Defensive Pistolcraft

Sunday, September 5, 2021

CWP, 5 September MMXXI Anno Domini

Hi Sheepdogs,

*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Software *****     *****     *****

----- Basics -----

"Better to stay out of trouble than get out of trouble."
-- Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)

“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper

----- Aftermath -----
(You have to 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

     Please check out the web page "Self Defense Insurance" by clicking
on the link in the column to the right.

“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

----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----

Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape

"There are no victims, only volunteers.
You volunteer by looking uncertain and afraid.
You volunteer by being, as grass-eaters invariably are,
unprepared to confront the hazards of life."
—Jeff Cooper

"It’s not about the odds, it’s about the stakes."
     The probability of you being attacked may be very low. That does not matter.
What you will lose, if you are not prepared, not aware, and don't act immediately
and decisively, is all that matters.

*************************************************************************
----- Safety -----

Jeff Cooper's Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.

John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.

*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to learn) -----

     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 real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner

“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

"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner

*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get good 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

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

     "Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you have practiced,
no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens

*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do) -----

How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam

You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen

*************************************************************************
----- Techniques (ways to do that task) -----

"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee

"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee

*************************************************************************
----- Education -----

"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin

"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam

*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Hardware (which includes you) *****     *****     *****

"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley

----- Gear -----

“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers

“Your car is not a holster.” -- Pat Rogers

----- Technical / Maintenance -----

"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee

"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen

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*****     *****     ***** Instruction *****     *****     *****

Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."

----- Instructors -----

Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!
-- John Farnam

     Be careful what you teach.
Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do,
no matter how ridiculous.
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens

----- Andragogy -----

     An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon

     "The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan

*************************************************************************
*****     ***** Political (legal), Religious, and Philosophical *****     *****

     "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
It is wholly inadequate for the governance of any other.
-- John Adams, October 11, 1798

     "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
-- Second Amendment, U.S. Constitution

     "Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just power from the consent of the governed."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty.
Suspect every one who approaches that jewel.
Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.
Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined."
-- Patrick Henry, speech of June 5, 1788 A.D.

     Yes, there is a delay because I have to wait for an open source to refer to.
We cannot know things that we could not have known. For that would cause all kinds
of trouble for our friends.
     When I was in Signals Intelligence school at Cory Station, we were taught
to go as high up the chain of command as we could when reporting a suspected traitor.
     Because the evacuation order was never given to those in Afghanistan, there
are many SigInt persons manning listening posts in the mountains that still have
not left. They may be able to bring your loved ones out, if you get word to them
before they destroy their communication equipment. Go as high up the Marine Corps
chain of command as you can, give the officer or staff NCO the location of your
loved one, and ask them to pass the word to the guys on the inside. They are
going to say they can't help you, but they might.
     I can't know you, so I can't communicate directly with you. We must depend
on the kindness of strangers. Trust me. In the future, you're going to want to
disavow any knowledge of me.
     India has always had back channels open with the Taliban.
Talib = one student. Taliban = two students. Taliboon = three or more students.
The fiasco in Afghanistan was completely intentional. So, you know who not to trust.
God Bless.

"Militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves . . .
And include all men capable of bearing arms."
-- Senator Richard Henry Lee, 1788, on "militia" in the 2nd Amendment

     “Is there no virtue among us?
If there is not, we are without hope!
No form of government, existing nor theoretical, will keep us from harm.
To think that any government, in any form,
will insure liberty and happiness for an dishonorable population
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788

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*****     *****     ***** Survival, Medical, Security, and such *****     *****     *****

"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House

"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

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*****     *****     ***** Miscellany / History / War Stories *****     *****     *****

"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson

All kinds of neat stuff at:
     Stephen P. Wenger (you can download his books free of charge, as they
are presently out of print)
https://www.spw-duf.info/
     Practical Eschatology by Docent
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
     The Tactical Professor by Claude Werner
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/
     Active Response Training by Gregg Ellifritz
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
     Quips by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/quips/
     Rangemaster newsletter by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/publications/rangemaster-newsletter/
     CIVILIAN DEFENDER by Sherman House
https://civiliandefender.com/
     Handgun Combatives by Dave Spaulding
https://www.youtube.com/c/handguncombatives/videos
     Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/blog/
     Jeff Gonzales
https://www.tridentconcepts.com/evolved-training/blog/
     Michael Bane
https://www.michaelbane.tv/category/blog/
     Jerry Miculek - Pro Shooter
https://www.youtube.com/c/MiculekDotCom/videos
     OODA Loop
https://www.oodaloop.com/
     Active Self Protection YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsE_m2z1NrvF2ImeNWh84mw
     Michael Mann Security
https://michaelmannsecurityservices.com
YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxi2b2Q-RK0G3U1gLPE9Cmw
     Guardian News Podcast
https://guardian_news_podcast.buzzsprout.com/

“In the long-run, there is no such thing as ‘luck’.
However, the short-run is longer than many individual lifetimes!”
-- Anon
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Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com

Saturday, September 4, 2021

CWP, 4 September MMXXI Anno Domini

Hi Sheepdogs,
     God promises to provide for you. That does not mean that God is your
magic piggy bank.

*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Software *****     *****     *****

----- Basics -----

"Better to stay out of trouble than get out of trouble."
-- Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)

     Why good guys lose fights in order of statistical importance:
1. Decision. Failure to make the decision to use force. (Because they did not
understand what was going on, because they were not aware of what was going on.
Because they were not aware.)
2. INTENSITY. Failure to fight with intensity, because that's how they trained.
[You really will fight the way you have trained.]
3. Windows and Timing. Failure to be patient (as God teaches) to wait for
windows of opportunity and failing to time their counter-attack correctly.
[Tolerance is not the same as patience.]
4. Skill. Failure to have the necessary skill required for combat, because of
lack of training and lack of practice.
     From an email by Patrick Kilchermann, founder, Concealed Carry University
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM. (If you want peace, prepare for war.)

"Beginner's Guide to Pistol Ammo" by Chris Baker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp4jdViz5R0
     22 LR means .22 caliber Long Rifle.

"Those of us who maintain a dangerous lifestyle will experience fear and anxiety.
But to do so, allows us to join a fraternity of those who have, since the
beginning of time, endured. They endured. We endured. It's the cost of the
privilege of such company."
- Paul Whitesell

“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper

----- Aftermath -----
(You have to 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

     Please check out the web page "Self Defense Insurance" by clicking
on the link in the column to the right.

“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

----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----

Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape

"What Time Is It?" by Brian Enos
https://brianenos.com/what-time-is-it/
Excerpt:
     "When attentive: you know what you are doing — you cannot be improved."

"There are no victims, only volunteers.
You volunteer by looking uncertain and afraid.
You volunteer by being, as grass-eaters invariably are,
unprepared to confront the hazards of life."
—Jeff Cooper

"Intended Victim not ‘Subject’ " by tacticalprofessor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2021/08/29/intended-victim-not-subject/
     If you don't know what's going on around you, you are not paying attention.
This results in all kinds of bad things. PAY ATTENTION!

What is situational awareness?
     Who is around you and what are they doing?
Always be aware of who is around you and what they are doing.
That is Situational Awareness.

     Wow! This is a really useful article.
"How To Be An Expert: 8 Proven Secrets To Superior Skill" by Eric Barker
https://www.bakadesuyo.com/2016/08/how-to-be-an-expert/
1. Make a long-term commitment to learn the skill.
2. Find a mentor (not necessarily an expert in the field) and
be willing to question him.
3. Start with what's important. [For us, safety is important.]
4. Train like you fight.
5. Use “Desirable Difficulty”. You need to struggle.
6. Get Fast, Negative Feedback.
7. Study Less. Test More.
8. Naps Are Steroids For Your Brain.
     As Bobby Knight once said,
“Everybody has the will to win;
few people have the will to prepare to win.”

"Front Sight Reality Check #84"
https://www.frontsight.com/fsrc84/patriot-tbd.asp
5 elements of winning a gunfight:
Color code of mental awareness
Combat mindset
Gun handling
Marksmanship
Tactical movement

"It’s not about the odds, it’s about the stakes."
     The probability of you being attacked may be very low. That does not matter.
What you will lose, if you are not prepared, not aware, and don't act immediately
and decisively, is all that matters.

*************************************************************************
----- Safety -----

Jeff Cooper's Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.

"LAPD Saga!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/lapd-saga/

John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.

*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to learn) -----

     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)

"Pistol Small Arms Firing School
$50 Annual Training Course at the National Matches"
by Serena Juchnowski
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/exclusives/pistol-small-arms-firing-school/
Excerpt:
     "Federal law actually requires pistol and rifle SAFS
[Small Arms Firing School] to be held annually during the national matches."
     "Where else can you get training from members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship
Unit (USAMU) with loaner firearms, ammunition provided and a T-shirt for $50?"

"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner

"Armed Self-Defense in America, the Year 'American Handgunner' Was Born"
by Massad Ayoob
https://americanhandgunner.com/our-experts/armed-self-defense-in-america-the-year-american-handgunner-was-born/
Excerpt:
     "Jodi M. Brown and Patrick A. Langan, Ph.D. later wrote in 'Policing and
Homicide, 1976-98: Justifiable Homicide by Police, Police Officers Murdered
by Felons' that in 1976 14% of slain officers were killed with their own weapons,
a trend that peaked in 1986 at 23%."
     [This is why weapons retention training is essential. Yes, as a matter of
fact, the bad guy will attempt to take your pistol and shoot you and your loved
ones with it.]

“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

"Self-Defense Training on a Budget" by Chris Baker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr569MLCgWk
referenced book
"Fighting Smarter" by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/fighting-smarter/
Out of print, but available at various places online.
A Kindle version is available at Amazon.com,
https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Smarter-Tom-Givens-ebook/dp/B00T3KNDVG/ref=sr_1_1

'The "Three S" Test' by Dave Spaulding
https://www.buckeyefirearms.org/three-s-test
Excerpt:
"Never base a decision on how to deal with an armed opponent by
applying YOUR logic or feelings as they don't think like you do."
SIMPLE Is the technique being taught simple to execute or perform?
SENSE Does it make sense?
STREET PROVEN Has the technique been used in actual combat of the type you may face?

     I just finished a Counter Terrorism course by Michael Mann Security Services.
One of the things we learned was that the Chief of Police of the Metro Nashville
Police Department instructed his officers to "avoid all proactive policing. They
could respond to calls, but don't initiate anything." Did you notice the wording?
"could respond" not "must respond".
     Having been a cop, that's about the craziest thing I have ever heard.
     Another thing I learned was that 85% of critical infrastructure in the U.S.
is protected by private security, because it is owned by private corporations.
     Private security gets a bad rap because the level of training is very low.
But, that's at the entry level, because the companies don't give their officers
much training. The reality is that the level of training of the private security
officers in the "real" jobs is very high, because the companies hire persons who
already have the training. For example, G4S (before it was bought out by Allied)
had a level of security officer that had as a prerequisite: so many years of law
enforcement experience or so many years of active duty military experience (with
an MOS in combat arms). And then their are those private security officers who
guard nuclear power plants and refining facilities, who have extremely high
levels of training.

"WW2 1911 .45 CAL Pistol Training"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP7J-JNSUu4
     What a classic.

"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner

*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get good 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

"No Bang For Your Buck: Why You Should Dry Practice" by Justin Carroll
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/no-bang-buck-dry-practice/
"No Bang for Your Buck Part 2: How to Dry Practice" by Justin Carroll
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/no-bang-buck-part-2-dry-practice/
     Whoa! This stuff is deep. Better have your reference books
next to you when reading this. If you aren't a true believer in dry
practice after reading this, something is wrong with you.

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

     "Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you have practiced,
no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens

*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do) -----

How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam

You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen

*************************************************************************
----- Techniques (ways to do that task) -----

"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee

"Concealment is a Verb: Re-holster Immediately Following Violence" by Salvatore
https://www.usacarry.com/re-holster-immediately-following-violence/

"Pre-attack indicators: Conscious recognition of telegraphed cues" by Lt. Jim Glennon
https://www.police1.com/police-products/training-products/articles/pre-attack-indicators-conscious-recognition-of-telegraphed-cues-lHaGNktGomYevmQE/

"Pre-Assault Body Language Indicators" by Matthew Schafer
https://schaferselfdefense.blogspot.com/2014/02/pre-assault-body-language-indicators.html

"Dan Brokos Gives TFB Some Quick Tips for Improving Your Pistol Game" by Luke C.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/09/02/dan-brokos-tips/
1. Stick with One Gun and One Trigger
2. Prioritize Accuracy over Speed
3. Practice your Lower Body Stance

"Head Buttin Time! How to Head-butt A Bad Guy Real Good" by Michael Kurcina
https://spotterup.com/head-buttin-time-how-to-head-butt-a-bad-guy-real-good/
1. Prepare for action. He’s likely to step into you.
You want to get the jump on him before he has time to do something.
2. Get stabilized with your feet. You’re about to deliver a head-butt and
you need good energy to inflict damage. It will be like a whiplash motion.
3. As he begins to move you simply place your hands on his chest.
Don’t grab around his neck to pull him into you. If you pull him first,
instead of pushing first then he will reflexively tense up his shoulders,
resist and try to pull away from you.
4. So, with both hands on his chest, simply push him back while you hold
onto him. As he becomes unbalanced, you will have control of him, and
this is the time to pull him sharply forward into you. He’ll be like a
rag doll.
5. For a good, effective head-butt don’t just tilt your head backwards as
you pull him towards you. Tuck your chin to your chest.
6. Make timing and physics work for you. Snap down with your torso AND the
crown of your head onto his, while stepping into him. It’s done almost as
if you are rising, this way you can hit him from a higher vantage point.
Target the sensitive areas of his face and head; his cheeks, temples, nose,
top of his eye sockets or lower-forehead. He should feel the damage.

"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee

*************************************************************************
----- Education -----

"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin

"New Study: Grip Strength and Shooting Performance" by Von Kliem, JD, LL.M
https://www.forcescience.org/2021/09/new-study-grip-strength-and-shooting-performance/
Excerpts:
     ". . . researchers determined that grip strength in the range of 80 lbs and
125 lbs was needed to score approximately 85% and 90% on the pistol qualification
test. The average grip strength for the female officers in the study was 77.5lbs,
while the average for the men was 121.5lbs."
     "78% of the females and 92% of the males passed the qualification test
(22% and 8% failed respectively). Researchers observed that, for every pound
below the average grip strength required to score between 85% and 90%, the odds
of an officer failing the pistol qualification increased by 2%."
     " “In our study, higher rates of failure appeared to be correlated with
lower grip strength.” Brown continued: “Agencies should consider minimum grip
requirements based on the issued duty pistol trigger weight. Although grip
strength issues might disproportionately impact female officers, strength
training may help to mitigate grip-related deficiencies regardless of the
officer’s gender.” "
     "Dr. Bill Lewinski, executive director of the Force Science Institute,
supports Brown’s recommendations and was encouraged by the NYPD’s move to a
lighter trigger pull weight: “We often hear that higher trigger pull weights
can provide increased decision-making time for officers. The research does
not support that position.” Dr. Lewinski explained: “Even the heavier
triggers can have a travel time as quick as 6/100 to 8/100 of a second.
If the decision to pull the trigger has already been made, the travel time
of the trigger isn’t going to result in sufficient time to change your mind
and stop that action.” "
     Primary source document,
"Examining the impact of grip strength and officer gender on shooting performance"
by AndrewBrown, Simon Baldwin, Brittany Blaskovits, and Craig Bennell
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003687021001836?via%3Dihub

"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam

*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Hardware (which includes you) *****     *****     *****

"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley

----- Gear -----

“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers

"A New Epiphany!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/a-new-epiphany/
     This article is about trigger weight. But, I'm going to go off on a tangent.
Excerpt:
"Mathematics is no refuge! Our naive hope for certainty is dashed as we discover
that even mathematics is neither complete, nor consistent."
     I assume John is referring to the "Gödel Incompleteness Theorem"
by Kurt Friedrich Gödel, November 17, 1930;
"On Formally Undecidable Propositions of Principia Mathematica and Related Systems".
     I've read the proof (and understood it), so I sort of know what I'm talking about.
The theorem only says that there there exist statements that can be formally stated in
any system of mathematics that cannot be proved to be true, and cannot be proved to
be false. That is to say the truth of the statements are indeterminant. But, this
would only be meaningful in a self consistent system of axioms. So, the statement
that all systems of mathematics are not "consistent" is wrong.
     Using the term "complete", as in all systems of mathematics are not "complete"
is a little tricky. Mathematicians use the word "complete" to refer number systems,
such as "the Complex number system is complete because any operation on numbers
as input will result in an output number in the Complex number system".
     So, what he really means to say (I think) is "There are statements that can
neither be proved to be true nor proved to be false in any self consistent system
of axioms." Or, more succinctly, "There exist indeterminant statements in any
axiomatic system."

"Stop Worrying About Overpenetration" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/stop-worrying-about-overpenetration
Excerpt:
     "Your misses are what will cause damage to innocent people.
Instead of worrying about carrying the latest under-penetrating
“super bullet”, spend your time improving your accuracy and speed
so that you can reliably hit your attacker.
     Stop worrying so much about overpenetration. In real tissue,
it rarely happens with well designed hollow point bullets."

T1 Ammo
https://t1ammo.com/
5% discount to active and retired members of the Military and Law Enforcement community.
You have to scan and upload your military or law enforcement ID. If you've never
served, contact me and I will give you a discount code.
     They presently design, manufacture, and sell .223, 9mm ball, and 9mm hollow point.
But, I'm sure they will expand. The company is owned and operated by ladies,
who have a well defined sense of customer service.
Subsonic 9mm Hybrid Hollow Point - Self Defense - Box 50, Factory New, Brass Case
   124 GR – $62.50 ($1.25/rd)
   147 GR – $72.50 ($1.45/rd)
Subsonic 9mm 124 Grain Total Metal Jacket, Factory New, Brass Case
   Box 50 – $32.99 ($0.66/rd)
   Bulk 250 – $152.99 ($0.61/rd)
Subsonic 9 mm 147 Grain Total Metal Jacket, Factory New, Brass Case
   Box 50 – $35.50 ($0.71/rd)
   Bulk 250 – $168.25 ($0.67/rd)
They also sell .223 rifle ammo.
Muzzle velocities and such are listed on the web site.

Steel City Ammo
https://www.steelcityammoco.com/
    Has all kinds of ammo in stock. In case you're living in an ammo desert.

Palmeto State Armory
Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ 9mm Pistol with Manual Safety
$449.99
https://palmettostatearmory.com/smith-wesson-m-p-shield-ez-9mm-pistol-with-manual-safety-black-12436.html
No promo code needed.

     Louis Awerbuck recommended the Springfield Armory XD. I have found them to
be reliable. It's been on the market long enough for Springfield Armory to have
worked out all the bugs. I am sure you have seen the problem with buying the
latest pistol adopted by the Armed Forces or that large police department. Even
after the testing, the Sig had major problems (and law suits). Pistols are like
software; if you are a first adopter, you are the beta tester. And there are
always bugs in the system that need to be fixed. Better to go with something
that has been peer reviewed for many years. Especially if you are going to bet
your life on it. Especially, if you are going to bet the lives of your loved ones.

“Your car is not a holster.” -- Pat Rogers

----- Technical / Maintenance -----

"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee

"Magazine Maintenance – Part 1" by Drew Forge
https://www.shtfblog.com/shtf-armorer-magazine-maintenance-cleaning-pmag-ar15-part-1/
"Magazine Maintenance – Part 2" by Drew Forge
https://www.shtfblog.com/shtf-armorer-magazine-maintenance-cleaning-ar15-glock-pistol-riflepart-2/
     I have found that cutting those tabs off of the Glock magazines makes
them much easier to disassemble in the future. They are redundant to the
button that protrudes out the bottom of the base plate.
     Handgun magazine springs -
https://www.brownells.com/magazines/handgun-magazines/magazine-parts/magazine-springs/index.htm

"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen

*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Instruction *****     *****     *****

Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."

----- Instructors -----

Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!
-- John Farnam

"Dealing with Cross-Dominance Issues in Students" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-09_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf

     Yesterday, a young lady in class told me, "That's how they do it in the movies."
I explained to her that movies are not real. She gave me a bewildered look and
wondered why I would lie to her in front of all these witnesses.
     Not everyone lives in the same world you do.
     A little girl [I have no age limits on my students.] was pointing her pistol
to the left of her (as opposed to down range). So, I told her to keep her pistol
pointed down or down range.
     She told me, "It's okay, it's not loaded."
     I told her, "That is a bad attitude. All guns are always loaded."
     She got offended and started to cry. [Now mind you this was after the safety
lecture and an explicit explanation of the safety rules.]
     Mental maturity is not correlated to chronological age. Some girls will
cry for no apparent reason.

     Be careful what you teach.
Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do,
no matter how ridiculous.
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens

----- Andragogy -----

     An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon

     My hypocrisy comes back to bite me. I teach, "Do not teach or coach anyone
whom you are emotionally attached to." Because this is what will happen.
     After giving a brief on why we separate spouses, boyfriend/girlfriends, etc.
on the line, because we don't want one person doing for another person (as opposed
to helping the other person), because that prevents the other person from learning
the skill, as people learn by doing, not just watching. A young (26 year old)
lady is having difficulty with a task, so I help her. She starts screaming,
"Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" The 14 year old little girl on the line next to
the young lady starts freaking out, thinking that I was molesting the young lady.
I made the mistake of asking the young lady to calm down in a rather crude way that
demonstrated undue familiarity. She responded with a threat of physical violence.
It degenerated from there.
     A middle aged lady consoled me by saying, "It wasn't your fault. She clearly
did not read the documents that you all had mailed out before the class. Because
they clearly state that if you don't want the instructors to touch you, you have
to tell them before the start of class." And that too was part of the problem.
     The young lady has a key to my apartment, one of my credit cards in her
wallet, and baskets of clothes piled up all over my apartment. So, she was not
a stranger to me. She meant, "Don't help me! Don't do it for me!", but it came
out "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" Which started a horrendous chain reaction.
     Professional distance and objectivity are essential. If you are friendly
with someone in the class that you are teaching, STAY AWAY FROM THEM. Learn
from my mistakes. I'll make more of them for your edification.

     "The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan

*************************************************************************
*****     ***** Political (legal), Religious, and Philosophical *****     *****

     "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
It is wholly inadequate for the governance of any other.
-- John Adams, October 11, 1798

"Livestock!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/livestock/
     You may be young and so have never seen this socio-political nonsense
before. But, I assure you it is periodic. Teach your children freedom.
Because we are never more than one generation away from slavery.

     "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
-- Second Amendment, U.S. Constitution

"Proportional Response: Understanding Self-Defense Statutes" by Andrew Branca
https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2016/08/proportional-response-understanding-self-defense-statutes/#self-defense-3-2
Excerpt:
     ". . . the Supreme Court long ago recognized that
“detached reflection cannot be demanded in the presence of an uplifted knife.”
Brown v. United States, 256 U.S. 335 (1921).

     "Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just power from the consent of the governed."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"The Expert Witness and Trial Strategy" An Interview with Massad Ayoob
Interview by Gila Hayes
https://armedcitizensnetwork.org/the-expert-witness-and-trial-strategy

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty.
Suspect every one who approaches that jewel.
Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.
Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined."
-- Patrick Henry, speech of June 5, 1788 A.D.

"Militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves . . .
And include all men capable of bearing arms."
-- Senator Richard Henry Lee, 1788, on "militia" in the 2nd Amendment

"SEVEN BUSES of American Female Citizens Taken by Taliban,
NO MEDIA COVERAGE By Biden Media (Including FOX News)" by Pamela Geller
https://gellerreport.com/2021/08/seven-buses-of-american-female-citizens-taken-by-taliban-no-media-coverage-by-biden-media-including-fox-news.html/
     The busses had made it to the Kabul airport but were not allowed in.
No, they are not dead. They are sex slaves. Reports of their death is
to allow those responsible (Biden administration) to claim that it's
not worth risking American lives to recover bodies.
     When I was considering joining the Armed Forces, my father told
me to go next door to speak to BGen. John Gorman, who had been a U.S.
Army Infantry officer during the Korean War. Gen. Gorman told me that
when they were retreating from the Chosin Reservoir, the U.S. Army
left their dead behind like trash. But, the Marines brought all their
dead out. He told me to join the Marines. So, I did.
     It is quite damning of the Biden administration that they will not
rescue American citizens.
     [Tell the insurance company that if they are going to rescue one, they might
as well rescue them all. They will be heroes. They will be able to use the
rescue in their advertisements for decades to come. They will set a precedent.
And mercenaries are cheap and expendable. There is always credible deniability.]

     "Vice President Joe Biden was kicked off the team to kill Osama Bin Laden."
-- CWO5 Doug Englen, U.S. Army Special Operations.

     The one of the reasons so many American citizens are still trapped in
Afghanistan is that no one in President Biden's chain of command gave the
evacuation order. So, no one was given warning to evacuate. So, none of the
equipment (armored cars, helicopters, night vision, guns, ammo, etc.) was
destroyed before being abandoned.
     Another reason is that U.S. forces used Hamid Karzai International Airport
instead of Bagram Air Base which is on a high plateau and much more easily defended.
According to a U.S. Army Intelligence officer.
     Oh yes, elections have real consequences.

     “Is there no virtue among us?
If there is not, we are without hope!
No form of government, existing nor theoretical, will keep us from harm.
To think that any government, in any form,
will insure liberty and happiness for an dishonorable population
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788

*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Survival, Medical, Security, and such *****     *****     *****

"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House

     While in Hawaii, I had lunch with an old high school buddy. He's telling me
he and the wife golf, and he loves drinking scotch and smoking cigars. He's telling
me that he's getting old and can't drive at night, because he can't see. So, I send
him an excerpt from Major Plaster's book, "Ultimate Sniper",
     “A pack-a-day smoker builds high levels of carbon monoxide in his blood,
which reduce 20 percent of normal night vision at sea level, an effect that
increases with altitude; by 10,000 feet, he’s lost 40% of his night vision.”
– “The Ultimate Sniper” by Maj. John Plaster, U.S. Army retired, Paladin Press,
Revised edition January 2006, page 8. ISBN-10: 1581604947, ISBN-13: 978-1581604948.
     He responds by saying, "Yup, won't drive at night anymore."
     I respond, "No, no, drive at night. Stop smoking."

"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

*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Miscellany / History / War Stories *****     *****     *****

"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson

All kinds of neat stuff at:
     Stephen P. Wenger (you can download his books free of charge, as they
are presently out of print)
https://www.spw-duf.info/
     Practical Eschatology by Docent
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
     The Tactical Professor by Claude Werner
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/
     Active Response Training by Gregg Ellifritz
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
     Quips by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/quips/
     Rangemaster newsletter by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/publications/rangemaster-newsletter/
     CIVILIAN DEFENDER by Sherman House
https://civiliandefender.com/
     Handgun Combatives by Dave Spaulding
https://www.youtube.com/c/handguncombatives/videos
     Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/blog/
     Jeff Gonzales
https://www.tridentconcepts.com/evolved-training/blog/
     Michael Bane
https://www.michaelbane.tv/category/blog/
     Jerry Miculek - Pro Shooter
https://www.youtube.com/c/MiculekDotCom/videos
     OODA Loop
https://www.oodaloop.com/
     Active Self Protection YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsE_m2z1NrvF2ImeNWh84mw
     Michael Mann Security
https://michaelmannsecurityservices.com
YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxi2b2Q-RK0G3U1gLPE9Cmw
     Guardian News Podcast
https://guardian_news_podcast.buzzsprout.com/

“In the long-run, there is no such thing as ‘luck’.
However, the short-run is longer than many individual lifetimes!”
-- Anon

Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com

Sunday, August 22, 2021

CWP, 22 August MMXXI Anno Domini

So, you don't have to ask, "What does condition orange mean?"

     "Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat whatever you have practiced,
no matter how ridiculous."
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens

*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do) -----

How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam

     Move to cover.

You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen

*************************************************************************
----- Techniques (ways to do that task) -----

"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee

Front Sight Reality Check #83
https://www.frontsight.com/fsrc83/patriot-tbd.asp
     This is important! On many levels.

"Security guard released from custody after killing a man at
a gas station in Cleveland’s Corlett neighborhood, police say"
By Olivia Mitchell, cleveland.com
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2021/08/security-guard-released-from-custody-after-killing-a-man-at-a-gas-station-in-clevelands-corlett-neighborhood-police-say.html
     "You may be carrying a gun, but that gun is community property.
It belongs to whoever can control it and keep it in the fight.
Think about that before you decide to open carry." -- Greg Ellifritz
     The point is, even if you don't have a gun, even if the bad guy
doesn't have a gun, some moron may provide the gun to whoever can get
it first.
     When I was a child playing football in school, I caught a pass and
a player from the opposing team pulled the ball out of my arms and ran
it back for a touchdown. What he did was completely within the rules.
I failed to hang on to the ball. In a fight, there are no rules.
You've got to be willing to gouge his eyes to take the gun from him.
Otherwise, you've made the decision to lose.

"Friends Don’t Let Friends Open Carry" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/friends-dont-let-friends-open-carry

"@Tetiana Gaidar learning UNIVERSAL DEFENSIVE TACTICS @Covered 6 & JARRET WALDMAN @Krav Maga Unyted"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kW70nBktSY
JARRET WALDMAN, instructor
Tetiana Gaidar, student
     Though I think a palm strike to the nose would be better than a
punch to the nose. Punching is always problematic.
     Yes, elbows and knees when in close.
     You see what happens when there is a little stress. That's why you
have to practice with a person who is bigger, stronger, and quicker than
you. "At full force, at full speed." as Ralph Mroz says, "That's the
only way to know if the technique works for you."

"Fighting in the Clinch. Craig Douglas, Field Notes Ep. 45" by Craig Douglas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6tUG01vTiA
     Craig is the man.
     Craig is correct. You must fire downward. Otherwise, you will likely hit
your arm that is behind the bad guy. Especially if you are using any of the
+P rounds such as the Hornaday Critical Duty +P. My testing indicates that
they will pass through a human body front to back.

"Every Reload in John Wick 1, 2 & 3 | Supercut"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jHS5vpnOMM
     I love the scene in John Wick 2 where three guys are racing to reload,
rather than using any hand-to-hand combat technique. And of course,
John Wick wins the race and shoots the other two.
     And the one handed chamber check. So cool.
     In Marine Corps boot camp, we were taught to tape our glasses up to our
foreheads so they won't fall off our faces. May look goofy, but it works.
As Bruce Lee said, use what ever works.

"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee

*************************************************************************
----- Education -----

"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin

"The Armory Life Presents
Volume 7: M1A
Digital Magazine"
https://www.thearmorylife.com/magazines/volume-7-m1a/
     The other issues of this digital magazine are available at
https://www.thearmorylife.com/magazines/

"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam

*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Hardware (which includes you) *****     *****     *****

"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley

----- Gear -----

“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers

     Earlier this evening, 17 August 2021, an FBI agent came to speak to us at
the Tennessee Firarms Associtaion meeting. He showed us their SWAT gear and
explained what their SWAT team does and what their rules of engagement are.
For pistols, they use the 9mm Glocks and use Hornaday Critical Duty ammo. The
box specified for law enforcement only. No one knew if there was any
difference between that ammo and the kind that you can buy on the open market
that is labeled Hornaday Critical Duty +P. If you know, please let me know.
(I mean know for real.)

"Minimalist Guide to EDC Flashlight Options" by Patrick McCarthy
https://www.recoilweb.com/minimalist-guide-to-edc-flashlight-options-169917.html

"The Best Gun Manufacturers & Online Gun Stores" by Michael Crites
https://www.americanfirearms.org/manufacturers/

"How a Glock Works" by Matt Rittman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2RDitgCaD0
     A great narrated animation.

"Rare Breed Trigger in my Suppressed Colt M16A1 Clone" by Whisper Tactical
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAKBZbdUc3A
     At 7:38 of 9:15 the narrator demonstrates why you must be very careful
with the Rare Breed Forced Reset trigger. It's really easy to lose control
of the trigger and mag dump. Especially when you get a malfunction, such
as the bolt getting caught on the magazine. (Not getting the bolt caught
on a round that is stuck in the magazine, the bolt getting stuck on the
magazine.)

“Your car is not a holster.” -- Pat Rogers

"TOP 10 BEST TACTICAL BOOTS THAT LAST FOREVER"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SnGClcPcQQ

"TOP 10 BEST TACTICAL GLOVES ON AMAZON FOR MILITARY"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1t7y2mNqTw

----- Technical / Maintenance -----

"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee

"Pistol Barrel Length And Velocity" by Brad Miller, Ph.D.
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2021/8/16/pistol-barrel-length-and-velocity
Excerpt:
     "First, generally speaking, velocity will increase with barrel length,
but not always. Sometimes a shorter barrel will produce higher speed than
the longer barrel. [Probably because it's a tighter barrel, initially
slowing the bullet giving the powder more time to burn, resulting in more
pressure. -- Jon Low]
     Second, you can get significantly different speeds with barrels of the
same length. Some barrels are slow or fast, depending on your perspective.
[What perspective? Chronographs don't have a perspective. -- Jon Low]
     Third, temperature might affect barrel length performance due to some
powders’ temperature sensitive nature."
     [During WWII the Germans had an 88mm anti-tank gun with a tapered
barrel, got smaller toward the muzzle. Just as a nozzle on a garden
hose, it greatly increased projectile speed. But, anything that initially
delays the bullet will cause an increase in muzzle speed, because the
propellant has had more time to burn. And is thus burning at higher
temperature and pressure, and is therefore burning more efficiently. -- Jon Low]

"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen

*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Instruction *****     *****     *****

Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."

----- Instructors -----

Remember, the students who require the extra effort are the ones who need us the most!
-- John Farnam

     Be careful what you teach.
Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do,
no matter how ridiculous.
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens

----- Andragogy -----

     An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon

     "The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan

*************************************************************************
*****     ***** Political (legal), Religious, and Philosophical *****     *****

“If man will not live by the ten commandments,
he will live by ten thousand commandments.”
-- G.K. Chesterton

     "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

"May a police officer stop an individual who is carrying a handgun in Tennessee?"
by John Harris
https://tennesseefirearms.com/2021/08/may-a-police-officer-stop-an-individual-who-is-carrying-a-handgun-in-tennessee/

     "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
-- Second Amendment, U.S. Constitution

"MORAL CONFUSION
SEXUAL CONFUSION
GENDER CONFUSION
AUTHOR OF CONFUSION SATAN"
-- Pastor Andy Patterson

     "Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just power from the consent of the governed."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"China’s Three-child policy formally passed into law"
by OODA Analyst staff
https://www.oodaloop.com/briefs/2021/08/20/chinas-three-child-policy-formally-passed-into-law/
     The ChiComs take control of China and implement a one child per family
policy enforced by baby murder and forced sterilization. In 2016, they
change the policy to two children per couple. In 2021, they change the
policy to three children per couple. And yet their birth rate does not rise.
And nobody in their right mind immigrates to China (Except the North Koreans,
which tells you something about North Korea.)
Be scared. Be very scared. What is the historical consequence? Conquest
and expansion to fill the ranks of their dwindling population and their
military in particular. There is no point in conquering Japan, because
their population is plummeting. For a myriad of social and economic reasons
the Japanese won't make babies. The ChiComs have already lost a war with
Vietnam, so that option is out. The Thai military presently runs the country
and is pretty strong, so that's not a good option. Look at the map. The
Chicoms have already conquered Tibet. The life span in Nepal is so short
that if you or I went there, we'd be the oldest person in the country.
The Chicoms already own all of the infrastructure in Nepal. So, taking Nepal
doesn't require an invasion. You see what's left?
     Russia's population is also declining. Leaders are not stupid. They
know what a declining population means. They know what they have to do to
prevent disaster due to and aging and declining population. And they will.
Why are the casinos (term used in Turkey and many Middle Eastern countries
for nightclubs) in Dubai flooded with Russian women? Because the rate of
sterility of Russian men is sky high.
     Propaganda (including the suppression of data) only goes so far. You
can't change ghost towns and the inability to find workers or people at all.

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty.
Suspect every one who approaches that jewel.
Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.
Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined."
-- Patrick Henry, speech of June 5, 1788 A.D.

"You might be an extremist if . . ." by The Good Patriot
https://www.goodpatriot.com/so/08NiscLT4#/main
Excerpt:
"...you enjoy celebrating Christmas.
...you don't think grandma's floral fabric mask protects you from a micro virus.
...or you want to recognize the 20th anniversary of September 11th.
You are one DANGEROUS American according to the White House!"
     Notice that Biden's Department of Homeland Security lists as
"Potential Terror Threats":
Opposition to Covid measures
Claims of election fraud
9/11 anniversary and religious holidays

"Militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves . . .
And include all men capable of bearing arms."
-- Senator Richard Henry Lee, 1788, on "militia" in the 2nd Amendment

     “Is there no virtue among us?
If there is not, we are without hope!
No form of government, existing nor theoretical, will keep us from harm.
To think that any government, in any form,
will insure liberty and happiness for an dishonorable population
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788

*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Survival, Medical, Security, and such *****     *****     *****

"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House

"Defensive Use of Firearms" by Stephen P. Wenger, 2010. (I highly recommend.)
Excerpts:
     "Until very recently, virtually all ammunition included lead-based
primers and bullets. Manufacturers of ammunition with lead-free
primers usually advise using it only for training because its ignition
isn’t as dependable as that with the lead-based primers.
Avoid eating, drinking, and, if you still persist in doing so, smoking
while shooting. Wash your hands and the facial area around
the mouth between shooting and engaging in those activities. Be
cautious about shooting on indoor ranges where you can’t feel a
constant flow of air on the back of your neck and where you see
accumulated lead dust on the floor.
     Small amounts of lead are briefly vaporized when conventional
ammunition is discharged in a firearm. This vapor quickly condenses
to fine particles. If you must shoot in an environment where you feel
the need to use a respirator while shooting, you must use one rated
for lead mists. While swallowing a large lead bullet probably won’t
produce a measurable increase in your blood lead level, the particles
produced in lead mists and when bullets impact on steel backstops
and targets are small enough to dissolve in stomach acid, allowing
the lead to get into the blood. Repeated exposure of this sort will
eventually produce toxicity, affecting almost all organ systems of the
body. Additionally, the lead will get incorporated into bone, allowing
the lead to persist longer in the body, even after you take steps to
limit exposure. Take all reasonable steps to avoid tracking these tiny
particles into your home, where they will find their way into carpeting
and upholstery and continue to find their way into your body for
years to come. Take similar precautions while cleaning firearms and
reloading ammunition. I now use one of the water-based bore cleaners
for all but high-power rifles in order to reduce exposure to other
potentially toxic chemicals that can be inhaled from the more traditional
solvents."
. . .
     "The point is that the autonomic nervous system is an extension of
the central nervous system, and the adrenal glands are merely amplifiers
of the SANS [Sympathetic Autonomic Nervous System, as opposed to the
Parasympathetic Autonomic Nervous System -- Jon Low]. The epinephrine,
or adrenaline, released by the adrenal glands doesn’t even get into the
brain. This is because it is a polar substance, meaning it tends to
remain in the watery environment of the blood rather than moving to the
fatty environment of the brain. Some people argue that epinephrine plays
a role in shunting blood to different areas of the brain, but it can’t do
so until after the brain has had time to activate the SANS, which in turn
has to stimulate the adrenals, which have to release the epinephrine,
which then has to travel through the bloodstream.
     My argument is that when fright or stress interferes with our
ability to perform, it is the result of what happens in the brain,
not the release of epinephrine. Thus, if we are successful in our
inoculation process, we can limit the degradation of our fighting
skills."

"HARDEN THE TARGET" by Roy Huntington
https://americanhandgunner.com/our-experts/harden-the-target/

"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

*************************************************************************
*****     *****     ***** Miscellany / History / War Stories *****     *****     *****

"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson

Rest in Peace Ronnie Dodd.
Rest in Peace Sean Hoffman.

"Cowardice!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/cowardice/

23 October 1983
Beirut, Lebanon:
Shiite militiamen (Iranian backed) detonated a truck bomb at the U.S. military
barracks near the Beirut airport, killing 241 marines. Minutes later a second
bomb killed 58 French paratroopers in their barracks in West Beirut.
     We never forget. The hunt goes on.
(We are human, we never forget. We are not divine, we do not forgive.
Besides neither of which is Marine Corps policy.) Jesus commands us to
forgive. So, we kill without anger. As the mosquito on your arm.

All kinds of neat stuff at:
     Practical Eschatology by Docent
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
     The Tactical Professor by Claude Werner
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/
     Active Response Training by Gregg Ellifritz
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
     Quips by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/quips/
     Rangemaster newsletter by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/publications/rangemaster-newsletter/
     CIVILIAN DEFENDER by Sherman House
https://civiliandefender.com/
     Handgun Combatives by Dave Spaulding
https://www.youtube.com/c/handguncombatives/videos
     Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/blog/
     Jeff Gonzales
https://www.tridentconcepts.com/evolved-training/blog/
     Michael Bane
https://www.michaelbane.tv/category/blog/
     Jerry Miculek - Pro Shooter
https://www.youtube.com/c/MiculekDotCom/videos
     OODA Loop
https://www.oodaloop.com/
     Active Self Protection YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsE_m2z1NrvF2ImeNWh84mw
     Michael Mann Security
https://michaelmannsecurityservices.com
YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxi2b2Q-RK0G3U1gLPE9Cmw
     Guardian News Podcast
https://guardian_news_podcast.buzzsprout.com/

     I you have loved ones stuck in Afghanistan -
     Marcus Wynne suggests,
"Unofficial Instructions"
https://www.alliedairlift21.com/
     Black Ice suggests,
"U.S. Embassy Kabul Repatriation Assistance Request 2021"
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=dFDPZv5a0UimkaErISH0S0jG7jCPVrpAs2b5YumFx6FUOUNBS0lPNFk1SjhEQzBRRDlXS0NXNFM1WCQlQCN0PWcu
"Smart Traveler Enrollment Program"
https://step.state.gov/
24 Hour Consular Emergency Line:
U.S. 1.888.407.4747
Outside the U.S. 1.202.501.4444
     When I was working at Marine Forces Pacific G-2 (G-2 is the
intelligence command) at Camp Smith in Hawaii, the staff NCO briefing
us on a mission told us to bring our own credit cards because we
might have to find our own way home. (That was on the script. Off
the record, he told us to bring gold coins.) The brief for the guys
presently in Afghanistan included similar orders.
I had a girlfriend when I was attending the University of Hawaii.
She told me of her family's escape from Vietnam when the South fell.
Her father used gold coins to buy their way out. I'm sure your loved
ones have done the same. Anticipate and act.
     When my parents traveled, they carried ransom insurance and told
me about it, so that there would be someone back home to activate the
policy and get the ball rolling. (My father did not trust me to launch
a rescue.) Insurance companies are not like emotional relatives,
they don't pay the ransom and pray that the kidnappers will release the
hostages. It's just business. They ensure that they don't get scammed.
And they never get scammed. I'm sure your loved ones have a similar
insurance policy. Find the insurance company.
     The present POTUS and his appointed generals are not competent to
get our people out of Afghanistan. (If they were competent, we would
not be in the present situation.) Just as President Carter was not competent to
get our people out of Iran. So, your best bet (and it is only a high
risk bet) is to hire a private firm to launch a rescue operation. I
would suggest you approach the insurance company and explain to them
that a $500,000 rescue would be better than a $5,000,000 ransom payment.
(Of course, if you are the beneficiary if the principals are lost, I'm
talking to the wrong person.)
     Insurance companies that sell such policies have a list of companies
that they can call on to launch a rescue. Make sure the insurance company
understands that you signing the documents, as executor of the estate,
is contingent upon a rescue mission, not a body extraction, not a recovery
of remains.
     If the insurance company is lost in space, ask the insurance company
to contact Lockheed Martin Middle East Services. (Sorry, but I have been
out so long that all of my contacts are long since dead or retired.)
LMMES will tell them that they are not in that business. But, someone
might call them back. Let the insurance company handle it, don't get
involved. You are emotionally involved. Your judgment is compromised.
Don't get involved.
     Remember, this is an intelligence driven mission. There is no point
in doing anything until you know exactly where they will be and exactly
when they will be there. You may have to set things up and wait for your
loved ones to contact you to give you that information. God works on
His own time. He can also do more than we can hope or imagine.

     British English is different from American English.
For instance, in British English, "decillion" means 10^60,
that is the digit "1" followed by 60 zeros in a base 10
number system (decimal number system). In American English,
"decillion" means 10^33, one followed by 33 zeros. So,
there are 27 orders of magnitude difference between the
languages.

     The word hexadecimal (base 16 number system) is a mish mash
of Greek and Latin. More correct would be sexadecimal (Latin)
or hexadeka (Greek).

     I was moving my personal library and realized many of my books
are for dead languages: Latin, Old English, Middle English, Ada,
Prolog, and such. If you are a scholar of dead languages, let me
know. My books are looking for a good home.

“In the long-run, there is no such thing as ‘luck’.
However, the short-run is longer than many individual lifetimes!”
-- Anon

/* Random data from the HotBits radioactive random number generator */
unsigned char hotBits[55] = {
    89, 229, 1, 134, 95, 49, 158, 174, 218, 110, 137, 167, 166, 189, 143,
    60, 58, 211, 11, 68, 227, 82, 70, 45, 129, 199, 217, 86, 76, 187, 22,
    33, 36, 183, 51, 192, 78, 209, 228, 47, 242, 54, 195, 164, 135, 125,
    39, 9, 234, 55, 74, 159, 97, 11, 98
}; /* Random, not pseudo-random. Unique, but not sui generis.
Because P = x^55 + x^32 + 1 (or something like that) is irreducible
over the finite field of characteristic 2, GF(2). Which allows us to
create F[x](GF(2)) mod P. The finite field defined by the ring of
polynomials in one variable, x, over the Galois Field of characteristic
2 modulo the polynomial P, which is a field because P is irreducible.
So, this would be a good seed to such a pseudo-random number generator.
    */

Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com