RECCE ROOM

In several different forms, lately, I've heard people defending the militarization of police. One person even said "well, if they're going to take guns away from our military (recruiting centers), then we need the police to be trained in tactical and military operation." Folks, this is scary. This is how it starts. No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! Here are some logical arguments against the militarization of police: The founding fathers fought a war to secede from a government that coming led police and military. Nazi Germany would be in favor of your militarized police. It was just like them, after all. If your only tool is a hammer, all the problems in the world soon start to look like nails (whether or not they are). Do you really want low IQ, anti-social people to be trained to be good at exactly one thing... efficient killing of people?!?! Who will you call when they turn on you? When we have to take the country back , do you really want your most l...

No animal's life is greater than that of a human. A few days ago, my Facebook feed lit up, the subject was that some lion was shot by some dentist big game hunter. Now I understand the guides may have engaged in shady practice, but you should have heard the punishments these people suggested! Oddly enough, the vast majority of these "people" were SILENT when it came to denouncing Planned Parenthood for the auctioning of human infant body parts! And crickets were the only noise to be heard when Republican "leadership" in Congress failed (again) by backing down from defunding  Planned Parenthood for same offenses. So I saw these photos, and reposted them. And here they are again, as I feel they are supremely important.

I read an article by an establishment Republican shill a few days ago talking about the shakeup in the establishment by candidate Donald Trump. The author wrapped up by implying that maybe shakeup was good, but Trump as the GOP nominee was a bad idea because for all his talents, "Trump can't lead." That's ironic... Certainly not a Trump supporter yet, though I do enjoy his testicular fortitude to say what he thinks. However, of all his skills, one of his most pronounced is that of leadership. Like him or hate him, you don't build an empire like that doing it all yourself. You have to be a great leader. My money says someone in the GOP is frightened, and wants him out of the race desperately. . Posted via Blogaway

Some people will occasionally describe themselves as being a "single - issue voter." In other words, whether they will vote for a candidate depends on that candidate's stance on a single issue. I might even be this way on guns for the appropriate levels of government.  For my many conservative and/or Christian friends, let me enlighten you as to two single issues you have no business being a single - issue voter on in Federal elections: Abortion Gay marriage Both are the law of the land thanks to the Supreme Court. And I do not see even a Republican supermajority doing anything to overturn either. If you think Republicans will do something, you're only fooling yourself. Posted via Blogaway

It has taken me a while to do this review proper. Mostly because I needed to wait on the right size jacket on the gi . That will be addressed in the review. Note: I bought this uniform myself, and am not being paid for this review. Ripstop Gi from   jitsugi.com  - Price On the surface, they seem to be some of the more reasonably priced companies. While that is surely the case, also look deeper... this is one of the few places where you can order separate sizes, as their pants and jackets are sold separately. I got pants for $22.95 + S&H and the jacket for 34.95 + S&H. Durability It's ripstop, need I say more? As advertised? Lightweight - very  much so. Barely weighs more than a lightweight karate gi. Most of the excess weight is in the collar area. Size I wear an A4 is Brazilian sizes. I can take a Fuji off the rack and it fits perfectly. However, the Jitsugi.com jacket runs small and the pants run a bit big. I should have ordered an A3 pants and an A5 ...

Last week, I spent time with my family on vacation in and around Cape Canaveral, FL. Here are some random thoughts and observations from the week: Getting si ck on vacation Getting sick on the last day of vacation is better than getting sick on the first day. Of course, not getting sick at all on vacation is the preferred methodology. Whiny cousins Whiny cousins get played with less often than the rest. Then they whine, complain, and make drama because they aren't being included. Disney is not cheap And it was worth every penny. Not sure I'll ever go back, but I am sure my kids made memories for a lifetime there. Once was enough for me, and my son says he agrees so far. (For the record, my mom told me she took me when I was 17 months old. I have no memory of it, and there are no pictures nor other evidence of it. I think it was just a ploy to not have to take us when we got older.) Singing It was funny to hear thousands of little girls sing Let it Go during the evenin...

Thus concludes the one week of silence observed on this blog after the terrorist attack in my hometown that killed 4 US Marines and a US Navy Sailor. Thus has been a story I've followed closely, as it hit so close to home. While there are many articles out there, detailing this facet or that, my inclination was to do a big picture overview. With that, I'll begin. And no, I'm not gonna cite sources on this, but you and Google are welcome to figure it out. Chattanooga police will kill you. They have some of the best tactical training money can buy, and no ordinary need for it. I'm not going to stoop to saying it was needed in this instance, it wasn't. Several people close to me from the area have alluded to the possibility that more than one officer shot a fatal blow. The same sources indicated that "perhaps," an officer or two "made sure" the bad guy was down for good. However, from first hand knowledge of dozens of Chattanooga police officers,...

Some time back, I purchased Rafael Lovato Jr.'s DVD, Kimura Secrets . I've watched it a couple of times and here is my review on the video. First, I bought this video on my own. It was on sale from BJJ Super Deals, though I cannot recall the price. If you do not follow BJJ Super Deals on Facebook, I highly recommend it. They put up some deals that really save money. The only drawback is that they know price points well, and you might be tempted (a lot) to buy when they run a special. On to the video itself... Production quality is about on part with many instructional videos. Sound is fine, as are the camera angles. And that's a misnomer - there are no "camera angles," per se.  There is only one camera and all shots are taken from one stationary spot. Mr. Lovato and his demo partner simply rotate to give you different angles. Content is where this one shines. If you are looking to learn 87 new techniques, this is not the video for you. This video only dea...

Some time back, a female I know posted a link to get sympathy.   8 qualities every alpha woman should look for in a man.  of course, the implication is that she is an alpha female. That's why you heard my maniacal laugh for 20 minutes. Yes, I know you don't live anywhere near me. Alpha Female Quiz So I took the   dating market value test  for her. Since she cannot be counted on the be honest, I did it for her. (-29) was her score. According  to Heartiste: - 39 to -20:  You were born to cockblock.  But you’ll manage to marry a table scrap. That was extremely accurate. Vox also has a quiz She scores "Tier 4" or "Tier 5," depending on if she is a Slutty Jane or Frisky Jane. Hot-Crazy Matrix About a 4 hot and about an 8 crazy. "No-go zone." Oh, and evidently, a lot of women's magazines are quick to patronize their readership as being "alpha females " instead of just saying the truth: they are bitchy.

Came across this on Facebook recently. Read it carefully and I'll tell you how you can know it's fake. 1. Immediate police investigation. About the only "crimes" that police will actively try to prevent are drug and prostitution related. In other words, "crimes" where there are no victims. If police really thought something was up, they would either not be there at all, or they would be harassing the man in question. 2. Phony investigation. Since when do police tell you what they are investigating? They don't do that. Especially if they have no evidence on the suspect. 3. White van. Ever see the "candy van" meme on the Internet? Come on , be creative. 4. Reposts. I'd seen this, attributed to several people from different parts of Tennessee and other states as well. Some details had been changed (the name of the local park, for example). But some details like "hardly to no hair" and "50 - 65 years old" hadn't ...

Concealed carry question - Since one of the purposes of concealed carry is to avoid alerting potential aggressors as to the presence of your gun - i.e. misdirection... Can the same misdirection be accomplished by wearing a GLOCK hat when you are, in fact, carrying a Smith & Wesson?

"Wow" is all you can say about this one. From a reader: I was contacted by a recruiter on LinkedIn. She wanted to meet for coffee and / or lunch to discuss my qualifications. I doubted she actually had a position, as there was no mention of it. Anyways, here is the message: HER: Thanks for connecting. I wanted to reach out to you and see if you were available for coffee / lunch. I wanted to learn more about what you were working on at your place of employment (presumably for helping to identify a match with a prospective employer). ME: I typically do not meet with recruiters because I have found the majority do not have any real positions. Many simply want to stick my name in a database. And that's really a waste of my time. In fact, the only recruiters who have ever proven beneficial have never even met me in person.  ... Hope this message doesn't come across as harsh, it's just business and that's how I handle it (as business, and m...

I was speaking to the mayor of Red Bank, TN recently. He is a great guy personally and also a pretty conservative fellow, politically. We've known each other about 5 years, and thoroughly enjoy speaking to each other about politics. He asked me: "Are you going to vote in the Republican Primary next year? For whom? Would you vote for a Republican in the main election?" Great questions. And I had this post written already, so it was easy to amend before it posted to include his question. As of Wednesday, July 8, 2015, the announced candidates for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination include: Jeb Bush Ben Carson Chris Christie Ted Cruz Carly Fiorina Lindsey Graham Mike Huckabee Bobby Jindal George Pataki Rand Paul Rick Perry Marco Rubio Rick Santorum Donald Trump Scott Walker (expected to run) My thoughts on each category, and on each person and why: Will not vote for them in the primary, and will not vote for them in the general election: ...

Some time ago, I was at supper with my family. That's not the funny part, though. As we were leaving, my wife and daughter went outside to the car, talking with friends. My son and I stayed back to pay the tab. A fellow restaurant patron had a T-shirt with a mention of a karate event. I was unfamiliar with that event, so I asked her what it was about. She proceeded to tell me. In the process of telling me, she smoothly transitioned into a detailed pitch for the studio where she attended. It was nearly 20 minutes before she asked a question or let me speak in any manner. Her question - "do you live near here?" I replied in the affirmative and asked her current grade and time training. She had been training 3 years and was a black belt candidate. I asked what kata she was currently studying. Naihanchi was the response. My reply - performing the first half of the kata . Her look: total astonishment. She never took her eyes off of mine. I guess it had never occurred to...

  I ran across this article on how to fit your jiu-jitsu training into your budget. Pretty good article. My thoughts: Make your training a priority. Usually, when I hear the excuse that someone cannot afford training, it's really because something else is a higher priority. Find deals on your rash guards. Wal Mart and Target sell them for under $20 per article. A good gi should be $100 or less, unless your specific school requires a specific gi . * Often, if your studio requires a specific gi , then they are also the highest priced studio in the area or pretty darn close. So, if you were budget - conscious in the beginning, you wouldn't have wound up there.  * Ask your instructor about a lower quality gi that would cost less than $100. If they permit, you can certainly get a good judo gi online for less than $100. Ask your instructor about payment plans... but do not ask about "doing stuff for the studio" in lieu of payments. Really. They are tired of heari...

This says it all. Think about it. Posted via Blogaway

Saw this the other day on the timeline of a young friend. If he had been over 18, I'd have admonished him for his foolishness. We will allow his youth to be his excuse.  Gas to $2.50 When Obama took office, gas was $1.84 per gallon . Now it is about $2.50 per gallon. I'm not sure I'd celebrate a 35% increase. Both Obama and Bush presided when gas prices hit and exceeded $4 per gallon. End 2 wars Please, tell me... which wars were ended? Where were we fighting that we are not fighting anymore? Liberal Statists were quick to disparage Bush when he stated "mission accomplished." Similarly, Conservative Statists disparage Obama for his lies about ending the war. Get Bin Laden Really? Last I checked, it was the US Navy SEALs. Bring unemployment below 8% Because so many people are now employed? Not the case. 33% of Americans are not in the workforce. Just because fewer than 8% are receiving unemployment insurance benefits is not cause for celebratio...

Sometimes, people write bad checks. Sometimes it is purposeful, and other times it is accidental. When I worked at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, a renter once paid for his rental with a bad check. He secured the rental with a credit card and paid the balance with a check when he returned the car. My boss, Rich, completed the transaction and accepted the check when the renter returned the car. I was a new trainee at the time. We were presented with the returned check in short order. Rich attempted twice more to put the check through only to have it returned both times. He worked with the local branch of the issuing bank and learned that the account holder had an amount deposited every other Thursday which would cover the check. Evidently, the account holder - our former renter - would get paid on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. and would withdraw the cash at about 3:30. We had tried to run his credit card for the balance, but it had been closed! The next such Thursday, at the time indicated by the ...

Sometimes, people write bad checks. Sometimes it is purposeful, and other times it is accidental. Once, when I was a young boy, my father owned a camper. After some time, he decided to sell it. The purchaser paid with a check. And, well, the check was returned. My dad went to the issuing bank to learn about the account. He discovered the account was only $5.00 shy of being adequately funded to cover the check. My dad fronted the $5.00 and deposited it and the bank honored the check on the spot. In the process, Pops learned a big lesson. He made sure to teach us about that lesson as well. .