RIP General Schwarzkopf

General Norman Schwarzkopf, the US Army General who masterminded and led the rescue of Kuwait in 1991 from the occupying Iraqi military died on Dec 27 at the age of 78.

"Stormin' Norman" as he was known to the troops and the media was a hard charging, no nonsense guy who was in the right place at the right time to pull together a coalition force of troops from various nations and pull off a huge victory, obliterating much of Saddam Husein's forces in a "one hundred hours" campaign and chasing the rest back across the Iraq border.

We can only speculate how history might have been changed for the better if that coalition force had been allowed by the various western governments to follow the Iraqi forces into Iraq and finish the job.

General Schwarzkopf wrote his autobiography after the Iraq war, titled, "It Doesn't take a Hero." It is well worth the read.

RIP General Norman Schwarzkopf

Don't Expect the World to End

A lot has been said the past couple of years about the Mayan Calendar coming to an end on December 21, 2012 and other coinciding events such as the alignment of the earth with the center of the galaxy. It reminds me of the last time that predictions were made about the collapse of civilization:
The event on December 31st, 1999 when the century changed from 1900 to  2000--commonly known as Y2K.

The prediction was that computers worldwide had not been programed to recognize the date change, and therefore dates on computerized documents would show "January 1st, 1900" instead of  "January 1st, 2000." Imagine what that would do to computerized calculations, for example in banks, calculating interest on accounts, or in government facilities with scientific calculations involving date and distance, for example. As a computer programmer at the time, I (like most programmers worldwide) spent quite a lot of my time leading up to Y2K ensuring that computer programs were updated to allow for the new century.

Even so, like many people worldwide, I doubted that every line of code in the world would be changed correctly and in time, and so I made some preparations for outages in the national electric grid and other
utilities caused by computer failures, that could affect the supply of electrical power, water, electronic communication, and therefore may result in rioting, delays in food deliveries, lack of emergency services, etc.

Fortunately, on 12/31/1999 nothing much happened. But it did cause me to think about how to survive potentially dangerous incidents that are not as exotic as a worldwide collapse of technology, but are more likely: House fires, terrorist attacks, flu pandemics, hurricanes, earthquakes ... the world has experienced all of these on a fairly frequent basis.

One good thing about the whole Mayan calendar brouhaha is that it causes many people to ask themselves for the first time, "What if?"

What if I was without power, communications, food and water for 48 hours or longer? What if the police knocked at my door and told me I had five minutes to evacuate my home? Do I know what my options are to Shelter in Place (SIP) and ride out an emergency, or to evacuate to avoid one?

Let's use this Mayan calendar discussion as an opportunity to evaluate where we are, what the most likely threats to our well-being are, and what and who we have around us to be able to shelter in place or evacuate if we are ever faced with a more mundane, but more likely event that threatens our well-being.
See you on December 22nd!

John's radio interview with Mark Walters

I recently did an interview on Armed American Radio with host Mark Walters, talking about my book, "Dealing with Danger -- Be Prepared, Aware, and Decisive." 

Mark and I discussed a lot of the principles a person can adopt to be more safe in their everyday life, and  to be better able end each day in the same or better condition than when the day began.

Click here to listen to the interview:
http://armedamericanradio.org/2012/10/10-21-2012-hour-2/#comments

Some Advice on Disaster Preparedness

 It is the season for forest fires and hurricanes. In the southwest part of the United States there have already been some very large, very destructive forest fires. 

Hurricane season on the Atlantic coast runs from June 1st to November 30th, and for the eastern Pacific began on May 15th and also ends on November 30th.

People who live in these affected areas would be wise to have a plan in place to evacuate or bug out of their homes when directed to by emergency and government organizations. if you can pack a bugout bag in advance, that's a good idea.

Here are some useful links on disaster preparedness that you can click on (the last one is my website):

National Hurricane Center

City of Boulder Office of Emergency Management

The Red Cross

John's Junkyard Dog website Safety & Security Tips

The Wild Animal Sanctuary

Went to a wonderful event at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado this weekend. The sanctuary cares for more than 290 Lions, Tigers, Bears, Leopards, Mountain Lions, Wolves and other large carnivores, it is the first sanctuary of its kind to create large acreage species-specific habitats for its rescued animals. This is the organization that rescued 25 African Lions from circus' in Bolivia last year.

More News about Concealed Carry in New Mexico

It seems that the state government in New Mexico is reconsidering its position on reciprocity agreements for  concealed carry permit holders from  other states. The state recently announced that it is conducting an audit to determine which states have laws that are similar enough to New Mexico's concealed carry laws that reciprocity is possible. For the latest statement, and a list of states that New Mexico recognizes reciprocity, click on this link to the New Mexico state government website:

 http://www.dps.nm.org/index.php/nm-concealed-carry/reciprocity-agreements/

Thinking About Visiting New Mexico? Think Again

Visitors to New Mexico who hold a Concealed Weapons permit issued in their home state should know that New Mexico no longer honors Concealed Carry permits from 13 other states.  Here's the link to the state government website that lists which states have been dropped from the list:

New Mexico Reciprocity Agreements

NRA Personal Protection class

Just finished teaching the NRA Personal Protection in the Home class last Saturday as part of a four instructor team. It's a pretty good class and is a good starting point for people who are interested in obtaining their Concealed Carry permit. Forty-nine of the fifty states currently have laws allowing some form of concealed carry of a pistol for self defense (Come on, Illinois ... we're waiting). Topics include firearm safety, marksmanship, explanation of ammunition, use of cover and concealment, plus a lecture from a law enforcement officer or a lawyer on state statutes and use of deadly force and the law. Contact the National Rifle Association for details of classes in your state.

Security Tips 101 for the Holidays

Here's a few simple precautions to take when shopping for the holiday season (or any other time):

Shopping Online: Do not use public computers (such as those in public libraries) to order stuff online. It's an exposure of personal information, such as home address and credit card info.

Shop at retailers that are well known and trustworthy, and don't access website via links that were sent to you in emails. Always type in the website address.

Remember to update anti-virus software every day.

Shopping in stores: Keep all receipts and check them against monthy credit card and bank statements. If there are any discrepancies, notify the bank or credit card company immediately.

"Skimming" is the criminal act of attaching a credit card reader to a bank cash machine. When a customer swipes their bank card to get cash from their account, the skimmer records the number so that funds can be stolen from the account at a later time. Always check for odd-looking devices attached to the ATM before withdrawing cash.

At stores and restaurants, keep credit cards in sight when paying for items. If the waiter or store staff must take the card away, be sure they give you your card back, and not some other card.

Especially in crowded places such as stores, cash machines and bars be aware of people around you. if someone looks or acts in a suspicious manner, put some distance between you and them.

In a vehicle, store valuables in the trunk, or at least throw a blanket over them so criminals cannot tell if there is anything valuable in the car.

Connecticut Dodges a Bullet on a Magazine Ban

Senate Bil 1094, that would have banned the possession and manufacture of magazines with a capacity of more than ten rounds, died in committee on Friday when the Judiciary Committee declined to vote on the bill. Bills like this are most certainly an infringement on the right to keep and bear arms, and do nothing to stop crime. I'm glad to see that the senators on the Connecticut Judiciary Committee see it that way. You only have to look at other countries that have enacted various types of gun bans to see the consequences. In Britain, restrictions on firearms have led to an increase in burglaries and home invasions, because criminals are no longer afraid of being shot if they break into someone's home. And as guns have become increasingly difficult to own, the increase in violent crimes involving knives has skyrocketed to the point where the stupid british politicians want to severely restrict ownership of knives and police actively request members of the public to turn in their friends who own a knife. Has anybody read George Orwell lately?
I personally have seen refrigerator magnets in a London police station that read, "If you know someone who has a knife ..." and then gives a phone number for a crime hotline.

We have to remember that gun control (and in some cases, knife control) is not about reducing crime, it's about politicians and governments making it harder for the people to protect themselves from crime (so that they become more dependent on government), and harder for the people to overthrow a tyrannical government. Every dictator in modern history has disarmed the population so that he could control them.

Where are they Now?

Did you ever wonder what Harry Potter's enemy, Draco Malfoy did when he grew up?



















Landed a cool gig as Vice President.

WWII Veteran is honored by the US Army Marksmanship Unit

My friends at the US Army Marksmanship Unit, Ft. Benning, Georgia recently honored an 86-year-old World War Two veteran who was an Army sniper.

Medals are great, but for his service during WWII, the AMU gave this gentleman an honor that has only been bestowed on a non-AMU member eight times before: An AMU black hat.

Here comes the best part; they took him out to the sniper range and he shot not only a replica of the sniper rifle he carried in WWII at 300 yards but also the latest, hi-tec sniper rifle currently in use by the AMU at 1,000 yards. Click here to watch this great piece of video and see how well he did.

The Dangers of Gun Bill H.R. 308

Following on the heels of the shootings in Arizona, congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY, 4 District) has introduced federal bill H.R. 308 The Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act. Unlike many previous gun ban bills that were an attempt to ban everything imaginable, this bill is very short. It is intended to "Prohibit the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices, and for other purposes"

In other words, it is designed to reinstate the provision in the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban (1994 - 2004) that banned the sale of magazines with a capacity of more than ten rounds.

The H.R. 308 McCarthy bill, "magazine, belt, drum, feed strip or similar device that has a capacity of ... more than ten rounds of ammunition." and goes on to say that under the bill, it "... shall be unlawful for a person to transfer or possess a large capacity ammunition feeding device."

The bill does include a provision that keeps it legal for anyone who already owns any of the above mentioned feeding devices before the bill becomes law, to keep them.

This law is bad for a number of reasons:

First, this country is at war with radical Islamists. The troops who have been deployed since 2002 in the Middle-east use the same thirty-round capacity magazines in their M4/M16 assault rifles as civilians and law enforcement officers use in their AR-15 rifles. The troops use the same high-capacity magazines in their 9mm M11 pistols as civilians police officers use in their 9mm Beretta pistols. The sad fact is that the firearms industry that manufactures weapons for our military cannot survive on military contracts alone.

Without the money spent by civilians on these items, the firearms industry could not keep its doors open, and would not be able to supply our troops and our police officers.

Unless, of course, you want each magazine to cost the Pentagon ten times what it costs now.

Second, it isn't like we haven't already tried this legislation. The Clinton magazine ban was around for ten years. Did we see any reduction in crime because of it? NO. But one thing we did see was that pistols designed to run with higher capacity magazines were not always as reliable when running the hastily-redesigned ten-round magazines. Don't home-owners and the nine million people in this country who hold a concealed carry permit deserve to have a reliable pistol for their defense?

Representative McCarthy's passion for more gun control stems from the murder of her husband on the Long Island Railroad Commuter Train shootings in 1993 when a nutcase with a pistol murdered six people and wounded nineteen others. My heart goes out to her for her loss. But the answer to making the world a safer place is not to disarm law abiding citizens and put them at the mercy of those who wantonly and violently break the law. The answer lies in accepting the constitutional right of those citizens to arm themselves, if they choose, in order to successfully defend themselves and those for whom they care and are responsible.

And if that means carrying a pistol with one or more high capacity magazines, then so be it.

It's the violent nut cases of this world we have to curtail, defeat, and whose rights we should infringe upon, not those who already respect and obey the law.

Was this Harry Reid's former job?

Have you ever wondered what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did before he became a politician?
I think he was in radio. Click here to see Harry at work. He doesn't seem to have changed much.

Lame Duck Congress

This week in Washington DC will mark the end of the Lame Duck session currently underway in the US Congress. This is the time between the conclusion of the mid-term elections for Senators and House members and the end of the current Congress. When the new congress convenes early in the new year, it will be comprised of those current members who have held on to their elected seats and also new members who won in last month's elections.

Right now, those members who did not win their re-elections are still working to pass laws in the last few frantic days of this session. They are called "Lame Ducks." The implication is that they are not in a position to achieve much. Lame ducks have the dubious honor of being able to pass legislation without being in office when it takes effect. It's like the high school kid who knocks up his school Principle's daughter and then runs off to join the French Foreign Legion.

Lame Duck is a stupid term. It implies a lack of ability to do anything. The dictionary defines "Lame" as weak, crippled or physically disabled, inadequate ... "Duck" is defined as to avoid or evade, and in the British game of Cricket it is a failure of the batsman to score. However, in the congress, these politicians are not lame ducks, they are still very dangerous and capable of inflicting massive damage--not least of which is their ability to spend this country into bankruptcy.

The term "politician" is derived from "poly" meaning many and "tic" meaning a blood sucking parasite. I had to look up "ian" in the dictionary and ... well, here's the actual quote from dictionary.com: "Suffix from the Latin - anus."

So there it is. In the last few days of Pelosi's First Reich, there is still time for them to leave a legacy of dangerous legislation that The Leader (Oops, sorry. I'm confusing him with the delusional, arrogant despot in North Korea) could sign into law.

Once again, Americans will be hamstrung by the legislation created by those whom they elected.
And they will become the real lame ducks.

Veterans day and Happy Birthday to the U.S. Marine Corps

I was just about to blog Veterans Day, November 11 (which is also known in Great Britain and Europe as Armistice Day) and the birthday of the United States Marine Corps, November 10th, when I received the following from my good friend Jerry, a true patriot and also a Vietnam Veteran. He says it so much better than I can:

While this list of VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE doesn't come close to the
extensive list in my head and heart.... all of those since my earliest
memories, from the WW 1 Veterans who, with their crude prosthetic
devices and gas seared lungs, came home and dug coal, put down endless
miles of railroad, harvested an unimaginably massive hardwood forest,
layed the foundation for the industrial revolution and in their own
best ways dealt with their many demons right here in little old Buchtel
and many, many other such places, right up to and including todays best
and brightest..... it IS a respectful attempt to bestow HONOR AND
DIGNITY TO ALL who have stood tall and still do today when their country
calls. It is a modest and heartfelt effort to simply THANK THOSE who
offered it all.... left their families far behind; risked their lives
and yes, even worse; to keep our home on track of becoming the finest,
freest, most emulated, loved and feared nation in the short history of
modern man. No other nation has ever offered such promise, realized the
coming true of so many dreams, or stood ready to defend such great
ideals as has and done the United States of America. "THANKS" TO ALL WHO
WEAR THE TITLE, "VETERAN". GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES,
AS YOU HAVE INDEED MADE AND HAVE KEPT IT ALL POSSIBLE !! AND,TO THE
FEW, THE PROUD, THE UNITED STATES MARINES, " HAPPY BIRTHDAY" .....
SEMPER FIDELIS !!! SULLY

A musical tribute to our military branches

How to Ask Questions of Political Candidates

Political candidates love to meet and greet voters face to face, and it's a great opportunity for voters to ask the candidates how they stand on a specific issue. But some candidates are very good at telling the individual voter what they want to hear, rather than what the candidates actual opinion is, and therefore how they are likely to vote on the issue.

For example, when a voter asks a candidate, "What about supporting the Second Amendment?" the candidate knows that he has to give some sort of pro-gun rights answer to that voter to increase the chance of that person voting for him .

Likewise, when another voter who asks the same candidate, "Why can't we just ban handguns?" that same candidate knows that depending on his real opinion on that issue, he can either open up to that voter and wholeheartedly agree with them, or at least soften his stance on the issue in order to appease them.

Matchsticks under the fingernails may be one way to get a truthful answer from a candidate, but there is a better way. And it's all about how the question is asked: "What about guns?" gives no indication how the person asking the question feels about the issue. Therefore, the candidate cannot fabricate an answer, he might as well say how he really feels and risk giving an answer that the voter disagrees with.

This approach can work with any candidate on just about any issue. Try it and watch them squirm as they try to figure out an appropriate answer. It's fun, and often very interesting.

Terrorism Against the West - A Chain of Events

August 7, 1998 I was sitting at work, checking the news online when the news broke that two US embassies in Africa had been bombed by terrorists; one in Kenya and the other in Tanzania.
In January 1999, a US Government accountability review board report stated concerns over the "Inadequacy of resources to provide security against terrorist attacks ... and the relative low priority accorded security concerns throughout the US government ..."

The embassy bombings reminded me of the bombing of the US Marine Corps barracks in Beirut in 1983 when 241 Americans were killed by a suicide bomber who drove a truck carrying six tons of TNT into the barracks.

In October 1985, the cruise ship Achile Lauro was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists in the Mediterranean Sea. The hijackers demanded that 50 Palestinians be released from jail in Israel. They murdered an American tourist in his wheelchair and threw his body overboard.

On Dec 21 1988, a terrorist bomb exploded aboard Pan Am flight 103 above Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 243 passengers, 16 crew members and 11 people on the ground. One of the terrorists responsible for the bombing was later tried and imprisoned in Scotland, but later released on humanitarian grounds because his doctor thought he only had three months to live. He's still alive and living in Libya.

At the World Trade Center in New York City in 1993, terrorists exploded a truck bomb in the basement of the North Tower, killing six people and injuring 1,042.

On October 12, 2000, the US Navy warship, USS Cole was attacked while it was refueling in the port of Aden in Yemen. A small boat carrying suicide bombers and an estimated 1,000 pounds of high explosive approached the side of the ship and blew up, causing a huge gash in the hull, killing seventeen sailors and injuring 39 others.


On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four US airliners and flew two of them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and the fourth aircraft--thanks to the bravery of the passengers and crew, who fought back against the hijackers--into a field in Pennsylvania.

Madrid, Spain, March 11, 2004, in the worst terrorist attack in Spain's history, terrorists bombed four commuter rail lines into Madrid, killing 190 people and wounding 1800.

London, England, July 7, 2005, four terrorists blew up three London Underground trains and one bus, killing 52 civilians and wounding approximately 700 more.


On November 5, 2009, Nidal Malik Hasan, a US Army officer stationed at FT. Hood, Texas shot and killed 13 people and wounded 30 others. He survived being shot by a civilian police officer, who then arrested him. Today, a military court will determine whether to put the accused officer on trial.

Today, the civilian trial begins in New York City of a man accused of being involved in the bombings of the two American embassies in Africa. The judge has thrown out the prosecution's star witness.

I'm sure that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the West's support for the Pakistan government in it's efforts to neutralize the threat of terrorism from within its borders have all helped to reduce the threat of more terrorist attacks in the west. But it isn't enough. It seems to me that the average person in the street has not really woken up to the fact that there are no front lines and that this is not a conventional war. The only time the average person really thinks about terrorism is when they have to take their shoes off at the security checkpoint at the airport. That is not enough.

There are two important things to remember:
1. Everyone is a combatant.
2. Whatever methods and tactics prove successful overseas, sooner or later they will show up here in America.

Are we ready? Are we in Condition Yellow?

Johny Winter On Tour

We got a chance to see legendary rock and blues guitarist Johnny Winter in a little bar called the Belly Up in Aspen, Colorado the other night. It makes such a nice change to sit and have a beer twenty feet from the stage instead of sitting in a huge, impersonal auditoreum surrounded by thousands of people. Johnny and his three-piece band (rythm guitar, bass, and drums) played for a solid ninety minutes with only one slight pause while he changed guitars. He kicked of the session with a rockin' rendition of Freddie King's "Hideaway" and just blew the audience away through the rest of the set with 50s rock 'n roll numbers like "Bony Moronie" and blues standards like Freddie King's "Tore Down."

























And what would a Winter gig be without his version of Bob Dylan's "Highway 61"--which Johnny and the band played at double time, without missing a beat! Not bad for an old guy who has to sit on a chair for the entire gig; but his fingers are still lightning fast and his playing looks so effortless. Not surprising though, from an artist who regularly makes it into Rolling Stones Top 100 Guitarists list.

Keep on rockin', Johnny!

The Farnam Method of Defensive Shotgun and Rifle Shooting

If I had to choose only one book as a reference for self defense using a rifle or shotgun it would be this second edition of the Farnam Method of Defensive Shotgun and Rifle Shooting[ISBN 978-0-9659422-7-0]. While principles remain the same, over time tactics and weapons can change to meet new demands. John Farnam is on the cutting edge of those changes. John has a practical way through his classes and by interacting with other professionals in this field to determine not only what tactics and equipment work, but also the circumstances in which they should be employed.
The book covers among other things: Operating systems, sighting systems, ammunition selection (and why), stoppage reduction (It is my opinion that if you’ve never had a stoppage in your weapon you aren’t training realistically enough for a self-defense encounter), fighting positions, weapon retention and a whole lot more. While the book is certainly a great addendum to formal police and military training, it shines as a textbook for the ordinary person who wants to protect themselves from violent career criminals and who recognizes that while having to defend oneself with a firearm is a remote possibility, when it does happen it is vital to have not only the best equipment one can afford, but also the best understanding of how to effectively and decisively use that equipment. This book (as much as any book can substitute for formal training on the range with a professional instructor) will show the reader how. The book is available from DTI Publications and also at Amazon.com