Michael Morse, Firefighter and Author

I've added a new link to John's Favorite Links, on the right side of this page. Michael Morse is a Providence, Rhode Island firefighter. I got to know Michael while I was working for the company that published his excellent book, "Rescuing Providence". Michael also helped me when I was researching some first aid information for my book on bugging out of dangerous situations.

I think I've made it pretty clear in some of my blog postings just how much I love and respect our military people; Our civilian emergency people are cut from the same cloth. When the rest of us listen to our survival instinct and run from danger, these guys ride to the sound of the guns, so to speak. Who can forget the firefighters on September 11, 2001 who were running UP the stairs at the World Trade Center, or who rushed to the Pentagon that same morning, to pull military personnel and others from that burning building? Same mindset, just hoses instead of rifles.

It's Always Nice to be Published

One of the biggest kicks any writer gets is to see their work in print. Even if it's only an advertisement in the local paper that says, "Eat at Joe's" we all get a thrill in knowing that somebody is reading something we've written, tweaked, and sweated over.

So this month I was doubly thrilled to see my article, "Chopping and Changing: Personalizing a Fighting Handgun" in the Nov/Dec 2009 issue of Concealed Carry Magazine. The article describes what are arguably the basic attributes that a self-defense pistol may need, and some of the ways to chop and change a pistol for it's owner. I had the opportunity to tour the Robar facility in Phoenix, Arizona, where they do some incredible gunsmithing and refinishing on practical, tactical firearms. (Big thank you to Robbie and the staff at Robar for their hospitality).

Also this month, I got a call from the editor of American Cop magazine to tell me that my article which compares the IRA-5, a 9mm short-barrel rifle produced by Iron Ridge Arms in Longmont, Colorado, to a short-barrel AR-15 for police work such as SWAT team building entries, appears in the January/February 2010 issue of American Cop magazine. (Another big thank you to Oliver and the guys at Iron Ridge Arms).

Both magazines are available by subscription only, so you won't find them on the shelf at your local store, but they are both quality publications, and both are available for download off the internet.

John's Been a Little Busy Lately...

Phew! September is just zipping by. I've been preoccupied with a couple of big projects lately and haven't had much time to blog. First, my book, "The Street Smart Guide to Bugging Out and Staying Alive" is available from Delta Media as part of a book and CD survival package they put together.

That was followed by an invitation from radio talk show host Mark Walters to appear a couple of weeks ago on his Sunday evening radio show, Armed American Radio. This is a syndicated show, that is quickly being picked up by radio stations across the country. It's also available at the Armed American Radio website as a podcast. Just click here to go to Armed American Radio.

Finally, I'm a collaborating editor on a rewrite and update of "The World's Assault Rifles" by Thomas B. Nelson and Gary Paul Johnston, a massive volume of weapons from around the world, with plenty of photos and technical and historical information. It's being published by Ironside Publications, and it should be available around the end of this year, maybe very early next year.

I haven't had much time to comment on all the big things that are happening in the world: Iran's nuclear program, G20, the government's plan to have us plunge headlong into socialism via healthcare, the way our President avoided the Libyan and Iranian leaders at the U.N. this week (Teddy Roosevelt would have punched their lights out).

So instead, I'll just leave you with a question from another president...