Not the Low Key Week I Hoped For

Every so often homeowner stuff catches up with us, and with an off-grid house here's a lot more stuff to pop out and bite you in the butt. I have moisture in the crawlspace AND a leaking roof, the homeowner  equivalent of a headache and an upset stomach.

The roof is simple enough…climb a ladder and start stapling $20 bills to the area around the leak. The crawlspace is trickier, because it effects the overall energy balance of the house. Between last winter and this winter, we've seen a significant loss of efficiency on the under-floor heating system. Loss of efficiency means that the system, specifically the pumps that push the heated water through the system, are running all the time. In the daytime, no problemo — the solar system is just super.

At night, though, the electrical system draws from the battery bank, and unlike last winter they're getting drained every night. The propane generator then cuts in to charge the battery. This winter, the generator is running for 2 hours almost every day, easily twice as much as last winter with similar weather. That has drastically increased our propane usage.

Sigh…we have lots of experts sorting through solutions. Of course no one agrees on anything. Sigh….

A Few Thoughts for the Deep Breath Before the Plunge...

“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?... The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin's thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt! If...if...We didn't love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation.... We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.”

— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 

If you take nothing ore from this quote, take this…"If…if…we didn't love freedom enough…"

THE ONE AND ONLY REASON POLITICIANS, BUREAUCRATS, AND POLICEMEN WANT TO TAKE YOUR WEAPONS AWAY FROM YOU IS SO THAT THEY CAN DO THINGS TO YOU THAT THEY COULDN'T DO IF YOU STILL HAD YOUR WEAPONS. 

— L. Neil Smith

Violence is misunderstood. There's no such thing as senseless violence. All violence makes sense to someone. Nor is violence ever entirely random. The perp chose to be where he was, when he was. Not random. We say the victim was "in the wrong place at the wrong time," meaning where and when the perp was. Bad luck, but not a random event. We can't know the "when" until it's too late, but we can recognize the "where" with some reliability. There are places it's wrong to be, at any time. The principle is simple: when violence occurs, be somewhere else...

-- The Woodpile Report 

-- 

Twas the Day After Christmas...

…and the beer was all gone!

We had a spectacular Indian Christmas dinner —stir-fried shrimp (very different from Chinese stir-fry), chickpea-battered fried flounder, a wonderful spicy baked cauliflower, saag (spinach) with dill and tomatoes, a potato and green pea dish with chilis, a couple of chutneys, onion fritters and a yogurt/cucumber dish to throttle back some of the fire, paratha bread and a couple of delicious desserts.

Easily one of the toughest days in the kitchen…there were 3 of us —me, my Sweetie and her brother. At one point I had 3 dishes going at the same time…things I hadn't cooked before with spices and styles I wasn't familiar with…great fun and great challenge! Wonderful Christmas!

Am finishing off THE TWO TOWERS and will watch THE RETURN OF THE KING tomorrow night….as I always do. It honestly helps me face the battles to come.

"What are we holding onto, Sam?

"That's there's some good in the world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for."

I should have spent some time outside with the new Ruger 10-shot .22 GP-100, but I kept waiting for the thermometer to get above, say, 21 degrees, so the steel wouldn't stick to my hands. Heaven forbid I should lick it! Since it never crept out of the tundra regions, I stuck close to the fire.

Tomorrow, cold or not, I'll put some rounds downrange, probably with the Lipsey's/Vickers G19 as well. Meanwhile, tonight I'm having a gin and tonic made with Dingle's Irish Pot Still Gin from my friend Andy Langlois and Jack Ruby Small Batch Tonic, which is a bit like essence of quinine cough syrup. Different!

HO HO HO From the Secret Hidden Bunker!

A HOWLING MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE SECRET HIDDEN BUNKER!

I heard the bells on Christmas Day 

Their old, familiar carols play, 

And wild and sweet 

The words repeat 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 

And thought how, as the day had come, 

The belfries of all Christendom 

Had rolled along 

The unbroken song 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 

Till ringing, singing on its way, 

The world revolved from night to day, 

A voice, a chime, 

A chant sublime 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 

Then from each black, accursed mouth 

The cannon thundered in the South, 

And with the sound 

The carols drowned 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 

It was as if an earthquake rent 

The hearth-stones of a continent, 

And made forlorn 

The households born 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 

And in despair I bowed my head; 

"There is no peace on earth," I said; 

"For hate is strong, 

And mocks the song 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!" 

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: 

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; 

The Wrong shall fail, 

The Right prevail, 

With peace on earth, good-will to men."

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written during the Civil War

 

Damn Trickster!

We have a new pack of coyotes here at the Bunker. The alpha dog even left us a present, a disassembled rabbit, lotsa blood, too much leftover meat to be a pack kill. Especially since it was impinging on one of our regular trails. I guess he figured that was enough to let me know who ruled the roost.

I suggest, Mr. Trickster, than you make an offering to whatever coyote deity you worship, because if I see any of you and your pack, it's Hammerhead Time. Or, if you're a little farther away, I'd like to introduce you to my GUNSITE Scout Rifle and the concept of Hornady Superformance. The bear and I coexist, Mr. Trickster, but you are destined to be a hat.

I had the opportunity to pick up a Lipsey's/Vickers Gray Glock 19 last weekend.

Since the last thing I needed right before Christmas was another Glock, I of course scooped it up! My intent, such as it is, to use it the IDPA Compact Carry Pistol division. I've been very pleased with my G26/RMR from SI/One Source Tactical as an EDC. As I mentioned, I've been trying out different holsters. All things aside, Ive been defaulting the a Blade-Tech Eclipse…boring as dirt; works great.

Interesting point, which was made to my by my friend and excellent trainer Greg Nichols, who said something to the effect that"Dude, if you've been carrying a Ruger SR9c and you're thinking about a G26, what the heck, carry a G19! More BBs!"

Again, I'd have RMR'ed the SR9c, but there are significant issues that loaded chamber indicator. To mill in the optic, we'd have to remove the loaded chamber indicator, which, in my less than legalize opinion, would constitute "removing a safety device." Note to firearms designers…assume that future defensive pistols will have optics.

I'm working on a G19 as my carry gun with SI and one of their custom slides and some other specific modifications. I'll keep you guys in loop…hopefully on the new DRTV Internet series!

Required Reading…...

"While no force of arms could defeat the armies of the West, it was their moral and spiritual void that ultimately vanquished them…"

— Prayers for the Assassin 

…that I promise you'll enjoy (and leave you genuinely and profoundly troubled). It's the Assassin Trilogy from Robert Ferrigno. From the Amazon review:

From Book 1: SEATTLE, 2040. The Space Needle lies crumpled. Veiled women hurry through the busy streets. Alcohol is outlawed, replaced by Jihad Cola, and mosques dot the skyline. New York and Washington, D.C., are nuclear wastelands. Phoenix is abandoned, Chicago the site of a civil war battle. At the edges of the empire, Islamic and Christian forces fight for control of a very different United States.

Enormous in scope and brilliantly imagined, Prayers for the Assassin promises to be the powerhouse read of the year. Burning with cinematic violence, fiendish betrayal, and global intrigue, Robert Ferrigno's sensational thriller asks: What would happen to America if the terrorists won?

Here's Ferrigno's website. When I read the first book in the series, Prayer for the Assassin, I was blown away. I think Ferrigno is a brilliant writer (I believe I discovered him back in The Horse Latitude days in the 1990s). I had a couple of small issues with the book, because in 2006 I found it hard to imagine that 1) Israelis would be demonized and 2) guns would be largely unavailable.

Interestingly enough, Mr. Ferrigno came on the blog and discussed his reasoning. Now, almost 10 years later, I have to admit that Mr. Ferringo saw clearer than I did. I'm sorry, sir.

The books are classic thrillers, and you will not be able to put them down. BTW, when the great Mark Steyn reviewed Prayers for the Assassin for Canada's McLeans Magazine, he was hauled before the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Canada's Star Chamber for criticism (or even mention) of Islam.

There's an interesting essay on the trilogy from the conservative Hudson Institute…they quote one of the characters in the book with is particularly applicable these days:

The U.S. military won every battle [in Iraq], but they had no voice, no message that could be heard. [Those who monitored TV stations] never saw a hero, only the dead. A war without heroes, without victories. Only petty atrocities inflated for all the world to see, clucked over by millionaire news anchors and fatuous movie stars. 

[The] president himself apologized. “We must show that we are more humane than the terrorists,” he said. . . . Good fortune beyond the . . . wildest dreams [of America’s opponents], an enemy who wanted to be loved. Be ashamed of the war and soon you will be ashamed of the warriors—the warriors got that message soon enough. . . . The Iraq debacle broke the nation’s spirit, hobbled its ability to defend itself. The former regime never recovered.

What brought this to mind was the Virginia school district, in the interest of better calligraphy (I thought they stopped teaching cursive writing…hmmmmmmmm), students were required to meticulously copy the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith in the original Arabic. This is from Religious Facts:

In Islam, the first of the five pillars is the shahada. Shahada is the Muslim profession of faith, expressing the two simple, fundamental beliefs that make one a Muslim: La ilaha illa Allah wa-Muhammad rasul Allah. There is no god but God and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah. Sincere recitation of this confession of faith before of two Muslims is the sole requirement for those who wish to join the Muslim community. It represents acceptance not only of Allah and his prophet, but of the entirety of Islam. As one of the Pillars, the shahada must be recited correctly aloud with full understanding and internal assent at least once in every Muslim's lifetime.

Note that recitation of the shahada in front of two Muslims is all that's necessary you join the religion of Islam…okay, there's a bit more to it than that, but the shahada is the First Pillar the first and most profound step. My professor of Islamic Studies used to say that Islam was an easy religion to get into, but to get out you'd probably have to leave your head behind.

The Assassin trilogy are thrillers, but they're thrillers that will leave a queasy feeling in your stomach like, say, someone stepped in the collective grave of Western Civilization. Buy 'em; read 'em...

Work and Pain!

Last week was an actually a work week – I went to Portland to work with some some new really cool hi-zoot technologies at Crimson Trace ad FLIR (yes, I signed the NDA)…first time I've flown since "the accident." I did okay…I'm out of the brace, and the rehab is just plain ass painful now, but I expected that. The 2-and-a-half hour plane ride had me hobbling though the airport, but there you are. I did a full working day on Tuesday, and, to be honest, it set me back. That night was a bitch, as was the travel day.

Spent Friday in PT trying to loosen up the quad, and we did pretty well. Am now alternating bicycling/stretch days and pure PT days. I did my last post-op examination with my doctors a week or so ago, and of course the punchline is on the way out I made my first pre-operation appointment or the knee replacement surgery the Monday after SHOT. My physical therapist swears she can have me up and around after that surgery in 2 weeks, but she's into pain.

So I spent some time on the Spinner bike today, then got in a box of 9mm from the G19. Wind was screaming, so it wasn't my best day, but always good to pull the trigger. Weirdest thing is that I want to limp. I don't quite understand that. I have to watch myself to keep from falling into that habit. With the snowy trail, I really can't hike…even with the brace the risk is too much. Snow should be melted in a couple of days, which I'm looking forward to.

The Ruger Alaskan .454 is a concrete block of a gun, but Rob Leahy's Pancakes do an AMAZING JOB of carrying a big handgun. Ask brother Jeff Quinn at GunBlast.comhttp://www.gunblast.com/search.htm or Ed Head or here or here or here or here or here or here or here or…you get the drift. A good pancake holster is a great carry device for heavy handgun. And since there are coyote and bear tracks all over the place, those Garrett Hammerheads are…comforting.

You all know I wish you the Blessings of the Season. Enjoy this one with your family and loved ones, reflect on our country, and our religions, and our hopes, and our dreams. Then take a deep breath. If I may touch the truth of LOTR, from Gandalf, "It's the deep breath before the plunge."

Know that the sons of bitches in Washington are going to come after us with everything they have — they are desperate, and this is the End Game. By the way, want to know who to support in the "Republican" primaries? See who stands with us when the Schumer hits the fan. We will win, but the battle will be ugly. We will take casualties, and our Republic will hang by a thread. But keep your faith. We will win. We will win because we share the beliefs, the soul, the heart, the courage of the Founders...and those who came before them.

Here's a Thought for Tonight...

…all I wanted to do was cook. I did my own lasagne recipe with tomatoes we grew during the summer.      Wish I had some fresh venison sausage, but so it goes. My Sweetie made Italian bread, and flying in the face of convention I served it with a unoaked NZ chard. That's the kind of guy I am, dancing right out there on the edge. White with Italian! Dai! Pretty gutsy, n'est pas? Also had bagna calda, slow roasted garlic in olive oil with anchovies.

Changed hiking guns this weekend. I've been carrying my EDC Glock G26 on the dog walk, but B'rer Bear is in the neighborhood. With the fresh snow, it's easy to see he's been all over the place…walking around the Bunker, up and down the driveway, up and down Newt's Trail, just checking things out. So I decided to go all heavy metal weird, with my old Ruger Alaskan .454 in a Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake and loaded with 365-gr dinosaur-killers. I am amazed at how well the Simply Rugged holster carries the big gun! And the Garretts will stop a rampaging Cadillac Escalade.

(Exploding bear from Brizbunny)

Of Genies and Bottles

One of the sad unintended consequences of the collapse of the American education model is that young people are no longer exposed to so much of what we might think of as the "common wisdom." These are the rules that underlay the "operating system" of the Real World. Much of that information is conveyed in stories, or poems (I could refer, as I often do, to Kipling's "The Gods of the Copybook Headings," which provides more useful life information and sheer truth, apparently, than 4 years at Harvard, and at considerably less expense), or parables.

I bring this up because I think the gun control "movement" in the United States is now on life support, and it's staunchest adherents are panicking. The twin blows of Paris and San Bernardino have literally shattered the hoary catechisms of the religion that bills itself as "gun safety," "gun control," "common sense gun laws," and the other apocrypha. So they've decided to roll the dice.

The false smiling faces, the assurances of, "Of course we believe in the Second Amendment;" "It's time we had a serious discussion abut guns in America;" "These are just common sense laws that even gun owners agree with;" "Of course we don't want to take your guns…" all gone now. All that's left is reality, the smiling death's head of fascism.

From the New York Times, the Pravda of the progressive elite, to the whack jobs around the fringes like HuffPo:

Given that even micro gun control measures will be effectively blocked by the NRA and its allies, and that promoting mini measures as potentially effective is misleading, progressives may as well go for the big enchilada: Call for domestic disarmament.

NO MORE MINCING WORDS…THE ONLY ISSUE ON THE TABLE IS DOOR-TO-DOOR CONFISCATION OF ALL GUNS IN AMERICA. 

Rich Lowry notes that self-righteousness is liberating:

The same people who are most exercised about guns in America, and want to ban and even confiscate entire categories of firearms, know little about them and evidently feel no inclination to learn.

I'll go a step beyond my friend Rich.To me, it seems like there's an almost sexual sense of release that comes of the left finally shouting, "BAN THEM! SEIZE THEM! DISARM ALL THOSE DAMNED PEASANTS! OH GOD…YES…IT FEELS SO GOOD!!!!!"

It’s Time to Ban Guns. Yes, All of Them.

Ban guns. All guns. Get rid of guns in homes, and on the streets, and, as much as possible, on police. Not just because of San Bernardino, or whichever mass shooting may pop up next, but also not not because of those. Don’t sort the population into those who might do something evil or foolish or self-destructive with a gun and those who surely will not. As if this could be known—as if it could be assessed without massivelyviolating civil liberties and stigmatizing the mentally ill. Ban guns! Not just gun violence. Not just certain guns. Not just already-technically-illegal guns. All of them.

That's from the New Republic, and I suppose author Phoebe Maltz Bovy had to relax with a cigarette and some soothing merlot from a box after and experience like that! Gosh, Phoebe, was it good for you?

Which, after several deep breathing exercises,  brings us in a roundabout way back to our premise, that certain fundamental truths were once transmitted to the little snowflakes from the time they could toddle all through what we once called "higher education" (pause for appropriate laughter). You'd think that given the fascist left's generalized acquiescence of/submission to the tenants of radical Islam, as long as it's not their head being paraded around, say Cincinnati, you'd think they would have lat least glanced at some of the parables from that part of the world. I'm thinking Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp…hell, there was even a movie, with Robin Williams, no less, as the Jinn (as noted in the Holy Qur'an, created by Allah out of a fire of a scorching wind; Verse 15:27, but you're going to have to pick your own translation).

Had they bothered learning any of those old truths, they'd know it was a screamin' b-atch to get a genie back in the old lamp, or bottle, or shoved back down the throat of Michael Bloomberg's whore spinmeisters. So, in simple easy to understand terms, not matter how close it gets to the election, none of us will believe ONE DAMN WORD you clowns have to say about guns, about how, no really, nobody meant any of that "Australian model" or "voluntary turn-ins," or "outright confiscations." That was just craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy talk! You might as well start wearing SS slashes on your collars…we know who you are!

You'll notice that Americans no longer favor banning assault rifles…in fact, after a slow summer of long gun sales, ARs are flying off the shelves…again. Oh, and in the spirit of Christmas 2015,  don't forget to get at least 10 30-round magazines, a sling, a good optic (Aimpont, Trijicon, at the lower end Burris, Lucid, Bushnell) and at least 1000 rounds of ball ammo!

Oh, and BTW, Phoebe and all you progressives with your hot, sweaty fantasies of a gun-free America, I refer you to another parable, something about "Belling the Cat."

Jim Clark Jr., R.I.P.

My old and dear friend Jim Clark Jr. lost his valiant battle with cancer this morning.

My heart is of course with the Clark and the Miculek families.

So many years...I will miss you, brother. Go with God.

Yes, As a Matter of Fact, They Are Coming for Our Guns

From the New York Times, 5 December, their first Page One editorial in 94 years:

It is not necessary to debate the peculiar wording of the Second Amendment. No right is unlimited and immune from reasonable regulation. 

Certain kinds of weapons, like the slightly modified combat rifles used in California, and certain kinds of ammunition, must be outlawed for civilian ownership. It is possible to define those guns in a clear and effective way and, yes, it would require Americans who own those kinds of weapons to give them up for the good of their fellow citizens. [my emphasis]

What better time than during a presidential election to show, at long last, that our nation has retained its sense of decency? 

Got ammo?

Remember I have been saying that the masks are all off now? Even the dumbest of useful idiots who define themselves as "gun control activists" understand that there are no more "common sense," "third way," "things we can all agree on," "simple measures," all the smoke and mirrors that have been the hallmarks of the civilian disarmament industry over the years.

The only issue on the table is the door-to-door confiscation of every firearm in civilian hand."Give them up for the good of their fellow citizens?" Los Angeles banned the possession of normal capacity magazines…there was a 60 "grace" period. All of the sources I've seen have reported that a grand total of zero, zip, nada magazines have been turned in. SAFE Act compliance in New York state is estimated in the 10% range…and that is in the two most liberal states in the country!

The vast majority of Americans will not voluntarily surrender their arms, especially in the face of an increasing war in the homeland from Islamic terrorism. This is not going to happen. Saturday morning the President of the United States said the biggest issue facing us is that people on the no-fly list can still buy guns. He called it "insanity." I think the correct definition would be "due process."

Due process one of the fundamental pillars of America's exceptionalism, the core belief that the state is obligated to respect all legal rights of citizens…all of them. Perhaps our Great Constitutional Scholar should bother reading the Constitution…he might want to start with the Bill of Rights, maybe the Fifth Amendment, which reads, in part, "...nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…"


The no-fly list deprives people of liberty, the right to travel, without due process of law.

The list is secret…search a name on the list and everything is [REDACTED]. The government doesn't tell you that you're on the list, how you got on the list or even what the standards are for ending up on the list, the ability to confront your accusers or the legal processes to challenge your listing. Essentially, the government says, trust us, we'd never do anything wrong or against the law.  And the IRS would never target conservative organizations seeking non-profit status. Homeland Security would never blame some sad sack filmmaker for the Benghazi disaster. BATFE would never run guns to Mexican drug gangs. The Attorney General would never say that the slaughter of 14 American citizens by Islamic terrorist would be a "wonderful opportunity" to change gun laws. ISIS is "contained." And, yes, I will respect you in the morning.

Do you doubt for ONE SINGLE MINUTE that should the government finally get a list, regardless of the ostensible reason for that list, that bans people from owning guns, that you and I won't be on that list? Every shooting competitor in America will be on that list — purchases large amounts of ammo, possession of large numbers of normal capacity magazines, possession of lots of different guns including multiple "assault weapons," reloading components, "tactical" clothing? 

Every NRA member and members of other pro-2A organization will be on that list. Every black powder shooter will be on that list — possession of components that can be used in making explosives (black powder is an "explosive;" smokeless powder is not). Tea Party member? Firearms/self-defense trainer? Gunsmiths (can build "assault weapons"). Ever attended a pro-gun or open carry rally? Ever written a pro-gun letter to a news organization? Post a lot on FaceBook or Twitter or Instagram on your  your shooting or RKBA issues? Shoot in the Precision Rifle series (sniper training)? Build guns frm 80% receivers? Own a solid printer and/or have downloaded CNC files for building firearms?

Paranoid…tell it to the heroes of Benghzi...

The front page editorial in the NYT, essentially the Pravda of the progressive movement, is tantamount to a declaration of war. As the FBI was announcing that the San Bernardino slaughter was indeed an ISIS terrorist event, the President of the United States was huddled with Gabby Giffords strategizing on how far he can go to spit on the Constitution and issue Executive Orders.

If you're not an NRA member, SIGN UP NOW! We will need the money for legal challenges.

Plus, it;s a great time to buy an AR at an excellent price!

Posted with Blogsy

Now What?

"World War 1 British artillerymen in 1915 launched observer balloons to notify gunners along the line to commence firing; the easily seen visual signal was more reliable than rudimentary methods of courier or telephone…"

The balloon has gone up.

Whatever the "official" explanation of the terrorist attack in San Bernardino —workplace violence, climate change, mental health issues, post-partum depression, the Tea Party — I think the adults in the room understand that none of those explanations quite explain a bomb factory in a suburban apartment, 2 heavily armed and armored followers of a religion that is at war with the 21st Century, a couple who casually drop the baby off at granny's house before heading out to slaughter Americans, who attach GoPro cameras to their gear to make sure to document in glorious high definition the slaughter, who choose to shoot it out with police rather than surrender.

There are enough "whys" here to keep forensic technicians, psychologists and politicians talking in endless circles for a decade. Let me step up clarify those "whys" for you — they don't matter. The technicians, the psychologists, the politicians are no more capable of arriving at an understanding than a witch doctor casting the bones of his ancestors. In fact, I would argue that the witch doctor is more likely to come up with the only answer that makes sense…evil exists, and manifests itself in the world.

I would suggest that you can arrive at that very same conclusion by searching "Beheadings" on the Internet. But again, as I wrote in TRAIL SAFE, the "whys" only matter insomuch as they help you protect yourself and your families.

It is not necessary to know the complete backstory, the sad childhood, the deep religious conversion of a plague bacillus, only how to kill it.

From Jim Geraghty at NRO:

They abandoned their child? Okay, stop. This was not driven by a workplace dispute. To leave your infant child and then commit horrific violence that is likely to lead to your death from police action requires an almost otherworldly devotion to . . . some other cause, something you consider more important than life, death, and the inherent biological urge to protect your offspring. “Larry from accounting keeps taking the last doughnut at staff meetings” or “they took my red Swingline stapler” isn’t the sort of motive at work here. 

What motivation have we seen that would make seemingly ordinary people go on mass-murdering attacks? What ideology or twisted religious fervor have we seen people willing to sacrifice their children for, willing to die for?

Forget what we "know;" think about what we can do:

1) You MUST be vigilant as you go about your everyday lives! Yes, it is the holidays, and I'm not going to tell you to avoid crowds, keep out of malls, etc., although heaven knows that makes sense. But you need a heightened sense of awareness. Observe entrances and exits, and ask yourself if shots ring out, were is the best place to take you and your family? Where is cover? Where is a hidey-hole? I strongly urge you to watch the CNN documentary, TERROR AT THE MALL, on the Nairobi Westgate Mall terrorist attack. Study what the survivors did that kept them alive. Watch the defenders — 2 police and 2 CCW holders — work through the Mall.

2) It's not enough to be armed...you MUST be trained! Remember our emphasis on DOWN RANGE Radio about the necessity of delivering the shot? You can't be too trained. The more you internalize your silliest with your EDC guns, the more concentration you'll have for negotiating the hellish maze you may face. Make sure your training involved both strong-hand and weak hand-training. I have participated in numerous scenarios where I had to use the non-weapon hand to control a person — spouse, child, whomever — because I needed them to be RIGHT THERE RIGHT THEN! Do you know how to shoot from retention? Do you know how to move with your gun out in such a way that you don't increase the panic? Can you take a 25-yard head shot or a 50-yard center mass body shot with your EDC?

3) Start competing in a shooting sport immediately. Hell, I don't care which one! Even cowboy will help you learn to shoot under stress and how to move from position to position and quickly pick up multiple targets. You need the stress inoculation, building up those stress "antibodies"" so when the real stress happens, you don't stand there like the little mule deer buck in the middle of road last night, eyes wide open, frozen in place. I believe (and I teach) that LAG TIME KILLS. Lag time is defined as the time from your recognition of the stimulus until the initiation of your response. The shorter the lag time, to greater the likelihood that you get to go home that night.

4) Consider your gear. Where you are, right at this very minute, do you have a gun in reach? A reload? A trauma kit? Do you keep a trauma kit in your car? Do you know how to stop a bleeding wound? Do you have a knife and flashlight within reach? Do you know how to use the folding knife you have in your pocket right now? If you're spending a lot of time in public, have you considered carrying a second gun? If the situation goes worst-case, might it be better to have 2 people firing back than one?

5) Finally, you must believe you can win, you can overcome. You must believe in yourself, not in a happy, self-esteemy way, but in that part of your heart and mind that is made of granite. Because if you don't, all the skill in the world is worthless. I refer you to 3 critical books, Larry Gonzales' DEEP SURVIVAL: WHO LIVES; WHO DIES AND WHY, Amanda Ripley's amazing THE UNTHINKABLE: WHO SURVIVES WHEN DISASTER STRIKES AND WHY and Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder's THE BIG BLOODY BOOK OF VIOLENCE: THE SMART PERSON'S GUIDE TO SURVIVING DANGEROUS TIMES. Read them as if your life depends on it, because it does.

An ironic sidenote, just before I got a text from Seeklander yesterday  telling me to turn on the television, I was on the phone the THE BEST DEFENSE Producer Jeff Murray. Jeff and I were talking about Episode 13 for 2016, essentially an episode where all of us pick out shows that we'd like to re-emphasize. Jeff asked me which show I personally wanted to focus on. I immediately said "The Office Attack," a show we modeled on the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks in Paris. I told him that, "God help us, Jeff, but I believe that is our future." He agreed. Ten minutes later, we were proven right.

DEFCON-1

Do I need to say more?

Be armed; be ready; be aware, my friends...

Traffic Jam

It's finally cold enough that the elk herds are moving to lower pastures. At least they mostly stay off the road. Driving home from rehab last night I hit the local equivalent of a traffic jam, I had to stop twice on the twisty dirt road that leads up to the Bunker, once because a little mule deer buck refused to get out of the road; the second time for a bunch of mulie does moseying across. When I got home there were bear tracks all over the place. Like being trapped in a Disney special. The Newt-ster definitely does not like the bear scent! Oh well, that's why God made .308!

For all you M&P guys and girls out there, the long slog to some sort of sane level of accuracy out of your 9mm M&P is almost over. I hear the new Apex Tactical M&P 9mm barrels are just about ready to hit the market. The Apex M&P barrel project has been a long time coming, and the accuracy specs I've been privy to over the last year are absolutely fantastic. Here's the link…start saving your pennies, and send that telegram to Santa!

Today's a good day…my first in 9 weeks to walk around the house without my massive leg brace. Oddly enough, it's kind of scary, sort of like I'm tiptoeing around on eggs. Still have to wear the brace outside, but I'm way ahead of the schedule. The funny part is tomorrow I have my last post-op meeting with my doctors, who have noted that in a couple of weeks I will have my first pre-op meeting with the same doctors getting ready for the knee replacement surgery scheduled for right after SHOT. LOL!