RECCE ROOM

From social media:  Folks on Reddit (read: Leftists) are apoplectic that they will be held accountable for their speech. This screen shot to show their absolute horror and outrage at the people who are getting fired for celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk.  Of course, they will cry for "free speech!"  They will neglect to give credence to the fact that free speech is speech that is not regulated by government.  Free speech is NOT free platform Free speech is NOT freedom from social consequences. Free speech is NOT freedom to speak anytime, anywhere (almost the same as free platform above). Free speech is NOT freedom from criticism.  Free speech is NOT freedom to incite violence, commit fraud, defame, or commit other crimes on fellow citizens.  ALSO (and perhaps most importantly):  WELCOME TO WHAT IT HAS BEEN LIKE TO BE ON THE RIGHT SINCE 2008!!! What say you?   

On this post , the question came up of whether something constituted a "quota."  Specifically, the statement was:  "Maybe not quotas as such, but that plaque for Most DUI arrests looks good for promotions." First - Definitions So, let's define quota, and see if the "shoe fits."  From Cambridge ,  "a fixed limit on the amount of something that someone is allowed to have or is expected to do." Let's rewrite here for clarity: "a fixed limit on the amount of something that someone is expected to do."  Second - The phrase itself "...that plaque for most DUI arrests looks good for promotions."  Is "performing an activity for the purpose of a promotion" the same as an "amount of something that someone is expected to do?" This author says "yes."  Third - The Law itself.  Tennessee Code annotated on the legality of police quotas: (a) A political subdivision or any agency of this state may not esta...

Recently received an email from another reader asking about haters: "Do you get many online haters? I see many in gun forums and social media and [onling] with other schools and classes and stuff. Wondered if you saw them too. What makes people do that? "  (Author's note - I read that to mean "online.")  Good question, and one that has been dealt with before on this blog.  Now, for Patriot Training? We have a place where screen shots make history in the Alumni chat.  For this blog? It started with an observation in 2012 . That is 13 years ago. The observation is still 100% true.  I've dealt with passive-aggressive tactics from some.  We even reviewed the same thing three years later.  This direct discussion on the Critic was also blogged about.  WHY Now, as for why? There are several theories...  1. Projection (noticeably not participation). Folks who actually train know how hard it is, how humbling it is, and how much work goes into even...

From a reader: "Just came across your blog a few days ago. Was reading a lot of the older stuff. Came across several posts on Calvinism and other religious things. Are you just not religious any more, or what?"  Fair question.  The truth is, Calvinism simply doesn't interest me in the least. It is heretical teaching, brought to us by St. Augustine, very likely from his Manichaean roots. John Calvin was, in modern terms, nothing more than a glorified griefer (who was willing to kill others to make them have grief). Not ironically, virtually every Calvinist I've ever met was similarly a griefer. They side-eye you because they know they are weird, and they don't want you to know that they are weird. That let's you know... that they are weird.  Also, someone that has to do a second conversion on a Christian... again, weird.  So, I will call out those things that deviate from norms, and are illogical. Calvinism is still exactly that.  Funny aside, in a similar vein...

Came across a post  recently that, frankly, is becoming more common as time progresses. Essentially, a 14 year old boy tried to get some girls (presumably of a similar age) to stop attacking another boy at his table. Things escalated, and the girls started punching / slapping him. So he fought back. They were overwhelmed and a Vice Principal finally saw fit to intervene. The boy was suspended. Although the post does not make mention, this author hopes the girls involved were also suspended.  The boy's father elects to allow the school suspension to be the only punishment, but the boy's mother feels the boy should be punished more.  This is the dark side of the pussy pass. The mother wants more severe punishment because he hit girls. There is still a pervasive mindset in our culture that one should not hit females. And that mindset is antiquated. And our culture needs to move away from it, fast. Why? Caveat Let's start with a caveat - nobody should hit anyone else. Of cou...

Cracker Barrel will go back to old logo after conservative backlash From the article: "We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our “Old Timer” will remain," Cracker Barrel said on Facebook. "At Cracker Barrel, it’s always been — and always will be — about serving up delicious food, warm welcomes, and the kind of country hospitality that feels like family," the company said. "As a proud American institution, our 70,000 hardworking employees look forward to welcoming you to our table soon." The Liberal media is, of course, outraged.  This, is what I have to say:

My friend, Lefty, has a blog entry that pops up frequently enough, called "Words." In these posts, he shares a number of words and their meanings. Typically, these words are "off the beaten path." My goal is to know in advance 50% of them or more. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I do not. Lefty's most recent such post , a couple of words caught my attention. Here they are, along with a brief summary of why they stood out. bilbo (n.) — a sword used in former times, noted for the temper and elasticity of its blade This word I knew from before. I don’t know when I first learned its meaning. However, in 10th grade, I read The Hobbit. Now, we all know that one of the main characters in The Hobbit is Bilbo Baggins. As several friends and I were sitting outside English class one day before it started, we discussed what we were reading. A friend—whose name escapes me at the moment—learned I was reading The Hobbit , and we got to talking. I wondered aloud why Bilbo’s nam...

Obituary for Kathleen Jones ... "Aunt Kathy."  This is where I was yesterday. 

A friend sent this author this link . From the link: This job market is absolutely wild. I was introduced to the [ceo] of a startup through a mutual contact. He was enthusiastic. He chased after me. He asked me to complete an assessment. I did. Carefully. On time. Then I had two interviews. One of which made me feel like I was already being welcomed to the team. The other felt more like an interrogation. Still, I held out hope. And then… silence. No update. No rejection. Nothing. I didn’t apply cold. They came to me. And now, after all that effort, I feel like I just got used, like my time, my energy, and my hope were just absorbed into some vague maybe-pipeline with no intention of follow-through. I honestly don’t even want the job anymore. I just want to understand why. You dont like it when candidates ghost you so why would it be ok for you to do it? Why pull someone in, make them work, and then talk to multiple people, only to completely disappear? [Inbalance] of power in your fav...

 Change of pace today. Here are a few little known facts: In the Movie, The Predator, Arnold Schwarzenegger's character, Dutch, was the predator. The alien hunting his team was a Yautja. Viewers misapplied the name "Predator" to the alien, and the studio went with it.  Actress Katey Sagal, often known as "Peggy" form "Married, With Children," is the older sister of the Doublemint Twins.  Speaking of  "Married, With Children," actor Ed O'Neill ("Al Bundy") is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rorion Gracie.  We have all heard the urban legend that Mr. Rogers wore long sleeves to cover tattoos. Except, it is a myth. He had no tattoos.  The guy who played “Uncle Phil” on Fresh Prince was the voice of Shredder in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. James Avery. Go back and listen. You’ll never hear Shredder the same way again. The guy who voiced Optimus Prime also voiced Eeyore. Peter Cullen—the voice of the...

 

Inspired from this post by my friend, Lefty ... here are some random thoughts, based on his random thoughts.  Nobody in shape mocks your meal prep. Nobody with goals questions your routine. Nobody who is winning hates your work ethic. It's the uncommitted that hate consistency. You don't owe them comfort.  Dunning-Krueger Effect. It's a thing.  Hopefully 8 years of Vance, based off of what we have seen.  I've only ever been to two concerts. The first was a performer my wife (then girlfriend) wanted to see in the mid 90's. The second a friend wanted to go to in 2002. If it was me, I'd see Metallica, but I know that window is closing.  New Zealand and Canada. Both within the past two years. Didn't really want to go to either, at first. But they were good trips.  Right at 15 years of smartphone ownership for me. That means 70% of my life was spent without a smart phone.  I need to get back to keto / carnivore.  I once bought a lottery ticket for a fr...

Kay Arthur of Precept Ministries passed away yesterday . She was 91. My parents were friends with Jack and Kay Arthur. Perhaps they are all chatting now in Heaven. 

This is a review of Home Defense Shotgun by Citizen's Safety Academy.  Return to the Gauge: Revisiting Home Defense Shotgun with Citizen’s Safety Academy I recently had the privilege of attending the Home Defense Shotgun course hosted by Citizen's Safety Academy (CSA). Leading the class was my friend and brother-in-arms, Aqil Qadir . For those unfamiliar, Aqil is not just any instructor—he’s Tom Givens’ right-hand man at Rangemaster USA, and a respected NRA Training Counselor. That’s the top of the food chain—the ones who train and certify instructors. Two of my three NRA certs (Pistol and Shotgun) came through him. If you dig into CSA’s media, you’ll catch me in the background of several of their training videos. Long story short, this wasn’t my first rodeo with Aq or this class—but it still hit like a brand new experience. A Lesson in Humility (and 16 Pages of Notes) The first time I was part of this course, I hosted it at Mountain Top Gun & Archery , where many of ...

My friend, Lefty, had a darn good post a couple of days ago. Let's go into why it was such a good post.  Meeting Your Polar Opposite Polar Opposites For starters, people who cannot see past the surface might notice that Lefty is a self-described introvert. This author is a self-described extrovert. That would be "polar opposite."  Climate Change Next up, Lefty made the post, which has many references to the farce that is the claim of manmade climate change. Not only that, but Lefty's post was on March 12. That date marked 32 years since the Blizzard of '93 hit most of Tennessee. In that blizzard, Chattanooga got 18 inches of snow in 12 hours - I know because I was living there at the time. Were such an event to happen today, the Leftists would be screaming bloody-murder about manmade climate change.  Chemtrails Last part that made Lefty's post so good was he took a swing at the folks on the right who believe in chemtrails. For clarity, my conspiracy-theorist ...

If you are into reconnaissance, then you will notice a trend with the SJWs. Not only do they follow the 3 laws of SJW, they also avoid responsibility in any shape or form. One of the definitions of responsibility is personal responsibility: "taking ownership and being accountable for one's behavior and its consequences." That's the key word - accountable.  Reminds me of this meme: Perhaps this should be the 4th Law of SJW -  4. SJWs avoid responsibility.  What say you?

In a recent post , we discussed how to handle when false allegations are thrown your way. Well, a reader wrote in and asked how to tell when a liar has been confronted, and when an honest person has been falsely accused of lying. And that is a good topic!  An honest person, when falsely accused of lying, will react a certain way . Anger, frustration, and confusion are all common responses, while some might feel deeply hurt or betrayed by those who accused them. Meanwhile, a pathological liar will react a different way .  They may try to deflect blame or shift responsibility onto others. They may also try to deceive others to avoid being caught or held accountable for their behavior. The pathological liar may also resort to gaslighting . Gaslighting, of course , is  the act or practice of grossly misleading someone, especially for one’s own advantage. Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation and type of abuse that makes a person question their own reasoning and ...

Liars lie. We all know that. We also know the grass is green and the sky is blue. What to do though, when the liars falsely claim that a truthful person has lied? Ah, now this deserves a post. And this has happened to the Rifleman not once, but twice in recent months, hence the motivation to add here.  First, we must understand the motivation of the false allegation.  When a person falsely accuses another of lying, a quick online search yields that the most common reason is faulty communication, and that is this author's most common observation, as well. Of course, most polite people will ask questions or gain clarification first before lobbing an accusation of lying.  When faulty communication is not the issue, then a few other possibilities rise to the surface:  Pre-existing distrust Psychological projection: they are lying about something, so they accuse you.   They are trying to cover for some shortcoming, etc.  Sound familiar? If you have read muc...

  Seen on social media. In case Blogger inexplicably deletes the image like they do so often, it is Trump, Vance, and their wives waving goodbye to Biden's helicopter. The caption states: "January 20, 2025 END OF AN ERROR" While I get the sentiment, the statement here is misleading.  It was not an error - it was theft . There is a big difference. The error, if any, is that we did not push back on the cheating hard enough. 

Recently learned my friend and fellow firearms instructor, David White, has passed after a brief battle with cancer. Here is his obituary .  When someone I know passes, I prefer to remember good times:  David helped me as an assistant instructor in firearms classes on more than one occasion.  --- Here is a testimonial by David.  --- When David and I were becoming NRA certified pistol instructors (this is where we met), he did not pass the shooting portion on the first try. You are allowed a retry, and that was held at the end of the final day of the class. I lent him my .22 caliber Browning target pistol. He was amazed that I would loan him a firearm after knowing him only 2 days, but I could tell right away that he had a heart of gold. I received a text message from him moments after I arrived home: "I PASSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEDDDDDDDD!!!!!" He returned the pistol that day - bringing it to my residence as we had determined we lived in fairly close proximity.  --- O...