"Troop Leading Procedures"--
OE TSC G&V
Firearms/Self-Defense/Prepping:
"Adding Grits to Our Long Term Storage Plan"--Security and Self-Reliance. Another grain (corn meal) to consider adding to your food storage. The author compares the nutritive value against other grains such as rice and oats. On a personal note, reading the article, I realized that I don't believe I've ever had grits. On the other hand, growing up in Idaho, I've had potatoes prepared in almost every way imaginable.
"Glock Pistols- What Breaks and How to Fix It"--Active Response Training. A 2014 article discussing which springs and other parts are prone to failure after heavy use, as well as some preventative maintenance. The author recommends replacing the recoil spring about every 3,000 rounds to prevent the pins from breaking.
A reader pointed me to this 2012 post from BurnedoutLEO on AR-15.com entitled "Street robberies and you - The Basics." The author claims 15 years law enforcement experience in ghetto areas both as a patrolman and detective. I encourage you to read the whole thing, but here are a few points that stuck out to me in particular:
We hunt hold up men around the clock once they are identified. We send teams of fire breathing fence jumper/door kickers to find them. We will bring their mother to the office and convince her she is going to jail if we don't have Junior in our office in an hour. We have her call her son crying hysterically for him to turn himself in before she is arrested and held without bond as a material witness and her home seized for harboring him. Most of the time they won't. Fuck their own momma.
We will hit all Juniors friends and family's houses. We make it so no one will harbor him. He is so hot no one will let him in their house or even talk on the phone with him. We put money on him so he knows he is right to be betrayed and set up. We do this because of one thing.
That thing is they WILL kill someone if they keep robbing. That is why the city is willing to pay all the overtime. They don't want the murders. Think about that when you see Junior coming. The more robberies he does the closer he is to killing someone. Maybe you.
The guys who hit you on the street are gang members. They are Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords, Crips, Sureonos, many others. They do not see themselves as part of society. The street is all they know. They don't expect to live long or stay out of prison. They take a delight in your fear and suffering. They are warped individuals for the most part. They can be extremely dangerous.
And:
Hold up men target victims on the street in an impulsive, opportunistic manner. They see someone and make a quick judgment call on whether to rob them. The time between when you are targeted and they are on you isn't long. Therefore, situational awareness is everything.
And:
When you lock eyes with G the very first thing you need to do it indicate you have a weapon. It doesn't matter if you do or not. If you are a woman put your gun hand in your purse and keep it there. If you are a man fan your shirt or coat tail with your gun hand. Make it clear to dude you are mentally prepared to draw and making sure your gun is clear. This will many times result in an about face by dude. It is the single best robbery avoidance tactic IMHO.
Other Stuff:
"20 metro areas are home to six-in-ten unauthorized immigrants in U.S."--Pew Research Center. From the report:
Most of the United States’ 11.1 million [illegal aliens] live in just 20 major metropolitan areas, with the largest populations in New York, Los Angeles and Houston, according to new Pew Research Center estimates based on government data.
"L.A., Orange counties are home to 1 million immigrants who are in the country illegally, analysis shows"--Los Angeles Times.
"More than 60% of illegal immigrants are concentrated in 20 of America's biggest cities - and one in five live in New York and LA"--Daily Mail.
"Protest Erupts in Downtown L.A. Following Reports of Immigration Raids at Homes Across Southern California"--KTLA 5. A sweep by ICE took in 100 illegal aliens, and you would think it was the end of the world.
"Fear spreads in L.A. after immigration ‘raid,’ advocates claim. Officials say arrests are ‘routine.'"--Washington Post. Fear is good.
"Immigrant groups say city leaders must protect them from arrests or face voter backlash"--Charlotte Observer.
"Mexican Citizen Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison For Voter Fraud In TX"--CBS DFW. An illegal alien with anchor babies. Instead of serving her full sentence, she will probably be deported and, shortly thereafter, return to the United States.
"Urbana man charged with living, voting in U.S. illegally"--The News-Gazette. "A Mexican national who has lived in Urbana since 2005, allegedly using a stolen identity, was arraigned Thursday on seven federal counts, including four related to voting by an illegal immigrant."
And for something completely different:
"A full moon, lunar eclipse and comet all in one evening? It happens tonight."--Washington Post.
On the East Coast, the full moon climbs above the horizon around 5:30 p.m., just as it enters Earth’s penumbral (outer) shadow and — ever so slowly — the lunar disk will start to dim and turn gray. Late afternoon twilight gives way to the evening dark skies. For practical purposes, the Eastern time zone will likely perceive the gray shading around 6:14 p.m., according to Alan MacRobert and Kelly Beatty, senior editors at Sky & Telescope magazine.
By the middle of the eclipse, at 7:44 p.m. Eastern time, the northern third of moon will be a noticeably darker gray, said astronomer Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory.
After mid-eclipse, the graying begins to yield to the moon’s normal brightness. The moon fully leaves the penumbral shadow at 9:55 p.m.
Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusáková makes its closest approach to Earth Friday night. However, you'll need to be in a dark location and use binoculars or a telescope to see the greenish comet.