Archive for October, 2010

On Best Defense Survival – Security

“The Best Defense Survival always deals with firearms for defensive use in a disaster situation. But your security during these times goes well beyond having a gun.

From gun storage to physical barriers, this episode will show you what to consider around your home, as well as when moving out in the open, that will keep you and your family safe during a disaster.”

http://www.downrange.tv/blog/on-best-defense-survival-security/5116/

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Chuck Taylor – Handgun Stopping Power

“Were I to “play the percentages,” or base my opinion on a more narrow examination such as (for example) a review of the files of the law enforcement agencies with which I have been associated or draw from my own personal experiences alone, I could legitimately state that .45 ACP 230 gr. “hardball” fired from a M-1911 Colt auto, is 100% effective!

How? Simple — in all of the departmental shootings in which it was used, it worked. And because in five of the seven pistol fights in which I have been a participant, I used a .45 with ball ammo — and it worked. I won all five with my first shot, my opponent collapsing before I could fire again. Five center hits, five one-shot stops, five DOS (dead on the scene).

Perfect, right? 100% effective. See what I mean about percentages? It’s all in your perspective, isn’t it?

The first handgun failure-to-stop (FTS) I experienced was…

Read the rest of this entry »

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Arizona beheading raises fears of drug violence

CHANDLER, Ariz. – The gruesome case of a man who was stabbed and beheaded in a suburban Phoenix apartment has police investigating whether the killing is potentially the most extreme example of Mexican drug cartel violence spilling over the border.

Martin Alejandro Cota-Monroy’s body was found Oct. 10 in a Chandler apartment — his severed head a couple feet away. One man suspected in the killing has been arrested, and a manhunt is under way for three others.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101029/ap_on_re_us/us_arizona_beheading;_ylt=Ag97BrvK9G1dkmfsEvYBazN0fNdF

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Mexican Town’s Entire Police Force Quits After Attack

Every cop in a small northern Mexican town quit Tuesday after gunmen heavily sprayed their brand new police headquarters Monday night.

All 14 members of the Los Ramones police force reportedly resigned, according to MSNBC. Nobody was answering the phone at the office of Mayor Santos Salinas, The Associated Press reported.

Gunmen fired more than 1,000 rounds at the building’s facade, reports Noroeste. Six grenades, three of which detonated, were also thrown at the building, according to the the newspaper.

http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2010/10/entire_mexican_towns_police_force_quits_after_atta.php

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Glock Ammo Variety: Exploding Watermelons

“Living with Glocks” author Robert Boatman discusses the importance of ammunition selection. Multiple opponent training with exploding watermelons.

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Possible Gunman at Texas A&M

From Star-Telegram

Star-Telegram

COLLEGE STATION — A person armed with a gun has been sighted at Rudder Tower at Texas A&M University in College Station, according to an alert issued by the school.

University officials issued a “Code Maroon” alert at 4:10 p.m. that advised those on campus to seek shelter until further notice.

The Bryan-College Station Eagle reported that the person was described as a white male who was reportedly carrying an AK-47-style weapon.

Former President George H.W. Bush, Barbara Bush and Laura W. Bush were scheduled to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the on-campus George Bush Presidential Library Center at 5 p.m.

University spokesman Lane Stephenson told The Associated Press that a campus bus driver was on his route around 4 p.m. Thursday when he reported seeing an individual carrying a weapon, possibly a rifle, near the student union.

The university’s Web site says students should remain indoors while police search the buildings.

This report contains material from The Associated Press.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/10/28/2585269/texas-am-issues-alert-about-gunman.html#ixzz13h9kR2x0

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Electronic Frontier Foundation Needs Your Support!

Dear Friend of Digital Freedom,

In 1990, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) took an unprecedented stand for technology users’ civil liberties by suing the Secret Service for seizing and damaging Steve Jackson Games’ computers. Twenty years later, EFF remains passionately engaged in protecting civil liberties at the forefront of technology. In 2010, EFF rose to meet new challenges and secured new freedoms for users everywhere.

In 2010:

Innovation

EFF won the exemption that made it legal to “jailbreak” smartphones to unlock their full potential;

Transparency

EFF taught users how to take control of their privacy on social networks;

Fair Use

EFF made it possible – for the first time in history – for artists and educators to excerpt from DVDs without fear of breaking the law;

Free Speech

EFF defended political bloggers and peer-to-peer users from copyright “trolls” bullying them into bogus legal settlements;

Privacy

EFF conducted groundbreaking research on privacy and security, and used the findings to lobby for improved user protections; and

Free Speech icon

EFF collaborated with local groups throughout the world to advance privacy and free expression through technology.

These victories were only possible thanks to donations from individuals like you. Charity Navigator, a leading evaluator of non-profit efficiency, has given EFF its highest rating — we make each and every contribution count in the fight for freedom on the electronic frontier.

Choose to support digital freedom and secure your civil liberties today with a year-end gift to EFF.

Donate Today!

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Osama bin Laden threatens French troops, France announces pullout from Afghanistan – but there’s no link. Right.

France caves to threats, submits to Sharia Law. Big surprise.

“France is leaving Afghanistan. Though President Obama has committed to reducing America’s footprint in Afghanistan beginning July 2011, the withdrawal of another ally is likely to add an additional layer of challenge to maneuver that reduction. And the timing of the announcement has put France’s decision under some scrutiny.

France’s announcement came a day after the release of a tape with a message believed to be from Osama Bin Laden, who threatened to attack French citizens because of their presence in Afghanistan and treatment of Muslims. French officials were quick to insist that there is “absolutely no link” between the threat and their decision to begin withdrawing troops in 2011.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/1028/Osama-bin-Laden-threatens-French-troops-France-announces-pullout-from-Afghanistan

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“You don’t understand…”

A friend of mine joined the Navy and soon after had to attend a wedding. He asked an officer for a pass and was told he had to be back by 7 p.m. Sunday.

“You don’t understand, sir,” my friend said. “I’m in the wedding.”

“No, YOU don’t understand,” the officer replied. “You’re in the Navy.”

http://www.facebook.com/mikeysfunnies

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Northrop Arms Robot Pack Mule With Big Gun


Jon Anderson has seen a lot of gawkers pause at his Northrop Grumman booth in the Association of the U.S. Army’s Washington conference. Not that he’s odd-looking or off-putting: He’s a gregarious guy. The stares he’s getting are about the .50 caliber M2 machine gun he’s got mounted on a treaded robot — something Northrop isn’t even selling right now.

“Quite frankly,” explains Anderson, a Northrop advanced-systems employee with short white hair and a whiter smile, “a weapon on a robot brings people into the booth.”

That it does. For the past few years, Northrop has produced a treaded, 60-inch robot vehicle to help troops haul their gear called the Carry-all Mechanized Equipment Landrover, or CaMEL.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/10/what-robo-haulers-need-now-big-guns/#ixzz13bONTR48

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Darpa: Fuse Nerves With Robot Limbs, Make Prosthetics Feel Real

Controlling robotic limbs with your brain is just step one. The Pentagon eventually wants artificial arms and legs to feel and perform just the same as naturally grown ones. Which means step two is hooking up those prosthetics directly into severed nerves. That’ll allow the wearer to detect subtle sensations, respond to the brain’s neural signals, move with unprecedented agility, and “incorporat[e] the limb into the sense-of-self.”

Darpa: Fuse Nerves With Robot Limbs, Make Prosthetics Feel Real | Danger Room | Wired.com.

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Would-be Terrorist Arrested in Hawaii

From:  FBI
According to the complaint, in early 2008, Shehadeh, at the time a resident of Staten Island, New York, devised a plan to travel to Pakistan in order to join the Taliban or a similar fighting group. In furtherance of his plan, on June 13, 2008, Shehadeh flew on a one-way airline ticket from John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, to Islamabad, Pakistan. Upon landing in Pakistan, Shehadeh was denied entry into the country by Pakistani officials, and he returned to the United States. He was questioned by FBI agents and NYPD detectives on multiple occasions about the purpose of his trip to Pakistan, and he told them that he had traveled to Pakistan in order to visit an Islamic university and to attend a friend’s wedding. The complaint alleges that Shehadeh subsequently admitted to FBI agents in Hawaii that the true purpose of his trip to Pakistan was to join a fighting group such as the Taliban. The complaint also alleges that Shehadeh attempted to recruit another individual to join him for this purpose immediately after the two discussed a sermon by the cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

According to the complaint, several weeks after Shehadeh was denied entry to Pakistan, he attempted to enlist in the United States Army at the Times Square recruiting station in New York City. Shehadeh’s application was denied when it was discovered that he had concealed his prior trip to Pakistan. Although Shehadeh claimed that he attempted to enlist for career opportunities and benefits, the complaint alleges that his true motive was to deploy to Iraq, where he intended to desert and fight against the United States military alongside Iraqi insurgent forces.

In addition, the complaint alleges that Shehadeh created and administered multiple websites dedicated to spreading violent jihadist ideology. The content of these websites included, among other things, speeches from known al Qaeda leaders such as Abu Yahya al-Libi and Ayman al-Zawahiri.

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U.S. Midterm Elections, Obama and Iran

U.S. Midterm Elections, Obama and Iran is republished with permission of STRATFOR.

By George Friedman

We are a week away from the 2010 U.S. midterm elections. The outcome is already locked in. Whether the Republicans take the House or the Senate is close to immaterial. It is almost certain that the dynamics of American domestic politics will change. The Democrats will lose their ability to impose cloture in the Senate and thereby shut off debate. Whether they lose the House or not, the Democrats will lose the ability to pass legislation at the will of the House Democratic leadership. The large majority held by the Democrats will be gone, and party discipline will not be strong enough (it never is) to prevent some defections.

Should the Republicans win an overwhelming victory in both houses next week, they will still not have the votes to override presidential vetoes. Therefore they will not be able to legislate unilaterally, and if any legislation is to be passed it will have to be the result of negotiations between the president and the Republican Congressional leadership. Thus, whether the Democrats do better than expected or the Republicans win a massive victory, the practical result will be the same.

When we consider the difficulties President Barack Obama had passing his health care legislation, even with powerful majorities in both houses, it is clear that he will not be able to push through any significant legislation without Republican agreement. The result will either be gridlock or a very different legislative agenda than we have seen in the first two years. Read the rest of this entry »

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NY City wants to prohibit litterbugs, bad drivers from having gun permits

New York City residents who want to own a gun may soon be denied permits if they are litterbugs, if they are bad drivers, or if they have fallen behind on a few bills.

Under proposed revisions to the police department’s handgun, rifle and shotgun permit procedures, the NYPD can reject gun license applicants for a number of reasons, including:

If they have been arrested or convicted of almost any “violation,” in any state; having a “poor driving history”; having been fired for “circumstances that demonstrate lack of good judgment”; having “failed to pay legally required debts”; being deemed to lack “good moral character”; or if any other information demonstrates “other good cause for the denial of the permit.”

Critics say many of the restrictions are vague, have nothing to do with one’s fitness to own a gun and are unconstitutional.

Supporters say the new restrictions will make gun purchasing more efficient and don’t give the NYPD any more power than it already has. Read the rest of this entry »

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Air Force Pararescue – Helmand Province Afghanistan

From: Michael Yon

More great photos and words from Michael Yon. Read the whole dispatch.

The last mission.  Just under 400 on this tour, and I had the honor of going along.  We’ll never know how many lives the Pedro crews saved this year in Afghanistan, but it was a lot.  A book could be written about their tour, but alas, this is likely about all the recognition they will ever get.  The two crews that I did missions with were:

Pedro 35
Maj Mathew Wenthe
1Lt Josh Roberts
CMSgt Rick Nowaski
TSgt Christopher Gabor
Capt Dave Depiazza
TSgt Tom Pearce
SrA Eric Mathieson

Pedro 36
Maj Mitzi Egger
Capt Adam Tucci
MSgt James Patterson
SrA Adrian Jarrin
SSgt Joe Signor
SrA Anthony Daroste
SrA Alejandro Serrano

Read the whole dispatch.

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