Check her out on Spotify.com, YouTube.com, Facebook.com, and Instagram.com.
Greetings Sheepdogs,
Put your phone away! Look around! Yes, that guy is deciding to attack you!
"That's paranoid. He didn't attack me."
That's because you put your phone down and looked around. He saw that
you saw him. That's a big win for you.
The federal government shut down and I didn't notice. Did you?
U.S. Space Force recruiting web site.
If you sleep enough to wake up naturally (not awaken by alarm, not awaken by
by sunrise), drink enough water to always generate large volumes of clear urine,
read the ingredients on the packaging so as to never eat toxic chemicals, exercise
everyday, avoid drugs (including nicotine and alcohol), and honorably chase girls
without fear of being accused of making them "uncomfortable"; you too will be
mistaken for a 30 year old when 66 and will be able to pass your grandchildren
off as your children.
If you go out to eat, it should be at restaurants where families bring their children.
(If there are no children or babies, that is a minus.)
Where people sit on cushions on the floor is a plus.
Where people recline on the floor while eating is a plus.
(Armed guards at the door and metal detectors at the door is a minus.)
"WomenForGunRights.org"
"ROBYN SANDOVAL:
Women don't need gun control activists telling them how to defend themselves"
*************************************************************************
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 --
Signals Intelligence
Cryptology
Religion and Politics
"No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
-- Thomas Jefferson
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
Things you can do to avoid the lethal force incident.
“It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle.
It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.”
-- Norman Schwarzkopf
“To those who have fought for it,
freedom has a flavor that the protected will never know.”
― P. McCree Thornton
Table of sections:
Mindset
Safety
Training
Psychology
Practice
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Mindset and Attitude --------------------------------
Figuring out the correct way to think.
"Prepared Isn’t Paranoid. It’s Love With a Plan" by Mitch Goerdt
Well thought out. Worth reading.
"Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist.
Children already know that dragons exist.
Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed."
-- G.K. Chesterton
Jeff Cooper's Combat Triad -- (all equally important)
* Mindset:
Awareness (who is around you and what are they doing).
Acceptance (of reality, as opposed to living in a delusion as the vast majority
of persons do).
Avoidance (you can usually walk away, if you're aware of what's going on).
Aggression (being a scared bunny causes the bad guy to go into predator mode,
if you are aggressive you can win).
* Gun-Handling:
Presentation (from concealment, surreptitious, to the ready, to the target, etc.).
Reloading (even if you don't expend all of the rounds in your magazine, because
you don't know when the fight will end).
Clearing malfunctions (quite common in combat, especially close combat).
* Marksmanship:
Accuracy (is predominantly grip, sight alignment, and trigger control [As a matter
of fact, sight movie doesn't matter that much, unless you are intentionally not
aiming at the heart or brain. Sight movie is pretty much automatic if you have
practiced at all.]). If you hit a vital organ (heart or brain) to incapacitate the enemy,
you will win.
Speed (is a function of how well and how much you have practiced). If you hit
first and incapacitate the enemy, you will win.
[Speed and accuracy are under your control in real time.]
Power (is what you bring to the fight. Carry enough power, so that when
you need it, you will have enough. Barrel length of at least 4 inches. Caliber
of at least 9mm.) If you hit with enough power to incapacitate the enemy,
you will win.
[Thanks to Tom Givens.]
‟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
"Concealed Carry in the Era of Terror Revisited" by John Murphy
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpts:
"Prepare your mind for mass chaos and carnage."
"IF you are of the habit of keeping a weapon in your car,
please commit to bringing it into your house at night,
otherwise you’re inviting highly consequential theft."
How do I overcome my fear?
"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
So by acquiring expert training, and practicing what you have learned in training,
you will be able to operate correctly during times of fear. Only psychotic or ignorant
persons don't fear. We, normal people, fear. We, trained people, use our training and
practice to overcome out fear.
‟Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice.”
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, U.S. Navy
"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
"Before all else, be armed." -- Nicolo Machiavelli
"Criminal Mindset – Make Yourself Harder to Kill" by Travis Pike
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Wow! Look at all the information you leak.
"The line between everyday life and sudden violence is thinner than most realize."
-- Tim Larkin
"Do You Tell Your Kids You Carry A Gun?" by Sammy Reese
"Firearms are second only to the constitution in importance,
they are the people's liberty's teeth." -- George Washington
"Yet my pistol is more than just security. Like an Othodox Jewish yarmulke or
a Christian cross, it is a symbol of who I am, what I believe, and the moral standards
by which I live."
-- Finn Aagard
Some will only use their pistol to defend themselves or their families. Some will
use their pistols to defend strangers. Best to have this all worked out in your mind
ahead of time. Because you won't have time to dither when the bullets start flying.
Such ARE your moral standards.
Nolwenn Delmas
"Be so focused on watering your grass that
you don't have time to check if someone else's is greener."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"The price of safety: the man or the bear" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
The price of safety is civility. Ya, as long as you're dealing with civil persons.
With uncivilized persons (psychopaths), the price is pre-emptive strike.
"Survival is a mindset, not a skill set."
-- Greg Shaffer
"Dread: understanding evil" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
Ya, this is heavy, but you're a big boy.
"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
"Limitations make you better: figure out your batman rules" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
An ethical framework. Without which you're not going to shoot the correct person.
“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
Email from Tim Larkin --
I've spent 30 years in rooms with some of the most dangerous people on the planet.
Navy SEALs who've killed with their bare hands. Federal agents who hunt terrorists
for a living. Special Forces operators whose names you'll never know.
But also . . .
Criminals who've murdered without hesitation. Cartel enforcers who view violence
as a business tool. Psychopaths who enjoy inflicting pain.
And after three decades of studying how violence really works . . .
After training both the heroes and witnessing the methods of monsters . . .
I've learned something that will disturb you. The "bad guys" are better at violence
than the "good guys." Not because they're stronger. Not because they're smarter.
But because they understand something our heroes have forgotten.
Violence isn't about technique. It's not about style. It's not about fighting "fair".
Violence is a tool. And like any tool, it works best when you understand its true
purpose. A hammer isn't designed to be pretty. It's designed to drive nails.
Violence isn't designed to be civilized. It's designed to end threats.
But somewhere along the way, we started teaching our protectors to use
violence like it was an art form instead of a survival tool. We gave them rules.
Levels. Procedures. Meanwhile, the predators kept using violence the way
nature intended. Suddenly. Brutally. Effectively.
The result?
Two federal agents dead . . . despite world-class training.
Countless officers injured by suspects who "shouldn't" have been able to resist.
Citizens who freeze when violence strikes because their training taught them
to escalate gradually in a world where threats go from zero to lethal instantly.
. . .
Stay Safe,
Tim Larkin
P.S. I wish I could tell you that violence follows rules. That predators will
give you time to respond. That your training will automatically work when
you need it. But 30 years has taught me otherwise. The truth isn't comfortable.
But it might save your life.
‷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
"Have your affairs in order."
-- John Hearne
"An unarmed man can only flee from evil and
evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." -- Jeff Cooper
"Your life is as good as your mindset." -- Nicola Cavanis
The Warrior's Prayer
Dear God,
Please give us discernment to distinguish
friend from foe from innocent bystanders.
Give us clear vision so our aim is true.
Give us calm so we execute correctly.
Give us spiritual maturity so that we stop the attack
without excessive force, without revenge.
Amen
"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
*******************************************************************************
------------------------------ 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
"Threat!" by John Farnam
"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)
[Terms at the beginning of the line are the NRA terms.
Terms at the end of the line are Col. Cooper's terms.]
This was actually developed by the U.S. Marine Corps before World War 2.
The colors are meaningless and so the human must reference the word at the start
of the line from the color. An unnecessary and confusing level of indirection.
Which is bad andragogy. Just use the words. Don't use the colors. Using the
colors may enhance your mystique, but it doesn't help your students.
"An officer may be forgiven for losing a battle,
but never for being taken by surprise."
-- Jeff Cooper
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Safety --------------------------------
How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
How to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders.
How to prevent unauthorized persons from using your guns.
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 (and in the register position)
UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET. (and what's behind it)
---
RULE V: Maintain control of your gun. -- Stephen P. Wenger
[You will often hear Rule 1 stated as, "Treat all weapons as if they are loaded."
Here the shooter is pretending the gun is loaded; "as if they are loaded".
This is very different from believing the gun is loaded, as in
"ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED."
You never want to play pretend anything with guns.
Oh yes, I am aware of the arguments. You should be too. Understand and decide.]
"Another Shooting in a Gun-free Zone:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in
Grand Blanc Township, Michigan,
at least three murdered, eight wounded"
The church leaders prohibit guns in church, effectively creating unarmed victims
for armed criminals to prey upon. Never look at the intent. Always look at the result.
"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
"Modern-Day Church Security" by Steve Moses
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.
"The 3 Most Common Safety Violations At The Gun Range" by Jacob Paulsen
"Gut feelings are guardian angels."
-- Nicola Cavanis
In our community people talk about being the gray man.
Jordan Peterson explains how prey animals camouflage against the herd.
"Safety is something that happens between your ears,
not something you hold in your hands."
-- Jeff Cooper
"GRPC 2025 John Lott" by Second Amendment Foundation
"Understanding mass murders and how to stop them"
The FBI is corrupt. No other explination.
"It's easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble."
-- Claude Werner
"Plan" by John Farnam
“ If people had been as mealy-mouthed in centuries past as they are today,
‘Ivan the Terrible’ would have been ‘Ivan the Inappropriate!’ ”
-- Thomas Sowell
"You are not responsible for negative reactions to your boundaries."
-- Nicola Cavanis
The meat is at 2:00 / 3:24.
"Not Knowing This Could Be Very Dangerous" by Hickok45
*************************************************************************
If I follow you home, will you keep me?
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Training --------------------------------
Figuring out the correct tasks to practice.
Your shooting / self-defense class should be teaching you how to avoid the lethal force
incident in the first place. Remember what Michael Mann says, "Prevention, not reaction."
If all you're learning is how to shoot fast and accurately, that's all well and fine. But, that's
reaction.
There are a myriad of techniques to avoid the confrontation. Learn them and practice
them. Pay attention to what's going on around you, avoid, de-escalate, disengage, escape.
Remember we are not police. We have no duty to pursue and arrest.
We are not military. We have no duty to destroy the enemy by maneuver and fire,
nor to close with the enemy and destroy them by fire and close combat.
Our only duty is to protect ourselves and our loved ones. If the bad guy forces us
to use lethal force, so be it. But recognize that that means you failed to: pay attention
to what's going on around you, avoid, de-escalate, disengage, and escape.
"What the FBI Data Really Says About Self-Defense Shootings –
And Why Most CPL Classes Miss the Mark"
by Rick Billington
https://www.shootingclasses.com/blog/posts/what-the-fbi-data-really-says-about-self-defense-shootings-and-why-most-cpl-classes-miss-the-mark/
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)
"Ill-advised!" by John Farnam
Carry your pistol loaded. (Never carry your pistol with an empty chamber.)
Shoot to the heart or brain. (Never shoot to wound.)
“Never do your enemy a ‘minor injury’. ” -- Niccolo Machiavelli
“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
FREE Calibre Press Webinar
Sponsored by Vector Solutions
Thursday, October 30, 2025
10AM - 12:00PM CST
"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
MeadHall Newsletter Oct 2025
2025 Schedule
---
Pistol-training.com – Simon Golob – Oct 11-12 (Sold Out)
On Demand Performance Pistol
On Demand Performance Rifle Oct 13
---
Two Pillars Training – John Hearne – 7-9Nov2025
Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why + Cognitive Pistol https://site.corsizio.com/event/67129c256b7d2407071f7bd0
Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why (Lecture only) https://site.corsizio.com/event/67129bdb6b7d2407071f5d8a
---
Lone Star Medics – Caleb Causey – 15-16Nov2025
Medicine X
---
Cougar Mountain Solutions – Erick Gelhaus – 5-7Dec2025
Reactive Shotgun – 5Dec
Proactive Shotgun-6Dec
Pistol Mounted Optics-7Dec
---
-Bill Armstrong
MeadHall Range
405-823-2433
"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
"What Is Concealed Carry?
Is it a lifestyle, or a martial art?"
by Kevin Creighton
Excerpt:
". . . if you’ve committed to carrying a pistol whenever and wherever you can,
take regular training classes and practice repeatedly, you’re more than doing your
part. Keep it up, and may you never need to use the skills you’re learning.
"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
"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Concealed Carry
Carrying a defensive pistol with you means making some changes to how you live."
by Kevin Creighton
"In reality, we are training for an unknown event, against unknown threats,
by developing as many known skills as possible."
-- Jeff Gonzales
"The Distance Issue" by Rich Grassi
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
Excerpt:
"What is the practical range of you and your handgun?
Go and find out."
— Rich Grassi
---
These are my [Jon Low's] results. Each group was shot cold at beginning of
a practice session.
3" group in unlimited time, ~7 yards.
3" group at one second cadence, ~4 yards.
3" group at ½ second cadence, ~3 yards.
3" group at ¼ second cadence, ~1 yard. Aimed fire. In combat, I would be firing
from a close contact position (grip tight against my rib cage).
8" group at ¼ second cadence, ~1 yard. From close contact position, not using the sights.
"Having a gun is important.
But knowing WHEN to use it is even more important."
-- Greg Ellifritz
Tim Larkin
"If you're carrying pepper spray, you're kidding yourself."
Pepper spray only works on people we don't care about. Pepper spray only causes
pain. Pain is not injury. Pepper spray does NOT work. If you only carry pepper spray,
you're WRONG!
If you're going to use a knife, cut the arteries and nerves in the neck. Take out the
eyes. Get training! If you don't know how to use a knife, it's going to be taken from
you, and used against you.
"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 drawstroke."
-- Jeff L. Gonzales
"Let's admit the dirty secret: learning to fight, with or without a weapon in hand,
can be fun, and sometimes the fun and self-esteem of achieving a certain skill level
can become the tail wagging the dog. When that happens, the result can be a national
champion karateka or pistol competitor . . . but not necessarily the best prepared warrior."
Excerpt from "Combat Shooting" by Massad Ayoob.
"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
"The spark: dating for feels" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
Excerpt:
"A compass that is consistently incorrect is a reliable tool if you can remember to correct
for its inaccuracy."
"A compass that is inconsistently wrong is useless at best and a terrible liability at worst."
"A mistake that makes you humble is better
than an achievement that makes you arrogant."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"The Best First Time CCW Classes Near You: What to Look For"
by Joel T. Nadler
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Psychology --------------------------------
“Training deals not with an object,
but with the human spirit and human emotions.”
--Bruce Lee
Psychopathy is contagious.
"The Limits of Hick’s Law: Split-Second Police Decisions" byVon Kliem, JD, LL.M
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Von Kliem does not cite the primary source of his argument, so I will.
Hick, W. E. (1952), “On the Rate of Gain of Information”,
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Vol. 4, Pages 11-26. https://www2.psychology.uiowa.edu/faculty/mordkoff/InfoProc/pdfs/Hick%201952.pdf
Greg says, "I think Hick’s Law has done more damage to police training than any
other single concept in the last 50 years."
I disagree. It's just a psychological finding that to the best of my knowledge has
never been disproven. I did a literature search. As far as I can see Hick's conclusions
still stand.
Avoid situationally dependent techniques --
Rather, clear your concealment garment the same way every time, no matter what
the garment is, no matter what position you are in. (Using different techniques for
open and closed front garments is just stupid.)
Always clear malfunctions with Tap-Rack-Assess. Don't look at your gun to decide
what you need to do. If you need to do something else, it will be obvious, and you
won't have wasted any time.
Always wear your pistol in the same position. Always carry the same pistol or at
least one that is operationally identical. (Lots of documented cases where the
shooter grabs for a pistol that is somewhere else on his body. And then can't get
the pistol out because he hasn't practiced with the pistol in the new position. For
example, resulting in death at the West Freeway Church of Christ in Texas on
December 29, 2019. Lots of documented cases where the shooter attempts to defeat
a safety that isn't there, or neglects to defeat a safety that he didn't remember was
there, because it wasn't there on his other pistol.)
Avoid task overload confusion --
Always use your support-side thumb to control your weapon mounted light;
never use your trigger finger. (Documented cases resulting in negligent discharge.)
Never carry or use a Taser. (Documented cases resulting in death.) You think you're
so competent that you would never make that mistake? Let me assure you that you aren't.
But, let's say, for the sake of argument, that you are. By wearing and using a Taser, you
are setting an example for less competent persons to imitate. You are effectively guiding
them into disaster. Shame on you.
Never use a holster that requires you to use your trigger finger to defeat the
weapon retention device. (Lots of documented cases resulting in serious injury.)
Why? Because the shooter has to make a decision under stress. Better to
eliminate the decision. NEVER use your trigger finger for anything other than
pressing the trigger.
The fewer decision you make, the faster and more reliably you go. The fewer
options that you must choose from in any decision, the faster and more reliably
you operate. So eliminate all decisions in your automatic motor programs. This will
leave you more mental bandwidth for tactical decisions. Resulting in better judgment.
Thus, avoiding arrest, prosecution, and conviction. Your attorney will do his job,
but you must give your attorney good facts to work with. He can't change the facts
for you.
"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
Niceness is not a character trait." -- Ross Hick
It's just a behavior. Being nice doesn't mean he's not a sexual predator.
Advice from Dear Abby to a female reader -- "If he is nice to you, but
not nice to the waitress, he is not a nice person."
“My grandfather, a cop and blooded gunfighter, was present one night when
I was a small child and had a nightmare. My parents, of course, were dedicated
to calming me down and included the old canard of "there's no such thing as
monsters" in their assurances.
My grandfather later sat me down and told me there were indeed monsters
in the world. "What makes 'em scary," he told me, "is they look like everyone
else. But if you keep your eye on 'em and be on your guard . . . sooner or later,
you'll see the mask slip." ”
-- Jay Winton
The "mask" that Winton refers to is "being nice". It is a façade that predators
put on as easily as a shirt. But you won't be deceived, because you know to be
on your guard and to keep your eye on 'em.
"Be stronger than your strongest excuse."
-- Nicola Cavanis
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Conferences --------------------------------
Attending classes and conferences is required for growth.
Stagnation is complacency. Complacency kills. Even worse, it will kill your students.
"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
"5th Annual Guardian Conference 2025 Wrap Up"
by Garrett Hardesty
Rangemaster Tactical Conference, $639
TacCon26 is scheduled for
March 27-29, 2026
at the Dallas Pistol Club in Carrollton, Texas
Bullets & Bibles 2026, $650 if you register now.
Friday, August 21, 2026 – Sunday, August 23, 2026
Hosted at Living Water Ranch, north of Manhattan, KS
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Classes --------------------------------
Attending classes and conferences is required to avoid teaching
obsolete material, and to ensure you are teaching best practices.
Lee Weems
Massad Ayoob Group
Blog
West Coast Armory North
Active Response Training (Greg Ellifritz)
Rangemaster Certified Instructors
Map of Rangemaster Certified Instructors
Dustin Salomon
KR Training
Kari Grayson
Citizens Safety Academy
Carry Trainer, Mickey Schuch
Paladin Training, Inc.
Citizen-Defender, John Murphy
Virginia Private Firearms Training (for private lessons), 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
Two Pillars Training, John Hearne
Classes,
Mike Seeklander
‟Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice.”
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Practice --------------------------------
How to get proficient at that task.
"You have to be lucky to win. And the more you practice, the luckier you get."
-- Col. Lones Wigger
Concentrate on the process and you will notice the mistakes and fix them,
often automatically. Eventually, you will get the desired outcome.
Concentrate on the outcome, and you will miss mistakes in the process.
Which will doom you to mediocrity.
The purpose of practice is to elevate your kinesthetic awareness. This will
allow you to notice the mistakes that you are making. Before you attain this
elevated level of kinesthetic awareness, you won't notice the mistakes that you
are making, so you won't believe that you are making any mistakes. So you
won't correct them.
If you're not driving every bullet through the same hole (at 3 to 5 yards),
it means you are doing something different on each shot. If you think every
shot was correct, you are not noticing the things you did differently.
With practice, your kinesthetic awareness will improve and you will feel the
difference in your grip and you will correct it.
With practice, your kinesthetic awareness will improve and you will feel the
difference in your trigger press and you will correct it.
With practice, your kinesthetic awareness will improve and you will feel the
difference in your balance and you will correct it. Humans use visual cuing to
adjust their posture, to maintain their balance. But, when you're concentrating
on your sights and target, inattentional blindness will cause you to miss the visual
cues. So, why don't you fall over? Because you will automatically revert to your
inner ear for balance. Can inner ear balance be exercised and improved? Yes!
1) Feet together, arms out to the sides. Twist all the way to your right. Twist all
the way to your left. Repeat with your eyes closed. Too easy? Do it up on your
tippy toes. Fell down? Don't worry. Try again. The more you practice the better
you'll get.
2) (If you need to hold on to a chair or table for this one, that's fine. After a
few practice tries, you won't need the aid anymore.)
a. Stand. Stick left leg out in front of you, up as high as you can.
Deep knee bend on your right leg. Just go as far as you can and then back up.
Repeat with your eyes closed. (You may need to lean back to compensate for
the weight of your leg out in front of you.)
b. Stand. Stick right leg out in front of you, up as high as you can.
Deep knee bend on your left leg. Just go as far as you can and then back up.
Repeat with your eyes closed. (You may need to lean back to compensate for
the weight of your leg out in front of you.)
Without practice, you will have no kinesthetic awareness and you won't notice
anything. Sorry, that's just reality.
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
"Can you hit a 2-inch target at 10 yards?" by Active Self Protection Extra
"Hand Size, Handgun Fit, And Recoil Control: John and Destiny Show The Difference"
by Active Self Protection Extra
At the Bullets & Bibles conference, Destiny was dancing around with a baby on
her shoulder, because whenever she stopped the baby would wake up and cry. It was
so cute.
‶Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.″
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
"People rust faster than equipment."
-- John Hearne
"Remember, the day you plant the seed is not the day you earn the fruit."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"There is no glory in practice, but without practice there is no glory."
-- Jeff Gonzales
‟Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you have practiced,
no matter how ridiculous.”
-- Sara Ahrens, ‶Shooting in Self-Defense″
"Your speed doesn't matter. Forward is forward."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Practice your shooting by doing exactly the same thing,
exactly the same way, every time, until it is completely automatic."
-- Duaine Zeitz
“Willingness is a state of mind. Readiness is a statement of fact!”
-- Lt. Gen. David M Shoup, USMC Commandant 1960-1963
"Remember, growing may feel like breaking at first."
-- Nicola Cavanis
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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.
"You win gunfights by not getting shot."
-- John Holschen
Email from Tim Larkin --
Warren Buffett nailed it when he said:
"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.
If you think about that, you'll do things differently."
He's absolutely right.
And when it comes to violence, there are exactly TWO paths that prove it.
PATH ONE: Violence Was Avoidable (But You Engaged Anyway)
Mark Sanchez was in Indianapolis for work - Fox Sports analyst covering
the Raiders-Colts game. Instead of preparing, he got intoxicated and was
doing wind sprints behind a bar at midnight.
A grease truck driver parks in the alley to do his job.
Sanchez could have asked politely. Could have waited. Could have walked away.
Instead, he body-slammed a 69-year-old man into a wall, then to the ground.
The driver pepper-sprayed him. Sanchez kept attacking.
The terrified driver pulled a knife, stabbing Sanchez 2-3 times in the chest,
believing "this guy is trying to kill me."
[Sanchez took the knife from the truck driver, and stabbed the truck driver.]
The driver's face was slashed through his cheek to his tongue.
Sanchez was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Here's where Buffett's wisdom becomes terrifying . . .
Sanchez had 20 years building his reputation - star college player at USC,
NFL career, Fox commentator, millions of fans.
Gone in 5 minutes because he couldn't wait for a truck to move.
PATH TWO: Violence Becomes Unavoidable (And You Have Seconds To Decide)
You're walking to your car. Three guys block your path. No escape route.
No help coming.
Violence isn't just an option anymore. It's the ONLY option.
And here's where Buffett's wisdom becomes terrifying again . . .
Even when violence IS justified, you still have 5 seconds to act or face
immense consequences.
Hesitate . . . and the consequences are irreversible.
Act without precision . . . and you might not stop the threat.
Most people have never thought through either path.
So they either . . .
Get violent when they could have walked away (life destroyed) or
hesitate when violence is the only answer (immense consequences).
Both mistakes happen in seconds. Both destroy everything.
The wrong decision on either path costs you everything.
Stay Safe,
Tim Larkin
"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.
“People shoot you because they see you.
They see you because you let them.
Don’t let them see you.”
-- Clint Smith
"ARMED CITIZEN – OCTOBER 2025" by tacticalprofessor (Claude Werner)
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Without discrimination,
you're going to shoot the wrong person really fast."
-- Paul Howe
"Brooklyn Police Take $150 Million Shots At Armed Turnstile Jumper"
by Active Self Protection
Using a Taser on a guy displaying a knife is WRONG! Tasers don't work in real world
combat. The only place you will see a Taser working is in the classroom. Don't use Tasers.
Yes, I have real world experience with Tasers. Yes, I have attempted to use a Taser
in a real world incident. They don't work as advertised.
“Fortuitous outcomes reinforce poor tactics.”
-- Chuck Haggard
“When you’re in the dark, stay in the dark;
when you’re in the light, light up the dark.”
-- Stephen P. Wenger
"You brought a gun to the fight. That doesn’t mean it’s YOUR gun.
The gun belongs to whomever can keep it. Think about that before intervening
in other folks’ problems. When is the last time you practiced your in-hand
weapon retention skills?"
-- Greg Ellifritz
---
". . . if the assailant has a gun, it may actually be the easiest
gun for you to access, if you know how to take it from him."
-- Stephen P. Wenger
---
When was last time you practiced your in-holster weapon retention skills?
Have you taken a class to learn such techniques?
“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.)
". . . 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"
"Superior judgment trumps superior skills." -- Dan Millican
"Real fights are short." -- Bruce Lee
"Ineffective and potentially dangerous, point shooting should be avoided at all costs
and aimed fire employed in any lethal-force scenario."
-- Massad Ayoob
"You often don't know where the bad guy is who is shooting at you."
-- Phillip Groff
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Techniques --------------------------------
Ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics,
especially when disabled or under stress.
"Best KO Nobody Knows About - Target Focus Training -
Tim Larkin - Self Defense - Martial Arts" by Tim Larkin
Because it's worth repeating.
"Why I Don't Carry Appendix" by Geauga Firearms Academy
"Denn jedes Mal, wenn was geht, ist Platz für Neues.
Und wenn es gestern nicht sein soll, dann klappt es heut 🦋"
-- Nicola Cavanis
There are many techniques for doing any given task.
Search and experiment until you find one that works for you.
"The foundations of your grip are established
before you even draw the pistol from the holster."
-- Tanner Denton
"Skills Check: Posture Patrol Drill" by Tatiana Whitlock
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Why are the little things called little things?
They are everything."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Weapon retention techniques for handguns--a compendium of articles."
by Docent
"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
"Down And Dirty" by Ken Hackathorn
Excerpt:
. . . “ground fighting” with your sidearm [This happens more often in combat
than having to use your support-side hand for firing.]
If your head hits the pavement, you may be knocked unconscious or be temporarily
dazed. If knocked back — or you find yourself falling backwards — be sure and tuck
your chin to your chest to minimize the chance your cranium will get its bell rung.
. . . ground-fighting skills may not look pretty on the range, and may even result in
a good razzing by your buddies, but most survival skills aren’t very fancy or ninja-like.
But, they can save your life and allow you to win.
Winning isn’t always about who has the best group or fastest time.
Sometimes it’s just who stayed in the fight.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
Why is pistol shooting difficult? Because the trigger is heavier than the pistol.
Lighten the trigger? NO, that would make the self-defense / combat pistol
dangerous for the shooter; and encourage negligent discharges.
Make the pistol heavier? No, that would make carrying the pistol more difficult.
The solution is to practice to achieve a surprise trigger break. Tight grip with the
pinky fingers, as Chuck Haggard says. Crush grip, as Massad Ayoob says. Then,
touch the trigger,
take the slack out of the trigger,
"Keep pressing, keep pressing, keep pressing, . . . " without intentionally firing the
shot. The pistol will fire, and because you did not intentionally fire the pistol,
you will get a surprise break. The surprise break allows the bullet to exit the muzzle
before any autonomic nervous system response to the report and recoil: jerk, flinch,
freeze, push, hands convulsively squeezing the grip, shoulders tensing, etc.
Of course, if you get any autonomic nervous system response before you release the
shot, you should STOP (mentally and physically) and start your shot process from
the beginning.
If you are a right-handed shooter scattering your shots low left, it is because you
are anticipating the recoil and pushing against it before the bullet exists the muzzle.
The surprise trigger break will allow you to get your point of impact on your point
of aim on demand, every time.
If you are a left-handed shooter scattering your shots low right, it is because you
are anticipating the recoil and pushing against it before the bullet exists the muzzle.
The surprise trigger break will allow you to get your point of impact on your point
of aim on demand, every time.
"Shooting well is simple, it just isn't easy." -- Ray Chapman
“What’s the number one reason for reloading?
Missing the target!”
-- Claude Werner
"Watch the front sight hard. Apply your primary visual focus there. Look at it until
you can see every little scratch in the machining on its surface. If it has a dot on it,
focus on it until the dot looks like a soccer ball. Then you too will experience the
epiphany of the front sight, and will see your shot groups tighten as if by magic."
-- Massad Ayoob, "Combat Shooting", page 40.
"Grip first, then press."
-- Mike Seeklander
"Stop Wasting Time — The Fastest Way to Reload Your Pistol" by Massad Ayoob
But sometimes your slide won't lock back on an empty magazine. So using the
slide stop to release the slide won't always work. You should use a technique that
works in all circumstances. Racking the slide always works.
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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
"If that homeowner had simply loaded a pistol or revolver, put it on his person out of
sight but where he could reach it, and then opened the door, no gun would have been
visible and his arrest for aggravated assault on a police officer, and the huge legal fees
that came along with defending it, would never have happened."
Excerpt from "Combat Shooting" by Massad Ayoob, Page 31.
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
I don't think any competent attorney would agree with Gabe.
Gabe Suarez and Massad Ayoob advocate talking to the police immediately after
the lethal force incident. But every attorney that I have spoken to (and I've spoken
to a lot) advise to keep your mouth shut.
You can say, "I request my attorney." The police are legally required to stop questioning
you. But that doesn't mean they can't talk to you or talk in front of you. Saying all kinds
of things to provoke you to make "excited utterances". Oh, yes, they will lie to you.
The U.S. Supreme Court says if okay for police to lie to you. Sorry, that's reality.
“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
In the right hand column of this web page, click on "Never Talk To The Police"
or use the address,
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Medical --------------------------------
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Course - NAEMT Certified, $495.00
Tracey Mendenhall | VP of Operations
(Life Saving Ninja)
DEFEND SYSTEMS
(615) 480-7758
“Your character is what you do when no one is looking.”
-- Thomas Jefferson
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Survival --------------------------------
"If you stay fit, you do not have to get fit.
If you stay trained, you do not have to get trained.
If you stay prepared, you do not have to get prepared."
-- Robert Margulies
"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
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
Table of contents:
Legal
Instruction
Gear
*************************************************************************
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
Pistol Forum
News2A.com.
Citizen-Defender, John Murphy
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
Shooting Classes Blog
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Legal --------------------------------
“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
"Discussing use of force - TENICOR" with John Holschen
Andrew Branca relates the common occurrence where the client / defendant / suspect
is in his attorney's office saying, "I can't believe I'm being prosecuted. It was obviously
self-defense."
The attorney then has to explain to his client why it was not self-defense. Because
the client did not understand self-defense law. What you don't know, can put you in
prison for the rest of your life, and bankrupt you.
From our friend Tom Givens:
Never fire at a person who does not pose a lethal threat RIGHT NOW.
Never fire at a FLEEING suspect.
Never fire a WARNING shot.
Never shoot to WOUND.
Never fire at or from a MOVING VEHICLE.
-- Tom Givens, Instructor Development course
One should not pursue the bad guy. We have no duty to apprehend and arrest.
We are not police. As civilian self-defenders or defenders of others, our goal is
to escape. So we don't get hurt. So our loved ones don't get hurt.
John Holschen took a dim view of Gabe Suarez, because Gabe liked to hunt
bad guys. Hunting bad guys is not within the scope of self-defense. It might be
good for the the community and humanity, but it's not self-defense.
"September Court Ruling Just Changed Everything – 10 New Rules for Gun Owners"
by Line45
Gun control laws only affect law abiding citizens. Criminals don't obey laws.
So what is the purpose of gun control laws? To criminalize the behavior of political
enemies so that government agents can arrest, imprison, and disenfranchise (revoke
your right to vote) you.
"Supreme Court Declines Challenge After Stunning Appeal Reversal"
by Facts Matter with Roman Balmakov
"The Gun speech that went viral (probably because of what was said starting at min 5)"
by Nick Freitas
"Supreme Court takes up new Second Amendment case" [Hawaii]
by Zach Schonfeld
Comment by Stephen P. Wenger --
Reported elsewhere: “The state law also restricts permit holders from carrying a
firearm in any government building, beach, playground and park, plus in restaurants
or bars that serve liquor. A district court had blocked Hawaii’s statute, but the
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision, letting the law take effect.”
That unspecified East Coast ruling was one of the rare concessions to the RKBA
from the Second Circuit, but which left most other provisions of New York's
so-called Concealed Carry Improvement Act in place.
---
"FANTASTIC BREAKING 2A NEWS:
MASSIVE SUPREME COURT 2A DECISION JUST RELEASED . . .
by The Four Boxes Diner
Sometimes we win.
"HUGE Update: Charges for Shotgun at Home | Gun-Free School Zone Case"
by Liberty Doll
"MASSIVE WIN:
Judge BACKHANDS Biden & Bondi ATF In Phenomenal
STRIKE DOWN Of Rights Abuse . . ."
by Langley Outdoors Academy
Dear Jonathan:
One of the most frustrating problems I face is the FBI’s manipulation of crime data.
Last year, the FBI concealed the revised increase in crime rates before the election.
The agency not only underreports how often legally armed civilians stop active shootings,
but the distortion has worsened.
Over the last three years, the FBI claimed armed good
Samaritans stopped only three attacks. In reality, we documented 78 cases—a 26-fold
difference.
I detail this evidence in my new piece at Real Clear Investigations.
. . .
John Lott
Crime Prevention Research Center
358 S 700 E, Ste B, B409, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
johnrlott@crimeresearch.org
(484) 802-5373
[There is obviously deep corruption in the FBI and a strong anti-2nd Amendment
bias. -- Jon Low]
"2A Victory! Post Office Gun Ban OVERTURNED!"
by The Attorney Andrew Branca Show
"Gun Owner Held at Gun Point Hours After Parade in His Honor" by Liberty Doll
"Trump’s Judicial Appointments Continue to Shape the Fight for the Second Amendment"
Elections have consequences. Often life long consequences, as federal court judges
are appointed for life.
"Impeachments of Federal Judges"
"In U.S. history, only 15 federal judges have ever been impeached,
with just eight convicted . . ." -- Tanner Stening, excerpt from
"HE DID IT! Newsom Bans Glocks!" by Guns & Gadgets 2nd Amendment News
"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
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Instruction --------------------------------
"Remember,
the students who require the extra effort
are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
----- Instructors -----
"A false path will always be tensely, angrily, violently defended by those
it has deceived, because who are so easily deceived are ever too arrogant to repent.”
-- Instructional axiom
At the coaches courses at the Olympic Training Centers, the coaches who attend
have only dealt with dedicated athletes who practice fanatically because the athletes
have a high level of self-discipline. Such athletes are eager to learn, so they listen,
ask questions (demand cogent, crystal clear, well thought out answers), and do their
homework.
You, as an instructor in civilian open enrollment courses, probably don't have such
students. If you're teaching military or police, some of those students are only there
because they were ordered to be there. At this past Bullets & Bibles conference, an
instructor told us of a student who read a novel during class, and didn't even try to
hide it.
So like it or not, you must motivate your students. You must remind them as to
why they are attending in the first place. Some are just there for fun / entertainment /
the experience. So you must tell them that they will be using the skills that they
learn in this class to save the lives of their loved ones on the drive home.
"How can you make such a statement? Statistically, nothing will happen on the
drive home."
Oh, I am not talking to you. I am talking to the other guy. Bad things never happen
to you. They only happen to the other guy. Tomorrow, we will all be reading on the
internet about the carjacking / mugging / robbery that happened last night to the other
guy.
Unfortunately, to everyone else, you are the other guy.
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
The primary target of criminal predators are young girls and old ladies (the crimes
are grossly under reported). So you must outreach to this demographic. I am not a
hypocrite. I would not ask you to do this if I had not already done so. My last two
classes have been single student classes with elderly ladies from my church. Being
old, they were also disabled. You, as the instructor, should be prepared for that, and
accommodating.
While the little old ladies understand that they need the training, the little girls
generally don't. The young ladies that I get as students are generally sent to me by
parents or significant others. So you must outreach to them; the fathers, brothers,
boyfriends, husbands, etc.
Having the attitude that "I don't beg for students. I am in high demand." doesn't
help the potential victim demographic that you ignore.
At this past Bullets & Bibles conference, there were many young ladies in attendance.
Admittedly some were dragged there by their parents and some were instructors. But,
some were there on their own. After the training day, while sitting around the campfire
(I love playing with fire.), a 20 year old girl (different from the 20 year old girl who
brought me the cup of bourbon) told me that she had no interest in guns or self-defense,
and that she was only here because she was a volunteer at the camp for foster kids and
so got an invitation to attend the Bullets & Bibles conference. Even though she had no
interest in guns, she attended. I told her that if she wanted to attend a shooting class,
I would be happy to loan her equipment and give her ammo. (Because, like you, I
always bring extra everything.) She told me that many had offered her such, but she
was just there to watch and listen to the lectures (and there were many excellent lectures).
Perhaps she would come next year and do more.
The Bullets & Bibles conference is a charity fund raiser for the camp that teaches
foster kids life skills [balancing a checkbook, driving (getting a license, paying insurance,
etc.), writing a resume, how to interview for a job, how to pay taxes, etc.]. None of the
instructors are paid. None of the people running the conference are paid. On Saturday
night after the training, they hold a live auction, a silent auction, and a raffle to raise
money for the camp. The high end booze that they auctioned off (lots of donations
from Yung [pronounced Yang], he runs a liquor store in Arizona) was astounding.
Unicorns that you would have seen at a Christies auction.
The vibe is entirely different from other gun conferences.
“Qui docet, discet.” (Who teaches, learns.)
-- American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers
“He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.”
-- Richard Henry Dana
"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith
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
"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
We need to stop and think about that. Yes, we should encourage out students to get
more training from persons other than ourselves. But, understanding the reality that
they probably won't, are we teaching what they need to survive? Of course, you don't
have to assume responsibility for that.
“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”
-- Robert John Meehan
“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
*************************************************************************
----- Students -----
“Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans.”
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
"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
"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
*************************************************************************
----- Andragogy (as opposed to pedagogy) -----
"Growth is uncomfortable because you've never been there before."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Thinking is the hardest thing a person can do.
That's why so few people do it."
-- Henry Ford
‟An instructor should not expect any learning to
take place the first time new information is presented.”
-- ‶Building Shooters″ by Dustin Salomon
*************************************************************************
"You are your last line of defense, so prepare and have a plan"
by Hannah Hannah
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Gear --------------------------------
And the safe storage thereof.
A friend (and former student) told me that his doctor told him to get and wear hearing
aids, because the lack of audio stimulation will speed the onset of dementia.
"Silencers and Home Defense" by Ken P. Campbell
When I assisted with John Farnam's "Defensive Urban Rifle" class, I became aware
that suppressors do not make rifles safe for your ears. They just make the rifles a
little quieter.
This is a huge problem.
"STOP Wearing your duty rig until you do this test!" by ShivWorks
"Check your holster before working one more day!" by ShivWorks
"Stay safe with this quick fix" by ShivWorks
"How To Pick The Right Tactical Light" by Patrick Sweeney
Excerpt:
"So, if you need a pocket light, consider one with selectable lumen outputs."
[NO, this is WRONG! Press on (at maximum brightness), release off. Keep it simple.
Anything more complicated will not serve you well. No adjustable power outputs,
no strobe, no colors. KEEP IT SIMPLE! -- Jon Low]
---
Understand "Task Overload Confusion". If you don't, take Chuck Haggard's class.
ALWAYS use your support-side thumb to control your weapon mounted light.
NEVER use your trigger finger to control your weapon mounted light.
If you overload your trigger finger with two different tasks, you will get negligent
discharges in high stress situations. No, you can't overcome it with training, and you
should not be trying to overcome it with training. Because you should never train
stupid things.
‟Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you have practiced,
no matter how ridiculous.”
-- Sara Ahrens, ‶Shooting in Self-Defense″
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
"Conceal Carry Tips for Women (Bags & Holsters)" by Alston Trainings
"There are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous men."
-- Robert A. Heinlein
"Why you should NEVER rechamber the same AR-15 round twice" by Caleb
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Also applies to pistols.
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
Is your firing pin striking the primer with sufficient force for reliable ignition?
Unload your pistol. Rack the slide. Point the pistol up. Insert a pencil into the barrel
with the eraser end down against your firing pin. Press the trigger. The pencil should
pop out of the barrel. As with my Springfield Armory XD, the pencil will hit the ceiling.
(That's one of the reasons Louis Awerbuck recommended these pistols. European
primers are much harder than American primers.)
If the pencil does not pop out of the barrel, you're eventually going to get light firing
pin strikes resulting in unreliable primer ignition. Sometimes the pistol won't fire.
If the gunsmith tells you it's okay or that's normal for that pistol, you need to take
action. Get a second opinion from a competent gunsmith. Get a pistol that consistently
crushes that primer. Remember it's the lives of your loved ones on the line, not the
gunsmith's.
"The Army pulled the M7 rifle from independent testing - Why?" by Task & Purpose
I wonder who Sig bribed? I wonder how much Sig paid? No I don't.
Everyone that I have spoken to who is in a position to know, tells me that the Sig rifles
have major reliability problems.
---
"FN Delivers Weapon System Test Samples to
DoD’s Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate"
Better FN than Sig.
I want one of these.
"Mission First Tactical Guardian Duty Holster for Law Enforcement & Military"
"Two New Additions to Reptilia’s AUS Mount System"
"Revision Military Expands Polarized Lens Technology to SlingShot and StingerHawk"
"Magpul MBUS Pro Hooded Front Sight"
If you've got money you don't know what to do with, I guess this might be useful.
"QD Gas Pedal from MUB"
"The All-Weather Integrated Clothing System"
"Fed Judge Orders Cops to Stop Carrying Sig P320" by Liberty Doll
"I changed my mind on the whole sig thing" by Ben Stoeger
Accurate Energetic Systems in Bucksnort, Tennessee blows up.
"19 missing after deadly explosion in Tennessee" by LiveNOW from FOX
"SIG P320 An unfolding Disaster" by Lock & Load with Dick Fairburn
Sig P320 pistols delivered to Michigan State Police had dead triggers. The guns
would not go bang. So Sig machined 20 thousandth of an inch to bring the parts into
specification and refitted the triggers. That means the pistols were not test fired
before shipping. Every other manufacturer in the world test fires every single pistol
before shipping. Many provide the test target and spent case from the pistol.
Stop and think about that. Shipping the pistol to the customer without test firing it.
"Nielsen Device: How it Works and Why it's Necessary" by Forgotten Weapons
Looking for investors --
The D-8 WARLOCK which will be the world's first belt fed shotgun system.
Chambered in 50bmg brass converted to multiple different shotgun rounds this
system will do it all.
This system will be the solider carried solution for drones & absolutely devastate
in Infantry operations forever ending 12g weapons in military service.
The D-8 WARLOCK will have 2-3x the max effective distance of traditional
12g pellets so 150 - 200yd capabilities.
Features:
5, 8, 10 round mags, 20 & 30 round drums, 50-100 round belted ammo in
nutsacks & 150 - 500 rounds through a backpack fed system.
Quick change barrels in smooth, modified & full rifled from 9.75inch,
16.5inch & 20inch.
Buckshot, sabot slugs & webbed pellets to provide 10 - 15x the ammo
capacities of 12g.
Semi & full auto for military & law enforcement & frt compatible for civilians.
9-16lbs estimated weight.
1 investor away from full production.
SF Brigadier General Don Bolduc is an SME team member.
The purpose of a high capacity magazine is NOT to let you shoot more;
it is to let you reload less.
-- Tom Givens
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
-- Second Amendment, Constitution of the United States of America
"Quantum Sensing and the Future of Warfare: Five Essential Reforms to Stay Competitive"
by Jahara Matisek, Katrina Schweiker, and Morgan Bazilian
"Pro-Ukrainian hackers leak photos of ‘Russian electronic warfare system’ "
Deep truth.
"An Inflection Point for Information Operations Officers"
by Peter Wilcox
"Deep Intel on Russia's Gains in the Ukrainian Drone War" by Ward Carroll
Establishing air superiority before initiating a ground advance is what NATO
would do. The Russians didn't bother. Think about that.
Swarming of drones is not being done at scale. Artificial Intelligence problems?
---
"Putin Fears DEATH Is Coming After Ukraine Kills Putin's Executioner & Russian Colonel"
by Business Basics
"PROOF That Wikipedia Is a Well-Funded Propaganda Machine"
by Liz Wheeler
Information warfare.
"Europe Just SHUT DOWN Kaliningrad' All Power—Last Connection Cut Off"
by PPR GLOBAL
---
"MASSIVE STRIKE 1,600KM DEEP:
URALCHEM AZOT, ORENBURG, ORSK Vlog 1186: War in Ukraine"
by Anna from Ukraine
"Feds are LYING About The SIM Card Plot" by Seytonic
Targets of opportunity, as opposed to . . .
"This Is Why People Fear The Mossad | Former CIA Officer John Kiriakou"
by Dalton Fischer Podcast
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
Sons of Liberty [One of the best intel organizations in history, and still active.]
The Dispatch
Strategy Page
"The Merge"
Breaking Defense
Intrigue
1440
29155
Global Recaps
Timber Sycamore
Ground News
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Signals Intelligence,
Ground Electronic Warfare,
Cyber Security,
(sometimes Air Electronic Warfare too) ***** ***** *****
"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
"Leaked Documents Show Russia Bought Chinese EW Kits to
Beat Ukrainian Drones and Jam Starlink
by Vlad Litnarovych
What's wrong with this picture?
"New Simulator Enhances EW and CEMA Training"
From Soldier Systems Digest --
Seasatellites Inc., San Diego, California, is awarded a $70,687,286 firm-fixed-price,
indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract (N6523625D1020) for Unmanned Maritime
Vessels (UMVs). The commercial contract awarded under Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) Phase III will provide small UMVs capable of persistent intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance collection in the open ocean, coastal littorals and inland
waterways. The planned contract will include development of additional engineering
modifications that derive and extend from the Collisions at Sea Regulations algorithm
developed under Seasatellites Inc.'s SBIR Phase I contract. The contract includes a single
five-year ordering period and a two-year option period. The option period, if exercised,
would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $89,159,971. Work will
be performed in San Diego and is expected to be completed in September 2030.
If the option is exercised, work could continue until September 2032. Expiring fiscal
2024 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,290,821 will
be placed on the first delivery order issued concurrently with the contract award. An
additional $712,692 of non-expiring fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation
funds will also be placed on the first delivery order. This requirement was solicited using
other than full and open competition under the authority of 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(5) –
authorized or required by statute (Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 6.302-5).
The Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the
contracting activity.
[It's nostalgic to read such an article and know all the players. -- Jon Low]
This social-media based attempt to recruit potential Airmen into the intelligence
and cyber career fields gave me a chuckle. Nothing like showing a guy refueling the
generator to talk a recruit into signing up.
As a Cyber and Intelligence Airman, you’re the shield and the signal, responsible
for securing, sustaining and defending military communications in any domain.
-- Soldier Systems Digest
[I couldn't find the social-media referred to. -- Jon Low]
Remember "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" by Robert A. Heinlein
"A new 'AI actress' has Hollywood fuming" by CNN
"How to Cast AI Actress Tilly Norwood (AI Consistent Character Tutorial)"
by AI Video School
Breaking Defense has a weekly newsletter, "Networks & Digital Warfare" at
Crypto-Gram by Bruce Schneier
2600
You should subscribe to Soldier Systems Digest, if you haven't already.
Our mailing address is:
4701 Old Canoe Creek Rd, Box 702515, Saint Cloud, FL, 34770
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences (https://soldiersystems.us3.list-manage.com/profile?u=9dba952d666d012d4d8d574bb&id=d4f1cf61fd&e=3976638edf&c=3ea0ab11fc)
or ** unsubscribe from this list (https://soldiersystems.us3.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=9dba952d666d012d4d8d574bb&id=d4f1cf61fd&t=b&e=3976638edf&c=3ea0ab11fc)
‟If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it.
The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury.
Therefore what he must fear is his victim.”
-- Col. Jeff Cooper, "Principles of Personal Defense"
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Cryptology ***** ***** *****
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. Never let the
government infringe on your right to keep and bear cryptosystems, to
include home made cryptosystems, to include sharing cryptosystems with
others.
"A Counterexample to the Mizohata-Takeuchi Conjecture" by Hannah Cairo
https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.06137 (abstract)
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2502.06137 (primary source)
"Meet Hannah Cairo, Fastest Rising Star of Math World" by Turing
Attempted to prove the conjecture and failed. So she attempted to prove the
conjecture false. And found a counter example. Bravo! Also proved Stein's
conjecture false.
She didn't just create a new technique, she created a mathematical tool.
Just as in computer science, the tool makers are much more important than the
tool users. Also true of machinists.
University of Maryland College Park. My friend Prof. Kevin Jensen
teaches there. Kevin and I were classmates at Columbia the one in
upper west side Manhattan.
You remember Freeman Dyson? He didn't have the undergraduate credentials
either, but Cornell invited him in and hired him.
Some universities care about brilliance. Some only care about which sex you
claim to be. Or which sex you claim to be attracted to. Or what race you claim
to be. My how times change.
"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
Derived from "Handbook of Applied Cryptography"
by Alfred J. Menezes, Paul C. van Oorschot and Scott A. Vanstone
Chapter 10, Identification and Entity Authentication
--
Entity authentication techniques may be divided into three main categories,
depending on which of the following the security is based:
1. something known. [For example, passwords or knowledge that is demonstrated in
challenge-response protocols.]
2. something possessed. [For example, synchonized pseudo-random number generators.]
3. something inherent (to a human individual, biometrics). [These are bad in the
sense that they cannot be changed when compromised, so will not be discussed.
You think the sensor can read your fingerprint when it is bloody, muddy, or cut up?]
The challenge-response protocols are games that are played until the probability
of Bob (attempting remote access to the system) not knowing the secret is reduced
to the satisfaction of Alice (the system).
Such protocols are best, because something possessed can be stolen. Something
known can also be acquired via bribery, torture, coersion, blackmail, etc. But in a
good challenge-response protocol, Bob cannot predict the questions that Alice will
ask. And so cannot pre-populate a database with possible answers.
For example, knowing that Bob has a certain well-defined psychology, can Irena
(the impersonator) answer the 100 questions in a standardized psychology test as
Bob would have answered the questions? If so, to what level of error. Alice must
have some acceptable level of error, otherwise the human, Bob, answering the
questions would cause a lot of false-negative failures of the test. I guess you have
to know how such tests are scored to answer the question. Or, the enemy could get
a hot chick to talk to Bob for a couple of hours and could probably get a good map
of Bob's psychology on the appropriate metrics. [Oh, don't think it hasn't been done.
It may have been done to you.]
Another scenario would be a remote server attempting to access a base system.
What would the secret be? A bit sequence. What would the questions be?
What is the parity? What is the parity of the odd bits? What is the sum modulo 37
of the first 81 bits and the last 81 bits (Big Endien, as opposed to Little Endien.
Are you reading the bits left-to-right or right-to-left?). Etc. The crypto-period
must be appropriate to avoid Eve (the eavesdropper) from figuring out the secret
bit sequence. Crypto-periods are easily calculated.
The more interesting and far more difficult problem would be to create a
protocol that a human could use easily and quickly; and that Eve would not recognize
as a protocol being played. Eve might be a very powerful machine and recognition
could get the human summarily executed. So the cryptologists / software engineers
would have to care enough to ensure the quality control testing was performed
correctly, because lives depend on it. The trick would be to study the field agent.
Once his knowledge base is registered (not regulated), the questions can be
generated and the acceptable responses can be calculated to within error.
"Hey, Staff, give us an example."
The field agent is William Shakespeare. Do you have enough of his writings to
register his knowledge base? The experimental artificial intelligence systems seem
to think so. You can have an online conversation with William Shakespeare,
if you care to.
"Hey, Staff, that's not modern English. The field agent living in modern times
is going to have a hard time."
No, Eve is going to have a hard time. The field agent is William Shakespeare.
So he's going to have an easy time. I suggest to you that if you have the files on
any person who has had a background investigation for a Top Secret SCI clearance,
you have sufficient information to create the knowledge base.
[As an aside, Beowulf is Old English, Chaucer is Middle English, Shakespeare is
modern English. So Eve isn't going to have a NP hard time, because no translation
needs to be done. Stop laughing. It's not funny. It's not a joke. Stop laughing.
Okay, English bifurcated at the time of Shakespeare into American English and
British English. I admit understanding Shakespeare without the translating footnotes
is difficult, if not impossible for a modern English speaker. But reading or watching
a play? The semantics are pretty clear.]
---
Bob: This is Bob. May I have access?
Alice: Hi Bob. This is Alice. Am I the one you want to talk to?
Bob: Hi Alice. This is Bob. May I have access?
Alice: What's the weather like where you are, Bob?
Bob: Cold and rainy.
[This may be enough for Alice to figure out where Bob is. Alice knows what time
it is. She knows what the weather is everywhere in the world. Asking, “Where are you.”
and getting a response like “ 60° 32' 45", 30° 55' 30" ” or “ 60° 32.750', 30° 55.500' ”
would give Eve way too much information. GPS uses degrees, minutes, and decimal
minutes. Who uses degrees, minutes, and seconds?
Is this a reasonable place for Bob to be?]
Alice: How long did Rodin's mistress live in the asylum before she died?
[Is this a reasonable question? Is this a well formed question?
Bob studied art history. He knows the sculptor Camille Claudel being referred to.]
Bob: 30 years.
Alice: How are the wife and kids?
Bob: Adrian is knitting. Julie is playing Dungeons and Dragons with her friends.
Aidan is machining things.
[Within parameters? Do the answers make sense?]
Alice: What's the recipe of that concoction you drink?
Bob: 3 table spoons of honey, 1 tea spoon of lemon juice, half a cup of apple sauce,
a tea bag, and a quart of boiling water.
Alice: Kleine Apfel Saft?
[Is that proper German? Bob would know, and catch the mistake, and mention it.
Man in the middle attack? Alice is asking, "A little apple juice?"]
Bob: Nein. Apfelmus.
[Is that grammatically correct? Alice would know, and catch any mistake, and not
mention it. Bob is answering, "No, apple sauce."]
. . .
At first the questions probe different areas of the knowledge base. At the end,
you notice the questions are based on the previous responses. Eventually, the queries
will drill down deep. Just like the Israelis at the airport.
If Bob convinces Alice that he is indeed Bob, perhaps to a 99.99% confidence level,
Alice will grant access. If not, after 10 rounds of the protocol, Alice will make a
polite excuse, perhaps the line will suffer and outage. Nothing to indicate that access
was denied. That would be rude; and give away too much information.
I could go on, but you get the idea. Be careful. The enemy also gets the idea.
Does Alice need to convince Bob that she is indeed Alice?
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
Derived from "Handbook of Applied Cryptography"
by Alfred J. Menezes, Paul C. van Oorschot and Scott A. Vanstone
Chapter 5, Pseudorandom Bits and Sequences
---
(i) Hardware-based generators
Hardware-based random bit generators exploit the randomness which occurs
in some physical phenomena. Such physical processes may produce bits that
are biased or correlated, in which case they should be subjected to de-skewing
techniques mentioned in (iii) below.
Examples of such physical phenomena include:
1. elapsed time between emission of particles during radioactive decay;
2. thermal noise from a semiconductor diode or resistor;
3. the frequency instability of a free running oscillator;
4. the amount a metal insulator semiconductor capacitor is charged
during a fixed period of time;
5. air turbulence within a sealed disk drive which causes random
fluctuations in disk drive sector read latency times; and
6. sound from a microphone or video input from a camera.
Generators based on the first two phenomena would, in general,
have to be built externally to the device using the random bits, and
hence may be subject to observation or manipulation by an adversary.
Generators based on oscillators and capacitors can be built on VLSI
devices; they can be enclosed in tamper-resistant hardware, and hence
shielded from active adversaries.
[Ya right. When I worked for Lockheed Martin Mission Systems (not
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space), we built a satellite for the NSA,
pumped epoxy in to fill all air spaces, and encased it in steel. Some
moron executive thought it would save us money to launch it in a
ChiCom Long March rocket. The rocket exploded soon after launch.
NSA sent guys to recover the satellite. Couldn't find it. I wonder why?
Thinking that tamper-resistant hardware will shield from active adversaries
is stupidity incarnate. Woke, politically correct, quota hires don't only
occur in the government. Large corporations are full of them.
Stupidity runs rampant. Don't let the stupid people get you killed.
-- Jon Low]
---
(ii) Software-based generators
Designing a random bit generator in software is even more difficult than
doing so in hardware. [Really? Why? -- Jon Low] Processes upon which
software random bit generators may be based include:
1. the system clock;
2. elapsed time between keystrokes or mouse movement;
3. content of input/output buffers;
4. user input; and
5. operating system values such as system load and network statistics.
The behavior of such processes can vary considerably depending on
various factors, such as the computer platform. It may also be difficult
to prevent an adversary from observing or manipulating these processes.
For instance, if the adversary has a rough idea of when a random sequence
was generated, she can guess the content of the system clock at that time
with a high degree of accuracy. A well-designed software random bit
generator should utilize as many good sources of randomness as are
available. Using many sources guards against the possibility of a few of
the sources failing, or being observed or manipulated by an adversary.
Each source should be sampled, and the sampled sequences should be
combined using a complex mixing function; [Why does the mixing function
have to be complex? I don't think so. -- Jon Low]
one recommended technique for accomplishing this is to apply
a cryptographic hash function such as SHA-1 (Algorithm 9.53) or
MD5 (Algorithm 9.51) to a concatenation of the sampled sequences.
The purpose of the mixing function is to distill the (true) random bits
from the sampled sequences. [Really? I don't think so. -- Jon Low]
---
Simpler, easier, cheaper would be to ask the guys in the machine
shop (National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD) to make you
some dice. Regular convex polyhedra would be best. There are 5 of
them. Whatever scale (size) that their machines can easily handle.
Find or build a container that won't damage the dice and just roll them.
(Don't let them bang into each other. That would damage them.)
You can make a machine to roll them.
As a matter of fact, they will pass all of the statistical tests.
Sometimes simpler is better. No, actually, simpler is always better.
Those who want to complicate, want to obfuscate, to protect their jobs
and mystique. You think I'm joking? You're so naive.
By the way, real random numbers sometimes don't pass the tests,
because they are random. And random means not uniformly distributed,
not distributed with any well-defined distribution. Because entropy maximizes
when the sequence cannot be predicted, which means there is no
distribution, upon which to derive a statistic, upon which to make a
prediction. Don't believe me? Look up into the sky. What do you see?
The things that you can see, the stars, the galaxies, the nebula, etc. all cluster.
Because clustering has higher entropy than any distribution. And the
2nd Law of Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics says that the
'state' of all 'real' systems move to higher entropy. Clustering is harder
to predict than events distributed with a well-defined distribution.
Get it? This is how you defeat the enemy.
"Computer science has nothing to do with computers or science."
-- Donald Knuth
Why is this in the Cryptology Section? Because Senior Airman Harrison Friar
is one of us. An airborne cryptologic language analyst assigned to
Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.
"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
Hi Lori,
Yes, you are correct. It doesn't look right. That's because your underlying assumption
was that the enemy was doing a Fourier transform (a decomposition into sine and cosine
functions, a system of orthogonal trigonometric functions) might be wrong. The
decomposition of the function (or construction of the function) can be done with any
orthogonal system of functions. You might want to try a system of orthogonal polynomial
functions. Lots of useful theorems available to you in that realm. [Remember the
condition of completeness in Hilbert spaces (infinite dimensional spaces).]
"Can Sine be Factored?" by DFulks Math
If you're using sines and cosines in a Fourier Transform (Fast Fourier Transform, FFT;
Discrete Fourier Transform, DFT; etc.) and the initial sequence is amplitudes recorded
at regular time intervals (Real sequence), then you could say you are transforming
between the time domain (Complex sequence) and the frequency domain (Complex
sequence). If you're using polynomials, it's a little different.
Cheers,
Jon
"All that we don't know is astonishing.
Even more astonishing is what passes for knowing."
-- Philip Roth
"What's so wrong with the Axiom of Choice?" by MetaMaths
Excerpt:
"The Axiom of Choice is obviously true, the Well Ordering Principle obviously false,
and who can tell about Zorn's Lemma?"
-- Jerry Bona
Bona's statement is a joke, because they are logically equivalent:
* Axiom of Choice -- Given a set S of non-empty arbitrary sets (not classes),
there exists a choice function that allows you to choose an element from each set of S.
Can you think of such a function? No one has been able to yet. Check your function
against the statement of the Axiom and you'll find your mistake.
* Well Ordering Principle -- Every nonempty set of positive integers contains a
smallest member.
This implies that you can sort any set of positive integers and find the smallest
integer. No matter how big the set is. Of course, it has to be a set, not a class. But,
there is no limit on the cardinality of the set. Do you see the problem? The statement
is that a thing exists, not that there is any way of finding it (constructing it).
* Zorn's Lemma -- If S is any non-empty partially ordered set in which every chain
has an upper bound, then S has a maximal element.
Equivalently, if S is any non-empty partially ordered set in which every chain
has a lower bound, then S has a minimal element.
This implies that (0, 1), the open set bounded by zero and one, has a smallest number
and a largest number in the set. This is not a constructible value, because given any
number, ε , close to zero, you can always find a number between zero and ε by dividing
ε by 2. So describing that smallest value is a little tricky.
"Never memorize anything. Rather, study it until it becomes obvious."
-- Norman Christ
Some unique, never before used, physically generated random numbers in the closed
interval [1, 20].
7, 15, 2, 4, 5, 13, 3, 17, 2, 15, 1, 3, 7, 17, 16, 12, 11, 12, 18, 8, 10, 4, 12, 20, 16, 19, 13,
5, 9, 9, 8, 19, 12, 4, 20, 18, 17, 10, 20, 3, 14, 17, 5, 9, 19, 6, 10, 11, 18, 9, 20, 17, 7, 2,
19, 11, 12, 1, 5, 14, 10, 17, 6, 20, 8, 9, 15, 6, 8, 15, 5, 4, 6, 18, 18, 17, 8, 19, 1, 11, 16, 1,
9, 16, 12, 10, 13, 9, 3, 5, 17, 13, 9, 9, 3, 9, 19, 11, 1, 18, 16, 5, 11, 8, 9, 20, 15, 20, 16, 4,
19, 15, 11, 11, 1, 8, 16, 18, 15, 18, 20, 5, 20, 3, 12, 12, 14, 15, 19, 17, 3, 3, 18, 17, 10, 7,
5, 12, 15, 6, 16, 17, 3, 5, 11, 4, 17, 12, 4, 1, 10, 19, 18, 5, 6, 19, 13, 20, 12, 15, 16, 4, 17
If you believe that an observer affects the outcome of the trial, it would be best to
make your die rolling machine such that no observer can observe the process.
A random sequence is sort of like an infinite series in that the order in which you
take the numbers controls whether the series converges or diverges, and by how much:
absolute, conditional, pointwise, uniform, etc. Similarly, the order in which you take
the numbers in a sequence of random numbers can affect the statistics of your numbers.
In the real world, we only deal with finite sequences. So changing the order of the
numbers always has a significant affect [de-skewing techniques mentioned above].
Be careful.
Of course, a convergent sequence of random numbers, no matter how it converges,
is a problem. Our random sequences should never converge in any sense. Unless you
want them to. In which case, we are playing a different game. Your friends and enemies
may be playing such a game. Be careful.
It is unreasonable to expect a small sample of any sequence to pass the statistical
tests. Are any of our sequences not small samples of our probability space?
"You don't have to memorize formulae.
Because you can always derive them from first principles."
-- Sven Hartman
"The Original Sin of Computing . . . that no one can fix" by LaurieWired
So cool!
"I Built an Original One-Glance Proof from Dice" by Mathologer
Mathologer videos are always nice, but the included simulator is what caught my attention.
If you expand the window to full screen, the frames should line up.
The simulator only allows rotations in one direction,
but three 90 degree rotations will give you a -90 degree rotation.
Sometimes it's not new research. Sometimes it's a literature search.
"A Once-in-a-Century Proof: The Kakeya Conjecture" by Quanta Magazine
"The Kakeya needle problem (the squeegee approach)" by Mathologer
"Kakeya's Needle Problem - Numberphile"
"From Rotating Needles to Stability of Waves:
Emerging Connections between Combinatorics, Analysis, and PDE"
by Terence Tao
Prof. Lady once gave us a hint, "It's easy." [The problem you're trying to solve is easy.]
I'll give you a hint, "It's directly related to your problem." [The Kakeya Conjecture is
directly related to your problem.]
"Differential equations, a tourist's guide | DE1" by 3Blue1Brown
Error correction: At 6:27, the upper equation should have g/L instead of L/g.
"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
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Religion and Politics ***** ***** *****
“War is not the best engine for us to resort to;
nature has given us one in our commerce, which if properly managed,
will be a better instrument for obliging the interested nations of Europe
to treat us with justice.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1797)
Rest In Peace Marty Hayes
"The Champion: Remembering Marty Hayes" by Kat Ainsworth Stevens
"The Second Amendment: What It Really Meant" by Hey Citizen
"CAUGHT! FBI Lied About Armed Citizens STOPPING Mass Shootings"
by Guns & Gadgets 2nd Amendment News
Corruption reigns supreme at the FBI. Why are there no leaks? no whistle blowers?
Because they all have the same mindset. They don't recruit or hire anyone with a
different point of view.
---
"FBI delivers 5,000 Names of J6 Employees!!" by Robert Gouveia Esq.
The corruption runs deep.
And starts at the top.
In case you don't understand the Democrat party.
“I Hate Myself for Voting Blue” – JOAN JETT Parody Song #WalkAway
by Brian Coyne Parodies
Chicago Police refuse to respond to call for help from ICE officers surrounded
by a mob.
A police officer who won't respond to a cry for help is scum. That's why the citizens
vote to defund the police. The people have suffered under this corrupt police department
for far too long.
---
But the Illinois state troopers are rebelling against the Democrats.
"Pritzker and Johnson PANIC as Illinois State Troopers REBEL!!!"
by Dr. Steve Turley
Do you notice how pro-gun conservatives advocate abolishing the ATF,
but think the anti-gun liberals are crazy to advocate defunding the police?
It never occurs to the conservatives that the police are just as corrupt as the ATF.
That's why the people in those cities call for defunding their police.
In big (Democrat controlled) cities, the police don't arrest the criminals.
(That would be dangerous. The policeman might get hurt.)
The police do arrest the law abiding citizens when they use force in self-defense
or defense of loved ones from the criminals. (Because that's safe. Law abiding
citizens don't shoot cops. Not even the corrupt cops.) So of course the citizens
want to defund the police.
The police also issue false speeding tickets to meet their quotas and to raise
funds for their departments. Don't believe me? Ask any Black person in any of those
inner cities. If you waste your time and effort contesting the ticket, the corrupt judge
sides with the police and against the citizen 100% of the time. If you've suffered
such extortion, you too would vote to defund the police.
The rich person will write a check, drop the ticket in the mail, and forget about
it. The poor person has to decide how many meals he will have to skip, how he's
going to tell his son that he would be able to participate in sports this year because
he won't have the money to pay the fees. Oh yes, the police know exactly the pain
they are causing and exactly who they are giving the tickets to. Ticketing the wrong
person would hurt the police officer's promotions and raises.
This is why some people call for defunding the police.
"Cops Injure Disabled Military Vet | Wrong Person, No Warrant" by Liberty Doll
In Nashville, TN it's even worse. Police officers will not / cannot respond to calls
from fellow police officers. They can't. There are no officers to respond. They are
short staffed. So in desperation, they call the Davidson County Sheriff's Department.
Don't believe me? Ask any Deputy.
Hypocrisy has no shame.
Portland Police are pretty bad.
If you suffered such police corruption, you would demand defunding the police.
"The ATF is a Criminal Organization" by Liberty Doll
Because it's worth repeating.
"DEI Disaster: $300k School Chief Faked Resume & Criminal Illegal Alien"
by Nate The Lawyer
"The FBI Dumps ADL and SPLC Haters" by Douglas Andrews
The Southern Poverty Law Center tried to interview me after I escorted the
Goyim Defense League guy out of the Nashville Jewish Community Center at
gun point. I declined to talk to them. God often guides me to make smart moves
in retrospect.
"BREAKING:
MASS FIRINGS at FBI After Bongino & Kash Catch Agents SPYING on GOP Senators!"
by Trish Regan
Artic Frost
"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."
-- Mary Flannery O'Connor
*************************************************************************
"History teaches us that history teaches us nothing." -- James Bachmann
Wilder"s Latest Civil War 2.0 Report: "The End Of The Beginning"
by Docent
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
"Illegals SEIZE Portland Jail… Mayor PANICS as
Trump Unleashes “NO MERCY” MARINES" by Cash Jordan
The Portland Police defend the violent mobs and arrest those attacked by the mobs.
I wonder what will happen next? No I don't.
“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
I love pizza.
***************************** Begin Psychology ***********************
"The Death Of The Dreamer" by Docent
Deep truth.
"Ask her out: the two bridges" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
Because it's worth repeating.
"Such great heights." by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
Wednesday, October 8th, 2025
I might be strange, but I spend most of my time on a flight staring out the window.
We're only a little more than a century into the era of flight. However, the opportunity
to see the Earth from such a great height has apparently become so unremarkable that
most people prefer to watch TV instead. Humans can get used to anything – even
the wondrous.
Astronauts who have spent time in the International Space Station talk about how
small and insignificant the problems of the world seem from 250 miles up. I can't
get quite as high, but I can attest that many of my concerns become similarly
unimportant at 35,000 feet. It's amazing how quickly you can get away from one's
little life these days.
Some people think that travel is a form of running away. I suppose that could be
the case. However, I prefer to consider it a way of getting a more realistic appraisal
of the size and magnitude of one's problems. And for that to happen, nothing beats
looking out the window. In many cases, it's even cheaper than therapy.
This week's behavioral experiment:
Where do you go to get some distance from your life? Go there.
Warmly,
Orion
"Why women get ghosted: they're not worth it" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
"You are a parking space: how to suffer less" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
"She can cry: dealing with an emotional woman" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
Use your dad sense.
"The Psychology Behind Physical Traits and Politics" - Jordan Peterson and Gad Saad
This is why liberals fear toxic masculinity.
"Why dating advice is terrible: half right is all wrong" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
Wow! Reality is painful.
This is significant. Maybe should be in the PsyOps section.
"Bonnie Blue Controversy Exposes the Hypocrisy in Our Culture That No One Talks About"
by Martin DeCoder
A deep analysis.
***************************** End Psychology ************************
I love spaghetti.
"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 Witness Protection Actually Works | Authorized Account | Insider"
by Insider
Note the numbers.
Used to be able to buy the information for $5000 from FBI agents.
I couldn't find any instances of U.S. Marshals or their Deputies selling
such information. Probably because they have a different hiring process
and a different culture. Oh, you didn't know that? Did you see the U.S.
Marshals that Trump appointed in his first term?
"Sep 30, 2025: Large Pistoning at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii" by afarTV
Pahoehoe? A’a?
"It Is The Veteran"
It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us FREEDOM OF RELIGION.
It is the VETERAN, not the reported, who has given us FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.
It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us FREEDOM TO
ASSEMBLE.
It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL.
It is the VETERAN, not the politician, who has given us the RIGHT TO VOTE.
"ALBIN OUSCHAN VS SEO SEOA | PREMIERE LEAGUE POOL 2023"
They are playing alternate break.
Look at her body position at 6:59 / 24:20.
Notice her defensive play at 13:55 / 24:20.
They are playing slop counts! 21:45 / 24:20. Really? Did she call that?
Plasma toroid.
Olivia skating.
How to pronounce Hecker & Koch.
"25 German Words the World Keeps Saying WRONG!" by Feli from Germany
21:46 / 23:15
Go to the ICE recruitment page at Join.ICE.gov,
and check out the job listings at,
Notice anything strange? How about,
"Psychiatric Advanced Practice Provider (O-4/O-5 Billet) Non-Supervisory"
Get it?
Happy because faith and family are in good order.
[English translations are always difficult.]
Did you see my female friend in "911 Nashville"? It premiered on ABC last week. She's
the one front and center at the water park in the bikini. The director moved her up front.
Life is good!
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
The implication is that we need to spend more time studying and practicing the other 5%.
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