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“There’s a scene at the beginning of The Bourne Identity where the film’s protagonist is sitting in a diner, trying to figure out who he is and why he has a bunch of passports and a gun stashed in a safety deposit box. Bourne also notices that he, well, notices things that other people don’t. “ ”That superhuman ability to observe his surroundings and make detailed assessments about his environment? It’s not just a trait of top secret operatives; it’s a skill known as situational awareness, and you can possess it too. “”As the names implies, situational awareness is simply...

Authorities in Texas believe a man who shot and killed two people was acting in self-defense after two men allegedly attempted to rob him while he was taking money out of an ATM. In a press conference, the San Antonio Police Department's Chief William McManus said that on Friday, July 7 at approximately 1 p.m., a man in his 20s went to a Chase Bank about 15 minutes from downtown San Antonio, Texas. Police said that the unidentified man drove up to a drive-by ATM to withdraw money and saw two people drive towards him who attempted to rob him....

Homeland Security warns of individuals using high-profile events to justify violence against ideological opponents, public gatherings, schools and more The Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin Tuesday warning of a "heightened threat environment" over the next several months as they monitor both risks of domestic terrorism and foreign adversaries looking to sow discord within the U.S. to promote acts of violence. "The United States remains in a heightened threat environment, as noted in the previous Bulletin, and several recent attacks have highlighted the dynamic and complex nature of the threat environment," DHS said in a new bulletin from the...

Emboldened by the lack of consequences, the political left in this country has escalated from yelling at people in restaurants, to physical assaults, property destruction, and even murder. Senator Rand Paul’s account of the harrowing events of the leftist mob following the last night of the Republican convention serves as another reminder for Americans to consider their personal safety. Self-defense is often an uncomfortable topic for many. A friend recently asked what he should do in a circumstance if he and his wife were accosted in public. Setting aside the grief that this is even a topic in our country,...

Even though I started writing this column days ago, apparently Wednesday was National Situational Awareness Day. So much for my digital self-awareness. But the timing couldn’t be better: The US Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) dropped a hypothetical restaurant layout on their Facebook page a few days ago, asking their readers to pick their preferred seat and why. The idea may be overly simplistic, but anything that helps people literally open their eyes is probably worthy of a discussion. So, looking at the above floor plan, what seat would you pick and why? ( graphic of restaurant seating arraingement at blog...

Situational awareness is the perception of environmental elements which translate to being aware of your surrounding. This is important for being prepared to defend yourself and your family. Which is becoming more important these days. Having this edge can make a differences in your decision making while in a fight or avoiding one. We don’t necessary have to train to be a Ninja to one with nature, but that is the idea. Don't view this as 007 fantasy or paranoia, but just heighten alertness as part of your lifestyle. Its true that we train for the worse case scenario to...

The 21st Century is inching ever closer towards chaos… and the time to get out of the big city is upon us. With economic conditions, growing crises, desperate populations looking to scratch by, and more hatred and division than at any previous point in American history, the city has become a dangerous and unruly setting – and finding yourseld in one that is falling apart could be the worst mistake you ever make. People are living in bigger urban zones than ever before… these megacities are the hotspots of global activity. But many are also proving to be the most...

There’s a scene at the beginning of The Bourne Identity where the film’s protagonist is sitting in a diner, trying to figure out who he is and why he has a bunch of passports and a gun stashed in a safety deposit box. Bourne also notices that he, well, notices things that other people don’t. (video) That superhuman ability to observe his surroundings and make detailed assessments about his environment? It’s not just a trait of top secret operatives; it’s a skill known as situational awareness, and you can possess it too. As the names implies, situational awareness is simply...

There are no “low-risk” assignments when you’re on duty, just a bunch of “unknown risk” assignments.In the days to come, we’ll learn more about the cowardly ambush killings of two NYPD officers and will be able to analyze it in detail for lessons learned, but until then I want to discuss a few initial thoughts prompted by these senseless murders — not accusations about the incident but rather some officer safety issues that need to be readdressed. Please be assured that I am not making any accusations about the fallen officers here — I’m only saying that the situation has...

Years ago when I was in junior high school, I had a shop teacher who would occasionally get exasperated with one of us and ask the question, “What makes a man be that way?” It’s a question I find myself asking many times. So what is it that keeps so many people from prepping? And how can it be overcome?To talk about that on DestinySurvival Radio yesterday was clinical psychologist Dr. Steven Futrell. He was on the show a few weeks ago and you can read about that interview here. Yesterday Steven and I dissected two broad topics–normalcy bias and...

The brains of elite soldiers can respond faster to signs of anger than normal, which could help them detect threats and make the difference between life and death when under fire. The differences in the brains of those who excel in extreme circumstances are poorly understood. Such research might help improve military performance, explained neuroscientist Alan Simmons at the University of California at San Diego. To investigate the brains of elite soldiers who face extreme circumstances all the time, psychiatrist Martin Paulus with Simmons and their colleagues scanned the brains of 11 off-duty members of the elite Navy SEALs (SEa,...

A short-sighted Gunsite student is now short a Series 70 Colt Besides being an ugly gun (the only saving grace are the Novak sights...) and having something soooo retro - and unsafe - as a trigger shoe, the owner/operator of said Series 70 did - because he was: CheapStupidBoth of the above       ...pick up from the deck a live round of ammunition, with which to continue his 350 class at Gunsite. Unfortunately, while the pistol is .45 ACP, he picked up a .40 caliber round. The 'Smithy says: The .40 round apparently fired, and the case was...