Cops In Trouble

From a reader: "What are your thoughts on this video?" 

Let's discuss on each topic, as the video has several examples of police getting justice served on them. 

First - Cop Plants Evidence

On the video, this is from time 0:00 - 4:45. The cop is a defendant as he had many charges of planting evidence against him. I was made aware of this cop about 10 months ago or so from the "Audit The Audit" channel video here. Justice was served, but the penalty was too light, IMO. 

Second - Cop Wastes the Court's Time

Time stamp 4:45 - 9:32. The cop clearly feels he is above the law, and must be heard in his entirety. I wonder how many suspects he did not listen to? I'm surprised the judge did not find him in contempt. And I am surprised that he was allowed to face the jail time from the plea bargain. Had you or I done that, we would have had the book thrown at us. 

Third - ADA Gets Spicy

Time stamp 9:33 - 11:45. The State's Deputy Attorney General ("ADA") gets heated, gets asked to leave the courtroom by the Bailiff, and hilarious violence ensues. Again, another person in the "good ol' boys club" feels she is above the law. Again, she pleads guilty to a lesser charge, resulting in only a fine and an anger management class. Again, you or I would have faced felony charges. 

Fourth - Former Sheriff Gets Convicted

Time Stamp 11:45 - 16:13. The former Sheriff stole money and tampering with evidence. He asks for leniency so he can watch his son graduate high school and his daughter get married. The judge doesn't buy his pity plea. He gets sentenced to about the same amount of time you or I would. 

Fifth - DUI Conviction

Time Stamp 16:13 - End of video. Officer never had evidence of DUI, so a Judgement Of Acquittal was granted. Further, because the officer had no evidence, and falsely filed paperwork based on that, the defendant got a charge of driving on a suspended license - which the judge dismissed. The judge was right. The officer needs to be permanently removed from being a peace officer. And the prosecutor needed to be held in contempt. Another jury believes a cop and not the truth. Glad the judge saw through it. 

Conclusion - it's a "good ol' boys club," and you ain't in it! 

They Are Not Experts

This video covers the illegal stopping of an open carry advocate by jack-booted thug "police" officers. While there is a LOT to unpack in that video, the focus of this post is to make a point that is discussed in that video. 

In the video, when the JBT is trying to take the AR15 pistol off of the open-carry advocate's body and unload it, the JBT points the gun at the advocate, as well as at fellow officers. Completely unsafe gun handling. Totally out of line. 

This author has observed as a firearms instructor, that some of the worst gun handling is by current and former police and military. In fact, so much so, that the following statement is true:

Former police and military are usually demonstrate more unsafe firearms handling than untrained civilians. 

Thousands of Rounds

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 me here. 

At current prices (ammo prices were much higher at that time), 1000 rounds of .223 ammo is about $620. That's just 1000 rounds - not "thousands" (plural). Somehow, I seriously doubt that someone spends virtually a quarter of their take home pay on shooting. Particularly someone who is or has been in the military - very few do any appreciable amount of shooting. 

No, this was braggadocio - plain and simple. This individual was grasping at straws, attempting to build "credibility" with regards to firearms skill. 

TVA Is Cheating The System

Had to get this blog post out immediately, because something is not adding up. 

Today, December 24, 2022, TVA is asking for rolling power outages. They cite "unprecedented usage." 

Meanwhile, I do not believe it for a moment. Why, you ask? Simple - they are a government entity and the government has a horrendous track record with the truth. But this is more than just some "conspiracy theory" (which have all been coming true the last few years). Let's look at some counter-evidence. 

TVA had similar usage this past summer. From the article:

TVA CEO Jeff Lyash said the next two weeks will propel its systems beyond 30,000 megawatts this month – the highest number in over a decade.

"We're at the beginning of a heat wave," Lyash said. "Other systems will falter because they're short on electricity. TVA will not."

Electricity demand surged to its highest-ever capacity of 31,311 megawatts on Monday night, TVA officials said.

Meanwhile, only 62% of Tennesseans use electricity for their heat source. 

It would stand to reason that all usage in the summer (which resulted in one of TVA's top performing years, economically - go look it up at their site) is much higher than in the winter. 

So why would TVA do this?

A wise man once said "follow the money."

If you have your heat turned off for 15 more minutes every hour, then your heater must make up for the lost temperature. This is called "Thermostat Setback" and is a well-documented phenomenon. 

TVA is bilking you and I for more money!

So here are some memes. Use them! 

The meme that was linked to by Steve in the comments: 

Know When To Use It

The difference between a clinician and a field medic can be interesting. Both are medical experts, within their respective training and scope. 

Case in point, a paramedic or EMT, when teaching a trauma medical class such as Stop the Bleed or similar, will teach indications for tourniquet application. These indications would be massive bleeding, bright red bleeding, or spurting bleeding from an extremity. In a situation such as this, time is of the essence - you may have only seconds to apply a tourniquet in order to save the patient's life. 

One field medic this author knows works for Nashville Fire Department. When a paramedic or EMT from NFD arrives at the scene of an injury, it is not uncommon for a police officer to have arrived prior. In many instances, officers will apply tourniquets according to their training. From time to time, the responding paramedic carefully removes the tourniquet and checks to see if it is needed. About 50% of the time, the tourniquet was indicated - which also means about half the time, the TQ was not indicated. In either event, the paramedic is trained to shake the officer's hand and say "thank you. You saved his life!" Why? We would rather officers apply the TQ than allow someone to die. 

Old mentality was that a TQ was a "last resort," and "only after other methods of bleeding control had failed." That school of thought had the TQ released to allow some blood flow every 15 minutes. Now, the fact is that a limb can be saved up to 24 hours after TQ application. Precautions must be taken after 8 hours because of compartment syndrome, necrosis, and sepsis concerns. 

A great many clinicians I speak with, when they find out I carry a TQ and medical kit as part of my EDC, will immediately warn of TQ usage! Of course, emergency medical persons are immediately impressed. No worry or concern - because they know that a person properly trained in TQ usage knows the proper indications for the use of it. 

Barrel Twist Revisited

After writing this article, the author spent more time reviewing YouTube videos from the linked source. What was to be found was a walk down memory lane for this blog! 

This video and the follow up video both work to detail the accuracy of a 1:9 twist barrel with 77 grain ammunition. Three different 1:9 twist barrels are used, including a 16" rifle. This blog post, written over 7 years ago, comes to the same conclusion. Specifically written in that post:

"70+ grain ammo not being stabilized out of a 1:9 twist barrel is a myth when the barrel is 20" long. I have no data or proof for the claim one way or the other for 18, 16, or 14.5" barrels."

Well, now there is proof of the 16" barrels!

Still Wearing the Mask

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!

Revisiting the Zero

Revisiting this old post on the "25/300 yard zero." 

Why? 

Because this video was found in the wild on YouTube recently.

The video states exactly the same thing this blog has stated over and over. Do not zero at 25 m. It does not equate to any other known zero. Even using the old military iron sight "z" setting, you are only getting shots on paper (man-sized paper at 300m) at best. Then you must fine tune the zero. 

And absolutely and completely avoid this "zero" at all costs with any sort of scope. 

More Reddit Analysis

 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 any woman that makes you choose between her and your friends. 

Story 4:

My boyfriend wants to marry me but he doesn’t want to have any kind of wedding ceremony, just so he can “protect” his fathers reputation, since he wouldn’t even go in the first place. Am I the jerk?

A - Don't get married to him. Don't get married, period. 

Story 5:

Today I messed up by accidentally inviting my plumber over for Thanksgiving Dinner, and my wife is NOT happy.

A - Your wife is a bitch. Get control of that situation. 

Story 6:

My Boyfriend has been incredibly insensitive about my dog passing away, and I don’t know how to feel about him anymore.

A - You will leave him the moment he opens up about emotions. So, take your pick - someone who doesn't cry when "Ol' Yeller" dies, or someone you despise. 

Whose Birthday?

 From a reader: "Was this video what you wrote about some years back?"

 YouTube: Entitled Parents GIVE their Son's BIRTHDAY to his SPOILED LITTLE SISTER - Reddit 

Link to article in question. 

Negative, this was not this author. A few telltale hints: 

• In my instance, I never cared whether I got a birthday party. 
• Never yelled at my dad (he wasn't at that party). 
• Never cried about it (though my mom said I did). 
• It was at my mom's "house," not Chuck-E-Cheese. 
• It was not my 18th birthday (it was the Redditor's 18th birthday). 
• It was the only time my mom did that (the Redditor had to endure this for 8 years). 

The second story on that YouTube video is also interesting - the OP's entitled aunt tried to use his parents residence to qualify for low-income housing. Although I have seen extended family (my mom's side) try similar shenanigans. It failed in much the same way. 

Not All Voter ID is Created Equal

In a social media post, a well-meaning individual stated that Georgia has voter ID laws. Certainly, they do, but that does not equate to effective ID laws. For this blog post, we will compare to Tennessee ID laws. 

To level-set: 

Georgia elected a Republican governor in 2014 with a 53% - 45% win. Tennessee elected a Republican governor with a 70% - 23% win. To be fair, Statewide Tennessee races typically favor the Republican about 65% - 33%. So, about a 10% swing in favor of Democrats in Georgia. Similar, nevertheless. 

Also for level-set:

Georgia Secretary of State voter ID requirements site. 

Tennessee Secretary of State voter ID requirements site. 

Key Differences:

• Please note that the Tennessee site refers to requirements of an ID that has proof of citizenship as a requirement, while Georgia has no such requirements!
• Georgia permits student IDs from state colleges and universities (not necessarily residents!). This is very problematic. 
• Georgia permits Voter ID cards - the requirements for which do not include citizenship!
• Georgia permits an expired driver's license as an ID - even from times when citizenship proof was not required to get the license! And what if someone moved away from Georgia since? 
• A GA voter who does not have an ID can cast a provisional ballot - and the whole thing smacks of fraud. 
• Georgia allows any voter to request a ballot by mail. Tennessee has strict conditions for absentee ballots. 

Conclusion

Seriously, if you read those two lists, and think they are remotely similar, you have reading comprehension issues that this blog cannot correct. 

What Decides Elections?

Raphael Warnock "defeated" Herschel Walker in the Georgia senate race last night. 

"DEFEATED"

Cue the typical sissy-Right claims:

• "We needed a better candidate!"
• "It's Trump's fault - he needs to get out of politics!"
• It's Mitch McConnell's fault - he wouldn't support a Republican candidate."

True - McConnell needs to go. But he is not why Republicans lose. Republicans lose because of the type of people who elect a McConnel. They are sissies. They do not go all-in on mandating Voter ID and prohibiting mail-in ballots and ballot harvesting. 

In 2006, Phil Bredesen won the Governor's race in Tennessee with "68%" of the vote. In 2012, Tennessee passed decent voter ID laws. Since then, the closest race was when Marsha Blackburn, a terrible candidate, "only" garnered 55% of the vote in 2018, against a "well loved and admired" Phil Bredesen! Typically, the Republican garners 63% - 65% of the vote in a statewide race. 

Florida used to be decided by less than 3% margins in statewide races. They banned ballot harvesting, tightened controls on mail-in ballots, and mandated voter ID. DeSantis wins with 60% of the vote in 2022 after these changes take place. Rubio, the terrible candidate, still garnered 57% - the same 3% that the margins magically used to be decided by!

So, I leave you with this: 

Rest In Hell

Obituary for former judge, Tom Gray. 

Reason this obituary is read with great pleasure. 

More reading, much has to do with the unjust judge. 

More On The Breed Of Peace™

Since the writing of this article on the Breed of Peace™, this blog has received many emails and messages about how it was "wrong."  Folks tried to fill all the Bingo Spots on the card: 

Of course, several challenged this author to prove things. And while this author is not named "Google," this will serve:

Texas woman hospitalized after Pitbull attacked her - this article has lots of links. This blog post will link to them and quote the article significantly for future reference. 

It is important to note that pit bulls are not the only breed of dog that injures and attacks with deadly force, however, they have done it the most. Over a 15-year period from 2005 to 2019, canines killed 521 Americans. Two dog breeds contributed to 76% (397) of the fatalities, namely pit bulls (346) and rottweilers (51). The remaining 24% of fatal dog maulings are attributed to 35 other dog breeds (see chart here).


Statistics show that pit bulls make up only 6% of the canine population in the U.S. but are responsible for over 65% of fatal dog attacks, and often these attacks are perpetrated by a family dog. It is common in these instances for the victim's family to state that they don't know what caused the dog to attack or kill.

iFails 4

This is a documentation of iPhone failures.

The company iPhone will not make any sort of notification if the phone is ringing. All volume levels have been checked and re-checked. All settings are in the suggested setup. No active ring. No active vibrate, either. 

And for the inevitable clown who won't read and thinks I'm just missing calls or hard of hearing, etc. - I have verified this by calling the device from my Samsung Galaxy A51. A phone in each hand. There was no way to miss the call. 

The Samsung has no issues ringing, vibrating, or making whatever notification it is set to. 

Also, this iPhone will not hang up if I call someone. The option to push the red button to disconnect the call goes away after 30 seconds, or if I change screens. It cannot be pulled back up by any standard method. And this cannot be corrected via any fix located on Google. 

This might be why my kids never answer when I call (they both have iPhones - albeit more modern versions). But they always call me. And they never hang up after the call. 

Hmmm... it does make you wonder. What if two iPhone users called one another? Would that result in the eternal call??? 

Mr Good Enough is Still Better

 Due to hypergamy, women always marry up. 

There has been an ongoing sentiment for as long as this author can remember that women who do not marry by XX age (usually 28, 30, 35, etc.) have to "settle" for a man so they can get married. There is so much in that statement alone to unpack, but the focus of this post will be how that statement is completely at odds with the concept of hypergamy. So which is true? 

Hypergamy is true, and women settle when they marry - both statements are 100% accurate and correct. 

The reason they can both be correct? Most women do not have an accurate assessment of their "market value." The "settling" comes when the woman realizes that her market value cannot earn a higher level man. She is not settling on the man - she is settling on her market value! 

There is an article out at Medium that dances all around this fact, but won't say it. A few misquotes from the article and some corrections:

As those women age, their dating pool of eligible bachelors gets smaller and smaller as the high-quality men are coupled with less choosy women.

The women who marry early realize all too well their worth, and find a man suitably better, but not too much better. These successful women either knew their worth, or hoodwinked someone, or got lucky. 

But these women do not lower their standards. Mostly because they are used to calling the shots and might be blissfully unaware that their dating clout is diminishing. The bloom may be coming off the rose, but the rose still doesn’t want to grow with weeds.

These women were weeds all along - which is why no man wanted to put a ring on it. They are just now realizing that their "rose bloom is coming off." Soon, they will realize they are not the rose they pictured themselves to be. Or they will die as a miserable cat-lady. 

[Speaking about "Mr. Right] He is out there. And perhaps he doesn’t have the fancy education. But he also won’t give me anything to write about.

And when you realize that you will not give him anything to "write about," either, you will find him. 

Spotted in the Wild

There have been a couple of blog posts here about ending military elitism. And although there is no drive to document every instance of it on this blog, there was one recently of note. YouTuber "Frogman Tactical," herein called "the complainer," recently made a "call out" video of T-Rex Arms. This was problematic for several reasons. 

First - why make a "call-out" video of someone on "our side" when there is plenty of material from the other side? It's not like Lucas of T-Rex Arms was doing something dangerous. 

Also - the critique smacked of YoU'rE dOiNg It WrOnG!!! when the actual instruction and coaching given was simply not what the complainer would have done, or maybe even a technique the complainer was not familiar with. 

A quick trip to the comments section confirmed that the complainer heard Lucas incorrectly and ran with the incorrect word. Not a good look - to formulate a "YoU'rE dOiNg It WrOnG!!!" based off of a word or phrase that was not actually used. 

There is an air in the video of outright military elitism. If you don't get that feeling, you were probably former military and sympathized a bit with the complainer. 

There was a followup video by the complainer to further clarify, based on getting Lucas' verbiage incorrect as observed by dozens of commenters. It didn't help. 

The complainer challenges Lucas to a duel. There are so many issues with this on so many levels, it is not funny. Ultimately, this caused me to unsub.

It sounded as if the complainer was upset because Lucas has a more successful 2A business. If the complainer would put as much effort and energy into marketing and making a good website and good videos, then he wouldn't have to be jealous. He would be too busy teaching - which he clearly isn't. 

Of note, a channel I follow - Modern Tactical Shooting - made a comment in favor of the complainer. The comment quickly got smacked down by other commenters. To his credit, MTS did not engage in any more dialog, as defending the position taken could easily have turned into military elitism. This is how it is done - when you make an error, own up to it and keep your mouth shut on it. 

The Number 1 Cause

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 time, if a student misses a shot, it is only out by an inch or two. Usually low-left (trigger jerking). They are coached on how to fix it, and most do. 

This student was missing low and low-left by six inches or more! 

"I know how to shoot!" 

Yeah. 

Right. 

Of course, positive coaching was given. And the inevitable happened. 

"I think my sights are off!" was the complaint. 

This author asked permission to shoot the gun thrice. 

Three clover-leafed shots in the middle of DEA dot #2. 

"Your sights are on the money." was this author's reply. 

"Then why are all my shots down there?"

"Because you were jerking the hell out of the trigger. Start going easy like you've been told 15 times, and you'll be in the dot. Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze." 

Next shot was low-left again. Jerked the hell out of it. This author asked the student to put their finger on the trigger, but the author would put his finger on top of the student's finger, and apply the pressure. Slow & steady pressure was applied, and the shot went into the middle of the #1. 

Astonishment. 

Next 15 shots hit in the appropriate dots. 

iFails 3

This is a documentation of iPhone failures. 

As I near my upper 40's,  my arms are "getting shorter." Admittedly, I have had to increase the size of the font on my phone so as to be able to read texts, etc. 

On a recent business trip, I was having great difficulty adjusting the size of the font on the company iPhone. A well-meaning coworker grabbed the phone and fumbled around for a few moments, eventually making the font larger. 

It was too large - and I didn't know how to make the adjustment myself, so I went to work, figuring it out. The coworker gave a few simple directions, and left a lot of the rest to be desired. Through a combination that cannot be recalled, the font became so large that I could only see a part of the screen at any given time. A few moments of fumbling on my part and the coworker again grabbed the phone. This time, the coworker couldn't get it to decrease in size, either! 

The main problem was that since only part of the normal screen could be seen, tracking to the other side was ineffective, because the option to select was in the middle, and could not be activated. 

Eventually, the phone had to be reset. 

It would be unwise to select a phone that can even do something like this. A total lack of testing and quality control and assurance. 

The Price and the Value

Because the internet is forever®.
And because this has been posted about before. 

Let's review this passive-aggressive post and evaluate for accuracy. 

• Since 2016, Patriot Training has had over 1000 paying students walk through the doors. 
• In 2022, just over half of all paying attendees have been Alumni (had a live fire class with Patriot Training)
• Over 200 paying students have taken life-saving medical classes. 
• Prices for classes have been increased every year. 
• Attendance has increased every year, with the exception of 2022 (unknown, as the year is not yet complete - but trending to be slightly less than 2021). 
• Over 70 military veterans have attended classes. All but one has attended again. 
• Over 50 current or former LEO have attended classes. All but three have attended again. 
• 46 Facebook reviews - 45 of which are 5-star reviews. The lone negative review is from an individual who has never and will never attend a Patriot Training class. 
• 22 Google reviews. All 22 are 5-star reviews. 
• 19 Students have taken the Patriot Training Instructor Class. All but six have helped with a class. 
• Patriot Training Alumni are undefeated in life threatening situations. 
• "This material is more difficult, but also better explained and therefore more achievable and repeatable than a comparable class I took six weeks ago from a Military vet and SWAT team veteran." - A participant who took a long-range class with Patriot Training. 

Does Patriot Training provide value? 

Most assuredly, and you do not have to take the owner's word on that. 

So why have this post? Why address the hater? 

Because having haters is proof that Patriot Training is doing the right things!

And...

Dave Ramsey Wants You To Quiet Quit

 

A recent YouTube video by Dave Ramsey had an interesting dichotomy.

 
3:35 - 6:25 - Ramsey and his cohost level set with the caller and tell her to avoid doing everyone else's job. This is "quiet quitting!" This is acting your wage!

6:30 - Ramsey fires a verbal shot at "quiet quitters"

7:15 - 7:35 - Ramsey states "just show up to work and do the work and you are a rockstar!" This is his dichotomy. He just defined and advocated for acting your wage. 

All in all, the advice they gave the caller was 100% accurate. 

To be fair, Ramsey's debt snowball, and "Baby Steps" are also completely accurate and effective, so long as you do not invest using the methods Ramsey suggests. 

Ripple Effect

Influence can be direct, and indirect. Both direct and indirect influence can have great effect. This post is about that. Both men listed have had great effect - direct and indirect. 

DIRECT EFFECT

Jeff Mayhew is an instructor with Patriot Training. Jeff brings family. Jeff brings friends. Jeff helps set up and take down. Jeff attends classes with the author at other schools. Jeff asks pertinent questions, and always conducts himself as a professional. He understands that the only "glamor" in being a firearms instructor is a blue-collar type of glamor. 

Having Jeff on board with Patriot Training has significantly improved classes and morale. Morale on the part of the participants, as well as the owner. 

For this reason, Jeff is hereby awarded the title of "Rifleman Emeritus" and will henceforth attend any Patriot Training class he wishes, completely on the house. 

INDIRECT EFFECT

Aaron Shipp owns Victory Martial Arts in Elizabethtown, KY. Make no mistake, Aaron has had plenty of positive direct effect for Patriot Training. However, Aaron has the distinction of having had by far the largest positive indirect effect on Patriot Training. 

Like Jeff, Aaron brings family and friends to Patriot Training classes. He helps set up, and he helps take down. He brings the martial arts fortitude to class every time he attends. But that is the direct effect. 

The indirect effect Aaron has had is significant. And this story was told this past weekend at Urban Rifleman. What Aaron may or may not know is that he single-handedly saved Patriot Training. For this reason, Aaron is awarded the title of "Rifleman Emeritus" and will henceforth attend any Patriot Training class he wishes, completely on the house. 

THE STORY

Setting was August 2018. The private land where Patriot Training classes was being held was no longer going to be able to host. With an event scheduled for August, the author had to scramble to find a place. Thanks to Nick Parker and OK Corral for working with us. That was an excellent stand in. But a more permanent location was needed. Soon enough, Mountain Top Gun & Archery partnered with Patriot Training. That pressure was lifted, but other pressures intensified. 

In September 2018, a pistol class was held wherein two people stole from Patriot Training. At that time, classes were held based on clicking "going" on Facebook.  The author would limit such a pistol class to 20 participants, and the morning of, usually 1/3 or more would message, saying they were not going to make it. It didn't matter to them, they did not pay until class time. They had no skin in the game. 

To make matters worse, a long-range class was taught in October, which Aaron attended, and only 5 people showed up. This was not enough to cover expenses. Money had been lost on the pistol class the month prior, because of the theft. The author was *this close* (squeezes fingers close together) to shutting the whole thing down. 

Aaron Shipp asked the question: "why don't you have more here?"

Through conversation, he asked hard questions and the author decided to change the way things were done. Since then, Patriot Training has grown by leaps and bound every year. Facebook advertising has been fantastic - thanks to Aaron. Only 1 class in 2022 will have lost money - and one of the participants in that one has attended again, meaning the investment was well worth it. 

This past weekend, Urban Rifleman had 10 participants and an assistant who was assisting in that particular class for the 7th time. Each participant and the assistant all found Patriot Training through Facebook - either directly or indirectly. The ripple effect (sometimes also called the butterfly effect) from Aaron's coaching made that happen. Also of note - in that class was the 1000th unique individual to have participated in a Patriot Training class. 

Of note, with all that growth, Jeff has played the role of grunt for the gruntwork very well. Never complaining once. Working hard every time. 

Without these two men, Patriot Training could not have grown to the size that it has, and this author is forever thankful. 

Act Your Wage

 

Some time ago, this author worked for a company that outlined an employee's performance by using the above scale - "threshold, target, and outstanding." Threshold was less than 95%. Target was between 95% and 105%. Outstanding was 105% and above. 

Recently, this video was made on YouTube about "Quiet Quitting." As Joshua Fluke pointed out, then name "quiet quitting" is a bit of a misnomer. This author prefers "Act Your Wage." Also sometimes written as #ActYourWage. 

In the video, Fluke refutes claims by people who hate the idea of quiet quitting. The one underlying theme in these haters is they think quiet quitters don't do anything at work. They presume the quiet quitter is in the "threshold" category above. This is patently false. 

THE QUIET QUITTER IS CONSISTENTLY AT TARGET - they do exactly what is expected of the position. 100%. 

And this is why it is preferred to say these people are simply acting their wage. The idea that giving 110% will get you ahead is so patently false, it is laughable. All you will get by consistently performing at "Outstanding" is more work! Expectations will change, and you will be required to do 110% just to break even. You won't get paid much extra, if any. You won't get promoted. You'll have to leave the company to make more money or get a better or higher ranking position. 

No Amnesty

By now, you've surely heard of the "olive branch" that has been extended for "Pandemic Amnesty." Make no mistake, the only reason the Left wants "amnesty" is because they have been proven wrong in every aspect of the "pandemic."

The death rate was no different than a severe flu. 

The "vaccine" didn't prevent you from catching it. 

The "vaccine" didn't lessen the severity of it. 

The "vaccine" didn't prevent you from passing it on. 

The "vaccine" didn't reduce your likelihood of death. 

The "vaccine" had all of the negative side effects warned by the "conspiracy theorists" and worse. 

The lockdowns didn't work. 

Social Distancing didn't work. 

Masks sure as Hell didn't work. 

They closed your church and schools.

They took your job. 

They made you cancel family gatherings, funerals, and even visiting loved ones in hospitals. 

Now, they simply don't want to be held accountable for all of these failures. 

Below is a series of quotes from the article and a short remark:

There is an emerging (if not universal) consensus that schools in the U.S. were closed for too long. 

Yes -and we told you that in 2020!

When the vaccines came out, we lacked definitive data on the relative efficacies of the Johnson & Johnson shot versus the mRNA options from Pfizer and Moderna. ... This misstep wasn’t nefarious. It was the result of uncertainty.

None of them worked... at all! Stop pretending any of them did anything other than hurt people! 

Misinformation was, and remains, a huge problem. But most errors were made by people who were working in earnest for the good of society.

NO! Fauci and the "scientists" were following the money!

Given the amount of uncertainty, almost every position was taken on every topic. And on every topic, someone was eventually proved right, and someone else was proved wrong. In some instances, the right people were right for the wrong reasons. In other instances, they had a prescient understanding of the available information.

We weren't "right for the wrong reasons," nor did we have "a prescient understanding of the available information" - we have critical thinking skills... and we tried warning you! 

The people who got it right, for whatever reason, may want to gloat. Those who got it wrong, for whatever reason, may feel defensive and retrench into a position that doesn’t accord with the facts. All of this gloating and defensiveness continues to gobble up a lot of social energy and to drive the culture wars, especially on the internet. These discussions are heated, unpleasant and, ultimately, unproductive.

When your side loses, which is often, they don't know how to handle it. Hell, they don't know how to handle much of reality. 

The standard saying is that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. But dwelling on the mistakes of history can lead to a repetitive doom loop as well. Let’s acknowledge that we made complicated choices in the face of deep uncertainty, and then try to work together to build back and move forward.

Let's acknowledge that freedom is the only effective choice. 

iFails 2

This is a documentation of iPhone failures. 

The afore-mentioned company iPhone has normal iPhone issues. This time, it is with the Calendar. My boss recently shared her calendar with me. Nothing out of the normal. Except my iPhone calendar now shows me all of her updates, as well as my own! 

As usual, off to Google to look up that make of iPhone and possible fixes. The results are spectacularly predictable - a plethora of suggestions, and NONE OF THEM WORK. (they never do!)

Oh, well, I can just completely ignore my company phone calendar. One more item that is useless on that device. And I did actually use that one a little. 

Election Results and Theft Results

 

Because this meme is true, this meme became true:

But I would propose this is true:

What it is, and what it is not:

It is not about Republican turnout!

It is not about "Independent" voters or Lolbertarians!

It is not about Early Voting!

It sure as Hell is not Trump's doing!

It is about Voter ID!

It is about banning mail-in ballots!

It is about ballot harvesting - see DeSantis' election police force!

Your Critique

 

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." 

- Theodore Roosevelt 

This is why this blog posts the ridiculous statements of gun culture yahoos.  Particularly and especially those former military who insist YoU'rE dOiNg It WrOnG!!!

To that idea, 

From John Hearne,

"If you're going to critique someone, it takes more than 'he's wrong' for your critique to matter.  The detail of your critique is directly proportional to the respect I give it."

If you truly believe something is wrong, detail what is wrong and why; and offer another a positive alternative. Even if you were a combat MOS with multiple deployments and engagements, that is nearly irrelevant with regard to your ability to teach and coach the material.  I want to know what certifications you have, what civilian classes (continuing education) you've had, and what you have taught.  Credentials do not make you a teacher, teaching makes you a teacher.  

And if you really do know your stuff, and you see something "wrong" in a picture, then you must also be aware that camera angles conceal facts.  Ask yourself - do you know 100% of what was going on in this picture or video? If not, then your observation of YoU'rE dOiNg It WrOnG!!! is completely invalid.  You are simply demonstrating how foolish you are.  

Yahoos Gonna Yahoo

 

Some time ago, this blog had a post designed to expose some of the idiocy in and around the gun community - particularly online.  One presumably well-intended reader commented "Gee. What made you think that you were exempt from the general BS?" And then he went on to suggest I was somehow whining about something.  Of course, anyone who read the article as a whole understands the purpose was to categorize the types of "yahoos" one might encounter online. 

To that point, more recently, Mike Glover of Fieldcraft Survival had one such yahoo make some of those irregular statements.  And Glover documented it on his Instagram page. 

Nope, nobody is exempt.  Nobody should pretend they should be.  The point is, internet yahoos will do what they do, which is to find fault where one does not exist.  Mainly because they do not get out there and train, they type from cheetos-dusted keyboards in mommy's basement. 

Do Women Need a Degree

 A reader asks:

"Would you suggest a woman get a degree or get married, assuming the two were mutually exclusive?"

Great question. And there are several layers to unpack. 

First - most college degrees are somewhat useless. 

Second - the primary argument given by feminists as to why a woman needs a degree is for a backup plan in case their man leaves them. This is a very problematic argument - arguing to the extreme as opposed to the norm. This blog has established that 80% of divorces are initiated by women, and another 16% are initiated by men whose wives displayed infidelity. 

It would be wiser for women to focus on staying married to their husbands and not cheating on them. Then there is only a 4% chance of divorce! 

Summary

This blog cannot, in good conscience, suggest anyone get a college degree without a distinct and proven plan to use it. Think doctor, nurse, accountant, lawyer, engineer, and not much else. 

Given that, and given the unlikely nature of a "man leaving them," this blog would urge women to find a husband with similar life goals, and focus on how to be a godly wife. A very small percentage will experience hardship if they follow this course. However, a great majority of women who deny this course will experience great hardship. The choice is yours! 

iFails

New blog category - iFails. This is a documentation of iPhone failures. 

In 2012, my company issued me an iPhone. I lamented on FB that I didn't like it because it was an inferior platform than the Blackberry I'd had for so long. Of course, many well-meaning friends who cannot read came along to assure me I'd like it "once I learned how to use it." Problem was - I already knew how to use it, hence the reason I did not want one! 

Fortunately, they did away with the iPhone mandate a couple of years after. They realized their errors in using an iPhone only app and went to a different service that supported Android, as well. I switched and have never looked back. 

Fast forward - I got a new job back in June, and they issued me an iPhone. 

Let the games begin again. 

First installment - pictures. 

My boss wanted to see pictures of folks Halloween adventures. This past weekend, my son turned 18 and we took him and several of his friends to Lake Winnie. My brother and sister joined us. My sister's husband and several inlaws were there. My brother's son was also there. Many pictures were taken. I had them sent to me. 

I texted the pictures to my company iPhone to share on Slack as others had done. Of course, the iPhone was unable to load a single picture to Slack, much less many. A quick Google search showed some possible fixes for that iPhone variant. None of which worked, of course. So I went to email the pictures to myself. 

ONLY TO FIND THAT THE iPhone EMAIL APPS CANNOT ATTACH MORE THAN ONE PICTURE AT A TIME. And if you try to send an email first, and make an attachment later, forget it! Again Googled fixes. Again complete and total failure. 

Solution - I went to my Samsung Galaxy A51, quickly opened a new email, attached about 10 photos, and sent them to my work email. Making the upload to Slack painless from my company issued computer. The whole process took less than 60 seconds. 

Somewhat Problematic

 

Found on social media, this meme provides some opportunity to logically evaluate some critical thinking errors. 

"I will never sit with my back to the door."

Show me one mass shooter incident where the first victim targeted was facing away. 

"I will never leave home without my weapon."

Even thinking of a gun as a weapon is problematic. I am the weapon, the gun is simply one of my tools. 

"I will never quit watching out for you..." 

This is the most common misconception in law enforcement - that they do what they do to protect. Nothing could be further from the truth, and police have no duty to protect. 

"I am always watching, scanning, making sure, that everyone, everywhere I go, is safe."

See previous. The scanning is to look for possible problems. Not safety. There is a difference. 

"I am always ready to act on your behalf, whether I know you or not." 

One word: Uvalade.

"I might be retired, but my oath has no expiration date." 

Why didn't you uphold your oath when you were active? 

"I will always back any good law enforcement officer in any way I can."

This is literally frightening... you think they are all good. And there simply is no proof of that assertion. 

"It was never just a job - it was a calling." 

Well, that is the icing... those are the words of a cultist. Please see the dangers. 

Thoughts?

More On Barrel Deflection

Over eight years ago, this blog featured this article on barrel deflection. Recently, it was discovered that this article was linked to post on Reddit. Here is a link to that post. From that post, here are the questions:

"Where are some good resources in avoiding barrel deflection in non free floated systems in order to get consistent groups?
Looking to shoot 300m with my mp15. Would using a grip pod or bipod on my non free floated RIS mess that up?"

These are very pertinent questions!

Since there are two questions, lets deal with them one at a time:

Where are some good resources in avoiding barrel deflection in non free floated systems in order to get consistent groups?

Short answer - there are not going to be many resources for avoiding barrel deflection in a non-free floated system. The problem is that there are a great many difficulties in applying the exact same amount of pressure to the barrel each and every time. And even if one figures a way out to apply consistent pressure, then it is not likely able to be duplicated in a field situation. 

Looking to shoot 300m with my mp15. Would using a grip pod or bipod on my non free floated RIS mess that up?"

Short answer - Yes. The grip pod or bipod will make things difficult. It will be very hard to apply steady amounts of pressure. This was demonstrated in the previous article on this blog. 

A better solution is to rest the rifle on the magazine and shoot from that position, instead. With no (or minimal) external pressure on the barrel, the deflection would be minimal or none. When there are shooters in this author's classes who have AR15 rifles that are not free floated, this is how the issue is addressed. None of these shooters has ever had a great issue in making hits at 300 yards. Shooters of non free floated rifles all make hits out to 300 in these classes using magazine rested positions - with scopes, red dots, and iron sights. 

On Halloween

Recently, a friend posted the following statement and picture on Facebook:

Disclaimer: no this is not me judging anyone. Just sharing a bit of knowledge with ya...
Halloween is the biggest satanic holiday of the year with Easter being second (Walpurgisnacht) and Christmas being 3rd. I only advise you to be careful what you consume and participate in. It is important to learn history. 

This author's reply:

We as Christians often celebrate many holidays with pagan roots. I respect those that do and those that abstain. My kids dress up and panhandle for candy, or go to parties with friends. Those are not Satanic rituals nor worship.

The irony is that Lavey is credited, but even his "Church of Satan" states he likely did not say it. If he did, it would have been more for shock value than anything. Lavey did not believe in Satan as we picture him. Lavey's Church of Satan does not worship Satan. They are humanists - mostly atheistic. If they "worship" anything, it is themselves (which is equally as Godless). It is not anywhere near what most people think.

In either event, happy Halloween! 

Step Up, Ladies!

From a comment on the old dojo blog (FWIW - the Dojo has been closed for a couple of years now):

"Now a days females should apply for these class, and a suggestion for you folks, provide discount for teen girls, they need to learn self defense more than anyone."

Agreed, and ladies should learn to shoot - and that does NOT mean only taking the handgun carry permit class. 

The problem, however, is that the vast majority of women and girls age 12 and up take absolutely no personal responsibility for their own safety. Oh, they will pay lip service. Maybe take a "women's self defense" class here or there. Maybe get their carry permit. 

Have you ever tried dragging a teen girl to a martial arts class? Pulling teeth might be easier. 

The running joke for ladies in handgun classes is that the only way they sign up is if their husband/boyfriend/dad/brother/etc. "drags" them to class "kicking a screaming." Of course, none of them really have to be literally dragged - but it sure seems like it. 

In nearly 7 years of firearms instruction, I've had a non-alumni female pay for class exactly twice. BOTH times, they were buying a gift for their husband. Alumni are a different story, because once we get you in class, you will be hooked! 

As you read this, there is some keyboard commando who is vigorously typing away something to the effect of "so-and-so has many ladies classes and they are all full." Well, there are two circumstances where this is true:

1. A big-name instructor (like Lena Miculek) is holding the class. And watch - most of the women there are female instructors who are trying to figure out how to attract more ladies. And the rest are ladies for whom their husbands strongly urged them to take the class! 
2. The person saying this got a single call, said they didn't have any because nobody asks for them. Then the original caller has a girlfriend/sister/daughter/mother/etc. call and also ask. Then doodle-britches at the gun training center or range says "yeah, we are getting lots of calls!" Then they cannot sell out a single class. Then they stop teaching them. Then we go back to square 1. 

So, instead of complain about it. I will do this:

1. First - I will blog about it. I will make sure to put factual information forth, as always. (this is that blog post).
2. Second - I will challenge the ladies. Take a gun class! Enroll in ongoing combative martial arts classes! You will be glad you did. 
3. Third - I will do this again soon. See paragraph above. 

Thoughts?

Tennessee Constitutional Amendments

From an online post:


The following was written by a lawyer who mostly aligns with why I advocate VOTE NO to all the proposed amendments to our state constitution on the ballot this General Election Nov. 8th, 2022.

Take time to listen to this like minded lawyer.
Joanna Martin, J.D. (Publius Huldah) comments on the proposed Amendments to the Tennessee Constitution.

These 4 proposed amendments to the Constitution are on the ballot for the upcoming election on November 8, 2022:
I oppose all 4 of the proposed Amendments.

Constitutional Amendment #1
Question:
Shall Article XI of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by adding the following language as a new section?
It is unlawful for any person, corporation, association, or this state or its political subdivisions to deny or attempt to deny employment to any person by reason of the person’s membership in, affiliation with, resignation from, or refusal to join or affiliate with any labor
union or employee organization.
Why I oppose it:
The purpose of Constitutions is to create governments and to define the powers of the government. In Constitutions, a free and prudent People don’t normally impose limitations or requirements on themselves!
The “hook” in the proposed amendment is “any labor union”. That may be intended to gain the support of the “right to work” crowd.
But the proposed amendment would prohibit small private business owners from declining to hire people because of their affiliations. If I were operating a private school, I would not hire as a Teacher anyone who was a member of a Teachers Union. These Teachers’ Unions have been instrumental in corrupting the minds and morals of our Children; but this proposed amendment would not permit a private school owner to deny them employment in their private school!
And think of what could be encompassed by “employee organization”! What if Satanists form an “employee organization”?
This proposed Amendment would prohibit anyone from declining to hire a member of the Satanist “employee organization”!
Private businesses must have the freedom to hire or not to hire as they deem best. Do not give up that Right by approving Constitutional Amendment # 1.

Constitutional Amendment # 2
Article III, Section 12, of the Tennessee Constitution presently reads:
“In case of the removal of the governor from office, or of his death, or resignation, the powers and duties of the office shall devolve on the speaker of the Senate; and in case of the death, removal from office, or resignation of the speaker of the Senate, the powers and duties of the office shall devolve on the speaker of the House of Representatives.”
This is the proposed Amendment:
Question:
Shall Article III, Section 12 of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by adding the following language immediately following the current language in the Section?
Whenever the Governor transmits to the Secretary of State, the Speaker of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, a written, signed declaration that the Governor is
unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, the powers and duties of the office of Governor shall be temporarily discharged by the Speaker of the Senate as Acting Governor, or
if that office is unoccupied, then by the Speaker of the House of Representatives as Acting Governor, until the Governor transmits to the same officials a written, signed declaration that the Governor is able to discharge the powers and duties of the office.
Whenever a majority of the commissioners of administrative departments of the Executive Department transmits to the Secretary of State, the Speaker of the Senate, and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives their written, signed declaration that the Governor is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, the Speaker of the Senate shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting Governor, or if that office is unoccupied, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting Governor, until the Governor transmits to the same officials a written, signed declaration that the Governor is able to discharge the powers and duties of the office.
Whenever a Speaker is temporarily discharging the powers and duties of the office of Governor as Acting Governor, such Speaker shall not be required to resign the Speaker’s position as the Speaker or to resign as a member of the general assembly and shall retain the Speaker’s salary and not receive the Governor’s salary, but such Speaker shall not preside as Speaker or vote as a member of the general assembly during the time the Speaker is Acting
Governor.
and
Shall Article III, Section 13 of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by adding the following language immediately before the period at the end of the Section?
except as provided in Article III, Section 12 with regard to the Speaker of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives temporarily discharging the powers and duties of the office of Governor as Acting Governor
and
Shall Article II, Section 26 of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by adding the following language at the end of the Section?
This section shall not apply with regard to the Speaker of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives temporarily discharging the powers and duties of the office of Governor as Acting Governor under Article III, Section 12.
Why I oppose it:
Why do they want to change the existing language to track the provisions of Sections 3 & 4 of the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution?
Do you remember the chatter, during the Trump Administration, about invoking the 25th Amendment to oust Trump from Office? In the event Tennessee ever gets an honest Governor who obeys the
Constitution; would these proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution be used to oust that Governor?

Constitutional Amendment # 3
Article I, Section 33 of the Tennessee Constitution currently reads:
“That slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, are forever prohibited in this state.”
Question:
Shall Article I, Section 33 of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by deleting the section and substituting instead the following?
Section 33. Slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an inmate from working when the inmate has been duly convicted of a crime.
Why I oppose it:
Why do they want to change the existing wording? What’s their agenda? What would the Amendment allow which the existing language of Article I, Section 33 prohibits?
I was raised in the “Jim Crow” South. When I was a child, my Father told me of black men who had been arrested and put to work for private Citizens who got their Labor for free. Specifically, that some
wealthy people owned pine tree forests and these black men were put to work in the pine forests doing grueling work such as making turpentine and such like.
It is fine for able-bodied convicted persons to be put to work on public projects, such as picking up trash on the sides of roads; but it is wicked to permit convicts to be put to work to enrich private interests. We would do well to remember that such was done to Prisoners in NAZI Germany.
Whenever existing language in a Constitution is changed, the entire body of pre-existing court Opinions construing that existing language is done away with. And Courts can start afresh with a
new interpretation of the new provision. The proposed Amendment would permit Courts to say that convicts may be put to work to benefit private interests.

Constitutional Amendment # 4
Article IX, § 1 currently reads:
Section 1. Whereas ministers of the Gospel are by their profession, dedicated to God and the care of souls, and ought not to be diverted from the great duties of their functions; therefore, no
minister of the Gospel, or priest of any denomination whatever, shall be eligible to a seat in either House of the Legislature.
Question:
Shall Article IX, Section 1 of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by deleting the section?
Why I oppose the Amendment:
In the early days of our Republic (and before that while we were Colonies), Religion was important to Americans: The States had their own “established religions” [i.e., tax-supported Churches] and, as in Connecticut, members of one denomination [Baptists] were forced to pay support to the Established Church of the State [the Congregational Church]. And Protestant controlled state legislatures often discriminated against Roman Catholics.
Our own History shows the excellent reason for disqualifying clergymen from State Legislatures.
So why do they want to delete Article IX, § 1? What would the deletion permit? For starters, deletion would permit Ministers of the Church of Satan, clerics of religions antithetical to our
Constitution, and such like, to be Members of the State Legislature.
Be prudent and be suspicious.

PLEASE VOTE NO TO ALL CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS