Stalker Reported at Local College!

On a small college campus about an hour’s drive from this desk, there have been reports of an unidentified man stalking a few of the coeds to the safety of their cars or the shelter of a local business.

This bothered me when I read it. I have a daughter that is in 10th grade with every intention to go to a University for her chosen pursuit, but there are no schools within a days drive. If I can’t be there – I can’t protect her, I thought! She was mesmerized as a little girl and would watch for hrs. as my “best” students and I would hold “private” training sessions here at the house.

She’d stumble out to the garage as a toddler and climb up onto a folding chair and watch her big brother and Uncle train with me on the bags mounted inside. Since Jr. High she has acted as if martial arts is a pain in the butt, and not even engaging in conversation about them. “It’s stupid” and “I’m sick of that” became her response. So much for Dad’s plan of teaching her serious skills before she left the home.

When she was old enough to “rough house”, I already had a foam rubber baton in her hand to play “sword fighting” with Dad. She loved that – and still does – I found out the other day, after a small tussle in the living room. I picked up a foam baton and tossed it to her saying “let’s go” and she was wailing on me in no time flat. My goal was to teach her a solid base of Escrima (Filipino stick and knife fighting) by means of play fighting with the “toys” and “some day in the future” has arrived.

We were discussing this “stalker” and I told her to get up and I’d be the stalker and do some grabs and other menacing postures and asked if she’d please show me what she’d do to protect herself. She said she didn’t feel like it which frustrated me no end. Being thoroughly disappointed, I muttered to her that she’d end up being a statistic if she didn’t have the smallest clues on how to either extricate herself from a dangerous situation, or to actually have to fight her way out. I recall saying something like “you’ll wish you learned all of this at your own speed – private lessons for free, and with a genuine expert instructor – your Daddy”! She remarked that she’d told me the last couple of times I mentioned it, that she had said “ok then – I’m ready to start”. I never heard it but it did sound familiar, so she must have seen the value and answered me positively – while in a funk over the whole matter – and I never heard it.

Not losing a moment, I ran over to the foam batons and tossed one to her and allowed her to start wailing on me. This makes her very happy and gets her aggressions out – until she ends up laughing so hard from whipping Daddy so fiercely. Of course she rarely scores a hit (to a target area) and is very happy to allow me to practice my defense. Soon she will realize that she has the skills to mount a formidable attack with a real baton of rattan, or one of a couple lightweight steel batons. When that time arrives I will teach her the blocks and counter strikes, while weaning her off the dummy baton and into a real combat baton. Once she has the 12 strike system down (by the end of this summer) I hope, she will be ready to substitute “live edged”, razor sharp blades as well. The student uses the same techniques but they may be used with batons, with butterfly knives or other suitable fighting blades.

This turn of events is most encouraging. If I can impart 1/2 of what I think she’s capable of in these next two years, she will be ready for any mugger or stalker, who will get the thrashing of his life if he should bother my daughter. We’ve also been shooting various handguns for 3 yrs. on a “hit or miss” schedule, but enough where she is becoming an excellent pistol shot. I have been alternating between revolvers and auto-loaders, so that she is comfortable in using either type. My biggest challenge is being able to masquerade this training as “fun” and knowing when “enough is enough”. To push too hard would be disastrous, and probably end with her quitting. So for now, it’s just going to stay close to the same, only I’ll be turning up the heat very slowly.

There’s nothing more tragic than seeing your child victimized, except actually losing a child or loved one to some deranged maniac. Teach your children well, it’s an investment that always pays off big – it’s not such a beautiful world outside of your home anymore – is it now?

Lunacy or Heroic?

This movie was recently aired on TV and there are chasms of difference in viewer’s opinions, when I’ve asked if they saw it. Some people feel that Treadwell (and Huguenard by being party) “got what they had coming” or “deserved”. I feel the better response was his friend saying “no one ‘deserves’ to be torn apart by a wild animal and eaten alive”. I didn’t feel as angry as some were disposed toward Treadwell. I enjoyed his rants and raves, his mood swings, and was mortified by his “gentle warrior” thing and patting gigantic grizzly bears as they walked up to him. Not this guy – not without a 12 ga. stainless “Defender” with magazine extension, 3″ mag. and rifled slugs. And then, still crapping my pants and probably too nervous to take a steady picture! Here’s an opinion that basically represents critics:

“Treadwell displayed behavior suggestive of manic depressive disorder, or cyclothymic disorder, or histrionic personality disorder.” The person stating this is not a Doctor. Treadwell openly admitted he was getting off (staying off) drugs with bear research and enjoyed the adrenaline rush of it all.

So the guy was a little eccentric at times – but put yourself in his shoes (alone for months) and you’d be talking to yourself and hamming it up for the camera too. He was after all, shooting all kinds of crap for any possible use in the movie.

And

“I also thought that he was a closet homosexual who could not accept his sexual orientation. In the film, Treadwell talks about wishing he were gay because it would be easier, but he denies being gay. He also talks about how he has trouble with keeping relationships with girls.”

Maybe Treadwell was secure enough to say stuff like that w/o feeling like a “fag” – he was a thinker without a “filter” on his mouth when talking to the camera – we obviously wouldn’t have seen that if he’d survived. He kept the company of women his whole life, that’s irrefutable and this opinion is ridiculous. The film documents a few women that he had been in relationships with, some sounded fairly long term.

And

“This self-proclaimed protector of animals and nature displays his hypocrisy in at least 2 scenes. When Treadwell stumbles upon poachers who throw rocks at a baby cub, all he does is hide behind a bush and criticizes the hunters for hurting the bear. Not quite what a “protector” would do. Also, when Treadwell discovers the dead fox, he gets angry for the destruction and death that exists in this world. However, he doesn’t blink twice to try to swap a fly that is buzzing around the fox. Obviously he shows no respect for the fly, which is also a living organism.”

Obviously this person didn’t see the signs and notes that people were starting to leave in the area of his camp and that he was feeling freaked out about it. He felt threatened by poachers and uneasy for his safety. Tour guides didn’t like him shooing them off or even being there at all. They were trying to make a buck, and this Grizzly Guy *&%hole was making them look bad now and then. I recall in that scene that there were 4 or 5 men in that boat and I think firearms as well. No wonder he hid and mentioned he was going to “record this” (he filmed it) in an angry tone of voice. As far as him swatting the fly off of the dead fox, while philosophizing his anger at destruction and death – it was just a reaction and doesn’t make him a “killer” and “fly poacher” – no threat to the fly population. His thoughts that the scene provoked, are still valid, and have been expressed throughout time.

Treadwell abhorred the use of firearms but the only parting advice I may have given to him and anyone who ever travels outdoors in grizzly bear country is this. Arm yourself to the teeth, and get “EPA approved & effective” Guard Alaska bear pepper spray. I’m certain that in the moments he was first bitten that even Treadwell would have opted for giving that bear a hell of a dose of non-lethal 20% pepper spray in the eyes, mouth and nose. He’d have been here to see his award winning film. That’s just my opinion though. I gave this film about 7.5 on a scale of 1 – 10.

Tell it to the FBI!

We had a man of Kuwaiti citizenship contact our company awhile back. This guy wanted every dangerous weapon and substance know to man shipped to him at his address. We told him we’d get back to him. I discussed this with my partners in crime (fighting) and decided to work the guy for whatever info we could get. This was post 911 and pre-Iraq days. We felt like the knives, stun guns, mace and steel batons would be used against our guys or to torture and hurt innocent people.

How did we come up with this decision? It was quite simple, the man gave us his “shipping address” (same as his billing address) and told us that the price we quoted was very acceptable. It wasn’t, since we added a few hundred $’s to the actual price, but he never flinched.

We then dissected this guy with a plain old PC. Started with a reverse address check and XYZ company was listed. Who’s XYZ company we thought? We then type XYZ company in to the Google search box and found them. Their address was identical to the one the Kuwaiti customer gave us. What now? We read their whole XYZ company web page only to discover that they were a company that procures goods from USA dealers and buys them with a USA credit card, USA listed address and then sends them to their clients in the United Arab Emirates. Countries listed as being able to use their procurement service were Iraq, Iran, Libya and the list of “bad guys” goes on and on.

We saw this as a perfect front for Arabs to purchase the types of goods that USA vendors sell, but w/o the hassle of having to reside in the USA, or even present their International credit cards which would have cancelled on the spot. What a “workaround” hustle. (You know that early explorers used to sail all the way around the bottom of Africa to reach the “far East” for trade purposes – they couldn’t stand the passage through the “middle east” and all the nutty, dishonest merchants along the way any longer.)

We wondered for a full day on what to do about this and decided to inform the FBI about the order, the Arab fulfillment company with US based warehouses, and our suspicions. We contacted our nearest regional office and left some sketchy info with a secretary, and 24 hrs later a real FBI Agent called us and we discussed the info in this post with him, along with our fears about this company and what they were doing. He asked us to email him all of the info we had put together and he’d investigate. After a couple of weeks he emailed that they were appreciative of our contact and were investigating the whole thing. We apologized in case we wasted their time and he reminded us that we did the right thing, and to continue to do this in the future. He was very cool and very comfortable to chat with, nothing like I expected from a “G-Man”.

So, if you are privy to info on dangerous criminals, or fraudulent activity, just look to your right – there’s a link to the FBI home page, just click on it and look at the upper, left hand corner. There is a list of “Contact Us” links. Use them to find an office, to report a crime or fraud, and there’s one for internet crime reporting too! Don’t sit on your hands next time – report them to the F.B.I.!!

Less Than Lethal?

Back in 1981 during the Falklands War if you’d call the it that (UK vs an Island), a small number of ships tested the top secret weapon system called “Laser Dazzle Sight”, (LDS). After real, simulated trials, it was quickly fitted to UK ships in time for their Falklands campaign. These included the Hermes, Brilliant, Broadsword, Invincible and Argonaut. During the troop landings at San Carlos Waters, high speed, wave hugging enemy pilots, would be met with a dazzling array of laser beams designed to blind them. It apparently worked and LDS has become another “less than lethal” weapon in the non-lethal weapons arsenal, known as “Soft Kill Technology”.

Today, there has evolved a wide array of sophisticated weapons, using both new and old technology. At the bottom of the scale we find pepper sprays, CS gas, Mace, plastic and rubber bullets, 12 gauge bean-bag shells, glue guns, water cannons, anti-personnel foams and a modern copy of Gladiator nets, which are shot from a special shotgun. At the high end there’s an assortment of “dazzling”, or “blinding” lasers. Let’s not forget acoustic, Radio-Frequency (RF), and Directed Energy Weapons (DEW). You say we can’t tell you how to run the canal?

Other Non Lethal? Weapons

One type relies on chemicals, designed for anti-material use. A fighter pilot could spray a formation of tanks with “combustion interference”. Exposing a diesel engine to a precise concentration of acetylene, results in severe pre-ignition difficulties causing the engine to “self destruct” in a few seconds.

A fighter bomber drops a cargo of “metal-eating” microbes on formations of tanks held in reserve. The microbes literally eat through metal and armor – in record time. Such chemical agents cause the metal to become brittle, these are composed of substances that alter the crystal structure of metals, destroying then further, with every minute.

If their engine hasn’t been destroyed by “interference”, and the metal munching chemicals, they might be doused in strange adhesives – known as “Roach Motel” polymers – which glue them on the spot. Also, they could be sprayed with “Teflon Confetti”, an anti-traction substance that makes surfaces too slippery to drive on. Or, having a plane drop “jellied acid” on them, which instantly destroys all optics, leaving the crew blind.

Also, consider the enemy’s “soft-skinned” (canvas top) trucks, carrying men and supplies to the battle will come under fire from non-lethal weapons. Chemical compounds could be sprayed over them, or coat a surface area of their convoy’s road. When the tires of these trucks contact the chemical, a reaction occurs, rendering them brittle and useless.

Electronic Weaponry

Known as “disabling technologies” they include infrasound weapons. Massive stacks of high wattage speakers, and higher powered amplifiers broadcast low frequency sound waves that penetrate through walls and armored vehicles like a knife through butter. First the enemy suffers disorientation, then begins vomiting and defecating (crapping their pants) until they’re totally unfit for combat. Ultrasound beam devices cause similar reactions, but if beamed in sufficient density, result in permanent hearing damage, and can even lead to death. Both can be used in underwater, against divers for instance, where the output is automatically amplified by water. How about submarines?

High Powered Microwaves (HPM) disable or destroy aircraft, missiles, vehicles and other equipment Because Microwaves are thermal in character they can also burn out circuits and destroy metallic objects. And the list of “less than lethal” weapons goes on and on

There’s an on-going non-lethal debate focusing on the use of these gadgets in domestic law enforcement situations. In the US Defense Dept. a program supposedly exists, called “Operations Other Than War”. “Operations Other Than War”, will be directed at riot and crowd control. Look out Ohio State!

Sedatives – Or, How to Quiet an Angry Crowd

The US military have also investigated the covert use of “long lasting sedatives” which could be placed in foodstuffs. In case “spiking” food staples proves difficult, sedatives could just as well be dispersed via low flying cruise missiles or other aircraft. This has become increasingly attractive to military strategists following the Somalia “peace keeping” operation (not really sure why?). They could have used a Tomahawk missile with about a million doses of seconal on those crazed bushmen, inducing a state of relative tranquility, and conducted their mission w/o casualties.

I could write 3 more posts covering the military development of these types of non-lethal devices but there are just too many. Trust me, they are out to immobilize any weapons or troops – destroy the weapons and gather up the sedated, but now friendly and cooperative, POW’s!

Spray my neighborhood next please!

As an update that sets the stage for a post I have in the “draft” stage, we really need to re-visit the Tookie Williams execution story.

As most of us know already, in December, Tookie Williams, the Crips gang co-founder was put to death in a California prison for 4 murder convictions. He was reportedly “at peace” as he awaited the final moments. Witnesses and prison officials said Williams became impatient as prison staff had a rough time finding a vein in his arm to administer the lethal injection.

I’m not really sure what they shot Williams with but his death was announced nearly 40 minutes after the injection began. What? Does that sound right? The Dr. in charge probably wanted to give him the exact dose calculated to bring on death and not made it about 10 times stronger. A major screw-up and one that should be closely scrutinized. Even the condemned man shouldn’t have to wait that long due to either the fumbling of the procedure or inefficiency of the substance used in the injection.

“He did seem frustrated that it didn’t go as quickly as he thought it might,” said San Quentin State Prison Warden Steven Ornoski. Williams, 51, acknowledged a violent past but maintained he was innocent of the slayings. He became an anti-gang crusader while on death row.” Well, Death Row has a way of changing the way a man thinks, I’m sure. I don’t know if he was an anti-gang crusader as an atonement, or as a ploy for clemency – where for a man of his stature – life in the joint would be another day on the block. Business as usual – but his motives aren’t for us to ever know for certain.

It was the second execution in California this year, and despite pleas for clemency, Schwarzenegger questioned the sincerity of Williams’ conversion to nonviolence. “Is Williams’ redemption complete and sincere, or is it just a hollow promise?” Schwarzenegger wrote. “Without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings there can be no redemption.” He added: “In this case, the one thing that would be the clearest indication of complete remorse and full redemption is the one thing Williams will not do.”

Was that the key to Tookies life or death? Did he not stand up in the courtroom, or set up visits, or send personal letters to the victim’s family asking for forgiveness, and expressing his remorse? Tookie claimed he was innocent, and he must have decided to take what they gave him rather than admit to murders he didn’t commit, or he played the innocent card until the end, and lost the hand when time “called” his bluff? I guess we’ll never know for sure.

Arnold, sounding very much like his character “The Terminator” decided Tookie wouldn’t repent and atone – which implies he never questioned William’s guilt.

The editor of Williams’ books, Barbara Becnel, pledged that his supporters would not give up their fight to prove Williams’ innocence. “We are going to prove his innocence, and when we do, we are going to show that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is, in fact, himself a cold blooded murderer,” Becnel reportedly said.

Them’s some strong words there Barbara, for Gov. Arnold, who probably just made the decision he was instructed to, and felt was the best choice. Don’t get things confused! Remember he lost his last minute appeal, finally, to the U.S. Supreme Court “after” the Governor made his decision. So it was, in the end, the ruling of the highest court in the land!

Durham Resident Stoned:

About 3 weeks ago a 50 yr. old Durham man was found bleeding from two large gashes in his head outside of Durham Towers, in the 500 block of E. Main Street, on a Friday night. When the police arrived, they found the man severely bleeding and drifting in and out of consciousness.

The first people on the scene said the man looked like he’d been “hit several times in the head with a rock.” Police on the scene declined to comment and the police spokeswoman couldn’t be reached. WHAT!

Police cordoned off the crime scene, minutes after arriving at 7 p.m., circling the victim’s rumpled jacket, and a stray chunk of brick, with ribbons of yellow crime scene tape. The victim, who was identified a resident of Durham Towers, was seen walking out of the front entrance of the building just before he was attacked.

The victim was taken to Duke University Medical Center, which doesn’t release information on the condition of victims of violent crimes. This guy needs a “Life Alert” (one of those gadgets that you press the button and the EMT’s pick you up). Don’t email me as I can’t comment on the “unremarkable” incident either. I don’t want the Durham cops to think I’m giving them a hard time. Why the secrets Durham? Undercover agent? A protected snitch? Who knows – but they aren’t talking so a piece of the space shuttle might have hit him for all we really know!

Also Reported:

The Police Department’s Special Op’s Division raided an apartment Friday at XXXX S. Roxboro St. after a month’s investigation into a resident there.

Police received information that a man in his late 30s or early 40s was selling crack cocaine, the search warrant said. Arrested, were Harvey Hockaday – charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a weapon of mass destruction (a sawed-off .22 caliber shotgun), and possession of a firearm by a felon. What in the bloody he** is a .22 caliber shotgun guys? He was released on an $11,000 secured bond. Annie Whack (love it Annie) was also arrested at the residence and charged with possession of crack cocaine. Whack was held on $1,000 bond. Both are scheduled to appear in court Monday.

These are pretty subdued police reports listing only one case (the man who was “bricked”) that really merits “month long” police investigation. They actually used one month of man hours involving several team members (I’d bet the farm) to arrest Hockaday for some pot, a .22, and paraphernalia (rolling papers – a pipe?). Annie Whack is probably some poor strung out chick who should be in a detox center and not behind bars. Kind of reminiscent of small towns that find “Huge Caches of Drugs” (translation: an ounce or two of pot or a little bit of coke) and gets super stoked, due to never having anything more exciting than the daily fender bender to respond to.

Durham may qualify as a candidate for a laid back lifestyle, based on these latest reports!

Doing research for an upcoming post on new State Gun Laws, I found this disturbing bit of information plastered everywhere.

WARNING! The following information may cause you to laugh or cry! Of course this would be determined by your moral and ethical beliefs. Personally, I laughed since I have rarely seen such flaming ***holes as the Bush family men, in public service positions since “Dick” Nixon, claimed “your President is not a crook”. Ok Mr. Nixon, I believe you, you’re not a crook….go away now please!

Apparently Jeb Bush has borrowed a phrase first coined by his Daddy,  Geo. SR.  After an hour long ceremony naming Rep. Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, as the 2007-08 House speaker, Gov. Jeb Bush stepped to the podium in the House chamber last week and told a short story about “unleashing Chang,” his “mystical warrior” friend. Alright! Sounds like fun!

He actually said this before hundreds of lawmakers and politicians: “Chang is a mystical warrior. Chang is somebody who believes in conservative principles, believes in entrepreneurial capitalism, believes in moral values that underpin a free society.”

“I rely on Chang with great regularity in my public life (choc-o-lax). He has been by my side and sometimes I let him down. But Chang, this mystical warrior, has never let me down.” Bush then revealed a “golden sword” and gave it to Rubio. “I’m going to bestow upon you the sword of a great conservative warrior,” he stated, as the crowd roared.

Please try to picture Jeb Bush with a “semi-invisible” Samurai warrior standing staunchly at his side, with a single teardrop running down his cheek – probably still “working through” his misconduct in the Bush vs. Gore election where FL emerged like a smiley face with a black eye and a guilty blush in his yellow cheeks. Just for your info, General Chang was the slightly deranged Klingon starship trooper, who fought Capt. Kirk while quoting Shakespeare in Klingonese. I’m sure this was lost on most attendees. Nice one Jeb, “D-” for originality buddy!

It was mentioned from several sources that the crowd, “could be excused for not understanding Bush’s enigmatic foray into the realm of Eastern mysticism”. They were probably all bused in from area senior facilities, and for the rest of the political stiffs – they were the types who smile and clap whenever the speaker pauses and strikes a great pose. You know the ones – at political functions – they’re the morons in the little, round, white, faux straw hats – decorated with red, white and blue. You’ve seen them – human applause machines that roar and clap vigorously as the speaker looks embarrassed, squirms around, then squints into the lens with a very serious look and tone of voice – then lies his arse off to you! Tomorrow night he’ll give a similar speech to your opposition and the charade repeats itself.

I have an invisible warrior that I unleash in “hard times” named Wang. He is getting more and more disappointed at my failures, but I spoke to him, and he assures me that a few little blue pills will suffice as a peace offering.

Can you believe these guys? I’m in awe at the gullibility of the American public, never failing to let me down at every turn, buy into this B.S. then elect and follow these types of cheese heads! I would apologize for this waste of space, but as the Bible says “for he who has ears, let him hear”, well can’t you hear anymore America?