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Sunday, August 22, 2021

Keen Situational Awareness, Recognizing You’re the Prey and Tactical PE The 2nd Amendment Justified in one 45 Second Moment

 

by   in SurvivalTactics

Situational awareness or having an acute awareness of your surroundings is invaluable to our survival. However, being aware doesn't eliminate all risks. Instead, it provides us an opportunity to recognize threats and dangers in our environment.  Early recognition provides more response options and increases the likelihood of avoiding or surviving the incident.


Recently I saw a video that I think addresses the importance of situational awareness and how it can open our eyes to pre-assault behavior.

Lessons in Situational Awareness:

This video documents an incident at a Mobile Alabama, gas station.

It's important to note that gas stations and parking lots are notorious for assaults, carjackings, and robberies. Locations like these are called transitional spaces. Transitional spaces provide a target-rich environment for criminals and an easy escape from the scene. Also, people are distracted and busy with other things besides paying attention to others around them.

Initial Approach:

The suspect, a black male adult, wearing a white t-shirt, black and white pants, and carrying a black backpack, walks through the parking lot. It looks like he is leaving, but he notices the victim pull her vehicle into the parking lot in between the gas pumps. It appears the suspect notices the car pulling in and decides to pause and see if this person is a suitable victim.

 

Situational Awareness

Suspect identifying his target.

First, the victim didn't initially notice the suspect walking through the parking lot. We should always observe the area for people and other hazards, especially when we pull into a parking lot. Also, she positions the vehicle so that the gas pumps block her view of the suspect. As a result, she can't observe him, and he has changed course and focuses on her.

Even with her vehicle in this position, If she noticed him walking away when she pulled in, seeing him emerge from behind the pumps a few seconds later could have alerted her.

strongarm robbery

scanning the area as you approach a transitional space is important. Positioning so you can observe and paying attention to people who show interest in you doesn't hurt.

Vehicle Positioning:

Next, she is in the vehicle for a few seconds after it comes to a stop. The suspect observes and waits, removing his backpack, indicating he is not going anywhere and should be a warning.

It is now that the suspect tips his hand and clearly shows us that he isn't just waiting to ask for some spare change, but he wants to assault her and take her car. The suspect recognizes his actions are suspicious, so he takes a few steps, looks away, then puts his hands on his hips. He is trying to act normal and like he isn't paying attention to the victim.

People asking for directions or change don't usually behave like this because they aren't trying to hide their actions. This isn't to say these behaviors always come before an assault. Sometimes the suspect appears mostly friendly.

awareness

The “pay no attention to me, I don't even see you” pose is a dead giveaway this dude is plotting.

If the victim had awareness and noticed this behavior, what could she do differently?

The easiest thing would be to drive away. Alternatively, she may have kept the doors locked, car running, and observed the suspect. She could take a few seconds to determine if this is a situation to avoid.

She could have even repositioned her vehicle closer to the store entry or a different part of the lot. While she does this, she can observe the suspect's response.

Unfortunately, she doesn't observe any of these signs or fails to recognize them as red flags. Instead, she exits the vehicle and walks directly toward the store.

Acting on What Your Gut is Telling You:

The victim does well in that she isn't on her phone or preoccupied with something else. Her head and eyes are up, and she appears alert.

alert

Situational awareness is important for threat recognition. But what if you don't pick up cues or fail to respond to them?

Here we can observe a common phenomenon that I see happen very often. Notice her head orientation as she walks to the door. She can clearly see the suspect in front of her.

It is obvious he is walking in a path to intercept her before she reaches the store's front entrance. She takes 15 steps, from the time she exits the vehicle until the physical assault. This is a long time to observe the clear pre-assault indicators this suspect is giving off.

And the thing is, I think she recognizes it but doesn't react. Again look at her head. It is forward, even at the very moment she gets assaulted. Victims often display this behavior because they don't want to appear judgemental by looking at someone behaving oddly.

I get it; you don't want to offend someone by telling them to back off. You don't want to stop in our tracks and challenge them or ask them what they want from you.

So it appears as though she just looks away as if ignoring her gut feeling that something isn't right will work out in the end.

recognition

Don't be afraid to make eye contact, or verbally confront someone whose actions are making you uncomfortable. Ignoring it won't make it go away.

It's also important to note that she would have options if she had listened to her gut or recognized the suspect's actions as a potential danger before he grabbed her.

For example, she may have retreated to her vehicle got in, locked the door, and drive off. She may have retreated to her vehicle positing it between her and him as she told him she didn't want him coming closer to her.

So, again, early recognition of potential threats affords us options in our response.

Again, unfortunately, she didn't respond to what I am speculating is now at least a gut-level feeling that this guy is a threat to her.

Unarmed Self-Defense:

The suspect grabs her in a side bear hug, pinning her arms to her sides and picking her up off the ground. We don't need to deeply analyze the victim's unarmed defensive techniques; that is an entirely separate topic. However, we can see some things she did that clearly worked

First and foremost, she fought back. If someone assaults you and picks you up, compliance is rarely the best option. She shows excellent resolve to stop this guy from winning the fight.

It seems she also yells for help which is never a bad thing to consider. If others don't get involved physically, they may at least call the police. We shouldn't rely on others to save us, but asking for help or getting the police started in your direction is a good thing.

We see the victim wraps her legs around his, which tangles his legs up and takes away his balance and ability to carry her away quickly.

Eventually, she frees one of her arms and immediately strikes him in the face. This strike doesn't debilitate him or even stop his assault. Knocking him out would be great, but that is not the only path to survival. She delays and disrupts his plan with strikes and defensive positioning.

self defense

Unarmed self-defense doesn't have to be pretty. This strike to the suspect's face wasn't debilitating but was helpful in softening his hold on her.

The commotion draws a motorist's attention, who pulls their car near the two and possibly sounds the car's horn. If you're the good samaritan in this situation, understand that you may become the focus of the suspect, so make sure you are ready to respond.

The suspect throws the victim to the ground, and she drops her car keys. The keys may be what he wanted all along because as soon as he picks up the keys, he heads off to her car.

A Questionable Decision to Re-engage:

The victim gets up off the ground, runs up to the suspect, and confronts him about stealing her vehicle. In general, this is probably not a wise choice. Unless you have a child or vulnerable person in the car, it's safer not to face further injury or death over a car. But be that as it may, she confronts him.......keep reading......

Friday, August 20, 2021

Personal prophecy and prophetic counseling

 

  • Author Wayne Sutton

A Short Outline For The Discipline Of Christian Organizations And Programs And Its Aims.

by Wayne Sutton

Life Coaching and counseling to individuals is still popular today, and it is a very good cause!

Many people are in the stage of their life where they can realize the gaps and needs, and are looking for people who are able to help lead and guide them to secure areas of life.

Now there are many types of life coaching available and the investment in coaching and prophetic counseling can vary as much. Some life coaches are licensed therapists, psychologists, etc. and can offer life coaching as a sideline to their regular career. Meanwhile, some life coaches are experienced ministers and spiritual leaders, and their practice is based on biblical teachings and/or spiritual guidance to guide people in their path of change.


For example, our work is based on the prophetic leadership as part of our Life Coaching program. Using the traditional model of life coaching and Christian counseling, and also heavily relying on the guidance and the teachings of the Bible's prophetic insights and guidance, we specialize in personal life points. Although not as popular as the traditional therapy or counseling, Christian prophetic counseling and advice is highly specialized and personalized to the client.

Life coaching in this method will usually require constant feedback from the client, prayer for and over the client, as well as client assignments. Then as the person begins to see changes in their life and circumstances, they can determine whether to continue with life coaching on a continuous basis, or just periodically counsel with a coach in order to "tune-up" certain areas of their life.

Another advantage that we have with our age of technology is the ability to efficiently communicate by telephone and internet. Life coaching can be done privately by personalized telephone sessions, conference calls, and then followed up by e-mail. If you have any desires for life coaching or counseling, then check out our ministry at www.TheSecondAdam.com or one of the many other ministries that provide life coaching.

A deeper connection with the spiritual element of your nature is possible through personal prophecy and prayer. If you need a prophetic word for counseling or comfort, check out the web pages.

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

THE REAL PURPOSE FOR MONEY

 




Financial security is an overarching goal for most people. It’s true that we all need money, yet wealth can fool us is if we’re not careful. Money means different things to different people, and some individuals want it for the wrong reasons. Wrong attitudes about money put us in bondage to it; however, knowing the biblical truth about its real purpose brings us freedom in our finances.

The Spirit of God and The Spirit of Man | Dr. Myles Munroe

We’ve all seen people who trust in their money more than in anything else. This makes us easy targets for the devil to play mind games with us in this area. He knows how strong of an influence money can have on us and he won’t hesitate to use it to manipulate us into serving him. An evil spirit called mammon wants to attach itself to your money; its purpose is to get us to trust it more than God. “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13).

It’s okay to be wealthy, but money is simply a tool to bless others. The world doesn’t see it that way; the prevailing mindset says to pursue it as a means to an end. Wealth is notoriously undependable and it’s a mistake to trust in it. “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:9, 10). “The love of money” refers to having a wrong relationship with it, specifically, hoarding it for ourselves.

God blesses us financially so that we can pass that blessing on to others; this is why believers are to be generous givers. The true test of who we trust comes when we have an opportunity to give. Paul’s instructions about planned giving to the church at Corinth were specific. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:2). We give not out of our lack, but out of the prosperity God blesses us with.

God wants us to treat others the way we would like others to treat us. That includes extending a helping hand to struggling people. Using our financial wealth to bless others pleases God. “Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor”(Proverbs 22:9, NLT). This positions us to receive the blessings God has made available to the believer.

God is a just God, and He has a way of redirecting and shifting material wealth away from the unjust. Being stingy with our money hurts not only others, but ourselves. “He who by charging excessive interest and who by unjust efforts to get gain increases his material possession gathers it for him [to spend] who is kind and generous to the poor”(Proverbs 28:8, AMPC). Greed goes against His law of love, which states that we are to help others out of compassion for them.

Our God is a God of abundance, not just financially but in every other area in which we rely on Him. He’s well able to take care of everyone who trusts Him. Faith in this opens our eyes to what’s really important.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

The CFL On US Sports Net Presented By BodyFit

 

CALGARY — There was something that happened on the fourth quarter, game-tying play that really impressed McLeod Bethel-Thompson on Saturday night.






Of course, Kurleigh Gittens Jr. ran a great route and made a stellar catch in the end zone for the score, but it was the block from receiver Eric Rogers that Bethel-Thompson was raving about after the game.

Eric Rogers is an amazing football player. That is all on Eric Rogers. He came in where he has to block a front side (line)backer, he scanned all the way back,” Bethel-Thompson said following the Toronto Argonauts victory over the Calgary Stampeders.

“It was the best play of the game, hands down. For a receiver to make a play like that, at that time, to see the blitz, it was absolutely phenomenal. It was one of the best plays I’ve ever seen.”

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That play, Rogers’ block and Gittens Jr.’s touchdown, was the start of the fourth quarter comeback for the Argonauts on their way to a 23-20 victory over Calgary.

“I was taking every other series so for me, I really had to stay dialed into the game mentally,” Gittens Jr. said when asked about the touchdown. “So whenever I was in, I can’t be a fall off. I have to be up to date, up to speed with how the game is going. I kind of just kept my mind into the game.

“I saw what coverages they were doing and just preparing for my moment. So when coach called that play, I knew I was getting the ball. I just positioned myself in a position to make the play and Mac threw a great ball and I just made the play.”

The touchdown was set up by a massive play from Charleston Hughes against his former team, after forcing a fumble (and recovering it) on Calgary running back Ka’Deem Carey. That brought Bethel-Thompson and co. back on the field needing a score late in the final frame.

Bethel-Thompson made quick work, throwing the touchdown pass on just the second play of the drive. Following Gittens Jr.’s major score, it was Rogers who hauled in the two-point convert to tie things at 20.

Toronto’s defence then held Bo Levi Mitchell and his offence off the board on their next drive and Bethel-Thompson did the rest for the Boatmen. He moved the chains into field goal range where Boris Bede connected on the game-winner from 32-yards out.

Mitchell had just 30 seconds to try and make something happen but once again, Toronto’s defence held strong, as Shaq Richardson picked off the Stamps pivot to seal the deal.

“Coming down to the most important time in the game, a game-winning drive or the final drive of the game,” said Richardson. “The defence, there’s a lot of pressure on us to stand up and make a play. We’ve just got to stand up in those moments. When the pressure is the most high, you should be performing the best.”

“We found out we have heart today. We need better execution,” said Bethel-Thompson of his team’s victory. “But we’ve got some men with some big hearts.”

Monday, August 9, 2021

The Fuel For Beast Mode! The StrengthCast PowerShow

 

Sport Nutrition To Help With Endurance

  • Author John Salmon

Endurance sports nutrition gives you a nutrition advice that is just jampacked with very useful details, together with sets of customized eating plans specifically regarding sports, to ensure that the food that you choose will keep you going on before, during and after various competitions




A remarkable and very well-known author, Suzanne Girard Eberle, MS, RD, tells those who are concerned of her background as a registered dietician who has her specialty on sports nutrition. She also admits that she knows much and much about endurance sports nutrition because she, herself, is an elite endurance athlete. So she can tell you how endurance sports nutrtion works, or what is not supposed to be done regarding endurance sports nutrition, in actual training and situations that involve racing.

The resource that is said to be the most comprehensive of its kind, is the prescriptive book that the said endurance athlete, slash dietician, wrote. It includes tried and true advice and suggestions from different endurance athletes who are at the top of their sports.

But if you would really like to know from the best persons to talk to when it comes to endurance sports nutrition, there are various websites that you could log on to to be able to contact, or if not contact, at least ask a few questions to world-class athletes.

You can avail Karen Smyers's, a triathlete, assistance about endurance sports nutrition. She is a triathlete, so she knows things about endurance thrice more than what others do.

Another is the marathon runner Keith Brantly. Running is not as easy as it sounds, but running is, in fact, the easy part. It is the enduring the pain that grows in your legs that is not.

You can also try to have your questions answered by the world-known marathon swimmer Tobie Smith. Endurance sports nutrition in swimming is very very difficult because there are two kinds of pressures that you face, pressure under the water and atmospheric pressure.

And last, but certainly not the least, is the cyclist Kerry Ryan. It is almost the same as running, with the movement of the legs and the endurance of the pain that grow in your legs.

However, you have to be a master of balance to be able to pull cycling off. All of these world-class athletes will happily and obligingly share their knowledge, and with absolute right because of their many years of training and competing against the world's best.

There are many kinds of sports where endurance sports nutrition can help you maximize your performance. Endurance sports nutrition can help you a great deal in running. As mentioned above, running is the easy part, it is enduring the pain that is constantly present in your lower extremeties that you need to endure.

In triathlons, you have to take note of enduring three stages of sports. So endurance sports nutrition is definetely handy if you want to be able to move on to the next stage and not faint in one of the first stages.

The endurance in swimming is not like any other. Why? It is because, like told before, there are two kinds of pressure that you need to think about. There is, first, the pressure that you experience under the water, plus the atmospheric water. So whether you put your face under water or you turn your head out of the water to breathe in some air, the cramps and the pain caused by the pressure should be endured.

In rowing, it is all about upper body strength. Yes, it also involves coordination with your teammates and most of all mind and arm coordination, but if you are weak with your upper body, then rowing is not the thing for you. Your hands will probably suffer bruises from your firm grips on the oars, but you arms are the ones that should have high endurance. Endurance sports nutrition can definitely help you survive the boat ride.

Cycling, like mentioned, is not that much different from running. Your legs also experience the most pain, and you have to endure the pain that is constant on your lower extremities. But this time, there is also the balance to think of. And for those who have a hard time balancing, enduring cycling is very hard. So this is where endurance sports nutrition comes in.

Endurance sports nutrition can definitely make you a better athlete, if you cannot endure whatever it is that you are doing, how can you perform well? So if you are thinking that sports is all about performance, you are wrong for without endurance, you can never perform a certain sport well.


Friday, August 6, 2021

Tragedy, Fear and Terrorism Arrogantly Near

  • Author Randy Gonzalez

Terrorism is crime and crime are terrorism. Add the externality of effects, from community to country, and criminogenic factors are elevated to a more adventurous status.

Fear factors are influential, likewise, so is human weakness in confrontation with criminality. Whether local or foreign, the intrigue become exponential. While some run, cower, and beg for rescue, others fight back. To be fearful is demeaning, especially detached, removed and remotely unaffected, yet still afraid. For that, short-term memory fails to inform adequately. Cowards are many, while warriors are few. Criminals know this and plan accordingly. Criminality is premeditated, willful with purposes, freely chosen and with the sufficiency of malice aforethought.

As long as humans prevail to exist, crime will never cease. Human nature attends so well to that. In 200,000 thousand years of assumed evolving status, not much has transcended to higher planes of multidimensional ascendency. Instead, malevolence lives on in the thoughts of the human species. No doubt among some, little more will achieve the noble realms of enlightenment for the many. Mature growth in wisdom’s advancement degrades to regressive inclinations. Although noteworthy exceptions apply, as a few strive to change, the vast majority will not. Exceptions are nearly always present in the diverse mix of the population in general. But it is too late and too little to avert the devolving intentions of the many who foment human extinction.

Stupidity knows no limitations, and often, it is a ploy to commune with others, more cowardly by group consensus. Status quo relativism condones less honorable acts of barbarity so that criminal acts attain simplistic nonsensical explanations. One assessment of contemporary America addresses concern over widespread presumptions of human stupidity. The suggestion of “moronitude” seems an apt contemplation for further discussion. If stupidity or moronitude were a virus, the malady of modern foolishness appears to spread rapidly. In the foolhardy antics of modern society, outright expressions of being a fool are seemingly accepted.

In some cases, particularly in politics, it is as though many applaud the idiocy of ignorance-laden commentary. From tragedy to fear, and terrorism far and near, the cowardly among us rush to every possible inconsistency of hasty generalization. Fools are everywhere.

An observation, which nearly always invites bias on the part of the observer, searches for meaningful exchange in cycles of so-called news reporting. Actually, it is not news reporting one might perceive in 24/7 broadcasts by the vast network of infotainment. Instead, it is a morass of myriad opinions, typically from the younger ones aspiring to be famous celebrities. Opinionated beyond any pretense to intellectual ascendency, mostly based on someone else’s opinion, such failure of factuality does not aid the advancement of mature lifeforms. Aside from the debasing rhetoric, opinions are never evidence of the real and the factual.


Nonetheless, smug piety prevails in the arrogance of ignorance, assuming tragedy and fear foment safe environmental adaptations. A widespread anti-intellectual malaise persists in the perpetuation of selfish motivations. Such intentions usually mean material and or psycho-dysfunctional reinforcement of some value. For instance, after a horrific tragic event, like a mass shooting, a rush to claim the surrender flag of “mental illness” hurriedly makes an appearance. Frightened, timid and cowardly responses blur the reality of human nature. Generally avoiding placing blame on the perpetrator, a chorus of disingenuous rhetoric ensues.

Many assuming the pretense of their alleged “expertise” want in on the action. After all, there is infotainment to spin, rumors and conspiracies to concoct, and egregious fallacies to foment. While aiding and abetting the perpetrator, allowing a variety of excuses, there is profit to be made as well as political gain. Hedonism kicks into high gear to profiteer from the fear. Politicians manufacture instant cure-alls, reporters clamor for simplistic explanations and pontificators of one orthodoxy or another rant about curses and demonic manifestations.

Entire academic and commercial enterprises abound in fabricating some “psycho-malady”, or socio-economic depravity. As terroristic behaviors justify grant funding and “research” papers, fees for “professional” consultations are likely to increase. Meanwhile, as competitive diagnoses confound the limits of scientific validation, insurances companies receive the billings and more drugs hit the marketplace. In the many schemes of the devolving nature of human existence, anything falls temptation to simpleminded rationalization.

In a collapsing culture, with a penchant for jellyfish-like infatuation with mutating psychobabble, the human species lifespan diminishes toward extinction. Floating with no sense of evolving enlightenment, or progressive assurance of perpetual maturity, the spineless flaccid bloated self-centeredness consumes its own enslavement. Societal advancement decays in the viral contagion of stupidity, becoming more commonplace in a declining era.

Unfortunately, in post-modern American society an element of stupidity runs rampant to the highest levels of commerce and government. In collusion, purported news services are highly commercialized ventures claiming the pretext of “unbiased” reporting. Yet, at the same time, the exaggeration of commentary, along with the choreographed and scripted pundit portrayals, often overlook the serious complexities of human behavior. Nonetheless, in typical melodramatic fashion, whether hurricane or shooting incident, the constant regurgitation of “concern” spews disingenuous hype that aggravates the tragedy. Stupidity enjoy absurdity.

Stupid antics at every level of societal interaction hastens the final demise of a devolving species. A diverse group of experts from scientific fields asserts the view that the human species will eventually become extinct. Meanwhile, as “human devolution” continues a downward trend, various infotainment venues promote divisiveness frequently. Glorified by media exploitation, marketing manipulation expands into the realm of “fear mongering” at every possible opportunity. At least of course, that is the seasoned observation of some key analysts.

A number of human behavior practitioners observing the social mainstream, practitioners and theorists alike, considered a reality of social regression. Folly chases idiocy in stalking every opportunity for commercial or political exploitation. With every intent to suborn common sense, the hedonistic calculus goes into hyper-drive. In recent reporting on the issue of “moronitude”, one social commentary argues that dumbness is arrogantly accepted. Not only approved but also embraced as though a compliment to current social interaction.

Feeling good about being stupid is more important than in-depth analysis and ensuring competent validation of information. The trite, the trivial and the temperamental self-indulgence of post-modern society relishes in the satiation of hedonistically shallow emotionalism. For the carnality of non-evolving pleasure seeking, the selfish promotion for instant gratification does little to promote the advancement of the human species. Here, a distinction between productive pleasures and non-productive pleasuring offers a competing contrast.

Such a divergence points to the pro-social as opposed to antisocial consequences between the mature framework of individual and social utility. That postures in contention versus counterproductive and socially malevolent antics that foster regressive tendencies. Concerns for the unity of a pluralistic society, and general welfare of the common good, appear readily compromised for the sake of self-serving political correctness. Selfishness abounds.

In the grotesque extremes of condescending memes, the dissension in social discourse grows increasingly disharmonious. Of tragedy, fear and terrorism, the provocations of malevolence come in many forms. Malice of any sort is the meanness, the hatefulness and the self-serving nastiness of a gluttonously arrogant bloated consumer culture. From narcissistic politicians on the national scene, to self-absorbed “social warriors” wearing masks, prosocial transformed into the antisocial. Similarly, whether by word or act, the wickedness is extraordinarily stressful.

From a particular study, a writer points to a rise in selfishness. In an attempt to measure collective cohesion and cooperation, it appears people in general are decreasingly interdependent in relation to team building with prosocial implications. Additionally, working cooperatively and trying to see the world from other’s perspective, in order to problem solve, appears more challenging. However, sometimes, in the aftermath of a tragedy, a number of people will pull together for a limited duration. Likewise, following a horrific infliction of a terroristic act, exceptional examples of heroism occur. However, there are acts of debasing exploitation.

Where some rise to the occasion, others inflict harm, spread fear and promote terroristic horrors. Solicitous or complicitous, the degradations torment and stifle productive transformations. Aiding and abetting the stagnation of human ascension is the vast reaches of infotainment. From one source to another, this realm of information flow spans the linkages between various media. News media, social media and mainstream media contribute divergent interactions that attempt to discern the deadly expressions of human behavior. Of such, nothing is well defined.

For those prone to vicarious self-inflicted suffering, presumed victimization, or pretentious forms of social entitlement, tragedy and fear conspire to foment contentious social interaction. Hunting a conspiracy, conjuring up corruptive influences, or accusing the demons of misadventure, those promoting their own agenda find comfort in tragic misadventures. A disaster, catastrophe, or crisis of some sort become ripe for exploitative reactivity.

Regarding the admonition, paraphrased as “never waste a good crisis”, politically speaking, post-modern cyber/cable extremism takes such advocacy to the lower depths of depravity. Politicians ramp up the idiocy with stupid commentary and foolish folktales, while network commentators make celebrities of terrorists. Smugly pious and self-righteous in their obliviousness to the real world, movie celebrities spin the utter nonsense of their juvenile conjecture. As a result, terroristic antics change into the manifestations of diverse illicit implications.

All too often, for the astute observer, the commonality of logical analysis seems to disappear across the broad spectrum of social interaction. Common sense often lacks the allies necessary to succeed in triumph. Yet, if common sense were common, then everyone would have some. Since various forms of anti-thinking prevails in the mainstream, much evidence suggests the non-commonality of rational thinking. Critical analysis for uncovering serious evidentiary sufficiency appears to slumber in the slothful rejection of factual validity. While science takes a holiday in the memes of the mainstream infotainment, intellectualism erodes to debasing levels.

In the culture of cowardly pontifications, the truth, evidence and proof vanish from the safeguards of free speech. Censorship grips social media to an unusual extent, as creativity slowly vanishes from any meaningful context. Woefully deficient across the entertainment arena are the meaningful acts of insightful and imaginative provocations of thoughtful energies. Instead, cowardice, arrogantly portrayed, spites the very notion of wiser pursuits. In bizarre echoes of maladaptive behavior, the human herds of emotional gutlessness revile reality.

With a grotesque sense of materiality, as in the illusion of the so-called “American Dream”, there appears to be a commonality of anxiety in the face of presumed dangers. Fear arises in the nebulous supposition that something looms darkly that threatens possessiveness of the status quo. In a culture that values wealth, as well as gluttonous consumption, coupled with bloated egos for self-validation, specters of evil lurk everywhere. From the darkness, the fear of losing the materiality of comfort and ease encourages submission to enslavement.

From some viewpoints, there is concern that many would commit treason than risk losing the so-called good life of consumptive pleasures. Self-preservation is more conducive to treachery in times of hardships than altruistic acts of sacrifice. An analysis of most natural disasters, or pandemic event, reveals instances of courage as well as acts of depravity. Not everyone will behave in rational, productive or self-sacrificing ways. Yet, one can study most organizational structures and assess the personality within the framework. It does not take a natural disaster to question the ultimate virtue of the participants of any institutional configuration.

For large segments of society, consensus builds voluntary acquiescence to “herd thinking”. Group animosity has little appreciation for the one who does not fit the standard template of “normal”. Opposition easily reacts in negative ways to those prone toward independence, confident individuality and personal competence. Fearful of differences, the communal consensus wants conformity, as simplistic thinking wants one size to fit all.

As some writers may lament the declining state of mental and physical fitness in the U.S., calling the culture a “nation of sissies”, darker prospects loom on the horizon. From a recent military study, the U.S. Army’s growing concern about fitness levels reflects a tragedy, fear and terrorism anxiety ridden society. Mentally unprepared and physically unfit to serve their country, over two-thirds of recruits do not meet minimum standards for service. This represent a serious national security concern. That is from a military perspective. From an associated standpoint, the public service area, first responder recruitment faces similar challenges.

As to such critical issues, among the shortcomings are obesity, poor fitness, prior offenses, mental health, and substance abuse and so on. Increasingly, the responsibility for national defense, as well as public service, falls upon a smaller group of persons. That represents an unhealthy burden upon the few, while many escape responsibilities for their own betterment. The same speaks loudly in the law enforcement realm. Police agencies across the U.S. experience similar recruiting issues as the military. In spite of an expanding job market in public safety, cities, towns and villages struggle to find qualified recruits. Unfit for duty is a common theme.

As fearfulness strikes back against logic and reason, a whining culture devolves into that which cowers from distance with news reports of tragedy, disaster and terroristic activities. Driven by incessant “news” coverage, coupled with over-rated and ill-informed opinions, pundits foment an atmosphere of fear. In the wake of homicidal event, for instance, all manner of exploitation comes to bear on the calamity at hand. Coverage is quickly overly dramatic and alleged “experts”, typically from academia and no field experience, a variety of disinformation. Misleading, misguiding and mistaken, the infotainment world kicks into high gear.

For a culture of wimps, the vicarious affinity for being afraid becomes an arrogant assertion for herded thinking. Likewise, political agendas enjoy capitalizing on the marketing value of one disaster after another. From sales marketing to political campaigning, as well as social media promotion, “pandemic” sells the next “epidemic”. Nearly every aspect of the vast media networks expresses some form of human misfortune. The negativity is constant and extreme. In the non-reality of the “fake world”, large segments of society are fearful for unnecessary reasons. Promotion of the negative side of things is more common that the opposite perspective. Attempting to address the positive aspects of an issue or situation that considers the proportionality of the evidence, confronts the desire for immediate gratification in adversity.

Danger, hardship and misfortune, are the natural antagonist of humankind. Self-evolving individuals struggle with the daily entanglements of myriad troubles. Suffering, in one way or another, psycho-physically, is essential to the nature of human existence. Pain requires great courage to confront it, to live it, to embrace it, and yet most waste tremendous energy to avoid the fiery annoyance of such occurrences. Where one philosophy would argue the aversion to pain and suffering, tragedy and fear, another would admonish living through the reality with great valor. To war against oneself, in the anguish of birth to the pretense of adulthood, carries the strain of breathing each moment of breath. Inconvenient toil goes with every heartbeat.

However, in a cowardly culture, where ignorance blossoms the bliss of intense selfishness, the reality of the struggle balances precariously in fainthearted regression. At the fundamental basis of every wake-up call is the annoyance of trouble effort. In that, the frustration contrives by many inner splinter voices to confound the paradoxical opposite. For the hedonistic principles of pains versus pleasures, or by contrast the convulsion of such imaginings, one needs the other, in order for all the senses to prevail. All experiences are vital. No psychic heroism is without the striving against the incessant manifestations of human dysfunction in all its perverse diversity. Community and culture contrive to intervene in the maturation for such valiant efforts.

To be scared is what the herd reinforces. Fear of everything, from commodity consumption to pandemic eruption, the infantile gluttony of self-immolation abounds. The sound waves of discord reverberate through incessant repetition by massive infotainment to ensure manipulative sanctions. Only the brave can resist the mainstream game of the emotional gambit that fosters an illicit consensus. Purposely naïve, deceptively captivated, a cast of many join the stage play of self-satiation for the thrill of the tragedy and the fear they relish. Across the planetary expanse, terrorism, as well as other threatening possibilities, become exploitable “movie scripts” for fame and profit. Politicians and pundits enjoy the promotion of a “good crisis.”

For the individuation of selfless differentiation, the valor of the few focuses on the acute nature of context within calamity. Whether tears are joyous, or torturous, the reality summons the intensity of the focal point. Yet, the herd, the flock, and the pack, murmur the alliances of collective calamity, to assert the illicit commonality of the group’s dreadful unanimity. Of tragedy, fear and terrorism, for the viral spread of pretentious anxiety desires the communal collusion of sameness. In brief, without prolonged digression, the unimaginative processes degrade to noncreative immobility of juvenile narcissism. Two dimensional at best the thinking goes dull.

Dr. Randy Gonzalez, a 35 year veteran of law enforcement, is a multi-genre published author. And, he is also a college professor of criminology.

Thursday, August 5, 2021

Is There a Difference Between Theft, Robbery, and Burglary? And Officer Gets Ambushed and Survives This Week On Tactical P.E.


  • Author Eric Davis
Most people use the words theft, burglary, and robbery interchangeably.
While this is fine for casual conversation, there are significant distinctions between each of these offenses in the context of criminal law. If one of your loved ones has been arrested for stealing, it's important to understand exactly what the charges involved.

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The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) publishes Philadelphia crime statistics every year. According to the PPD's 2014 crime stats report, there were 15,999 cases of theft, 6,924 cases of robbery, and 9,567 cases of burglary. Of course, it isn't just law enforcement that makes a distinction between these offenses - so does state law.

Robbery, which is the least common of these three crimes in Philadelphia, is defined by 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3701. This statute describes robbery as theft (which we'll cover shortly) plus one of the following elements:

In short, a robbery is a theft that specifically involves some sort of force, assault, or intimidation. An additional statute (18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3702) is devoted solely to the robbery of a motor vehicle, sometimes called carjacking.

Depending on the circumstances, robbery can be graded as a third, second, or first-degree felony. The maximum criminal penalties for each class of felony offense are listed below:

Burglary, which is defined by 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3502, specifically involves entering a building or other piece of property "with the intent to commit a crime therein." State law allows defendants who are charged with burglary to raise three defenses:

Theft, which is the most common of among these offenses by a wide margin, is sometimes called larceny. For instance, you may have heard the terms "grand larceny" (grand theft) or "petit larceny" (petty theft).

Unlike burglary and robbery, which are highly specific in nature, theft is a very broad charge which encompasses numerous offenses. Some of these offenses are common (like shoplifting), while others are so obscure they're virtually unknown. Examples of Pennsylvania theft crimes are listed below:

Unlawful use of computers used to be a theft offense, but the relevant statute was repealed in 2002.

As you can see from the above list, theft covers a very wide range of both tangible and intangible objects. Theft might involve stealing a physical item (like a purse or a bike), a service or utility (like cable or internet), or simply valuable information (like another person's identity, or a company's trade secrets).

Depending on the nature of the alleged offense involved, theft grading runs the gamut from third-degree misdemeanor to first-degree felony. Thus, a defendant who is convicted of theft might be facing anywhere from one to 20 years in prison, and/or fines ranging from $2,000 to $25,000. It depends on the type and dollar value of the property involved, among other factors. For instance, theft is automatically a second-degree felony if the property stolen is a firearm, or if the value of the stolen commodity is at least $100,000 but less than $500,000.