My girlfriend finally got on paper a few weekends ago. In retrospect it was the Zen talk that did it. I had covered shooting stance, had her dry-fire till her nubbins were wet with blood, covered sight alignment. I didn't come out last weekend expecting her to hit the ten ring every time, but I was hoping that she had not lost much of what we had gained, though our hard work. Out of an entire mag, only two were on paper. I was near desperation. I had to go kung-fu spiritual on her. "Imagine you are a bird...flying...then pull the trigger so fast you don't know what happened." It worked, that whole zen like state, pulling the trigger slowly, while trying to foget about the big bang that is coming got all twelve rounds on paper, and many in the area where she was aiming. She when from no holes, to seeing the brass come out of the gun (I still close my eyes!).
It is hard to get better at shooting, when you can't even tell where the bullet is going. Now that she is on paper, the nature process of self correction can take place. And only a few more hundred thousand rounds before she can do it while running upside down on the ceiling like that matrix show.
cube
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
One of my favorite things
Time is money and I have to little of either. Recently, I converted reading all of my lovely blogs over to RSS feeds. Being using Mozilla Thunderbird as my access client of choice. Liked it because i received posts like emails. Saved me from clicking around the net going to sites that were not updated. Then I upgraded....unsure of what transpired to during the upgrade to break the time-saving functionality I so much loved. Quick search on RSS readers shows that Google has one. Need to sign up, no problem - I sign up with my MSN Hotmail account. Now I can access my RSS feeds anywhere in the world. More access means more time to read, which means I can read more. I can even store posts offline and take them with me. Videos play inside of the reader, because it is web based, pictures show up. This is currently my second favorite thing on the internet.
cube
cube
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Back
Sorry I have been gone so long. I promise it will be worth it...well maybe not.
Reason for absence
I moved again, so was without the net for several weeks. Then once i got the net, i wanted to catch up on my blog reading before posting. The new apartment is nicer than the old house I was in. It is 3 times further away from work and the same distance to my girl. Funny, my gas usage is the same. There are several reasons for this. First, I was so close to work, that I was going home over lunch. Second, the entire trip to work did not allow the engine to get warmed up. Driving for 15 minutes twice a day at highways speeds uses the same amount of gas as driving 5 minutes four times a day on surface streets.
Also, I was able to swing not paying for rent for the last year so I was able to get my student loan paid off. I am now debt free!! Because of not needing to pay for the loan or a storage locker anymore, i am living on about the same amount of money I was before I moved, which ain't to bad.
What I have been doing with my time
I have been running and working out a lot recently. Yesterday, i ran 4 miles in about 37 minutes. Not stellar time, but pretty good for a guy who sits at a desk all day. I recently ran a mile in 7:45, a 5k in 26 minutes. Not the best times in the world, but I am getting faster and stronger. I run three times a week and try to do a maintenance workout to keep muscle mass, on my days off. The running is varied, sometimes low and slow with a 15 pound pack, sometimes hills, sometimes speed work. The maintenance workout consists of push ups, sit ups, pull ups, and stretching.
Also, I think i have found the thing to keep my shin splits at bay. I have been reading some of my sister's Running World magazines, from 2005. There were these very nice large advertisements for the Nike Free. I decided that if running barefoot is supposed to be good for you, then i should give it a try. I have been some some short sprint type runs on grass at the nearby park. They seem to have lessened the splits. And you also feel a lot faster, when you run barefoot for some reason.
Funny things I have thought up.
Peanut butter comes out the same color it goes in.
Kiss my muscle mass.
Things to save you time
I have learned how to cook oatmeal while I am in the shower and how to cook brown rice while I am running. It is like being in two places at once and it is great.
Shooting
Signed up for a basic tactical two day course later on in the year. Have been looking forward to this for a couple of years now. Should have done it earlier, but better later than never.
cube
Reason for absence
I moved again, so was without the net for several weeks. Then once i got the net, i wanted to catch up on my blog reading before posting. The new apartment is nicer than the old house I was in. It is 3 times further away from work and the same distance to my girl. Funny, my gas usage is the same. There are several reasons for this. First, I was so close to work, that I was going home over lunch. Second, the entire trip to work did not allow the engine to get warmed up. Driving for 15 minutes twice a day at highways speeds uses the same amount of gas as driving 5 minutes four times a day on surface streets.
Also, I was able to swing not paying for rent for the last year so I was able to get my student loan paid off. I am now debt free!! Because of not needing to pay for the loan or a storage locker anymore, i am living on about the same amount of money I was before I moved, which ain't to bad.
What I have been doing with my time
I have been running and working out a lot recently. Yesterday, i ran 4 miles in about 37 minutes. Not stellar time, but pretty good for a guy who sits at a desk all day. I recently ran a mile in 7:45, a 5k in 26 minutes. Not the best times in the world, but I am getting faster and stronger. I run three times a week and try to do a maintenance workout to keep muscle mass, on my days off. The running is varied, sometimes low and slow with a 15 pound pack, sometimes hills, sometimes speed work. The maintenance workout consists of push ups, sit ups, pull ups, and stretching.
Also, I think i have found the thing to keep my shin splits at bay. I have been reading some of my sister's Running World magazines, from 2005. There were these very nice large advertisements for the Nike Free. I decided that if running barefoot is supposed to be good for you, then i should give it a try. I have been some some short sprint type runs on grass at the nearby park. They seem to have lessened the splits. And you also feel a lot faster, when you run barefoot for some reason.
Funny things I have thought up.
Peanut butter comes out the same color it goes in.
Kiss my muscle mass.
Things to save you time
I have learned how to cook oatmeal while I am in the shower and how to cook brown rice while I am running. It is like being in two places at once and it is great.
Shooting
Signed up for a basic tactical two day course later on in the year. Have been looking forward to this for a couple of years now. Should have done it earlier, but better later than never.
cube
Monday, May 07, 2007
Hmm
My body is a cage, that keeps me from dancing with the one(s) I love, but my mind is the key
-the Arcade Fire
-the Arcade Fire
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Not going out like James Kim
Well the entire James Kim epeisode inspired me to do a bug out bag overall. This is my BOB (bug out bag), survial kit, and fugitive kit (fukit). It weighs about 35 pounds, most of that is in fluids. It is a little heavier than I want it to be, but it will have to do for now. I am sure I could carry it for quite aways, but still need to be in better shape to ensure survial.
Here is my list. I have divided my gear into two different sections. The car kit is in a big container and the Bug out bag is in a...uh...bag.
Car Kit
1 pair Leather Gloves
1 cheap Ice Scraper
1 Tri Fold Shovel (derusted myself, painted with rustoleum, and oiled)
1 Heated Ice Scrapper
1 pair Jumper Cables
1 Car powered Air Pump
1 half used can of Ice Melt chemical
1 cheap Pressure Gauge
1 Deluxe Tire repair kit from Wal-Mart
1 pair of Stabilicers Anti-Skid Soles
1 Trioxane fire starter bar
1 emergency poncho
1 Cheap mini mag light knock off
2 Bottles of Tire Slime
4 Extra Rags
Stowed In car
1 Large US, Canda, and Mexico Rand MacNally Map
1 Window breaker\Seat beld cutter
Bug Out Bag
1 medium alice pack
Colthing
Winter\Outdoor\Walking
1 thick wool blanket
1 Grey Basic kit stocking cap
1 Large Poncho
1 Pair of Dahlgren Hiking socks
2 Extra hiking boot laces
Food
1 can of tuna fish
1 can of pork and beans
1 can of black beans
1 box of FulFill (Vitiam Enhanced Drink mix)
2 64 oz bottles of Gatorade
Self protection
1 Handgun with full mag
1 half case of extra ammo (about 25 rounds)
1 extra IWB holster
2 extra full mags
Fire
1 Trioxane fire starter bar
Normal Matches in water proof container
2 boxes of water proof matches
Other Gear
1 roll of duck tape
1 Black Diamond Hybrid head lamp (one led bulb and one Xenon buld)
1 swiss army knife
1 Whistle\compass\singnaling mirror\ water proof contianer
1 Pencil
1 Pen
1 whistle
1 first aid kit (anti diarrhea medicine, lots of Moleskin)
1 pair of binoculars
1 fixed blade knife
1 car charger for cell phone
1 can of BREAK-FREE CLP
Extra Batteries
Tin foil
50 inches of Cord
Gear: Cheap\Charity\Extra
1 mini mag light
1 emergency space blanket
Wish list
4 epipens
Personal Bivey
Sleeping bag
Water filter\purifier
Gas mask
Full sized tire and rim
cube
Here is my list. I have divided my gear into two different sections. The car kit is in a big container and the Bug out bag is in a...uh...bag.
Car Kit
1 pair Leather Gloves
1 cheap Ice Scraper
1 Tri Fold Shovel (derusted myself, painted with rustoleum, and oiled)
1 Heated Ice Scrapper
1 pair Jumper Cables
1 Car powered Air Pump
1 half used can of Ice Melt chemical
1 cheap Pressure Gauge
1 Deluxe Tire repair kit from Wal-Mart
1 pair of Stabilicers Anti-Skid Soles
1 Trioxane fire starter bar
1 emergency poncho
1 Cheap mini mag light knock off
2 Bottles of Tire Slime
4 Extra Rags
Stowed In car
1 Large US, Canda, and Mexico Rand MacNally Map
1 Window breaker\Seat beld cutter
Bug Out Bag
1 medium alice pack
Colthing
Winter\Outdoor\Walking
1 thick wool blanket
1 Grey Basic kit stocking cap
1 Large Poncho
1 Pair of Dahlgren Hiking socks
2 Extra hiking boot laces
Food
1 can of tuna fish
1 can of pork and beans
1 can of black beans
1 box of FulFill (Vitiam Enhanced Drink mix)
2 64 oz bottles of Gatorade
Self protection
1 Handgun with full mag
1 half case of extra ammo (about 25 rounds)
1 extra IWB holster
2 extra full mags
Fire
1 Trioxane fire starter bar
Normal Matches in water proof container
2 boxes of water proof matches
Other Gear
1 roll of duck tape
1 Black Diamond Hybrid head lamp (one led bulb and one Xenon buld)
1 swiss army knife
1 Whistle\compass\singnaling mirror\ water proof contianer
1 Pencil
1 Pen
1 whistle
1 first aid kit (anti diarrhea medicine, lots of Moleskin)
1 pair of binoculars
1 fixed blade knife
1 car charger for cell phone
1 can of BREAK-FREE CLP
Extra Batteries
Tin foil
50 inches of Cord
Gear: Cheap\Charity\Extra
1 mini mag light
1 emergency space blanket
Wish list
4 epipens
Personal Bivey
Sleeping bag
Water filter\purifier
Gas mask
Full sized tire and rim
cube
Almost coolest night ever
Well last night was almost the coolest night ever. My girlfriend and I had been following the "Safe Escape" segments on the local NBC news. Last years series was about child abductions, this years series was about school shootings. I thought that I had heard the exact same thing from Say Uncle (here), well it turns out that the DARE program that was mentioned must have been safety expert Bob Stuber, which you can see in the videos from the first link.
In the news series he taught the difference between cover and concealment, mentioned to use fire extinguishers for cover, and the option of putting soap on the floor in a bathroom so that they bad guy will slip and fall (which for the record i think is a bad idea). What was most interesting was the way he taught those things to the students. The school he was at let him drill a select group of students on a Saturday. He drilled them once, about half were killed by a pretend gunman. The talked about what went wrong made suggestions for corrections, then drilled them again. More survived, but he changed the game on them and the ones that did the exact same thing as they did the first time were killed (again by a pretend gunman.)
The girlfriend and I DVRed the entire thing and watched it before we went to the stage presentation last night. We had a chance to win an X-Box 360 and I wanted to hear what he had to say. Most importantly I wanted my girlfriend (who is a teacher) to hear what he had to say. It was really good, he did not pull liberal bull crap and got right to the point. He even mentioned once that the guns were not the problem, it was the jacked up kids.
About half of his presentation was talking about the violence cycle of school shootings, they tend to come in threes. He also talked about how to recognize a potential school shooter and what to do about it before they potential shooter becomes an actual shooter. The last part of his presentation was mostly a repeat of what he mentioned on the news cast, but he got people from the audience to help. My girlfriend was one of the helpers.
She thinks she was picked because she is hot, i think she was picked because he looks like a 12 year old. Either way - she was on stage and could end up on TV. The best part is that she also got the job of sending a chair through a window!!!! I am proud to say that she would have escaped. She even got to answer some after event questions for the camera. Because of her excellent command of the English language I have no doubt will be used to promote the program in the future. If I could have won the XBox, it would have been the coolest night ever.
If your children get the chance to particpate in the Safe Escape program, i would make sure they go. It is the real thing and could save their lives.
cube
In the news series he taught the difference between cover and concealment, mentioned to use fire extinguishers for cover, and the option of putting soap on the floor in a bathroom so that they bad guy will slip and fall (which for the record i think is a bad idea). What was most interesting was the way he taught those things to the students. The school he was at let him drill a select group of students on a Saturday. He drilled them once, about half were killed by a pretend gunman. The talked about what went wrong made suggestions for corrections, then drilled them again. More survived, but he changed the game on them and the ones that did the exact same thing as they did the first time were killed (again by a pretend gunman.)
The girlfriend and I DVRed the entire thing and watched it before we went to the stage presentation last night. We had a chance to win an X-Box 360 and I wanted to hear what he had to say. Most importantly I wanted my girlfriend (who is a teacher) to hear what he had to say. It was really good, he did not pull liberal bull crap and got right to the point. He even mentioned once that the guns were not the problem, it was the jacked up kids.
About half of his presentation was talking about the violence cycle of school shootings, they tend to come in threes. He also talked about how to recognize a potential school shooter and what to do about it before they potential shooter becomes an actual shooter. The last part of his presentation was mostly a repeat of what he mentioned on the news cast, but he got people from the audience to help. My girlfriend was one of the helpers.
She thinks she was picked because she is hot, i think she was picked because he looks like a 12 year old. Either way - she was on stage and could end up on TV. The best part is that she also got the job of sending a chair through a window!!!! I am proud to say that she would have escaped. She even got to answer some after event questions for the camera. Because of her excellent command of the English language I have no doubt will be used to promote the program in the future. If I could have won the XBox, it would have been the coolest night ever.
If your children get the chance to particpate in the Safe Escape program, i would make sure they go. It is the real thing and could save their lives.
cube
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Funny Picture

This picture was taken off of the DVR with my camera phone. It is of a man accused of child porn. Funnest thing i have seen in awhile. For those of you who can't see the picture, it is "courtesty of myspace.com".
My sources tell me that it was some sort of computer child porn. I wonder exactly how the goverment traced the kiddie porn to this man. I wonder if the goverment is setting up fake kiddie porn sites and tracking down and charging the people with child porn on their computer.
cube
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
minimum wage
Alright so lets go through the consequences of what happens when the minimum wage is raised. Wal-Mart will then have to start paying more to it's employees. Wal-Mart will also raise it's prices to keep the profit margin constant, go to make a buck you know. At that point in time, all the people who work at Wal-Mart will start paying more for all the things they also buy from Wal-Mart, and they will be just as poor after the minimum wage hike as they were before.
Secondly, I will get screwed because my prices at Wal-Mart will also go up, but my wages won't.
Secondly, I will get screwed because my prices at Wal-Mart will also go up, but my wages won't.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
A little sunlight will clear the air
I have been thinking and reading about credit because it is so important these days. I have learned a lot and have also learned how little I actually know about it. Such as, how is my credit score figured out, how do i improve my credit score, can I trust these companies that have so much control over my life?
Credit – how to figure it. When i first started reading about credit I though that I would find a few sites that gave me a some formulas. I thought figuring out my credit score would be as easily as figuring out my BMI. Well it is not. You can get a credit history report for free (best site is this one: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp) , but you have to pay money for your credit score. Hear that!! You have to pay money for something that is supposedly already yours. Truth in advertising would make them say, “You have to pay money for their ranking of your credit”. Also, the formula the three different credit companies use to figure out your credit score is apparently classified. The best the FTC can do is this (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre03.htm):
“Information about you and your credit experiences, like your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, late payments, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts, is collected from your credit application and your credit report. Using a statistical formula, creditors compare this information to the credit performance of consumers with similar profiles. A credit scoring system awards points for each factor. A total number of points — a credit score — helps predict how creditworthy you are, that is, how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments on time. Generally, consumers with good credit risks have higher credit scores.”
You do not have exact details on how your credit score is calculated. All you have are general details on being a good indebted serf, and making all your payments on time like a good boy. Remember to eat your veggies, too. Keep in mind these credit companies sale YOUR information to other companies. Is it possible that they are telling those companies information that they want to hear. For example, a credit card company would want a person who would never default on their payments, but who also carries a balance. Best of both words. You do not pay these companies, anything you really have no say in what they are telling their clients, the banks and profiteers of the world.
How do we solve the problem of these private companies having so much control over your information. For most people, dropping off of the credit map would be impossible. I think all they would have to do is post their formulas to the web. Once we know how they are computing our scores, we can determine for ourselves if they are fair and honest and which companies to trust.
cube
Credit – how to figure it. When i first started reading about credit I though that I would find a few sites that gave me a some formulas. I thought figuring out my credit score would be as easily as figuring out my BMI. Well it is not. You can get a credit history report for free (best site is this one: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp) , but you have to pay money for your credit score. Hear that!! You have to pay money for something that is supposedly already yours. Truth in advertising would make them say, “You have to pay money for their ranking of your credit”. Also, the formula the three different credit companies use to figure out your credit score is apparently classified. The best the FTC can do is this (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre03.htm):
“Information about you and your credit experiences, like your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, late payments, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts, is collected from your credit application and your credit report. Using a statistical formula, creditors compare this information to the credit performance of consumers with similar profiles. A credit scoring system awards points for each factor. A total number of points — a credit score — helps predict how creditworthy you are, that is, how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments on time. Generally, consumers with good credit risks have higher credit scores.”
You do not have exact details on how your credit score is calculated. All you have are general details on being a good indebted serf, and making all your payments on time like a good boy. Remember to eat your veggies, too. Keep in mind these credit companies sale YOUR information to other companies. Is it possible that they are telling those companies information that they want to hear. For example, a credit card company would want a person who would never default on their payments, but who also carries a balance. Best of both words. You do not pay these companies, anything you really have no say in what they are telling their clients, the banks and profiteers of the world.
How do we solve the problem of these private companies having so much control over your information. For most people, dropping off of the credit map would be impossible. I think all they would have to do is post their formulas to the web. Once we know how they are computing our scores, we can determine for ourselves if they are fair and honest and which companies to trust.
cube
Open immigration
There are many ideas in the immigration. Close the borders with wall or electronic fence. Open those borders, because we can't close them anyways and it is the nice human thing to do. An idea occurred to me recently. I have never heard the idea before, though I am sure someone has brought it up, but like i said I have never heard the idea before.
Do not get rid of all immigration quotas, just get rid of them for one country at a time. Make a bid deal of it in the news, maybe hire some pr guys from these international corporations to advertise for us. There would be requirements of course. Such as the person, should be trying to learn English, any American flare (office space lingo) would also help speed the process of acceptance. A test for any incurable and communicable diseases would be nice. Though if it was curable or not communicable, i don't see why it should matter. We could pay for the people's moving expenses, this will ensure that we will get the most people possible. Also put an expiration date on the offer, maybe a year or two.
A year after closing the offer we should then turn around and declare war on the country we opened quotas on and KILL every single living human thing in it using our new citizens are soldiers. This will have the effect of weeding out the ones who are weak or really did not like America as much as they though. Obviously the people that were left did not like America enough to move, or they were fence sitters, which are just as bad. We could probably solve a whole heck of a lot of problems if we were able to separate the good American loving civilians, from all the other people. We could clear out those last hand holds of communism, terrorism, drug lords, and circus clowns.
cube
Do not get rid of all immigration quotas, just get rid of them for one country at a time. Make a bid deal of it in the news, maybe hire some pr guys from these international corporations to advertise for us. There would be requirements of course. Such as the person, should be trying to learn English, any American flare (office space lingo) would also help speed the process of acceptance. A test for any incurable and communicable diseases would be nice. Though if it was curable or not communicable, i don't see why it should matter. We could pay for the people's moving expenses, this will ensure that we will get the most people possible. Also put an expiration date on the offer, maybe a year or two.
A year after closing the offer we should then turn around and declare war on the country we opened quotas on and KILL every single living human thing in it using our new citizens are soldiers. This will have the effect of weeding out the ones who are weak or really did not like America as much as they though. Obviously the people that were left did not like America enough to move, or they were fence sitters, which are just as bad. We could probably solve a whole heck of a lot of problems if we were able to separate the good American loving civilians, from all the other people. We could clear out those last hand holds of communism, terrorism, drug lords, and circus clowns.
cube
Giving Conundrum
Being generous is one of the key traits that separates humans from the animals. The animal kingdom is famous for its brutality and its pecking orders. Because of our humanity we are able to give to the lessor among who don't share our own genes or who we will not receive any direct benefit from.
In the past you could be reasonably certain that when you give money to people, they were in real need and that they had done all that they could to secure the three basic necessities. Even further back, you would not give cash because all you had to give was your time or physical belongings. In my society, these assumptions no longer hold true. We are at near full employment. There is a free public education system to take advantage of (and if you are nice you can even stay there a few years longer than normal). There are tons of sources to get free money to go to college – the government, the army, the sweat of your own brow, private loans from financial institution. If you are poor it is most likely because of the choices you have made. Are there exceptions? Yes. Are they the rule? I do not believe so.
Secondly, the progression of the welfare state has created a class of people dependent of the government for food, education, health care, and even reduced cost transportation.
Therein lies the dilemma. Giving makes you human but giving to unworthy causes creates guilt. I have no good answers to this problem, though I can tell you the strategy that I have taken. I try to give to local causes or local causes dealing with children. The children are the future and that means you are the past and therefore less important. I also try to give to organizations that share my value of hard work. One organization I give to, is willing to give you money for work (mowing the yard, picking up trash, etc.). They seldom have takers.
cube
In the past you could be reasonably certain that when you give money to people, they were in real need and that they had done all that they could to secure the three basic necessities. Even further back, you would not give cash because all you had to give was your time or physical belongings. In my society, these assumptions no longer hold true. We are at near full employment. There is a free public education system to take advantage of (and if you are nice you can even stay there a few years longer than normal). There are tons of sources to get free money to go to college – the government, the army, the sweat of your own brow, private loans from financial institution. If you are poor it is most likely because of the choices you have made. Are there exceptions? Yes. Are they the rule? I do not believe so.
Secondly, the progression of the welfare state has created a class of people dependent of the government for food, education, health care, and even reduced cost transportation.
Therein lies the dilemma. Giving makes you human but giving to unworthy causes creates guilt. I have no good answers to this problem, though I can tell you the strategy that I have taken. I try to give to local causes or local causes dealing with children. The children are the future and that means you are the past and therefore less important. I also try to give to organizations that share my value of hard work. One organization I give to, is willing to give you money for work (mowing the yard, picking up trash, etc.). They seldom have takers.
cube
Friday, January 12, 2007
The State of Security
So as the count of dead soldiers surpasses the number of people killed in the 9/11 attacks, can you really say that Bush has been keeping the country safer? Or just selecting which ones die? 0 senators, 0 fortune 500 members, 0 investment bankers. The Global War on Terrorism has a lot more to do with us enforcing police measures at home rather than overthrowing governments through military measures.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Trite Wanderings
So I may have missed a step by talking about candidates. Who cares who they are? What is important to me? Or you? So here is my list of concerns for the next four years, in no particular order; Iraq-win or leave, Global Warming-dying polar bears and the rest of the environment, Controlling the Mexican Border, which leads into the next one-National Security, and finally balancing the budget and keeping the economy healthy. To be honest, I am don't take a polarizing view of abortion. I support it in extreme cases but not as a form of birth control. I don't advocate legalizing drugs. I support gays having the same rights as everyone else, as long as it doesn't ascend into preferential treatment. I support free trade generally, but I think Friedman makes good points about each country, company, and person being held responsible for making decisions to benefit the whole.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Pick Your Pony (Part 2)
BTW, here is a list of the official and announced presidential candidates care of wikipedia; John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Tom Vilsack, and Joe Biden. You can read more about them and the potentials at wikipedia.
Pick Your Pony
I recently completed a poll at selectsmart, and was matched with these presidential candidates as ones that most supported the issues that I valued.
(100%) 1: Gov. George Pataki (R) Information
(95%) 2: Ex-VP Al Gore (D) Information
(91%) 3: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) Information
(89%) 4: Gov. Bill Richardson (D) Information
(87%) 5: Sen. Joseph Biden (D) Information
(86%) 6: Ex-Rep. Newt Gingrich (R) Information
(86%) 7: Sen. Barack Obama (D) Information
(84%) 8: Gov. Mitt Romney (R) Information
(81%) 9: Sen. Evan Bayh (D) Information
(79%) 10: Sen. John Kerry (D) Information
Which is strange because I am not particularly fond of any of them. Kerry is a huge a loser. Biden's daughter is not the most upstanding of individuals (I knew her in college), and I would be reluctant to let her dad lead the country. I am also not a huge Newt Gingrich fan, and admit to being fairly oblivious toward the rest of them.
(100%) 1: Gov. George Pataki (R) Information
(95%) 2: Ex-VP Al Gore (D) Information
(91%) 3: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) Information
(89%) 4: Gov. Bill Richardson (D) Information
(87%) 5: Sen. Joseph Biden (D) Information
(86%) 6: Ex-Rep. Newt Gingrich (R) Information
(86%) 7: Sen. Barack Obama (D) Information
(84%) 8: Gov. Mitt Romney (R) Information
(81%) 9: Sen. Evan Bayh (D) Information
(79%) 10: Sen. John Kerry (D) Information
Which is strange because I am not particularly fond of any of them. Kerry is a huge a loser. Biden's daughter is not the most upstanding of individuals (I knew her in college), and I would be reluctant to let her dad lead the country. I am also not a huge Newt Gingrich fan, and admit to being fairly oblivious toward the rest of them.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
The state of the CCW union
Judging to the reaction to my post entitled "Almost First Draw" (here), there seems to be a major disconnect between those who carry weapons and those that do not. Even the ones go weaponless AND support the right to bear arms, seem to not understand the basic tenants Conceal and Carry Wavier (CCW) holders operate under. It is my goal to bridge the gap between the two groups. Concealed carry is tightly intermixed with the subject of "justifiable use of deadly force" and mindset of self defense, which we will cover in due time. For the beginners, and any that might stumble along this post, I would like to give a little primer on the subject, both political and statistical, to explain where the state of CCW is. I would suggest, you take your time and read the links I provide. They will help your understanding of the CCW culture.
In the beginning
Way back in 1987 Florida was the first state in the Union to pass a modern shall issue CCW law. Since then 39 states (2 this year) have passed similar laws "shall issue" laws and many have reciprocity agreements with each other to respect the licenses of other states, much like drivers licenses. In 8 other states you might be able to get a CCW license if your sheriff is gun friendly or you are well connected enough. In 2 states, the right to carry a gun is denied. You cannot drive coast to coast yet, but a recent national conceal and carry bill that was introduced in the U.S. House might change that.
Since the introduction of conceal and carry laws our nation has experienced a continuous drop in crime, to the point of record low level today(1), this year being a notable exception. There are now more guns in the hands of law abiding citizens, than ever before in the history of America (Page 47). (2) Too determine if you have the ability to get a CCW, please visit www.packing.org for more state by state information.
In fact studies have shown that conceal and carry holders are more law abiding on average than the police who protect us, which should put to rest many people's of the fears (Page 9) . There have been no shootouts between conceal and carry holders over fender benders, that I know of (3). In fact, I can think of a couple stories where conceal and carry holders saved lives, in crowded settings. The right to carry has come a long way, though it is now considered a "privilege" instead of a right by many states. Eventually I hope that situation is remedied along with several other major gun rights issues.
Justifiable use of Deadly force and its requirements (4)
I have not done a survey of all the states, but in the right minded ones, the main principle that determines if the use of deadly force is justifiable or is murder, is if the victim feels that great bodily harm or death could result from an attack. For the most part this does not apply to criminals in the commission of a crime. You can also shoot to defend the life of another, but that is a little more complicated because there are more unknowns. The deadly force test is normally applied both in the grand jury and at trial, if the case makes it that far. This fact has pushed some people to go to great lengths to ensure that IF they do appear in front of a grand jury, their actions are just and that their weapons are politically correct. Appearances could matter to an jury that is uninformed about guns. I personally wonder if you can be sued for NOT intervening to save another's life? I am sure a suit could be brought, though I do not know if it could gain traction.
Another point to note, is that in some states if your home is being invaded while you are present you are presumed to be in danger of your life or limb and can use deadly force against the home invader. Again this only applies to states where common sense actually plays apart in making the laws. In several states this year, castle doctrine was strengthened inside of you home and car. Also, in several of those states the duty to retreat was removed while in public.
Personally, I believe you should also be able to shoot in the defense of property, though the law in most states does not agree with me on that. For example, in my one of my CCW classes it showed a video clip of a man robbing a car and the owner stepping outside of the house. In one version the crook ran away, in that case you could not legally apply deadly force. In another version, the crook turned around with a screwdriver and approached the homeowner, at that point in time the homeowner could legally use deadly force IF he feared for either his life or limb. The one exception that I know of is Texas, there you can shoot in the defense of property, and in some situations you could just be watching the property for someone else, for example house sitting. If you state has a CCW program, it most likely has a CCW class. In that class is where the nuisances of your states laws are explained along with examples of situations and what to do in those situations.
Other comments on the law
It should be pointed out that there are typically laws concerning the brandishing weapons, these typically have a wider variety between states. These laws have led to the general accepted philosophy that if you are going to draw your gun, you had better use it. In other words, before drawing a gun there should be a clear and present danger to your limb or life. Drawing a gun for deterrence is seldom recommended, though according to studies it actually happens more than two million times a year.
Also, in most of the right minded states your attacker (or preferably their family) cannot sue if your use of deadly force was found justifiable based on the attacker's actions. This is the case in Oklahoma. This provides a great peace of mind to the gun owner who uses their gun to defend their self or their family.
Another thing to keep in mind that, if you fire you gun you will most likely be responsible for any damages you bullet causes outside of the attacker. Just because the criminal cannot sue does not mean your neighbor next door cannot sue for bullet holes in their house. Even pistol rounds will penetrate walls. One thing to note, and I will expound on the implications of this later, is that as a civilian you are at a tactical disadvantage in many dynamic self defense situations because "Action always beats reaction".
Preparing to carry
As you can see from the proceeding passages, the choice to carry a gun has its own set of problems legally and morally. In spite of the legal risks and the moral implications many choose to carry everyday. Some have decided that the upside, survival, is worth the downside, possibility killing someone and then having to go through the required legal proceedings, which will be extremely expensive and time consuming, not to mention emotionally disturbing. Some feel that rights are lost if not exercised. Regardless of how you feel you must come to terms with the moral, ethical, and legal issues surrounding conceal and carry -- BEFORE you carry your gun. If you let the issues linger, doubts, second guessing, and indecision could haunt you when action is needed most. Most likely, you would have died with or without the gun, but the sad thing is that with proper information beforehand and forethought on your part a productive and useful life (yours) might have been saved. In other words, if you have a flawed understanding of the law, are unwilling to use the gun for your defense, or if you do not have the skill to properly use a gun for your defense (5), you might should rethink your decision to carry and just run at the first sight of trouble. The one thing conceal and carry does bring to the table is options, which are not present if you are gunless.
The state of mind while carrying
Once you have thought critically about carrying an weapon and have decided that it is the right decision for you, you have crossed an important milestone but your journey is not done. A gun is an important part of a personal protection strategy, but it is not a magic ward against the threats you could face. Should you be faced with a threat you will go though the OODA loop. In order for you to get to the response level (act) of the loop you have to elevate the threat past the threat threshold level. Fortunately, this is easy to achieve though situational awareness or more of a hyper-awareness. The tool of a color coded threat system helps out tremendously in explaining the topic of situational awareness. Once a threat is recognized, the level of the threat must be accessed, and then you can choose an appropriate course of action to save yourself or your loved ones. If you are aware, you can complete the OODA loop quicker than your attacker and hopefully survive to pass on your genes. Failing to orient quicker than your attacker seals your fate. Even if you do recognize the threat early your life is far from safe because you may lack the skill to properly deploy the means to protect yourself. I feel that training is the part many CCW holders skip.
Fight as you train, train as you fight.
I believe training is absolutely necessary to if you are going to carry a concealed weapon. Without training, you will not be able to complete the OODA loop quickly or effectively, which will hinder your chances of surviving a life and death encounter. I do not believe it should be mandated by the state (the quality would decline), but I do believe that the CCW community should place social pressure on its members to be as well trained as they can afford to be. It takes time to develop the muscle memory to draw and aim a gun accurately, especially from the varied locations a gun could be (your glove box, your purse, inside your waist band, etc.) Also, when you are placed under stress many of your fine motor skills will disappear due to the adrenaline surge. This is the one part that I have not completed. I currently am saving the money and the class I am eyeing will be two days and cost about 400 dollars not including the nearly 1000 rounds of ammo I will use.
In conclusion
When you are carrying a weapon, I believe you also carry a responsibility. You must prepare yourself mentally, buy knowing the laws of the land and by being aware of your surroundings. I also believe that your must be fully aware of the deep emotional and moral issues surrounding the use of deadly force in the protection of yourself or others. Lastly, but maybe most importantly, your must train so that your reactions will be sure and quick. This will increase the chance of your survival and decrease the chance that you could miss and injure someone else.
(1) This is not to say that conceal and carry has lowered crime, but it has not risen because of it either.
(2) This is not to say that guns have lowered crime, but it has not risen because of it either.
(3) Probably because when one person pulls a gun, the other person then asks if the have a CCW, if the other person does, both then hug and kiss like Italian brothers.
(4) I am not a lawyer, yada yada, please consult one for laws in you area.
(5) Keep in mind, the skill level for using a gun at typical self defense distances is extremely low.
In the beginning
Way back in 1987 Florida was the first state in the Union to pass a modern shall issue CCW law. Since then 39 states (2 this year) have passed similar laws "shall issue" laws and many have reciprocity agreements with each other to respect the licenses of other states, much like drivers licenses. In 8 other states you might be able to get a CCW license if your sheriff is gun friendly or you are well connected enough. In 2 states, the right to carry a gun is denied. You cannot drive coast to coast yet, but a recent national conceal and carry bill that was introduced in the U.S. House might change that.
Since the introduction of conceal and carry laws our nation has experienced a continuous drop in crime, to the point of record low level today(1), this year being a notable exception. There are now more guns in the hands of law abiding citizens, than ever before in the history of America (Page 47). (2) Too determine if you have the ability to get a CCW, please visit www.packing.org for more state by state information.
In fact studies have shown that conceal and carry holders are more law abiding on average than the police who protect us, which should put to rest many people's of the fears (Page 9) . There have been no shootouts between conceal and carry holders over fender benders, that I know of (3). In fact, I can think of a couple stories where conceal and carry holders saved lives, in crowded settings. The right to carry has come a long way, though it is now considered a "privilege" instead of a right by many states. Eventually I hope that situation is remedied along with several other major gun rights issues.
Justifiable use of Deadly force and its requirements (4)
I have not done a survey of all the states, but in the right minded ones, the main principle that determines if the use of deadly force is justifiable or is murder, is if the victim feels that great bodily harm or death could result from an attack. For the most part this does not apply to criminals in the commission of a crime. You can also shoot to defend the life of another, but that is a little more complicated because there are more unknowns. The deadly force test is normally applied both in the grand jury and at trial, if the case makes it that far. This fact has pushed some people to go to great lengths to ensure that IF they do appear in front of a grand jury, their actions are just and that their weapons are politically correct. Appearances could matter to an jury that is uninformed about guns. I personally wonder if you can be sued for NOT intervening to save another's life? I am sure a suit could be brought, though I do not know if it could gain traction.
Another point to note, is that in some states if your home is being invaded while you are present you are presumed to be in danger of your life or limb and can use deadly force against the home invader. Again this only applies to states where common sense actually plays apart in making the laws. In several states this year, castle doctrine was strengthened inside of you home and car. Also, in several of those states the duty to retreat was removed while in public.
Personally, I believe you should also be able to shoot in the defense of property, though the law in most states does not agree with me on that. For example, in my one of my CCW classes it showed a video clip of a man robbing a car and the owner stepping outside of the house. In one version the crook ran away, in that case you could not legally apply deadly force. In another version, the crook turned around with a screwdriver and approached the homeowner, at that point in time the homeowner could legally use deadly force IF he feared for either his life or limb. The one exception that I know of is Texas, there you can shoot in the defense of property, and in some situations you could just be watching the property for someone else, for example house sitting. If you state has a CCW program, it most likely has a CCW class. In that class is where the nuisances of your states laws are explained along with examples of situations and what to do in those situations.
Other comments on the law
It should be pointed out that there are typically laws concerning the brandishing weapons, these typically have a wider variety between states. These laws have led to the general accepted philosophy that if you are going to draw your gun, you had better use it. In other words, before drawing a gun there should be a clear and present danger to your limb or life. Drawing a gun for deterrence is seldom recommended, though according to studies it actually happens more than two million times a year.
Also, in most of the right minded states your attacker (or preferably their family) cannot sue if your use of deadly force was found justifiable based on the attacker's actions. This is the case in Oklahoma. This provides a great peace of mind to the gun owner who uses their gun to defend their self or their family.
Another thing to keep in mind that, if you fire you gun you will most likely be responsible for any damages you bullet causes outside of the attacker. Just because the criminal cannot sue does not mean your neighbor next door cannot sue for bullet holes in their house. Even pistol rounds will penetrate walls. One thing to note, and I will expound on the implications of this later, is that as a civilian you are at a tactical disadvantage in many dynamic self defense situations because "Action always beats reaction".
Preparing to carry
As you can see from the proceeding passages, the choice to carry a gun has its own set of problems legally and morally. In spite of the legal risks and the moral implications many choose to carry everyday. Some have decided that the upside, survival, is worth the downside, possibility killing someone and then having to go through the required legal proceedings, which will be extremely expensive and time consuming, not to mention emotionally disturbing. Some feel that rights are lost if not exercised. Regardless of how you feel you must come to terms with the moral, ethical, and legal issues surrounding conceal and carry -- BEFORE you carry your gun. If you let the issues linger, doubts, second guessing, and indecision could haunt you when action is needed most. Most likely, you would have died with or without the gun, but the sad thing is that with proper information beforehand and forethought on your part a productive and useful life (yours) might have been saved. In other words, if you have a flawed understanding of the law, are unwilling to use the gun for your defense, or if you do not have the skill to properly use a gun for your defense (5), you might should rethink your decision to carry and just run at the first sight of trouble. The one thing conceal and carry does bring to the table is options, which are not present if you are gunless.
The state of mind while carrying
Once you have thought critically about carrying an weapon and have decided that it is the right decision for you, you have crossed an important milestone but your journey is not done. A gun is an important part of a personal protection strategy, but it is not a magic ward against the threats you could face. Should you be faced with a threat you will go though the OODA loop. In order for you to get to the response level (act) of the loop you have to elevate the threat past the threat threshold level. Fortunately, this is easy to achieve though situational awareness or more of a hyper-awareness. The tool of a color coded threat system helps out tremendously in explaining the topic of situational awareness. Once a threat is recognized, the level of the threat must be accessed, and then you can choose an appropriate course of action to save yourself or your loved ones. If you are aware, you can complete the OODA loop quicker than your attacker and hopefully survive to pass on your genes. Failing to orient quicker than your attacker seals your fate. Even if you do recognize the threat early your life is far from safe because you may lack the skill to properly deploy the means to protect yourself. I feel that training is the part many CCW holders skip.
Fight as you train, train as you fight.
I believe training is absolutely necessary to if you are going to carry a concealed weapon. Without training, you will not be able to complete the OODA loop quickly or effectively, which will hinder your chances of surviving a life and death encounter. I do not believe it should be mandated by the state (the quality would decline), but I do believe that the CCW community should place social pressure on its members to be as well trained as they can afford to be. It takes time to develop the muscle memory to draw and aim a gun accurately, especially from the varied locations a gun could be (your glove box, your purse, inside your waist band, etc.) Also, when you are placed under stress many of your fine motor skills will disappear due to the adrenaline surge. This is the one part that I have not completed. I currently am saving the money and the class I am eyeing will be two days and cost about 400 dollars not including the nearly 1000 rounds of ammo I will use.
In conclusion
When you are carrying a weapon, I believe you also carry a responsibility. You must prepare yourself mentally, buy knowing the laws of the land and by being aware of your surroundings. I also believe that your must be fully aware of the deep emotional and moral issues surrounding the use of deadly force in the protection of yourself or others. Lastly, but maybe most importantly, your must train so that your reactions will be sure and quick. This will increase the chance of your survival and decrease the chance that you could miss and injure someone else.
(1) This is not to say that conceal and carry has lowered crime, but it has not risen because of it either.
(2) This is not to say that guns have lowered crime, but it has not risen because of it either.
(3) Probably because when one person pulls a gun, the other person then asks if the have a CCW, if the other person does, both then hug and kiss like Italian brothers.
(4) I am not a lawyer, yada yada, please consult one for laws in you area.
(5) Keep in mind, the skill level for using a gun at typical self defense distances is extremely low.
Doing research
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
6 imams walk on to a plane...
I know you have heard that one before. Well I wanted to share a bit of information with you. Specifically, the recent survey that Pew took of Muslims feeling about terrorists and terrorism.
You can read it yourself, if you want. I didn't, though. I just looked at the numbers on the front page and averaged them out for you. Basically 2.7 out of ten Muslims surveyed support violence against civilians often or sometimes. Three out of ten Muslims have some or a lot of confidence in Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to the "right" thing regardless of world affairs (whatever that means).
Statistically, there was a decent chance one of those imams probably had very strong beliefs you should be blown up. Think about that next time you see him complaining about getting kicked off the plane.
cube
You can read it yourself, if you want. I didn't, though. I just looked at the numbers on the front page and averaged them out for you. Basically 2.7 out of ten Muslims surveyed support violence against civilians often or sometimes. Three out of ten Muslims have some or a lot of confidence in Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to the "right" thing regardless of world affairs (whatever that means).
Statistically, there was a decent chance one of those imams probably had very strong beliefs you should be blown up. Think about that next time you see him complaining about getting kicked off the plane.
cube
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