NASCAR

My first NASCAR Race.

Day one-was a rain out.  The BBQ'ing and our attempt to ride it out only succeeded in getting every ounce of my clothes soaked and new found appreciation for deodorant as the six of us huddled under a tiny canopy.

Day two-the track was about 1/3 full and it was a great time.

Ecclesiastes 9:11
I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

Impermanence

If you have read the blog for any amount of time you would have noticed that I post tickets, pamphlets, things which have a very temporal existence.  Watching the history channel, Antiques Roadshow, Pawn Stars and the like, there always is a section about an item that no one knows about and no one preserved an example of one.  It struck me about the impermanence of everyday items we take for granted.  I scan and post something I ran across, found or attended so I can, in a very small way, add to the collective archiving of our lives of the things that have no permanence.

Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

I haven't Stopped Blogging I Just lost track of time...for a month

Wow neglected the blog there...but I'm back...

Survival starts with Preparation-Unconventional Attack-Maps

A lot of intelligence was flying around about possible terrorist attacks and it got all of us put on alert for the weekend of 9-11.  But it got me thinking about how should we respond to the consent threat of attack but the rare execution of the threat.

It's through preparation.  It allows you to be ready and yet live your life outside of consent fear. Its not expensive  and it provides for a piece of mind.

*Disclaimer*  I am not an expert.  I just have a bunch of low level training and like basic research.  These should only be considered suggestions and not recommendations in anyway.  Further if I miss something let me know and I'll add it in.

There are two basic kinds of attacks.  They are conventional (bomb, armed terrorists) and unconventional (Nuclear, Biological).  You really can think of it this way:  conventional your radius of escape is relatively small and the duration of the danger is relatively short and unconventional, your radius of escape is long and the duration can be very long.  Further, if it is biological, contact with your fellow survivors can put you at further risk.

What you need.  I will start with unconventional terrorist attack.  I am going to assume that you have escaped from the epicenter and managed to find your way to your vehicle.

1.  Map.  Find out your gas mileage and your gas tank capacity.   Draw a radius on your map, this will be you r operational range.  This is what you need to mark.  Find all military bases, national guard depots (a careful internet search can reveal major fuel depots), BSL-3 and BSL-4 biological research centers, small local medical clinics, veterinary clinics, water pumping stations, food pantries , nuclear power plants and rural college campuses.

Break down:  Military bases is an obvious one it can provide protection, medical, fuel, water, gear etc.  But in an attack their number one priority is to remain operational so that they can provide a continuing response to the attack and its after affects.  They may or may not let you in.

National guard depots-they tend to be lightly manned but chock full of useful stuff.  Fuel, food, vehicles, medical supplies.  They tend to be tucked away and not well known but once again a ten second internet search will provide you with the details you need.  The downside is they are very lightly or if at all manned if you need help you are probably on your own.

BSL-3 and BSL-4 biological research facilities.  They are the one place you can run to and be fairly assured that the Small Pox or Ebola can not get in.  They will also become the epicenter of the coming response.  The major problem is lack of food, water and their existing security.  In a crisis they will be very hard to enter.

Small local clinics and Veterinary clinics.  If its a biological release it will take very few inflicted or radiated patients to shut down even the largest of hospitals.  If you want to read a scary bed time story, look up for largest local hospital and find their on file preparedness plan.  What you will find if that in the case of Small Pox for example it will only take 3 or 4 to shut the whole operation down.  So, you need medical supplies and maybe someone to perform a service to fix that which is broken, these will be the only places operational in the short term.  (Dogs leg, you leg really not much of a difference).

Water Pumping Stations:  They tend to be in industrial areas with little actual population.  They are built to protect the area in case a pipe blows and their power supply is dedicated so it would take a major local disturbance to cut its power.  So they are fortified, they will probably have power, they have no one around and now you have water.  Hunker down and wait.

Food Pantries-You need food.  You need food that will not easily spoil and in a place most people will not think to pillage.  It is here.  Churches would be the best bet.

Nuclear Power Plants.  They are never near populated areas.  They have their own armed security force. They have their own water supply to cool the uranium rods.  They have limitless independent power.  They are fortified-once from attack and once for accidental detonation.  They have mandatory food and medical supplies.  Some even have air purifiers and bunkers.  Problem is getting in and if their staff is first to be affected by whatever has happened, this perfect escape place becomes a secondary detonation.

 Lastly Rural College Campuses.  They are away from population centers.  They tend to be agriculture based so now you have the ability to sustain your food supply.  If they are pre-1970 they will have the then mandated bunkers.  They will have on site food preparation and supply centers.  They have a huge knowledge base.  Most have their own armed police force.  They have the ability and equipment to sustain complex mechanical and chemical systems.  The downside is getting to them due to their location and they are usually unregulated as to entrances and exits.  If your running from the biological hazard its going to find its way over to you, eventually.

End of Part One

1 Kings 18:4
While Jezebel was killing off the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)

1996 White Sox Tickets...Vintage Memories

Christian Cops of the Old West

When I was writing the previous post I started wondering, who were the Christian Law Enforcement/Sheriffs in the Old West, and why don't I know about any of them.  I knew I had to fix that issue.

Here is a brief summary of what I found.  My occupational forbears who sought to provide justice in the shadow of the Cross.

John Oliver Allen (1850-1928) - A cowboy and Texas Ranger, Allen was born in Kaufman County, Texas on June 22, 1850. Raised on the frontier, he became a cowboy as a young man and enlisted in Rufus Perry's Company D of the Texas Rangers in early 1874. Though he served less than a year in the Rangers, he was wounded four times in Indian skirmishes and would later say that in one battle, every ranger other than himself had been killed. After leaving the Texas Rangers, he later settled at Cookville, Texas and became a chaplain for the Texas Ex-Rangers' Association. He died at Edinburg, Texas on June 7, 1928.

And...well that's it.  I spent two hours combing the internet and that's all I could find.  There most be a book in here for a group of men that clearly have not received their proper recognition.  I couldn't even find a list of famous old west preachers.  I think I have found a hole in the research into the American Wild West.

The Second Half of a Cops Working Life.

The defined benefit pension that most Law Enforcement Professionals enjoy is a two edged sword.  The positive side has it attracting higher caliber individuals that understand that the offset of the lower pay and limited promotional opportunities is a guarantee of a set payment at retirement that adds a huge net value to your personal wealth upon retirement that is independent of economic up/down turns and is free of most fees and taxes.  The negative is that once the maximum benefit package/requirement are reached (most by 30 years of service and 50 + years of age) continued employment in Law Enforcement accomplishes little financial gain.

So anyone in Law Enforcement has to consider, plan and execute a second twenty career before they can truely retire.  The following is a quick list, in no particular order, of some of the second careers my fellow Officers have chosen.

1.  Dennis Farina-Chicago Police Officer-Actor (Law and Order, Midnight Run, Snatch)

2.  Charles Fredrick "Chuck" Adamson-Producer/Writer (Created Crime Story, the movie Heat was based on one of his cases)

3.  James Byron Huggins-Huntsville Police Department-Author, Christian Activist

4.  Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett-sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico-Customs Agent, Saloon owner.

5.  William Potts-Detroit Police Department-Inventor (Traffic Light (3 way))

6.   Patrick G. Ryan Jr.-Chicago PD-CEO at First Look

7.  Robbie Roberson-Inventor of the SOG SEAL Revolver knife

8.  Phil Queller-World Record Holder-Most Holes of Golf in a 12 hour period.

9.  Bryan Hammond-UK Police Officer-Painter (Not the wall kind)

10. Daniel Rodríguez-NYPD-Opera Singer

11. Bernard Ching-HPD-Actor (Hawii Five-O)

12. Theodore Roosevelt-NY Police Commissioner-President

13. Riding in the Squad with Christ Blogger-Law Officer-Zombie Killer

Ecclesiastes 3:22
So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

Most of the time we go to them but sometimes they come to us...

911?  Can you please send someone over to please arrest me?  Thanks.

Article Link http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-self-reported-parking-violation,0,616750.story

Man notifies Conn. police that he parked illegally in handicapped space, gets arrested


By Associated Press

6:33 a.m. CDT, August 26, 2011

SHELTON, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut authorities say a 29-year-old man was so upset about the lack of parking enforcement in his town that he parked his car illegally in a handicapped space and called police more than a dozen times before officers arrived and arrested him.

Shelton police say they had to subdue Michael Andes with a stun gun Thursday morning after he screamed at officers that they weren't doing their job and became combative. He was charged with breach of peace and interfering with an officer and was given a parking ticket.


Authorities say Andes first called police at 2 a.m. and yelled at a dispatcher.

Andes posted $1,000 bail and is due in court Sept. 6. There's no phone listing for Andes and it's not clear if he has a lawyer.

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Job security

Little Big Planet Enters Real Life

Anyone who has read this blog for any amount of time soon realizes that I am a gamer.  Beginning with an Atari 2600 for my tenth birthday to my Playstation 3 that currently sits in my office, hours and hours of gaming has gone by.

That said, I just stumbled into Little Big Planet.  I came to this party so late that Little Big Planet 2 is already out. A friend of my son gave a copy of the game to him so that they could play together on-line.  So I reached out grabbed by ten year old self by the roots and pulled him out and played the game too.

Loved it, usually do not like "plat-formers" but this was so unique and so well done that I play it even though I have to stop myself from throwing my controller into a wall every ten minutes or so.

The game got me thinking if anyone had replicated this game in real life.  Its aesthetic of a sock puppet in a diorama world should be able to be reproduced in the real world.  Sadly this was as close as I could find but it's really cool.  My kind of minds.  Enjoy.

  

Product Review 5.11 XPRT Tactical Boot 8"

Police Boots, they mean business.  It's the first piece of equipment that you spend time on and it signifies the beginning of the shift or the beginning of the operation and a physical marker for the mental shift from off, to on duty.  Good boots are made to be quickly forgotten, while bad ones will spend all their time reminding you they're on your feet and your feet, well, they'll remind you about bad boots for the next week.

I have had to opportunity to try 5.11 XPRT Tactical Boot (Link) for about two months.  I have and continue to recommend them to any Law Enforcement Professional without any fear that they will come back with a negative report.

My current assignment offers a unique testing ground for swat boots, since we are a soup-to-nuts contained unit.  We set perimeters (long standing time), we make entries (dynamic impact, quick movement), we hold the scene (very long standing time), contain and process evidence (bending, flexing), searches (a lot of walking), we interview (long periods of sitting) and just about everything a boot can be put through, we put it through.  My current record is thirty six hours on a take down and we did everything without outside help (long long day).  But we also spend a lot of time in "soft clothes" and don't have our feet conditioned to our boots 24/7.

Here's the point.  Most "good" boots do one of the previously mentioned things well.  They are excellent to stand in and offer some modest protection but the second you have to run in them or quickly kneel on the ground for cover, they cut and chafe.  Other boots offer maximum protection, an angry upright bull could not make you notice him while he trampled your toes, but stand in place for thirty minutes you soon find your feet, ankle and calves cramping and trying to escape.  Finally, there are the boots that try to fill in all the gaps and end up doing most things fine but excel at none of them.

However I have found that the 5.11 XPRT excelled for my every need.  I got the protection I needed, I got the flexibility and wear-ability I needed and I did go home raw and bleeding because I only put my boots on twice a week (calluses go quickly once you get out of day-to-day wear).

A couple of things I really liked.  They're Bloodborne pathogen resistant.  I was third in the stack, our entry teammate put the ram through the glass harder than he wanted.  Glass broke, cut up his arms and I crunched through the door on glass and his blood,  Great guy, but knowing his lifestyle I really, really, didn't want any to make permanent contact, if you know what I mean.

Second, the reinforced non-metallic toe.  We made entry and were greeted with a house full of steel entry doors, each had to be popped open.  Hit the door, door hit's the wall, hits my feet, feet fine.  I stopped wearing steel toed boots because of all the reports of accidental amputation once the force of the blow was great enough to curve the steel back into the foot. It was very nice to get that protection back without that worry.

Finally they were comfortable.  They fit, they stayed in place, they did not rub and they still held everything in place and tight.

They only thing I can not speak to is their durability.  I have had great boots and other equipment that I loved for the first couple of months but as the wear and tear built up they began to fail faster than they should have and became the same as substandard new equipment.  I do not see this in these boots but I will be writing a update to these boots six months from now followed by a third and final a year later to see how they fared in the long run.

Bottom line?  Pay the money get the boots. 

Police Resource

I was recently emailed by Chris who writes for Criminal Justice Degree (Site Link)and he has written an article called 40 Informative Forums for Law Enforcement Professionals (Link) that has a bunch of good links that any P.O. could use.  I think its worth a look.  There is never such a think as too little information.

I'm Back...wet and a little poorer, but still back.

Well its been interesting.  The hole in the roof, followed by the flood in the basement and the passing of my wife's Great Aunt have made for an interesting time.  My house looks like its owned by a hoarder with a split personality, one side as nothing the other side is stacked to the ceiling.

But I have managed to dig my computer out and posting will resume as things normalize around here.

We have kept a few things of my wife's great aunt to remember her by.  I have a large glass lamp (3' 2") sitting on my desk as I write this, that was in her home (pictured).

We are not defined by our things but sometimes, for others, our things can be signposts of places we have been and people we had once driven by together and one day will again.


Joshua 4:6-8

6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.

Lick my...history or Why I love history.

I have a love of eccentric history because it usually is better and more unique than any fiction out there.  I have not had many converts that have learned to love history as I do but here is just a sample of what they/you are missing.

From Wired Magazine...  Wired Link

FYI one of the Mozart Cannons is Leck mich im Arsch and Difficile lectu

Prototype: Gotz of the Iron Hand—Fierce Knight, Fearsome Prosthetic

• By Chris Baker  
• June 28, 2011  |  
• 12:00 pm  |  
• Wired July 2011

Photo: Gemeinde Jagsthausen

The Six Million Dollar Man, Darth Vader, Robocop—we have a passion for badasses who restore their mortal bodies with machinery. One of the earliest and most badassy cyborg action heroes was born 500 years ago in Württemberg, Germany. Gottfried “Götz” von Berlichingen grew up to become a knight of the Holy Roman Empire who robbed nobles and merchants in his free time. In 1504, he was struck by a cannonball during the Siege of Landshut. The impact ripped off his right hand and blew shrapnel from his sword and armor clean through his arm. It’s a miracle he survived. A normal man would’ve retired to a farmhouse on the Danube. Not Götz. He had an armorer fashion an iron limb with articulated fingers controlled by gears inside the prosthetic. With the appendage, he was able to grip anything from a sword to a quill pen. The handicapable warrior went on to cut an unholy swath across the continent for another 40 years, pillaging, murdering, and basically flipping the metal bird to authority. Götz became a Robin Hood-like figure in Germany, and his pioneering prosthetic was a symbol of the nation’s mechanical ingenuity. Goethe wrote a play about his exploits, and his famous battle cry, “Leck mich im Arsch!” (Lick my ass!), was celebrated by Mozart in not one but two canons. (True fact, look it up.)

PS:Wired magazine a great magazine...was reading it in the wire room between calls.

Status Update

Okay, things are normalizing at the homestead and hopefully regular blog posts to follow.  Threw more than 40 35-gallon trash bags into the alley, along with two play-school slides, a play-school wagon, a treadmill, an exercise bicycle, financial documents from 1991, a baby bounce up seat and well stuff to damaged to identify.

Further climbed on the roof with a buddy to tarp up the hole to keep water from rolling in, which went a little longer then projected when I made light of his weight problem and the ability of the roof to withstand it .  The work stoppage was cancelled when negations reached the correct ratio of apologies to free beer.  Meanwhile we are in a waiting pattern because of a conflict between the roofers and the insurance company.

So all that to say a couple of quick hits and a review of a great pair of tactical boots that I just tried from 5.11.  And by Friday hopefully normalcy and posting.

And as I am typing a storm just came in and what to do know?  Water is coming into the second floor playroom...yeah, home ownership, embrace it.

James 1:2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

Long Delay Between Posts

It been an interesting three weeks.  Death in the family, tree fell on roof causing a hole in probably the worst spot possible and basement flooding with about six inches of sewer water.  I am thinking that God is telling me that my home should really be a two story enclosed above ground pool.

Not my house but it sure felt like it for a while

12 year old boys-a quick guide

I had the good fortune (and probably his misfortune) to complete a home project with my 12-year-old son last Sunday.  The task consisted of cleaning the gutters, laying down heater coil so the  icicle farm that had been growing on the front stoop every winter would finally vacation south and finally, lay down some gutter guard so that the plants that are currently making our roof green will no longer have a matrix of dead leaf matter for growth.

The elements?  A 1950's two stage wooden ladder that weighs at least 75 pounds, a home that has a walk up first floor so the roof that we were working on was really about a story and a half off the ground and one easily distracted boy.

On to the brief guide for understanding the elements contained in 12 year old boys.

1.  They're Ninjas.  I do not remember ever receiving advanced convert infiltration and camouflage techniques in elementary school but then I did not go to private school like him.  I would go up the ladder, get to the top, realize that I needed the clippers, shout down to "Luke" and ask him to throw them up.  I would look down to find out why he is not answering and *poof* he was gone.  It was less than thirty seconds and somehow he got from the base of the ladder and into the house without making a sound.  I didn't even see the front door open and it was in full view!  I would then, clomp, clomp, down the ladder yelling his name and find him in the house in the bathroom or in the kitchen fixing a snack, sneaking television on the second floor bedroom or walking behind the garage in the alley behind the house.  I would yell at him for a bit, then bring him back to the ladder.  And...*poof* he was gone again.  I half expected to look up and see him escaping by hopping from one roof top to another, into the distance.

2.  They don't think past the immediate moment.  Luke was very excited to help with our project but it was clearly evident that it was not because he wanted a father-son day but rather he wanted to get on the roof.  I had to stop him from climbing the ladder directly behind me and multiple of times I had to answer the question, "When can I go on the roof?" with "when we have a second."  My final answer shot me straight back to when I was 12 and with my Dad.  "If you ask me one more time there will be no __________! (roof in this case)"  I tell Luke to hold the ladder. I have to get on the roof and check a few things and try to find out how the birds are getting into the chimney.   So I am up on the roof for about five minutes doing my best not to fall off and I look up and there is Luke (see item 1) standing next to me.  I look at the ladder nestled at an extremely vertical angle on one side of the house, which is why there needed to be a man holding the ladder at the ascent and the decent.  I look at my son and ask, "So the third man on our team is now holding the ladder?"  He looks at me and says, "Um there are only two of us..."  I look at him long and hard and ask, "right, so...since your here with me, who is going to hold the ladder so we can get off the roof?"  His response? "But I wanted to get on the roof."  Flash forward, I am laying on my back on the roof, one foot in the gutter, the other thrown as far as I can to the side of the sloping wall to brace myself, while I pull back on the ladder with one hand so that dumba#$, I mean, my son, can crawl over me, get on the ladder and descend to the bottom safely.  Oh and by the way he stepped on my leg in the process.

3.  They do not look at you when your talking to them.  This happened about a hundred times.  I would say, Luke we need to do, this and that.  You need to get this and go there.  I would be pointing at what I wanted him to take and where to go.  Each and every time...I mean, EACH AND EVERY TIME, he would start off in the wrong direction or could not find the item he needed.  I would have to say, "look, look at me I AM POINTING AT WHERE IT IS!!!!!!!!!"  Luke would then say, "Oh ok I did not know it was over there."  I would then remind him, "THAT's WHY I AM POINTING TO IT!!!!!!!!!!"

4.  They edit your conversation to suit their needs.  When I say, "Ok I am at a bad angle here, stay at the bottom of the ladder so I do not fall off".  Translates, "Hey when I get to the top of the ladder, that would be a great time to go inside and go the bathroom.  Oh and do not tell me your doing it."  When confronted with his action and what my request had been I get, "But you said fifteen weeks ago that I do not need to ask you every time I need to go the bathroom and you only need me to hold the ladder while you were going up".  I then had to remind him that I said, "Stay at the bottom, in other words: do not move, remain, man your post and don't F'en MOVE!"  To which the response is, "Oh I didn't understand that."

5.  They quit and they quit quickly.  "Ok, Luke.  We need to bring the ladder down, its heavy but I don't have to tell you that.  So your job is to simply grind this one leg down into the ground and don't let it move.  I'll bring down the rest of the ladder.  What ever you do, don't let that leg go anywhere."  So I start lowering the ladder by tilting it to the side and well, right before the entire ladder was horizontal to the ground the leg brakes free and the ladder turns into a see-saw with me as the fulcrum. I drop it and *crack* right into my shin.  After jumping around and increasing my physical fitness for the day, I ask, "why did you let go of the leg of the ladder?"  A long story then followed that could be summarized this way, it got hard so I let it go. Another example of this is the request every 15 minutes for a "break".  Yet strangely enough the "break" is never long enough and has no lasting affect since in the next 15 minutes a break would be requested again.

6.  If it is funny the first time saying it a thousand times more makes it even funnier.  I really don't have to explain this one much further.  I would say something that would strike Luke as funny and he would then, for the next two hours, quote me back to myself.  I would gently say to Luke, "Luke I know that is funny, that's why I said it to you.  I do not need you to say what I said back to me."  Which would stop Luke for about 10 milliseconds.  I have to admit you gotta love his gusto.  He laughed with the same level of intensity at the first telling as with the one thousand seven hundred and thirty-fourth telling of my cheesy one liner.

Father and son bonding...more keystone cop than family circus...at least in my household.

Proverbs 10:1
The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund

I had the opportunity to visit the memorial in Washington DC.  It is a sobering to realize how many Police Officers have given their lives keeping America safe and free.  It is a worthy cause to contribute too.  Their Link National Law Enforcement Memorial Their Blog http://nleomf.blogspot.com/

On the walls that surround a reflecting pool are the names of all the fallen.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Evangelizing in the Downtown

Another Pamphlet that was handed to me again when I was walking downtown.  What a great ministry.  Link: Rock of Israel  

Why the Police Learn to Dislike the Public

There is an old adage in Law Enforcement that says:  This would be a great job except for the people you work with and the people you serve.

There are many examples for why the Police learn to dislike the public.

Below is one such reason 

Story link from CNET http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20073165-71/man-takes-hostage-for-16-hours-updates-facebook/

JUNE 21, 2011 10:08 PM PDT
Man takes hostage for 16 hours, updates Facebook

"I'm currently in a standoff...kinda ugly, but ready for whatever."

This is, perhaps, not the average Facebook update. But it seems that it's one that was posted by Jason Valdez, 36, while he reportedly held a woman hostage for 16 hours.

According to the Associated Press, Valdez held the woman in a motel in Ogden, Utah. While he was there, he used Facebook to send messages to his friends and his family.
It seems that Valdez had barricaded himself and the hostage in the motel room after the police attempted to serve a warrant for a felony drug offense.

However, during the standoff, he even posted pictures of himself and her to Facebook, with the immortal update: "Got a cute 'Hostage' huh."

In reply, friends warned him about SWAT team members that were positioned in the bushes.

It didn't end well.

When the SWAT team stormed the motel room, Valdez reportedly shot himself and is now in critical condition.

However, the Facebook posts--and the replies--make for macabre reading.

For example, Valdez posted: "I'm currently in a stand off wit these shady [epithet] from old, kinda ugly but ready for whatever, I love u guyz and if I don't make it out of here alive that I'm in a better place and u were all great friends."

To which one acquaintance replied: "dude you're an idiot."

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

• People do not walk into the surgical theater where a friend/family member is under the knife and attempt to help the surgeon.  Why then do they attempt to intervene in a hostage crisis?
•  Warning him about how SWAT is positioned?  This creates the classic "Us against them" that some Officers develop.
• Read the comments in any of the new articles on line and they are predominately anti-Law Enforcement?  Think we do not  notice?
• Is she a victim or an accomplice?
• Finally after he has done all this, his family is still coming with the ridiculous lawsuit for wrongful death (if he dies-by his own hand which still will not matter) or depreciation of rights if he lives.  Either way the officers have to worry about their homes for the next decade or so.

*Sigh*

Paracord Survival Bracelet

My first one

One of Mine

I have begun wearing a paracord (550lbs minimum breaking strength) survival bracelet on my right wrist whenever I am on duty.   If you are not familiar with it, it is a bracelet woven and tied into a knot from one or more pieces of cord that when unraveled can provide, depending on wrist size, 14' to 24' of cord.  The bracelet is basically like carrying a loop of rope that you forget that you even have it with you until the need arrives.  It is also cheep, easy to get and all over the internet.  I only purchase mine (I have several in a bunch of different colors) that are either made by our military or organizations selling them as fund raisers for worthy charities.  Bear Grylls from Man Vs. Wild, wears one made by survival straps (Link: Survival Bracelet Purchase) and more importantly a lot of our troops overseas.  I would strongly recommend wearing one regardless of your mission, profession or duties it will come in handy for anyone. 

Cool Things-Getting the word out about Christ.

I was walking down the street in our downtown area heading for work, when I was handed this pamphlet on the street.  What a neat tract!  You have to reconstruct it with the fold with my two scans but it will make sense once that is done.  I always love the different ways people attempt to reach others for Jesus.

Cop Writers a Newspaper Article

I was told about this article in the paper in McComb Mississippi about the book “Stories of Faith and Courage from Cops on the Street,” compiled by Grant Wolf (2010, God & Country Press).  I have contributed a number of chapters to it also as has Lt Gill who is the subject of this article.  I receive/received nothing for my contribution so the link to purchase from Amazon that follows is my sincere recommendation that this book is a must read for anyone in law enforcement, family member of one in law enforcement, a well wisher, someone contemplating this employment  or everyone else for that matter.

http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Courage-Street-Battlefields-Blessings/dp/0899571123/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285910184&sr=8-1

The Article

WATCHMAN ON THE WALLS (Link News Article from Enterprise Journal)

By Ernest Herndon, Enterprise-Journal

A McComb police lieutenant is a contributor to a new book of writings from law enforcement officers around the world who share the importance of religious faith in their work.

Lt. Sean Gill has two chapters in “Stories of Faith and Courage from Cops on the Street,” compiled by Grant Wolf (2010, God & Country Press). The book consists of 365 one- to two-page entries, one for each day of the year.

Each of Gill’s chapters consists of a poem followed by a description of what inspired it.

“A Service Call” describes an officer’s feelings when the radio sounds, dispatching him to a scene. “Final Rest” was inspired by a train wreck that left three children dead.

Gill, 46, has been writing for around 20 years. After he became a Christian in 1997, his poems and essays turned to spiritual themes.

He ran across the book “The Peacekeepers: A Bible Study for Law Enforcement Officers” by Michael Dye of Florida. Gill read the book, contacted Dye, and they became friends.

Gill then found out about the Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers and joined. When then-president Grant Wolf issued a call for writings to compile in a book, Gill sent him some.

The resulting book came out in late 2010. It’s available at local bookstores and online, Gill said.

Gill, whose middle name is Aaron, signs his writings “from Aaron’s pen.” He plans eventually to compile his work into a book of his own.

Gill grew up in Bogalusa, La., where his father, the late John Wayne Gill, died of brain cancer when Sean was in high school.

He spent six years in the Army, including three in Italy. When he got out, he went to work for the New Orleans Police Department for a year, then applied to the McComb Police Department, where he’s been for 20 years.

Gill and his wife Tamara have two daughters, Hannah, 9, and Sarah, 7.

Gill was attending church at Thompson Baptist when he was baptized in the East Fork of the Amite River. He and Tamara attend Grace Temple Ministries of Hattiesburg, where they started going when she was a student at University of Southern Mississippi.

Two years ago he went on a short-term mission trip to Kenya, Africa, to help build a seminary.

Gill credits Tamara with leading him to Christ. “Tamara was the light of God’s world stepping down into the darkness of my life,” he said.

He sees police work as a calling from God and cites Bible passages that seem to support that view.

• Isaiah 62:6: “I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem.”

• Ezekiel 3:17: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.”

• Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

• Romans 13:4: “For he (governing authority) is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing.”

Gill also takes inspiration from Ephesians 6:10-20, which describes putting on the “armor of God.” Gill said he thinks about that when putting on his uniform.

“I’ve come to see that this is my purpose, what God is calling me to do,” Gill said of police work.

“He calls on us to serve Him in everything we do. My job as law enforcement officer is an intricate part of serving Him.”

Gill hopes people will read the new book. The writings, from officers across America and in other countries, describe incidents ranging from life-and-death experiences to day-to-day tasks.

“It will definitely give insight into law enforcement. That’s definitely what we need, given the negative stigma in law enforcement,” Gill said.

“Hopefully this will open up some of our fellow officers in, ‘Hey, this is where God placed me.’ ”

List-Point and Click Games (Best Of)

As previous postings assert, I am a gamer.  There are times where an excellent in depth, long duration game is appropriate and there are other times where a solid twenty to sixty minute game on-line is better.  The following is a list of games I have played and their links.  A "best of" from my personal experience.  The list in no particular order.

1.  Little Wheel -One of the best I have ever played... original, smart, intuitive, beautiful, excellent story line.

2.  Samorost 1-Original, original, original-organically beautiful, story a little simplistic.

3.  Dark Visions-Reminded me of the best of the early PC point and click games. Excellent story, some puzzles are not intuitive.

4.  The Dreamerz-excellent and hard.  Really enjoyed playing it and did I say it was hard?  Very unique and surreal, Oh and did I say it was hard?

5.  Loondon-beautiful, excellent story line, and again unique.  Puzzles too simple would have an incredible game if the two difficulty levels from Dreamerz and Loondon were combined.

6.  Alice is Dead-Point and Click macabre mystery very well done.  Has three episodes.

7.  Vorago-Its the end of the world-Christian point and click without the usual Davy or Goliath or the gentle love.  From the excellent studio Godlimations.com

8.  Bowja The Ninja-Excellent, simple, had me flashing back to the Gameland in Lake Geneva WI in the late 80's, may it RIP.

9.  Aurora-The Old West, Mystery, Super Natural...if it had Doctor Who in it with Resident Evil I would never have to play another game again.

10.  Monster Basement-another Godlimations...I like it but I really don't know why.

11.  Morningstar -Excellent if short, mystery-sci-fi, clicking brown on brown objects...

12.  Bela Kovacs and the Trail of Blood-Ambitious, Hungarian, doesn't quite work but I understood their drive and my increased cultural understanding of our brothers across the world...

13.   Colour My Fate-A proof of the less is more principle plus they spell color the European way, reminds me of all the reports that got kicked back because of the word "grey" and my Germanic sevens.

 14.   Owls Nest-Oh how I wanted this to be great...undead Nazi's how can that miss...well it does but only by a little and if you have time to kill and souls to eat its worth a play.

15.  Hetherdale-Excellent...what else is there to say...Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull of Doom (keep Lucas away from the director's chair) style done well.

16. Coma-Aspires to be little wheel and comes very close.  Very Playable.

17. Miestas 2-Arty with a dose of yuck.  Brilliant and yet very newspaper-y.

18. Treasure Box-Ok I guess I have a love of the "arty" games...play it...enjoy it...wonder at the mind that created it.

There you have it, about 20 hours for you to burn and also, well, enjoy.

1 Corinthians 9:25
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

PS:  Anyone need a consultant (free) for any point and click police games?  Or any games at all?  I am available.

*Sigh* still no calls... oh wait...not a game designer...*sigh*

Cool Things from the Tactical Gear Blog

Not at Tactical Gear Blog...

I received an email from the Tactical Gear Blog about two fairly cool things:

The first is a contest in which you can win a Suunto Core Watch (Its something I've always wanted, extremely cool) by posting your best "hardcore" story in 75 words or less on their web site or facebook page.

Link: Tactical Gear Blog Contest

The second is a Father's day gift idea list with a number of things I would like to receive from my two kids (Hint: helicopter- surveillance would be so much easier with my own helicopter) ...but it will probably be a tactical tie...its the thought that counts.

Link: Father's day gift list

Hope this resource helps.

PS:  Why does it make it so darn desirable when they paint it black and write tactical on it?

Spamalot Ticket

Our Lives are Governed by the Extremes not the Norms

I am, just like almost every Police Officer I know, a HUGE proponent of the concealed carry laws in 48 of our 50 states.  In most cases Police responses take six to eight minutes and require a phone call to start the response clock.  In that time frame, a lot of very unfortunate things can happen to you that if you would/could defend yourself, you would at least give us a chance to get their before your are permanently deprived of your possessions, your innocence, your sexuality or your life.

But, of course, to give the opposition the factual ammo to attempt to argue that you, as the average citizen, lack the capacity, the ability and the intelligence to protect yourself in a violent encounter and that you should wait till the experts arrive to help you, because the damage you would create attempting to keep yourself from being a victim would vastly outweigh the consequence of you being the victim, there is the extreme example that is used to (wrongly) prove their position (wow Steinbeck like sentence).

Here is that extreme example, that while I believe its uniqueness proves the rule that the vast majority of Americans are defending themselves in a logical, sane and well intentioned way,  the other side is currently pointing to, to have self defense be a governmental only task is the case of Jerome Ersland.  Below is the article from CBS (Link to CBS Story).

(CBS/KWTV/AP) - OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma City pharmacist now faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after being found guilty of murder for the death of a 16-year-old who tried to rob his store.

Confronted by two holdup men in May 2009, Ersland pulled out a gun, shot one of them in the head and chased the other away. The drugstore's security camera then filmed Ersland as he went behind the counter, got another gun, and pumped five more bullets into the wounded Antwun Parker as he lay on the floor.

The 59-year-old had been hailed as a hero for protecting two fellow employees.

The Ersland jury began deliberations around 1:00 p.m. Thursday and returned with a the guilty verdict around 4:30 p.m.  The verdict stunned the courtroom. Ersland, who many hailed as a hero, sat emotionless as the guilty verdict was read. People sitting behind him were noticeably upset.  Parker's mother and her sisters were inside the courtroom most of the trial, and burst out of the room when the verdict was read. They clung to each other and cried in the hallway in an outpouring of emotion.

Erlsand was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs with deputies surrounding him. The wife of the Reliable Pharmacy owner was seen crying as she left.

She was visibly stunned that the jury chose to find Ersland guilty of murder instead of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Judge Ray Elliott refused to lift the gag order so the prosecution, the defense, and the jury are not allowed to comment on the verdict. But we do know the jury had asked to see the surveillance video of the robbery and shooting one more time before they went up to deliberate.

Ersland will be sentenced July 11, the same day Anthony Morrison and Emanuel Mitchell will be sentenced. Morrison and Mitchell were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy for planning the robbery at Reliable Pharmacy.

Below is the link raw security camera footage from that day in 2009.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=eed_1243733340

Take a good look at the footage.  This is where he goes from hero, defending himself and two other employees from criminals that have no regard for another's life and becomes a murder.  Watch when he walks back into the store, walks past/over the fallen body of the robber who met real justice, quick, and up close, and does not glance at him or take any action that would suggest he still viewed the fallen robber as a continuing threat.  Yet he goes to the counter, retrieves another firearm, turns and empties it into the robber on the floor.

The simple rule is: if he/she is a continuing threat to your safety or the safety of others you can continue to take appropriate action against him/her.  If they are no longer a threat you have to stop.  He didn't stop.

You have a right to defend yourself.  Americans do not have to wait for governmental intervention to stop from becoming a victim, they can directly stop the victimizer.  The fact that this story is being told through all the nation media outlets and is being used by the side that does not believe you have the ability to help yourself demonstrates the uniqueness of this event.  What you do not hear is the thousand of times that the potential victim, stays potential and not actual.  You don't have long in-depth conversations about why water is wet.

PS:  The DA that charged him, asked the Judge to allow him to carry a handgun into the courtroom for his own protection.

Numbers 14:9
Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

Example of the "F" Decision

The below article is from Chicago Breaking News and is an example of the "F" decision.  He was driving, saw cute little ducklings that were in danger from that nasty high speed expressway, jumped out of his car and lost his life.  Had Edward taken a second to consider his decision, he would have come to the realization concerning the level of his personal risk (very high), his personal value (value: high) and that maybe these ducks (value: low) were on the wrong end of an immediate and dynamic act of natural selection.  For a full explanation concerning the "A" "C" and "F" decision making processes see blog entry on Tuesday June 7, 2011 (IE the one right before this one).


Man killed trying to remove ducklings from I-294
By Stacy St. Clair and Carlos Sadovi | Tribune reporters
May 31, 2011


(Handout photo)

A Naperville man attempting to help a family of ducklings safely cross Interstate Highway 294 was killed Monday when he was struck by a limousine, state police said.

Edward Gardner was traveling north when he pulled over near Schiller Park about 9:30 a.m. because he saw a family of ducklings on the tollway, Illinois State Police Sgt. Nick Hasan said. That’s when the limousine, which police said wasn’t speeding, hit him. Gardner's girlfriend was inside his vehicle.

The 38-year-old was pronounced dead about four hours later at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

“That’s totally Ed,” said Jim Gollwitzer, a longtime friend of Gardner’s. “That’s just how big of a heart he had.”

Gardner, who worked in the telecommunications industry, had dedicated much of his life to helping animals, Gollwitzer said. He spent his vacations volunteering at a wolf sanctuary in New Mexico, doing construction work and whatever odd jobs needed to be done there.

“He cared about animals,” Gollwitzer said. “It was one of his passions in life.”

Gardner’s other passion was muscle cars, in particular the 1960 Chevrolet Parkwood that he spent years restoring. Before Gardner purchased the station wagon, it had been used as an outdoor shed and was considered by many to be unsalvageable, Gollwitzer said.

But Gardner spent hours on the vehicle, transforming it from a rusted junker into an award-winning masterpiece. He painted it bright orange, a color choice he made while eating a bag of Cheetos in his garage one night.

To honor his gastronomic muse, he spray-painted a picture of mascot Chester Cheetah on the tailgate.

“He poured his heart into that car,” Gollwitzer said. “It meant a lot to him.”

It also meant a lot to car show crowds, who would gather around his car to reminisce about childhoods spent in Parkwood wagons. Gardner enjoyed listening to their stories and took great pride in the fact this car made people happy, Gollwitzer said.

The Parkwood won about 60 awards after Gardner began showing it, including several national prizes.

He recently disassembled the car to upgrade it in time for the summer show season. Members of his car club -- The Bad Bowties -- plan to put it back together in the coming days, said Gollwitzer, who is president of the club.

“It’s what Ed would have wanted,” he said. “It’s important that we do this for him.”

State police are investigating the incident, but no citations were issued to the driver of the limousine, Hasan said.

Quick Emotional Decisions make for...

I believe there are three types of decisions.  The "A" decision-the one that helps you.  The "C" decision-the one that does not help you but does not hurt you either, and the "F" decision-the one that hurts you.

Two huge factors in determining which type of decision will be the result of your the judgement you caste, is the decision time frame crossed with the level of emotion at the point of the choice.  Simply put, quick emotional decisions make for more "F" decisions and the opposite make for more "A" decisions.

I just recently spent a week in the hospital when my wife's great aunt was stricken ill and via the E.R. was placed into the I.C.U. (and I.C.U. too).  The relative is in her early nineties and does not get around easily but other than that her health is basically good.  She had developed Pneumonia and was having trouble breathing and fluid was building in her lungs.  When she made it to the I.C.U., they also discovered that she had a large bleeding ulcer in her stomach that required a tube to be inserted into her nose down to her stomach for drainage.  She also had an infection that required an IV drip of antibiotics.  She was in bad shape.  When we arrived, she did not look good, so I began trying to prepare my wife for the worst.  A short time later my mother-in-law arrived and the nurse then stepped into the room.

The nurse said, "Okay I was told by the doctor to wait till you got here to start the morphine drip, so I'll just start it now.

My mother-in-law then said, "Oh no your not, I know what the morphine is for (have you heard any songs by Youth In Asia?)...and it will depress her breathing so it will not be used."

The nurse, looking perplexed said, "I spoke to the doctor and he said...".

But my mother-looked-up and said, "I will not permit the morphine to be used."  The nurse then went away looking puzzled.

The next day the elder care physician came in and took the position that the morphine should be used to ease my wife's great aunt's suffering because this patient would not recover and it would be cruel to allow her to continue to suffer.  Again my mother-in-law said "no" and the doctor then stormed off.

Now my mother-in-law is a R.N. and had already planned for this eventuality (the relative/patient was in her early 90's after all) and had set up the parameters for the use of morphine or not, long before this day.  Now the rest of the family started rolling in.  One brother of my mother-in-law came in frantic and upset and decided morphine was the right thing to administer.  He was followed by his sister and then the other brother and all voted for the morphine.  Their decisions were made in the height of emotion and extremely quickly.

The conclusion?  The elder relatives infection is now gone, her ulcer has stopped bleeding and the tube has been pulled.  She is eating on her own and is now without any supplemental oxygen and will be leaving the I.C.U. any day now.

So the "A" decision was to keep her alive and the "F" decision would to have killed her with the morphine.  Too short decision time frame and too high emotionally would have killed the elderly patient had my mother-in-law not had the power of attorney and made a good decision before she arrived at the hospital.

End of the World!!!!!!!! Part, I don't know, sixty?

Its the end of the world...proof one hundred and sixty.







A Brief List of Zero Rated Movies and their box office revenue.








Zero Rated Movie                        Its Revenue


Sucker Punch                                  $89,792,502

Did You Hear About the Morgans?  $85,280,250

Saw IV                                            $139,352,633

Bratz                                                $26,013,153

Hostel: Part II                                  $35,619,512

The Devil's Rejects                          $19,390,029

Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo     $45,109,561

Wolf Creek                                     $27,762,648

The Life of David Gale                     $38,955,958



That's it!  Let's pack it all up! We're done here.  Let's find another planet to destroy.

References: listal, www.boxofficemojo.com, http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/ and www.imdb.com

Circus Ticket

Mentors-Bill Powers

I was cleaning out some of my basement and came across the obituary of one of my Law Enforcement mentors.

I came into this field honestly, IE, I was not a friend of the program either through family, interest or drive.  Rather, it first came across my perceptions while I was taking paramedic courses in college in Texas.  I realized during my hundreds of hours of on the road clinical time that the police can be proactive and paramedic/firemen can only be reactive.  The idea of preventing calamity rather than reacting to it was very appealing.  A few years later I found myself in the Police academy.

Fast forward nine years and I found myself in a professional crisis, due to a mixture of my mistakes and a management change that soon found me deselected from the fast track and placed me on the no track.  It was looking that I was going to be having a "meeting" once every eight working days on patrol for the rest of my career.  I began fishing around to advance myself outside of work.  I first did what everyone does in a crisis/test/trial I went back to God.  I started leading a small group at my church and set it for Tuesdays at 10:30am so that anyone who was a second shifter could have a Bible study.  It was a disastrous.  Just in case you are thinking of using that time, while there are a number of people who work afternoons and midnights that need bible study, there are also a number of people that are free during that time mainly due to complete insanity.  Anyway one day a Chicago Cop named Mike Touhy came in and had a prayer request for an old partner of his who had just been diagnosed with cancer, Bill Powers.  I soon called him, enrolled in the Master program he created and got to know him and learned of his love of the Lord.  I was amazed his career path was incredibly similar as mine and he managed to become deputy superintendent (my hopes are not half that high).  He provided me with some advice and things immediately got better back at the home department.  Because of his mentoring I was able to right a nearly sunken ship and I because a believer in the idea that everyone needs a Christian mentor.

A quick anecdote as to the kind of man he was.  My wife and I came to his home during his home hospice on the second to last day that he was on this earth.  When we arrived he was a sleep on the couch.  My wife and I were sitting across from him when he woke up.  He looked up and said, "(my name) how are things?  How is school going?  How are things back at the department, any better?"  I said, "How am I doing!?! I think the only thing that matters today is how your doing!"  He looked up at me, sighed and said, "I know how I am but I want to know how you are."  He then made me answer his questions.  That was the man that he was and a man that I have tried to emulate as I have moved forward in my life.  Below is his obituary.

 
Link to Mike Touhy's truck stop ministry:
Transport for Christ




and a quick article about it