Zootopia:A Movie Fit For A Prince

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Most movies do not appeal to me. I generally take in the theater at the suggestion of and in the company of my daughter. Before I get into this column let me review the movies I’ve seen lately.

Captain America: Civil War. Rated, by me: B. It was okay as both a superhero movie and as libertarian commentary about obeying your conscious rather than rote orders. Okay it was.

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. B-. Not bad but not what I’d (we’d) hoped for. Batfleck was awesome! Henry plays a good Supes. Wonder Woman was stunning – the 3 minutes we got of her. There was way too much filler.

The Hobbit: Part Whatever. F. The ghost of Tolkien is looking for Peter Jackson right now like a Nazgul on a ring thief.

Star Wars, Episode Too Many, A New New Hope. C. A PC remake of the original with a wimpy Darth Vader and a bigger Death Star.

Then, just the other day, I ventured into Zootopia. Every once in a while the Disney machine gets one right. I actually enjoyed it! A! It’s no wonder Rotten Tomatoes rated it 98% fresh. Fresh carrots, here, I suppose. Like Star Wars it reminded me of something – not another, older movie about a mammalian metropolis – I recalled a book about political theory.

Disney.

The animation, acting (voice acting) and the flow were all top-notch. The plot was well-developed and unfolded with a suspenseful, surprising rhythm.

Judy Hopps is a small-town bunny with big dreams of becoming a police officer in the big city. She defies the odds and makes the force – the very first rabbit officer. Starting day one she learns all kinds of lessons. She quickly develops her street smarts and cracks the big case.

The city population is roughly 90% herbivores and 10% carnivores. Lately, about a dozen of the carnivores have gone missing. Judy’s sleuthing, aided by a crafty street fox, leads her to their location and a major surprise.

All of the citizens of Zootopia have gotten along fine since forever but there is a lingering , maybe unspoken fear the meat-eaters might, just might go wild. They do. It turns out the missing predators have all mysteriously started acting like wild, violent animals; they go primal. The mayor, a politician’s politician of a lion, realizes what may be happening and has them locked away in a research facility on the outskirts of town.

He and his co-conspirators are arrested. Judy is a hero. But … there is still the problem of the wilding predators. Is it the start of an epidemic? Fear begins to take hold in the city. In the end there is a rational, if uncanny explanation for the savage behavior – the predators have been unwittingly poisoned.

The case is solved. The poison victims are cured. Everyone lives happily ever after and learns important (yes, PC) lessons about inclusion, not jumping to conclusions, and the civilized necessity of overlooking illogical prejudices. Judy’s street fox friend becomes the force’s first fox officer and they end the movies as partners. In and of itself, that would make for a happy ending to a great movie with some pretty decent morals. It’s not just a cutesy animal movie. It features significant societal commentary.

Here’s my special social commentary, all derived from the manner in which the poisoning of the predators was revealed. What was that political book I was reminded of? It was The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli.

Mayor Lionheart’s deputy was an over-worked, under-appreciated sheep. She masterminded the whole predator poisoning, banking on the mayor’s secretive, illegal handling of the matter. It almost paid off for her. She assumed the role of mayor just in time to feed on the city’s (false) fears of a savagery outbreak. The whole missing and drugged carnivore scheme was a false flag event. It was the same kind of deceptive power-play described time and again in The Prince.

Disney.

Given the politically correct undertones of the movie (to me, harmless), one may safely describe the deputy mayor as a “social justice warrior” (SJW) of the lowest kind. She carefully crafted the false flag and manipulated the people in order to gain power – Machiavellian! I even saw Vox Day’s three rules of SJW behavior in action: the story about the predators was a lie; they (Mayor Sheepy and her accomplices) doubled down to save face and hold onto power at nearly any cost, and; they tried to project their insecurity onto Judy.

So, in the very end, Judy ended up cracking an even bigger case, a case of treason. The ultimate moral of the tale is to not trust the government even if you’re a part of it – especially if you are a decent civil servant like Judy.

 

“It’s called a hustle, sweetheart.” – Judy Hopps, Zootopia.

“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.” – Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.

One more thing – two more things…. Disney did the latent comedic elements flawlessly. They featured an overweight, donut-grazing, goofball tiger of a desk sergeant at police HQ. Classic. And, in Zootopia the DMV office is run by … sloths. Perfect! Old Walt would own this one.

Disney.

American Nostalgia

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On Monday the United States turns 240 years old. Almost everyone will enjoy a day off, fireworks, and cookouts. But, as this Youtube video shows, very few people today can connect the significance of July 4th to the spirit of what it means to be American.

I almost dislike the Fourth anymore. All the firework-watching, barbecue-eating, vacationers will celebrate their “freedom” under an unfathomable dome of laws, rules, regulations, and new norms that make life anything but free. Much of the celebration will be directed towards the government, adulation in the name of liberty of the very thing that squashes liberty.

Two-hundred-forty years is a long time for societal continuity. Comparing the rhetoric of American life to the reality makes me wonder if our best days are behind us.

Consider, if you will, this incredible collage of 1940s-50s advertisements put together by ReasonHappy 4th: These Vintage Ads for Capitalism Will Make You Proud to Be an American, Katherine Mangu-Ward, July 2, 2016.

Reason, The Ad Council-Standard Oil.

All of the ads are unabashedly pro-American and pro-capitalism. Many celebrate the accomplishments of 1950 America compared to those from 1900. Many, like the one I display above, celebrate modern, suburban family life. Scenes like the one above look like America.

True, if we kept on comparing and contrasting some things, the 21st century would look like the good new days. My phone has vastly superior video capabilities than any television from 1950. Were I transported back to the 50s right now, I would have in my possession the two most powerful computers in the world. Our cars are safer, more fuel-efficient, better, if uglier than those from the 50s. We have 900 channels on television. Every building is air-conditioned. But, are we better for all the new, universal comforts and conveniences?

You can see something in the pictures that I don’t have to describe. All of the people pictured are happy, they are family oriented, they look dignified. They had good reason to smile while smoking pipes and watching Junior play with the dog. Back then America was growing – in terms of prosperity and of income and opportunity. They had laws and regulations then but those did not extend into every facet of daily life as they do now. By and large, we were then one big homogenous family. There was a certain comfort associated with that era which technology cannot rival.

Today all of these happy 1950s Americans would look out-of-place in most parts of our daily landscape. Can you imagine one of those well-dressed, smiling families striding through a Wal-Mart clogged with 400-pound, EBT card-wielding slobs? No. Each group would think the other recently departed from employment with the circus. Can you imagine people today talking openly and with pride about American capitalism, growth, and family oriented spirituality? No. They would be accused of committing micro-aggression upon micro-aggression.

There will be a lot of flag waving come Monday. But, more often than not today the flag is frowned upon as it may invariably offend some newly arrived intruder who sees America as little more than a welfare check and a place to convert to third world status.

Two things are to blame for this decline: the government, which seeks to dominate everything, and; the people who accept it, trading happiness and freedom and dignity for gadgets and gluttony. Loafing is not leisure. Frivolity is not freedom. What a better world we would have today if we could keep the true advancements, trade the glittering state-worship (and the state) for peaceful prosperity, and, most importantly, return to a happy, prideful sense of civilization.

When or if you celebrate this long weekend, pause to ask what you truly enjoy about post-modern America. Is it just pomp and frolicking for a day or is it a real celebration of human spirit and freedom?

Armed Citizens Are The Only Viable Answer

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Three years ago, then Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble said armed citizens may the only solution to fight terrorist attacks.

Speaking in the wake of the Westgate Mall massacre in Kenya, Secretary Noble said:

“Societies have to think about how they’re going to approach the problem,” Noble said. “One is to say we want an armed citizenry; you can see the reason for that. Another is to say the enclaves are so secure that in order to get into the soft target you’re going to have to pass through extraordinary security.”

Interpol means “International Criminal Police Organization” for those of you recently divorced from the X-box. Think of it as the world’s police agencies cooperating to fight crime across borders. Think of the Secretary General as the world’s police chief. Ron Noble is now the immediate past leader of the group. Here’s part of what he told ABC News in 2013:

Citing a recent call for al Qaeda “brothers to strike soft targets, to do it in small groups,” Noble said law enforcement is now facing a daunting task.

“How do you protect soft targets? That’s really the challenge. You can’t have armed police forces everywhere,” he told reporters. “It’s Interpol’s view that one way you protect soft targets is you make it more difficult for terrorist to move internationally. So what we’re trying to do is to establish a way for countries … to screen passports, which are a terrorist’s best friend, try to limit terrorists moving from country to country. And also, that we’re able to share more info about suspected terrorists.”

In the interview with ABC News, Noble was more blunt and directed his comments to his home country.

“Ask yourself: If that was Denver, Col., if that was Texas, would those guys have been able to spend hours, days, shooting people randomly?” Noble said, referring to states with pro-gun traditions. “What I’m saying is it makes police around the world question their views on gun control. It makes citizens question their views on gun control. You have to ask yourself, ‘Is an armed citizenry more necessary now than it was in the past with an evolving threat of terrorism?’ This is something that has to be discussed.”

“For me it’s a profound question,” he continued. “People are quick to say ‘gun control, people shouldn’t be armed,’ etc., etc. I think they have to ask themselves: ‘Where would you have wanted to be? In a city where there was gun control and no citizens armed if you’re in a Westgate mall, or in a place like Denver or Texas?'”

Three years have given us plenty more examples similar to Westgate – Paris, Paris again, Brussels, Orlando, Istanbul, etc.

During that last three years Western governments have done nothing to stem the flow of terrorists across borders. If anything, they’re increased the flow. At the same time they continue to generate additional irritation in terror-prone regions. This vicious and near-suicidal scheme proves definitely that the governments cannot be trusted to protect their people – which is really the only valid reason to have governments.

Noble’s alternative idea, of extraordinary security over soft targets will not work. Virtually all places where ordinary people go on a daily basis are soft targets. There are simply too many of them and too few resources to guard them officially. That, and the terrorists are finding new and innovative ways around heightened security even at “hard” targets – places like the Istanbul airport. They only way extraordinary security everywhere would work would be to have everyone (or most everyone) become security officers.

Everyone being security would mean an armed and vigilant citizenry. Thus, that is the only viable solution to stemming the tide of terror. It rarely makes local news and never appears nationally, but every day armed citizens in places like Colorado and Texas shoot or subdue armed attackers. How many of these vigilante actions have prevented Paris, Orlando, or Westgate-style terror incidents?

In Israel, where most people are armed everywhere and all the time, terrorists do not attempt mass shootings. It’s one thing to strike and then wait for or escape from the police. It’s another to open fire and immediately have all surrounding people return fire. In Israel the terrorists long ago switched to suicide bombings. This practice is growing throughout the West – usually performed in conjunction with shootings.

It’s very hard to defend against bombs. Gun attacks, however, are deterred by the threat of immediate gun responses. An armed and active citizenry would put a dent in the accomplishments of jihad.

Ultimately it will be impossible to stop all attacks – especially those utilizing explosives. To stop those the people must demand governments either do their job – and get the terrorist elements out – or get out-of-the-way so the people can do it themselves.

None of this is appealing to the state. Having proved itself useless, dangerous even, the government will rightly fear an armed populace, especially if the people manage to connect the dots between the state and the terrorists. The term “revolution” comes to mind. Thomas Jefferson blessed this concept. As Nathan Bedford Forrest said, “A government that fears arms in the hands of its people should also fear rope!”

The state, evil but not completely stupid, is beginning to take measures to counter the threat of the righteously indignant and armed people. They still do nothing about the terrorists. They are against us as much as the terrorists are, maybe more so.

An armed populace is the only answer. Guns up!

Liberty Alliance.

*****

On a related note, here’s today’s Viernheim update. Nothing. I don’t think they’re coming clean; they’re counting on the goldfish-like memories of the masses. So, here’s what I think happened.

I think the shooting incident at the Kinopolis was a failed false flag event. (Chuck Baldwin explains how to spot one – a real one.) I cannot speculate on the intention of the flag – heck, this is all speculation anyway. The shooter was a German national and mentally ill. He was likely as not the son of immigrants. He was probably recruited by some German agency in the same way the FBI and CIA use patsies to further terrorist schemes, real and fake, in the U.S.

What was the nature of the recruiting? Who knows. Ferreting out real terrorists? Maybe. Building sympathy for immigrant “refugees”? Maybe. Pushing more gun control? Possibly. A blow to Brexit or support for the EU Reich? Perhaps. Something. The nut probably went off the reservation – out of direct control of his handlers – and then went rogue. Having some new ideas in his already scrambled mind, he likely decided to act on his own – in about as a pathetic a manner as possible. That would explain his rambling, excited demeanor and his use of fake weapons.

The SEK quickly gassed and gunned him down and is now silent in a cover-up. ISIS and other terror groups would never claim responsibility or even association with such a failure. They like successes – like Paris and Istanbul and Orlando.

Time may tell if some eye-witnesses come forth with information, if the police leak the truth, or if some investigative journalist in Europe runs with my ideas. I’m done with the story until I hear something concrete.

 

July 2016

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Happy July! Now we start the best half of the year, right?

I’m not even checking Viernheim this morning. Maybe later; formulating a theory.

Good morning, internet.

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New England inn/Google

Viernheim Update

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Sorry. I almost forgot. NOTHING!

It has been a week since SEK kommandos gunned down the fake terrorist at the Kinopolis and we still have no official word whatsoever as to who he was. What gives?

I call on my German readers (yes, I have a few – at least 9 this month) to help me out. Anybody around Hesse? Inquiring minds want to know. Help, please. This is bothering me.

Help me before I come up with a “mechanical hound chase” conspiracy of a scenario.

“To the theater!” Wiki.

THEY Don’t Just Hate the Second Amendment

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They hate it, yes. Paul Ryan is moving gun control through the House to match what the Senate is doing.

Ryan’s decision comes a week after Democrats disrupted House activities with a nearly 26-hour sit-in demanding action on gun control. It’s unclear whether Ryan’s proposal would include the broad “no fly, no buy” proposal Democrats have supported or a more limited version endorsed by the National Rifle Association.

On the call, Ryan said it was common sense that suspects on terror watch lists should not be able to buy guns, but the Wisconsin Republican wants to be sure that any provision protects due process for people who may mistakenly be added to such lists.

I give the House measures as much credence as I give the Senate’s – none.

It’s not just firearms freedom they’re after. They want to shut down free speech too:

Democrats targeting content and control of the Internet, especially from conservative sources, are pushing hard to layer on new regulations and even censorship under the guise of promoting diversity while policing bullying, warn commissioners from the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Election Commission.

“Protecting freedom on the Internet is just one vote away,” said Lee E. Goodman, a commissioner on the FEC which is divided three Democrats to three Republicans. “There is a cloud over your free speech.”

      – Federal regulation of Internet coming, warn FCC, FEC commissioners, Washington              Examiner.

If it has to do with personal freedom, the government is against it. Remember this in November.

booksie.com

The Collins Amendment: I Don’t Buy The Gun-Fly Lie

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Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has proposed the Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act of 2016, popularly known as the Collins Amendment. Who could possibly be against such a thing? I am, for one. Her proposal is similar to Diane Feinstein’s S.551 and several other meaningless measures floating around the septic tank of Congress. Her’s is the one in the news today having passed a procedural vote 52-46. Here’s the majority of the Amendment (click the picture for the whole thing):

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Collins Amendment. Senate.gov.

The vote had to be of the unrecorded, oral variety as I can’t find reference to it. Congress frequently avoids such disclosure. Why would anyone want to readily know how his Senator voted on something anyway? There are reasons a rational man would oppose such a “common sense” law. Anyway, support for this version of gun control is being hailed as some sort of crack in the GOP/NRA wall against a safer America.

Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is a co-sponsor of the Act so we can assume he was among the 52. His explanation of its provisions highlight the problems with the Amendment and various other government projects. Per the Times story:

Republicans find it much easier to explain enacting gun restrictions to constituents devoted to the Second Amendment if they can frame their position as an act against terrorism.

“The Constitution’s a sacred document, but it is not a suicide pact,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and a gun owner. “This is not hard for me. Due process is important, but at the end of the day, we are at war.”

Graham clarified in a press release:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement after voting in support of the Collins amendment to prevent terrorists from buying guns.

The amendment survived a procedural vote, 52-46, and remains eligible for a final vote.

Graham said:

“At the end of the day this really is about counter-terrorism, not gun control. We are a nation at war against radical Islam and under increasing threats both here at home and abroad.

“President Obama’s foreign policy has been a failure and helped give rise to the very threats we face. I have long argued we must do more to counter the threat abroad. However, it is also important we take steps here at home to protect ourselves as well. It’s why I supported the Collins Amendment.

“Simply put — I don’t want anyone who is too dangerous to fly on a plane to buy a gun.

“To be on these lists today means there is reasonable suspicion and credible evidence that the individual in question is involved with or in support of terrorist activities. There are about 109,000 people on these lists and 99% of them are foreign nationals, not U.S. citizens. There are only about 2,700 Americans who could be impacted by this measure.

“I believe in due process and I was insistent the amendment contain provisions to ensure those who should not be on these lists can clear their name. We put the burden of proof on the government to show the individual is a danger and should not be allowed to purchase a gun. If the government fails, the individual’s rights are upheld and the government will pay their legal tab.

“This debate will continue and I will continue to work to find common ground that both protects the rights of law-abiding citizens and prevents terror suspects from purchasing guns. The differences between the competing approaches are narrowing.

“I will continue to strive to be a senator that can bring us together and find common ground in times of great threat.
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He’s right about continuing to strive to be a senator but all wrong beyond that.

The Act isn’t about counter-terrorism or about gun control. It’s just another law and another burden on the people.

Graham is correct that Hussein Obama’s policies have only made the threat of terrorism worse. To be fair though, Hussein Obama has only continued the disaster of a policy put in place by Bush 43. And Graham’s proposals on the subject, whenever he spouts off, are always of the kind which would make things EVEN WORSE.

At home he says there are 109,000 people on the watch lists. Of those only 1% or 2,700 are U.S. Citizens (closer to 2.5% by my math). If 106,300 foreign nationals are on the lists of suspected terrorists, why the hell are they not rounded up and deported immediately?

Neither Graham nor any other Senator really cares about Due Process. This proposal, like S.551, has a huge loophole to allow the Attorney General carte blanche authority over who goes on the list and allows the government to ultimately assert national security as an end-around to avoid due process in court. By Graham’s math that means 2,700 Americans right now could be out of luck; the list would surely grow if the Act passes into law. Don’t look for any of the foreigners to go home; in fact, more and more will just keep coming.

Graham’s position may be summed up as: “We’re at war (with an enemy we created and brought home). Therefore the Second Amendment and due process of law can go out the window.”

The saddest part of all this (as if it isn’t sad enough) is that the whole thing is pointless. Gun control does not work to stop gun violence. Period. None of the criminals and terrorists Collins and Graham feign interest in stopping would be subjected to any provisions of the Act. The University of Chicago “just discovered” that criminals don’t buy guns the legal way (surprise, surprise!). So much for soft gun control controlling crime. Even hardened European gun control does next to nothing to stop gun violence. When it comes to government gun control it’s all about the state controlling citizens and about perception (image over substance).

Then there’s the issue of bombs…

All this shows again and again you cannot trust the people who created the problem to know how to solve it. Don’t buy the gun-fly lie.

Senators propose more burdens on the People. NY Times.

Incompetence From Our “JV Team”

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Hussein Obama, ever one of intrinsic flippancy, once remarked that ISIS was merely a “JV team” in terms of war-making and of being dangerous. I can’t recall if he said that while playing golf or from a vacation.

The terrorists who shot up and bombed the airport in Istanbul yesterday operated with the planing and efficiency of a special forces team.

A three-part attack beginning with a diversion is a new level of sophistication. That should scare the U.S. and Europe.

Three months after attacking Brussels airport, terrorists have shown in the attack on Istanbul’s international airport an alarming ability to stay one move ahead of the defenses put in place to stop them—an agility in planning that could present a new and serious threat to airports in the U.S.

Most experts agree that the Istanbul atrocity has the hallmarks of ISIS. Even then, the sophistication of how the attack was carried out has surprised them.

It was carried out in a way that suggests the kind of advance intelligence, careful study of a target, and cool execution that would normally be practised by Western special forces.

U.S. officials are showing some concern about the JV team but they’re showing it in Obama’s patented Neverland fashion.

CIA Director John Brennan said that the suicide bombings in Istanbul, Turkey bore the signs of ISIS and should serve as a warning to Americans that the terrorist group is aiming to carry out similar attacks in the U.S.

“I’d be surprised if [ISIS] is not trying to carry out that kind of attack in the United States,” Brennan told Yahoo News Tuesday evening.

He said ISIS has so far been unable to attack the U.S. directly because of effective homeland security and intelligence measures, but warned that the militants would continue their attempts to infiltrate American defenses.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper raised similar concerns last month. He told CNN in May that ISIS has the capability to conduct a large-scale Paris-style attack in the U.S.

They haven’t yet but they have the capacity… What was Orlando? JV practice? What happened at the Amarillo Wal-Mart? Who attacked Trump supporters in California? What about San Bernardino? Boston? Am I just imagining that these things happened? Or, are these people blind?

They don’t understand ISIS, a thing they created. ISIS doesn’t need to operate like a traditional state or army; it can call on radical cells and individuals as needed. They don’t consider ISIS a threat even as it rapidly captures territory in multiple countries. They warn about possible future attacks as we are attacked every week. All the while, they stir the mix of terrorism in the Middle East and continue to import enormous numbers of radicals.

Our government is behaving like a JV team. That, or they’re trying to throw the game.

FreeRepublic.

Strategy vs.Tactics: A lesson From Istanbul on Fighting Terrorism

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ISIS’s June jihad against the West rolls on. Istanbul has been Western on again and off again for thousands of years. I suppose they’re “on” right now given yesterday’s attack. Forty to fifty are dead and hundreds wounded following the shootings and bombings.

This story is not about the attack, per se – too many of those happening to give full coverage. This is about what you can do about these things – beyond posting flag overlays and “We Are Turkey” or “Istanbul Strong” on Facebook.

There are strategic and tactical measures involved in avoiding and/or dealing with such events. They are related but different.

Strategy: a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim.

Tactic: an immediate item done in support of a strategy.

When confronted by mindless violence and terrorism one can (must) employ some level of strategic thinking. That should include relying, to some degree, on official plans and actions. Turkey sits right on the border of the Islamic State’s wars. They have plans, strategies to keep terrorists out of their country. Should terrorists make it in, they still have alternate plans – airport security, armed police, etc. The United States is in a similar situation, thousands of miles away, thanks to decades of suicidal military and immigration policies.

The best of these types of plans obviously don’t work sometimes. It is therefore important for the individual to modify his personal strategic plans accordingly. Airports and other popular destinations may be terrorist targets of opportunity. Thus, one might want to avoid them if possible. If not, move as deep into the “secured” areas as fast as possible.

The simultaneous usage of firearms and explosives presents a different kind of problem. The knee-jerk reaction of some is to call for a ban on guns. This never works but, even if it did, there’s the bomb issue. Bombs themselves are illegal in most places, their use is certainly illegal. However, it is impossible to make illegal all the simple things one can do to build a bomb. Others have a knee-jerk reaction to such events in calling on good guys with guns to stop the bad guys with guns. In and of itself, this generally works – it did at the Istanbul airport yesterday evening. A terrorist with a gun stopped shooting when a police officer (with a gun) shot him. Then again, there was a bomb.

Tactically speaking, the police and the individual are essentially on the same grounds when terrorists strike – in the “sh!t hits the fan” scenario. In these cases what you do and how you do it can help save your life. If you cannot avoid the situation, how you handle it is critical.

The police officer’s actions in the above-linked story are a case study in fighting modern terrorism. The officer won the gun battle and then had to run for his life before the terrorist detonated his bomb (graphic video is embedded in the story).

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Daily Mail. Use the link above to see video.

The safest course of action for surviving these attacks is to get away as fast as possible – run, don’t walk, don’t be a hero. If you can’t run, get behind something solid. If there’s nothing solid, hit the ground with you head pointed away from the attacker and covered by the arms.

If you are armed and engage the terrorist, only do so observing the four cardinal rules of gun safety – they really are universal. Assume the terrorist has a bomb. This is part of “knowing your target.” Assume the bomb will be detonated – either by a wounded/dying terrorist or by your shots themselves. Watch the Daily Mail video and the officer’s actions. It’s his job to rush into danger. In a similar situation you should try to do the same thing (if you must) from behind cover or from a distance.

None of this is pleasant to contemplate but it is reality. It’s a remote reality, like a tornado or a house fire but we routinely practice how to handle those. There are almost too many possibilities to plan against in stopping terrorism but a little something is better than nothing.

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Viernheim Shooting Update: NOTHING.

This Means War! Ruination Man O’ War #1 (Robusto) Review

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“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu

If our enemy is a bad, weak, or boring smoke, then the Ruination may be the supreme cigar. Name aside, there is no fighting, just pure enjoyment.

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What. A. Cigar. This big brown beauty delivers tons of smoke and flavor right from the first puff. The Ruination packs a punch, both in terms of quality and taste, for a well-sub-$10 stick. By the way, to make sure you get the best price possible for your Man O’ War, consult the good folks at Cigars City, where the advertised sticks are never “out of stock”.

My Robusto boasted a superb draw born of excellent quality and solid construction. As one can easily see from the above photo, this smoke has smooth lines which match its smooth yet energetic taste. This particular size, 5 ½ x 54, is perfect for after dinner enjoyment or while passing a long (well-deserved) lunch break. Take any break and add this masculine masterpiece from master cigar-maker Abdel “A.J.” Fernandez of Tabacalera Fernandez, Esteli (new site under development). It’s a great example of the ages-old Cuban rolling legacy alive and thriving in Nicaragua today.

I would classify my Robusto’s strength as a fuller-medium. Really, for me personally, I’d call it medium, but I call most cigars “medium” – either through my increased fortitude or loss of senses – jury is still out. Anyway, the usual, seasoned cigar smoker should find the Ruination full-bodied but not too strong. If fact, it may be just right for any veteran. (Newbies might need to ease into it to avoid … that unpleasantness … you know what I mean … or you will. Ha ha ha).

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The burn began with a slight unevenness which rapidly worked itself out. After the initial light-up the burn was perfect as was the draw – lots and lots of generous smoke, not too hot and none too mild. The ash held on in average fashion – and I didn’t burn myself! Aside from a foolish, self-inflicted blister, I hate nothing more than a poor-burning stick that detracts from the tasting experience. No such worries here.

Rich flavors appeared immediately and developed in wonderful complexity. Underlying everything is the earthy, woody, maybe leathery deliciousness born of the ligero filler from Nicaraguan and Honduras. The binder is a top-notch Nicaraguan and the exquisite wrapper is an oily, deep-brown, sun grown leaf from Ecuador. Happy notes of lively pepper punctuate the hearty smoke culminating in a rich finish both toasty and mildly spiced.

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Think of the Ruination as a go-to when you need a great experience of slightly higher power yet of easy handling. I had mine during the evening while watching Lightning Bugs flit about. I dare to venture you might enjoy the smoke accompanied by a stout bourbon, a good single-malt, or even a dark rum. I find most stronger cigars go well with a hefty beer though the Southern ambient evening temperatures run some interference during the summer. Again, those unaccustomed to a little horsepower might be advised to eat a good meal first. You’ll figure it out. There are no wrong approaches in cigar-land. Let this Man O’ War bring you a little peace and happiness one night soon.

Cheers,

Perrin