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It Is Done…

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Looks like I’ll be meeting and hanging out with a bunch of you the beginning of September. Joe mentioned the Gun Blogger Rendezvous last May and I was planning on going.  I saw this and really started itching.

Then I had some unexpected expenses and well the wife an I live in a budget.  We’ve stopped using our credit cards and are paying down our debt as quickly as possible so when I dipped into the savings fund I said, “Well there’s always next year.”

I saw Joe last weekend and we ended up talking about it and his travel plans have changed.  Initially it still seemed like it wouldn’t work and it was going to kill a bunch of extra time since the point of departure wouldn’t equal the point of return.  On the way home from the Boomershoot site I had an idea on how to make that work.  I told Joe I’d let him know this week yea or nay.

Then earlier this week I got an email at work, the company calendar uses photos taken by employees.  I didn’t get a submission in this year because I didn’t have time to prep the photos I was going to submit.  They did however look at my submissions from last year and they want to use some of them.  They pay the employees for the use of the pictures.  It’s not set it in stone, it’s a risk we can take it though because even without it we could do it, it would just be tight.  I suspect it’s one of the following though:

So this morning I dropped my check to Mr. Completely into my mail box along with the GBR-VII form.  My leave request has been approved so at this point I will be at GBR!  So it looks like I’ll be seeing David, Kevin (for the first time since 2009) and Derek (again since 2009) again.  If you’re going, find me and say hi.  Seriously I’m kind of hard to miss.

SSCC #384–Phoenix

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It’s been a while since we’ve seen one like this.

A Phoenix police officer has been arrested and could face several felony charges of sexual misconduct with two teenage boys.

…

Garcia said the alleged victims were 14 and 17-year-old Phoenix boys who knowingly entered into a relationship with Wilson. He said Wilson met them through his job as a community outreach officer.

This is one I’m just going to let stand on it’s own.

State Sponsored Criminal #384: Christopher J. Wilson

Because the best way to find underage boys is to work as a cop, you can be trusted then right?

via David N.

On Complacency

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Ry bumped me this by email and it’s worth watching both video’s.  Warning people get shot and people die. (For those of you using RSS, the video isn’t embedding correctly, click here.)

Here’s a better view of the video with the section we really care about.  Watch carefully starting at 1:33.

You will see as the officer opens the door the assailant sticks his arm out and fires a gun at contact range.

Please note while often through the State Sponsored Criminal Count it seems like I’m callous and have no respect for the danger police officers are in that is anything but true.  I have plenty of respect and this video above shows exactly how dangerous it can be.  Why I do the count is for a different time because from what I could see in the video, this officer had done no wrong with regards to the rights of the people involved.

But what happened?  As Ry said “Getting behind the OODA loop,” which I can certainly see in this case.  What strikes me more though is a complacency that appears since already one individual is in cuffs and everything appears to be calm and routine.  The cops figure if there was going to be an issue it would have already happened.  Then without warning things turn south.  The calm and routine is usually where you end up in trouble because your brain expects a different outcome.

The officer that was shot at contact distance didn’t really even have a chance.  By the time he realized what was happening the hammer was starting to fall.  The other officer was obviously taken off guard as well.  The were taken so off guard he had problems integrating the new information into their OODA loop.  The officer is reacting as if they were in Condition White and have trouble, as Cooper said, transitioning the levels to “The Fight is On”.

Take away’s as a sheep dog.  Just because something seems kosher doesn’t actually mean all is well and safe.  Never leave condition yellow around anyone that might be dangerous.  In this case as an officer, I can understand being in Orange even especially during a traffic stop.  However that line to Red must be clearly defined and you must not false trip.

Further as a wolf in sheep’s clothing you can play this same trick on criminals attempting to use you as prey.  If you recognize a predator, and for some reason you passed the interview, you can make them think their crime will be routine when in the end it will be anything but.  It’s more likely to lock them up because they will not have planned for that eventuality, it normally goes south for them when they can easily make an exit.  You must be careful in that game because letting them close distance is usually a bad thing.

Anyone else pull any different lessons or observations out of those videos?

My heart goes out to that officers family because he didn’t deserve that, he was doing his job and from what I saw, he was doing it honestly and admirably which is worthy of praise. It pleases me to also be able to report the following:

Jerry Lard, who was a passenger in the back seat of the stopped car, was convicted last month of capital murder for killing Schmidt. He has been sentenced to death.

Disappointingly I’m sure it won’t happen for a very long time.

Quote of the Day – Says Uncle (8/9/2012)

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And people seem to think big truck means cut them off. Seriously, people, this things don’t come to a stop fast. Knock that off. A F550 nailing your Prius won’t go well.

Say Uncle – Blogging Notes
8/1/2012

[It’s that time of the summer again. All the college students are coming back into town and I usually discover this is the case by narrowly avoiding accidents a couple of days in a row as people cut off and generally disrespect my truck.

It is amazing the number of people who seem to think that my truck since it doesn’t accelerate like a sports car must stop like a brick hitting the ground.  Umm, no, you see there’s this thing called Newton’s laws of motion.  That combined with momentum means that the next time you decide to whip around me and cut me off, I may not be able to slow down enough so that your right rear quarter doesn’t hit my front bumper.

If you see a full size truck on the road, respect it.  Also realize that the space he’s leaving between him and the vehicle in front of him is not so you can barely squeeze in, it’s so he doesn’t run that person over.  Also if you pull out in front of one at close range, on the highway no less, you better be testing your 0-60 time.  If that truck slams on his brakes, don’t act surprised and flip the bird when he passes you as you’re also doing 5 under.  Remember, might makes right, and well, your little Subaru isn’t a match for the truck.  [end rant] -B]

SSCC #383–IMPD

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Here’s another from RobertaX.

Also during the past five months, Ratcliff has continued to stalk and harass a woman who has been the object of his obsession for years, according to Marion County prosecutors who charged him Thursday. He faces three felony counts of stalking, one misdemeanor count of battery and 26 misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy.

Here’s a question, why was he still employed as a police officer during that time if he was harassing and stalking a woman?  I guess the IMPD believes in giving predators every advantage.

State Sponsored Criminal #383: Craig Ratcliff

Because an officer of the law stalking a someone is perfectly acceptable and while we disarm the general public we should leave them with their badge and gun to use against their victim.*

*Note, I don’t like how many of the DV laws work for this reason amongst others.  It is too easy to use against someone who is actually innocent and is often used as a tactic to harass someone through the legal system, but the futility is obvious when some how when a cop does it he’s special.

Irony, It is Strong With This

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So I got an email from a friend this afternoon pointing me to a particular government document.  He told me to check out the new additions at the end.  We had both filled them out previously while at the NROTC Unit, and while I try to keep mine up to date in case it’s need for a future employment opportunity, the last time I looked at the form was in 2009 updating information after buying our house.

Well it has gone from 13 pages to 127 pages since the last I looked, but what is most interesting is the addition of Section 29.

 

That wasn’t too bad but I started laughing hysterically when I arrived at 29.5.

Tell me, how can one work for the DEA, FBI or god forbid the ATF and honestly answer that question with a “No”?  Doubly entertaining is this is a form geared towards protecting national security.  So the question of your association record is really this:

Have you EVER been a member of an organization that advocates or practices commission of acts of force or violence to discourage others from exercising their rights under the U.S. Constitution or any state of the United States with the specific intent to further such action? Any organization that is a part of, or under the direct guidance of the US Government is excepted.

Think about it, any law enforcement agency that has turned the other way when caught physically assaulting people lawfully exercising their rights is guilty of that violation.  Our government, more specifically people in its employ, has gone well beyond he limitations set out within the Constitution, yet they are exempted from being held accountable for their abuses.  Most entertaining though is the ATF and Operation Fast and Furious since it meets the definition provided by them in almost a textbook fashion.

What I find most entertaining is I have no doubt that should the day ever come I need to file this paper work I know this blog will be scavenged and the interviewer will use this commentary against me.  The DHS for example has classified me as a possible terrorist through numerous methods even though I have never associated with, thought about or attempted an act of terrorism.  Yet a real act of terrorism is merely PTSD and I’m the real threat.

Yeah that realization stopped any laughter and humor I was feeling from the irony.  It is becoming more and more obvious that the government is doing everything it can to further the wedge between itself and the people.  I need a drink.

Quote of the Day – John Robb (8/8/2012)

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While there are still some details to sort out, it’s pretty clear that making weapons at home using 3-D printers from commonly available materials is going to become much more commonplace in the near future. In fact, as 3-D printing technology matures, materials feedstock improves, and designs for weapons proliferate, we might soon see the day when nearly everyone will be able to print the weapons of their choice in the numbers they desire, all within the privacy of their own homes.

John Robb – A Working Assault Rifle Made With a 3-D Printer

Popular Science (7/26/2012)

[When even Popular Science is admitting the obvious we all see, it makes me ponder how much longer our opponents will remain in denial.  Every once in a while we see glimmers of anger.

I will say this right now though.  There will be no bargaining.  We will not negotiate with those who would deprive us our rights.  Their attitude towards us has been scorched earth, if only by piece meal.  It has been us who have compromised historically, no more.  It is time to sweep these people into the dust bin of history with the likes of other bigots throughout history. -B]

ht Sebastian