officer broke a
criminal’s jaw.
If I was an officer I would make sure I could hit combative suspects and
I would get really good at knocking people out so it could be done quickly
and with finality. And I would learn the right words to say to justify it. If the
agency prohibited hitting, I would find a safer agency to work for.
And you, oh private citizen unfettered by the skullduggery of police
use of force policy - Do not be seduced by the grappling siren. Learn to hit hard,
and then have back ups in the event that is unsuccessful. But above all . . . as we
used to say -
DON’T TIE UP WITH THEM
---
I agree with Gabe. Don't grapple. You will pick up all kinds of nasty diseases,
fleas, lice, feces, urine, and such. They will bite you. They will scratch you.
(Yes, it happened to me when I was working in the hospital emergency rooms.)
Strike and twist to disengage. Separate and weaponize.
-- Jon Low
“No possible rapidity of fire can atone for
habitual carelessness of aim with the first shot.”
-- Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States,
"The Wilderness Hunter", 1893
"A Bump in the Night
Sometimes things aren’t what they seem"
by Brent Wheat
Excerpt:
"If you don’t have a good, working knowledge of things like “slicing-the-pie,”
“fatal funnel” and other standard concepts, you might not want to check the
house on your own anyway."
"You might want to kill these folks in a slow, painful and public manner
but don’t. Always identify and challenge people from cover or concealment
before taking any non-revocable actions."
"I once pointed a shotgun at my own son, a flash sight-picture I’ll never forget.
If I had decided to shoot first and ask questions later, my own life would have
ended that very moment. Just keep in mind someone standing in the living room
isn’t always a homicidal maniac."
"Real fights are short." -- Bruce Lee
“When you’re in the dark, stay in the dark;
when you’re in the light, light up the dark.”
-- Stephen P. Wenger
"Shooting quickly in a staged environment under no stress
does not make you tactically proficient."
-- John Hearne
"You often don't know where the bad guy is who is shooting at you."
-- Phillip Groff
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Techniques --------------------------------
Ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics,
especially when disabled or under stress.
"Creativity is not rewarded.
What is rewarded is precision and analytical thinking."
-- Magnus Carlsen
Accuracy is consistency. Consistency requires index points.
The index points for your firing-side-hand should be:
⬢ Web between your thumb and index finger up high and tight
into the tang of your pistol.
⬢ Middle finger pressed up tight against the bottom of the trigger guard.
⬢ Middle finger, ring finger, and little finger pressed tight against each other.
⬢ Trigger finger as far up on the frame or slide as it will go.
⬢ Thumb flat against the side of the pistol. Rotate your grip to achieve this.
The index points for your support-side-hand should be:
⬣ Index finger pressed up tight against the bottom of the trigger guard.
⬣ Base of thumbs pressing tight against each other.
⬣ Index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger
pressed tight against each other.
⬣ Thumb is high and relaxed, in contact with your other thumb.
If you relax your thumbs, they will naturally go high, which is correct.
It takes a great deal of muscle tension to pull your thumbs down. Do not
grip your pistol as a hammer (with your thumbs down). Relax your thumbs,
let them go high. This is a pistol, not a hammer.
If you twist your support-side-wrist to get your thumb to point forward,
you are WRONG! Wrists must be straight for a strong grip. Twisting the
wrist weakens your grip. Don't do it. It's just wrong, no matter who says
to do it. Application to authority is a logical fallacy.
"Gunfighting Science: Shooting Through Glass" by Fred Mastison
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"I can always do nothing more consistently than I can do something."
-- Ben Stoeger
John McPhee --
Chest, neck, and face.
"Whatever you leave alone is perfect."
-- Brian Enos
"Teaching Your Brain to Look Through the Dot" by Jeff Gonzales
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
---
"The Dot Is a Visual Tool" by Jeff Boren
Excerpt:
"We build the fundamentals until they’re automated,
then let our eyes do what the dot was built for."
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
"Gun Skills – Pieing a Room" By Frank Melloni
Hat tip to Docent.
"Grip first, then press."
-- Mike Seeklander
"Faster, Accurate Shooting: Mastering Pistol Trigger Control" by Brad Fitzpatrick
Hat tip to Docent.
Excerpts:
". . . I don’t think exact digit placement matters so long as you can pull
the trigger straight back with each shot."
[I disagree. Consistency is accuracy. The center of the trigger should be in the
center of your fingerprint. Everyone has a whorl, loop, or arch fingerprint on
the pad of their trigger finger. The center of the trigger should be on the center
of your fingerprint. If your trigger is not in the correct position for this to allow
you to press the trigger straight to the rear, get a gunsmith to move the trigger
for you. Yes, as a matter of fact, a competent gunsmith can move the trigger
on any pistol. (Moving the trigger position on 1911's is especially easy by
replacing the trigger.)
-- Jon Low ]
"I want my hand in the exact same position each time I grip the gun
because that places my finger in a consistent position."
"I want my non-firing thumb alongside the frame and pointed at the target, . . ."
[I disagree. I think the thumbs should be relaxed. If you apply pressure to the
base of the thumb, the relaxed thumb will go high (which is what Tom Givens
teaches and what Jeff Cooper taught). In order to get the thumb to point forward,
the shooter must exert muscle tension which is bad (this causes an involuntary
squeezing action in the hand as if you were milking the teat of a cow), and the
shooter must bend their wrist which is bad (this weakens the grip, a straight
wrist causes a much stronger grip than a bent wrist).
-- Jon Low]
---
Words have meaning. Precision of language is precision of thought.
"Press" your trigger. Don't "pull" your trigger. Look up the definitions of
the words in a dictionary. You see the difference?
"The foundations of your grip are established
before you even draw the pistol from the holster."
-- Tanner Denton
Don't fight the grip, fight the face [gouge eyes, finger through the ears into the
brain (Oh yes, your finger is long enough to reach his brain, if you are a petite
woman your fingers are thin enough to get through his ear canal. And if you've
got long sharp glued on finger nails, well . . .
Can't imagine yourself doing that to a human? Well, I can assure you that he can
imagine raping and sodomizing you, and will. So decide.),
or cup your hands and clap over his ears to break his ear drums with air pressure].
Don't wait for him to hit you.
Strike first.
"In my strategy the footwork does not change.
I always walk as I usually do in the street."
-- Miyamoto Musashi
Picking up a magazine off a table?
I just like watching Jessy shoot.
“What’s the number one reason for reloading?
Missing the target!”
-- Claude Werner
Never crowd cover.
"The secret is applying extreme force with the pinkies and
working your way up the rest of the digits."
-- Jeff L. Gonzales
"What about that Glock angle?" by Ben Stoeger
I have always thought Ben teaches correct technique and is logically consistent.
Excerpt:
"Scott Jedlinski is a moron."
[My aunt Lois told me if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything.
But I think Ben telling his audience who the incompetent instructors are, is doing
a good service to his audience.
I've never taken a class from Jedlinski, but he was assisting in a class that
I took at Tac Con and he was saying things that contradicted the instructor
(which you shouldn't do if you're an assistant) and he was saying some things
that I considered nonsensical. -- Jon Low]
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
"Surer, Not Faster" by Erick Gelhaus
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"He added that having extra batteries on you, on your gear, is a must.
Because storing those items elsewhere, away from you, is a No-Go."
[Deep truth. You don't want to learn this the hard way. I have an extra battery for
my flashlight in my right cargo pocket in my pants right now. So should you.
-- Jon Low]
---
The reason you MUST rack the slide instead of pressing the slide lock to release
the slide is because the slide might not be locked back. Just because your pistol is
designed to lock the slide back on an empty magazine does not mean that it always
will. You must use techniques that work in all conditions, not just the pristine
conditions of your air conditioned range.
Tap is essential before Rack. Just because you inserted the magazine, does not
mean the magazine is locked in place.
-- Jon Low
"Reload Like a Pro: Semi-Auto Pistol" by Massad Ayoob - Facts and Firearms
---
I disagree. The reason you MUST rack the slide instead of hitting the
slide stop, is because the slide might not be locked back. You must always
use techniques that work in all conditions, not just the pristine conditions
of your air conditioned indoor range.
As Erick Gelhaus says in the article above this one, Surer, not Faster.
Mas's time numbers don't matter, because the slide might not be locked back.
". . . only shoot as fast as you can assess, and . . . assess after each shot,
both of which, we should be training to do all the time anyway."
-- Ralph Mroz, "Street Focused Handgun Training"
"Run It Like A Violin – Shotgun Reloads" by Erick Gelhaus
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
"Every time I get a bit tired of being single, I download a dating app and just like
that I'm inspired to stay single for another 11 months."
-- Nala Knight
***** ***** ***** Postvention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to treat your wounds or the wounds of your loved ones.
Suggestions on how to avoid prosecution, conviction, and prison time.
Suggestions on how to avoid the civil law suit and judgment.
Table of sections:
Aftermath
Medical
Survival
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Aftermath --------------------------------
You must be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.
“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
Email from Joe Shahoud --
I just saw a stat that made my jaw drop. 38.9 million gun background checks
in 2021. That's 30% higher than 2019. Holy crap. That's a lot of people buying guns.
But here's what scared me even more. Most of these folks have zero clue what
happens AFTER they pull the trigger in self defense. Let me paint you a picture.
You're at home with your family. Some thug breaks in at 2am. You do what you
gotta do to protect your kids. Congrats. You saved your family's lives.
Now here's the fun part. You get arrested. You need a lawyer. A REALLY good
lawyer. That lawyer is gonna cost you around $350,000. Maybe $600,000 if things
get messy. But wait, there's more! (I sound like an infomercial.) The dead guy's
family is gonna sue you in civil court. They usually win. We're talking another
million bucks you owe them.
So let me get this straight. You saved your family but now you're broke forever?
That's like buying a Ferrari and forgetting to get insurance. Except way worse.
I used to have USCCA coverage. Then I learned they sometimes bail on people
when things get ugly. Not cool.
Now I use Right To Bear. Been with them five years. They don't have caps
or deductibles. They don't abandon you when CNN starts calling.
Look, you insure your car. You insure your house. You probably insure your dog.
Why the hell wouldn't you insure the thing that could bankrupt you overnight?
Especially, if it only costs as much as a steak dinner out with the wife for a whole year.
If you carry a gun, get coverage. Don't play Russian roulette with your wallet.
Check out Right To Bear if you're smart.
Talk soon,
Joe "better safe than sorry" Shahoud
In the right hand column of this web page, click on "Never Talk To The Police"
or use the address,
In the right hand column, click on the link labeled "Self Defense Insurance".
Or, the 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
“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
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Medical --------------------------------
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Course - NAEMT Certified
DEFEND SYSTEMS
(615) 480-7758
"Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Course - NAEMT Certified - GHCC26", $695.00
October 23 24, 2026 A.D.
Green Hills Community Church
5035 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Survival --------------------------------
‟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
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
--Benjamin Franklin
"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
"Survival is a mindset, not a skill set."
-- Greg Shaffer
"Survival is not based solely on technique.
Survivability may hinge on the use of the correct technique
appropriate to the environment you are fighting in.
Oh, and yes, marksmanship is always valuable."
-- Clint Smith
"It's not drinking alone when you've had at least 3 different personas today."
-- Nala Knight
*************************************************************************
Hayley Ardizzoni
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
Table of sections:
Legal
Instruction
*************************************************************************
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
"The Biomechanical Reality of Incapacitation" by William Guse
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Gun Nation: What Really Matters in Terms of Self-Defense . . . By the Numbers"
by Kevin Creighton
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Armed Lifestyle
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Gun Owners of America digital magazine
Langdon Tactical Technologies.
Gun University
"Defensive Use of Firearms" by Stephen P. Wenger
Greg Ellifritz's reading list,
American Rifleman
and American Hunter
Practical Eschatology
2nd Amendment News & Articles
Citizen-Defender, John Murphy
YouTube.com channel
Blog posts,
Rangemaster Newsletter, Tom Givens
Active Self Protection, John Correia
"My Gun Culture" by Tom McHale
Quips, John Farnam
Active Response Training, Greg Ellifritz
The Tactical Professor, Claude Werner
American Handgunner Magazine
Tactical Science
International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors
Alien Gear blog
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
------------------------------ Legal --------------------------------
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
"Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
(free book, just pay shipping so you don't have to go to Tennessee to pick it up)
"Andrew Branca – Ambiguity"
Transcript follows the video if you'd rather read it.
Excerpt:
"The truth may not be enough. It's the middle of the night. There's a noise in
the driveway. Someone is trying to get into your car.
That's how this case in Portage, Michigan, began. According to reports,
the homeowner went outside to stop the break-in. He says the alleged burglar
pulled a knife, and that he wrestled it away and stabbed the man. The homeowner
called the police himself. He was arrested and charged with murder.
Attorney Andrew Branca uses this case to explain something every gun owner
should understand: ambiguity. The point is simple. Nobody who will judge what
you did was actually there. Not the police, not the prosecutor, not the jury.
They must build their own version from whatever evidence turns up: a doorbell
camera, a neighbor who couldn't sleep, even an accomplice waiting in a getaway car."
"What really matters . . . is not the truth of the event. What matters is how
other people might perceive what happened."
— Andrew Branca
Branca leaves you with one question: the law may allow you to act,
but is it worth the risk?
"So, we always have to keep in mind that what really matters in our own
use of force event or contemplated use of force event is not what actually
happened, is not the truth of the event. What matters is how other people
might perceive what happened, what inferences they might make from the
available evidence, including whether there might be witnesses who lie, or
there might be video that’s misleading."
"Fitting Together Two Self-Defense Frameworks" by Alex Ooley
"History of the Second Amendment: Complete Timeline From 1328 to Today"
by Riley Bowman
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"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, Constitution of the United States of America
"Why is USCCA Dispensing Disastrous Legal Advice?"
by Attorneys On Retainer
View the videos in the description.
---
Call your attorney! (Not your insurance company.) Immediately!
Talk only to your attorney. Let your attorney call 911. Let your attorney
give your statement to the police. Don't talk to the police!
If the police attempt to question, say "I invoke my right to remain silent.
I invoke my right to counsel." And then shut up! Because if you start running your
mouth, you have waived your right to remain silent. So you have to again say,
"I invoke my right to remain silent. I invoke my right to counsel."
And then KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!
Don't point out evidence! The police will say that only you knew about the
evidence, because you put it there.
Don't point out witnesses! They may testify against you. Just keep your mouth
shut!
NEVER read a script to the police! Just keep your mouth shut!
If the police read you a Miranda warning, they will ask you, "Do you understand
your rights?" Shake your head indicating NO. If they ask you what you don't
understand, shrug your shoulders indicating you don't know. You ain't that smart,
no matter how smart you think you are. You ain't a legal scholar. You ain't a
Constitutional expert. So keep your mouth shut.
NEVER talk to the police. Keep your mouth shut!
Generally speaking, defense attorneys spend just about all of their time and
resources trying to explain away the stupid statements that their clients made at
the scene of the incident. Be a good client / defendant KEEP YOUR MOUTH
SHUT!
"Self defense is the highest of all human rights."
-- Lord William Blackstone
"Use of Force" by Rachel A. Moss
If you think having a public defender defend you is okay,
you're a damn fool.
“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
Dear Jonathan:
We have two important new research reports. First, I hired
McLaughlin & Associates to survey voters about their views on armed teachers,
and we should soon release a new report on school shootings. The survey
finds that general-election voters support allowing armed teachers
by 51.4% to 35.7%.
We also specifically asked parents with children in K–12 schools for their views.
They expressed even stronger support, favoring armed teachers by 57.3% to 30.2%.
These results show a significant increase in public recognition of the potential
benefits of armed teachers.
Our research has repeatedly highlighted the difficult job uniformed officers
face in stopping active shooters and the dangers of gun-free zones, so I hope it
is having some impact on the debate. Attackers have enormous tactical advantages:
They can wait until an officer leaves the area before attacking, move to another
target, or shoot the uniformed officer first. These survey results show a huge
change in people's views on armed teachers since I first wrote about this in the
Wall Street Journal in 1998,
and I was met with a lot of hostility.
Our second report examines the Trump administration’s decision to stop
prosecuting licensed dealers for selling handguns to law-abiding 18-, 19-, and
20-year-olds. I compared victimization rates for 18- to 20-year-olds with those
for 21- to 23-year-olds. The younger adults actually face higher risks: reported
rapes are 32% more likely among 18- to 20-year-olds than among
21- to 23-year-olds, while their homicide rate is 7% higher.
Crime Prevention Research Center
358 S 700 E, Ste B, B409, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
johnrlott@crimeresearch.org
(484) 802-5373
"Gun Controllers Predicted a Bloodbath.
Murders Fell as Gun Rights Expanded."
by Duncan Johnson Editor in Chief
“It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men
of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read,
or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.” —James Madison (1788)
"This Nashville Cop Should Be CHARGED" by Active Self Protection
---
"From 'Use of Force' to 'Response to Resistance':
What Nashville, TN Police Don't Want You to Know"
by MUMFORD LAW
"Concealed Carry Laws in America"
Gun Law Database
"Why the Government's Gun Ban Argument is About to FAIL" by Jared Yanis
"Build A Reciprocity Map:" by Concealed Carry, Inc.
"CDC Corrects Defensive Gun Use Estimates After Gun-Control Push to Bury Them"
by Duncan Johnson
"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
"[U.S. Department Of Justice] Says Gun Owners May Carry in
Public National Park Buildings"
by Duncan Johnson
“Laws are made for men of ordinary understanding and should, therefore,
be construed by the ordinary rules of common sense. Their meaning is not
to be sought for in metaphysical subtleties which may make anything mean
everything or nothing at pleasure.”
— Thomas Jefferson (1823)
"Firearms are second only to the constitution in importance,
they are the people's liberty's teeth." -- George Washington
"Critical Mas: When to Fire in a Self Defense Situation" by Wilson Combat
Dear Jonathan,
ATF has finally issued guidance following GOA’s historic NFA victory.
The agency says it will no longer enforce federal registration and approval requirements
for suppressors and short-barreled firearms for everyone, nationwide.
Here's what they said in their open letter to FFLs:
"Although the district court’s injunction applies only to plaintiffs and certain other
specified persons, the Department has determined to exercise its enforcement discretion
to create greater uniformity, consistent with the Attorney General's statement today."
"Consequently, effective October 9, 2026, ATF will no longer require individuals
to seek ATF approval under the NFA before making or transferring short-barreled rifles,
short-barreled shotguns, silencers, and any other weapon[s]."
"These policies apply uniformly to anyone otherwise subject to these requirements,
not just to the plaintiffs in the litigation."
FAQ,
In ATF's FAQ, there's a section titled "Future Risk."
In that section, ATF warns of the risks that could occur if a future Presidential
Administration revokes what ATF has issued today.
The good news for GOA members? GOA members will be protected if the next
administration reverses course. How is that possible? Well, GOA's court victory
still protects all GOA members. Retaining your membership is important,
and includes you in our lawsuit victory.
In Liberty,
Erich Pratt,
Senior Vice President
Gun Owners of America
---
"BREAKING NEWS!
MAJOR TRUMP ATF ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT SHUTTING DOWN THE NFA!"
Mark W. Smith (The Four Boxes Diner)
"UPDATE: Deputy Shoots Airman" by Liberty Doll
Criminal trial, not guilty.
But the "no qualified immunity" ruling means that the civil law suit will go forward.
As Greg Ellefritz has said, it's a hiring problem.
"Stand Your Ground Doesn't Give You Anything" by Tom McHale
Excerpt:
"Stand your ground erases exactly one line on that list. Avoidance. That’s the
entire scope of it.
Innocence, imminence, proportionality and reasonableness don’t move an inch.
Every one of them still has to be satisfied, and a prosecutor may explore each one
in front of a jury. Stand your ground does not lower any bar."
Andrew Branca explains US Supreme Court ruling on Temporary Protected Status
"ATF’s NFA Retreat:
Restoring Gun Rights and Pushing for Repeal"
by Duncan Johnson
"Appeals Court OVERTURNS Private Vault Case!" by Steve Lehto
9th Circuit Court of Appeals rules against government seizing things in civil forfeiture case.
Civil forfeiture is abused by the government. It cost more in legal fees to sue the
government than the assets are worth. So the good citizens give up. Thank God for
the Institute for Justice.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Instruction --------------------------------
"Remember,
the students who require the extra effort
are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
----- Instructors -----
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
"Before You Carry a Gun, Make These Decisions
with John and Vicki Farman" hosted by Terry Vaughan
Hat tip to Kristen Wilson Day.
Excerpts:
"Vicki describes experiences with instructors who were successful teaching
one group of students but struggled with another. Her central point is that
repeating the same words does not guarantee that every student receives the
same information."
"For instructors, that creates an important responsibility:
• Identify what the student is actually misunderstanding
• Explain the “why” when it improves comprehension
• Use visual and verbal teaching methods when appropriate
• Avoid assuming something is obvious
simply because it is obvious to the instructor
• Adapt communication instead of blaming the student
when a teaching method is not working"
☆ The super important information is from 0:57:17 to 1:14:51.
Shooting is intuitively obvious to 85% of men and 15% of women.
Shooting is not intuitively obvious to 85% of women and 15% of men.
[Because men and women think differently. To think that men and women think the
same way is woke stupidity. Men and women are not equal. -- Jon Low]
You can watch it on YouTube.com,
“He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.”
-- Richard Henry Dana
Think about the last truly new shooter you taught.
They weren’t just learning grip, sights and trigger control.
They were probably also trying to figure out:
Am I doing this right?
Am I safe?
Am I embarrassing myself?
Is everyone watching me?
Do I even belong here?
Technical knowledge matters. But so does knowing how to create
an environment where someone can actually learn.
"Gateway Instructor Development Course" (Chattanooga/N Georgia), $ 450
Sat, Oct 24, 2026, 8:00 AM CDT – Sun, Oct 25, 2026, 6:00 PM CDT
Cohutta Pines, 367 Old Hwy 2, Cisco, GA, USA
Register at,
---
Facebook.com post by Randy Harris --
For anyone in the Chattanooga / North GA area there is a class coming up
Oct 24-25 Cohutta Pines. This is the Citizens Safety Academy class called the
Gateway Instructor Development Course. It is taught by two of my favorite
human beings Aqil Qadir and Tiffany Johnson and is geared toward people
who are instructors who deal with new shooters. Info can be found here . . .
++++Full disclosure . . . I get ZERO monetary (or any other ) compensation
for recommending this class. But having seen them teach some of the material
at the Rangemaster Instructor Reunion I can recommend it highly with no
reservations. +++++
Gateway Instructor Development Course (Chattanooga/N Georgia)
Course Overview
This course teaches experienced shooters how to teach a basic defense-oriented
pistol curriculum in the paradigm of "gateway instruction" developed by
Citizens Safety Academy.
Course Details --
There are many instructor development courses available, but most suffer
from at least one of three common shortcomings.
First, they often spend too much time on shooting and not enough time on
teaching how to teach.
Second, they often focus on teaching intermediate-level shooters without
enough attention paid to the nuances of managing a class full of brand-new,
first-time shooters.
Third, many instructor courses tend to ignore the cultural and demographic
dynamics of today's market of firearms trainees.
With the recent explosion of gun purchases by urbanites, millennials, trauma
victims, and others who don't fit the traditional stereotypes of gun ownership,
firearms trainers must adapt to the rapidly-evolving 21st Century market.
CSA developed what we call the "gateway" instructional model in an effort to
fill those gaps in the training community.
Instructor candidates will learn and demonstrate organizational and teaching
skills via participation in practical exercises during the course (including leading
a line of live-fire shooters through a course of fire). Candidates will also have
to pass an instructor development examination and a shooting qualification
course of fire. The course also includes an Instructor's Guide that participants
can take home with them for future reference.
Topics Covered
Every class is a little different, so we often have to make adjustments based
on time and facility constraints; but our standard Gateway Instructor Development
curriculum includes the following:
Adult learning theory
Effective communication skills / public speaking
Depoliticizing instruction, content, and facilities
Designing and using effective training aids
Connecting with inexperienced, fearful, and non-traditional students
Making classroom lectures interactive and engaging
Effective use of multi-media in the modern classroom
Concepts from the pivotal text, "Telling Ain't Training," by Keeps and Stolovitch
Classroom management
Range management
Teaching basic principles of lawful defensive force
Managing students with past trauma or emotional triggers
Effective assessment / written examination design
How to control and command a firing line
The "Less is More" principle
Effective range commands
Student-centric range exercises
Differentiating between skill drills and performance drills
Managing students with physical limitations or disabilities
Teaching both left- and right-handed students
Managing firing lines with revolvers and semi-autos of different action types
Effective use of assistant instructors
Safety protocols and emergency procedures
And much more!
Prerequisites --
Instructor candidates must possess and demonstrate a solid background in
firearm safety and shooting skills acquired through previous firearm training
and/or previous shooting experience. Candidates will be required to
demonstrate how to safely handle, load, and unload both a revolver and a
semi-automatic pistol.
What is "gateway instruction"?
When we say "gateway instruction," we mean true entry-level content,
designed for students who overcome boundaries, obstacles, social disincentives,
or other adverse odds to learn to shoot for the first time. We have found that
many "beginner" classes on the market today are often weighed down by
assumptions and misperceptions about what new shooters typically bring to
the table. These classes often take for granted that every student has the same
opinion about guns, everyone has the same understanding of gun safety, and
everyone generally understands how guns work and what they're used for.
But that's not the case.
At CSA, we take a different approach. Gateway instruction levels the playing
field by allowing all students to enter the firearms training world without any
pressure to know more than they know or to be someone other than who they are.
One of the many benefits of this teaching technique (and the reason we call it
"gateway instruction") is that it increases the chances of students investing in
more training and becoming members of the training community rather than
just visitors or sightseers. We hope to be an "on-ramp" for those who might
otherwise see themselves as outsiders to the gun world.
-- Randy Harris
*************************************************************************
Hayley Ardizzoni
The natural state of women.
"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith
"Saying the uncomfortable truth about the training space" by Mike Pannone
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
"A false path will always be tensely, angrily, violently defended by those it has deceived,
because those who are so easily deceived are ever too arrogant to repent.”
-- Instructional axiom
"You must teach skill sustainment as part of training."
-- John Hearne
"Your curriculum needs to be recent, relevant, and realistic."
-- Austin Killmer
"The limited time you spend with students may be the only training they ever receive!"
-- John Farnam
“Pick a lane, master that lane, and stay in it.”
-- Chuck Haggard
“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”
-- Robert John Meehan
"Let's face it, most of us are not half as smart as we may sometimes think we are -
and for intellectuals, not one-tenth as smart."
-- Thomas Sowell, "Random Thoughts," December 2010
“The student’s purpose is to expand their body of knowledge and social network.
The instructor’s purpose is to help the student achieve the student’s goals.”
-- Amy Schwartz
************************************************************************
Hayley Ardizzoni
Celebrate Recovery
----- Students -----
"Keep in mind that this is some seriously next level material.
It is totally normal that the first time you see this stuff, you find
it confusing. You find it difficult to understand. So, confusion
should not discourage you. It does not represent any intellectual
failing on your part. Rather, keep in mind that it represents an
opportunity to get even smarter."
– Tim Roughgarden, Professor of Computer Science and other
stuff at Stanford University
"Saying the uncomfortable truth about the training space" by Mike Pannone
Excerpt:
"I'm a master class shooter, so I'm a master class instructor. No, you're not."
"Try.
Try again.
Try once more.
Try differently.
Try again tomorrow.
Try and ask for help.
Try find someone who's done it.
Try to fix the problem.
Keep trying until you succeed."
-- Nicola Cavanis
“It may seem difficult at first but everything is difficult at first.”
-- Miyamota Mushashi
"It's better to be wrong than to be vague."
-- Freeman Dyson
"Thinking is the hardest thing a person can do.
That's why so few people do it."
-- Henry Ford
“Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans.”
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
*************************************************************************
Hayley Ardizzoni
2 years sober!
----- Andragogy (as opposed to pedagogy) -----
‟An instructor should not expect any learning to
take place the first time new information is presented.”
-- ‶Building Shooters″ by Dustin Salomon
"Growth is uncomfortable because you've never been there before."
-- Nicola Cavanis
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Gear --------------------------------
And the safe storage thereof.
"Guide to Choosing a Holster" by Lorraine Crescimanno
Other articles by Lorraine Crescimanno
"There are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous men."
-- Robert A. Heinlein
"No joy!" by John Farnam
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
Dart gun (not a firearm) that can defeat Level III body armor.
The purpose of a high capacity magazine is NOT to let you shoot more;
it is to let you reload less.
-- Tom Givens
"Why the M7 and 6.8x51mm are Bad Ideas: Welcome to my TED Talk"
by Ian McCollum (Forgotten Weapons)
Excerpts:
"300 meters is maximum effective range, because the prone infantry man
cannot see an enemy standing or walking around beyond 300 meters."
"75 yards in the jungle. Because you can't see anything beyond 75 yards
in the jungle."
[How many normal human beings can see a standing person at 300 meters?
That's 3 football fields. Try it. It's not easy. Consider camouflage. Consider
a busy cluttered background. Consider low light conditions.
Shooting stationary targets during daylight hours on a known distance
course has no relation to combat.
-- Jon Low]
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
"Your Car Is Not A Gun Safe" by Tom McHale
Excerpt:
"Across a decade of that FBI data, the single most common place a gun
was stolen from a vehicle was a residence. Yes. The driveway or parked
out front on the curb, right in front of your residence."
"Nobody has to pass a background check to steal your handgun.
Nobody has to find a shady seller, or a straw buyer, or a guy who
knows a guy. They just have to try your door handle. One can jiggle
a lot of car door handles per hour, so the effort pays off."
---
NEVER leave a gun in your car. Always lock your car.
"Why .40 Cal SUCKS" by Active Self Protection Extra
"Knife Sharpening 101:
How to Keep Your Edge with MKC Founder Josh Smith"
by Mike Ritland
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sight Height Calculators
Tools to Track Ammunition Prices:
Ammo Seek
BulletScout
Caliber King
AmmoSquared Inc.
Ammo sources:
Ammunition Depot
Lucky Gunner
Boro Bullets (manufactured in Murfreesboro, TN)
Unlimited Ammo
Target Sports USA
GunMag Warehouse
SGAmmo
True Shot Ammo
The Mag Shack
If you know of any others, please let me know.
Parts sources:
Numrich Gun Parts
Wolff gun springs
Brownells
Midway USA
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
Always cite open source.
"The Hijacking Story Just Got More Insane. Here's The Latest." by Ben Shapiro
"Democrats just landed a major endorsement —
the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps."
by Gary Bauer
"Something CATASTROPHIC Is Happening in Russia . . . " by The Domino Effect
Man power shortage causes military recruiting from schools.
Russia used up all of the golden eggs. So, now they are killing the geese
that lay the golden eggs.
This hits way too close to home.
"Yemeni government forces seize strategic strait from Houthis"
by Mohammed Ghobari and Timour Azhari
"War has begun: Yemen strikes back against Houthis | Episode 25"
by John Kiriakou
"Houthis attack Aden airport as fighting intensifies in Yemen"
by Enas Alashray, Mohammed Ghobari and Timour Azhari
Dirty shit at the top. Get it?
In America they are elected to their rank. In Saudi, they are born into their rank.
"Corruption scandal rocks CIA and Angry Birds stole my tier list!!" by John Kiriakou
Kiriakou uses the word "genocide", but look at the numbers. It's not.
"Ukraine War Facts That Sound FAKE But Are 100% Real"
by The Domino Effect (Kevin Rosenquist)
"We Need to Talk About This" by Cappy Army
Reorganization of squads and platoons.
See the gun mount swing arm? Military Systems Group makes them,
right here in Nashville, TN.
This is the airport we used when I operated in Riyahd.
It's really nice.
Email from Business Basics --
August Hanning
🇩🇪 GERMANY
"Spy Chief Arrested" by Business Basics
Germany’s former foreign intelligence chief, August Hanning, was arrested
on Tuesday [6 October 2026 A.D.] on suspicion of espionage and attempted
treason. A former aide was arrested too.
Prosecutors say the aide supplied Hanning with ~2,000 internal documents
from the BND (Germany’s foreign intelligence agency). Many contained
classified information.
They say Hanning used classified material to prepare an analysis for a
foreign intelligence employer.
---
"Germany's ex-spy chief arrested for espionage" by Natalie Muller
Over the years, I have found Deutsche Welle to be reliable.
Trump administration destroying IT out sourcing firms,
resulting in stock market crash in India.
Trump administration whacks Microsoft.
"Powerus unveils fully autonomous drone interceptors" by Daniel Terrill
One must be able to make weapons more cheaply and more quickly than one's
enemy to win the arms race. To deny or ignore this reality is suicidal.
"The Deadliest Strike of the Iran War—and No One Is Talking About It | Episode 27"
by John Kiriakou
Kiriakou is such a flaming Democrat liberal, but at least he's pro-gun.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Counter Intelligence
" Victor Davis Hanson Reveals His BIZARRE Encounter With “Fang Fang” "
by After Party with Emily Jashinsky
7:35 Fang Fang.
What is your most valuable asset? Your intelligence gathering capability,
and your enemy's ignorance of your intelligence gathering capability.
That's why protecting your intelligence gathering capability and ensuring the
enemy's ignorance of such is essential. For example, if you are going to
attack a facility, and it has, say, 10 key points that you must destroy to disable
the facility, your spies identify the key points, your saboteurs set the explosives
to detonate at a given time. You must attack the facility with a swarm of drones
at the given time, in order to hide the fact that the explosives were planted, not
delivered by drone. There must be hundreds of drones, in order to get 100
drones and their bombs to the target, in order to hide the 10 explosions.
Otherwise the enemy will figure things out.
Ya, the enemy might figure it out anyway, but we are always dealing with
probabilities. And because you have killed the enemy's best intel analysts,
the remaining ones are suboptimal. So they probably won't figure it out.
WIN!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Business Basics
Institute for the Study of war
The Dispatch
Strategy Page
"The Merge"
Breaking Defense
Intrigue
1440
29155
Global Recaps
Timber Sycamore
Ground News
Soldier Systems
Executive Order 12333
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Signals Intelligence,
Ground Electronic Warfare,
Cyber Warfare,
(sometimes Air Electronic Warfare too) ***** ***** *****
Always cite open source.
"A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined,
but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain
a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them,
which would include their own government."
-- George Washington
Does this guy exist?
Don't lie, you know guys like this. Working for the Puzzle Palace remotely from China.
"It Finally Happened" by Cappy Army
---
Hey, we recognized the signals. If you're helping the bad guys,
you are at hazard. Ya, as a matter of fact, we will kill you. If you
help the enemy, you're a traitor. We don't care what the woke
perverts at the Puzzle Palace are telling you. They won't run cover
for you. They won't protect you. If you believe them, you're a
damn fool.
The steganographers used those AI photo-realistic pictures of pretty girls and
got burned big time. The enemy / creator embed all kinds of nasty things in those
pictures. Be careful.
Hey, I only use them as page breaks.
From Soldier Systems Digest --
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Cover Your Tracks
To get the IP address you are presently using,
Breaking Defense has a weekly newsletter, "Networks & Digital Warfare" at
Crypto-Gram by Bruce Schneier
2600
Soldier Systems
*************************************************************************
**********************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Cryptology ***** ***** *****
Always cite open source.
"You don't have to memorize theorems.
Because you can always derive them from first principles."
-- Sven Hartman
bcrypt
"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
I neglected to include this diagram in the last blog post.
From "Projective and Euclidean Geometry" by W. T. Fishback
|------------------------------- Real Projective Geometry ---------------------------|
| | |
| | |
| Affine Geometry |
| / \ |
| / \ |
| Similarity Geometry Equi-areal Geometry |
| \ / |
| \ / |
Hyperbolic Geometry Parabolic Geometry Elliptic Geometry
Negative curvature Infinite radius of curvature Positive curvature
Infinite parallels One parallel Zero parallels
(aka Euclidean Geometry)
There are other descendants of Real Projective Geometry. And Real Projective
Geometry is a descendent of other geometries. For example, one could embed
the Real Projective Geometry in a Complex Projective Geometry.
We have reduced the cryptanalysis problem to a geometry identification problem.
Maybe not easier. But the beauty of open source is that any given problem is easy
for someone. And if your population is big enough, your population will contain
that someone.
Arakelov geometry. See below. Romanian (Mirela Troflin). Get it?
"Anyone who considers arithmetical methods of
producing random digits is, of course, in a state of sin."
-- John von Neumann
Octal random bits [1, 8], not pseudorandom --
6 6 7 6 8 7 1 4 8 6 3 7 5 1 4 8 3 4 3 6 4 3 1 3 5 3 3 1 7 2 1 1 8 8 7 5 8 3 3 8 6 8 8 8 3 2
Tetral random bits [1, 4], not pseudorandom --
3 4 4 3 1 4 3 4 3 4 2 2 4 4 1 2 2 1 3 1 3 3 2 1 3 3 3 4 2 2 4 2 2 3 2 1 3 2 2 1 1 4 3 1 1 3
Uniform distribution, generated by dice rolls. Dice are machined to the precision
we are capable of. Dice are clean. No human contact.
Random doesn't look random to a human. Because humans recognize patterns.
They can't recognize random. Statistical test can't recognize random either, because
random is maximal entropy. Maximum entropy causes clustering, because clumping
has higher entropy than any statistical distribution. Sorry, that's just reality.
"Computer science has nothing to do with computers or science."
-- Donald Knuth
Academia is toxic to science.
"All that we don't know is astonishing.
Even more astonishing is what passes for knowing."
-- Philip Roth
"Prime Numbers: The hidden code behind everything"
by MathIgniter
Cute.
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
"Intro to Encryption" by Civil Defense Engineer
"Never memorize anything. Rather, study it until it becomes obvious."
-- Norman Christ
Plain text → data compression → encryption → error correction coding
→ transmission (writing to storage) → communications channel (environmental noise) →
reception (reading from storage) → error correction decoding →
decryption → decompression → plain text (or so we would hope)
Game theory at its best.
Information theory.
Cryptosystems are considered "arms" by federal law, ITAR,
International Traffic in Arms Regulations. That means cryptosystems are
protected by the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Mathologer's permutation app.
Some domains are unique factorization domains, some are not. Be careful.
One of you asked for an example of a real world application of a 4th rank tensor.
(An example of a 3rd rank tensor is the general relativity gravitation equation.)
May I invite your attention to
"Introduction to the Mechanics of a Continuous Medium" by Lawrence E. Malvern
Copyright 1969 by Prentice-Hall, Inc.
ISBN: 13-487603-2
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 69-13712
Page 323.
"Coleman and Noll discuss materials with 'fading memory' (for which they give
a precise definition) and show that the constitutive function F for such materials
can be approximated by a sum of n linear functionals. The special case n = 1 can
be represented by an integral, so that Eq. (31) [which is also on page 323] becomes
∞
Rʳ • T • R = f(C) + ∫ K(C; s) [G*(s)] ds
0
where K(C; s) [G*(s)] is for each choice of s and C a tensor-valued linear function
of the tensor variable G*(s), i.e. K[ ] denotes a fourth-order tensor of the argument
in brackets. Truesdell and Noll call the theory of such materials
finite linear viscoelasticity."
[I'm pretty sure Malvern meant "Coleman and Noll", not "Truesdell and Noll".
Malvern uses the terminology "fourth-order tensor", but it's the same as
"fourth rank tensor", a 4 dimensional array of Real numbers with the appropriately
defined operators.
-- Jon Low]
The reference is to
Coleman, B.D. and W. Noll, "Foundations of linear viscoelasticity,"
Rev. Mod. Phys., 33, 239-249, 1961 A.D.
You can also find it in
"Foundations of Elasticity Theory", ed. C. Truesdell, New York:
Gordon & Breach, 1965 A.D.
Proofs no one understands.
The math professor enters the lecture hall and sees a pail of water on the table.
He asks one of his students to take the pail out. The student pick up the pail and
take it out into the hallway.
At the next class, the professor sees a pail of water on the floor of the lecture
hall and asks a student to take the pail of water out. The student picks up the
pail and places it on the table.
Do you get the joke? Similarly, no one ever goes back to check that the
underlying theorems that we rely on are in fact correct. They are just accepted
and used, because the community accepts them.
There was a part of my proof that was in question by my advisor.
Prof. Mader: Is that obvious to you?
Jon Low: Yes.
Prof. Mader: Well then, I guess you've proved it.
Just now, I got the following email from Eric Weisstein. (Note the date that
I submitted the question.) The entire page has since been updated and edited.
---
Eric W. Weisstein via RT
From: q-mathworld@wolfram.com
Cc: jon_low@yahoo.com
Sat, Oct 10 [2026 A.D.] at 6:51 AM
Hi Jon,
In your October 29, 2025 report about MathWorld's Riemann Zeta Function page
(https://mathworld.wolfram.com/RiemannZetaFunction.html), you wrote:
> function in equation (55) is not defined. What is that function?
The notation 4F3 denotes a generalized hypergeometric function with four
numerator parameters and three denominator parameters. In the notation
you quoted,
w, x, y and z are the numerator parameters;
t, u and v are the denominator parameters;
and n is the argument.
See
I have added an explanation and a link beside the formula. This clarification
will appear in the next MathWorld update.
Best,
Eric
If you're going to play chess, better put in some study. If you don't know what
you're doing, you'll get trapped in the opening. And that's no fun. (King's Bishop 2,
KB2, is vulnerable as only the King defends this square.) May I suggest,
"Modern Chess Openings" 15th Edition by Nick de Firmian (or whatever the
latest edition is)
ISBN: 978-0-8129-3682-7
Also known as MCO-15.
It's a very dense tome in algebraic notation. But completely readable and understandable.
I was in high school, when I first bought an earlier edition of this book. It was written in
descriptive notation. I would have liked to have kept that book, but few things survive
a divorce. If your opponent is stronger than you (everyone's rating is published) it
would be best to take him out of his book at your earliest convenience. His book
contains the lines that he has played in the past, the variations that he has studied,
often referred to as theory. As in, he knows the theory of this position.
If you play well, you will win in the opening. Then you can take a nap, eat,
or wander around before you next game.
If you survive the opening, you will play the middle game. My favorite book
on the middle game is
"Konsten att vinna i schack" by
Paul Keres (1916-1975) and Aleksandr Aleksandrovič Kotov (1913-1981)
published by Bokforlaget Prisma, Stockholm.
ISBN: 9151806436
If you can't read Swedish, but can read English,
"The Art of the Middle Game" by Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov
translated by H. Golombek
ISBN-13: 978-0-486-26154-6
ISBN-10: 0-486-26154-9
GV1450.3.K413
Descriptive notation.
If you play well, you will win in the middle game. Time for lunch before the
next game or dinner before resuming the adjourned games.
Otherwise, you will play the end game. The definitive text on the end game is
"Basic Chess Endings" by Reuben Fine (He was one of the first authors of Modern
Chess Openings)
ISBN: 0-679-14002-6
In descriptive notation. Hasn't changed since 1941.
It's just a math book, counting and logic. An extremely dense tome. Well worth
reading. I remember when Fine first proved that a King, Bishop, and Knight can
force a checkmate against a lone King in 34 moves, worst case. FIDE had to change
the rules to accommodate this. To give the player at least enough moves and time
to attempt to force the checkmate. (Of course, it's hard to do. Making 34 correct
moves in a row is quite a feat.)
Some players try to see many (more than 5) moves into the future. That is wrong.
Combinatorial explosion defeats them every time. The masters recognize patterns,
strive to create patterns that they are familiar with, and attempt to destroy patterns
that the opponent has played in the past (taking the opponent out of his book).
Oh yes, all past games are recorded and known, and retrievable. But even if they
were not, the patterns still exist and are obvious to the trained mind.
Inexperienced players strive to take material, thinking that a material advantage
will allow them to win. This is false. They have lost sight of the object of the game.
To checkmate the opponent's King is the goal of the game. All other pieces may be
sacrificed as necessary to obtain that objective, and should be.
You should make a plan and stick to it. Don't be distracted by the opportunity
to capture material. Of course, you should take advantage of your opponent's
blunders, but that rarely happens; and is more than likely a trap, or intentional
sacrifice.
"Creativity is not rewarded.
What is rewarded is precision and analytical thinking."
-- Magnus Carlsen
Brilliance and genius will always defeat brute force and strength.
Explaining explanations.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Arχiv
Sci-Hub.Pub
Explanation,
The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences (OEIS)
"Handbook of Applied Cryptography"
by Alfred J. Menezes, Paul C. van Oorschot and Scott A. Vanstone
"Computer Security and the Internet:
Tools and Jewels from Malware to Bitcoin", Second Edition
by Paul C. van Oorschot
ISBN: 978-3-030-83410-4 (hardcopy), 978-3-030-83411-1 (eBook)
"An Introduction to Error Correcting Codes with Applications"
by Scott A. Vanstone , Paul C. Oorschot
Research and Publications (P. Van Oorschot)
Alfred J. Menezes
Scott A. Vanstone
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
*************************** Politics and Religion *****************************
"A ‘Go Woke, Go Broke’ Case Study
This week’s big loser has been so entrenched in its woke agenda
that it lost $215 BILLION in market capitalization,
and only now is struggling to right its cultural course."
by Mark Alexander
"Justice Finally Comes for Nidal Hasan" by Douglas Andrews
It took 17 years because the Obama administration classified the terrorist
attack as "work place violence".
Todd Achilles campaign ad.
"Life Under The Biden Regime" by Docent
You would be smart to avoid using JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank,
Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Capital One, PNC, TD Bank, and BMO Bank. Otherwise,
you may find your account closed to protect their reputation.
"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
“The Democrats do not have enough Americans who want what they have to offer,
or enough of their own children to transfer their values to . . . so they must either
import other voters, or ‘educate’ your children for you. Prevent them from doing
either and we win.”
—Nick Freitas
An explanation of socialism in academia.
"I hate it when I'm trying to eat a salad and
it falls in the trash and I have to eat a taco instead."
-- Nicola Cavanis
How Marxism ruined Ghana.
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always
possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Richard Henry Lee
This is what happens when Muslims leave Islam.
Leaving Islam results in death.
Linz am Rhein is a municipality in the district of Neuwied, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
When I served in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I witnessed many women
killed by their families for adopting western customs. Families would send
their daughters to Ivy League schools, as the Queen of Jordan et al. The
daughters would become radicalized / westernized / feminist ideology and
there was no fixing the brainwashing. So the family would have to kill the
daughter.
"We should not forget that the spark which ignited the American Revolution
was caused by the British attempt to confiscate the firearms of the colonists."
-- Patrick Henry
Because, as in high school and college, he is a liar.
Smart people only tell lies when they know that they won't get caught.
Arrogant people don't care about getting caught, because they believe
they are untouchable. Or, he may be a pathological liar.
The purpose of war is not to die for your country.
The purpose of war is to ensure that the other guy dies for his country.
— George S. Patton
In case you are under the delusion that the FBI is not a corrupt, vindictive,
chicken shit operation.
"Diversity Is Our Greatest Weakness" by Docent
The entire paper is available from Springer at
"The diversity hypothesis:
A rapid scoping review of diversity and scientific output and impact
in the natural and social sciences"
by Jordan P. Beck, Zachary Patterson, and Samuel Wilson
The Patriot Post
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
************* Psychology **************************************
"Work keeps us from three evils: boredom, vice, and poverty."
-- Voltaire
Extremely important! Please read.
"Objectify him: texting" by Orion Taraban
"Keeping the peace: standing up to female bullies" by Orion Taraban
From high school graduation to retirement, men's value increases. Then decreases to death.
From high school graduation to 30, women's value in the sexual market place increases.
Then it decreases with time. Sorry, that's just reality. Because it's not about financial
wealth. It's about the ability to make babies or at least to appear capable of making babies.
"Money is a proxy for competence. Women look for competence in men.
Beauty is a proxy for health. Men look for health in women.
-- Orion Taraban
[Not necessarily wealth. Inherited wealth does not indicate competence.
Healthy women are capable of bearing children. Ya, mentally ill or
physically ill women may be able to bear children, but they can't raise them.
In fact, they might kill them.
-- Jon Low]
Here is an example of male competence.
Here is an explanation of why women seek male competence. Shelter. Age gaps.
"Unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments."
"The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships" by Neil Strauss
ISBN-10 : 178211095X
ISBN-13 : 978-1782110958
"How women win: happy hunting" by Orion Taraban
"Make her obsessed: the importance of contrast" by Orion Taraban
"The reality of modern family: what's the point?" by Orion Taraban
---
[No, the necessity has come about because taxes now take about 50%
of the earner's income. In past times, a man could support a wife and
many kids because he had about 100% of his earned income to spend
on his family. Before the federal income tax.
-- Jon Low]
The stupidity of taxation.
Smart people resign before they are fired.
The AI nerds think that driving is a low IQ operation, and so can be automated.
I believe this is fundamentally wrong.
"Jordan Peterson - The Big IQ Controversy" by Bite-sized Philosophy
"Jordan Peterson - Controversial Facts about IQ" by Bite-sized Philosophy
"Jordan Peterson - IQ and The Job Market" by Bite-sized Philosophy
9:30 What's the biggest employment category for men? Drivers.
What job is AI striving to eliminate? Drivers.
"IQ Is Misunderstood - Spencer Greenberg" by Chris Williamson
"Women and ACCEPTABLE LOSS:
the other side of female hypergamy"
by Orion Taraban
"Gambling is a tax on stupidity."
-- Voltaire
************* End of Psychology section*********************************
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
*** Jon's stuff ***
“To cherish and stimulate the activity of the human mind, by multiplying the
objects of enterprise, is not among the least considerable of the expedients, by
which the wealth of a nation may be promoted.” — Alexander Hamilton (1791)
I find it kind of amazing that the Secretary of War can actually do this.
Honor is alive and well.
Arynne Wexler
"We cannot afford to differ on the question of honesty
if we expect our republic to endure. Honesty is not so much
a credit as an absolute prerequisite to efficient service to the
public. Unless a man is honest, we have no right to keep him
in public life; it matters not how brilliant his capacity."
-- Theodore Roosevelt
Making chips.
"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."
-- Mary Flannery O'Connor
Corruption.
"This Harvard Professor Doesn’t Understand Basic Math"
by Chris Brunet
“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
"Always stand on principle, even if you stand alone"
– James Madison
"I will not lie, cheat, or steal nor will I tolerate it in others."
-- U.S. Military Academy honor code
(not exactly the same in the other services, can you guess why?)
Modern spacecraft.
"I cheated so hard, I was band from F-1 for life."
How your microwave works.
The future of cars.
You every try to take the battery out of your phone? Can't do it, can you.
You can't turn it off, because you don't own it. It owns you.
Spirograph.
Books are good.
Drugs are dangerous.
"Ideologies of nonsense."
She has a man, it's the government.
In the Marine Corps we were taught immediate obedience to orders.
"What Happens When a Math Professor Runs a Country" by Turing
Nicușor Daniel Dan.
Arakelov geometry.
From Patriot Post --
"Fort Hood shooter’s execution will be public and live streamed"
Nidal Hasan, a former U.S. Army major and psychiatrist who killed 13 service
members and an unborn baby and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009,
will be executed by firing squad on December 3rd, 2026 at 1 p.m.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed on Thursday that the execution will be
live streamed for the public and carried out at the same time that the terrorist
committed the attack 17 years ago.
“It was a radical Islamist attack in uniform inside ranks, and so he’s going to
get a firing squad of soldiers as it should be,” Hegseth said. The Supreme Court
upheld the death sentence conviction for Hasan in 2025 after he appealed, and
following President Trump’s authorization last week,
Acting Army Secretary Adam Tell ordered the execution of Hasan."
---
When I was working (Operation Iraqi Freedom) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
the government would hold executions by beheading by sword in the town square every
Friday. The locals would invite the foreigners to attend. Laws are meaningless, unless
the government enforces them. Mostly smugglers (drugs, alcohol, pork, humans for
slave labor and sex, etc.) and the occasional murderer and rapist.
That's why Saudi has such a low crime rate. The would-be car theives know that
they will get caught and that, at a minimum, they will get their right hand cut off.
(All done within a week. None of the cases drag on past Friday.) There is effectively
no car theft. So people don't bother locking their cars.
I met a Saudi who had had his right hand cut off for a crime. The government
helped him turn his life around. He had a good job and was a productive citizen.
Convicts are not shunned as they are in America. Of course, there are no repeat
offenders in Saudi as there are in America. The Saudis thought the idea of a repeat
offender was very strange. "Why wouldn't you execute a violent criminal?"
"It's quite possible that Gal Gadot was the least attractive girl in her friend group."
"Gun Owners will LOVE these Videos PT.5" by Camron Vance
36:49 Deep truth.
43:35 Respecting your neighbor's politics.
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon@DefensivePistolcraft.com
Radio: KI4SDN
