Greetings Sheepdogs,
“During the course of administration, and in order to disturb it,
the artillery of the press has been levelled against us, charged with
whatsoever its licentiousness could devise or dare.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1805)
I received an email from the American Red Cross.
"There is currently a critical need for your A + blood.
Help ensure lifesaving medical treatments are not delayed."
Statistically speaking, you are saving 4 lives with every whole blood donation.
They split up your donation into components and give it to several persons in need.
And that's a conservative estimate.
Please donate. I wouldn't be asking if I didn't do it myself.
Donating says a lot about you: don't have any venereal diseases, don't have an
iron deficiency, haven't lived with certain persons, haven't had sex with certain
persons, don't abuse drugs, etc. When you donate you will be given a document
to read and you will be asked many questions. It's an eye opening educational
experience. The homosexual political lobby has tried to get the American Red Cross
to drop certain questions (to not disqualify certain persons), but so far the
American Red Cross had held their ground, because they are not stupid.
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
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
Alma was a classmate of mine at Punahou School in Honolulu, HI.
"The story of the first Hawaiʻi woman to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy"
by Maddie Bender
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/the-conversation/2025-11-10/the-story-of-the-first-hawaii-woman-to-graduate-from-the-united-states-naval-academy
---
"Salute to Service 2025: A Veterans Day Celebration"
https://www.pbs.org/video/salute-to-service-2025-a-veterans-day-celebration-i3dckf/
The part about Alma starts at 46:49 / 55:50, and 51:36 / 55:50.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
Things you can do to avoid the lethal force incident.
“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.
‟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"
"The goal of self-defense is to break contact."
by Shawn Vincent, Steve Moses, and Don West
Transcript included, so you can read it. I much prefer reading to listening.
"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
"The Fight!" by John Farnam
Excerpt:
Questions with no answer:
>How “goal oriented” is this VCA(s)? [VCA = violent criminal actor]
>How many rounds will this VCA(s) absorb before he/they voluntarily relent?
> Is this VCA(s) in an “altered mental state,” due to drugs, mental illness, etc?
> Is this VCA even aware that he is sustaining/has sustained fatal trauma?
> How do I know for sure when it is “all over?”
‟Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice.”
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, U.S. Navy
Training and practice will allow you to have "presence of mind",
which we see is so important in high stress lethal force self-defense encounters.
---
"Breaking Contact Pt. 1" by Shawn Vincent
Excerpt:
According to the Dallas Morning News, at trial, the prosecutor asked,
“When you aimed and pulled the trigger at Mr. Jean — shooting him in center mass
right where you are trained — you intended to kill Mr. Jean?”
“I did,” Guyger replied. It was the wrong answer.
---
We, self-defenders, never intend to kill. We shoot to stop the attack. Our intent is
to stop the attack. The condition of the attacker is incidental to our purpose of stopping
the attack.
---
"Breaking Contact Pt. 2" by Shawn Vincent
https://ccwsafe.com/resources/breaking-contact-pt-2/
---
"Breaking Contact Pt. 3" by Shawn Vincent
https://ccwsafe.com/resources/breaking-contact-pt-3/
---
"Breaking Contact Pt. 4" by Shawn Vincent
https://ccwsafe.com/resources/breaking-contact-pt-4/
Excerpt:
"The lesson for concealed carriers is that if you manage to break contact
with a perceived aggressor, do not re-engage. If you adopt Claude Werner’s
philosophy that the goal of personal protection is to “force a break in contact,”
make sure you have the presence of mind to recognize when you’ve been
successful.
If you re-engage and are forced to use deadly force, at best you’ll
undermine your self-defense claim, and at worst you’ll transform yourself
from a crime victim to a murderer."
---
Break contact and leave.
Never initiate contact.
NEVER grab a gun and go back to the bad-guy.
---
"Breaking Contact Pt. 5" by Shawn Vincent
https://ccwsafe.com/resources/breaking-contact-pt-5/
Excerpt:
"The lesson for concealed carriers is that armed defenders who wait
until a perceived aggressor makes contact and poses a clear, imminent
threat have a stronger legal justification for the use of deadly force than
those who rush to confront a potential threat."
[Rather than waiting, better would be to leave. -- Jon Low]
"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
"Life Gets Real" by Will Dabbs, MD
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt from "Principles of Personal Defense" by Jeff Cooper --
George Patton told his officers,
"Don't worry about your flanks. Let the enemy worry about his flanks."
It is high time for society to stop worrying about the criminal,
and to let the criminal start worrying about society.
And by "society" I mean you.
"Before all else, be armed." -- Nicolo Machiavelli
"The line between everyday life and sudden violence is thinner than most realize."
-- Tim Larkin
“The Man in the Arena” by Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909),
26th President of the United States
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how
the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have
done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in
the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who
strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who
does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms,
the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at
the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and
who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so
that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who
neither know victory nor defeat.”
"Survival is a mindset, not a skill set."
-- Greg Shaffer
"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
“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
‷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
"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
"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
‟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
*************************************************************************
If there are no Buc-ee the Beaver's in your country,
send me an email and I'll explain.
https://buc-ees.com/
------------------------------ 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
Good thing someone was aware of what was going on.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DZ-wI3GYOXQ
"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)
You can easily tell within the first second of observation whether or not the person
is a thug by his behavior. Of course, you must be observing. That's the problem.
It is profiling. It is not racist.
If you really can't tell, take a class. Learn how to tell. The investment will be the
best money you've ever spent.
"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.
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.
“Among the enlightened and virtuous, none will tamely surrender liberties,
nor can any be easily subdued. But, when the people are ignorant and debauched
in their manners, they will sink under their own, rotting weight, without the
assistance of foreign invaders.”
-- Wendy McCoy
"Toast!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/toast-2/
"Gut feelings are guardian angels."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Not allowing law-abiding citizens to carry guns on the pretext of public health
or safety makes as much sense not allowing sober people to drive cars in order to
protect them from drunk drivers."
-- Stephen P. Wenger
"Well This Sure Changes the Sig Sauer Narrative"
by Washington Gun Law
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9O2Vz_5MZk
It was not the Sig P320. It was incompetent gun handling. And, of course, the
cover up.
"Safety is something that happens between your ears,
not something you hold in your hands."
-- Jeff Cooper
Firing through a closed door without first positively identifying the target is
criminal stupidity.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/11/07/indiana-whitestown-cleaner-shot/
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
"It's easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble."
-- Claude Werner
"Active Shooter Training Tips" by Ride Or Die Gun Training LLC
https://www.rideordieguntraining.com/post/2018/11/24/active-shooter-training-tips
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
1. ANYONE NOT wearing a law enforcement uniform is viewed as a potential threat.
2. ANYONE NOT in a law enforcement uniform & carrying a weapon in hand is
viewed as an imminent & deadly threat. Proceed with extreme caution!!!
3. Plainclothes officers run into the same risk. They may not be wearing their badge,
or uniformed officers may not see their badge displayed on their belt or neck,
only seeing the fact that they are visibly armed and not in a police uniform.
4. Do NOT hunt for an active shooter in a public facility! This is the job of
uniformed law enforcement officers. They identify each other as the only
"good guys with guns in hand." You, plainclothes civilian "good guy with a gun"
are not 1 of them. Re-read #1 and #2. Uniformed officers will clear every room,
find all threats, stop all threats, including YOU.
5. As a plainclothes civilian CCW licensee your primary duty is to save yourself!
Save yourself, save your family, save your unarmed friends, get to safety immediately,
and live to see another day. The end.
6. If you are directly in the line of fire of an active shooter defend yourself.
7. After you defend yourself immediately get to solid cover. This protects you
from the bad guys with guns, and also "the guys with guns", uniformed officers
responding to the call, and other CCW licensees.
8. Visually scan for additional threats, gunmen, cops, etc. Also listen to your
surroundings.
9. If you see or hear police officers drop your gun immediately! Do not wait for
a verbal command from them to drop your weapon. They may or may not give
you a verbal warning. If you see them drop your gun immediately and put your
hands up!
10. Communication is extremely important. If there are people around
communicate loudly to them "CCW licensee! I'm not a threat! Do not shoot me!"
11. Communicate to them to tell the police and 911 the same exact thing
about you, plus your physical description, and the clothes that you are wearing.
12. If possible call 911 yourself. Put the phone on speaker and sit it down.
Communicate to 911 the same exact thing.
13. When uniformed officers arrive they are on a seek & destroy mission for
all active shooters (plainclothes guys with guns in their hands). Some of them
(not all of them) have the "shoot first, ask questions later mentality.
Re-read #1 and #2. Good communication to them, bystanders, and 911 increases
your chances of survival. It may also prevent a misunderstanding with other
CCW licensees already on the scene.
---
How do you avoid being shot? Get out of there. Pick up your loved ones
and carry them out. That's why you need to exercise daily. By sitting on your
couch, watching TV, and eating snacks, you are choosing to let your loved ones die.
Actually, it is that clear. You must be intelligent and honest enough to recognize
it as true.
"You are not responsible for negative reactions to your boundaries."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"VIDEO: Ultralight Handgun For Backpacking and Hiking" by Docent
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/2025/11/video-ultralight-handgun-for.html
Excerpt:
". . . bear spray is for discouraging curious bears and will not stop an angry bear."
---
Similarly, as Tim Larkin says,
"Pepper spray only works on people we don't care about."
In Marine Corps military police training, we were taught that pepper spray does
not work on 10% of the population. It worked on none of the young healthy dedicated
Marines in the military police training platoon. Every one of them fought through it.
It is unlikely that the thug attempting to abduct you in the Wal Mart parking lot is
a pussy who will be deterred by pepper spray. And his accomplice won't be deterred
either.
Sorry, that's just reality.
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
"Western Civilization, 2025" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/western-civilization-2025/
"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
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Training --------------------------------
Figuring out the correct tasks to practice.
I assisted John Farnam with
Advanced Defensive Handgun in Nashville, TN on 8-9 Nov 2025.
Here are some of the things I learned:
When greeting the responding officers -
"Officer, thank God you're here. I'm the one who called you. They attacked us and
tried to murder us. I was in fear for my life. I will sign a complaint and testify against
them. Those persons witnessed the incident. There is physical evidence there.
I would be happy to cooperate with you as soon as my attorney gets here."
And then SHUT UP until your attorney arrives. (So you better have a good self-defense
insurance policy with attorneys on retainer.)
"No, I do not consent to any search!"
The police officer handcuffs you and reads you your Miranda warning.
Police: Do you understand your rights?
You: No.
Police: What don't you understand?
You: I don't understand anything.
If you think you understand the warning, you're an idiot. You are not a legal scholar.
You are not a U.S. Constitutional expert. You have not studied the case law (Appealate
court decisions, Supreme Court decisions, etc.), so you really don't know anything.
Once you ask for your attorney, the police legally cannot continue questioning you.
But, if you start talking, you have waived your right to remain silent and remember
the body cameras are on, recording video and audio.
The police will attempt to get you talking by telling you lies (which according to
U.S. Supreme Court decisions is legal). Don't take the bait. Keep your mouth shut.
[Of course, if you tell a lie, that's a felony (lying to a police officer). The high stress
situation will cause you to have false memories and amnesia. So just about everything
you say will not match the security camera videos. The prosecutor will say you were
lying, which establishes your guilty state of mind. SO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!]
---
Weapon retention and disarmament techniques --
"John Farnam on retention disarmament"
https://defense-training.com/videos/
Same video on YouTube.com,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esUUuCF-bWM
Meat starts at 4:51 / 47:23.
If you haven't studied Akido, you will initially think, "This is magic!". Because no
strength is required. It's all technique.
In the wild, there are a lot of different techniques. As Farnam says, he did not
invent any of these techniques. What he has done for us is to find, test, and evaluate
the many techniques for us. And teaches us three techniques that work, even when
done incorrectly due to high stress and opponent non-cooperation. (When you're
practicing with your training partner, try hard, grip tight. You're not doing your
training partner any favor by making it easy for him.)
If you're going to disarm someone, he is going to have to hand the gun to you.
If he is holding it in a retention position, it's going to be extremely difficult to
disarm him.
Don't hyper-extend as all the target shooters and game (IDPA, IPSC, USPSA)
players do. It's really easy to take a gun away from a person in such a position.
Better for retention, would be a Weaver position with both elbows bent.
---
I also learned a different chamber check technique. (John claims it is not new,
but I had never seen it before.) I refrain from describing it in text, as I don't know
that I can do it justice. I haven't been able to find a video on the technique.
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)
"The Most VISUAL Coin Vanish Ever | Revealed" by Oscar Owen Magic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQifV1g7BHw
Notice what Oscar says about how to practice. This is subtle and true.
Making your pistol vanish is a little more difficult because it is bigger,
but only slightly more difficult. Similarly, making your pistol appear is
useful and of a similar difficulty level. Of course, you must have the
situational awareness to decide to get your pistol out of your holster in
time to prepare for the appearance. But, you're always aware.
---
"The BEST Coin Vanish In The World | Revealed" by Oscar Owen Magic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGKgh9FpkX8
Notice what he says about how to practice. This is deep and important.
---
Making an object appear is probably more useful for us than making the
object vanish. You will notice that making the object appear in the above
videos is part of the trick. And requires preparation. So, practice your
preparation. That is, your surreptitious presentation.
"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
"Make Ready with Matt Little: Pistol Skill Fundamentals"
https://www.makeready.tv/en/watch/tutorial/details/make-ready-with-matt-little-pistol-skill-fundamentals/9046
Scroll down to see the chapters.
"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
"When a Mistake Becomes a Tragedy:
The Shooting of Columbus State Professor Erica Anderson"
by Jacob Paulsen
https://www.concealedcarry.com/news/when-a-mistake-becomes-a-tragedy-the-shooting-of-columbus-state-professor-erica-anderson/
Excerpt:
Issue a verbal challenge/announcement. “Who’s there?” or
“This is the homeowner—identify yourself!”
can prevent tragic misidentification.
---
Use a flashlight! Which means you MUST have a flashlight. You must positively
identify your target.
If someone told you not to use a verbal challenge or a flashlight because
it will draw fire, that is only true if the prospective target is a bad-guy.
The probability of the target being a bad-guy is ~3% according to Claude Werner.
Which means 97% probability that the target is someone you don't want to shoot.
If some instructor told you not to use a verbal challenge or a flashlight
because it will draw fire, you are in a bad-guy mindset, which is WRONG!
Good-guys communicate before shooting.
"In reality, we are training for an unknown event, against unknown threats,
by developing as many known skills as possible."
-- Jeff Gonzales
"You Can't Call Yourself a Shooter If You DON'T Know These 13 Secrets"
by Line45
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQWbNrFFSrE
Practice → Measure → Correct → Practice → Measure → Correct → . . .
"Having a gun is important.
But knowing WHEN to use it is even more important."
-- Greg Ellifritz
Training and practice create competence and confidence.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4kCu3rc1Mvc
It's easy to have restraint if you feel in control. It's easy to panic and mag dump
when you don't feel in control.
"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
"The Expert Myth" by Veritasium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eW6Eagr9XA
To become an expert, you must have:
1. Repeated attempts with feedback.
2. Valid environment.
3. Timely feedback.
4. Don't get too comfortable. Deliberate practice. Practicing the things you can't do.
Expertise is recognition. Recognition is the information stored in long term memory.
To get that information into long term memory requires:
1. Valid environment.
2. Many repetitions. (2000 correct repetitions is a number bandied about in our industry.)
3. Timely feedback. (I would say immediate visual, audio, and tactile feedback.)
4. Deliberate practice. (Outside of your comfort zone. Beyond the envelope of your
competency.)
Without this, you get persons who may be recognized as experts, who are not.
"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
Your mind can overcome all the discomfort and you can do whatever you want.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oUf9Dv6R8io
"A mistake that makes you humble is better
than an achievement that makes you arrogant."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Post-Auto Accident Procedures" by John Murphy
https://www.citizen-defender.com/blog-1-1/r475ht4ikzxdc3zy7onfolllx6tm2q
The full blog is at,
https://www.citizen-defender.com/blog-1-1/
Stay in your car! Castle Doctrine applies to you when you are in your car.
“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
"Making The Perfect Shot
Here’s how to practice to achieve on-demand performance."
by Steve Tarani
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/making-the-perfect-shot/
"What You See: Lessons From John Hearne"
by Massad Ayoob
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/what-you-see-lessons-from-john-hearne/
The students, having to decode the light signals into their meaning and then
acting on that meaning is a level of indirection. Such indirection is generally bad
in teaching theory. Because it is teaching a signal-response that the student will
never see in combat.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Psychology --------------------------------
"Be stronger than your strongest excuse."
-- Nicola Cavanis
From an email from Raquel Bueno --
"When We Know, We Grow"
When you work and practice within the "industry"of Yoga, it is so easy to get that
initial but fleeting hit of "I feel so much better" or experience a level of relief as you
feel unburdened from life. Don't get me wrong, those moments are important.
They give us hope and in these times, we're all hanging on to those morsels of hope.
AND Yoga holds more for us. It holds within in it the promise of impermanence,
that everything we know, everything we love, will shift. The practice asks (almost
demands) that we look a little longer and deeper within. Not punitively or carelessly
but with discernment and generous care. Yoga is a self-reflective practice.
Self-reflection, or svadhyaya, blossoms when grounded in satya — the practice of
truthfulness. Through a willing and honest dose of self-study, we learn to see
ourselves more clearly, beyond the stories and roles we’ve inherited. Beyond the
stories and roles we've cultivated. Satya, honesty/intergrity, becomes a mirror that
reveals not only our strengths and limitations, but also the deeper motivations that
shape our choices. The question here is one that we are constantly striving to answer
in our practice . . . WHY?
What motivates us to move in the direction of care and regulation and what
moves us toward unnecessary struggle? When we meet these truths with
compassion rather than judgment, we awaken an inner wisdom that guides us
to live with more integrity and authenticity. When we align with our wisdom,
our empathetic experience naturally extends outward: the more truthfully we know
ourselves, the more clearly we can see and serve others. And that's what it's about
really. It's not a single "hit" of relief but rather an on-going connection to sacredly
serve humankind.
And we include ourselves in that care . . . because, we too, are part of humankind
quilt; a square that holds the past and what is yet to arise. Each of us makes an
impact on the world. Everything affects everything. In understanding this, our own
humanity, we cultivate compassion, presence, and the capacity to hold space for
the growth and healing of the world around us.
There’s enough freedom for ALL of us. Shared agency equals empowerment.
Love is fundamental to Liberation.
With Love & Courage
~Raquel
“Training deals not with an object,
but with the human spirit and human emotions.”
--Bruce Lee
"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
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ 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
Gunsite Academy to Host NRA ARC Summit in Paulden, Arizona, $350
November 8-9, 2025
https://www.gunsite.com/the-gunsite-arc-summit/
Rangemaster Tactical Conference, $639
https://taccon.info/
TacCon26 is scheduled for
March 27-29, 2026
at the Dallas Pistol Club in Carrollton, Texas
https://taccon.info/register/
Bullets & Bibles 2026 (The registration fee is a tax deductible charitble donation).
Friday, August 21, 2026 – Sunday, August 23, 2026
Hosted at Living Water Ranch, north of Manhattan, KS
Food and lodging included in registration price.
https://fhftc.org/preregister/
The Guardian Conference, $700 early bird, $800
September 18th - 20th, 2026 in Oklahoma City
https://guardianconference.com/
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Classes --------------------------------
Attending classes and conferences is required to avoid teaching
obsolete material, and to ensure you are teaching best practices.
Lee Weems
https://www.youtube.com/c/leeweems
https://firstpersonsafety.com/
https://thatweemsguy.com/
Massad Ayoob Group
https://massadayoobgroup.com/
Blog
https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/
West Coast Armory North
westcoastarmorynorth.com
Active Response Training (Greg Ellifritz)
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/upcoming-classes
Rangemaster Certified Instructors
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zQ_NqmQuOhBU5L7hHdUhRD6_hKYQeFvkYkrULa1uQUk/
Map of Rangemaster Certified Instructors
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1mvwlcRS7BttLfVis78iIa2_aGQn2m2E&ll=29.261431711971515%2C-98.5084875389253&z=7&fbclid=IwY2xjawF6KqNleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQrJ-CkUwx94GkPClGvbH6tQmmwb_3EgR80avWWahk1-pnOfIylZVVtyOw_aem_kbGraWpHmQaktMFHSXBDcA
Dustin Salomon
https://buildingshooters.com/seminars/
KR Training
https://www.krtraining.com/
Kari Grayson
https://www.licensed2kari.com/
Citizens Safety Academy
https://citizenssafety.com/
Carry Trainer, Mickey Schuch
https://carrytrainer.com/training-courses/
https://www.youtube.com/@CarryTrainer
Paladin Training, Inc.
https://paladintraining.com/courses/
Citizen-Defender, John Murphy
https://www.citizen-defender.com/calendar
Virginia Private Firearms Training (for private lessons), John Murphy
https://www.virginiaprivatefirearmstraining.com/
Defensive Training International, John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/schedule/
Rangemaster, Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/firearms-training/
Trident Concepts, Jeff Gonzales
https://www.tridentconcepts.com/course-calendar/
Apache Solutions, Tim Kelly
https://apachenc.com/events/
Harris Combative Strategies, Randy Harris
https://harriscombative.com/
Mead Hall Range & Tactics
https://meadhallrange.com/home-events/
2025 Schedule
Two Pillars Training – John Hearne – 7-9 Nov 2025
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 – 15-16 Nov 2025
Medicine X
https://www.lonestarmedics.com/register-for-class/medicine-x-meadhall-oklahoma
Cougar Mountain Solutions – Erick Gelhaus – 5-7 Dec 2025
Reactive Shotgun – 5 Dec
https://www.cougarmountainsolutions.com/event-details/west-coast-reactive-shotgun-meadhall
Proactive Shotgun-6 Dec
https://www.cougarmountainsolutions.com/event-details/west-coast-proactive-shotgun-course-meadhall-ok-12-6
Pistol Mounted Optics-7 Dec
https://www.cougarmountainsolutions.com/event-details/pistol-mounted-optics-12-7-meadhall
2026 (Including Prelim)
DTI - Vicki Farnam - FlexCCarry Solutions Instructor 13-15 Mar 26
Shivworks - Craig Douglas - ECQC 10-12 Apr 26
Presscheck No Fail Pistol 17-18 Apr 26
Presscheck Precision Performance 19 Apr 26
Tactical Anatomy Systems - Dr James Williams -
Shooting with XRay Vision Instructor 25-26 Apr 26
Fisher Critical Carbine May 30-31 2026
Citizens Safety Academy - Aqil Qadir and Tiffany Johnson -
CSA Gateway Instructor Course 6-7 Jun 26
Immediate Action Combatives - Cecil Burch - 19-21 Jun 26
Grappling in a Weapons Based Environment
Fisher Critical Handgun Oct 24 2026
Fisher Critical Shotgun Oct 25 2026
Presscheck/Two Pillars - Pressburg/Hearne - 13-15 Nov 26
-Bill Armstrong
MeadHall Range
405-823-2433
Two Pillars Training, John Hearne
Classes,
Mike Seeklander
NRA Instructors and their classes.
‟Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice.”
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Practice --------------------------------
How to get proficient at that task.
‶Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.″
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
"Five Tips to Improve Your Shooting Skills" by Justin Coleman
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Keep training, stay alive."
Dry practice is king.
"People rust faster than equipment."
-- John Hearne
"How to Kick Your Shooting Skills Up a Notch (Or Five)
You're never too old or too experienced to take your
shooting skills to the next level. Here's how!"
by George Dvorchak M.D.
"Remember, the day you plant the seed is not the day you earn the fruit."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Pistol Practice: Posture Patrol Drill
Because shooting doesn't just happen between your hand and your eyes;
your whole body needs to be involved, too!"
These are kinesthetic awareness drills.
Unless you are a high level athlete or dancer, you probably don't have a very high
level of kinesthetic awareness (knowing the position, orientation, and muscle tension
of EVERY part of your body in real time).
If you're not hitting where you intended to hit, you are doing something wrong.
But without kinesthetic awareness, you don't know that you are committing the
mistake, because you can't feel the error, because you can't recognize that feeling
as being wrong.
Ya, kinesthetic awareness eventually comes with practice, but only deliberate
practice, correct practice, practice with immediate feedback, practice under the
watchful eye of a competent coach.
As Sara Ahrens says,
‟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″
Without kinesthetic awareness, you might be doing ridiculous things,
because you don't know they are ridiculous, because you can't feel what
you're doing. Without kinesthetic awareness, you are comfortably numb.
[As a matter of fact, that is exactly what Pink Floyd was taking about.]
"Your speed doesn't matter. Forward is forward."
-- Nicola Cavanis
“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
"You have to be lucky to win. And the more you practice, the luckier you get."
-- Col. Lones Wigger
"Be so focused on watering your grass that
you don't have time to check if someone else's is greener."
-- Nicola Cavanis
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
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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.
“How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.”
-- John Farnam
"You win gunfights by not getting shot."
-- John Holschen
"Never let fear decide your fate."
-- Nicola Cavanis
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Tactics --------------------------------
Maneuver and fire in support of your strategy.
“Fortuitous outcomes reinforce poor tactics.”
-- Chuck Haggard
"Basic Weapon Mounted Flashlight Use" by SLG
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
As Ross Hick taught us at the Bullets & Bibles conference, it is extremely difficult
to recognize anything (including bad guys) in a complex cluttered environment.
Everything acts as camouflage. So you must search slowly enough to actually see things.
That's why force-on-force training in clear clean rooms is so fake. Of course, if they
cluttered the room that would create a tripping hazard and students would be falling
and releasing negligent discharges. So you can't really do safe realistic training within
legal liability constraints. (Students get hurt when they fall down.)
As Matt Little taught us at the Guardian conference, when indoors, you can move
your light around to simulate a multi-party operation when operating by your lonesome.
This is much more easily done with a pistol than a long gun. You need to take a class
to learn to do this effectively. It's not just waving the weapon mounted light around
randomly.
As Chuck Haggard taught us at TacCon, ALWAYS use your support-side thumb
to operate your weapon mounted light. NEVER use your trigger finger.
Task-overload-confusion will cause you to fire your pistol when you meant to turn
your light on or off. Lots of documented cases. No, they were not dumb shits.
They were trained police under extremely high stress. Like when someone
is shooting at you. In combat, Murphy's Law is in full force. You defeat Murphy's
Law by eliminating anything that can go wrong.
“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
---
When was last time you practiced your in-holster weapon retention skills?
Have you taken a class to learn such techniques?
---
". . . 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
“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
“People shoot you because they see you.
They see you because you let them.
Don’t let them see you.”
-- Clint Smith
"Without discrimination,
you're going to shoot the wrong person really fast."
-- Paul Howe
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Techniques --------------------------------
Ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics,
especially when disabled or under stress.
"Why are the little things called little things?
They are everything."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"THE COVERT DRAW" by Suarez Tactics
Sleight of hand.
"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
"How to Reload a Semi-Auto with Your Non-Dominant Hand"
by Massad Ayoob - Facts and Firearms
Ya, you could put the pistol in the holster backwards, but it's probably easier to
put the pistol down the front of your pants by your navel inside your belt.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
In case you've never seen a shotgun used for breeching a door.
The load is powdered lead, not shot. So there are no ricochets.
Notice that the shooter is destroying the wood of the door holding the hinge,
not the steel hinge. Steel is harder than lead.
Notice that the shooter is holding the muzzle a specific distance away from
the target, rather than using a standoff tube.
“What’s the number one reason for reloading?
Missing the target!”
-- Claude Werner
"Proper Thumb Positions with Massad Ayoob - Master Class Ep. 17"
Some of you may be too young to catch the reference to "trick bag".
There was a cartoon character, Felix the Cat. Felix had a bag of tricks.
"Grip first, then press."
-- Mike Seeklander
"How to Use a Flashlight for Armed Self-Defense"
by Jeff Gonzales
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/jeff-gonzales-how-to-use-a-flashlight-for-armed-self-defense-pt-1/
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
"Shotguns!" by John Farnam
Video tutorial at
"John Farnam’s Serious Shotgun Manual of Arms"
or on YouTube.com at
"Serious Shotgun Manual of Arms" on Mark Kraemer's channel
(because the DTI server is sometimes slow)
---
As Farnam says, these techniques are not in the owner's manuals.
"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 you can perform reliably.
"Laying Down On The Job" by Erick Gelhaus
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"Roll Over Prone", a better prone position.
"The foundations of your grip are established
before you even draw the pistol from the holster."
-- Tanner Denton
*************************************************************************
"We cannot allow big grocery chains to close stores at will!”
Seattle’s newly elected socialist mayor Katie Wilson
claims she will unilaterally BAN grocery stores from closing down in her city.
The government will FORCE them to stay open.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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.
“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, 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
“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
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
"Sherman House On a Lot of Things" by Lee Weems (First Person Safety)
Having a weapon mounted light that is longer than your barrel acts as a stand off.
So on contact shots, even when you are pressing the muzzle into the target, the slide
will not be forced out of battery. My Streamlight on my Glock 21 is set up that way.
Notice that Sherman uses his support side thumb to control his weapon mounted
light. Chuck Haggard says, never use your trigger finger to control your weapon
mounted light. Task Overload Confusion.
Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Course - NAEMT Certified, $495.00
https://www.dontbleedout.com/products/tactical-emergency-casualty-care-course
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 --------------------------------
"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
"Extreme Events:
The 5-Step Framework Every Protector Needs | John Holschen"
by Defenders LIVE
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
1. Analyze potential problems and situations.
2. Analyze solutions. You have to have an answer you believe in.
3. Establish framework of preferred actions. Immediate action drills.
4. Identify the competencies to be successful.
Demand of yourself specific performance in advance.
Training, then practice, then testing.
5. Commitment to act. Requires confidence that comes from competence.
"Building Thinking Shooters:
NeuroDrills & Real-World Skills w/ John Holschen | Ep. 156"
by Defenders LIVE
"John Holschen-RIP" by Greg Ellifritz
"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
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
Table of contents:
Legal
Instruction
Gear
*************************************************************************
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
"In Self Defense Podcast 116: Tom Givens on Home Defense: Part 1"
"In Self Defense Podcast 117: Tom Givens on Home Defense: Part 2"
Hard to attend Tac Con if the tickets sell out in 11 hours and you don't get
an email notice until a couple days after the tickets go on sale. Very hard for newbies
to attend. Fortunately, there are many other excellent conferences you can attend:
Guardian Conference
Bullets & Bibles
"Everything you know about violence is wrong" by Wim Demeere
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
"The Battle of Fort Washington" by AH1Tom
"The WWI sniper who killed 100 Germans:
How deadly Scottish sharpshooter led crack team of 24 men
who shot dead 3,000 enemy in two years - as medals go on sale"
by Harry Howard
Comment by Stephen P. Wenger --
List members may recall that the National Rifle Association of America was
formed in the aftermath of the War Between the States to promote rifle
marksmanship among the reunited nation's potential citizen soldiers after
the realization that Southern soldiers had usually been better marksmen
than Northern soldiers. During the Second Boer War [1899-1902], the British
came to appreciate – at the cost of human lives – the better marksmanship
of the European settlers of South Africa.
List members with an interest in the history of military rifles may recall that,
at the onset of WWI, the UK contracted with both Winchester and Remington
to manufacture the recently designed P14 Enfield rifle, chambered for the
British .303 cartridge. However, the Brits decided to stick with the Lee Enfield
rifle for general issue. The P14's were subjected to a “star gauge” test of their
barrels, with those passing the test being scoped for sniper use, in the latter part
of the war, and the remainder being issued to the Home Guard. When the US
entered the war, it was not feasible to increase the production of the newly
adopted M1903 Springfield rifle to arm all of our troops so, as British interest
in the P14 had waned, Winchester and the two Remington plants rechambered
the P14 for the .30-06 cartridge with the rifle becoming the M1917 – more widely
issued to American troops than Springfield Armory's M1903 because there were
more plants producing it.
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
Newsletter for November 2025 by John Hearne
Gun Failures
I taught two shooting classes last month. My trip to Tennessee reminded me that
magazines are an important part of the gun package. We had a Glock experiencing
repeated double feeds. The problem was traced down to a problematic magazine.
[Change your magazine springs when they feel soft. You'll know because you
clean / inspect your magazines every time you clean your pistol, right? And you
clean your pistol, before first use, after every use, and monthly if not used (because
your body is a warm moist environment conducive to rust on the small springs
in your trigger group). If your pistol is covered with lint / dust, you are WRONG
and need to clean more often.
-- Jon Low]
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Legal --------------------------------
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
It is wholly inadequate for the governance of any other."
-- John Adams, October 11, 1798
"Veterans With No Criminal Record Are Being Disarmed By The Government"
by Gun Owners of America
Titling. A way to fuck over guys the bureaucrats don't like.
It's not just the U.S. Army and Air Force.
Denied jobs, security clearances, ability to buy guns, etc.
‘Stand Your Ground’ Under Attack
The Wall Street Journal makes a specious case for allowing an aggressor
to attack and possibly kill you — and its timing sure seems suspicious.
by Emmy Griffin
Excerpt:
One has to wonder why The Wall Street Journal is even bringing this up.
What does it have to gain by fomenting fear about Americans with
Second Amendment rights defending themselves with deadly force?
In a climate where left-wing violence is metastasizing, one can only speculate.
But the timing sure seems suspicious.
"Firearms are second only to the constitution in importance,
they are the people's liberty's teeth." -- George Washington
"EXCLUSIVE USPS Gun Memo LEAKED! Conceal Carry Post Office Legal?"
by Tom Grieve
“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
"9-0 Decision! Supreme Court Issues Historic Gun Rights Ruling That Shocks America!"
by LOCKED & LAWFUL
Federal Tort Claims Act, qualified immunity.
"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
"Would Certain Guns Play Better With A Jury?" by Docent
[. . . although I didn't emphasize it, the researcher had noted that handguns
played best with the mock juries. -- Docent]
---
Yet another reason to use a modern high quality pistol for self-defense. It is the
tool that you practice with the most, and a jury of your peers would be least likely
to hate you for using it in self-defense. Which might mean, they would be most
likely to believe that the incident was self-defense.
But, of course, it is always a gamble with a jury. As Andrew Branca says, even if
you are completely innocent of any crime and completely justified in your use of
force, there is still a 10% chance of getting convicted. That's just the noise in the
system. That's why you must have a self-defense insurance policy that pays in full
up front and has competent attorneys on retainer. You must prevent the prosecutor
from charging you. If you fail that, you MUST get the charges dismissed before trial.
Otherwise, you're going to go through hell, even if you get acquitted.
"LOSD Analysis: Retreat Conviction Reversed!"
by Attorney Andrew Branca
---
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF OREGON
STATE OF OREGON, Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
IAN MACKENZIE CRANSTON, Defendant-Appellant.
Deschutes County Circuit Court
21CR47755; A180204
---
Case View State of Oregon v. Ian Mackenzie Cranston
---
Oral arguments.
---
The uniform jury instruction at the time of the trial did not explain the "no duty to retreat"
concept codified in Oregon statutes. So the defense requested a special jury instruction,
because the prosecutor was arguing that the defendant could have walk away instead of
shooting the "victim" (who was the initial aggressor, because he punched the defendant
and the defendant's fiancée in their heads).
The trial judge denied the request for a special jury instruction and used the uniform
jury instruction. The trial court judge also made up all kinds of stuff and put it in the
jury instruction.
The defendant was convicted.
The Appeals Court ruled that the jury instruction was in error and remanded the case
back to the trial court for a new trial.
---
Being drunk does not negate your right to self-defense. But the prosecution will argue
that because you were drunk, your actions were unreasonable. Reasonable is one of the
requirements for self-defense. (Of course, there was no evidence presented that the
defendant was drunk or that he was drinking. He could have been the designated driver.)
---
The only duty to retreat states are:
Hawaii (by far the worst)
Nebraska
Minnesota
New York
Maine
Vermont
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New Jersey
Maryland
All other states are stand your ground states by statute or case law.
---
An appellant attorney is different from a trial attorney. It's a different skill set.
Which means a huge amount of money. You better have a great self-defense insurance
policy.
"MASSIVE Legal Win in Hawaii" by OfficialACLJ
Hawaii is saturated with radical flaming liberal. In Hawaii there is only one
school jurisdiction for the whole state.
"Common Misconceptions About Evidence In Court" by Sideprojects
This is why you must have a competent team of attorneys. Which means lots and lots
of money. Competence is not cheap. If you go cheap, the prosecutor will bring in all
kinds of nonsense and pseudo-science to convict you. You need experts who will testify
to the stupidity of the prosecution's expert witnesses. Otherwise, the jury will accept
them at face value.
You think the judge will protect you from such nonsense? Sorry, the judge isn't any
brighter than the politician who appointed him. Or the judge is a politician who ran for
the elected office of judge. The best and the brightest are not going to be judges, because
they are being offered much higher salaries in the private sector.
Sorry, that's just reality.
"Gun Owners of America Wins in Memphis;
Judge Declares City’s Illegal Gun Control Ordinance “Dead as a Doornail” "
by Felisha Bull
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
"The Second Amendment and Foster Parents"
by Eugene Volokh
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
This is why people call for defunding the police.
"Cops Took His Guns Over His Wife's Mental Health" by Liberty Doll
"Even the ATF now admits inert RPGs—including Adamiak’s—are not firearms
Were it not for these Destructive Device charges, Adamiak would be a free man."
by Lee Williams
If you've ever entertained the idea that the ATF is not corrupt, you're a fool.
I speak from first hand experience, having had an FFL for many years. In Hawaii,
instead of focusing on the handgrenade market (used in several restaurant and
night club attacks), they wasted their time sending informants to ask me for silencers
and machineguns. Because prosecuting law abiding citizens is easier and safer than
investigating and attempting to arrest real criminals. If they arrested real criminals,
the ATF agent might get hurt.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Instruction --------------------------------
"Remember,
the students who require the extra effort
are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
----- Instructors -----
“Qui docet, discet.” (Who teaches, learns.)
-- American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers
Classes should be at most 90 minutes with a bathroom break at 45 minutes.
The students must be comfortable to learn.
One or two sleep cycles are necessary to move the skills / knowledge from
short term memory into long term memory. The students should also be away
from the material during this period. So you should schedule your classes to
have two days between classes.
[Ya, I know this is impractical or logistically impossible for some of you.
Dustin is talking ideal situation for learning.
When I give my Defensive Pistol course, we break the 20-hour classroom
portion into seven 3-hour classes, given for instance on Monday and Friday
evenings.
We usually break the 20-hour outdoor range portion into four 6-hour sessions
(3 hours in the morning, lunch break, 3 hours in the afternoon).
The lunch break includes a lecture. -- Jon Low]
A couple of thousand correct repetitions are required to move the
skill / knowledge from long term procedural memory into long term
declarative memory. If you are taking a test, reading a question, and
then consciously recalling the correct answer, that is procedural memory.
If you are under stress (as being shot at) and automatically / unconsciously
execute an automatic motor program, that is declarative memory.
Thanks to Dustin Salomon.
“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
“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
"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
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
************************************************************************
----- Students -----
"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
"Shooting 101:
9 Things to Look for When Choosing the Right Firearm Instructor"
by Eugene Nielsen
Hat tip to Greg Ellifrit.
Excerpt:
"Remember, quality instruction could one day mean the difference
between life and death. It deserves careful scrutiny."
---
Your prospective instructor should be happy to give you copies of his:
1. training record,
2. insurance policy (2 million dollars U.S. of general liability and 1 million
dollars U.S. of professional liability [if you get sued for something that taught
your student] is the U.S. industry standard for an individual. Schools will have
much larger dollar caps.),
3. instructor credentials (and how to contact the granting organization or person), and the
4. contact information for former students who would be happy to talk about their
experience in your class. Students who have recommended you to their friends
would be the best choice (you, of course, must ask their permission to divulge
their contact information).
“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
“Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans.”
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
"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
"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
*************************************************************************
----- Andragogy (as opposed to pedagogy) -----
‟An instructor should not expect any learning to
take place the first time new information is presented.”
-- ‶Building Shooters″ by Dustin Salomon
"Growth is uncomfortable because you've never been there before."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Thinking is the hardest thing a person can do.
That's why so few people do it."
-- Henry Ford
*************************************************************************
------------------------------ Gear --------------------------------
And the safe storage thereof.
The best gun for home defense is the one that you practice with the most.
The best gun for concealed carry is the one that you practice with the most.
"The longer I stay in this game, the less concerned about “stopping power”
I become. Getting good hits is exponentially more important than bullet
construction. It drives me crazy that people will spend dozens of hours online
researching the “best” bullet but can’t be bothered to shoot at the range more
than a couple times a year."
-- Greg Ellifritz
"Lack of Back Up – A Disturbing Trend"
by William G.
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
". . . if the [iron] sights have a high viz element to them,
make it a different color than the optic."
". . . find something you can conceal, access quick, and do good work with.
It is one of the most valuable life insurance policies available, . . . "
---
BUIS = back up iron sights (at least I think that's what it means)
---
Comment by Greg Ellifritz --
And on a similar topic, please don’t allow some “experts” to tell you that
you don’t need to “tap” the magazine during a malfunction clearing procedure.
Read "You’re Right, Tapping Is Dumb" by Erick Gelhaus
for additional considerations.
---
I tried looking up "TTPEs", but could not find anything reasonable.
Do you know what it means? I'll ask Eric, if I can find his email address.
"There are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous men."
-- Robert A. Heinlein
Hearing loss is permanent and cumulative.
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
"Why Appendix Carry Didn’t Work For You"
by Jacob Paulsen
Excerpt:
At a recent event, I spoke with a handful of people who tried appendix carry,
hated it, and moved on. In nearly every case, they were using a holster not
designed for appendix. A holster that may be great at 3–4 o’clock can feel
miserable up front. Appendix carry demands a holster that’s purpose-built
for that position.
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
"A Concealed Carry Primer
Build a system that actually works for you."
by Chris Cypert
Excerpt:
The problem isn’t the firearm, it’s the system.
---
That's why I won't sell a pistol to a student or customer. I will only sell a complete
system, to ensure everything works correctly together and works correctly with the
person using the system. If it doesn't, we adjust and replace until it does.
The purpose of a high capacity magazine is NOT to let you shoot more;
it is to let you reload less.
-- Tom Givens
"Ken Hackathorn analyzes Red Dot Sights on handguns and gives the pros and cons -
Masterclass EP 31"
Red dots are a God send for persons with poor vision.
Dry fire does not solve every problem.
If you think you will automatically use your iron sights when you can't find
the dot, "you're deluding yourself." In reality, you will continue looking for the
dot.
Less is better. The less complex your weapon system, the more likely it is
to work.
Mr. Hackathorn lists several things in the gun industry that were fades.
Worth noting.
---
"Set It & Forget It" [red dot brightness]
by Erick Gelhaus
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
". . . a lock-in or lock-out capability should be built into the switching
for any new optics."
"We don’t multi-task; instead, we task shift.
How much bandwidth, or processing power,
am I devoting to evaluating the other person’s
actions and behaviors while focusing on [other things]."
"Hands-On With The NEW Glock V Model!" by Lenny Magill
"The most innovative pistol I've ever seen (Rideout Arsenal Dragon)"
by PewView
Böker – Extension Knife
"Choices of a Higher Caliber:
NATO, the US Army’s New Service Rifle, and Visions of Future Warfare"
by Guido Rossi
Sig Sauer is incompetent and corrupt (the U.S. CEO is a convicted criminal, in Germany).
The U.S. Armed Forces choosing to use their gear is going to get a lot of U.S. Servicemen killed.
Ammo sources:
Unlimited Ammo
Target Sports USA
GunMag Warehouse
If you know of any others, let me know.
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
"SCANDAL IN KREMLIN:
LAVROV’S FAILURE SPARKS PUTIN’S RAGE Vlog 1217:
War in Ukraine"
by Anna from Ukraine
"Russians FLEE Crimea As Ukraine Takes Revenge" by Business Basics
There is always stuff to be learned by reading between the lines in open source.
"KOSTROMA DONETSK PRECISION STRIKES:
HUGE EXPLOSIONS SHOCK PANIC Vlog 1220:
War in Ukraine" by Anna from Ukraine
Analysis of UPS plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky.
"Why Dual Engine Failure Changes Everything — Louisville Crash Update"
by Captain Steeeve
"13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi"
True story of six elite ex-military operators assigned to protect the CIA base
who fought back against overwhelming odds when terrorists attacked a U.S.
diplomatic compound on September 11, 2012. When everything went wrong,
six men had the courage to do what was right.
Based on the nonfiction book
"13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi"
by New York Times best selling author Mitchell Zuckoff and
Members of the Annex Security Team.
---
They called for help. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton refused to help.
"Colin Gray, the RMA, and the Rise of Drone Warfare"
by James J. Wirtz
Hat tip to Soldier Systems.
"Mexican Mob ‘SEIZES’ Texas Town . . .
US Marines FLATTEN ‘Cartel Invaders’ in SECONDS"
by Cash Jordan
"Putin BETRAYED from Within . . . Russians Just Crippled Kremlin's War Machine"
by The Military Show
HUR
Freedom of Russia Legion
ATESH
Modern Insurgent
"Ukrainian Drones STRIKE Russian Train – Then THIS Happened . . ."
by Beyond Military
Primary sources cited in description below the video.
Note the timing numbers given in the narration. 11:44 / 19:45 Reasonable?
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
Anastasiia Volkova
I love pizza. (Appendix)
I love spaghetti. (Addendum)
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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
"IT ≠ CYBERSECURITY" by Layer8Security.com
"When most people think about protecting their company from cyber threats,
the first department that comes to mind is IT. Believing that “IT handles everything”
is a dangerous myth. Cybersecurity requires a companywide effort that combines
people, processes, and technology."
"Cybersecurity collapses without layers of defense" by Layer8Security.com
"Is 67 just brain rot?" by languagejones
Get it?
"Real-World Challenges for Low-VHF Direction Finding
A Case Study in Multipath Interference and its Impact on Tactical Operations"
by Maj. Caleb Hill
Hat tip to Soldier Systems.
"(Un)Manned Warfare: 80% of Drone Success Depends on Pilot Skill
why NATO allies need to train thousands of drone crews"
by Olena Kryzhanivska
Hat tip to Soldier Systems.
"Got Your Back" [Terrestrial Layer System backpack electronic warfare apparatus]
by Dr. Thomas Withington
Hat tip to Soldier Systems.
"Senate approves new leader for Army Cyber Command
Lt. Gen. Christopher Eubank has been chosen and approved to lead ARCYBER."
by Mark Pomerleau
Hat tip to Soldier Systems.
Appointments are policy.
How the ‘heartbreaking’ lack of a confirmed leader is impacting CYBERCOM and NSA
"It's indefensible and it shows just a total disregard by the administration and the
secretary of defense for this mission area,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-NE, told Breaking Defense.
by Mark Pomerleau
Hat tip to Soldier Systems.
Because no competent person in their right mind will be director of the NSA.
It's a disgusting bag of woke worms.
"Marine Corps to pay $15,000 bonuses to attract cyber, electronics recruits
The service is offering a number of bonuses to attract high-tech talent and
keep more Marines in uniform as it shifts to an “invest and retain” model."
by Anastasia Obis
My beloved Marine Corps. Happy Birthday Marines!
"Thinking First, Adapting Fast:
Debating the Marine Corps’ Need for the Information Group"
by Brian Kerg
Spooltenna Stealth Model
Introducing the limited-edition SPOOLTENNA Stealth Bundle --
an all black antenna system designed for hams who want to operate under the radar.
Stealth appearance, full performance.
Frequency:
* 7.0 - 7.3 MHz (40M)
* 14.1 - 14.35 MHz (20M)
* 21.0 – 21.45 MHz (15M)
* 28.0 – 29.7 MHz (10M)
Power: 100W SSB, 50W CW & digital
Dimensions:
* Diameter=120mm (4.72")
* Thickness=~25mm (0.98")
Weight: 12.5oz
Length: 65ft silicone insulated 20 AWG tinned copper wire with
paracord strain relief attached with heavy duty shrink tubing
Note: Antenna is factory-tuned, with additional length available for end-user final tuning.
RF Connection: Right-angle BNC female
Available starting BLACK FRIDAY while supplies last!
Go to www.spooltenna.com to learn more.
"Washington city turns off license plate readers after records request"
by KING 5 Seattle and KREM 2 News
If out of state law enforcement has access to the cameras, guarantee the hackers have
access. That's why the police turned off the cameras. The court case is just a cover.
Which dialect of Spanish is she speaking?
Do you detect an accent? If so, what is her native language?
Crypto-Gram
November 15, 2025
by Bruce Schneier
Breaking Defense has a weekly newsletter, "Networks & Digital Warfare" at
Crypto-Gram by Bruce Schneier
2600
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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.
Nobel Laureate Gerard 't Hooft: "Quantum Mechanics Is Totally Wrong"
by Curt Jaimungal
"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
"Schur Numbers (the world's biggest proof) by Numberphile
Of course, it's not a proof. It's just a computer checking all possible combinations
to see which ones satisfy an equation.
But you see the significance for us?
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
"Why TERNARY LOGIC Makes More Sense Than Boolean Logic"
by Codeolences
"Computer science has nothing to do with computers or science."
-- Donald Knuth
I studied Latin in 7th and 8th grade. Real Latin, not the watered down shit that
my son studied in high school 30 years later. That's why I was so good at programming.
"Your Programming Language Can't Understand You . . ."
by LaurieWired
"LaurieWired"
"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
"What is the graph of x^a when a is not an integer?
An unusual look at familiar functions #some2"
by Armando Arredondo
"All that we don't know is astonishing.
Even more astonishing is what passes for knowing."
-- Philip Roth
"The Mott Problem" by The Action Lab
This is important for our random number generators.
"Never memorize anything. Rather, study it until it becomes obvious."
-- Norman Christ
"You don't have to memorize formulae.
Because you can always derive them from first principles."
-- Sven Hartman
What a great graphic.
"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
"I finally understood why you can't add neutrons forever! (My mind is blown)"
by FloatHeadPhysics
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Religion and Politics ***** ***** *****
"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
This is why people call for defunding the police.
"School Security Mistakes Doritos Bag for a Gun" by Liberty Doll
Discernment requires intelligence.
The cops drew their guns. Which means they came close to shooting.
Don't kid yourself, scared panicky persons with guns are very close to shooting.
The school administrators blamed the incident on an artificial intelligence system.
Can't charge an AI system with filing a false report. How convenient.
---
This is why people call for defunding law enforcement.
"Kash Patel Is Having the Worst Week of His Career" by Brett Cooper
"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."
-- Mary Flannery O'Connor
Virginia Democrats.
"History teaches us that history teaches us nothing." -- James Bachmann
"FBI OUSTS 22-YEAR AGENT in Alleged UNDERCOVER SPY-OP"
by Trish Regan
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
"Rogan Blown Away as Elon Musk Notices Something
About the Gov’t Shutdown No One Noticed"
by The Rubin Report
Without the welfare money, free food, free housing, free education, free healthcare,
etc. , the illegal aliens won't come to America and those in America will leave. That's
why the Democrats are fighting so hard to keep the healthcare subsidies et al. Illegal
aliens vote Democrat, because they know that the Democrats will keep the tax payer
funded freebies coming. The illegal aliens don't care about the social policies, all
they care about is the money. Economics rules.
“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
"200% Suicide Rate: Study Debunks Media Narrative"
by Facts Matter with Roman Balmakov
Euphemisms (propaganda) --
Gender Affirming Surgery = genital mutilation.
Abortion = baby murder.
The list goes on and on, because the truth is unacceptable to rational persons.
Suicide has no advertisement. "Attempted" suicide is a scream for help.
Entirely different things.
The psychiatrists (100% liberals, that's one of the reasons the Scientologist hate
them) are trained to advance the propaganda, "Would you rather have a living daughter
or a dead son?" When in fact the opposite is true. Transitioning causes suicide.
Telling the child that his belief that he is in the wrong body is nonsense,
prevents the suicide.
What is even more significant is the trans persons who kill others, e.g. Covenant
School murders, etc.
Writing the sitrep. (Situation Report)
"Watch Your Liberal Friend’s Face After You Tell Them This Gun Stat |
Mayor Francis Suarez"
by The Rubin Report
Why you should never believe the BBC.
Universal Suffrage. They can be completely ignorant, they still get to vote.
It's not hard to understand, if you're intellectually honest.
The reality of living in a socialist country.
In case you ever trusted or respected the FBI.
"The Daily Wire is Learning Why You Can’t Hire Women" by Pearl
"A Shot Across The NRA’s Bow" by John Richardson
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
Excerpt:
Previously, the trustees of the NRA Foundation were elected by the
NRA Board of Directors. They are now elected by the trustees themselves.
If this sounds a little self-selecting and incestuous that is because it is.
More troubling is that the overwhelming majority of the trustees are
from what I [John Richardson] term the Old Guard. You have your Cottons,
your Kings, your Coys, and many others from their camp on the Board.
It’s as if a conscious decision was made, somewhere, sometime, by the
Old Guard that if they could not remain in power at the NRA then the
Foundation would become their new locus of power.
---
The rats fled the sinking ship. Now we know where they went.
It's important to give a person enough time to explain his views. Megan Kelly
gives Tucker Carlson such time.
"Why Tucker Interviewed Nick Fuentes" by Tucker Carlson Network
Welfare causes dependence.
"HOW TO FIGHT COMMUNISM IN AMERICA" by Gabriel Suarez
We are in a fight in the west - notably America – to preserve freedom over
total subjugation by totalitarian authorities.
If you recall the way the Covid hysteria was handled, the way your local
governments trampled your freedoms, and how people behaved, that is a brief
glimpse of life in communism. And make no mistake, communism will never
be “voted out” once it takes root. The only way to remove it from power is
bloody.
The rhetoric of the left is that they want “socialism” and that it is not
“communism”. That is a lie. If communism is a bearded Castro-like image
in green BDUs, socialism is a Castro-like figure with a trimmed beard in a
Brioni suit. The wrappers may be different but the package is the same.
There are some things that I think are effective steps for us to take in this fight.
I am not a political scientist, but I know people, and I know what motivates them
and drives them. I also know that the quote from Heraclitus bears true for any
movement –
“Out of every one-hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets,
nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle.
Ah, but the one, one is a warrior and he will bring the others back.”
There is little anyone can do with the zealots to convince them to change their
minds. So I am not concerned with the nine, or the one. They are what they are . . .
the mass killers, the bombers, the ones that must be dealt with harshly. But the truth
is that the eighty that Heraclitus describes as “targets” are the ones that finance and
support and vote and do all of the background work without which, the zealots could
not thrive.
So we target the targets like this –
VOTING: I will vote straight republican in every election, whether I like the
candidate or not, because any vote not cast for the right is a vote for the left.
If the republicans run a German Shepard in 2028, I will vote for the German
Shepard over any democrat candidate . . . ever.
BUSINESS: I will avoid traveling to, or doing business with, any entity, company,
or organization based in a socialist state. The reason is that I do not want to feed
the government that they pay taxes to, nor want any of my money to finance their
state economies.
For example, Magpul left Colorado in 2014 after Colorado passes some leftist
anti-gun legislation. If more companies did that, and took their payroll, income,
and tax contribution with them, it would be a harsh blow to the state’s government.
And along those lines, if you run a business, you can refuse to do business with
any company that supports a communist agenda, and not hire anyone who supports
the communist agenda as well.
FRIENDS: When I have a conversation with a friend or family member who I
discover is leaning toward communism, I will try to “Charlie Kirk” them with a
lucid and educated argument for freedom and capitalism over communism.
My hope is to educate them and get them to understand the path they are on is a
poorly chosen one that will lead to death, misery and failure. However, if I cannot
persuade them to abandon communism, I will write them out of my life and turn
my back on them.
Some say blood is thicker than water. I say freedom is thicker than both.
I have no room in my life for a communist.
CHILDREN: If you are a parent, you cannot afford to have other people raise your
kids as communists. And if they attend public education, or even some seriously
misguided “Christian communist” schools, that is exactly what will happen. Home
school is not for everyone, and it certainly was not what I chose for mine, but I had
a direct influence on their growing up and had discussions with them about everything
that took place in school, correcting them, and even their teachers, when necessary.
These things are not as sexy as going out to buy armor and a few cases of 5.56,
but they are far more effective than the “hunker down and wait” mindset that so
many on the right seem to have today. And these steps are not difficult at all.
Remember – only you can prevent communism.
-- Gabriel Suarez
***************************** Begin Psychology ***********************
"NY Sad as Trump gets MAJOR court victory" by Uncivil Law
Meat starts at 3:22 / 52:41.
Deep profound truth.
"The primary lie: you can't always get what you want" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
"If he wanted to: maybe he would" by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
It's crass, but true.
It's the mother's fault.
"7 things men will go broke for (escort diaries)" by Isabelle Fox
"That's exactly backwards."
Email from Orion Taraban, Psy.D. --
"The winter of our discontent?"
Wednesday, November 12th, 2025
For most of my life, I've hated the end of daylight saving time. It felt like the
middle of the night by the time I finished work, and it was too cold and dark to
enjoy the outdoors. For years, I felt trapped during the winter months, and – as my
living situation hasn't always been comfortable – this was an ordeal to be endured.
But something changed in me a few years ago. Now I'm grateful for this season.
There is a time for all things. There's a time to push forward and a time to retreat.
There's a time to expend one's resources and a time to conserve one's strength.
And there's a time to act and a time to prepare.
Winter is the time when nature's creative forces withdraw into the earth.
It looks barren – but that's just the surface. It seems inactive – but don't be fooled
by appearances. Deep inside, the soil is undergoing a mysterious alchemy,
preparing itself for the next spring. I don't think nature can skip this step – and
neither should we.
This week's behavioral experiment:
What would you need to deeply rest? Do that.
Warmly,
Orion
***************************** End Psychology ************************
"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
Penn and Teller explain the 2nd Amendment.
What they said.
Women should be free.
I can do that.
With a little practice, I can do that.
With a lot of practice, I can do that.
I can't do that.
Whether you believe you can or can't, you're correct.
“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)
I could do that.
With a little practice, I could do that.
With a lot of practice, I could do that.
I could never do that.
No matter what you believe, you're correct.
"Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac (Acoustic Cover by First To Eleven)
"Refueling a NUCLEAR REACTOR - Smarter Every Day 311"
by SmarterEveryDay
"High quality steam."
I was disappointed they never mentioned the security team guarding the plant.
Maybe they didn't want to be mentioned.
POV, point of view of the target.
Kaylee Rose
Lujan
Email from the Patriot Post --
The penny is history: A penny for your thoughts may become just a
colloquialism from a bygone era, as Wednesday marked the last day the
U.S. one-cent copper coin was produced at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia,
the last of America's mints to produce it. This marks the end of a 230-year
history of the production of America's most abundant coin, first introduced
in 1793. Treasurer Brandon Beach explained that ending the penny
production would "save the taxpayers $56 million." Before yesterday,
the last U.S. coin to be discontinued was the half-cent way back in 1857.
Despite the fact that no more pennies will be minted, billions of the coins
will still remain in circulation and legal tender.
"US Mint presses final pennies as production ends after more than 230 years"
by Maryclaire Dale
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
Anastasiia Volkova
Do you recognize the range?
Lack of wide brimmed hat and high neck shirt is for photograph only.
When shooting, she was covered head to toe.
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