Wednesday, April 29, 2009

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

The author, Lou Pritchett is a well-known public speaker who retired after a successful 36-year career as the VP World Sales for Proctor and Gamble.

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMADear President Obama: You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me. You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.. You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core.You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others. You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America' crowd and deliver this message abroad.You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector. You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one. You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing. Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.
Lou Pritchett

Monday, April 13, 2009

Are you a Democrat, a Republican, or a Redneck?

Are you a Democrat, a Republican, or a Redneck?

PRETTY FUNNY !
Here is a little test that will help you decide.............

The answer can be found by posing the following question:
You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children.
Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you.
You are carrying a Kimber 1911 cal. 45 ACP, and you are an expert shot.
You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. What do you do?
THINK CAREFULLY AND THEN SCROLL DOWN:

Democrat's Answer:
Well, that's not enough information to answer the question!
Does the man look poor or oppressed?
Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?
Could we run away?
What does my wife think?
What about the kids?
Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?
What does the law say about this situation?
Does the pistol have appropriate safety built into it?
Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kindof message does this send to society and to my children?
Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me?
Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me?
If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my
family get away while he was stabbing me?
Should I call 9-1-1?
Why is this street so deserted?
We need to raise taxes, have paint and weed day and make this happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior.
This is all so confusing!
I need to debate this with some friends for few days and try to come to a consensus.
Republican's Answer:

BANG!

Redneck's Answer:
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG !
Click..... (Sounds of reloading)
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Click
Daughter Says: "Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or Hollow Points?!"
Son Says: 'Can I shoot the next one?!"
Wife Says: "You ain't taking that to the Taxidermist"

HOW TO FIX THE ECONOMY FAST, AND MUCH CHEAPER

I believe this might work ! Much cheaper too! Talking How To Fix The Economy Fast This was an article from the kailua kona Newspaper on Sunday. The Business Section asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?" I thought this was the BEST idea....I think this guy nailed it!

Dear Mr. President, *Patriotic retirement:*
There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force - Pay them $1 million apiece severance with the following stipulations:

1. They retire immediately. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2. They buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3. They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed. It can't get any easier than that!

P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress and their constituents pay their taxes.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

When The Lights Go Out

When the lights go out what do you do? Part 1: Short-term power outage
This info will be broken into two installments covering short-term power outage (less than 12 hours) and extended power outage (more than 12 hours).
Interesting title and I wish the rest of this post were that exciting. Power outage is a serious problem for many people across the United States. Every day people lose electrical power to their homes and businesses for a variety of reasons. Many times these power outages are short and only last for a few hours. But on occasion, there can be a serious loss of power for extended periods of time due to extreme weather or after a disaster. For those of you that have experienced it, you will never forget it.
It is amazing how much we rely on electricity to maintain our comfortable lifestyle. If you want a challenge, try going without power for 24 hours and see what you notice. Now, try going without power for days, weeks or even months. Any exercise like that will give you tremendous insight into the comforts that electricity gives us.
For short-term power outages (less than 12 hours) you should have what I call “Lights Out” supplies. In my house they are in a cupboard and that is where we keep flashlights, batteries, candles, matches and a radio. Make sure you have a small stash of “Lights Out” supplies in an easy to find location.
Here are some ideas on how to manage short term power outages:
Know where your flashlights are – I know this seems obvious, but . . . you would be surprised how many people have no idea where to find a working flashlight in their house at a moment’s notice.
Make sure your flashlights work! – Again, obvious, but you need to have a flashlight that works. I LOVE my Lumin-Flash Rechargeable Flashlight. It plugs into the wall and turns on when the power goes out so I can find it when I need it. Very cool and very easy to use. I use it every time my power goes out.
Have light sticks and lanterns available – I use our light sticks as night lights for our kids when the power goes out. Bedrooms can be very dark and scary for kids so our light sticks have been an awesome way of keeping them happy and (most importantly) asleep. A good camping lantern can be excellent as well. It will help give light to a larger room where your family will gather. One thing I know about power outages is my kids do not want to leave my side. Having a nice lantern has helped. Check out our GE Steelbeam Krypton Lantern. It has been great.
Watch out for Carbon Monoxide – Remember that any equipment that burns fuel will produce exhaust. That exhaust is deadly and will contain carbon monoxide. Many times when the power goes out, people will use portable heaters to stay warm. They then go to bed and suffocate overnight from the exhaust produced by these heaters. Any equipment that burns fuel and produces exhaust needs to be used in a well ventilated area, preferably outside.
Don’t leave candles burning all night – We sell a wonderful 115 hour ReadyCandle which is great, but never go to bed with a candle burning. In my case, I have kids that seem to get up throughout the night and they might play with it and get burned or tip it over.
Have dynamo radios in your lights out supplies – Keep a wind-up dynamo radio where you keep your flashlights and other lights out supplies. This will help you stay informed with local information.

80% Mental

80% of your solution comes from learning the lessons of tactical advantage.
By Phillip L. SmithFrom USConcealedCarry.com Tell me all you want about "dry heat," but mid-afternoon in Sedona is hot no matter how you parse it, phrase it or excuse it. While on vacation, Karen and I were walking in the north end of Sedona, she was shopping and I was looking for a place to get out of that God-forsaken hot, relentless sun. As we walked past a gift shop, Karen looked in and slowed her walk showing interest in what was inside. When it comes to shopping I do what most guys do (suffer in silence); but to Karen, shopping is an adventure.She combed through the hand-made Indian artifacts just long enough to break her stride on a bee-line to the turquoise jewelry counter. The storekeeper, obviously as bored as I was, turned from his duties and greeted us with a friendly Arizona, "howdy." When he turned, I noticed the 1911 on his right hip, so I returned the greeting and added: "Did you make the holster for your sidearm?" He nodded a "yes," along with a smile telling me he was proud of the craftsmanship of both the holster and the other hand-crafted leather items for sale in his shop. Karen finished her adventure, paid for her selections and we headed back to our rental car. Inside the car I casually stated: "Couple of things seemed odd to me! Air conditioning was on, but the front door was wide open and did you notice the storekeeper was carrying openly?" Karen simply replied, "No tactical advantage there!" Then she began preparing an onslaught of turquoise jewelry for my viewing pleasure. We continued our vacation and I didn't think much about the little gift shop in Sedona again, till now! Now I realize there are some important lessons for those who carry concealed which are buried in this short account of our trip to Sedona, Arizona.If you carry a concealed handgun, then you already have 20% of a solution to your continued safety. The other 80% of your solution comes from learning the lessons of tactical advantage. Tactical advantage is best learned in a formal tactical training course; a course where the concepts are practiced over-and over in order to commit the actions and reactions to memory. The problem is that many people do not have the time or money to attend a formal tactical training or combat course where the implementation of tactical training and tactical advantage are taught. But, even if you can not or will not attend formal training, this brief exposure to the concept of tactical advantage and how you can implement it in your every day life, will go a long way in helping you prevail, God-forbid, if you ever are faced with having to use your handgun to defend your life.If Karen's response of, "No tactical advantage there!" was puzzling to you, then let me make up a scenario to illustrate the foundation of tactical advantage.

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE #1: KEEP YOUR FIREARM CONCEALEDHere's the scenario: It's 9:25 p.m. and you're last in line at the ice cream shop. Unknown to you, two perps have been watching the clerk make the evening deposit for the last 3 days. The perps think it is too risky trying to rob the clerk while he is dropping the deposit bag in the bank's well lit and patrolled night depository, so they decide a quick armed robbery at closing time is in order. You've lived in Arizona all your life and are quite aware of the law which allows open carry and you even think its macho and a good idea. Who would ever give trouble to a person who carries an open hand gun on their side? Well, you are about to find out. The robbers burst in the front door and what do they see? A scared teenager armed only with an ice cream dipper, AND you, with your 1911 strapped to your side.Since they perceive you will draw your handgun, they fire first, and you drop to the floor without having drawn your weapon. Is it fair--no! Is it real--yes! Time for the big question: "What did you do wrong that ended up costing you your life?" You laid your Aces on the table while you were playing poker--You gave up an extremely important tactical advantage by displaying your sidearm thereby broadcasting the exact location of a hindrance to a criminal's evil intent. The greatest tactical advantage you possess is surprise! You lose that advantage when you wear your firearm openly. You can also lose the advantage by flashing (allowing it to be seen), by printing (allowing the outline of the gun to be seen), or by bragging to everyone that you carry a concealed weapon. Would the scenario be different if your handgun was concealed? Probably so, although you might be missing your wallet and a little pride, but the advantage gained is that you survived a deadly confrontation! Never give up your advantage of surprise. The only person who should ever know about your handgun is a perp trying to take you down.People new to concealed carry often have a personal problem with the stealth required to conceal and carry a handgun. Confusing stealth with "being sneaky" can lead to feelings of dishonesty or even guilt. After all, hiding something from the people around you is being sneaky, right? Yes and no, depending on your intentions. Are you trying to actively deceive and harm those around you, or are you actively trying to protect an extremely important tactical advantage? Remember, it's nobody's business that you are carrying a concealed handgun, except yours!

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE #2: PROXIMITY NEGATES SKILL, GET AWAYTactical training teaches the discovery and use of options in order to ensure YOUR survival in a combat confrontation, whether the weapon used against you is a gun, knife or club. The more options you can muster and present in a combat confrontation, the better chance you have to survive. For example, one of the basic tactics (option) when confronted is to move quickly away from the attacker. Moving away from an attacker allows time and distance to become your friend, not your enemy. To say it a different way, proximity negates skill. This means the closer a perp is to you, the less weapons skill is required by the perp to injure or kill you.An example of "proximity negates skill" would be if I placed a blindfold over your eyes, put you in front of a target that was 3 feet in front of you and placed a loaded handgun in your hand. With the blindfold on do you think you could hit the target? I am so sure you could that I will place a $20 bill on the ground and bet you could hit the target with only one shot! "So what," you say, "anyone could do that!" You are right; anyone could do that, even a perp standing 3 feet in front of you with his gun pointed at YOU. But, could that same perp hit a target that was moving rapidly away from him, or even better, moving rapidly away at a diagonal angle? The fact is perps are usually very poor shots because they don't regularly practice shooting skills like you. Here's the point of Tactical Advantage #2: The quicker you can put distance between yourself and a dangerous perp, the better your chances of survival. When I say "quick" I mean an explosion of speed not a gentle walk.

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE #3: YOU CAN'T OUT-DRAW A DRAWN GUNNo one knows if they will ever have to draw their weapon to protect themselves or their loved ones. No one can tell you when it is the right time to draw and when is the right time to shoot. You mulled this around during your CCW class and even asked your instructor: "When does a threatened person know when it's time to shoot?" Your instructor probably gave the same answer as other CCW instructors all over the country: "You will know when it's time." This answer probably didn't satisfy your quest for a "black and white, yes or no, or up or down" answer, but it was the best answer the instructor can give without knowing the exact circumstances of the combat confrontation. But here's a better answer and one you can apply to any confrontation whether combat or non-combat:"If it's not worth dying for, then it's not worth shooting for". But what do you do when a perp has a gun drawn on you? For starters, you must realize that you can not out-draw a drawn gun. A drawn knife--maybe, but a drawn gun--no way! If the perp simply wants your wallet now is the time to swallow your pride and anger by complying. But if the perp wants more than money (wants to take you from the area or wants to violate you) then you may have to decide, and very quickly, whether or not you are willing to take a bullet. You still have options since your handgun is still concealed but please don't ever think you can out-drawn a drawn gun. What other options are available? Would the scenario change if you had a small handgun in your jacket pocket and could you shoot through the jacket? Would yelling at the perp draw attention? Similar to holding your hands up, quickly backing up and yelling, "Don't shoot me man!" Now you are using several tactical advantages (noise, distance) and you still have one option left in your jacket pocket. Just remember, it's a lot easier for me to make up scenarios than it is to experience one in real life. Also, don't forget to use time to your advantage. That is, respond immediately, don't wait, don't "dawdle," don't think, don't second-guess, just "Git-R-Done."

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE #4: LOCKED DOORS ARE UNINVITING Locks are just to keep the honest people out! Have you ever heard this statement about locking your doors? Believe it or not, there is a tactical advantage to locking your doors. The point of all tactics is to make time and distance work for you, not against you. If you think tactically then you are always trying to gain more time to react in order to put more distance between yourself and a threat. The second someone unwelcome tries to enter our space we start to loose the tactical advantage of time. So what exactly does a locked door have to do with a tactical advantage since the perp is going to break through the door anyway?Locked doors provide two very important functions, they SLOW the perp down AND that gives you time to REACT. With a couple of seconds to think, you can use that precious time to quickly decide on a course of action: Should I stay and confront? Should I leave? Where is my defense gun, phone, flashlight and the kids! Keep your doors locked in both your house and car and you will be participating in a very simple, but effective, tactical advantage. Perps want easy crimes. The more impediments you place in their way, the faster they will decide to move on to an easier victim. Unlocked doors are inviting to perps; locked doors are uninviting!

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE #5: LISTEN TO YOURSELF Have you ever been to a scary movie where the hair on the back of your neck stood up? Well, that hair standing up on the back of your neck is 2000 years of human response in action. Your body was responding to a threat, or in this case, a perceived threat in that scary movie and was telling you to prepare for fight or flight. In these modern times we don't always listen to ourselves or the response of our body, and that can lead to problems. We all have built in auto-mechanisms which respond whenever we are threatened. In cave-man days, it might have been the sight or growl of a saber toothed tiger. Today, it might be people that are out-of-place, strangers that seem overly interested in you or your movements, or a couple of guys hanging around your car at the mall. In any event, if your body is talking to you, if the hair on the back of your neck is standing up, if it just doesn't look right, then don't go there! Avoidance is a tactical advantage but only if you allow that little voice inside you to be heard. Remember, the voice will always speak; it's your job to listen and believe.

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE #6: UNDERSTAND COMBAT STRESS A human body facing death or injury initiates certain protective mechanisms to help ensure survival. These protective mechanisms are often referred to as combat stress, although many who have experienced combat stress refer to it as "disturbing." If you understand what combat stress is, and what it does to your body, you will have an easier time recovering from it and hopefully this understanding will keep you from "freaking." When your gun is drawn, your sights are on center-mass of another human being, and you are taking the slack out of the trigger, your body reverts to its self-preservation mode and combat stress sets in. You will get an immediate dump of adrenalin in your body's attempt to make you stronger and faster. Also, a phenomenon called "tunnel vision" takes over and reduces your peripheral vision similar to looking through a paper towel holder--this makes you totally focus on the threat. Your hearing also becomes focused on the threat, just like your vision, and you will hear every single sound coming from the direction of the perp. Police involved in shoot-outs have reported actually hearing each and every empty brass casing hitting the pavement during the gunfight.Herein lays the problem. The same adrenalin dump that helped make you stronger and faster is still rushing through your body after the confrontation or during a lull in the confrontation. With nowhere to go and nothing to do the adrenalin commences to make you shake violently. You may think you are having some kind of spastic heart attack. Chances are you will respond by crying. Try to remember, if possible given the conditions, that it's the adrenalin dump that is making you shake. Just hang in there since it will subside quickly. During combat stress you will loose the ability to perform fine motor skills so it is wise to learn to shoot using major muscle groups which do not require fine motor skills. This is why you are taught the Weaver Stance and full-combat grip in tactical schools. The Weaver stance and grip uses tension in the major muscle groups of the arms, shoulder and chest to hold and fire the handgun. These major muscle groups are the only muscles most people will be able to call into action when under combat stress. If you do not know how to shoot using the Weaver Stance and full-combat grip then seek instruction immediately so you will have the tactical advantage of being prepared for combat stress.

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE #7: CLEAR YOUR SPACE Some tactical advantages are less subtle and involve the use of psychology. Perps have a jaded view of the success of their evil endeavors. They think a crime is successful when they end up with your money in their pockets. They also think a crime is successful if they get away scott-free, even if they don't get any of your money. Many crimes in the U.S. are halted just by the presentation of a handgun by the victim. If you de-escalate the confrontation by presenting your firearm, and do not have to fire, the next step is to let the criminal leave if that is possible. Your world can turn 180 degrees if you try to be macho or play policeman and try to apprehend the perp. Remember, all the while you are holding the perp they are think of ways to get away, and now that you've shown you are a true adversary they are also thinking of ways to hurt you. Since you haven't shot him up to this point the perp may even be thinking that you don't have the guts to shoot him. The real consideration should be: "Are you safer with no perp in the picture?" At what point can you say: "I survived!" I would say when the perp drops their weapon and is out of your sight. Get the perp out of your space as quickly as possible and let the police find him later. Clear your space and leave.

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE #8: YOU WILL FIGHT LIKE YOU PRACTICE This unfortunate story illustrates the importance of practicing like you will fight. A detective, in the course of an arrest, was attacked, fatally shot and died at the scene. Other detectives investigating the shoot-out found the fallen detective's gun, full of ammo in his right hand, but in the left hand they found spent ammo casings. The question the detectives posed to each other was: "Why in the hell was he picking up his spent ammo cases during a gunfight?" The answer to the question was traced all the way back to the police academy where recruits were taught to pick up their empty brass after firing a string of shots. In other words, the detective was fighting just like he practiced! Same goes for you and everyone who carries a concealed weapon. Now is the time to add some reality and self-induced stress in your range time. Drop your mags to the ground when they are empty; you are not going to hurt them and even if they do get dirty you can clean them when you clean your gun. This is also a good test of your equipment since it's better to find out that a dirty mag won't work while you are on the range than in a full-blown confrontation. If a dirty mag won't work in your gun or the gun starts jamming when it gets dirty then you know what you have to do, right? Hint: Carry gun must work 100% of the time whether clean or dirty. By the way, how much should you practice? Again, this question demands an answer from you, not me. Can you draw and fire two shots to center mass in less than 2 seconds? Even if you can there is another reality to consider; one that will take the wind out of your sails and help you to develop a practice routine for the rest of your life. In a combat confrontation, you will only be half as good as your best day on the range. What this means is the stress of a combat confrontation will cause that "2 second center mass practice shot" to be 4 seconds; or that perfect double-tap to center mass at the range to be only one hit. Practice doesn't make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect. Be your biggest critic and change any bad habits by practicing good ones. Always remember: You will fight like you practice!

FINALE
Tactics and tactical advantage is best learned by attending a tactical handgun class. The purpose of tactical training is to ensure that YOU survive a combat confrontation by helping you to prepare options. Tactics are not tricks, they are strategies learned from numerous gunfights and numerous deaths of both good people and criminals. Tactics predict response of the perpetrator to basic maneuvers and include strategies for attack, defense, and retreat. Tactics allow you to fight with your brain, not just your handgun because a gunfight is 80% mental and 20% handgun. Tactics are about surviving, not being fair; about hitting hard and hitting fast; about fighting with extreme prejudice just to survive, and about being able to stand up after it's all over. After tactical training you will change the way you think and act about your safety. For example: Ask a person who has never attended a tactical training class the question: "What is the purpose of carrying a firearm?" The answer will most likely be: "to protect myself." Then, ask a person who has attended a tactical training class the same question and the answer will most likely be: "The purpose of carrying a firearm is to provide you with the means to control your immediate surroundings." Both answers are correct, but the second answer includes tactical information: A plan, a purpose, and a resolve. Your handgun is simply a tool that you may or may not call into action to accomplish the end result of assuring your safety. This year, you will spend many hours on the range developing shooting skills and those skills will comprise only 20% of a real gunfight. Why not attend a good training school and develop the other 80%; the mental conditioning, tactical advantage, and the preparation and discovery of options necessary for you to become a weapon? Phillip L. Smith is the owner of CCW Supply, LLC in Lansing, MI. Everything for Concealed Carry, except the firearm. Please visit his website at: www.ccwsupply.biz

Monday, April 6, 2009

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?
I was born in one country, raised in another. My father was born in another country. I was not his only child. He fathered several children with numerous women. I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me. My mother died at an early age from cancer. Later in life, questions arose over my real name. My birth records were sketchy and no one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate. I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my country, but I practiced non-traditional beliefs & didn't follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny. Many people thought of me as being a Sociopath... I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them. That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and I embarked on a new career. I wrote a book about my struggles growing up. It was clear to those who read my memoirs that I had difficulties accepting that my father abandoned me as a child. I became active in local politics in my 30's then with help behind the scenes, I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for national office in my 40s. They said I had a golden tongue and could talk anyone into anything. That reinforced my conceit. I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history, and no experience in leading a single organization. Yet I was a powerful speaker and citizens were drawn to me as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks. I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances. This bolstered my ego. At first, my political campaign focused on my country's foreign policy. I was very critical of my country in the last war and seized every opportunity to bash my country. But what launched my rise to national prominence were my views on the country's economy. I pretended to have a really good plan on how we could do better and every poor person would be fed & housed for free. I knew which group was responsible for getting us into this mess. It was the free market, banks & corporations. I decided to start making citizens hate them and if they were envious of others who did well, the plan was clinched tight. I called mine "A People's Campaign" and that sounded good to all people. I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside the traditional path of politics & was able to gain widespread popular support. I knew that, if I merely offered the people 'hope' , together we could change our country and the world. So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor, ignorant to include "persecuted minorities" like the Jews. My true views were not widely known & I needed to keep them unknown, until after I became my nation's leader. I had to carefully guard reality, as anybody could have easily found out what I really believed, if they had simply read my writings and examined those people I associated with. I'm glad they didn't. Then I became the most powerful man in the world. And the world learned the truth...

Who am I?




My Name is ADOLF HITLER.

WHO WERE YOU THINKING OF?

Friday, April 3, 2009

THE NEXT U.S. PRESIDENT DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN NEED TO GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH

WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT,DEMOCRATOR REPUBLICAN GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of Iraq regime has been completed.
Since congress does not want to spend! any more money on this war, ourmission in Iraq is complete.
This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all Americanforcesfrom Iraq. This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now tobeginthe reckoning.
Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countrieswhichhave stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short.TheUnited Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of thecountries listed there.
The other list contains everyone not on the first list. Most of theworld'snations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributingcopies ofboth lists later this evening.
Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid tothosenations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money savedduring the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of theIraqiwar.
The American people are no longer going to pour money into third worldHell-holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.
Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.
In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect thismoneytoward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. Onthatnote, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we willhunt youdown and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of theearth.
Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France, or maybeChina.
I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations withFrance,Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We areretiringfrom NATO as well. Bon chance, mes amis.
I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the manyUNdiplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaidparkingtickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded andcrushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this Youcreeps havetens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow orwatchyour precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of thefinestchop shops in the world. I love New York
A special note to our neighbors! . Canada is on List 2. Since we arelikelyto be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try notpissing us off for a change.
Mexico is also on List 2. President Fox and his entire corruptgovernmentreally need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra tankandinfantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put em?Yep,border security. So start doing something with your oil.
Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTAtreaty - starting now.
We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drillingfor oilin Alaska - which will take care of this country's oil needs fordecades tocome. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, Irefer youto List 2 above: pick a count! ry and move there. They care.
It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its owncitizens.Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, "darntootin."

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life aroundthe worldhas only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on theplanet.It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminatehomelessness in America. It is time to eliminate World Cup Soccer fromAmerica. To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thanks guys. Weowe youand we won't forget.
To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn tospeakArabic.
God bless America. Thank you and good night.
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it inEnglish,thank a soldier.

Income Redistribution

Income Redistribution
Today on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read "VoteObama, I need the money." I laughed.Once in the restaurant my server had on a "Obama 08" tie. Again I laughedas he had given away his political preference--just imagine the coincidence.When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him thatI was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He stood therein disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip tosomeone who I deemed more in need----the homeless guy outside. The serverangrily stormed from my sight.I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the serverinside as I'd decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy wasgrateful.At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment I realizedthe homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn, but the waiterwas pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn......even though theactual recipient deserved money more, as defined by Obama's rules.I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in conceptthan in practical application.

WHY I AM VOTING DEMOCRAT

WHY I AM VOTING DEMOCRAT
I'm voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.I'm voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.I'm voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they're doing because they now think we're good people.I'm voting Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.I'm voting Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.I'm voting Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as THEY see fit.I'm voting Democrat because I believe three or four pointy headed elitist liberals need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would NEVER get their agendas past the voters.I'm voting Democrat because I believe that when the terrorists don't have to hide from us over there, when they come over here I don't want to have any guns in the house to fight them off with.I'm voting Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my horse.I'm voting Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.Makes ya wonder why anyone would EVER vote Democrat , now doesn't it?

"Street Tactics:"The Basics of Marksmanship

"Street Tactics:"The Basics of Marksmanship
Getting hits on a target is easy to do once you know how to do it. Like any other control and dexterity dependent skill, there is a proven and correct way to shoot a pistol.
By Gabe SuarezFrom Concealed Carry Magazine, July 2007 Getting hits on a target is easy to do once you know how to do it. Like any other control and dexterity dependent skill, there is a proven and correct way to shoot a pistol. I am not talking about bull's-eye shooting, although some of the skill involved in that discipline also corresponds to tactical shooting. We are primarily interested in self-defense shooting. This means that we want the ability to place solid hits on an adversary from a condition of unreadiness and under urgent time limits.Before you can expect to hit anything, there are some "hardware" issues that must be seen to. The ammunition must be capable of an acceptable level of accuracy. This is not as much of a concern when using quality defensive ammunition, but it may be if using more economical "training ammunition." Primarily, you must make certain that the pistol is zeroed correctly. This simply means that the sights must be arranged in a way that they will coincide (visually) with the physical impact of the bullet strike on target. There are hundreds of different types of sights, and to explain how to zero every particular weapon would take a volume. For zeroing procedures, please refer to your weapons training manual or owner's manual. Don't dismiss this part of the equation. Doing so will only lead to frustration. There are several fundamentals to marksmanship. They include: sight alignment, sight picture, trigger control, pistol grip, shooting stance, breath control and follow-through. Of these seven, four are most important. It is these four which must be focused on by the tactical shooter. They are: sight alignment, sight picture, trigger control, and follow through.
Sight alignment is the relation between the front sight, the rear sight, and the shooter's eye. It is established by placing your visual focus on the front sight and aligning it with the rear sight (irrespective of any target). The top of the front sight must be seen as level with the top of the rear sight. Additionally, you must see equal amounts of light visible on both sides of the front sight as viewed through the rear sight notch. This describes perfect vertical and horizontal alignment of the sights. This is the sight alignment that we would always like to have. Sometimes we will settle for less if the target is close enough. Generally, the closer the target is, the bigger it appears and the less perfect your sight alignment must be. Conversely, the more distant target is or the smaller the target is at close range, the greater the requirement for precision will be in the alignment of the sights. In practice, however, we must always strive for perfect alignment. Sight picture is the existing sight alignment as it is seen superimposed on the target's center of mass. Center of Mass describes the central portion of the visible target. Now let me ask you something. How many things can the human eye focus on at any one time? The human eye is similar to a camera; it can only focus on one thing at a time. With regard to the sight picture, there are three things that we want to keep in alignment: the target, the front sight, and the rear sight. Now imagine looking at these three points through a camera. If you focus the lens on the front sight, you can still see the target well enough, although it appears somewhat out of focus in comparison to the front sight. Additionally, you can still see the rear sight well enough, although it also appears slightly out of focus in comparison to the front sight. By focusing in on the front sight, you can see both the target and the rear sight well enough in the peripheral vision (although not as clear and focused as the front sight), so you are able to keep all three points in alignment. That is the "secret" of sight picture. The more difficult the shot is (i.e., a distant target or small target), then the more precise that sight picture must be. The visual and mental focus must always remain on the front sight.Another very important aspect of the sight picture is whether you should close the non-dominant eye or keep both eyes open. The simple fact of the matter is that most students that I've seen cannot focus on the front sight as well if both eyes are kept open. If it's not an issue for you, then don't worry about it. If you find it difficult to focus on the front sight with both eyes, then you must close one eye. But which one? We all have one eye that is more "dominant" than the other. That eye is the one that you want to use for sighting. For most shooters, their dominant eye is on the same side as their dominant hand. In other words, a right-handed shooter will most likely have his dominant eye on his right side, and so on. Some shooters are cross eye dominant, i.e., right-handed and left eye dominant, or vice versa.
Here is how you find out which eye is dominant: Make a small "OK" signal with your primary hand, and look at a target through the opening with both eyes open. Now close the eye that is opposite of your primary hand. If the target disappeared from view, your support side eye is dominant. If it did not disappear from view, your primary side eye is dominant.If your primary side eye is dominant, you simply close the support side eye when focusing on the front sight. If your dominant eye is on the support side, you have two options:
Either close the eye that is opposite of your primary side and learn to sight with the non-dominant eye, or close that non-dominant eye and modify the shooting position slightly by angling the head slightly to allow the support side eye access to the sights. Some of you who may have been schooled to keep both eyes open, take notice. The non-dominant eye is only shut off for fractions of seconds while the shots are fired. Therefore, you are not missing anything in your immediate surroundings. Secondly, the reason given for not closing one eye is that you may need it to see things around you. This is hardly a combat reality. If a hostile man is standing in front of you and intent on killing you, then to survive and win, you must do him before he does you. In such instances, do you really think you will be looking around with your non-dominant eye for other adversaries? Of course not! You will be too busy with the problem at hand to worry about other potential problems out there somewhere.Here is the sequence of events: Your eyes are initially focused on the target, specifically on the center of mass. The pistol is raised up into the line of sight between the eye and the target. The non-dominant eye is closed to allow the dominant eye to focus better on the front sight. The sight alignment is verified by bringing the visual focus to the front sight, as seen through the rear sight notch, and as the two points of reference are aligned on the target's center of mass. As the eye focuses clearly on the front sight, the rear sight and the target will be visible in the foreground and background, but they will be slightly out of focus. You must see the front sight with crystal clarity and sharp enough focus to be able to count the serrations on it. Moreover, you must concentrate your mental focus on that front sight to the exclusion of all else around you. (More on this later, grasshopper!) This keeps the pistol on target.Trigger control is the third fundamental, and probably the most important. Proper trigger control allows the shooter to fire a shot without disturbing the sight picture. The trigger must be pressed smoothly to the rear, without any disturbance of the sight picture until the pressure suffices and the pistol discharges. Two key elements to this are the finger placement and the surprise break.Correct finger placement on the trigger is dependent upon the type of trigger you are operating. The placement should allow you to press straight to the rear without any lateral divergence in pressure. Placing too much of the finger, or conversely, not placing enough of the finger on the trigger will cause your shots to string laterally on the target. Such extremes in placement will cause you to exert pressure to the side as well as the rear, with poor results on target.
Naturally, some triggers are easier to operate than others, but all can be managed with enough training. With Colt/Browning single-action triggers, the area of the first pad of the finger seems to work best. When using a Glock pistol, the area between the pad and the first joint will allow you the best control. Finally, if you are using a double-action pistol, you must place much more finger on the trigger in order to provide the leverage necessary to operate the heavier trigger. For these shooters, the area just above the first joint will work the best.Before we discuss the actual operation of the trigger, I want to discuss our physiology. We are still hard-wired like our caveman ancestors.They were fairly good at caving heads in with stones and such, and our brains don't work any different today.
The result is that it is unnatural for us to experience a small explosion out there at the end of our hand. That is precisely what happens when we shoot, right? Invariably, our subconscious minds want us to flinch, close our eyes, and do all manner of silly things in anticipation of the forthcoming BIG BANG. This creates all manner of problems with marksmanship. Not to worry, however; we can easily get around this by allowing the shot to surprise us.When operating the trigger, the shooter applies smooth and constant pressure to the trigger until eventually and almost unintentionally the pressure is sufficient to break the trigger. This is called a surprise break. Pressing the trigger in this manner may be likened to using an eye-dropper. Think of the process involved. You align the dropper above your eye, you get the proper sight picture by focusing on the end of the eye-dropper; and finally, you gradually begin increasing pressure until one drop forms and falls into the eye by surprise. If you force the drop out by mashing the eye-dropper, you will flinch, close the eye, and get the eye-drops everywhere except in your eye. The same process applies to operating the trigger on a pistol. First, align the sights with the target and establish an appropriate sight picture. Next, focus visually on the front sight while building constant, smooth pressure on the trigger until the pistol eventually fires by surprise.Of paramount importance is that the break of the trigger is not specifically expected by the shooter. He knows that it is going to go, and he is continuing the constant pressure on the trigger, but he does not know the exact instant when it will break. The trigger must break almost unintentionally. If the shooter anticipates the break or forces it to occur, he will invariably bear down reflexively on the weapon and flinch at the final moment. This will cause the shot to go errant.Remember when I said that the human eye could only focus on one specific thing at a time? Well, when under stress, the human mind is much the same way. If you focus your mental and visual attention on the top edge of the front sight while you operate the trigger, that is where will your thoughts will be when that trigger pressure is enough to cause the gun to fire. Your attention will be on the front sight, and not on the small explosion that happens. That is how you experience a surprise break, but most people do not understand this. In a combative situation, you will not have an open-ended time interval in which to press the trigger so very carefully. However, this does not invalidate or change the process. Go back to the eye-dropper analogy. Those of you who put drops in your eyes on a daily basis know that it becomes quite easy as you get used to the procedure. As you become accomplished at using the eye-dropper, you do not require the lengthy time interval to align, focus and press. On the contrary, in happens very quickly due to practice. Operating the trigger on a pistol is the same. Through perfect practice and programming, you will operate the trigger in the same fashion as with the surprise break, but you will do it in less time. This called the compressed surprise break.Follow-through is the fourth fundamental, which is often ignored. Follow Through is controlling the pistol and the trigger after the trigger breaks (and fires the shot) in order to avoid disturbing the alignment of the pistol. When the trigger breaks, maintain your focus on the front sight, and keep finger contact on the trigger as you hold it to the rear. When actually firing a shot, you will visually lose the front sight momentarily on recoil. Regain front sight focus immediately, as soon as the recoils dissipates. Additionally, do not release the trigger until the recoil cycle is complete. Maintain finger contact on the trigger and hold it to the rear as the shot is fired. Release it only after you have refocused on the front sight. Even then, only release the trigger far enough to reset it. After the trigger release begins, you will eventually notice a slight click. This is the disconnector resetting the trigger. This is as far as you need to go in order to fire a second shot. Allowing the trigger to move any further forward increases the recovery time between shots. The ability to fire an additional controlled shot is extremely important in a tactical situation. Except for special circumstances, such as single, precise head shots, you will usually fire twice. The reasons for this are to enhance the damage on the target, as well as to insure at least one hit in stressful situations that may cause missed shots.The way to fire that second shot quickly is to release the trigger only far enough to reset it via the disconnector device in each pistol. The trigger will be reset when you hear the audible (and feel the tactile) click as you begin to release. At this point, refocus on the front sight as you did for the first shot. Simply begin the pressure build-up with the trigger finger again. You must experience a second surprise break for the second shot. This is called a controlled pair. Each of the two shots is a controlled, individual shot. Each of the two shots requires a separate sight picture and a separate surprise break, even if executed very quickly.These are the Secrets of Marksmanship. Study them well as they are the keys to hitting. In the end, they are the keys to your survival. Gabriel Suarez is an internationally recognized trainer and lecturer in the field of civilian personal defense. He has written over a dozen books and taught courses in several countries. http://www.suarezinternational.comhttp://www.warriortalk.comSuarez International, Inc. 303 E. Gurley St., Ste. 461Prescott, AZ 86301 USA(Office) 928-776-4492

Obama judge: "No" to Jesus, "Yes" to Allah

President Barack Obama's first judicial nominee, David Hamilton, is a former ACLU attorney, who as a federal trial judge issued a court ruling that said "No" to Jesus and "Yes" to Allah.
In 2005, this former ACLU activist ordered the Speaker of the Indiana House to immediately stop "sectarian prayers" at the opening of the legislative session. Specifically, Hamilton ruled that prayers "using Christ's name or title" were sectarian and therefore unconstitutional.
To make matters worse, in a post-judgment motion for this same case, Hamilton ruled that prayers said to "Allah" were acceptable! So, according to Obama's first judicial nominee, prayers to Jesus are unconstitutional but prayers to Allah are just fine!
Liberty Counsel filed an amicus brief opposing Hamilton's ruling in that case and fortunately it was reversed by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the same court to which he has now been nominated for life time tenure. But this case and others have exposed the far-left, anti-faith and anti-life positions of President Obama's first judicial nominee. Go here for more details on Hamilton's record:
http://www.libertyaction.org/r.asp?U=17696&CID=297&RID=19437521
On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee begins its hearings on the Hamilton nomination. I am asking you to take a stand with me in opposing this nomination.
+ + Fax the Judiciary Committee now
I am asking every member of the Liberty Counsel team to fax the Senate Judiciary Committee right now and say "NO" to the Hamilton nomination for Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
We have set up a special fax system that will automatically deliver your faxes to your two Senators and key members of the Judiciary Committee. Go here:
http://www.libertyaction.org/r.asp?U=17697&CID=297&RID=19437521
Of course, if you prefer to send your own faxes, we encourage you to do that as well. My staff has provided both the contact information and sample fax letters.
Hamilton also blocked an informed consent abortion law in Indiana that is nearly identical to a law approved by the Supreme Court. In fact, the Seventh Circuit called Hamilton's obstruction of the informed consent law "an abuse of discretion."
+ + This nomination will set the stage
Brenda, because this is President Obama's first judicial nominee, the Hamilton nomination will set the stage for all future Obama court nominees.
We must take a stand!
Please... send your faxes today. Thanks again for standing for faith and life in this increasingly hostile political environment.
Mathew Staver, Founder and Chairman Liberty Counsel
P.S. Again, the hearing begins on Wednesday. Go here to send your faxes:
http://www.libertyaction.org/r.asp?U=17698&CID=297&RID=19437521
+ + Comments? Questions?
Liberty Counsel, with offices in Florida, Virginia and Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit litigation, education and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family.
Liberty Counsel . PO Box 540774 . Orlando, FL 32854 . 800-671-1776

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Defeating the Carjacker

Defeating the Carjacker
Although carjacking doesn't receive the notoriety that it once did in the news media, it still occurs within our society on a daily basis.
By Michael T. RayburnFrom Concealed Carry Magazine, April 2007
Although carjacking doesn't receive the notoriety that it once did in the news media, it still occurs within our society on a daily basis. If some thug out on the street decides one day that he wants your car, let him have it. Your vehicle is not worth dying for, and it certainly isn't worth killing somebody over. That's what you have car insurance for. However, there may come a time when you'll be forced to defend yourself to defeat a carjacker. Let's say that this street thug comes up to your driver's side window as you're waiting in line at the drive-thru of your favorite fast food restaurant. He shows you his gun and tells you, "Slide over. We're going for a ride." There's only one problem with this scenario. Thieves don't move their victims; killers and rapists do. A mugger will rob you as you're walking down the street. A killer or a rapist will snatch you off of the side of the road, throw you into a vehicle, and take you to where he wants to commit his crime. A carjacker will take your car; he's not going to take you along for the ride unless he has other plans for you. If that's the case, then you're going to have to defend yourself from this criminal. For the sake of argument, let's take this scenario a step further. You're waiting in line at the drive-thru when this thug approaches you, shows you his gun, and tells you to slide over because you're going for a ride. You could just slide over and jump out of the passenger side door to get help, except there's one big problem. Your two-year-old child is in the back seat. I'm sorry, there's no way you're taking my kid and me for a ride, especially for a ride to the unknown. If that's the case, then you're going to have to go on the offensive and defeat this would-be killer/rapist. After all, you are armed. If this isn't a reason to carry concealed, then I don't know what is.Your first course of action is going to be to distract the bad guy. You're working against the action versus reaction rule, in that action is always faster than reaction. With that being said, if the bad guy already has his hand on his gun, or already has his gun out and in his hand, you're going to have a hard time outdrawing him and getting a round into him before he gets one into you.You always want to be the first one to come up on target and place an effective shot into your opponent. A tie is not good. It's like tying for last place in the Boston Marathon; you still came in last. In any gunfight, the first person to place an effective shot into his or her opponent wins the gunfight. If you want to outdraw this bad guy, you're going to have to distract him first. You do this by simply pointing past the bad guy and yelling, "There's a cop!" It sounds so simple that you probably think it wouldn't work, but it does. It's going to be very difficult for this criminal (or for anyone) to not at least glance over their shoulder to ensure that there isn't a cop there. When he does this, you draw your gun. If you think that you're going to get some type of "sight picture" on your gun as you're sitting in your car with some bad guy standing next to you, you're sadly mistaken. So how do you place an "effective shot" into your opponent in this somewhat awkward position? You do it by what is called "handgun indexing." Try this out in your home first, and then try it in your vehicle. Sit in a dining room chair with your training gun or a safe and empty firearm in a holster, on your right side hip. As you're sitting there, draw your handgun out, and without crossing any part of your body with the muzzle of the gun, bring the gun over to the left side of your chest as if you were folding your arms in front of you. Lock your arm right into your chest and tighten up the muscles in your arm. (Tightening the muscles in your arm will help you absorb the recoil from the gun.) Once you do this, cant the gun slightly away from you so the slide doesn't get caught on your clothing as you're firing. Have your training partner--we all should have one--stand next to you as if he or she were standing outside of your car. Look for where you want the bullets to go. Chances are that you're not going to hit the bad guy in the center mass area. That's okay. At this distance, and at the speed with which you need to come up on target, all we're looking for is hits on a man-size target. A hit anywhere on the target is always better than a complete miss. You'll notice that if you lean to your right, your rounds will travel up your training partner's body. That's a good thing.If you're a left-handed shooter, sit in the chair with your training gun on your left hip. Do the distraction thing again; only instead of pointing with your left hand and finger, point with your right hand as you yell, "There's a cop!" As your training partner looks over his or her left shoulder, draw your handgun from your left side hip. As you do this, index your left elbow into your side and lean hard to your right. Remember to tighten the muscles in your arm to help you absorb the recoil from the firearm. Now go out to your vehicle and try this same drill. If you're in a sports car that is low to the ground, you'll have to lean a little further over to the right. If you're in a pickup truck that is a little higher off of the ground, you'll have to lean to your left a little. Practice this in your vehicle, so if or when the time comes, you'll be prepared to deal with the threat from a carjacker. If you have to, shoot through your car door and window. Most rounds will pass completely through the vehicle's doors and windows. As with any training drill involving firearms, we'll want to practice this drill out on the range as well. Take an old chair out to the range. The last thing I want to hear from you is that you shot your car during training. Set the target up so it's only a couple of feet away from you, as if it was a bad guy standing next to your car. Once you're set up and seated, draw your firearm out without crossing any part of your body with the muzzle of the gun, and index the firearm into your chest. If you're a lefty, draw your firearm out and index your left elbow into your left side. Remember to tighten up the muscles in your arm to help you absorb the recoil from the gun. Now fire two rounds into the target. Look for where the gun barrel is in relation to the target. Look at the target for where you want your rounds to go. Don't be surprised when your bullets hit the exact spot you're focusing on. Practice this drill and you'll be prepared for the day when someone wants more than just your car. Michael T. Rayburn is a 28-year veteran of law enforcement and is currently an adjunct instructor at the Smith & Wesson Academy. He is the author of three books, Advanced Vehicle Stop Tactics, Advanced Patrol Tactics and Basic Gunfighting 101. His video, Instinctive Point Shooting with Mike Rayburn, is a top seller in the law enforcement and combat shooting communities. Mike can be reached at www.pointshooting.org

Top 5 Mistakes of Emergency Supplies

5 MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WITH EMERGENCY SUPPLIES
For most people, emergency preparedness is a brand new concept. As you get prepared, you will hear a lot of different opinions (including my own) regarding the best way to do that. I have helped thousands of people across the country get prepared for life’s unexpected emergencies. As I have done so, I have noticed some common mistakes that people seem to make in getting prepared. Let me share with you what I have seen.
Mistake #1 – Not enough water or no plan for water at allAs has been discussed in this blog before, water is the most often overlooked item in your emergency supplies. People either under prepare for their emergency water supply or simply don’t plan at all. A healthy adult can live for weeks without food but you will die in less than a week without access to clean drinking water. You will need about a gallon of water per person per day. That covers both sanitation and hygiene as well as hydration needs. There are articles in this blog that discuss water storage and water purification. Please take the time to read and make sure you have water stored for your emergency supplies.
Mistake #2 – No hygiene suppliesAfter a disaster, disease and illness related to conditions of poor hygiene are very common. In most disasters, more people die after the disaster than during the disaster because they cannot maintain proper hygiene. The simple answer is to have personal and family hygiene kits available. These items can be purchased as a kit or put together at home. Here are some items to consider in your hygiene kits:
• Waterless soap or hand sanitizer - You may not always have water available, but you this type of soap will kill the bugs.
• Port-a-Potty – This simple device fits on a 5 gallon bucket and will help keep the waste in a safe place. Make sure you buy bags and deodorizer.
• Toilet Paper/Tissue
• Toothbrush• Toothpaste
• Razor
• Small hand towel
• Bar Soap
• If you have babies: diapers and wipes (handy for other uses as well)
Mistake #3 – Out of sight, out of mindIt is critical to do three things with your emergency supplies: Review, Rotate and Replace. In order to do that you will need to have your emergency supplies in a place where you can get to them at least once a year. Many times, people make the mistake of buying their emergency supplies, typically a significant and important investment, and then never looking at them again until they need them.Review:Make sure that at least yearly you review the items in your emergency supplies. Get familiar with what you have in your emergency kits and food storage. Try them out, use the products that you can.Rotate:Then rotate out items that need to be used. Pull out the batteries and use them. Rotate at least some of your food supplies. That is why I recommend freeze-dried food. This is food that you will want to eat. Your kids will like it. Rotate out first-aid supplies or maybe medications.Replace: After you have rotated out your old supplies to be used (don’t waste them, use them!), then you will need to replace your supplies. Make your list of supplies that need to be replaced and do so right away.
Mistake #4 – Store shelf stable food and waterI see this mistake a lot. What I mean is, many people buy off the shelf items from their local retailer for their food storage. Now, that can work. The food from you grocer will work for food storage. The problem comes from the reality that people typically make mistake #3 with their emergency supplies, so the food never gets rotated. Items purchased from your local grocery store have about a 1 to 2 year shelf life. So you go out and spend a lot of money on food that will expire long before they will ever be able to use it or worse yet before they even look at it again.The reality is, most people don’t review, rotate and replace. So to compensate for that, buy long term, shelf stable food storage. Typically, that means food that will last for at least 10 years and water that will last for 5 years. It will mean your food and water will be usable when you need it.
Mistake #5 – Forgetting personal and comfort itemsMany times when people are putting together their emergency supplies they look only at the basics like food, water, light, warmth, shelter, etc. That is all very important and needs to be done. But, it is important to not forget to put some of your daily personal and comfort items into your 72 hour emergency survival kits and shelter in place supplies.For example if you have kids, what are you going to do to keep their mind off the current situation? I recommend including in your emergency supplies simple games, coloring books or books to read. Throw in a pack of playing cards into your 72 hour emergency survival kit or some travel checkers or chess. Make sure in your shelter in place supplies you include comfort items like snacks that they like (rotate annually), maybe a stuffed animal, games, books, comfortable clothes, blankets, etc. Keeping you and your families stress level down and spirits up during a disaster is critical for survival.Also, don’t forget personal medications that you may need. For example, I wear contact lenses. My supplies should include contact solution and a replacement pair of contacts. I should also throw in an old pair of glasses, just in case. You may need a particular medication or personal hygiene item. If it is critical to your survival, then include it. If I didn’t have my glasses or contacts, I would not survive for very long. It is as simple as that.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

BAD AMERICAN

There have been a lot of inquiries about this article & whether Ted wrote it or not. Ted did not write the following piece & we aren't sure who did, but we do love it & here it is for you to enjoy!
BAD AMERICAN
I'm a Bad American-this pretty much sums it up for me. I like big trucks, big boats, big houses, and naturally, pretty women.
I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some midlevel governmental functionary with a bad comb-over who wants to give it away to crack addicts squirting out babies.
I don't care about appearing compassionate.
I think playing with toy guns doesn't make you a killer. I believe ignoring your kids and giving them Prozac might.
I think I'm doing better than the homeless.
I don't think being a minority makes you noble or victimized. I have the right not to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird or make me mad. This is my life to live, and not necessarily up to others expectations. I know what SEX is and there are not varying degrees of it.
I don't celebrate Kwanzaa. But if you want to that's fine; I just don't feel like everyone else should have to.
I believe that if you are selling me a Dairy Queen shake, a pack of cigarettes, or hotel room you do it in English. As of matter of fact, if you are an American citizen you should speak English. My uncles and forefathers shouldn't have had to die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come disrespect ours, and make us bend to your will. Get over it.
I think the cops have every right to shoot your sorry butt if you're running from them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the previous line. I don't use the excuse "it's for the children" as a shield for unpopular opinions or actions. I know how to count votes and I feel much safer letting a machine with no political affiliation do a recount when needed. I know what the definition of lying is, and it isn't based on the word "is"-ever.
I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you qualify for any special loan programs, gov't sponsored bank loans, etc., so you can open a hotel, 7-Eleven, trinket shop, or any thing else, while the indigenous peoples can't get past a high school education because they can't afford it.
I didn't take the initiative in inventing the Internet. I thought the Taco Bell dog was funny.
I want them to bring back safe and sane fireworks.
I believe no one ever died because of something Ozzy Osbourne, Ice-T or Marilyn Manson sang, but that doesn't mean I want to listen to that crap
from someone else's car when I'm stopped at a red light. But I respect your right to.
I think that being a student doesn't give you any more enlightenment than working at Blockbuster or Jack In The Box. I don't want to eat or drink anything with the words light, lite or fat-free on the package.
Our soldiers did not go to some foreign country and risk their lives in vain and defend our Constitution so that decades later you can tell me it's a living document ever changing and is open to interpretation. The guys who wrote it were light years ahead of anyone today, and they meant what they said - now leave the document alone, or there's going to be trouble.
I don't hate the rich. I help the poor. I know wrestling is fake. I've never owned, or was a slave, and a large percentage of our forefathers weren't wealthy enough to own one either. Please stop blaming me because some prior white people were idiots - and remember, tons of white, Indian, Chinese, and other races have been enslaved too - it was wrong for every one of them.
I believe a self-righteous liberal Democrat with a cause is more dangerous than a Hell's Angel with an attitude.
I want to know exactly which church is it where the "Reverend" Jessie Jackson preaches; and, what exactly is his job function.
I own a gun, you can own a gun, and any red blooded American should be allowed to own a gun, but if you use it in a crime, then you will serve the time. I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it makes you mad, then invent the next operating system that's better and put your name on the building. Ask your buddy that invented the Internet to help you.
I don't believe in hate crime legislation. Even suggesting it makes me mad.
You're telling me that someone who is a minority, gay, disabled, another nationality, or otherwise different from the mainstream of this country has more value as a human being that I do as a white male. If someone kills anyone, I'd say that it's a hate crime. We don't need more laws! Let's enforce the ones we already have.
I think turkey bacon, turkey beef, turkey fake anything sucks. I believe that it doesn't take a village to raise a child-it takes a parent with the guts to stand up to the kid and spank his butt and say "NO!" when it's necessary to do so. I'll admit that the only movie that ever made me cry was Ole Yeller. I didn't realize Dr. Seuss was a genius until I had a kid.
I will not be frowned upon or be looked down upon or be made to keep silent because I have these beliefs and opinions. I thought this country allowed me that right. I will not conform or compromise just to keep from hurting somebody's feelings. I'm neither angry nor disenfranchised, no matter how desperately the mainstream media would like the world to believe otherwise. Yes, I guess by some people's definition, I may be a bad American. But that's tough.

How Tax Cuts Work

How Tax Cuts WorkLet's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:The first four men -- the poorest -- would pay nothing; the fifth would pay $1, the sixth would pay $3, the seventh $7, the eighth $12, the ninth $18, and the tenth man -- the richest -- would pay $59.That's what they decided to do. The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement -- until one day, the owner threw them a curve (in tax language a tax cut). "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20." So now dinner for the ten only cost $80.00.The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six -- the paying customers? How could they divvy up the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?"The six men realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would end up being PAID to eat their meal. So the restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so the fifth man paid nothing, the sixth pitched in $2, the seventh paid $5, the eighth paid $9, the ninth paid $12, leaving the tenth man with a bill of $52 instead of his earlier $59.Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. "I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man, but he, (pointing to the tenth) got $7!". "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man, "I only saved a dollar, too, ........It's unfair that he got seven times more than me!". That's true!" shouted the seventh man, why should he get $7 back when I got only $2?" The wealthy get all the breaks!". Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison, "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night he didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered, a little late what was very important. They were FIFTY-TWO DOLLARS short of paying the bill!Imagine that!And that, boys and girls, journalists and college instructors, is how the tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up at the table anymore. Where would that leave the rest?[From an email I received, attributed to "T. Davies" of the University of South Dakota]

DEFENSE

I AGREE TO THIS WHOLE HEARTEDLY... MY DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS BEING ABLE TO HIT THE TARGET CONSISTANTLY AND ACCURATELY.. One can never have to much ammo. THE PEN IS MIGHTER THAN THE SWORD, UNLESS YOU NEVER LEARNED TO WRITE... The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental. As John Steinbeck once said: 1. Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you. 2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck. 3. I carry a gun cause a cop is too heavy . 4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away. 5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him 'Why do you carry a 45?' The Ranger responded, 'Because they don't make a .46.' 6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity . 7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. 'Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?' 'No Ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle.' 8. Beware of the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!! But wait, there's more! I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did. She said, 'Well I certainly hope it isn't loaded!' To which I said, of course it is loaded, can't work without bullets!' She then asked, 'Are you that afraid of some one evil coming into your house?' My reply was, 'No not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too.' To which I'll add, having a gun in the house that isn't loaded is like having a car in the garage without gas in the tank. I'm a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment!

The Eleven Most Expensive Catastrophes in History

The Eleven Most Expensive Catastrophes in History

11 Most Expensive Catastrophes in History # 11. Titanic - $150 Million
The sinking of the Titanic is possibly the most famous accident in the world. But it barely makes our list of top 10 most expensive. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage and was considered to be the most luxurious ocean liner ever built. Over 1,500 people lost their lives when the ship ran into an iceberg and sunk in frigid waters. The ship cost $7 million to build ($150 million in today ' s dollars).

# 10. Tanker Truck vs Bridge - $358 Million On August 26, 2004, a car collided with a tanker truck containing 32,000 liters of fuel on the Wiehltal Bridge in Germany . The tanker crashed through the guardrail and fell 90 feet off the A4 Autobahn resulting in a huge explosion and fire which destroyed the load-bearing ability of the bridge. Temporary repairs cost $40 million and the cost to replace the bridge is estimated at $318 Million.

# 9. MetroLink Crash - $500 Million On September 12, 2008, in what was one of the worst train crashes in California history, 25 people were killed when a Metrolink commuter train crashed head-on into a Union Pacific freight train in Los Angeles . It is thought that the Metrolink train may have run through a red signal while the conductor was busy text messaging.. Wrongful death lawsuits are expected to cause $500 million in losses for Metrolink.
# 8. B-2 Bomber Crash - $1.4 Billion Here we have our first billion dollar accident (and we ' re only #7 on the list). This B-2 stealth bomber crashed shortly after taking off from an air base in Guam on February 23, 2008. Investigators blamed distorted data in the flight control computers caused by moisture in the system. This resulted in the aircraft making a sudden nose-up move which made the B-2 stall and crash. This was 1 of only 21 ever built and was the most expensive aviation accident in history. Both pilots were able to eject to safety.

# 7. Exxon Valdez - $2.5 Billion The Exxon Valdez oil spill was not a large one in relation to the world ' s biggest oil spills, but it was a costly one due to the remote location of Prince William Sound (accessible only by helicopter and boat). On March 24, 1989, 10.8 million gallons of oil was spilled when the ship ' s master, Joseph Hazelwood, left the controls and the ship crashed into a Reef. The cleanup cost Exxon $2.5 billion.

# 6. Piper Alpha Oil Rig - $3.4 Billion The world ' s worst off-shore oil disaster. At one time, it was the world ' s single largest oil producer, spewing out 317,000 barrels of oil per day. On July 6, 1988, as part of routine maintenance, technicians removed and checked safety valves which were essential in preventing dangerous build-up of liquid gas. There were 100 identical safety valves which were checked. Unfortunately, the technicians made a mistake and forgot to replace one of them. At 10 PM that same night, a technician pressed a start button for the liquid gas pumps and the world ' s most expensive oil rig accident was set in motion. Within 2 hours, the 300 foot platform was engulfed in flames. It eventually collapsed, killing 167 workers and resulting in $3.4 Billion in damages.

# 5. Challenger Explosion - $5.5 Billion The Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed 73 seconds after takeoff due on January 28, 1986 due to a faulty O-ring. It failed to seal one of the joints, allowing pressurized gas to reach the outside. This in turn caused the external tank to dump its payload of liquid hydrogen causing a massive explosion. The cost of replacing the Space Shuttle was $2 billion in 1986 ($4.5 billion in today ' s dollars). The cost of investigation, problem correction, and replacement of lost equipment cost $450 million from 1986-1987 ($1 Billion in today ' s dollars).

# 4. Prestige Oil Spill - $12 Billion On November 13, 2002, the Prestige oil tanker was carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil when one of its twelve tanks burst during a storm off Galicia , Spain . Fearing that the ship would sink, the captain called for help from Spanish rescue workers, expecting them to take the ship into harbour. However, pressure from local authorities forced the captain to steer the ship away from the coast. The captain tried to get help from the French and Portuguese authorities, but they too ordered the ship away from their shores. The storm eventually took its toll on the ship resulting in the tanker splitting in half and releasing 20 million gallons oil into the sea. According to a report by the Pontevedra Economist Board, the total cleanup cost $12 billion.

# 3. Space Shuttle Columbia - $13 Billion The Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space worthy shuttle in NASA ' s orbital fleet. It was destroyed during re-entry over Texas on February 1, 2003 after a hole was punctured in one of the wings during launch 16 days earlier. The original cost of the shuttle was $2 Billion in 1978. That comes out to $6.3 Billion in today ' s dollars. $500 million was spent on the investigation, making it the costliest aircraft accident investigation in history. The search and recovery of debris cost $300 million. In the end, the total cost of the accident (not including replacement of the shuttle) came out to $13 Billion according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics..

# 2. Chernobyl - $200 Billion On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed the costliest accident in history. The Chernobyl disaster has been called the biggest socio-economic catastrophe in peacetime history. 50% of the area of Ukraine is in some way contaminated. Over 200,000 people had to be evacuated and resettled while 1.7 million people were directly affected by the disaster. The death toll attributed to Chernobyl , including people who died from cancer years later, is estimated at 125,000. The total costs including cleanup, resettlement, and compensation to victims has been estimated to be roughly $200 Billion. The cost of a new steel shelter for the Chernobyl nuclear plant will cost $2 billion alone. The accident was officially attributed to power plant operators who violated plant procedures and were ignorant of the safety requirements needed.

# 1. 2008 Presidential Election- $800 Billion i n the first month.....

Here's what Texas can do!

Here's what Texas can do!
Please note that Texas is the only state with a legal right to secedefrom the Union . (Reference the Texas-American Annexation Treaty of1848.)
We Texans love y'all, but we'll probably have to take action since B. Hussein Obama won the election. We'll miss you too.
Here is what can happen:

#1: Barack Hussein Obama becomes President of the United States ,Texas immediately secedes from the Union .

#2: George W. Bush will become the President of the Republic of Texas .
So what does Texas have to do to survive as a Republic?

1. NASA is just south of Houston , Texas . We will control the space industry.

2. We refine over 85% of the gasoline in the United States .

3. Defense Industry–we have over 65% of it. The term "Don't messwith Texas ," will take on a whole new meaning.

4. Oil - we can supply all the oil that the Republic of Texas willneed for the next 300 years. Yankee states? Sorry about that.

5. Natural Gas - again we have all we need and it's too bad aboutthose Northern States. John Kerry will have to figure out a way tokeep them warm….

6. Computer Industry - we currently lead the nation in producingcomputer chips and communications–small companies like TexasInstruments, Dell Computer, EDS, Raytheon, National Semiconductor,Motorola, Intel, AMD, Atmel, Applied Materials, Ball Miconductor,Dallas Semiconductor, Delphi , Nortel, Alcatel, etc, etc. The listgoes on and on.

7. Medical Care - We have the largest research centers for cancerresearch, the best burn centers and the top trauma units in the world,as well as other large health centers. Dallas has some of the besthospitals in the United States .

8. We have enough colleges to keep us going: University of Texas ,Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Rice, SMU, University of Houston , Baylor, UNT( University of North Texas ), Texas Women's University, etc. Ivygrows better in the South anyway.

9. We have a ready supply of workers. We could just open the borderwhen we need some more.

10. We have essential control of the paper industry, plastics, insurance, etc.

11. In case of a foreign invasion, we have the Texas National Guardand the Texas Air National Guard. We don't have an Army, but sinceeverybody down here has at least six rifles and a pile of ammo, we canraise an Army in 24 hours if we need one. If the situation reallygets bad, we can always call the Department of Public Safety and askthem to send over Chuck Norris and a couple of Texas Rangers.

12. We are totally self-sufficient in beef, poultry, hogs, and severaltypes of grain, fruit and vegetables, and let's not forget seafoodfrom the Gulf. Also, everybody down here knows how to cook them sothat they taste good. Don't need any food.

This just names a few of the items that will keep the Republic ofTexas in good shape. There isn't a thing out there that we need anddon't have.
Now to the rest of the United States under President Obama:
Since you won't have the refineries to get gas for your cars, onlyPresident Obama will be able to drive around in his big 9 mpg SUV.The rest of the United States will have to walk or ride bikes.
You won't have any TV as the Space Center in Houston will cut offsatellite communications.
You won't have any natural gas to heat your homes, but since Mr. Obamahas predicted global warming, you will not need the gas as long as yousurvive the 2000 years it will take to get enough heat from GlobalWarming.
Signed, The People of Texas
P.S. This is not a threatening letter - just a note to give yousomething to think about!
SLEEP WELL TONIGHT THE EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU!!
One Nation Under God

Government Ownership/Management Or Union Influence

Government
Ownership/Management
Or Union Influence
Here's a good analogy
An economics professor at Texas Tech said he had never failed a single student before but
had, once, failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no
one would be poor, and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said ok,
we will have an experiment in this class on socialism. All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade> so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. But, as the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even
less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too; so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around the
average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame, name> calling all> resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone> else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also> ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great; but when government> takes all the reward away; no one will try or want to succeed. Could not be any simpler than that........

CCW Badges: Life Saver or Cheesy Gimmick

Whew- this email is going to generate some serious heat. How do I know? Because that of "CCW Badges" is one of the most heated topics that I've ever encountered in the concealed carry 'world'.
Just in case you're new to CCW Badges- A CCW badge is a badge that looks exactly like a police officer badge, but says something about "CCW Permit Holder" instead of "Law Enforcement Officer".
I'm not exactly sure what they say, because I've never actually seen one in person. I'm not going hide it- I am against the idea of people carrying "CCW Badges", but that's just my opinion. Now, listen to this:
Long story short, I've been getting a lot of emails and questions about these badges. Everything from people asking "are they a good idea" to people telling me what a good/bad idea they are.
And so, I got an expert to weigh in- Mr. Marty Hayes, President and Director of the Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc., and one of the founders of the Armed Citizens' Legal Defense Network. He has over 30 years experience in law enforcement and firearms training, along with extensive experience as an expert witness and legal consultant.
Did I mention this guy is an expert? Well, here is what Mr. Marty Hayes has to say about CCW Badges. Read on, my friend!

Regarding CCW badges.by Marty HayesArmed Citizens' Legal Defense Network
I strongly recommend against the practice of carrying a badge that identifies you as a concealed carry practitioner. There are several reasons for this recommendation. First off, you are much more likely to have contact with a police officer outside the context of a self-defense shooting, as you would be likely to have that contact after a self-defense shooting. When a police officer sees a private citizen carrying a badge, he immediately starts thinking "Strange Ranger" and will start treating you like one. This means taking whatever you say with a grain of salt, even if it is the obvious truth. If the police officer thinks you are attempting to impersonate a police officer, that is also a crime.
The next good reason to leave that CCW badge in the bottom of the junk drawer is that you might be mis-identified as a police officer by someone else in society, and be expected to act like one. The phrase "Officer, you have a gun DOOOOO something" comes to mind.
Third, if you are holding a silver object in your hand when the cops show up, do you think it might be mistaken for a silver gun? I have run thousands of people though tactical exercises where the targets were identified with badges, and many times, the person either ignored the badge and shot the target because it also had a gun, or mis-identified the badge as being a gun.
So, what is the solution for not being mistaken for a bad guy after a shooting?
Pretty simple, you already have the equipment. Your two empty hands, fingers outstretched with palms facing forward and your arms stretched above your head will absolve you of the crime of impersonating a bad guy when the cops show up. The idea that armed citizens get shot by police when the cops show up is more an urban myth than one founded in fact. If the armed citizen has his gun put away when the cops show up, with his hands above his head with palms exposed, he should be okay, even when confronted by the rankest of rookies.
Don't complicate your life any further, folks. Carrying a gun is complicated enough. [END OF ARTICLE]
Incredibly well said, and a big thank-you to Mr. Hayes for writing this, and to Kathy Jackson (the editor of our beloved Concealed Carry Magazine) for helping me get his expert opinion.
Take care and stay safe,
Tim Schmidt

My Reason for Carrying Concealed

It really is unreal how quickly your life can change. How one incident during one evening can alter the entire course of your life...
Both for the better or for the worst.
I like to think that concealed carry is all about making sure that the "worse" side of that equation doesn't happen.
Sadly, for a lot of people, it does happen. There are so many people in this country, that it happens a lot. Daily... hourly.
Somewhere right now, somebody's life is being turned upside down. It's a scary thought.
Now listen... I've got a heart-pounding article for you, straight from the USCCA website. It's about one man's experience where he was brutally attacked... it's where he learned the hard way how important carrying a concealed weapon AND being alert and aware of your surroundings are. Thank God he lived to tell about it.
So here you are, my friend... proceed with caution.
=> March, 1958 - This is My Story, by Richard L. Hurley
Also- I just got this in an email from a new USCCA member- I love it!
"I have overcome the "fear", by becoming a member, thanks. My fear was that I had already gotten the membership fee's worth out of your emails before becoming a member."
The "fear" was that I was beginning to take advantage of a good thing. As an old ex-airborne troop and strong in my faith as an evangelist, that's about the extent of the fear."
What a great email... thanks!
All the best,
Tim SchmidtFounderU.S. Concealed Carry

"Go from "Can't Carry to 'Cant' Carry..."

Cant: A corner or angle.
So- how does this apply to carrying concealed?
There are a lot of holsters out there that cant- they tilt forward. This can mean an awful lot when it comes to carrying concealed, because concealing the barrel of your handgun usually isn't the hard part. The hard part is hiding the handle, and keeping it from 'printing' on your clothes.
If you have already heard of 'cant', forgive me- just know that this tip might help a lot of people!
Okay, if you carry a big gun on your belt, and the barrel points straight toward the floor, try tilting the entire holster just a bit- maybe 1/2 inch- forward.
In most cases, the gun is a LITTLE more concealed. See, you've actually raised the total high that the gun sticks out of your belt, but you've made the length of handle that prints against your shirt shorter.
The straighter your handle is, like that of a 1911-style pistol, the more effective adding cant to your vocabulary and wardrobe is going to be. ;)
Nearly all major holster manufacturers offer holsters that cant, and many are adjustable so you can customize the angle for your own body and gun.
Pretty good tip, eh?
Okay- TWO bits of house keeping.
1) The 2009 Armed American Report Challenge.
NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE have referred friends! The contest ends tomorrow at 11:59pm EST, and surprisingly, all the people who have participated actually have pretty good odds.
Given the prizes available, VERY good odds!
If you've already got all your friends to sign up- awesome. If you haven't said a word about it to your friends because it's too much work, or you don't want them to know that you carry- that's totally fine, I understand completely.
BUT- I don't want you to think 'I'm sure thousands of people are going to get involved' and use that as a reason not to try.
So- it's fine if you don't try to win a new gun or ammo, but don't let it be for a bad reason.
Here's the link to that: 2009 Armed American Report Challenge.
The last item is about the recent shooting in Alabama that left ten people dead.
I plan on talking more about this in tomorrow's Armed American Report, but I wanted to at least mention it today.
The shooting is a tragedy. Any time a human being gets so far off track that they think what he did is the answer is horrible. Suicide is bad enough... but taking other people's lives as well- that's just cowardice.
I hate to even think of the young woman or her 18 month old daughter being gunned down, and I have no idea why anybody would want to destroy something so beautiful as a young life. It really does pain me.
And what hurts just as bad, is to know that already, people like Sarah Brady are trying to scheme up a way to turn this shooting into dollars- dollars that they can throw into lies that are going to end up leaving even more people defenseless, in the form of anti-gun laws.
I hear there are already cries out there for a new 'Assault Weapon Ban'.
That does not surprise me a bit. They don't understand that GOOD GUYS don't do this kind of thing, and they definitely don't understand that even if this assault weapon ban happened- stuff like this still will happen.
Anyway, just make sure that you get what you want BEFORE this ban happens.
Be safe, guys.
Tim SchmidtUSCCA - Owner / Founder
P.S. - Get prepared while you still can.
FROM: Patrick Kilchermann, USCCAco author, Beat the Ban.
Friends- I am not an alarmist. On the contrary- I am an iconoclast. My personal policy is to never over-react- period.
That is why I can safely say that NOW is the time to get prepared. ;) Seriously though, let me explain...
1) The biggest stimulus bill to ever burden the American Tax payer was dropped into the Obama-River, and swept away into law before anyone could object.
I don't know about you, but I just have this weird feeling that a trillion-dollar bill would be a LITTLE harder to pass than another gun ban. And, if "Oh Bummer!" could pass this bill in as little time as he did... well, *gulp*.
2) Obama is exactly this much more antigun than Bill Clinton was: ->____________<-.
Spooky.
3) Supplies are running low. It's even harder now to find ammo, magazines, and rifles than it was a month ago when I stocked up.
4) The U.S. Dollar is weakening. Every time our federal government prints off another batch of $100 bills, the amount of ammunition that bill will buy decreases a little bit more. And, if Obama and his stimulus bill has the effect on our economy and the U.S. Dollar that I'm afraid it will... well, your ability to buy supplies might be hindered even further, for lack of tradable currency!
THESE are just few of the reasons why a few of us saw fit to create "Beat the Ban". We wanted to give a launch pad to those of you who want to prepare but aren't sure where to start, what to buy, or how much to buy.

I REALLY hope that all the supplies we are buying go to waste in our basements as we live out our days in peace, happiness, and freedom.
But- isn't it better to be safe than sorry?