RECCE ROOM

 From the Examiner :  From time to time, an employer or a recruiter might ask to see your W2 or 1099 earnings from previous years. There are numerous reasons to comply and provide the documents. There are just as many reasons to find another solution. The difference is, supplying the documentation can lead to problems, and those problems can be more severe for the employee than the employer. In the Nashville market, it is rare to have an employer or recruiter ask to see documents proving previous wages. However, it does happen from time to time, depending on industry. Specifically, out-of-state based corporations hiring for the Nashville area are more likely to ask for tax documents to support wage claims, than are local companies. Reasons not to provide wage documentation: 1. Personal Nature of the Information There are several reasons the author advises against providing this documentation. Not the least of which is the personal nature of the information. Asking for...

I get this message some time ago, from a recruiter who is trying to fill a sales position: "[Usagi], your resume tells nothing about what you've sold." My response: "True. That's because it tells you how well I've sold." His reply: "That's irrelevant. What employers need to see is what you've done." My response: "What you fail to see is that my resume shows exactly what I've done. My performance compared to quota is listed for every year I've been in sales." His remark: "But what have you sold?" My response: "Financial services, insurance. But what's more important is that I've always been at or above quota. That would be true regardless of product/service sold." His final reply: "Sorry, not a fit for my client. I'd suggest you change your resume. Not all recruiters and hiring managers would take the time to call with your layout." My final response: ...

By this point, we are all familiar with the politics swirling in WI and IN - where lawmakers have fled to avoid votes on bills at hand. Let me say that again... Lawmakers have FLED A bit redundant isn't it? On a friend's Facebook post, of a WI legislator who was complaining about multiple "injustices" the Republicans were thrusting upon him and other Democrats, I stated that it all sounded like sour grapes to me. Seems these Democrats and liberals are still mad about the butt-kicking they took at the polls in November. They should all remember, as we all must, that elections have consequences.

This past weekend, I was in Chattanooga. While there, I went to the range - irst alone, then later with my son, my sister, and her husband. After some fun at the pistol range, we moved to the rifle range. My sis and bro-in-law opted for the 50-yard rifle range as opposed to the 100-yard range. While there, my bro-in-law shot my AR 15 a bit. He was "OK" at keeping the shots on paper from that range. After a target analysis, I could tell he was a bit bummed about not hitting consistently. He asked for, and I provided, some shooting instruction. Within a half-hour, he was shooting 2-3" groups at 50 yards. Another man, nearby, was also on the 50-yard range, shooting an AR 15, using a bipod and a $500 red-dot optic ( EoTech ). He had no discernible groups, and was all over the paper. Bro-in-law saw those groups, and decided to keep this target. I am proud of him. I've seen people "get it" before, but never so quickly. Oh, and he was shooting iron sight...

Last Sunday, I was called on to substitute teach my Sunday School class. The general lesson was about "crime and punishment." Specifically, I delved into decision making as a major influence in people's lives. In research for the lesson, I was reminded of poor decision making on the part of a friend I knew in High School. The story goes like this: My friend, Jeremy, is approached by a co-worker, Amy. Amy is looking for someone who can do a murder for hire. Amy has fallen in love with the owner of the restaurant, Dr. Jorge Sanjines. Dr. Sanjines' wife has been cheating on him, and in return, the doctor started a relationship with Amy. Amy and Dr. Sanjines are getting serious, and the doctor figures that if a burglar was to break into his house, and shoot his wife and her boyfriend (Mr. Schrag), then the problem would be solved. To do that, he needs to contact someone who will do the hit. Amy asks around, and Jeremy tells her he knows of someone who had done som...

State senators in WI have left the building. Literally. There was a vote scheduled, on a piece of legislation that reorganizes Unionized State employee's benefits. Under the plan, state employees would have to pay 5% toward their retirement fund and 14% towards their health care coverage. The health care part means the average employee would have to pay $200 per month towards their own insurance policy. Sounds fair to me - I pay a bit more than that  - and what I pay is pretty standard. By the senators leaving, the State Senate of WI is one vote short of being able to conduct business. According to the article linked: "The sergeant-at-arms immediately began looking for the missing lawmakers. If authorized, he can seek help from police. Senate rules and the state constitution say absent members can be compelled to appear, but it does not say how."

The TFA holds meetings every month - close to my house. Tuesday evening was their most recent event. Here's a funny blog post (linking back to this one ) about last month's event. I was unable to attend due to work commitments. Man, I wish I could have seen that fellow that was upset there were people with guns! I have a new term, now, too. PSH .

I am asked all the time: "what would make a good, cheap gun to learn marksmanship with?" Let me answer that question this way: I feel that rifle marksmanship is easiest to learn, and translates well into pistol marksmanship. Also, all the tactical training in the world is useless if, when you pull the trigger, you do not hit your target.Marksmanship is the most fundamental part of shooting as a martial art . Also, for folks looking to get a good rifle setup for Appleseed , this is the way to go . The Rifle: Out of all the possibilities out there, I have selected the Marlin 795 as the training rifle of choice. Naturally, the 795's older brother, the Marlin 60 , is a fine choice as well. There are numerous other makes and models that will suffice, but the 795 was the cream of the crop in several categories: Detachable box mag.  I personally like the tube-feed Marlin 60, but most people want or demand a detachable box mag. Price. At $125 (this price is true a...

Many martial artists are also attracted to shooting. Here's a clip of Steven Seagal out-shooting some police officers in a friendly shooting challenge.

Folks on ar15.com would call this "going full-retard." I think that would be an offense to retarded persons everywhere. Travelers insurance has allegedly dropped some homeowners because they own "assault weapons." Article . My response: "Traveler's isn't in the business of protecting anyone's Constitutional rights. They're trying to protect themselves from a huge personal injury claim if someone accidentally gets shot because the gun is kept out in the open (as an example)." This is incorrect. As a licensed insurance agent, I can tell you that the part of the homeowners policy mentioned by Mike Barry in the article only pays if the guns in the house are lost, stolen, or destroyed. And then, payment is made to restore the homeowner's guns. This part has nothing to do with bodily injury. The part of a homeowner's policy dealing with BI (Bodily Injury) is separate, and having a so-called "assault weapon" is...

There is always a first step on every journey. Some first steps are better than others. My brother-in-law had his first game as head coach for ETSU . It did not turn out as he had hoped, but it is now in the books. In all fairness, not many teams would have fared better against a top-5 ranked Lady Vols team.

A bill to restore more 2A rights for residents of Washington, DC. A bill to allow more relic firearms to be imported without oversight of the Department of the State, or the Department of Defense. With regards to the second of those bills, remember that recently, the Obama administration blocked the import of thousands of M1 Garands and M1 Carbines from Korea. These rifles were loaned to Korea, and are still property of the US Government. The administration cites "concerns" that these rifles could be used as "assault weapons," as the reason why they don't want the rifles back on American soil. Neither rifle is capable of fully automatic fire, so neither is an assault weapon.  However, the CMP takes delivery of M1's and M1 Carbines, and sells them to the public - making more money on behalf of the government. I think this is further proof Obama wants the economy to crash. PS - I own both an M1 Garand and an M1 Carbine. Both are great guns!

The Right to Keep and Bear is true in only a few countries. The Swiss recently voted to keep that right. The only thing disturbing in that report is that only 57% of the votes were of the "Pro-2A" variety. And yes, I know that the 2nd Amendment does not apply abroad - and the Swiss have their own variation.

In the UK, residents are urged by local police forces to avoid putting up barbed wire to keep thieves out. Why? Because the thief could get hurt while attempting to break in and steal. Under the local laws, the thief could then sue the homeowner. This, my friends, is backwards.

Some have said that if I think I could do things better than Appleseed, then I should start my own program. Well, here goes! The purpose: When I teach people how to shoot a rifle, I want them to have fundamental skills in the three major positions, as well as the ability to sight in their own rifle. The student should also be taught how to shoot from a rested position. The equipment: Shooters should bring a repeater rifle, that can hold no fewer than 5 rounds in the magazine. Single-shots are not permitted. Rifles will be separated into two main categories: manual action and semiautomatic. Also permitted will be the use of scopes, slings, bipods, sand bags. Scopes or spotting scopes are recommended so that the shooter can more easily observe hits. Ammo requirements will vary, and will be detailed later as the course framework is solidified. The courses of fire: There will be three stages of course of fire: 1) Sighting in. This stage will use 1" squares at 25 yar...

Things found on side of road: A cement mixer, sans the truck that should have been under it.

Sabre Defence, a Nashville-based firearms manufacturer, is facing several serious issues. Known mainly for high-end AR 15's and parts for same, Sabre has a past record that has been called into question. This time, Sabre has been charged with illegal arms trafficking. Additionally, a bank is liquidating some of Sabre's assets in an effort to collect funds due.

Several readers, after reading this post and this one , have asked me to list what I think of shooting as a martial art. Of course, I think that shooting for martial arts purposes is an excellent type of training. Naturally, as with any other martial arts practice, my hope would be that you never have to use it. That said, what would make for good training? What kind of gun should you use? What should a martial artist be able to do with a firearm? When would shooting be appropriate? There are a million questions to be answered. But let me cover the main ones. When to shoot for self defense? Generally speaking, this is a very well-regulated part of the law. It goes without saying that if you feel you can safely avoid shooting, then do so. Most states will allow you to defend yourself from life-threatening attacks with deadly weapons by shooting. Some do not - check local and state laws. States like Tennessee have " Castle Doctrine " - which broadens the legal scope in...

In response to this blog post , I've had readers ask me about tips to do well on the Wonderlic test. Some of these readers have never contacted me before, and blog stats indicate I'm getting a lot of Google hits on the search word "Wonderlic." So, for the tips, here goes: 1. Reading I'm not talking anything but speed reading here. Be able to read fast. If you cannot read fast, perhaps a course in speed reading might be in order. The Wonderlic is 50 questions in 12 minutes. That's over 4 questions per minute - if you want to answer them all. That's about 15 seconds per question. 2. Math Make sure your fundamental adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing are strong. Really strong. Be able to do basic arithmetic in your head, or with a scratch sheet of paper. Do calculations FAST. I have a friend who is a supervisor in the construction trades. I would imagine he would do very well on the math part of the Wonderlic, as he has to do that sort ...

Here's a look into the mind of the gun-control folks. Link . This is really frightening. Imagine if they had a plan for bans on freedom of speech, or any of our other Constitutionally protected right. Also, if you want to see what the Brady campaign against gun owners will do next, simply read. It is prophetic.

Was contacted by a company to whom I'd applied. They sent an email, inviting me to take a Wonderlic test , to see if I qualified for an interview. This is an oddity, because fewer than 1 in 50 employers use the Wonderlic.  This was not my first experience with the Wonderlic, and the wife said I should post a bit about it. According to employers, the Wonderlic can be a useful tool to gauge a prospective employee's cognitive ability. In other words, it can tell you pretty quick if you have a bright person interviewing, or someone who just doesn't get it. About the Wonderlic: The test includes mathematical problems, word associations, and several other aptitude gauging problems. The traditional Wonderlic is 50 questions long, and examinees are given 12 minutes in which to complete the test. Scores are given strictly on the number of questions answered correctly. According to Wikipedia , a score of 20 is roughly the equivalent of a 100 IQ. The article also gives avera...

This post inspired by comments I made here . Suppose you are out shooting with a friend, and you borrow his rifle to shoot. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind as far as proper etiquette is concerned: Avoid pointing his rifle at him.  Ask before using his ammo. If he gives you a whole box, and says "go for it" (or similar), do not feel required to continue to ask if it's OK to shoot the ammo.  If you like shooting that gun, and are smiling because of it, let him see you smile.  A real rifleman will not mind if you make adjustments to his sights. A competitive shooter might. A whiny perfectionist who cannot shoot will complain about you adjusting his sights. Know which one your friend is. If in doubt, ask if you can adjust the sights.  It is generally poor form, after shooting another person's rifle, to denigrate that rifle.  It is OK, however, to state: "man! That thing has some kick!" It is always good form to state that the rifle was surpri...

A few weeks ago, I had lunch with a friend from Sunday School who also reads this blog. I was surprised to hear him mention " Kentucky Windage " in conversation. The surprise was because I did not figure a casual shooter to remember that sort of term. When shooting, I occasionally practice Kentucky Windage. Sometimes, if the day is blustery, I will make a sight adjustment and leave it. Of course, if I make a sight adjustment, I log it into my shooting notes, so that I can set it back to the true zero at the end of the day.

Per reader request, I am going to delve into the concept of the "McDojo." This term was coined about a decade ago. Originally, it had roots stemming from mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu adepts, and was a derogatory term to refer to most traditional martial arts ("TMA's"). Some time back, there was an email distributed in my martial arts organization about McDojos that stirred the pot a bit. The word "McDojo is a portmanteau of "Dojo" (Japanese for place to study the Way), and "McDonald's" (American epitome of cheap and quick, with the understood concept of suffers in quality). By the strictest definition of the term, a McDojo is a place where anybody might be able to earn a "black belt" in a short time span - most commonly 18-30 months. There are several ways that one may determine a McDojo: Rank Issues: The history of the black belt is one of the main sources of myth and rumor. To make it quick and ea...

Let me start by saying I am no expert in poker. Far from it. I have been playing on a phone mostly, but got my first chance at live competition a couple of weeks ago at a company function. The only other consideration to keep in mind is that many people who know me will state I am good with numbers. Percentages and probability are things I generally understand. Probability is a major component in poker. My first observation is that the popular fad, "Texas Hold 'em" poker changes the odds a bit, but not the overall scheme. That said, here are osme things I've learned: 1. Bet with two pair the same as you'd bet with a pair of aces.  In Texas Hold Em, two pair does not seem to win a lot more hands than a pair of Kings or Aces. 2. When determining whether to look at the " flop ," here are some good general guidelines when looking at your own hand: - A pair of any sort is a good thing. - A "face card" is a good thing. - Suited cards that...