RECCE ROOM

My dad is still in the hospital after having half his lower leg removed. He is now awake and seems to be in good spirits. Anybody who knows my dad will find the following story interesting: In the hospital yesterday, the nurse asks him his height. Reply: "I'm 6'3" on the left, but I don't know yet how tall I am on my right side." Yep - his sense of humor & sarcasm is back, too! I'm glad he's feeling better. I still hope this was the right decision.

OK - time for another one. Setting: same as last time, I was the assistant manager of the largest branch of Enterprise in all of Tennessee on Covington Pike in Memphis, TN. The repo was fairly straight - forward. Renter had his car in the shop, and refused to come pick it up when it was finished. I figured he did not have his $1000 deductible. So I took a veteran MT (Management Trainee - read: slave-boy), whose name I cannot remember (sorry!). His nickname was "The Leprechaun." I never really understood why. We pull up to the renter's place of employment. A little research that day had let me in on when he came in to work and where (this company was large and had multiple entryways). I speak for a while with "the Leprechaun." Surprisingly, the renter does two things I'd never have expected. 1. He showed up early to work. I mean like 30 minutes early. Sure, he still had some fried chicken to eat, but he was that early, but wouldn't return our calls. Give ...

It seems that Michael Jackson passed yesterday. Thus concludes a lifetime of late night comedy fodder. The more people I talk to, the more I realize I am not alone in feeling ambivalent about his passing. I do not rejoice in the death of anyone, save mass murderers and the like (i.e.- Saddam Hussein). However, MJ was pretty close to that level for me. Why? Glad you asked. 1. Child molester. Yeah, I know, the whole innocent until proven guilty thing. But right after escaping from the last litigation involving his weird preferences when it came to children, the man (and I use the word loosely) moves to one of the only nations on earth that allows sex with minors. This is no coincidence. 2. Over-rated. Yes, he had some catchy songs. Yes, he was the master of getting attention. But that does not elevate him, in my eyes, above performers of more talent. Give me some AC/DC, Metallica, G'N'R, or the like. 3. Attention -hound. There was nothing the man (again, I use the term loosely) w...

If you are reading this blog, I would like you to let me know with your comment below, the answer to some questions. All of these are in regards to folks who have concealed carry permits, also known as "Handgun Carry Permits" here in TN. 1. Would you be OK with me carrying (concealed of course, as I always carry) when I come to visit you at your house? (Assume I'm your friend, if I am not already) 2. Would you feel more safe, or less safe, knowing that if we happened to have lunch or dinner somewhere, I am probably carrying (definitely carrying after July 14)? 3. Are you uncomfortable at the sight of a gun? 4. Are some guns more scary looking to you than others? 5. Does the fact that you now know I carry change your opinion of me? If so, why?

So I'm here in the Holiday Inn in Valdosta, GA, and I think I scared the living poop out of the poor girl up at the front desk. See, we arrived late after visiting my dad in the hospital this afternoon. It was after 1 am when I checked in. The nice lady, who looks to be in her mid-twenties, asked me for my ID and credit card. Meanwhile, she wanted my initials and signature on the rental agreement. I absentmindedly gave her the ID and credit card, whilst focused on signing my name on the other sheet of paper. I hear her say: "Okayyyy," in a somewhat hesitant voice. I look up to see the poor girl with a look on her face that I would expect if when had just accidentally swallowed a bug. She quickly wiped the look off her face and stared at my ID and credit card as she handed them back. I looked at them, too, to make sure I got both cards back. Then I realized my mistake. I had handed this poor girl my Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit, not my driver's license. Sure, it was ...

Setting: Summer 2001. I was working at what was then the largest branch of Enterprise Rent A Car in the state of Tennessee. I was the assistant manager (read: I got to do all the dirty work). This position - assistant manager at a large branch - was usually the launching point to get promoted to Branch Manager. I wanted that promotion. That day, I was to make some sales calls with a new employee. His name was Mike. I do not give his last name for two reasons: I don't know if he would want me to do so, AND, I don't remember it. Mike was the All-American looking guy: blond hair, not too big, not too small, etc. I am not female, but I would imagine he did well with the ladies. Mike was fairly new to the company - having been employed less than thirty days at the time. I knew that some of the calls would take us near the residence of a renter who at that time owed the company about $150. We could not reach her via phone. I had a spare key to the car in my pocket that whole day. So ...

When I speak with different people out there about my past employment and interesting things I've done, one of the most common "fan favorites" is from my days with Enterprise Rent a Car in Memphis, TN. I say "fan favorites because a part of my duties there included repossessing cars in situations where renters were behind on the rental fees. To clear some things up, repo's happen in in the car rental business for numerous reasons. Sometimes people's credit cards would max out or decline for some other reason. Sometimes people were getting a car through an insurance company (who was footing the bill) and they were delayed several days in getting their car out of the shop. The insurance company would naturally stop paying for the car, and the renter often would not have left a credit card on file (or it maxed out, or declined). Sometimes the delay was the person did not have the $500 for the deductible to get their car out of the shop. Sometimes people just mis...

So I saw my dad in the hospital today right after the surgery. He has the upper half of his lower leg still intact. My brother and sister and I are obviously sad from this turn of events.

So I just find out that my dad is getting scheduled to have his foot amputated tomorrow. Not happy at all with the diagnosis. I really hope those doctors got it right.

This one in Nashville. Evidently some robbers, looking for drugs or possibly money for drugs, waited for the victim to come home and then held him at gunpoint. Once inside, the victim tried to wrestle the shotgun away from one of the robbers, then drew his own gun and shot the robber. The other robber, in a typical display of absolute cowardice, ran away and tried to carjack some people several blocks down the road. Those people sped off, unharmed. Folks, once again I point out that the wolves and would-be-wolves of this world are looking for a victim, not a fight!

My son, Cael (say it like "Kyle" - Olde English spelling) finally breaks onto the internet. See his clip here on Youtube! FYI - Cael is not yet 5 (Mr. Smith, the instructor forgot), he is still only 4.

This Friday & Saturday, I am scheduled to teach a martial arts seminar in Cocoa Beach, FL. I am excited as I really enjoy doing these types of things. The last time I taught anything (empty handed) martial arts related was last November in Kentucky, I did a prep class for a grappling tournament. Although i was unable to attend the tournament, I understand the attendees of the class did really well. I am and was really proud of them. This time, I get to teach stuff I really like to teach. The title of the seminar is MMA (Mixed-Martial Arts) grappling for strikers. There will also be a side-focus on self defense. This seminar was the request of Jimmy Jackson and Bill Holland on behalf of their students who wanted an entire seminar on the grappling arts. In this seminar, I will cover the most common situations that a person is likely to see and need in a regular fist-fight or in MMA. There are many similarities between the two, but make no mistake, MMA is a sport. There are rules (to...

Well, we have some interesting facts that have come about. Some things in this life are purely coincidence. Some things are tied together intricately. Some things are just plain obvious. File this under the label "obvious." It is a known fact that since November 4, Americans have been purchasing guns & ammo en masse. My own father has acquired three since then. I've bought a couple. My in-laws recently purchased their first handguns. ATF statistics on numbers of background checks are through the roof. Folks simply don't trust Mr. Obama. Nor should they. But back to the point. The simple fact is that gun ownership in America, in terms of sheer volume, is at an all-time high. That leads to a great question - how is crime these days? In the past, economic downturns, like the one we keep hearing the media blare at us, instigate miniature crime sprees. Desperate folks do desperate things and for many, that means turning to crime to make ends meet. Not this time. As the...

It's been too hot to go fishing. I've been too busy to go fishing. I want to go fishing. Might be that my last day fishing (over a month ago) I caught four bass - all legal limit size - and one catfish estimated at over 30 pounds. All on little plastic minnows. That was a great day. Add to it that my fishing buddy that day - one of my clients who gets to fish all the time - said I was "not too bad a fisherman." Oh yeah, we also used his boat. It was fun.

Well, my dad is still in the hospital. He has surgery tonight - no amputation as we once feared. Got a new doctor that is not in a rush to cut things off. I will keep ya'll informed.

My dad is in the hospital. He was admitted Saturday afternoon with severe pain in his foot and remnants of what was diagnosed as pneumonia. I get word this morning that the doctors want to take half his leg off due to the pain he is feeling. That's a real sensible idea - don't try to diagnose and solve the problem - just remove the offending part. If we did this with our members of congress - remove every one of them who made a bone-headed decision - we would wind up with no federal government. Wait - I actually think that might be a good idea... but I digress... If there is anybody out there keeping up with this blog, I'll keep you up to date.

In this world there are three kinds of people. If you follow this blog for any length of time, you will see me reference them from time to time. The Sheep - over 90% of the people in the world belong to this group. Chances are if you are reading this, you are one, too. The sheep goes around, somewhat oblivious to his/her surroundings. The sheep is able to affect his/her world, but usually does not. There's nothing wrong with being a sheep. It can, however, be hazardous to your health. The Wolf - Less than 5% of the population belongs in this category. These are the hardened criminals that prey on other people. Folks, if you are reading this, you are not a Wolf. They don't read blogs. The Sheepdog - again, less than 5% of the population belongs in this category. These people are the true defenders of others. Some Sheepdogs go their entire lives without having to use their skills. Some have had to use their skills many many times against the Wolves of the world. The Sheepdog trai...

As always, I do not celebrate any death. However, justice was served. Here is the story. I will use this blog, among other things, to bring to light stories of successful instances of self defense. These might be from home invasions, or from situations where a citizen was carrying a weapon for self defense. Our liberal minded news media tends not to focus on the constructive use of guns in our society. They spew trash about guns hurting innocent people. I've had enough of the bias, so I am going to spread some truth. The truth is that every day in America, people defend themselves successfully with firearms.

I came across this story today while reading threads at www.ar15.com . It would seem that the folks at Pixar granted a little girl's dying request to see their new movie "Up." This story is moving on several levels, the very least of which is that I got to see this very movie today with my children. I am thankful to God Almighty that my kids are healthy and happy. All I can say is - thank God there are still kind-hearted people in this world.

No, it is not a good idea to keep "guns out of parks and away from little leagues and activity parks." Here's why: 1. Handgun carry permit (HCP) holders must past extensive training and background checks in Tennessee. Additionally, the training class (usually $75 - $150) and the permit ($110) is not cheap. Not just anybody has one. These folks are not the bad guys - nor are they likely to flip their lids and "go off" on somebody. 2. The liberal media will ask "what if they do?" A better question would be, "what will the HCP holder do when somebody else flips their lid?" Answer: it's most likely they will try to restore peace if possible, and call the police if restoring peace looks unlikely. In the extreme event that the person who has flipped out brandishes a weapon, the HCP holder is in a good position to protect the innocent civilians there. 3. Many parks, especially in the beautiful state of Tennessee, have natural predators - bears a...

This is my first blog ever. I will likely blog most often about my favorite three topics, in no particular order: guns & shooting; fishing; and the martial arts. Of course, I may also talk politics, religion, family, and other fun topics. I welcome your thoughts, opinions, statements, etc. - even if they are contradictory. Let me know what you think.