I have been regularly listening to Paul Markel’s podcast, Student of the Gun, for the past couple of years and I love it. I don’t agree with all of his firearms advice (what two experienced shooters agree on everything?) but he is certainly a squared away guy who knows what he is talking about and... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Inside the Criminal Mind by Stanton E. Samenow
There are numerous works available that explore the many facets of criminality and the topic of criminal psychology is particularly popular. However, most books that analyze this dark niche of human behavior tend to focus on the many environmental factors that play into the development of the monsters that walk among us. Inside the Criminal... Continue Reading →
CCX2 – Discussing the Ammo Shortage, Carrying while Exercising, Riot Defense, Mindset, and More
I was on the CCX2 show again and we had an entertaining, and occasionally informational, discussion on current events. We also delve into the ammo shortage, dry fire training, building mindset, carrying a gun while exercising, self-defense during riots, and a lot more. You can check it out here.
De-Escalation: An Obligation
Being able to mitigate a heated situation before it turns violent is a skill you should have, especially if you go armed. This seems to be of ever-more pressing importance in modern society. It is also of great concern currently, in the midst of this pandemic, where we find seemingly normal people getting irate over... Continue Reading →
The Top 10 Worth a Read
Having written well over two hundred articles in the past two years for this blog and elsewhere I looked back through this catalog recently in an effort to deduce what I consider “the best,” or at least what I would rank as my better contributions to the knowledge base of self-defense, firearms, and Second Amendment... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Facing Violence by Rory Miller
One of the best books I have ever read on human conflict is Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected by Rory Miller. I read this quite some years ago, actually, though this is the first time I am reviewing it. Rory Miller, a very experienced ex-corrections officer, offers an excellent overview of human predator types,... Continue Reading →
Lambs and Tigers
Tiger Tiger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? …. Did he who made the Lamb make thee? -William Blake Human beings encompass much of nature’s behavior and certain individuals are far more lamb than tiger, and vice versa. I am of the... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Left of Bang by Jason A. Riley and Patrick Van Horne
Several years ago I read Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life. The authors detail the Combat Hunter program approach to identifying threats in the environment. The idea behind the term “left of bang” is that this material focuses on what happens before the “bang.” The desired result... Continue Reading →
AAR: Unthinkable with Dr. William Aprill
In his timeless work The Art of War ancient author Sun Tzu wrote “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy... Continue Reading →
Of Chainsaws and Guns – Dangerous Tools and Independence
Like perhaps some of you who read this, I was privileged to be raised by a father who was a real man, and still is despite his now advanced age. Sadly, there are far fewer of them in this generation, but we still have some, thank God. As part of being raised by a man... Continue Reading →