the things worth believing in

Image by timtak via Flickr

The Chinese farmer

There is a Chinese story of an old farmer who had an old horse for tilling his fields. One day the horse escaped into the hills and, when all the farmer’s neighbours sympathised with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, ‘Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?’

A week later the horse returned with a herd of wild horses from the hills and this time the neighbours congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, ‘Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?’

Then, when the farmer’s son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, ‘Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?’

Some weeks later the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer’s son with his broken leg they let him off. Now was that good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?

reference

Image by *~Dawn~* via Flickr

If you’re in a bad situation, don’t worry it’ll change.  If you’re in a good situation, don’t worry it’ll change.  ~John A. Simone, Sr.

I am changing positions at work. I may not be posting as often for the immediate future as I settle in to the new routines.

Cover of Gates of Fire

From fellow blogger Spartan Cops I found this excellent website:

http://www.stevenpressfield.com/category/the-warrior-ethos/

The author of the fantastic book “The Gates of Fire” has an online series exploring the Warrior and the Warriors Code of Honor. He writes;

These posts are intended for our men and women in uniform, but I hope that artists, entrepreneurs and other warriors in other walks of life will find them useful as well. The series examines the evolution of the warrior code of honor and “mental toughness.” It goes back to the ancient Spartans and Athenians, to Caesar’s Romans, Alexander’s Macedonians and the Persians of Cyrus the Great (not excluding the Garden of Eden and the primitive hunting band). Sources include Herodotus, Thucydides, Plutarch, Xenophon, Vegetius, Arrian and Curtius–and on down to Gen. George Patton, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and Israeli Minister of Defense, Moshe Dayan

I can tell where I will be spending some time reading soon.

http://www.mmaindc.com/guro-dan/

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The month of October is known as Filipino American History Month. In celebration of the event, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program and the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) presented a screening of the documentary film, “The Great Pinoy Boxing Era”.

As part of the presentation, a panel of nationally known Filipino Martial Artists and scholars were invited to speak at the event. Among the martial artists were Guro Dan Inosanto and Gura Rosie Abriam. Presentations were also given by Professor Linda Espana-Maram and Gem Daus.

Guro Dan is a legend in the martial arts community. As a former training partner of Bruce Lee, Guro Dan is an authority on martial arts such as Kali, Escrima, Silat, and Jeet Kune Do. His impressive list of credentials includes styles such as Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and shootwrestling.

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I like to give the “fairer but not necessiarly weaker” sex credit when it’s due. Check out this womans blog:

http://www.faliaphotography.com/

Don’t let the title of her blog fool ya. She knows a lot more than just photography. Check out her YouTube channel while you are at it.

FYI she built that 14.5″ BCM Midlegnth herself. Don’t think for a minute that women don’t know their stuff when it comes to this sort of thing simply because they are women.

Jeanne Assam is someone you would want around when the bullets start flying.

http://www.policeone.com/off-duty/articles/3297401-Jeanne-Assam-It-was-me-the-gunman-and-God/?fb_ref=homepage

When I connected with PoliceOne Columnist Dan Marcou for this column, he told me, “Jeanne Assam was quoted after her gunfight with a killer at the New Life Church as saying, ‘It seemed like it was me, the gunman and God.’ Maybe that is because Jeanne is exactly what potential victims in this attack needed — and possibly even desperately prayed for that day in church. They prayed for an armed, honorable gunfighter and she was an answer to that prayer. By ‘riding to the sound of guns,’ Jeanne Assam succeeded in bringing ‘New Life’ to those persons at that church by engaging an armed gunman in a gunfight and thereby sending a hater to his ultimate judgment.”

Image via Wikipedia

EVERY morning repeat to thyself: I shall meet I with a busybody, an ingrate, and a bully; with treachery, envy, and selfishness. All these vices have fallen to their share because they know not good and evil. But I have contemplated the nature of the good, and seen that it is the beautiful; of evil, and seen that it is deformity; of the sinner, and seen that it is kindred to my own kindred, not because he shares the same flesh and blood and is sprung from the same seed, but because he partakes of the same reason and the same spark of divinity. How then can any of these harm me? For none can involve me in the shameful save myself. Or how can I be angered with my kith and kin, or cherish hatred towards them? -MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS

Repost from March 2010 

An “Internet friend”, LE colleague and fellow FBINA alum Fred Leland and I were recently discussing a post and video I had authored on Threat Indicators .

Fred is a blogger and the founder of Law Enforcement and Security Consulting, Inc (LESC) and he directed me to an excellent article that he had authored on the subject of threat indicators and the recognition of suspicious activity. It is titled Recognizing the Signs and Signals of Crime and Danger. Here is a short excerpt:

Crime and violence do not just happen. There are signs and signals presented long before the crime is committed or the assault take place. Seeing a man approach you pointing a gun at you, is an obvious sign of danger. A man getting out of a vehicle after being stopped for speeding and angrily demanding to know why you stopped him is a clear sign of high anxiety. When he continues to shout and closes distance with you after repeated commands to get back, is a clear sign of impending attack. After an assault by this man he disengages, goes to his vehicle and retrieves a firearm! The answer to what’s about to take place, based on the context of the situation is obvious. This is a worst case scenario of a person about to inflict deadly force and your orientation, decision and action should be clear.

Obvious signs and signals of crime and danger can be clearly seen to the trained law enforcement and security professional. Yet they all too often go unseen or are seen too late. The most common danger signs experienced, however are subtle feelings, a hunch, you intuitively know something is wrong. The alert observer that listens to his intuition based on facts and circumstances presented at the time can seek advantage and prevent crime and dangerous circumstances from unfolding. The ability to observe these subtle signs and signals and orient to what they are telling you, can give you the clear advantage in dealing with conflict.

I recommend you go and read the article. Fred explains many of the threat indicators I had touched on in my post to greater detail and  he has described some indicators I did not cover. More importantly, he gives the officer tactical guidance in how to deal with these indicators when he/she sees them. Important stuff.

If you are a cop, watch this video. Watch the entire thing.

I just watched this episode of “Sons of Guns” that I had on the DVR:

That “Old Timer” is Mr.  Hershel Woodrow “Woody” Williams.

This Mr.  Hershel Woodrow “Woody” Williams…MOH recipient.

CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Demolition Sergeant serving with the First Battalion, Twenty-First Marines, Third Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Island, 23 February 1945. Quick to volunteer his services when our tanks were maneuvering vainly to open a lane for the infantry through the network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines and black, volcanic sands, Corporal Williams daringly went forward alone to attempt the reduction of devastating machine-gun fire from the unyielding positions. Covered only by four riflemen, he fought desperately for four hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flame throwers, struggling back, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another. On one occasion he daringly mounted a pillbox to insert the nozzle of his flame thrower through the air vent, kill the occupants and silence the gun; on another he grimly charged enemy riflemen who attempted to stop him with bayonets and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon. His unyielding determination and extraordinary heroism in the face of ruthless enemy resistance were directly instrumental in neutralizing one of the most fanatically defended Japanese strong points encountered by his regiment and aided in enabling his company to reach its’ objective. Corporal Williams’ aggressive fighting spirit and valiant devotion to duty throughout this fiercely contested action sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

It’s obvious that at 89 yo this Devil Dog hasn’t forgotten how to torch a pill-box. Nor has he lost the Warrior spirit.

There is something about seeing the echo’s of the young Marine in the television image of the old that almost brings a tear to my eye.

Semper Fi…yes…obviously he is.