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freyasman

Senator

Pay attention to this and internalize it; this is incredibly important.
I have been involved in plenty of scenario-based training, and force-on-force training that involved roleplaying, and I quite often acted as the so-called "bad guy". Several people, mostly veteran LEOs, have made note of the fact that I think and act, and react, much more like a career criminal, than like the common "good guy" does.
They will not do what you would; they are not you.
They do not want what you want; they are not you.
They do not fear what you fear; they are not you.
 

freyasman

Senator
Watch this video;
https://www.click2houston.com/news/home-surveillance-captures-carjacking-incident
Backing in is almost always a good thing; it encourages you to look around you as you are parking. In this case however, the victims ignored the warning signs and just let it happen to them.... they're lucky it wasn't any worse. What they should have done, was drop it back into gear and drive right over those fools while angling right to keep from getting blocked in by the truck.
Pay attention to what is around you, people.
 

freyasman

Senator
http://preparednessadvice.com/prepping/reasons-to-not-prep/
From the link;
"I’m always fascinated to hear the many reasons why people don’t prep. In our neighborhood, my wife learned from a friend that a mutual acquaintance was planning on coming over to our house in the case of a dire emergency. My wife has met this woman exactly once. So why doesn’t she prep herself? Apparently, she’s just too busy.

Too busy to look out for her own family but not too busy to make the calculated decision that she, her strong, young husband, and their 3 kids will drive a few blocks to our house and, basically, steal from us.

So what other reasons do people have for not prepping? Well, in no particular order, here’s what I came up with:

Sheer stupidity
Yep. In a world filled with vapid video games, celebrity worship, and a shallow understanding of how anything works, anything at all, there are people who have simply never considered doing something today to prepare for tomorrow. They’re the same ones who couldn’t handle a $500 emergency and have to run to the store hours before a hurricane hits to buy milk, bread, and eggs. We know them as “French toast people.”

Their IQs are probably adequate for getting through the mild ups and downs at life, but when thrown a curve ball of any magnitude, their choice is to sit back and wait to be taken care of.

Denial
“It can’t happen to me.” “It’s never happened here.” We’ve all heard these sad refrains and can only pity the people who believe them. If all emergencies came with a 1-month warning, they wouldn’t be emergencies, would they? No matter your income, education, status, or title, sooner or later bad things will happen to you, but, for now, it’s easier to remain in denail than actually think about those scary scenarios and prepare for them.

Fear
We know from basic human psychology that when the human brain is confronted with something terrifying, it sends 1 of 3 signals to the body: freeze, flee, or fight. For Americans who have never had to deal with much out of the ordinary, thinking about a nuclear war, an economic collapse, or a geography-changing earthquake causes them to often freeze. Acknowledging potential and possible scenarios like these is too difficult and they remain frozen in their inaction.

People in this category would do well to read Gavin De Becker’s best-seller, The Gift of Fear, and understand that very often, fear makes us do some pretty smart things, and that includes prepping.

Peer pressure
Now here’s a weird one but I’ve seen it in my wife’s family. Back in the days of Doomsday Preppers, I heard some of them make fun of the preppers depicted in the show and then laugh at a couple of relatives who had thought of prepping themselves. Those folks backed down, as in, “Well, I guess it is kind of silly, huh?” when facing ridicule. Hard to imagine that mature adults, with kids, mortgages, jobs, and other responsibilities would back down, but they did.

Procrastination
I’ve heard it said that TEOTWAWKI has a date. You just don’t know what it is, yet. That dire medical diagnosis, news of a loved ones death, the loss of a job, a Category 5 hurricane, “the storm of the century”, they will all happen at some point. We just don’t have the ability to peer into the future to know exactly what will happen and when. So, most people procrastinate. They’re busy, money is short, the spouse isn’t on board, or maybe they just aren’t all that worried, but for whatever reason, they don’t prep because they’re rather put it off for another month, anothery year.

Normalcy bias
Normalcy bias differs a bit from denial because denial is a conscious choice. Normalcy bias is a little trick our brains play on us. It’s a survival mechanism that causes us to believe that everything will be okay. The Survival Mom writes about witnessing a tragic traffic accident and, to her eyes, seeing a scarecrow fly through the air. In fact, that scarecrow was a human being who had been jettisoned from the car’s window, but her brain insisted, “It’s a scarecrow. Humans don’t fly, silly!”

Our brains for survival and normalcy bias is one way it prepares us for the most traumatic life events. So, for those who insist that really, really bad things will never happen may just be suffering from normalcy bias.

Sense of superiority
If your above average intelligence, wealth, and overall superiority naturally places you in a lofty position, high above the riff-raff, then you probably also scoff at the idea of stocking up on cans of beans. After all, you know best and those dummkopfs on Doomsday Preppers are just a bunch of redneck hillbillies. What could they possibly know that you don’t? Right?

I know people with this attitude, and maybe you do, too. It seems to be a combination of arrogance and denial, a dangerous blending of 2 potentially lethal beliefs. You quickly learn to not even try to reason with these people. After all, if you had their bank balance and degree from a fancy university, you, too, would realize your own invincibility. You poor sap.

Life’s overwhelming burdens
I don’t have much patience with people in the previous categories, but this one, well, I’ve been there — burdened down with a stressful job, behind in paying taxes, rowdy and loud kids, a wife always behind in household chores while trying to keep a smile on her face.

Sometimes life just seems to keep you under its heavy boot and the last thing you need to hear is, “Hey, you’d better start prepping for the end of the world, man.”

Where will the money come from? Where will I get the time when I’m already working 50 hours a week, plus some weekends? On top of everything else, the last thing I need is to start worrying about an economic collapse, a civil war, nuclear bombs going off — I just want to take a nap and maybe escape for a while in front of the TV.
I understand and sympathize. I really do.

In the past 9 years, my wife and I have gone through some of these mindsets, or excuses, depending on your point of view. A lot of preppers do but since we understand the need to be ready for when the S really does hit the fan, we eventually get back on our prepper feet and keep going, a little at a time.

With others, though, I don’t nag or even talk anymore about prepping. I don’t want my friends to start avoiding me and in the case of co-workers and family members, I need to maintain a positive relationship with them. They know where to find me if/when they change their mindset about being prepared."
 

freyasman

Senator
https://www.click2houston.com/news/fbi-investigating-at-scene-of-deadly-shooting-in-northeast-houston
Kidnapping is big business south of the border and like a lot of things, it's moving north. From the limited details in the link, this abduction was apparently an attempt to collect on a debt..... and not even the victim's debt, they actually were looking for his brother who apparently owed them. (Just because you don't owe some gangsters doesn't mean you're safe.)
There was a claim made that the kidnappers were affiliated with the Gulf Cartel, and in the booking photos, one of the folks arrested has a lot of Tango Blast ink, so we can safely assume gang affiliation here.
The cops were brought in, and then the FBI, and they tracked the kidnappers down, kicked the door, and....... an FBI agent shot the victim to death on accident.:cool:
So much for being rescued by the authorities.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:


I took a 2 day counter custody/anti-abduction course
http://edsmanifesto.com/index.php/2017/08/25/counter-custody-entry-texas/
last year, and found the information to be fascinating, as well as useful. I pass along a lot of what I learned to some of my students.
I haven't been to one, but I hear very good things about this course; http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/the-unthinkable-tactics-and-concepts-for-the-gravest-extreme as well.
It would be worth your time to look into a course like this, this stuff is not going away, and counting on someone else to come save you is a pretty ineffective solution.
Be your own rescuer.
 

freyasman

Senator
https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2018/01/gunshot-wounds-defensive-gunfire/
From the link;
"Case No. 1: Always Bring Enough Gun
Our hero presented to the ER with left knee pain. He had an unremarkable exam save some discomfort with manipulation of the joint. There were no obvious wounds. He offered no history of trauma. I shot an x-ray of his knee as a matter of routine. The .25 ACP FMJ bullet was minimally deformed and resting comfortably within the joint capsule. When confronted with the image, a look of enlightenment washed over his face.

The previous evening he had been out with friends at a local watering hole. The music was loud and the place was hopping. He fished around in the front right pocket of his jeans for his smokes and inadvertently stroked the trigger of his Jennings .25. He was surprised when the gun discharged, but thankful not to have been injured. The racket of the honky-tonk was adequate to mask the sound of the gunshot. He reported no pain at all.

Further investigation turned up the tiniest wound perhaps three inches north of his knee on the medial (inside) aspect. The spot could easily pass for a mosquito bite. The Orthopedists fished out the bullet and he went home to party another day.

Case No. 2: Penetration Is Important, but It’s Complicated
The 17-year-old young man presented to my clinic complaining of penile discharge. He was found to have good old-fashioned Chlamydia — the “Clap” in the Vulgar Tongue. His medical history reported a gunshot wound, so I inquired as to the details.

About six months prior this young man had run afoul of his drug dealer. When confronted with his inability to pay for some illicit pharmaceuticals, the unlicensed pharmacologist terminated their professional relationship with a single .22 LR to the head.

The round impacted at the medial aspect of his left eye, tracked along his skull base, and exited just to the left of his spine, leaving him minimally inconvenienced overall. He healed completely without surgery and even retained his vision. Thankfully we got his newfound STD treated so that he could go forth and spread his seed yet further.

Case No. 3: A Properly Jacketed Hollow Point Means Not Having to Say You’re Sorry
This young man was shot in the face with an unknown handgun. The exit wound was in the right aspect of his occiput (the back of his head) and was about the size of a lemon. The cops knew very little about the scenario save where they found him. Interestingly enough, despite a pathologically unsurvivable wound, his body didn’t get the memo that he was dead for maybe another 15 minutes. Incapacitation, however, would have been instantaneous.


RELATED STORY


Ayoob: 13 Cases That Show Why You Should Carry a Backup Gun



I poked around the exit wound later and uncovered a nearly intact bullet jacket lodged between his scalp and his skull. It measured 11mm on a piece of handy EKG paper. The round had been a .45 ACP.

Case No. 4: Never Forget the Fundamentals of Gun Safety
The conflict had its origins in the unrequited affections of some fair lass. The subject and his opposite number resolved to settle the dispute via a brief exchange of gunfire. The man clearly had not done enough reading on the fine art of concealed carry, so he had just dropped his heater into his right front pocket sans holster.

While grappling for the gun, his finger stroked the trigger and it went off in his pocket. The 9mm FMJ round subsequently center punched the shaft of his penis at about its midpoint leaving it unnaturally angulated. He gave me the impression that his wound also resulted in instant incapacitation.

All thoughts of love were banished from his mind. The young stud’s opponent thankfully declared victory so he could get to the hospital. We consulted the urologist and moved on to the next crisis.

Case No. 5: Bullets Can Surprise You
Our patient was an exceptionally large gentleman who had been a player in a drug deal gone south. As the man sped away in his ample Caddy, the jilted drug dealer threw a single 9mm ball round his way just out of meanness. The patient felt he had escaped unscathed. When he arrived at his domicile, he noticed blood on his shirt. That’s why he met me.

The bullet penetrated the steel trunk of the car, passed through the rear seat, transited the front seat, and lodged in the man’s ample back fat. The surgeons ultimately fished the bullet out, as it was a relatively shallow wound, and the man was otherwise unharmed. I was shocked that a simple 9mm FMJ round could move so far.

Case No. 6: Sometimes it Really Is Simple
The man was, by our local standards, a veritable canonized saint. He had a job at a mini-mart and was standing at the front door of his baby mama’s house (his term, not mine) after work with a jumbo bag of diapers. Some miscreant came up behind him with a gun and demanded money.

The young man explained that he had no money but offered the robber the Pampers as a consolation prize. Unimpressed, the criminal shot the man through the leg and departed to ply his nefarious trade elsewhere.

The wound was through and through. There was no bony involvement, and the nerves and blood vessels remained intact. I cleaned and dressed both the entrance and exit wounds, got the poor guy some pain meds and antibiotics, and sent him on his way. As he departed the ER he was grumbling sincerely about the incontrovertible injustice of the world.


RELATED STORY


The Concealed Carrier Bible: 6 Things to Keep in Mind at All Times



Case No. 7: Always Unload Your Gun Before Handling It
The gentleman was watching television when he inadvertently dropped his TV remote. Groping blindly for the contrivance underneath his recliner, he happened upon a forgotten .22 pistol. Hefting the dusty weapon, he could not recall if he had left it loaded or not.

Determined to put that question to rest definitively, he drew a careful bead on his big toe and squeezed the trigger.

I actually commended him on his marksmanship. At a range of perhaps three feet he punched that zippy little .22 round straight into the center of his toenail and through the underlying flesh and bone. As an additional bonus the bullet also blew out his TV screen. He walked into the ER under his own power.

Case No. 8: Things Are Not Always as They Seem
The gladiator was heavily muscled and covered with gang tats. It took five of us to restrain him long enough for a proper exam. The cops said he had been shot with a .380 ACP pistol maybe 15 minutes before we met. He was cursing us vigorously throughout.

The only stigma of injury was a small black hole between his sternum and his right nipple. There was very little blood and no exit wound.

Over the next few minutes, the man’s demeanor changed dramatically. He began begging and pleading with us to keep him alive. In moments he was ignoring us altogether and shouting passionately for Jesus. Then blood began to froth out of his mouth, he arched his back, gurgled horribly, and died.

The man had exsanguinated into his lungs from damage wrought by a single .380 ACP FMJ round that had thoroughly ventilated his pulmonary vasculature. By the time we could substantively intervene, he was gone. However, he could have fomented a great deal of mischief before he succumbed to this single perfectly placed round inflicted by the same sort of pistol I carried every day.

Final Ruminations on Gunshot Wounds
I once read that, on average, 60 percent of those hit with gunfire at any spot spontaneously fall down. It is the other 40 percent that you have to worry about. Bullets can be notoriously unpredictable in human flesh, and real life bears little similarity to the movies. If ever called upon to use your defensive firearm for real, engage the threat until the threat is no longer threatening."

Go to the link for some cool pics. ;)
 
https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2018/01/gunshot-wounds-defensive-gunfire/
From the link;
"Case No. 1: Always Bring Enough Gun
Our hero presented to the ER with left knee pain. He had an unremarkable exam save some discomfort with manipulation of the joint. There were no obvious wounds. He offered no history of trauma. I shot an x-ray of his knee as a matter of routine. The .25 ACP FMJ bullet was minimally deformed and resting comfortably within the joint capsule. When confronted with the image, a look of enlightenment washed over his face.

The previous evening he had been out with friends at a local watering hole. The music was loud and the place was hopping. He fished around in the front right pocket of his jeans for his smokes and inadvertently stroked the trigger of his Jennings .25. He was surprised when the gun discharged, but thankful not to have been injured. The racket of the honky-tonk was adequate to mask the sound of the gunshot. He reported no pain at all.

Further investigation turned up the tiniest wound perhaps three inches north of his knee on the medial (inside) aspect. The spot could easily pass for a mosquito bite. The Orthopedists fished out the bullet and he went home to party another day.

Case No. 2: Penetration Is Important, but It’s Complicated
The 17-year-old young man presented to my clinic complaining of penile discharge. He was found to have good old-fashioned Chlamydia — the “Clap” in the Vulgar Tongue. His medical history reported a gunshot wound, so I inquired as to the details.

About six months prior this young man had run afoul of his drug dealer. When confronted with his inability to pay for some illicit pharmaceuticals, the unlicensed pharmacologist terminated their professional relationship with a single .22 LR to the head.

The round impacted at the medial aspect of his left eye, tracked along his skull base, and exited just to the left of his spine, leaving him minimally inconvenienced overall. He healed completely without surgery and even retained his vision. Thankfully we got his newfound STD treated so that he could go forth and spread his seed yet further.

Case No. 3: A Properly Jacketed Hollow Point Means Not Having to Say You’re Sorry
This young man was shot in the face with an unknown handgun. The exit wound was in the right aspect of his occiput (the back of his head) and was about the size of a lemon. The cops knew very little about the scenario save where they found him. Interestingly enough, despite a pathologically unsurvivable wound, his body didn’t get the memo that he was dead for maybe another 15 minutes. Incapacitation, however, would have been instantaneous.


RELATED STORY


Ayoob: 13 Cases That Show Why You Should Carry a Backup Gun



I poked around the exit wound later and uncovered a nearly intact bullet jacket lodged between his scalp and his skull. It measured 11mm on a piece of handy EKG paper. The round had been a .45 ACP.

Case No. 4: Never Forget the Fundamentals of Gun Safety
The conflict had its origins in the unrequited affections of some fair lass. The subject and his opposite number resolved to settle the dispute via a brief exchange of gunfire. The man clearly had not done enough reading on the fine art of concealed carry, so he had just dropped his heater into his right front pocket sans holster.

While grappling for the gun, his finger stroked the trigger and it went off in his pocket. The 9mm FMJ round subsequently center punched the shaft of his penis at about its midpoint leaving it unnaturally angulated. He gave me the impression that his wound also resulted in instant incapacitation.

All thoughts of love were banished from his mind. The young stud’s opponent thankfully declared victory so he could get to the hospital. We consulted the urologist and moved on to the next crisis.

Case No. 5: Bullets Can Surprise You
Our patient was an exceptionally large gentleman who had been a player in a drug deal gone south. As the man sped away in his ample Caddy, the jilted drug dealer threw a single 9mm ball round his way just out of meanness. The patient felt he had escaped unscathed. When he arrived at his domicile, he noticed blood on his shirt. That’s why he met me.

The bullet penetrated the steel trunk of the car, passed through the rear seat, transited the front seat, and lodged in the man’s ample back fat. The surgeons ultimately fished the bullet out, as it was a relatively shallow wound, and the man was otherwise unharmed. I was shocked that a simple 9mm FMJ round could move so far.

Case No. 6: Sometimes it Really Is Simple
The man was, by our local standards, a veritable canonized saint. He had a job at a mini-mart and was standing at the front door of his baby mama’s house (his term, not mine) after work with a jumbo bag of diapers. Some miscreant came up behind him with a gun and demanded money.

The young man explained that he had no money but offered the robber the Pampers as a consolation prize. Unimpressed, the criminal shot the man through the leg and departed to ply his nefarious trade elsewhere.

The wound was through and through. There was no bony involvement, and the nerves and blood vessels remained intact. I cleaned and dressed both the entrance and exit wounds, got the poor guy some pain meds and antibiotics, and sent him on his way. As he departed the ER he was grumbling sincerely about the incontrovertible injustice of the world.


RELATED STORY


The Concealed Carrier Bible: 6 Things to Keep in Mind at All Times



Case No. 7: Always Unload Your Gun Before Handling It
The gentleman was watching television when he inadvertently dropped his TV remote. Groping blindly for the contrivance underneath his recliner, he happened upon a forgotten .22 pistol. Hefting the dusty weapon, he could not recall if he had left it loaded or not.

Determined to put that question to rest definitively, he drew a careful bead on his big toe and squeezed the trigger.

I actually commended him on his marksmanship. At a range of perhaps three feet he punched that zippy little .22 round straight into the center of his toenail and through the underlying flesh and bone. As an additional bonus the bullet also blew out his TV screen. He walked into the ER under his own power.

Case No. 8: Things Are Not Always as They Seem
The gladiator was heavily muscled and covered with gang tats. It took five of us to restrain him long enough for a proper exam. The cops said he had been shot with a .380 ACP pistol maybe 15 minutes before we met. He was cursing us vigorously throughout.

The only stigma of injury was a small black hole between his sternum and his right nipple. There was very little blood and no exit wound.

Over the next few minutes, the man’s demeanor changed dramatically. He began begging and pleading with us to keep him alive. In moments he was ignoring us altogether and shouting passionately for Jesus. Then blood began to froth out of his mouth, he arched his back, gurgled horribly, and died.

The man had exsanguinated into his lungs from damage wrought by a single .380 ACP FMJ round that had thoroughly ventilated his pulmonary vasculature. By the time we could substantively intervene, he was gone. However, he could have fomented a great deal of mischief before he succumbed to this single perfectly placed round inflicted by the same sort of pistol I carried every day.

Final Ruminations on Gunshot Wounds
I once read that, on average, 60 percent of those hit with gunfire at any spot spontaneously fall down. It is the other 40 percent that you have to worry about. Bullets can be notoriously unpredictable in human flesh, and real life bears little similarity to the movies. If ever called upon to use your defensive firearm for real, engage the threat until the threat is no longer threatening."

Go to the link for some cool pics. ;)
Great stories. This guy is hilarious!
 

freyasman

Senator
https://www.click2houston.com/news/fbi-investigating-at-scene-of-deadly-shooting-in-northeast-houston
Kidnapping is big business south of the border and like a lot of things, it's moving north. From the limited details in the link, this abduction was apparently an attempt to collect on a debt..... and not even the victim's debt, they actually were looking for his brother who apparently owed them. (Just because you don't owe some gangsters doesn't mean you're safe.)
There was a claim made that the kidnappers were affiliated with the Gulf Cartel, and in the booking photos, one of the folks arrested has a lot of Tango Blast ink, so we can safely assume gang affiliation here.
The cops were brought in, and then the FBI, and they tracked the kidnappers down, kicked the door, and....... an FBI agent shot the victim to death on accident.:cool:
So much for being rescued by the authorities.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:


I took a 2 day counter custody/anti-abduction course
http://edsmanifesto.com/index.php/2017/08/25/counter-custody-entry-texas/
last year, and found the information to be fascinating, as well as useful. I pass along a lot of what I learned to some of my students.
I haven't been to one, but I hear very good things about this course; http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/the-unthinkable-tactics-and-concepts-for-the-gravest-extreme as well.
It would be worth your time to look into a course like this, this stuff is not going away, and counting on someone else to come save you is a pretty ineffective solution.
Be your own rescuer.
More drama and fallout from that kidnapping; https://www.click2houston.com/news/attorney-speaks-out-after-son-of-kidnapping-victim-killed-in-fbi-raid-remains-in-cps-custody
From the link;
"Conroe police said Sanchez and Cunningham barged into Valladares’ home in Conroe on Wednesday morning while he and his son were getting ready for school. Officers said the men ransacked the place and tied up the father and his 12-year-old son up with duct tape.

Court documents state the child heard one of the suspects say that his father’s brother, who was not named, owed them $8,000.

“One suspect, described as having a heavy build, kicked open a bedroom door that belonged to the child’s uncle, Ernesto Valladares. The suspects continued to search drawers and cabinets throughout the interior of the house.

The child stated that he observed both suspects search through an extensive amount of mail and envelopes and take some speakers, Xbox, TVs, PlayStation, a sword and a hat,” court documents stated.

The two men took Ulises Valladares.

“Ernesto advised he did not know anyone matching the suspect's description and he did not owe anyone money,” the court documents stated.

Police said Ernesto told them he received a missed call from an unknown person and, when they called back, one of the suspects said he was with “El Cartel Del Golfo” (Mexican drug cartel) and demanded $20,000 in return for Ulises Valladares' safe return.

Authorities tracked the numbers and arrested Sanchez and Cunningham at a motel.

They found the victim at the Northeast Houston home of Sophia Heath, the girlfriend of one of the suspects, and that’s when Valladares was accidently shot and killed.

“This wouldn’t have happened if the FBI agent hadn’t gone in there and shot somebody that was reportedly duct-taped with their hands neutralized. How does that happen,” said York.

He said he doesn't know where Ulises Valladares' body is and that the dead man's sister, from Switzerland, is in town, but is not able to see her brother’s body or her nephew."

It sounds like CPS doesn't want to give the child to the brother, because he is apparently in the drug trade. After the government's piss-poor handling of this case though, it's hard to see where the kid would be better off in their care...... only thing that would make this more fucked up is if the child gets killed in the foster home.

All the more reason to learn how to not get kidnapped in the first place.
 

freyasman

Senator

From the comments under the linked video;
"Now, here’s the backstory. Because Lonnie Griffin isn’t a new problem, and this could have been prevented. We’re good at video. We make a lot of them. Our main channel has 16,533,176 views on it. This gentleman, Lonnie Griffin, started out as one of those viewers. He lived in Arizona and would watch every one, and comment often. That’s how we met him. Just a nice typical viewer on the internet. Then he became a visitor, and a problem. Then he became fixated on one of my staff. Then he became a stalker. He tracked down her home address and started showing up outside her house. He firmly believes that he’s been married to her, and that she is the love of his life, for the past several Billion (yes, Billion) years. He also believes I’m Thor. Yeah, really (and we all know I’m much more of a Tony Stark kinda guy, not Thor). Lonnie has been a problem for us for years. The last time he was here was on 8-21-2017 when this happened.
Of course we have video. Here is the staff meeting after that incident. Where we cover the backstory on Lonnie, and how he came to be where he is.
Lonnie is what happens when The System fails. This man is in profound need of proper care and treatment. Lonnie needs to be hospitalized, not homeless, and not driving back and forth across the country stalking one of our staff. Lonnie Griffen has exhibited behavior that is so far beyond socially acceptable, so many times, and still not been taken into custody or given treatment. This is not the fault of the Police. We’ve delivered him into their hands three times already. This is the System itself failing. We did this. We failed this man. We did it because we don’t care, or at least the people we vote for don’t. Lonnie Griffin actually found Amy’s house (we’re still not sure how he managed that) and showed up there. Several. Times. The police have picked him up there, and driven him back downtown, and let him go. They have to, that’s the law. I have members, students, and a staff to ensure the fundamental safety and wellbeing of. I cannot have random weirdos coming in here with malicious intent. How many more Lonnie’s are out there watching with a head full of bad wiring, and buying their bus ticket to come profess their love to one of my staff? What happens when the next one isn’t as nice as Lonnie, who only punched me in the face? It’s the guys like Lonnie who end up in a belltower with a rifle. I’m not scared of some random ISIS fanatic. I’m not scared of a fat little Korean man with a Flock of Seagulls haircut and nuclear bottlerockets. But guys like Lonnie, that one keeps me up at night. You don’t end up homeless because you run out of money. You end up homeless because you run out of friends. Lonnie ran out of friends a long time ago. He needs help, he needs treatment and a support system. We all do."


The guy who wrote this is a bit of a bleeding heart but he nailed that particular point in the bold, dead on.
Remember the bolded statements the next time you start to feel sorry for the homeless guy who wants something from you.
 
Last edited:

freyasman

Senator
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/15/us/florida-school-shooting-student-colton/index.html
From the link;
"The 17-year-old junior knew a gunman was on his high school campus Wednesday afternoon so he ushered 60 to 70 people to shelter in an open Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps room. At that point, he realized that the Kevlar sheets generally used for the Junior ROTC marksmanship program could come in handy.
"We took those sheets, and we put them in front of everybody so they weren't seen, because they were behind a solid object and the Kevlar would slow the bullet down," Haab told CNN on Thursday.




"I didn't think it was going to stop it, but it would definitely slow it down to make it from a catastrophic to a lifesaving thing."


Haab's quick thinking was one of a number of heroic responses to Wednesday's mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in which a gunman killed at least 17 people.


Fortunately, the gunman did not come into the Junior ROTC room, and the Kevlar was not needed. But if he had done so, Haab said he and a friend had a plan.
"I was a little scared. I was more worried about getting home safe, making sure everybody got home safe," he said. "God forbid, if he did come into the classroom. I didn't want that to happen, but if it did, I would try to stop him with another friend of mine that was with us."


Another report I read about this on an Instagram page said these youngsters were waiting with 2x4's in case he got in.
Clear thinking under pressure, good use of available cover and concealment, improvised ballistic protection, and a hasty ambush plan put together on the fly.... good going kids. I'm glad to see at least some of these kids are not totally useless.
 

freyasman

Senator
http://www.returnofkings.com/154915/how-to-survive-the-urban-hellscape?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ReturnOfKings+(Return+Of+Kings)
From the link;
"The Post-Industrial American Urban Hellscape is a dangerous place. It is dangerous not only for its lurking, JRPG random encounter-style violence, but for its persistent psychic assaults on your mental faculties. Statistically speaking, the Urban Hellscape will kill you on the inside well before it kills you on the outside.

Having lived in the real-world counterparts of all three cities featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, I believe myself qualified to write a brief survival guide on how to defend yourself both physically and mentally from the demonic horrors that await you in Urban Hellscape.

How To Leverage Situational Awareness To Avoid Danger


Let’s discuss the physical threats first. Much of this is common sense, but I recognize many college graduates who head to the Urban Hellscape for workhave led sheltered existences for much of their lives. Situational awareness is your best weapon. Don’t be a retard and stare at your iPhone while walking down the street at night. Always be on the lookout. Don’t hang out in your car or in parking lots/garages either. You should always be on edge and feel slightly paranoid.

I’m not going to get specific, but there are certain demographics you should always avoid. Families, groups of girls, and East Asian tourists are not among the groups that you should avoid. I was walking with a friend in downtown Los Angeles once and I thought we were being followed. I entered the lobby of the nearest hotel and sat down at the bar for twenty minutes. It’s better to play it safe than risk getting shanked in the neck by your city’s latest brand of cultural enrichment.

Don’t make eye contact with anyone on the street and don’t talk to anyone who tries to speak with you. They’re probably just selling their “fire” mixtape, but I can already tell you it’s not as game-changing as “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” was back in 2007. Don’t be afraid to bitch out and cross the street if a particularly vibrant group of youths are approaching. They’ll probably yell something at you, but at least you’ll still have your wallet. Make a point to always ignore homeless people.

As far as weapons go, they’re probably more trouble than they’re worth. Check your local laws and make your own decision. You’re not John Wick and you’re not going to gun-fu a gang of miscreants who cause you trouble. Same goes with knives. Life isn’t an anime series and you’ll probably end up dead or in prison. Be smart and avoid potential confrontations well before they occur.

Alcohol can be lethal in the Urban Hellscape. Don’t get smashed and wander around some area you don’t know. If you lose your group, go to a crowded bar and try to contact them on your phone. Borrow someone else’s phone if yours is dead. Call an Uber and go home if all else fails. Generally, if a place is crowded, it’s safe. I like to look up directions or use my phone inside bars or restaurants. Don’t do this in the middle of the street or at crosswalks.

How To Maintain Your Sanity


If you’re aware of your surroundings, you can avoid most trouble before it even happens. However, the dangers of the Urban Hellscape do not end at mere physical threats. Your mind is under constant psychic siege by the lights, sounds, and inane bullshit that you encounter living in a city. Here’s how to maintain your sanity.

Walk everywhere you can. If you live in a country with first-world infrastructure, you’re not American and you can take public transit instead. Driving is the single most mind-numbing activity we are forced to do. I cannot expound upon my hatred of driving with language alone. You haven’t died on the inside until you’ve been stuck in traffic on the 405. Hire a driver if you’re rich or cryogenically freeze yourself until self-driving cars are an option.

Contrary to popular belief, cities aren’t all that exciting. You can go to bars in all their various forms and incarnations or eat at restaurants, and that’s about it for entertainment. If you like nature, your only option is walking in a park infested with homeless people and drug dealers. Your apartment should be your sanctuary. Use it to recharge and do things you find interesting. Don’t be lazy. Learn how to cook. You’ll save a lot of money and develop a fun and useful skill.

The Urban Hellscape can be crushingly lonely despite all of its colorful characters. Most people have pre-established social groups and you’re probably not getting into their circles. I haven’t figured this one out yet. Just don’t go on the Meetup app or something sad like that to find friends. Have a bit of pride in your solitude. There’s always your Internet friends, and barring that, calling your mother every weekend.

If you still care about dating in 2018, the Urban Hellscape will make sure you don’t get laid ever again. You can certainly try Tinder or nightclubs or whatever. Girls tend to be better looking in cities, but so are the guys. If you think you can compete with seven-foot billionaire rock star investment bankers, you have another thing coming. You don’t really want a city girl for a wife anyways.

How To Escape From The Urban Hellscape


Work on your escape plan. Every year you stay in the Urban Hellscape is ten years off your life. I’ve run the numbers. Have a side-hustle going, preferably e-commerce, so you can become location independent. This is the dream. Once you have the money to live anywhere, get the hell out. You’re not going to miss the crime, the crowds, or the 9,999 different languages you hear on a daily basis. The house on Lake Erie or the ranch in Montana you’re saving up for will do wonders for your health.

The Urban Hellscape is a place to make money and nothing more. Nobody should live in these cities longer than necessary. Figure out what you need financially and plan an exit. You’re not going to raise a family here, and you’re not going to retire here either. Take a trip or two a year to a place you’d think you’d like to settle down. Claw your way out of the Urban Hellscape by any means necessary and make a move when you’re ready."
 

freyasman

Senator
http://blog.suarezinternational.com/2018/02/americas-new-normal.html
From the link;
"After the battle - tighten the helmet straps"

Old Samurai Maxim



It is strange to me, how modern people think. They seem to have the attention span of chickens going from one seed to another. Last October, not five months ago, the Las Vegas shooting broke all the records. I will bet that not five out of ten people you stop on the street even remember it. And yesterday, seventeen killed at a high school. This morning everyone is running around like those chickens I discussed earlier...looking for their seed or their kernel of corn. But with the passage of time, all tensions are relaxed...and the blood lessons...and the focus...goes away and are replaced with the search for comfort. And soon...we will see another one.

1). Prevention. Sorry kids, you can't and you won't. No matter how many fences and guards you place temporarily. I suspect it was already illegal for Cruz to walk into the school with a rifle intent on murder. So much for the rules. In a free society you cannot detain people for what they may do or may be planning to do. I defy you to make that one work. Nor can you wave a pixie stick and make all firearms disintegrate from the earth (lets make everyone happy and smiling while we are att it...and don't forget the rainbows and butterflies).

2). Reaction. Well this one has two parts doesn't it. Immediate reactions and after actions. After actions are great because they tend to the wounded, they comfort the survivor families, and they assign blame. Americans are great at assigning blame. Only the immediate reaction really has any effect on things. All of the socially approved immediate actions have been tried haven't they? From lockdowns to throwing never-read text books, to teachers martyring themselves nobly and heroically. All of it...every single time.

But you know the only immediate reaction that is worth a damn, the only one that actually does something? A good guy being armed and shooting the bad guy in the face. I submit that a Cruz who has been shot in the face five times will not continue killing anyone, and at that point his mental stability will have been made, well...more stable.

Today, EVERY MAN IS A COUNTER TERRORIST

So consider the following – if you can, be armed always. Yes…I know. But consider the implications. Of the seventeen dead, how many would have willingly disobeyed unconscionable laws in order to stay alive? How about that teacher who became a bullet shield? What would he have given at that moment in time for a Glock 17. If it is difficult, learn to conceal the weapon better. At the very least have a knife with which to stab a terrorist to death.

And stabbing a man to death is an exercise in extreme violence. It is not some strip mall karate school exercise done with high school kids to get in shape. It is violent and sudden and what the body does in its final moments will shock you…maybe, if you haven’t gotten your mind right about such matters.

If you are armed your life is easier. Resist the temptation to leave the real sized fighting gun at home and go forth with some “civilian friendly metro sexual” pistol. Anyone can carry a full sized fighting pistol with a little fore thought and care in dressing for the weapon.

Consider that a terrorist event, or a crazy guy with a rifle, like what we saw yesterday, is not the same as a CCW self defense encounter with concerns over legality, disparity of force, or liability, announcing yourself and yelling and all that jazz. The moment that it is a terrorist event, all other concerns are non-issues. And a man or men with rifles shooting people classifies as that.

Learn to shoot accurately at distance. A good practiced hand with a proper pistol might have killed Cruz at any distance.

There will be no warnings, no posting and challenging, only recognition of threat and escalation of violence…or as I term it, “getting ahead” of the fight by shooting. Learn to shoot faces and necks at room distances. Yes, there is a chance you will be killed by the terrorist…but like the seventeen dead, you will be killed anyway. And how do you want to look for the Crime Scene photos? Under a desk hiding with a terrified look on your face and a back full of 5.56 rounds, or a smiling corpse on a mountain of brass and dead terrorists? Be the guy in the second image. But you might not be either one. You might survive and win if you are decisive enough, accurate enough, and violent enough. Let us all be those things, and not "chicken people" waiting to the trucked off to the boiling pot, hoping that the responders are there in time to intervene.

The new normal is every skilled American being armed all the time - ignoring rules and signs that actually endanger them further - so that when the Jihadist or Crazy Guy Shooter crashes the party, he will be met not with screams of terror and please for mercy, but with cold blooded surgical shooting that will leave very simple and limited death scene for the authorities to come and photograph.

That is my new normal...what is yours?"
 

freyasman

Senator
Remember what I said about kidnapping?
https://www.click2houston.com/news/contractor-stuffed-in-trunk-during-violent-kidnapping-robbery-in-east-harris-county
From the link;
"HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - Four people have been charged for their alleged roles in a violent kidnapping of a contractor in east Harris County.

Three of them have been arrested so far.

More Headlines
On Jan. 29, Erica Gusman, 17, arrived at a home in the 200 block of Wood Loop Street after agreeing to meet a man she met on an online dating website, according to court records.

When Gusman arrived, she was with another juvenile girl, according to the records.

The man let the girls into his home and took Gusman to his bedroom to have sex, court records said.

During this time, the man heard noise in his kitchen and went to investigate. He found three masked men in his kitchen taking his property, according to court records.

One of the men pointed a gun at the homeowner's head, prompting a struggle for the gun, court records indicate.

The three masked men and two girls then left with the man's iPad and a computer, according to court documents. They were driving a black Toyota Camry.

After they left, the homeowner realized the contractor who was working on his house was gone.

The contractor told police that while he was working at the home, he went to get tools out of his vehicle when he was approached by three men who pointed a gun at his head and forced him into the trunk of a vehicle, according to court records.

The vehicle began to travel while he was in the trunk, but the contractor was able to break the trunk open and call police, court records say.

Authorities were able to identify Gusman, a juvenile girl, Mario Puentes (one of the masked males) and John Ybarbo (also masked). They were found at Puentes' residence about four to six hours after the robbery and kidnapping, according to court records.

The stolen computer and a handgun were found in Puentes' bedroom, according to court documents. A stolen black Camry was found outside.

They each voluntarily confessed to the crimes, according to court records.

They also identified the other masked man as 17-year-old Julian Atkinson.

Gusman was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Ybarbo, 17, and Puentes, 20, were both arrested and charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated kidnapping.

A warrant has been issued for Atkinson, who is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated kidnapping."
 

freyasman

Senator
No, the snipers were assigned to HHC; the scout/sniper platoon. Scouts find the targets, snipers kill them. They would either work as small elements, or be attached to a line element.
The designated marksman thing was having one guy in a rifle squad with an actual rifle, with a good optic, as opposed to a little M4 carbine. Afghanistan was a mountain fight, lots of targets at 500+ meters...... M4 with an ACOG wasn't cutting it.
We started out with M14s; put scopes and bipods on them, (this was me in 2003) and started to reach out and touch folks. The Army has been continuing to develop and refine the concept ever since.
 
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freyasman

Senator
It was only a matter of time, with all the guys experienced with IEDs around....
https://www.click2houston.com/news/national/deadly-package-bombings-put-austin-on-edge
From the link;
"The blasts
The packages were placed in front of the residents' houses, the police chief said. They appeared to be "average-sized delivery boxes, not exceptionally large," Manley said.

The first blast on March 2 that killed House was initially regarded as an isolated incident, but police now classify it as a homicide.

Then Monday, a blast was reported at 6:44 a.m., killing the teenager and injuring a woman.

"One of the residents went out front, and there was a package on the front doorstep," Manley said. "They brought that package inside the residence, and as they opened that package, both victims were in the kitchen, and the package exploded, causing the injuries that resulted in the young man's death and the injuries to the adult female."

Then another blast happened hours later Monday, sending police scrambling from one crime scene to the next.

The latter explosion occurred after the 75-year-old found a package on her porch. When she picked up the package, it detonated. She was taken to the hospital, where she was listed in critical but stable condition, Manley said.

"These are very powerful devices," he said, declining to be specific. "There's a certain level of skill required to move a device like this."

The explosions were not in the immediate vicinity of the ongoing South by Southwest festival, and authorities said the bombings don't appear connected to the event."
 

freyasman

Senator
http://dailycaller.com/2018/03/19/austin-explosion-package-bombing/?utm_source=site-share
From the link;
"Fourth Austin Bombing Sends Two Men To Hospital: Here’s What We Know


PETER HASSON
Reporter



12:22 AM 03/19/2018
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  • Two men were hospitalized after a bomb went off in Austin on Sunday night
  • The bomb may have been trigged by a trip wire, police said
  • Sunday night’s explosion was the fourth bombing in Austin this month
  • Police believe the four bombings are connected
Yet another explosion rocked Austin Sunday night after a bomb exploded, sending two men to the hospital.

The two victims were both in their twenties and their injuries were not deemed life-threatening, Austin-Travis County EMS said. They were either riding or pushing bikes when the explosion took place, authorities said.

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said at a press event early Monday morning that the explosion was the result of a bomb going off, possibly caused by a trip wire.

“We’re coming back to you very early in the morning because we have a safety message that we want to get out into the community as they wake up in the morning and start about their day,” Manley said, just after 1:30 a.m. in Austin.


“There have been reports in the media that this device was triggered by a trip wire, and we are here to say that that is a possibility. We understand that those reports are out there and it is very possible that this device was a device that was activated by someone either handling, kicking or coming into contact a trip wire that activated the device,” Manley said.

“So that changes things in that our safety message to this point has been involving the handling of packages and telling this community do not handle packages do not pick up packages do not disturb packages. We now need the community to have an extra level of vigilance and pay attention to any suspicious device, whether it be a package, a bag, a backpack, anything that looks out of place and do not approach it.”

The police chief said authorities were waiting for daylight to make a full assessment about a possible trip wire.

If a trip wire was used in Sunday night’s bombing, Manley noted, that would be a change in method from the first three bombings. He urged residents not to touch any suspicious packages or even go near them.



Nails were found in one of the victim’s legs, KVUE reported.

Police asked families in the residential area where the bombing took place to remain in their homes until an agent came to their front door informing them the neighborhood was safe; Manley said the process would likely take until daylight.

Manley said authorities were clearing a “second item” in the area Sunday night, which he said was a backpack.

Sunday night’s explosion follows three separate package bombs that exploded in the city this month, leaving two people dead and two others injured. Manley said Monday morning that police are operating under the belief that all four bombings are connected.

The first explosion took place on March 2; the second and third explosions took place 10 days later on March 12. In all three of those cases, the package bombs were dropped off overnight on the victims’ doorsteps, authorities previously said.

Authorities had already announced a $115,000 reward for any information leading to the bomber’s arrest before Sunday night’s explosion. The FBI is offering $100,000 and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration is offering an additional $15,000. Abbott asked the public early Monday morning to help authorities “catch this killer.”


(Screenshot/Twitter)

Manley said earlier on Sunday that the three package bombings were “meant to send a message.”

Investigators with the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF) are assisting the Austin Police Department. More than 500 officials between the two agencies are working on the investigation, Manley said earlier on Sunday.

Some Austin schools saw their day-to-day operations impacted by the explosion and subsequent investigation.

Regents School of Austin, located less than two miles away from Sunday night’s explosion, delayed classes for two hours on Monday.

Austin Independent School District said in a Facebook post that, due to police activity, school buses would not be able to enter the Travis Country neighborhood. “Any tardies or absences due to this situation will be excused,” the post said"
 
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