Hi Sheepdogs,
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"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
----- Mindset -----
It’s about prevention, not response.
-- Michael Mann
You must carry your loaded pistol on your body concealed.
You won't have time to get it. You won't have time to load it.
If you open carry, you will be the first one shot to death.
When the violence starts, there will be no warning. All
is calm, and then all hell breaks loose. When nation states
go to war, there is troop movement and massing of forces. At
our level, there is no telegraphing of intention; not by the
enemy, not by you. So, you must be aware. You must prepare.
As all 2nd Lieutenants are taught, you may be forgiven
for losing a battle. But, you will never be forgiven for
being taken by surprise. Why was the Commander of the Pearl
Harbor Naval Base court martialed? Because he allowed a surprise
attack by the Japanese on his base.
I read of an incident where a man was stopped at a road
block in Portland, OR, pulled out of his car, and beaten. This
will never happen to you, because you are in condition yellow
and see the road block in time to U turn. If not, you will
have your doors locked and your windows up, because you're not
an idiot. You won't worry about running over the rioters,
because you must protect your child in the back seat.
Remember, self defense is to prevent the attack. (So,
you should never get hurt.) If you fail at that, self defense
is to stop the attack. (So, you don't get hurt too much.)
After the attack it is not self defense. It is revenge
and retribution, which is not legal. (If you're not dead.)
“There is only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected:
The expected, for which you’ve refused to prepare.”
-- Mary Renault
Lock Your Doors! by Tom Givens
https://d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2020-11_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
Ten cases over the last few years where people have had to fire ten or more shots in self defense
https://crimeresearch.org/2020/10/ten-cases-over-the-last-few-years-where-people-have-had-fire-ten-or-more-shots-in-self-defense/
So, ya, you've got to be prepared for this sort of thing. Yes! you have to carry
extra magazines on your body. Yes, you have to practice shooting multiple assailants.
Yes, you have to practice transitioning between different targets at different distances.
Ya, it's hard.
"Life is hard. It's even harder if you're stupid." -- John Wayne
Don't be stupid. Get expert Training and practice.
“Woman must not depend upon the protection of man,
but must be taught to protect herself.”
-- Susan B. Anthony
The Secret to Being a Survivor on the Street: How to Develop a Combatives Mindset by Kelly McCann
https://blackbeltmag.com/the-secret-to-being-a-survivor-on-the-street-how-to-develop-a-combatives-mindset
Self Defense Starts with the Right Mindset by Ed Head
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/11/2/self-defense-starts-with-the-right-mindset
Excerpt:
"You see, if you’re in the right mental state you will avoid problems and
avoid the need to fight your way out with a firearm."
"Jeff Cooper also taught us, “Man fights with his mind, his hands and his
weapons are merely extensions of his will.” "
Everything you know about violence is wrong by Wim Demeere
https://wimsblog.com/2015/10/everything-you-know-about-violence-is-wrong/
My answers to the four questions:
As a professional (yes, I get paid, so I'm a professional) licensed (by the state of Tennessee
and formerly the state of South Carolina) armed guard, I assure you that aiming anywhere other than
the center of mass of the available target is wrong on many levels. Shooting to stop an attack in
combat is a low probability event. Shooting to intentionally wound is a zero probability event and
an act of criminal stupidity. Which means you will get unintended hits, damaging property and
injuring innocent bystanders, maybe killing them.
One young healthy strong person can defeat 5 fat dumpy cops. That's why the civilian police
in Jacksonville, NC would call us, the MP's from the Provost Marshal's Office on New River Marine
Corps Air Station, when they had a problem with a Marine out in town.
You can never let the other guy get the first hit. Because, whoever gets the first hit will
eventually win. Usually, whoever gets the first hit will win immediately. Remember the knockout
game?
Actions have consequences. Words have meaning. Words can incite others to violence.
Incapacitating the enemy before he can give the command to attack is always a good thing.
Some instructors say, don't get involved with third party incidents. "Not my people,
not my problem." I am sure that is the smart move. But, I can't teach that.
"But there is one glaring problem with my preferred policy of self-protection
and risk-aversion: it's the opposite of the courage to which I'm called as a
believer in Jesus." -- Monica Brands (referring to 2nd Timothy 1:7)
Sheepdogs feel a duty to protect others. That's what makes them sheepdogs.
“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.)
----- Safety -----
Jeff Cooper's Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET
Gun Safety: Misfires & Hangfires by NRA Staff
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/11/9/gun-safety-misfires-hangfires
Excerpt:
"Any time the hammer or firing pin falls and the gun fails to fire,
a hangfire should be assumed. The firearm should not be opened or unloaded,
but should be kept pointing in a safe direction for 60 seconds with a
modern cartridge — and two minutes for a muzzleloader."
"The fast and/or emphatic reholster is an awesome way to shoot yourself."
-- Chuck Haggard
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.
-- John Farnam
----- Training -----
"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner
Judit Polgár gave a TED Talk,
Giving checkmate is always fun | Judit Polgar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-ttu7dyBCU
She answers questions from a journalist at the end of the talk. But, it is obvious
the journalist does not understand what she is saying. What she means is that the low
level instructors are not teaching chess correctly. The low level instructors teach
things like the relative value of the pieces. If the ignorant student believes this, the
student will never offer a sacrifice. And so will never trade pieces for positional
advantage. And so will never win against a stronger player. And so will never progress.
The low level instructors will teach strong defensive pawn structures. This attitude is
wrong, as Polgar says. Because the object of a chess game is to checkmate the king.
Which means you have to attack the king quickly. Everything else must be sacrificed
in order to attack the king in minimum tempi.
There is a similar situation in the self-defense / firearms training community.
Those who don't know what they are talking about, because they lack the experience or
training, teach things that make sense to the ignorant student, but are wrong.
The low level instructor will teach "shoot to the center of mass" meaning shoot to
the center of the torso or high thoracic cavity.
But, John Farnam teaches "shoot to the navel" which is actually the center of mass
of the human body. Because that is the part of the body that moves the least.
So, you have the highest probability of actually hitting the enemy when everything
is moving. And then to shoot up the center line to the enemy's head.
But, the vast majority of firearms instructors have no experience shooting at moving
persons, so they don't know this; much less have a deep understanding of it. (If you
do a lot of video simulations, you will see the students consistently shooting over
the enemy. Because the enemy is ducking or falling down.)
If you're really smart and can figure things out on the fly, you will probably
win the fight. But, if you have to rely on the things you were taught, you better
make sure your instructor knows what he's talking about. Which means your instructor
has to have a deep understanding of the subject. Which means he has to have experience,
has to have analyzed his experience, and has to be able to teach what he has learned
from his analysis.
FPF Training's Concealed Carry: Street Encounter Skills and Tactics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkCeN8NoHjA&t=1s
FPF Training
https://www.fpftraining.com/
Free online course, about 3.5 hours
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ju5GtzzgLE&list=PLkL2g0uY2GSduhVBwzGL2ROyN-TSdDGLq
Email: John@FPFTraining.com
I know John Murphy. I have taken a class from him. I enthusiastically recommend him.
Skill Set: Crawl, Walk, Run . . . by Tiger McKee
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/35723b7d-33cc-4319-aa83-c626a53015e4
Excerpt:
"First you crawl – an introduction to the fundamentals.
Next, you’re “walking” through plenty of proper repetitions – drills - performing them over and over.
Eventually these skills are blended into one seamless package.
After putting in plenty of time, way down the road, you start “running.”
And maybe someday, with who knows how much practice, maybe you’ll be able to “fly.”"
Who’s there? By tacticalprofessor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/11/08/whos-there/
The man violated our safety rule,
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET
and so shot and killed his pregnant wife. (At least that's his statement.)
3 Ways Shooting in Competitions Can Up Your Defensive Skills by Joshua Gillem
https://www.concealedcarry.com/firearms-ownership/3-ways-shooting-in-competitions-can-up-your-defensive-skills/
Excerpt:
"Another thing is that you'll have your hearing and eye protection on,
which you wouldn't have on if you were attacked. This means that your ears
will hear a real gunshot for the first time."
How to Practice Support-Side Shooting by Jeremy Stafford
https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/how-to-practice-supportside-shooting/385929
"You often hear about support-side training,
but how many of us have really trained diligently with the support hand?"
You need training because:
You don't know what you don't know.
Much of what you know is false.
It's good to the have the answers before the criminal tests you.
-- Claude Werner (paraphrased)
This is silly dangerous nonsense.
https://videos.recoilweb.com/watch/recent/2UcEuQz7uGcr-force-on-force-training---intruderfoot-in-the-door
What the instructors should have taught the student:
There is no point in locking your door if you are going to open your door to strangers.
Don't open your door to strangers. Don't converse with strangers. Don't give strangers information
as to who is or is not home.
Once a stranger forces his way into your home, shoot him! Don't waste precious time talking to him.
Anyone who forces their way into your home will not talk to you. The bad guy will immediately attempt to
violently overwhelm you. You won't have time to get your gun, if it is not on your body. You won't be
able to talk the bad guy into de-escalating. That is complete stupidity.
Home invasion is not a first time offense. Shoplifting is a first time offense. Home invasion is
done by hardened criminals with lots of experience, who have had lots of training in prison. Yes,
prison is higher education for criminals. Anyone who thinks that prison is rehabilitation is criminally
stupid.
I have attempted to interview women after an assault. They are traumatized and incoherent.
They cannot intelligently discuss what just happened. So, this "scenario" has induced no stress.
Passing this off as "realistic training" is a grave disservice to the student.
I think I posted this link before, but I repeat it for a certain person who is reading this
blog for the first time.
7 Defensive Handgun Training Myths by Bob Whaley
https://gundigest.com/article/7-defensive-handgun-training-myths
John Farnam Interview with Red Gatt
https://defense-training.com/videos/
You will fail. If you aren't failing in training, you are not pushing your envelope.
How will you know how fast is too fast, if you don't go too fast and fail?
Finish the drill, no matter what. There are no do overs.
"You're not here to impress your students. You're here to inspire them."
It's not enough to learn the psycho-motor skills, you have to have a philosophical
overlay. You have to have the correct attitude.
What gets officers killed? Relaxing too soon.
-- John Farnam
Lots of good information at
https://defense-training.com/videos/
I took a great Intermediate Carbine (AR-15 rifle platforms) class this past weekend
(11/14/2020) from Jonathan Leverette and Jake (sorry, I can't find his last name) at
Strategic Edge Gun Range in Chapel Hill, TN. It was only open to club members. I thought
what a shame that they are not opening these classes to the public. But, there are all
kinds of economic, liability, etc. reasons. Things I learned:
An easy test for the gas rings on the bolt. Snap the bolt carrier group
as if preparing to insert it in the upper receiver. Stand it up on a table with the
bolt face down. If it stays up, the gas rings are good. If the bolt falls into the
bolt carrier group, time to change the gas rings.
It's probably best to zero my AR-15 rifle at 100 yards. Because with
that zero, my point of impact will be within a few inches of my point of aim from muzzle
to 200 yards. Which are the ranges of interest for me. This is why the AR-15 platform
is designed with the line of sight way above the bore. It's not an accident.
What hurts my hands and arms when doing drills with my rifle. So, I now
know what I need to replace, file down, or eliminate from my rifle system.
I need to get a flashlight attached to my rifle. There is no reasonable
technique for holding a flashlight while using a rifle.
A two point sling is really what I want. The fancier three point
slings or one point slings just did not work for me.
We need to use the modern plastic magazines, as they are far
superior to the old metal magazines. (For those who have a psychological problem with
loading 29 or 28 rounds into a 30 round magazine to prevent malfunctions, there are
now 32 round magazines into which you are intended to load 30 rounds. Hey, the
customer is always right.)
If you add any accessory to your rifle, it should not change the
way you shoot. Stop and think about that.
Everyone was using red dot sights. No one even wanted to zero their iron sights
when the instructor asked if anyone wanted to.
Two persons in the class had piston operated actions. The instructors went over
the advantages and disadvantages of the piston system. The AR-15 was not originally
designed for a piston system, so as a modification of the original system, it works;
but, there are things that you need to know.
We worked a lot on cadence. Getting the timing and rhythm correct to get hits
at a certain size target at a given range. Accuracy can be improved by slowing down
the trigger press. The trick is to get into a rhythm so that every trigger press is
the same speed, so that all rounds hit at a given distance and a given target size.
And then to practice enough to know exactly which cadence to use at a given range
and target size.
Everyone had flash hiders on their muzzles. Which is great for combat purposes.
But, in training we teach the student to look for the muzzle flash to confirm that
he has not closed his eyes when he fired the shot (a common mistake). Some of the
flash hiders were so good, you can't see any flash at night (as intended).
Mentally rehearse what you're going to do, and then do it.
Fight, never give up. Winning is a decision that you must make.
Learn first aid.
You must have back up sights. Red dot sights are more fragile than iron sights.
They are, after all, electronic devices. (When I worked for Lockheed Martin, we would
pump epoxy into the payloads to eliminate all air space before launching them on the
rockets or installing them. And we would do other things to make the device rugged.
If the manufactures did such things to your red dot sight, you would not be able to
afford them.)
Stay fit. Exercise. Your survival, your winning depends on your physical fitness.
When training, target your weaknesses. Ya, doing what you can do well feels good,
but doesn't improve you much.
Understand (research and study if you don't understand) and be aware of your
Sympathetic Nervous System.
Use combat breathing (deep inhale, pause, long exhale, repeat) to lower your
pulse rate, blood pressure, and prevent hyperventilation.
Push yourself in training until you fail. You need to know how fast you can
shoot at a given distance at a given size target and know that you will get hits.
If you don't know, you are negligent.
Be careful about judging your enemy. It's not the size of the person, it's
the fight in the person. [I once watched a Grand Master defeated by a child (who
was a Grand Master with a higher rating) predominantly because the child intentionally
smiled and made immature arm gestures, causing the GM to think that the child
couldn't possible have the maturity to know all the documented openings. Normally,
the GM would have seen the bishop sacrifice for what it was. But, he assumed
it was a mistake, because the opponent was just a child. -- Jon Low]
I spent 4 hours cleaning my rifle after the class. I've done this many times over
the decades. I am efficient. I am well trained in how to clean my rifle. And I
took 4 hours. Cleaning is also a detailed inspection. I found a crack in my firing
pin. So, my firing pin will not break in combat, because I replaced it. If you
don't take pleasure in cleaning your firearms, you're not doing it right. It's
actually a lot of fun.
I attended a Driver Safety School (yes, it was court ordered).
This is what I learned:
Don't drink energy drinks. If you do, you won't feel tired. You will be tired,
you just won't feel it. So, you won't get the warning signs of sleepiness, grogginess,
and such. You'll just pass out without warning from exhaustion. Which is fine if
you happen to be in bed.
Courtesy is an attitude. Cultivate it.
40,000 killed annually, usually between 00:00 and 03:00, because that's when the
bars close. Primarily on Saturday, secondarily on Sunday, tertiarily on Friday.
So, this is when you should NOT be on the road!
Walk around your vehicle before getting in. You might find a nail under your tire.
You might find a child playing behind your car. [You might find a bomb. I did
once in Riyadh. -- Jon Low]
If you are unsure of the unmarked car that is trying to pull you over,
turn on flashers to let him know that you see him, call 911 and ask for confirmation
of this traffic stop, drive to a safe well lit location, wait for a marked car
to show up, stay in your car, windows up, doors locked.
Wear your seat belts.
Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. In Tennessee, you may break
the windows to get the child out of a car, without liability. Call 911.
Fatalities, 40% on curves, 60% on straight aways. Counter intuitive, but true.
Don't stand on the road. Stay in your car. If you can't stay in your car,
wait well off the road, off the shoulder.
Texting causes 6 times more accidents than intoxication.
Splitting the Difference Between Speed and Accuracy
by Bob Jewell, Rangemaster Certified Instructor
https://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020-12_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Excerpt:
". . . my basis for speed is based on not shooting faster than I can make decisions.
That’s not a time determined by a shot timer or your skill level, but rather a time
determined by your brain. For the normal individual, the brain needs between
0.25 – 0.35 seconds to recognize a stimulus and then another 0.2 – 0.3 seconds to decide
how to respond to the stimulus. That puts the speed of decision making at between
0.45 – 0.65 seconds."
[So, if you're shooting faster than that, it's like driving so fast you are out
running your GPS. (correctable) Or, driving so fast you are out running your headlights.
(maybe correctable) Or, driving so fast you can't stop before hitting the deer in front
of you. (not correctable)
In an IDPA match: Shooting and moving so fast you fail to engage a target,
because you didn't see it. (correctable) Shooting so fast that you miss the target,
which means you hit some innocent bystander. (maybe correctable) Shooting so fast
you shoot the no-shoot target before you realized that it was a no-shoot target.
(not correctable)
In a real gunfight . . . -- Jon Low]
What is "Relevant" firearm training? by Marlan Ingram
https://www.openrangesports.com/blogs/blog/what-is-relevant-training/
Hostage Targets: Dangerous Practice — or Useful Skill? by Ralph Mroz and Claude Werner
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/tactics-training/hostage-targets-dangerous-practice-or-useful-skill/
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
----- Practice -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
Effective Dry Practice, by Tom Givens
https://d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2020-11_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
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
Skill Set: Ammo Shortage and Dry Fire by Tiger McKee
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/cadd2e34-8c47-4038-be66-56594a29b573
Chair Qual: Barricade Skills With A Simple Folding Chair by Justin Dyal
https://americancop.com/chair-qual-barricade-skills-with-a-simple-folding-chair/
Always hard against soft (the hard firearm against your soft hand).
Never hard against hard (the hard barricade against your hard firearm).
Because the shock wave from the detonation of your cartridge will cause your firearm
to bounce off any hard surface that it is in contact with; disturbing your accuracy.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM WATCHING ACTUAL GUNFIGHTS by Steve Moses
(Information from “Surviving a Gunfight: The Skills You Need from an Evidence-Based Perspective”
presented by John Correia on September 8, 2019 during the National Rifle Association Personal
Protection Expo in Fort Worth, Texas.)
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/33916
Excerpts:
"If possible, concealed carriers might be well served to stop,
take a breath, and look around before acting."
Training, drills, etc. must be in context.
Concealed carriers should always carry their gun.
Guns should be carried with a round in the chamber.
Concealed carriers should get their first shot on target as fast as they can
and be ready and able to also put follow-up shots on target as fast as they can.
Concealed carriers should be able to perform a fast, reliable draw from the holster.
Concealed carriers should follow the Rules of Firearm Safety even in the middle of a gunfight.
Concealed carriers should think “Smart and Legal” when it comes to the use of deadly force,
which includes knowing when to stop shooting.
www.ActiveSelfProtection.com
"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
----- Techniques -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
Practicing Unconventional Shooting Positions by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/11/13/practicing-unconventional-shooting-positions
This is necessary training.
Off Hand Shooting: Priority or Passing Trend? by Aaron
https://www.bluesheepdog.com/2012/11/02/off-hand-shooting-priority-or-passing-trend/
An essential skill.
Self-Defense Strategy: Command Voice
Here’s how to sound like She Who Must Be Obeyed.
by Wendy LaFever
https://www.nrawomen.com/content/self-defense-strategy-command-voice//
“Am I Overreacting?” How Women Can Tell If Someone Is Really a Threat by Daisy Luther
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/am-i-overreacting-women-threat/
How to Use a Flashlight for Armed Self-Defense by Jeff Gonzales
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/jeff-gonzales-how-to-use-a-flashlight-for-armed-self-defense-pt-1/
When You Shouldn’t Use a Weapon Light by Grant LaVelle
https://www.thearmorylife.com/when-you-shouldnt-use-a-weaponlight/
Do you see the problem with using a red dot sight in low light conditions?
The video clearly shows that the red dot is visible from the front. This is
not an artifact of the video production. This is a real problem.
Mahdi Gilbert Performs Sleight of Hand without Hands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S8hB2XoUb4
The U.S. Olympic Committee has a whole Paralympic section and USA Shooting has
a dedicated Paralympic Coach. They are all about prosthetics. But, here we have
an example of fine articulation without hands and without prosthetics. So, I'm
thinking the solution to shooting for people without hands is not prosthetics to
allow the use of a standard pistol, but rather a differently designed pistol.
Remember there are rifles that use the thumb as the trigger finger, instead of
the index finger (truly ambidextrous). I'm going to write up a list of suggestions
and mail it to Springfield Armory. They have always been good about seriously
considering user suggestions. I encourage you to do the same with your favorite
company.
"Have a plan" by the Tactical Professor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2020/11/06/have-a-plan/
This is deep, as most of the professor's writings are. Following a plan
prevents panic. And it scares the enemy, because you look like you know what
you're doing.
The Importance of Seeing Your Front Sights by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/11/6/the-importance-of-seeing-your-front-sights
Excerpts:
"Don’t duck your head down to the gun, bring the gun up to your head."
"You want to survive a gunfight? Practice until you see those sights,
especially the front sight, each and every time you break a shot."
Oh, it's actually much worse than what the Sheriff alludes to. If you
don't have a sharp clear focus on your front sight, you will miss your intended
target. Which means you will get unintended hits, damaging property and
injuring innocent bystanders, maybe killing them.
Getting my junior rifle team members to bring the rifle up to their
head, rather than bending their neck to bring their eye down to the rifle,
is something we have to work on with every new shooter. This is a real
problem. Focus on it and fix it.
3 Things You Should Know About Close Quarters Battle by Bob Campbell
https://blog.k-var.com/self-defense/close-quarters-battle/
Excerpt:
"It isn’t about being a good shot — it’s about gunhandling."
"If your set of skills is limited to the firearm, you are ill prepared
for the reality of personal defense. Firing at stationary targets at
7 to 10 yards isn’t preparation for a CQB (Close Quarters Battle) event."
Covert Carry versus Concealed Carry by Tom Marshall
https://www.offgridweb.com/preparation/covert-carry-versus-concealed-carry/
Check out Dave Spaulding's technique for clearing the concealment garment,
about 1/8th down the web page.
Check out the photo of presentation from concealment while carrying in
an appendix position while seated. It is effectively impossible to present
to the target without muzzling yourself. This violates our safety rule.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
For this reason alone, appendix carry should never be used.
Yes, I know there is a whole industry build around appendix carry.
And many big name instructors advocate appendix carry. That doesn't make
it right.
The U.S. Army has purchased thousands of Blackhawk SERPA holsters.
That doesn't make their use any less stupid.
4 Reasons to Learn the Isosceles Shooting Stance by Brad Fitzpatrick
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/11/10/4-reasons-to-learn-the-isosceles-shooting-stance/
We teach the Chapman modification of the Weaver position because we claim
that you can use the same position for a handgun and a long gun. Brad is
claiming the same thing for the Isosceles position. If you hold the long gun
in the Isosceles position, your head is pretty far away from the stock.
This forces you to tilt your head to get your eye behind the sights. (Which
a lot of instructors teach.) This is bad because your inner ear is in your head.
So, if you tilt your head, your brain thinks your body is tilted, and so sends
signals to all the muscles in your body to right your body. That's why in
smallbore and air rifle we teach our athletes to keep their head erect to
maintain balance.
Teach the surprise trigger break. You must constantly teach, because there
are always new persons entering our community. Just this year, there are over
5 million first time gun owners. They need training. It is common to hear one
say, "I can't get this gun to group." Teach them the surprise trigger break.
This technique will defeat all of their autonomic nervous system reactions
(pushing in anticipation of recoil, flinching, jerking, freezing, etc.)
to the report and recoil. Like magic their point of impact will match their
point of aim, and they will get tight groups. If you do your job, your student
will have an epiphany. (Ya, I know a lot of instructors don't teach the surprise
break. In my learned opinion, they are wrong.)
How-To Winter Concealed-Carry by Bryce Towsley
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/11/14/how-to-winter-concealed-carry
If an instructor tells you that you don't need a holster and that it is a
waste of money, that instructor is an idiot and should be avoided. You should
also tell your friends and relatives to avoid that instructor.
Toilets! by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/toilets/
Safe Direction® Academy Pad™ $200.00
https://ravelingroup.com/product/safe-direction-academy-pad/
I always use my body armor.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
----- Tactics -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
Evolution of Defensive Tactics by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/11/10/evolution-of-defensive-tactics
Dealing with Disruptive Airline Passengers by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/dealing-with-disruptive-airline-passengers
Your job on the airplane is to watch the air marshal's back. The disruptive
person is a distraction to allow the main attack.
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
----- Education -----
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
In his book, "Principles of Personal Defense", Jeff Cooper refers to a poem by
Rudyard Kipling, "IF". Read by Shane Morris.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SfPf-_OavY&list=WL&index=14
If you haven't read "Principles of Personal Defense" by Jeff Cooper, you should.
My students and I read it to each other in every one of my Defensive Pistol courses.
Please subscribe to Crime Prevention Research Center.
https://crimepreventionresearchcenter.nationbuilder.com/subscribe
Over 300,000 free downloadable USGS topological maps.
https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/national-geospatial-program/us-topo-maps-america
How to Add USGS Topographic Maps to Google Earth
https://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/how-to-add-usgs-topographic-maps-to-google-earth
[How To] Get Your Girlfriend or Wife Interested in Shooting by Alice Jones Webb
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/how-to-get-your-girlfriend-wife-interested-shooting/
Book Review: Serious Mistakes Gunowners Make (Werner, 2019) by Karl Rehn
https://blog.krtraining.com/book-review-serious-mistakes-gunowners-make-werner-2019/
Available at
https://store.payloadz.com/go/?id=2617872
Download PDF file for $8.
America’s Complex Relationship With Guns JUNE 22, 2017
An in-depth look at the attitudes and experiences of U.S. adults
BY KIM PARKER, JULIANA MENASCE HOROWITZ, RUTH IGIELNIK, J. BAXTER OLIPHANT AND ANNA BROWN
https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2017/06/22/americas-complex-relationship-with-guns/
The paper is 8 pages long. It's not just the first web page you see.
Remember the data is just what the respondent says when he fills out the form,
which may have nothing to do with the truth. It's a survey. It's not an observation.
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear -----
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
I got a leather inside the waistband holster for my Springfield Armory XD Tactical 5" barrel
[I carry a Springfield Armory XD because Louis Awerbuck recommended them.]
(which also fits my Springfield Armory XD Service model 4" barrel)
https://www.craftholsters.com/open-muzzle-iwb-holster
from Craft Holsters.
It was initially very stiff and tight. I could not force the pistol into the holster.
But, it comes with a break in kit. You spray the liquid on the interior surface of
the holster, rub it around with the dauber, and then force the pistol in, and let
it sit for a day or so. The break in kit also has a cloth for polishing the holster.
The holster material is high quality. The workmanship is very good.
After a break in period, the holster functioned nicely. (Someday I will learn to read
instructions before attempting to operate.) This is not my first holster from
Craft Holsters, so I do not expect the holster to get loose with time. The others
have not. There is a tension adjustment screw that controls the friction on the trigger
guard that holds the pistol in the holster.
The holster holds the pistol at a 20 degree forward cant. This is not adjustable.
The holster fits my pistol correctly. More importantly, it fits my body correctly.
I have found the holster to be reliable and rugged. I would use it in combat.
They don't start making the holster until you pay for it. So, it takes a few
weeks to be delivered.
I enthusiastically recommend this product, and Craft Holsters in general, as
I have received excellent customer service from them.
Feedback@CraftHolsters.com
for suggestions and such,
or
Support@CraftHolsters.com
for orders and administrative stuff,
or
Help@CraftHolsters.com
for technical stuff.
The CEO is Viktor at
Viktor@CraftHolsters.com
Review of Falco's Vertical Roto Shoulder Holster With Double Magazine Pouch by Docent (title, not a name)
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/2020/11/review-of-falcos-vertical-roto-shoulder.html
This is Mark's review of a shoulder holster rig that he got from Craft Holsters.
The Personal Journey To Your EDC Gun by Richard A. Mann
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/the-personal-journey-to-your-edc-gun
Excerpt:
"Here’s some “hillbilly advice” for you: Suggestions are welcome,
but EDC [Every Day Carry] guns are a bit like underwear — you need to choose your own."
Sig Sauer Settles P320 Class Action Lawsuit Does It Affect You?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VTtnrFPLGs
The Well Armed Woman Concealed Carry Waist-Pak
https://thewellarmedwoman.com/product/the-well-armed-woman-cc-waist-pak/
Definitely an improvement over the fanny pack.
How To Make A Range Kit For Reflex Sight Issues by Chris Christian
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2020/11/6/how-to-make-a-range-kit-for-reflex-sight-issues
If you use red dot sights, heed Chris' words.
Damaged Defensive Ammunition by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/damaged-defensive-ammunition
Greg cites this article by Claude Werner, The Tactical Professor,
https://www.facebook.com/ATLFirearms/photos/i-was-asked-about-the-system-i-use-to-make-sure-duty-ammunition-doesnt-get-chamb/1357565304317577/
“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
Muzzle Brakes, Flash Hiders & Compensators: What They Can (And Can't) Do by Logan Metesh
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/11/12/muzzle-brakes-flash-hiders-compensators-what-they-can-and-cant-do/
I used to think that it was okay for the inside the waistband holster to be loose,
because the pressure of the belt would hold the pistol in place. But, I have changed
my mind. You should be able to turn the holster upside down and shake, and the pistol
should not fall out of the holster. I have come to understand how essential this is.
5 Gun-Related Tools and Items That Will Improve Your Experience by Joshua Gillem
https://www.concealedcarry.com/gear/5-paid-gun-related-tools-and-items-that-will-improve-your-experience/
Maglula Magazine Loader (useful)
LaserDot Trainer (?)
Gun Belt (essential)
Type 3 Malfunction Round (?)
Gun Books (essential)
Michael Mann gave me a few of these during one of his classes. I have found
them useful and effective. I recommend using them in your dry practice.
For 9mm and 40 caliber pistols,
https://www.amazon.com/Rogers-Shooting-School-10-Pack/dp/B087D7TV6D/ref=sr_1_1
For 45 ACP pistols,
https://www.amazon.com/Rogers-Shooting-School-10-Pack/dp/B087D7RG9W/ref=sr_1_2
Ambidextrous pistols: (updated list)
Because, being right handed doesn't mean you're going to be right handed in combat.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following are truly ambidextrous --
The latest FN pistols are ambidextrous, but they are expensive, FN 509
retails for around $900. They're good out of the box, but the grip
doesn't fit my hand.
The latest H&K pistols are ambidextrous. They have the magazine
release lever, as opposed to the button. The VP9 retails for around $600.00.
It's good out of the box and the grip fits my hand nicely.
The Ruger American pistols are ambidextrous. They retail for
around $500. But, they take a bit of gunsmithing to make them reliable.
For me it was worth it because the grip fit my hand and the angle fit my wrist.
The MASADA from IWI US, the U.S. based arm of Israel Weapon Industries (IWI)
is ambidextrous. I've never fondled one, so I can't say anything. MSRP $480
The Honor Defense, Honor Guard pistols are ambidextrous. I've never groped
one, so I can't say anything. They retail for around $300.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following has an ambidextrous magazine release, but not ambidextrous slide stop --
The Springfield Armory XD type pistols have ambidextrous magazine releases.
You can press it from either side to release the magazine. But the slide
lock is only on the left hand side of the pistol.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following have ambidextrous slide stops, but not ambidextrous magazine releases --
The latest Glocks have ambidextrous slide locks. But their magazine release
is reversible, which means you can make it right handed or left handed. That's not
the same as ambidextrous.
SIG Sauer P320 (military version is called M18) has ambidextrous slide locks.
The M-18 also has ambidextrous thumb safeties (but self-defense pistols should
not have thumb safeties, the military having them is bureaucratic stupidity).
The magazine release may be set up as left or right handed, but is not ambidextrous.
Similarly for the P365.
The latest Walthers have ambidextrous slide locks. But their magazine
release is reversible, not ambidextrous.
The S&W M&P's have a slide lock on both sides and a reversible mag release.
The Remington RP45 has a slide lock on both sides and a reversible mag release.
But, there are no instructions in the manual for reversing the mag release. This
pistol takes a lot of gunsmithing to make it reliable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carrying or using a pistol that does not have a trigger guard is tragedy preparing
to happen. I see these pistols / derringers advertised in FMG publications, Guns Magazine,
and elsewhere. This is wrong on many levels. Something will eventually hit the trigger
causing a negligent discharge.
I wore a shoulder holster every workday for several years when I as the armorer
in the First Radio Battalion(, 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific) armory.
So, I know from firsthand experience that shoulder holsters are a bad idea. Pay attention,
watch carefully, slowly present your pistol from your shoulder holster to the target.
Did you muzzle any part of your body? Did you muzzle anything around you? Of course, you
did (if you're honest). This violates our safety rule.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
So, using a shoulder holster is wrong.
Skill Set: “Reset” Magazines by Tiger McKee
https://www.thetacticalwire.com/features/71f9ecd5-b1c1-4283-afaa-873a95d52f0f
Excerpt:
"The best way to get this practice is dry practice. The problem [with] doing this
with a semi auto pistol is what comes after the “press.” To reset the trigger,
you have to hold [the trigger] to the rear, then cycle the slide, then reset the trigger.
My problem with this sequence? Cycling the slide with your finger on the
trigger is a bad habit. In real life it leads to firing a negligent shot, or two.
You’re reloading the pistol, or clearing a stoppage. Finger is on the trigger.
You rack the slide, and at the same time clench your strong hand, which is
holding the pistol. Chances are you’re going to fire a round; often times it’s
more than one. Having the finger on the trigger while manipulating the weapon
is a bad idea."
The referenced item,
Dry Fire Mag
https://www.dryfiremag.com/
May I recommend Perry Ruf-N-Tuf suspenders? I have found them reliable.
They hook onto your gun belt and get some of the weight off your hips. Your
belt loops hold your belt down. The suspenders hold your belt up. This keeps
your gear in place, so that it is where you expect it to be when you need it.
https://www.perrysuspenders.com/online-store/Ruf-N-Tuf-c25452201
“Your car is not a holster.”
– Pat Rogers
----- Technical -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
CCW Weekend: The Effective Range Of A 9mm Is Much Farther Than You Are Thinking by Sam Hoober
https://dailycaller.com/2020/11/07/ccw-weekend-the-effective-range-of-a-9mm-is-much-farther-than-you-are-thinking/
Excerpts:
". . . let’s presume that 200 ft-lbs is something like the minimum
effective energy required to put down a game animal or a man."
G1 ballistic coefficient of 0.130 (typical for 115-gr 9mm projectiles,
both round nose and JHP) a muzzle velocity of 1150 fps -- effective range 150 yards.
9mm NATO loading, a 124-grain projectile at 1200 fps and 396 ft-lbs with a G1
coefficient of 0.145 -- effective range 230 yards.
147-gr 9mm loads have a G1 BC around 0.21, and velocity around 1000 fps
-- effective range 325 yards.
"So you can say that 9mm, in all likelihood, is effective far past the distance
most people can accurately shoot it out to."
[At a course taught by Tony Shankle of Strategic Edge Gun Range in Chapel Hill, TN
we learned that a projectile velocity of about 400 feet per second was required to
break human skin. -- Jon Low]
1911 Duty Tune by Hilton Yam (parts 1 to 5)
https://www.thearmorylife.com/hilton-yam-1911-duty-tune/
https://www.thearmorylife.com/hilton-yam-1911-duty-tune-fieldstripping-teardown-tips/
https://www.thearmorylife.com/hilton-yam-1911-duty-tune-polishing-prepping/
https://www.thearmorylife.com/hilton-yam-1911-duty-tune-fitting-tuning/
https://www.thearmorylife.com/hilton-yam-1911-duty-tune-more-fitting-tuning/
Amazing Manufacturing Process for Bullets, Ammunition and Projectiles - Machines & Modern Technology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Ay0ABdLyU
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
***** ***** ***** Instruction ***** ***** *****
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
----- Instructors -----
Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!
-- John Farnam
I have come to realize that I teach self-defense. The pistol manipulation and live fire
are just to attract students, because the students want something tangible. But, the meat
of the training is the intangible lectures, questions and answers, and discussions. If the
student is properly trained, the student never needs to shoot.
It took me 30 years to realize this (even though other instructor had been telling me
this for years). I'm slow.
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
----- Pedagogy -----
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan
Instructor-to-student ratios for firearms training by Mike Wood
https://www.police1.com/police-products/firearms/training/articles/instructor-to-student-ratios-for-firearms-training-kUOHPWinW5eHW6WN/
Just about all of my classes now days are one-on-one when I'm teaching.
When there are several students, as in a family taking a class together, I
will get one or two assistant instructors to help me. I have the luxury of
not needing the money. But, having run businesses in the past, I understand
that sufficient profit must be made to keep the enterprise running. I just
get very frustrated when I can't address an individual's problems, because
the class must go on.
Teach positive. Teach what to do. Don't talk about what not to do.
-- John Farnam
Your Brain On Music, Or Finding A Beat You Can Fight To by Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/your-brain-on-music-or-finding-a-beat-you-can-fight-to/
“The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference
between taking one’s work seriously and taking one’s self seriously. The first
is imperative and the second is disastrous.”
-- prima ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn
Advanced Coaching Tips For Instructors by Jeff L. Gonzales
https://www.tridentconcepts.com/2020/10/31/advanced-coaching-tips-for-instructors/
An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon
***** ***** ***** Legal, Political, and Philosophical ***** ***** *****
"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
The Second Amendment web page by the Well Armed Woman
https://thewellarmedwoman.com/the-second-amendment-1/
Resources to educate you.
There are no misses, just unintended hits.
"There are no unplanned children – only unplanned parents." -- Rick Warren
Avoidance is the Best Policy for Self Defense by Sheriff Jim Wilson
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2020/10/13/avoidance-is-the-best-policy-for-self-defense
Self-Defense Immunity: How [does] it Work? by Andrew Branca
https://lawofselfdefense.com/news-qa-show-oct-29-2020/
About 2/3rds down the web page. Andrew explains why some attorneys don't let their
clients do a pre-trial Self-Defense Immunity hearing. Ya, it sounds good to have a judge
grant you Self-Defense Immunity, but that isn't necessarily what happens.
FREE Self-Defense Law Mini-Course! by Andrew Branca
https://lawofselfdefense.com/mini/
Wow! This is pretty extensive for a mini-course.
In case you don't understand what is presently going on in the United States of America.
Kristallnacht! by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/kristallnacht/
In case you haven't kept up on the riots and the people defending themselves from the
rioters. The Democrat prosecutors are prosecuting the defenders and neglecting to prosecute
the rioters.
2020 Sees Estimated 7 Million First-Time Gun Owners! by Garrett O’Leary
https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/articles/2020/11/3/2020-sees-estimated-7-million-first-time-gun-owners
Excerpts:
"Data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) shows that 17.2 million
background checks were conducted this year (2020 A.D.) for firearms purchases,
shattering the previous record from 2016 [A.D.] of 15.7 million. "
“I Didn’t Know There Was A Round In There” Improper Gun Handling Scuttles a Self-Defense Claim
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/33942
Excerpt:
" “I didn’t know there was a round in there,” Wafer told McManmon.
If Wafer was telling the truth, without knowing it, he had just scuttled his self-defense claim
because self-defense is a deliberate act. You cannot “accidentally” shoot someone in self-defense.
Firearms instructor and CCW Safe contributor Steve Moses calls it a “negligent discharge,” and
Don West, criminal defense attorney and National Trial Counsel for CCW Safe, says that claiming a
shooting was an accident is essentially confessing to manslaughter."
Lessons in Preparation
An Interview with Erick Gelhaus
Interview by Gila Hayes
https://www.armedcitizensnetwork.org/lessons-in-preparation
Be strong. This could easily happen to you.
15% of Active Shooter Attacks During 2014-19 were Stopped Or Mitigated By Concealed Handgun Permit Holders
by Nikki Goeser
https://crimeresearch.org/2020/11/more-problems-with-the-latest-fbi-reports-14-5-of-active-shooter-attacks-during-2018-19-were-stopped-or-mitigated-by-concealed-handgun-permit-holders-but-misses-more-than-half-the-cases/
5 Cases Where You Should Settle or Plea Bargain By Massad Ayoob
https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2015/11/massad-ayoob-5-cases-where-you-should-settle-or-plea-bargain/#massad-ayoob-law
Excerpt:
"It grinds my teeth as much as it does yours to see an innocent, wrongfully accused man or
woman plead guilty to anything, or have to pay anything. But this column is not about how you
or I would like things to be — it is about how things are. The stark reality of the criminal
and civil justice systems is that sometimes a plea bargain in the one or a settlement in the
other is the best option for the defendant and his family."
[Life is not fair. The sooner you understand this, the sooner you teach your children this,
the sooner you can deal with reality. -- Jon Low]
Can You Count On Justice From the Judge? by U.S. Law Shield
https://www.uslawshield.com/criminal-justice-system-judges/
--------------------- Blog post on self defense insurance ------------------------
(I keep re-posting this because things keep changing.)
Michael Mann did a video on insurance and pre-paid legal plans for church security teams.
https://www.facebook.com/122547545813979/videos/785147812284872/
Do you Need Carry Insurance? Lawyer Andrew Branca shoots us straight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wilf_R5wlNQ
Excerpts: (paraphrased)
Most people are not at zero knowledge. They are at negative 20, because
they know so much stuff that is false. So, to get them to 100% knowledge is
very difficult. You have to educate them out of all of their deeply held
misconceptions.
You have to get the money up front for bail, attorney fees, expert witnesses,
private investigators, expert consultants, etc.
You have to be able to choose your attorney.
The insurance company has to have enough money to actually give it to you.
------------------- Articles comparing carriers -----------------------------
CCW Insurance – Protecting Yourself After You Protect Yourself by Ryan Cleckner
https://www.recoilweb.com/protecting-yourself-after-you-protect-yourself-136637.html
Virginia Citizens Defense League
https://www.vcdl.org/
VCDL legal-plans comparison chart
https://www.vcdl.org/Legal-Plans
You have to scroll down through the web page, or you can download the PDF file at
https://vcdl.org/resources/pdf/Legal_Plan_Comparison.pdf
The numbers to the right of the questions refer to the page numbers, which
are only visible in the PDF document.
This is a very comprehensive comparison. It's a little dated, as it still has
the NRA Carry Guard listed. But, they obviously surveyed every company and got detailed
answers.
6 Concealed Carry Insurance Options To Protect Your Six (comparison in text)
by Gun Digest Editors
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/4-self-defense-insurance-options
Self-Defense Gun Owner Insurance Programs Compared (comparison chart)
https://www.concealedcarry.com/self-defense-gun-owner-insurance-programs-compared/
This web page, the chart, and the PDF file are updated on a regular basis.
Know Your Concealed Carry Insurance Options by Recoil Staff
https://www.recoilweb.com/know-your-concealed-carry-insurance-options-163253.html
------------------- End articles comparing carriers -------------------------
------------------- List of carriers ----------------------------------------
US Law Shield
https://www.uslawshield.com/
State licensed armed guards buy this policy, because they will cover private security.
The others won't.
CCW Safe
https://ccwsafe.com/
Recommended by Andrew Branca.
Legal Shield
https://www.frontsight.com/legalshield/
There are links on this web page to the PDF files with the policy details.
Self Defense Fund
https://www.selfdefensefund.com/
Firearms Legal Protection
https://firearmslegal.com/
Second Call Defense
https://www.secondcalldefense.org/
Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network
https://armedcitizensnetwork.org/
They only pay if they think it was self defense. Which is a real problem, because
there is always a perspective from which what you did was not self defense.
USCCA
https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/
They only pay if they think it was self defense. Which is a real problem, because
there is always a perspective from which what you did was not self defense.
---
"USCCA Sued in Federal Court: Refused to Cover Platinum Member?" by Attorney Andrew Branca
https://lawofselfdefense.com/uscca-sued-in-federal-court-refused-to-cover-platinum-member/
---
Self-defense, or not? Who decides? By Attorney Andrew Branca / October 25, 2019
https://lawofselfdefense.com/self-defense-or-not-who-decides/
---
Attorney Andrew Branca
October 24, 2019 at 5:16 pm
I’ve personally been told by lead counsel that charges were dropped against
their client primarily for the reason that Law of Self Defense had been retained
on the case. Why? Because our being involved means it’s going to be a much harder
fight for the prosecutor than would otherwise have been the case. Doesn’t mean
they can’t necessarily win – but it means they’re going to have to work a lot
harder to get that win than they might have anticipated at the start. The reverse
is also true – every prosecutor knows that if they’re facing a defendant with
limited resources, they’re facing a more vulnerable defendant. Absolutely plays
a role in their decision making.
–Andrew
Attorney Andrew F. Branca
Law of Self Defense LLC
------------------- End list of carriers -------------------------------------
You have to do your own comparison to see what works best for you,
because these plans have significant differences. Check out which states
they are not valid in. Check out all the things they exclude.
Check out all the caps (limits on the amount of money that they will pay).
Some of the carriers will only pay if they think it was self-defense.
(This is a real problem, because there is no such thing as a perfect combat
operation. No matter how justified you think your actions were, there is
a perspective from which what you did was murder.) The devil is in the details.
Most of these plans won't cover domestic disputes. We never consider
having to defend ourselves from our spouse, lover, etc. But, ask any detective,
"Who is the prime suspect in any non-gang-related homicide?" They will tell
you, the spouse, the girlfriend/boyfriend, the lover; because statistically,
that is the person who did it. (No, really, I was a cop.)
Yes, there are lots of other insurance plans, but if I thought it was
stupid (like Lockton), I did not list it above. I did not list any of the plans
that reimburse upon acquittal, because they have a huge financial incentive
to see you convicted. And you need the money up front to pay for bail,
attorneys, private investigators, expert witnesses, consulting experts, etc.
So, buying a reimbursement plan is an act of criminal stupidity.
Just like criminals, prosecutors are looking for an easy win, not an
tough fight. So, if you can convince the prosecutor that you have money
and expertise to fight them, they are more likely to drop the charges or
offer you a better plea deal.
If you take a plea deal (confess to a crime that you did not commit),
you will have to explain your lie to God in the end.
--------------------- End blog post on self defense insurance --------------------
“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 an dishonorable population
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788
***** ***** ***** Survival, Medical, Security, and such ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
"Medical advances mask epidemic of violence by cutting murder rate" by Roger Dobson
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1124155/
"Here is a medical study about something I’ve been preaching for years.
The actual murder rate would be five times as high as it is without
the intervention of modern trauma care. It’s not that people aren’t
trying to kill each other — it’s that modern trauma care allows a
much lower percentage of victims to die."
-- Tom Givens
From Shooter's Paradise on
"Convenience stores are the watering holes of modern society."
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2347672005379482&id=680276712119028
10 recommendations for staying safe at gas station convenience stores.
Why (& How) Your EDC Should Include a First-Aid Kit by Kevin Creighton
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/11/5/why-how-your-edc-should-include-a-first-aid-kit/
9 Cold-Weather Hunting Prescriptions From a Doctor by George Dvorchak, M.D.
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/10/29/9-cold-weather-hunting-prescriptions-from-a-doctor/
Willingness is a state of mind.
Preparedness (or lack thereof) is a fact.
***** ***** ***** Basics ***** ***** *****
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
Crime-Proof Your Kids by Brad Fitzpatrick
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/10/31/crime-proof-your-kids
Because you can't be with your kids all the time.
Range Safety & Etiquette, Part I by NRA Staff
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/11/16/range-safety-etiquette-part-i/
***** ***** ***** Miscellany ***** ***** *****
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
Tennessee -- Vocal Second Amendment rights supporter Asya Branch was crowned Miss USA in Memphis, TN.
America's Most Heavily Armed States
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXuU-xqDuGw
The number of guns per 1000 people in each state, the number of guns, and the number of people.
The World’s 10 Worst Gun Ideas & Accessories by Travis Pike
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/worlds-worst-gun-ideas-accessories/
New levels of criminal stupidity.
Offended. by Heather Lynn Oh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEcN8-6tCj0
A bit of truth.
“So what is it, exactly, that you do, Marcus?” by Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/so-what-is-it-exactly-that-you-do-marcus/
"I drink coffee and know things."
Jon's commentary --
I don't watch TV. I got rid of the TV sets from my house in 1996.
My ex-wife was using the TV as a baby sitter. I could see my children
getting turned into zombies by the TV. It was frightening. So, I just
got rid of all of the TV sets in the house. When my children were in
high school, they said the other kids thought they were funny because
they did not watch TV, so they did not know about the TV shows that the
other kids talked about at school. But, my kids were healthier,
mentally and physically. Sitting around watching TV is the opposite
of exercise. TV destroys imagination. When one reads a book, the mind
creates images. When one watches TV, the video suppresses and overrides
any images one's mind would create. After a while, the TV watcher cannot
create images. So, the TV watcher has a hard time reading books, because
his mind cannot generate images from the text that he is reading.
For instance, he cannot imagine a tesseract. Much less rotate it around
in space to view it from different angles.
It is very sad. Most people don't notice it because they don't read,
they just watch videos.
If you don't believe me, try abstaining from your video media
consumption for a week. When teachers do this with high school
students the results are always shocking. It's much more addictive than heroin.
TV hasn't been around that long. TV station W3XK aired its first broadcast
on July 2, 1928. When I was in high school, TV had only been around for
50 years. I remember watching black and white TV. I remember the
Indian head.
Excerpt from a letter that I had to write:
. . .
Teach your children to take responsibility for things they borrow.
If you damage it, fix it. If it gets lost or stolen, replace it. If you're
not willing to do this, you have no business borrowing in the first
place. Such is being honorable. To shirk this responsibility is to be
dishonorable.
Teach your children that the world does not owe them anything.
The government does not owe them anything. No one owes them
anything. The only thing they are entitled to is that which they have
earned through honest labor. If your daughter thinks she is a princess,
she will be bitterly disappointed when she is not treated as such in
the real world. This will generate anger and frustration. You job as
a parent is to manage expectations. So that your children will be
happy. Explain to your children that if they have little education,
training, or experience, they contribute little and so will be paid little.
These things were made obvious to me when I was a child.
But, there are so many today for whom these are foreign concepts.
My friends who run small businesses in Nashville tell me it is
impossible to hire young persons because they feel they deserve
much more than the profit they generate.
. . .
Why and How to Meet People At The Shooting Range by Joshua Gillem
https://www.concealedcarry.com/firearms-ownership/why-and-how-to-meet-people-at-the-shooting-range/
How to get ammo from your friends with massive stockpiles:
tell them that you are teaching female students, and that your
students need ammo for the defensive pistol course. It's worked
every time for me. Of course, it's always been the truth.
You know how the ice cream trucks play music to call the children
out to buy ice cream? Well, the drug dealers in Nashville do the same
thing. Last night at around 23:00, two cars parked in the parking lot
of my apartment complex are blasting music. So, I go down to ask them
to turn down the music, as people are sleeping. I notice the four
tough looking men (by their attire and tattoos, I suspect they
are Vice Lords) are dealing drugs and have their wares on display.
I tell them not to deal drugs in my neighborhood, and to get out of my
parking lot. Two of them start converging on my flanks, so I step back
(to keep them all in my field of view), pull up my concealment garment,
and establish a high tight grip on my pistol. I'm not looking for a fair
fight. As Secretary Colin Powell said, I will kill them as quickly and
efficiently as possible. They get into their cars and depart.
I call the police non-emergency line to report the incident. The
officer tells me to call vice. I call vice. The officer who answers
the phone, tells me to call back Monday morning, as vice only works Monday
through Friday, 9 to 5. I call back Monday morning and give a detailed
description of the persons and vehicles. The lady vice officer tells me
there is nothing they can do about it, and tells me not to cause trouble.
Such is the Metro Nashville Police Department. (When Black Lives Matter
blocked Interstate 40, instead of clearing the protesters off the road,
the Metro Nashville Police Department served coffee to the protesters.)
All kinds of neat stuff at:
Practical Eschatology by Mark
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
The Tactical Professor by Claude Werner
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/
Active Response Training by Gregg Ellifritz
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
Quips by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/quips/
Rangemaster newsletter by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/publications/rangemaster-newsletter/
CIVILIAN DEFENDER by Sherman House
https://civiliandefender.com/
Handgun Combatives by Dave Spaulding
https://www.youtube.com/c/handguncombatives/videos
Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/blog/
Shout out to our reader in Cherepovets, Russia. I found your address on Google Maps.
“In the long-run, there is no such thing as ‘luck’.
However, the short-run is longer than many individual lifetimes!”
-- Anon
/* Initialization Vector from the HotBits radioactive random number generator,
which means this pattern is random and unique.
*/
unsigned char IV[2048] = {
191, 106, 34, 6, 85, 102, 85, 41, 55, 170, 154, 115, 251, 48, 244, 237,
3, 149, 191, 64, 210, 152, 253, 32, 96, 91, 148, 224, 241, 73, 228, 28,
47, 188, 132, 141, 167, 10, 81, 125, 60, 77, 57, 31, 79, 238, 24, 153,
96, 60, 133, 173, 6, 22, 220, 212, 75, 48, 206, 194, 60, 252, 89, 141,
89, 169, 173, 74, 47, 121, 166, 119, 1, 173, 158, 145, 76, 23, 41, 59,
198, 165, 87, 232, 157, 177, 190, 119, 154, 73, 130, 87, 106, 246, 104,
34, 164, 91, 247, 145, 28, 177, 146, 12, 254, 245, 30, 46, 227, 107,
206, 12, 217, 49, 228, 114, 127, 54, 204, 132, 179, 112, 245, 118, 97,
125, 182, 166, 8, 65, 242, 107, 15, 168, 100, 187, 42, 112, 246, 117,
194, 219, 34, 137, 0, 119, 12, 60, 122, 138, 119, 9, 187, 203, 167, 123,
54, 232, 211, 180, 201, 161, 18, 148, 62, 173, 25, 32, 247, 166, 111,
130, 172, 49, 222, 84, 11, 80, 69, 30, 199, 129, 196, 151, 138, 241,
90, 167, 227, 227, 78, 172, 205, 11, 189, 20, 9, 207, 210, 176, 41, 253,
143, 36, 53, 225, 52, 64, 64, 176, 40, 131, 121, 12, 29, 199, 80, 49,
113, 6, 200, 77, 103, 49, 159, 228, 125, 239, 206, 153, 170, 141, 200,
137, 153, 4, 254, 108, 120, 7, 247, 28, 98, 57, 140, 19, 43, 77, 31,
53, 169, 106, 81, 82, 137, 122, 109, 41, 179, 197, 203, 245, 178, 144,
54, 16, 180, 51, 184, 99, 47, 14, 136, 189, 40, 156, 90, 174, 231, 249,
71, 145, 126, 180, 70, 193, 85, 240, 12, 91, 199, 251, 85, 195, 9, 133,
188, 166, 232, 230, 174, 216, 55, 224, 114, 171, 154, 215, 100, 233,
144, 75, 195, 244, 176, 97, 100, 234, 92, 48, 252, 108, 25, 213, 38,
11, 153, 89, 98, 221, 25, 191, 182, 216, 29, 179, 200, 237, 28, 91, 239,
72, 16, 155, 221, 120, 193, 184, 163, 216, 252, 91, 118, 233, 183, 40,
131, 67, 213, 47, 115, 249, 31, 129, 71, 201, 33, 164, 143, 0, 230, 212,
100, 252, 194, 64, 168, 10, 112, 73, 185, 63, 220, 100, 127, 48, 30,
180, 128, 222, 33, 178, 128, 39, 221, 137, 175, 251, 5, 124, 199, 83,
223, 135, 243, 234, 122, 85, 128, 84, 133, 16, 120, 92, 231, 146, 244,
238, 4, 23, 169, 55, 105, 105, 90, 111, 160, 196, 159, 236, 110, 6, 5,
185, 1, 66, 174, 114, 77, 210, 242, 104, 33, 86, 167, 28, 243, 210, 21,
58, 31, 230, 152, 1, 178, 156, 218, 237, 48, 150, 96, 16, 226, 178, 37,
181, 154, 128, 9, 63, 239, 57, 10, 110, 96, 63, 89, 248, 234, 56, 62,
61, 138, 109, 194, 82, 24, 109, 241, 9, 29, 137, 211, 9, 85, 61, 74,
215, 197, 182, 140, 149, 33, 125, 70, 218, 87, 6, 134, 106, 49, 165,
0, 72, 11, 162, 22, 158, 165, 38, 214, 61, 230, 30, 14, 95, 113, 195,
11, 175, 145, 164, 111, 171, 85, 159, 87, 165, 131, 65, 24, 186, 107,
211, 181, 178, 85, 161, 216, 119, 220, 126, 200, 148, 169, 182, 7, 93,
204, 98, 161, 169, 139, 184, 137, 81, 183, 100, 158, 131, 145, 81, 103,
132, 58, 56, 191, 125, 15, 167, 193, 161, 46, 131, 83, 66, 222, 60, 135,
201, 137, 66, 78, 205, 237, 93, 11, 117, 201, 42, 114, 79, 48, 175, 169,
172, 77, 114, 31, 247, 216, 186, 25, 190, 134, 160, 221, 78, 63, 101,
107, 207, 79, 167, 13, 84, 4, 45, 1, 199, 42, 118, 53, 10, 149, 200,
193, 87, 37, 41, 73, 72, 131, 41, 15, 76, 17, 194, 157, 176, 171, 203,
121, 123, 50, 25, 45, 148, 124, 168, 229, 70, 160, 118, 134, 160, 238,
35, 52, 54, 174, 82, 201, 74, 122, 80, 202, 17, 255, 251, 113, 64, 118,
210, 243, 0, 126, 49, 109, 19, 138, 3, 204, 180, 69, 142, 161, 18, 204,
152, 156, 200, 69, 13, 119, 226, 239, 249, 48, 27, 88, 92, 70, 134, 188,
123, 52, 77, 104, 175, 239, 5, 252, 108, 196, 77, 139, 69, 237, 154,
85, 148, 199, 148, 254, 180, 40, 231, 123, 247, 155, 150, 119, 232, 151,
55, 51, 24, 60, 204, 183, 187, 75, 164, 50, 133, 174, 126, 115, 24, 42,
204, 70, 71, 22, 235, 164, 12, 90, 212, 24, 40, 10, 45, 117, 227, 97,
187, 204, 157, 118, 147, 122, 80, 47, 224, 122, 148, 192, 31, 103, 2,
112, 185, 177, 166, 247, 247, 175, 96, 190, 18, 110, 183, 83, 149, 246,
45, 77, 219, 1, 123, 24, 79, 230, 75, 188, 22, 73, 128, 66, 135, 99,
19, 41, 178, 31, 75, 47, 144, 98, 23, 237, 103, 31, 42, 110, 206, 55,
71, 165, 236, 155, 11, 159, 27, 235, 41, 153, 141, 228, 6, 57, 236, 140,
158, 229, 255, 70, 5, 216, 220, 21, 240, 143, 209, 231, 220, 98, 160,
154, 176, 208, 98, 13, 2, 48, 143, 0, 173, 214, 64, 8, 255, 63, 211,
143, 154, 251, 125, 236, 8, 113, 206, 238, 165, 28, 158, 69, 224, 144,
22, 228, 46, 200, 162, 136, 176, 90, 152, 8, 195, 108, 20, 140, 150,
200, 39, 11, 120, 219, 150, 179, 108, 118, 133, 33, 76, 252, 81, 250,
28, 22, 133, 76, 1, 46, 75, 14, 81, 92, 61, 223, 76, 169, 45, 68, 104,
12, 20, 221, 96, 158, 48, 180, 247, 93, 238, 76, 131, 96, 26, 212, 88,
237, 199, 184, 103, 143, 178, 142, 103, 218, 121, 146, 250, 247, 1, 212,
115, 88, 149, 24, 229, 142, 251, 190, 226, 153, 94, 76, 89, 211, 104,
10, 230, 161, 131, 242, 35, 248, 216, 229, 252, 8, 208, 17, 31, 228,
218, 235, 190, 126, 187, 77, 220, 152, 86, 111, 14, 73, 91, 208, 42,
125, 151, 113, 44, 27, 76, 2, 108, 219, 76, 18, 127, 167, 39, 247, 197,
96, 178, 242, 101, 51, 120, 229, 65, 85, 240, 56, 102, 235, 163, 40,
164, 24, 238, 90, 159, 196, 147, 195, 40, 248, 118, 214, 97, 2, 193,
99, 106, 43, 29, 6, 189, 83, 232, 18, 33, 85, 202, 46, 19, 244, 202,
55, 204, 102, 140, 91, 19, 231, 162, 81, 152, 52, 71, 170, 181, 47, 103,
64, 119, 72, 155, 121, 179, 251, 208, 58, 31, 197, 17, 139, 245, 173,
171, 184, 53, 229, 169, 66, 84, 161, 65, 254, 71, 194, 221, 140, 180,
51, 254, 140, 84, 140, 9, 219, 74, 38, 168, 230, 91, 124, 215, 95, 100,
246, 197, 55, 144, 133, 135, 50, 113, 177, 9, 138, 178, 6, 135, 232,
148, 65, 202, 249, 229, 24, 217, 31, 165, 45, 20, 105, 175, 81, 94, 251,
17, 215, 47, 13, 80, 27, 118, 247, 98, 161, 18, 106, 193, 210, 75, 12,
97, 146, 178, 226, 160, 81, 235, 222, 122, 64, 244, 147, 248, 24, 17,
46, 42, 46, 50, 205, 187, 122, 154, 216, 243, 55, 245, 178, 24, 165,
184, 250, 124, 134, 212, 242, 54, 244, 158, 203, 136, 80, 79, 28, 55,
174, 191, 247, 215, 191, 190, 143, 74, 162, 141, 239, 150, 82, 201, 96,
72, 31, 57, 158, 48, 167, 151, 220, 10, 97, 100, 86, 91, 58, 251, 2,
143, 74, 254, 115, 86, 3, 206, 52, 35, 62, 31, 15, 140, 91, 156, 175,
239, 207, 124, 119, 106, 148, 223, 5, 185, 12, 51, 118, 169, 240, 88,
77, 87, 223, 90, 244, 56, 47, 17, 195, 222, 174, 108, 251, 124, 116,
41, 105, 241, 84, 218, 105, 99, 53, 76, 215, 7, 242, 47, 189, 139, 216,
130, 177, 66, 125, 219, 162, 87, 4, 14, 208, 141, 148, 157, 115, 101,
47, 209, 98, 153, 254, 239, 245, 151, 63, 52, 38, 20, 197, 204, 153,
56, 124, 156, 49, 52, 84, 179, 89, 209, 136, 251, 221, 70, 244, 104,
87, 54, 222, 218, 81, 32, 182, 8, 19, 221, 8, 227, 193, 58, 255, 141,
5, 64, 255, 225, 89, 196, 243, 181, 222, 175, 242, 73, 22, 66, 9, 42,
158, 82, 7, 151, 178, 31, 244, 29, 49, 133, 25, 134, 59, 123, 153, 23,
14, 200, 218, 61, 99, 97, 189, 245, 108, 37, 164, 12, 241, 241, 61, 118,
33, 125, 61, 23, 156, 246, 117, 59, 118, 204, 224, 46, 150, 141, 129,
133, 155, 210, 222, 172, 66, 34, 182, 162, 33, 162, 110, 84, 45, 22,
150, 186, 161, 79, 96, 131, 189, 181, 7, 99, 22, 23, 122, 238, 107, 233,
77, 167, 38, 104, 153, 116, 37, 169, 47, 72, 88, 80, 191, 76, 214, 44,
28, 226, 118, 45, 48, 101, 3, 32, 185, 136, 168, 98, 210, 246, 148, 119,
91, 81, 92, 106, 20, 12, 152, 207, 117, 183, 42, 113, 194, 191, 228,
66, 219, 133, 50, 116, 73, 15, 60, 183, 149, 164, 198, 9, 96, 55, 155,
136, 54, 13, 29, 139, 17, 142, 84, 181, 138, 157, 125, 187, 59, 11, 129,
166, 30, 6, 223, 153, 103, 177, 29, 62, 192, 202, 216, 178, 61, 235,
95, 73, 192, 85, 219, 179, 243, 151, 237, 105, 57, 118, 77, 24, 110,
246, 192, 236, 163, 45, 84, 105, 237, 46, 36, 99, 224, 246, 5, 180, 154,
171, 167, 221, 24, 31, 73, 244, 161, 252, 43, 198, 108, 12, 144, 138,
145, 26, 160, 92, 164, 114, 114, 102, 224, 10, 137, 126, 195, 172, 255,
61, 91, 52, 20, 121, 65, 177, 124, 136, 252, 23, 4, 234, 123, 76, 113,
49, 58, 150, 155, 203, 12, 135, 116, 38, 65, 15, 88, 43, 18, 249, 44,
43, 189, 44, 37, 204, 85, 236, 112, 81, 236, 203, 0, 120, 182, 194, 248,
216, 60, 168, 104, 21, 52, 187, 18, 241, 231, 6, 134, 252, 62, 230, 55,
195, 7, 242, 158, 40, 220, 254, 197, 150, 245, 104, 1, 241, 122, 103,
48, 251, 149, 149, 146, 186, 16, 150, 78, 203, 97, 104, 50, 80, 34, 152,
44, 171, 166, 151, 74, 182, 248, 216, 57, 86, 140, 142, 80, 88, 185,
181, 110, 228, 198, 144, 229, 2, 225, 211, 36, 54, 127, 182, 25, 91,
131, 170, 109, 35, 171, 37, 177, 154, 29, 168, 146, 26, 82, 201, 39,
137, 18, 232, 12, 213, 223, 165, 150, 114, 168, 249, 36, 191, 215, 118,
163, 93, 159, 179, 222, 245, 152, 17, 32, 96, 253, 241, 233, 229, 110,
109, 195, 21, 57, 227, 15, 59, 16, 173, 58, 114, 198, 250, 17, 36, 179,
55, 53, 73, 246, 146, 138, 114, 110, 143, 2, 110, 103, 118, 129, 17,
122, 147, 214, 81, 66, 122, 81, 105, 30, 1, 64, 131, 182, 3, 154, 30,
147, 174, 82, 98, 237, 180, 202, 222, 56, 118, 27, 86, 210, 162, 62,
23, 79, 75, 12, 59, 66, 174, 0, 211, 156, 70, 178, 65, 122, 151, 252,
216, 162, 200, 165, 88, 54, 252, 135, 99, 13, 202, 33, 162, 2, 144, 62,
182, 43, 36, 153, 114, 244, 148, 45, 83, 17, 136, 240, 218, 108, 164,
13, 106, 204, 34, 12, 162, 86, 142, 169, 84, 181, 76, 183, 181, 216,
251, 218, 184, 187, 29, 13, 163, 12, 235, 40, 28, 142, 218, 2, 73, 9,
17, 12, 28, 212, 0, 194, 118, 192, 39, 49, 178, 247, 147, 28, 20, 45,
172, 112, 113, 154, 126, 29, 33, 8, 64, 234, 81, 179, 58, 138, 82, 202,
106, 191, 19, 201, 207, 105, 111, 237, 53, 56, 255, 82, 79, 201, 228,
32, 245, 211, 199, 173, 21, 203, 178, 238, 117, 162, 45, 16, 161, 204,
91, 199, 81, 154, 182, 207, 142, 34, 208, 189, 143, 223, 36, 218, 92,
222, 5, 45, 10, 188, 102, 153, 97, 78, 215, 102, 218, 112, 181, 185,
33, 110, 249
};
When I was a child, I would ask my mother for help with my math homework.
I would wonder who the grown ups at the Puzzle Palace asked?
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
