RECCE ROOM

Friday's post has me thinking about a funny story. Way, way back, when I taught my first Tennessee Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit (EHCP) class in 2020, there was a funny happening. This is that story.  CONTEXT Setting: because there were several things converging that applied pressure on me at that time, let's list them here, as it gives context to the story.  It was the first EHCP class I had ever taught.  There were at least three other carry permit instructors observing, as they wanted to see how I taught it. Reminder: it was the first time I had taught that class.  The EHCP class material comes from the State of Tennessee, and must be taught in accordance to their standards.  The State Inspector for that area had asked to audit the class. It was my first class.  The only method of delivery of the power point was a projector. Yes, old school. The survey for instructors included "did the instructor answer all my questions?" The problem here was my concern...

On a bustling Sunday afternoon—the very weekend Avengers: Endgame exploded onto screens—a tight-knit group of friends and family gathered at a packed movie theater. Among them was our Hero, a dad known for his booming voice from years of commanding attention on the firing range, and his son, alongside a handful of his son’s closest friends, the “peeps.” With his wife and daughter still en route, our Hero and the crew snagged a cluster of seats, staking their claim like generals before the battle. As the chatter buzzed and the lights lingered bright, our Hero sensed an opportunity for a bit of theatrical mischief. Spurred on by the peeps to do something funny that would also be embarrassing for the son, a decision was made.  Before the previews could even roll, he rose like a Shakespearean actor taking center stage, arms spread wide in a grand gesture. Then, with a voice trained to carry over open fields and echo through shooting ranges, he bellowed, “Am I the only one here who i...

Seen on Social Media: There are three types of HR people: 1. Those who are oblivious.  2. Those who are dishonest.  3. Those who are both.  Welp, it is true! 

Setting: I was sitting in high school, Algebra II class. The teacher, who was a talented teacher of math, needed some tape - the purpose of which I do not recall. As he picked up his tape dispenser, something caught his eye... Upon further investigation, he popped open a panel on the body of the dispenser, and made a realization. He exclaimed "some dummy filled this with sand. Of all the pranks!" And he proceeded to dump the sand into the nearest wastebasket. He popped the panel back onto the dispenser, and went to set it down.  Then he realized... "Oh, maybe that was what gave it some weight," he said as he gestured with the dispenser, realizing how light it was now.  We all had a good chuckle.  And I learned that day that sand is put inside tape dispensers to give them a little weight.  

Yesterday, this blog discussed how #LibNuts know so much that isn't so. Today, they have jokes.  " Thoughts and Prayers Tax’ bill filed in Tennessee legislature " Joke #1 - #LibNuts make fun of people who offer up thoughts and prayers when there is a tragedy. It's a shame. And it is natural, because #LibNuts would not offer prayers for those affected, nor positive thoughts.  From the article:  Rep. Bo Mitchell (D-Nashville) filed HB 2193, which would impose a new 15% tax on the retail sale of all firearms in Tennessee.  ... When crafting the legislation, Mitchell said the 15% figure included came directly from an assault-style rifle: the AR-15. “Tongue in cheek, I made it AR-15 percent,” he said. “I call it the ‘Thoughts and Prayers Tax.’ Joke #2 - an "AR-15% tax. Joy.    Also from the article: Mitchell asked all responsible gun owners in the state to contact their legislators to show support for safe storage laws, a red flag law and an assault weapons ba...

“The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant. It’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” ― Ronald Reagan Many times, the things they know that aren't so, is because they intentionally misrepresent things. Problem is: it is very hard to tell which one sometimes.  Recently, my friend posted on a "Hip" page on social media a link to Patriot Training. I did not ask him to do this. In fact, I did not learn of the post until 10 hours later. Here is the post:  Because Blogger deletes photos for unknown reasons, here is my friend's text: If you are interested in weapons training, I highly recommend Patriot Training!! Amazing instructor!! Locally owned!! Here’s the link: https://patriottraining.info Since the full text is not visible as the picture is cut off, here is a screenshot from that part of the Patriot Training website: The segment reads: Patriot Training is a civilian firearms training academy. THE RIFLE At Patriot Training, we specialize...

Welp... Looks like there is a new push of a new "variant" of the COVID nonsense. Of course, there is also word that this one is being pre planned, and lockdowns are on the horizon, regardless of where the facts may fall. Many friends are showing the "I will not comply" meme, and I am one of those. Since it will be another battle, let me assist in arming you, my friends, with some of my favorite modern COVID memes:

This past weekend, #FakeNews reports that there was a " White Supremacist March on the Capitol ." There was a problem - it did not pass any sort of smell test. How, you say? There were no Left-Wing counter-protestors.  Where was the police presence? Why weren't members of this group arrested? Where were the fat guys? So, since it was clearly a setup and at least 90% of the "members" of "Patriot Front" were either Feds or paid actors, here are some memes to celebrate the illusion:

Some time back, a person I know put up a Facebook live video. It was unintentionally hilarious. This individual was in the Army National Guard. He was deriding civilian firearms training. This individual had served as an infantryman, an artilleryman, and also in recruiting. He made near constant claims of going to soon join the Army Rangers. He also claimed to actively train with Army Rangers "all the time."  His rant continued. He said he "shoots thousands of rounds every month." And this was the part that made me laugh out loud! You see, his profession was as a truck driver. These days, the average truck driver in Tennessee earns about $55,000 per year. After taxes, that works out to about $3600 per month take home. He was also divorced and paid child support. According to what he had told me, it was about $900 per month. So, his net earnings were somewhere in the $2700 per month range. Maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less.  How is this funny? Hang on and stay with ...

This one was too good to pass up.   At this point, wearing a face mask in public is an IQ test, and this person failed. Masks do not work. Fauci said so himself. And now one can say that on social media without even getting "checked" by the disinformation wing. Even the Left has caved!  In the "olden" days, people who did stupid things had to endure scorn and humiliation. This kept folks from getting weird. These days, that largely doesn't exist. This singular instance is good!

 A reader: "Can you do more breakdowns of those entitled people YouTube videos?" Sure.  Entitled Manager WRITES ME UP cuz my CO-WORKER refuses to be ON TIME for WORK Reminds me of the time I was written up for coming in second in Account Manager of the Week standings. Had been first for 11 straight weeks. Was second for a single week, then back to first the following weeks.  Story 2: Bad parents gaslight their son for having to pay to fix his car. Son's car was stolen by brother and wrecked, and parents agreed to pay for damages as opposed to having the brother (their other son) arrested for DUI. Dad gets into fight with someone at the repair shop after being chastised for being a bad parent and gaslighting. Am I the jerk for making them pay for the car? A - Not the jerk! Solution - GO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE!   These people are toxic and you must get out of there! Story 3: Am I the jerk for making my boyfriend choose between me and his friends? A - Yes. Never date...

In a typical gun class, we introduce ourselves at the beginning. The exercise is to tell your name, where you are from, what do you do, and why are you here. Students are asked to keep answers to 30 seconds or less. It's a quick ice-breaker that starts building camaraderie. And, from time to time, this segment provides for some blog fodder. This is one of those times.  One participant gives the name, skips where they are from and what they do for a job, and says "I know how to shoot, just want to test a new gun."  Folks - this is the excuse writing itself prior to being used. And it will be used. You can bet your bottom dollar.  We get out on the line, and are performing some lesson modules using DEA dots at 3 yards (10 feet). This does not require a tremendous amount of skill, and sets the student up for success later when a 6-inch vital zone is used. And starts the student toward skills needed to make hits on the 3-inch ocular cranial cavity area.  Usually, at this...

A very interesting article came out recently: noted firearms instructor Greg Ellifritz published an article on October 18, 2022 on  Real Talk About Dead Bodies . Reading the article reminded me of something:  A little over 10 years ago, my brother came home from work and found our mother unresponsive. At the direction of the 911 operator, he performed CPR. He did not know she had already passed.  With some people, if it goes through their brain, it comes out of their mouth... or fingertips. No thoughts at all.  An individual with whom I'd had taken some exception decided to make a mocking post on his blog.  Among what he wrote: "The only time I've ever seen a dead body in person is at a funeral, but I'm pretty sure if I saw someone who had been dead for hours, certain signs would clue me that they were dead. No, I don't mean "No pulse" or "Not breathing" because the person might have had something happen within a few minutes of me finding them...

I received a text several days ago stating my Regions bank account had been compromised, and that they had locked the account after multiple failed login attempts.  The text went on to say that in order to reset my login, I needed to follow the link they sent.  I don't have a Regions bank account.  The only question was whether to sent a witty reply. Eventually, I decided against that. But had some in store - "Did you get both nickels, or just one?" "Link doesn't work. Try this." (And send a link to my website so they can buy a gun class.) "NO! You were supposed to send this to John! I'm the one helping you scam him!"

This past weekend was a big football game. There are a number of folks who point out it is a time of human trafficking. For years, this author has also pointed out that it is the most rigged sporting event to watch. For those that confuse the two terms, fixing and rigging are similar, but are not the same. Fixing means making certain of a certain outcome. Pro Wrestling is fixed as the winners of the matches are pre-determined. Major sports championships are rigged, which means efforts are made to favor one over the other.  Make no mistake, all major sporting championships are affected by rigging. In the Atlanta Braves recent World Series win, independent Umpire Auditors showed that of the Braves 16 postseason games, 13 were called in favor of Braves opponents, one was called fair, and two were in favor of the Braves. Also, over 70% of missed calls went in favor of the Braves' opponents. If this doesn't spell rigging to you, then the following phrase applies: "I can only...

 A reader wrote in with a series of questions, the answers to which would make for interesting blog fodder. Apparently, the reader came across these questions by viewing Facebook and YouTube short videos, wherein a narrator reads these questions and the answers as posted on Reddit. Reddit can certainly be entertaining.  Q - What was your best "you are speaking to the manager" moment? For this entry, a moment from some time back. I was a manager for Hertz, Local Edition. On a particular day, I came to work in a t-shirt and blue jeans. We had a large number of vehicles returned, and although we would rent them over the next few days, they needed cleaning first. I was going to clean them and have the Management Trainees rent them.  At one point, in the afternoon, I had cleaned all of the cars, and was resting inside the branch. A customer came in, and, as luck would have it, I was the only employee available. I apologized for my appearance, and went to work assisting her wit...

This was observed on social media. An ad designed to show people how to become firearms instructors. The business was offering a free webinar to introduce the basics. A specific comment caught my eye.  Before addressing the comment, you must understand, there is a lot that goes into being a firearms instructor. One must have an online presence - social media and a website. One must have a place to hold classes. One must have insurance in place. One must have certifications in place. One must be able to accept payments from prospective students. One must have a class structure, outline, and syllabus. One must have advertising to reach prospective students. There are a myriad of things that a firearms instructor must have and do before the first shot is fired.  Knowing that... A person commented on this ad something to the effect of "I'm a 20-year Marine. I'm certified on this platform and that. I scored 'Expert' on Rifle marksmanship 5 years. Blah, blah, blah."...

The best way to start 2022 is with a review of the most hilarious internet story I've ever read - the Ryan's incident .

 Absolutely hilarious - Glitter Bomb 4.0 - for those annoying porch pirates.  You'd think the police would want to stop these legitimate bad guys (the porch pirates). But, they must need to hit their quota. 

Why do people lie? Surely, there are a myriad of reasons. Sometimes people lie for perceived protection for themselves or others. Some habitually lie . Some are pushing an agenda. Some spread mistruths - sometimes knowingly, sometimes unknowingly. Some people are really convinced they are telling the truth, when, in fact, they are not. Some people just wish to be contrary - and that is the point of this post.  As a young man, I remember watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie. Through the wonderment of the interwebz, I have since learned that the episode in question is named "In the Big Inning." This episode stood out to me first because it was about baseball, and I have always enjoyed watching and playing the game of baseball. The second part that stood out was a moment when the umpire advised the teams that 3 strikes is an out, 3 outs are an inning, and 6 innings is a game. One of the players protests and says "last year we got 4 outs!" Outside of a dro...