We've got a review! If you don't read Big Country's blog, well, you're missing out on a lot of color and character. I was pleasantly shocked when a reader
pointed my book in his direction. So time to spill some author's secrets. Yes, he's write about Ross' characterization as a chud. He wasn't supposed to be the super-awesome hero of most books. Ross was intended to be "the guy who did everything wrong," a total f--kup who really stepped in it but wiped his feet before he came in the house, if you know what I mean. A dumbass who figures it out; many people die cuz they can't adapt to their circumstances and think their way out of a problem. And yes, it's great that he got pissed off at the character's stupidity. Writers are supposed to evoke emotion. I got really pissed b/c Mongol Moon kicked America in the gnards and then he didn't deliver epic justice to his Axis of Assholes, although we'll be finding out this weekend if he did in Dance of Devils. Remember folks, when you're reading you don't have to like the characters and maybe you're not even supposed to; some of you like my psychopathic character Sam. Hearing that my agonizingly foolish character was just that means I succeeded at characterization. Having stories where the protagonist is a totally prepared ex-ninja survivalist are just boring. As for the flamethrower, it's a real design some kid in Utah built and showed off on YouTube a while back. My dad turbocharged his weed torch using some of the modifications so it works, but it's not ideal or probably safe. But then again we light our Christmas bonfires with gasoline. I'd probably stick with liquid fuel, you know gasoline, because it's just a better flamethrowing deal. In the age of screens and digital connections, a growing number of young people, especially Gen Z, navigate life with limited interpersonal skills, relying heavily on virtual interactions. Many members of Gen Z or even older "Millenials" report that they have none or few friends and become anxious socializing. The once-ubiquitous act of engaging in voice-to-voice conversations now induces stress among teens and young adults. The comfort of the online world has left many isolated and anxious in face-to-face encounters. Alarming statistics reveal that over 60% of Gen Z grapple with anxiety disorders with a significant portion experiencing discomfort on a daily basis. The haunting reality includes a rising "phone phobia," as voice-to-voice conversations become a source of worry. Interactions with strangers or even people they know can be a terrifying thing for this unsocialized Internet generation. Could the front doors of this improperly socialized, tech-dependent generation be the door to their own prison? The very idea of something so simple as a personal taboo reminded me of a story. "Not With a Bang" is a short story by Damon Knight, the author of another short story that was adapted into the Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man" about the human cookbook. I found this story in Alfred Hitchcok's collection Stories that Scared Even Me. The story is about Rolf, a letch (seriously), who is the last man alive after a pandemic. The last woman alive is reluctantly with him but refuses to have sex unless they're married. She is a major prude which is an important plot element. Knight goes to lengths to point this out. Rolf finally succeeds in convincing her to have a ceremony, just the two of them, and he goes to the restroom. In true Twilight Zone ironic fashion, it is there where the effects of the pandemic hit him. He's paralyzed, unable to reach his antidote injector. You see, Rolf's bride-to-be in all her pruishness would never, even after the end of the world, pass through the men's room door, living him doomed.* [In my best Rod Serling impression]
Imagine, if you will, a world where all modern communication has ceased. No cell phones, no texts, no instant messages, no emails, and no landline phones. Before telephones, when neighbors wanted to talk or someone had business with another, they would call physically by showing up unexpected at the door. We called it "going calling." Today, very few people drop in unannounced even at their closest relatives' homes. Our visits are arranged with a text messages and our calls telephonic. Now take this high-tech world and take away nothing more than the communications progress of the last hundred and fifty years. A world of disconnected, agoraphobic young adults faced with the world that their great-great-great grandparents lived in. A world where in-person interaction was the only way to communicate, the only way to live. But at the same time, those face-to-face encounters are a dreadful terror. What horror would a knock at the door bring? In this quiet world of isolation, we've witnessed a transformation, not of technology, but of the very fabric of human connection. A generation thrust into a bygone era, stripped of the safety of screens and the security of digital walls. They yearned for the past and its timeless rituals, only to discover that the past held its own horrors. Their homes, once a sanctuary from the perceived horrors of in-person communication, have become the walls of their own isolation. The digital natives, unable to navigate the complexities of human connection without the comfort of screens, find themselves unwittingly imprisoned by their own unsocialized existence. As the echoes of the analog reverberate through their lives, they grapple with a paradox - the desire for connection and the fear of the unannounced. The knock at the door, once a symbol of camaraderie, now ominously reverberates as a haunting anthem of the unknown. These individuals, surrounded by the tools of communication, stand alone in their isolated fortress, a testament to the paradox of progress. You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone, where the prison bars are not made of steel but of social anxiety, and the key to escape lies in a knock they fear to answer. *Yes, I know that the final line could be a warning to women about lecherous men. Convertube Water Bottle Adapter Kit
I prefer to drink out of water bottles when hiking, usually when stopped for a break,but that's not always possible and sometimes I really need a sip while I'm moving. The Camelback hydration bladder was invented in 1989 and has been a godsend for hydrating on the move. But the plastic bladders are a pain in the ass to clean and can get skunky. So rather than deal with the ordeal of cleaning them and drying them out, I decided to try this system. The adapter can fit any bottle but you see it here with a Nalgene. I'll probably start with a Nalgene in the field and swap it over to the tall 1.5l plastic bottles which I love because I can crush the empties down to nothing. Yes, the bottles cost money and have to be recycled, but for about a buck each they don't break the bank. This solution will also work with my reusable bottles, hence the Nalgene. The Nalgene in particular will work well with my purifier (MSR Guardian). Also the humangear capCAP+ blows away the regular Nalgene Airplane drinking problem style widemouth lid. What's an Airplane style drinking problem? It's where you splash the water in your face. So yeah, that's that. Leftists: "If Texas can ignore the federal courts and constitution, why can't Hawaii?"
Leftists love to equivocate. It all comes down to false equivocation, which is why cuckservatives are fearful of going all-out and ignoring bad court decisions. If they do it, then the leftist states will cite the the right-wing states' actions, then stick their fingers in their ears and hum to drown out the objections all while they lie to themselves that they're justified, i.e. "two wrongs make a right." But two wrongs don't make a right. Anybody with half a brain knows it, but the Jacobin spirit of leftists allows them to pretend like they have a heavenly mandate because "the other guy did it first." Hawaii is choosing to selectively ignore parts of the Constitution (2A) to subvert a human right it doesn't like. Texas is trying to defend its borders, a duty the federal government has abrogated. Abortion and child transitioning (mutilation) are like religious articles to the left, not fundamentally guaranteed human rights and certainly not something MANDATED by the Constitution. Now the Right needs to understand that the left will play their games and equivocate or dishonestly rationalize their actions. When you're morally right, you don't worry about how your enemy will throw mud back at you. When you're morally right, you go out, do what needs to be done, accomplish what needs to be accomplished, and win. Also defeating your enemy takes care of the BS optics problem. Problem is, the Right is only slowly realizing this too late in the game and there are far too many cuckservatives unwilling to play for keeps. A beautiful book review of Poor Man's Air Force, written even more better [sic] than the book itself, from Third Harmonic on Substack.
Problem: Buildings and terrain block drone telemetry and controller signals so a drone must maintain a radio line-of-sight to their pilot, which limits how they can be operated.
Small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) such as consumer-grade drones using off-the-shelf technology are limited to line-of-sight (LOS) operations only. While range can be extended by the use of increased transmitter power, higher gain antennas, and use of frequencies better adapted to particularly urban environments, the laws of physics cannot be overcome. Drones cannot be operated behind terrain features or structures without a direct (radio) LOS to their operator. This inhibits the ability to operate sUAS at low-levels in narrow terrain or dense, urban settings. Without airborne control nodes or satellite control that major militaries have, civilian defenders in a domestic conflict, first-responders, or small-scale military users cannot exploit the full possibilities of sUAS capabilities as loss of communication occurs before range/endurance is exhausted. In an urban area, sUAS now have to be flown either no lower than rooftop height or the operator has to get “up” in order for his signal to clear buildings. A SWAT team drone pilot who wants to look into a window on the far side of a building can only see vertically down over the top of the building. He must shift his position, potentially into the line of fire, to the far side if he wants to communicate with the drone as it descends behind the back of the building. Alternatively, a better angle can be obtained by flying at a longer distance and looking obliquely, but this is a compromise. Changing positions constantly is potentially risky in a combat/hostile situation, delays the delivery of timely intelligence, is cumbersome, and can be exhausting. Accepting less-perfect solutions, such as a bad view into a hostage taker’s window, may compromise mission success. Solutions For sUAS, quadcopters and the like are maintained within LOS of the controller. Pilots needing a more distant radio horizon or for their signals to clear an obstruction need to transmit from a high elevation. Legalities aside, a repeater in a high location with a LOS to the desired operating area is technologically feasible. A small, lightweight, modular, end-user customizable remote-operable repeaters and mesh nets that can be quickly deployed to end “dark zones” for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) operation. Properly placed nodes in well-chosen points could create areas of radio reception beyond the LOS of the operator enabling flight in previously radio-blind areas. A tethered UAV could be flown with a node as an airborne repeater as well. These nodes should also be able to communicate together as a network so only one node (“master”) requires a direct LOS to the controller. As long as each node in the network can communicate with either another node or this “master” node, much of the network can be deployed NLOS to the controller. A small military unit expecting combat in an urban area could deploy nodes to strategic points to create areas of radio reception. Law enforcement could deploy notes around the perimeter of a building to enable the pilot to fly completely around a building at low-level from behind cover. Maneuverability would be greatly enhanced in an urban area where drones could be operated out of line-of-sight behind buildings or in narrow “urban canyons.” Militaries could operate from behind cover—i.e., behind a hill, over a ridgeline—and search and rescue units could descend into “blind” territory like canyons. Take for example a military unit assaulting an urban area. Prior to the attack, the unit sends out drones to deposit a master node on a tall building. From there, other nodes are deployed at lower level in strategic areas across the town out of sight of the UAS operator. A network now exists to where the drone can operate throughout the city below the skyline, behind buildings, and down to street level. The SWAT operator from the above example could fly from the safety of the command post and descend the drone directly in front of the window for a clear view in; something that currently would require the pilot to place himself in potential danger. Operational visibility could be enhanced beyond the usual “top down” view that a pilot, say looking into a backyard, only has if he is in front of a house. Search and rescue teams could send a drone out over varied terrain from their command post as well. High altitude or confined valleys and defiles could be searched more rapidly and safely than sending a high angle rescue team. An overwatch UAV at higher altitude, carrying a node as an airborne repeated, visually monitors the low altitude drone while remaining both within the LOS of the “blind” drone and the controller. “How do I either give back to my community through policing or how do I get valuable insight and intelligence on/through local law enforcement.” Easy, volunteer. Understanding how law enforcement agencies actually work can be complex. For an area study, essentially a collection of information to understand where you live, knowing how many cops work in your area is a good think to know. You may also want to know what kind of crime is a problem, if the cops are competent or tyrants, and what is being said on the radio. Much of this can be found out through public records; beat maps (patrol areas) can give you an idea of how the area is divided up per patrol car. Ten codes might be public information in your state. Arrest records might be made public or your newspaper may have a crime blotter. But without a solid foundation to understanding all of this, it is just a collection of indistinct information. You will need to talk to cops and actually see the inside material to understand much of these things intuitively. You can just ask, but understandably it might seem weird or awkward to do and rapport difficult to establish. The two lowest bars after public records searches (often online), are going on ride alongs and taking the citizen’s academy. And if you really want to know or give back, consider volunteering. First, the low bar is a ride along. Sign up and go. You can ask the officer about staffing, if MS13 is a big deal in your area, feel him out with end-of-the-world type questions, and probably even see things like schedules or beat maps to know what the tactical staffing picture looks like. Next up is the citizen’s academy which will teach you more about the department and is intended to field all sorts of questions, but more on that later. Note that you will learn that a lot of cops are normies. Not tyrants, not gangsters, just normies. The cop shop has guys just as lazy and incompetent as your place of employment. Plus, cops don’t all think like guys who shoot IDPA every weekend, are prior service, see a civil war looming, or think the apocalypse is happening. Police need trusted voices that can offer alternative perspectives like I and many of the other American Partisan authors do. Volunteering makes you one of those trusted voices. Civilian volunteers: usually either volunteer office staff or citizen patrol (aka VIPs—Volunteers in Policing or COPs—Citizens on Patrol). Not peace officers. Reserve officers: actual peace officers. Position may be partially paid or fully volunteer. Part-time officers: actual peace officers, scheduled and paid, but not a full-time job. Civilian volunteersVirtually every law enforcement agency of any size will have a citizen volunteer program. These often take two forms, usually either volunteer office staff or citizen patrol (aka VIPs—Volunteers in Policing or COPs—Citizens on Patrol). They are not peace officers. Often derisively known as the “geezer patrol,” these people provide a variety of duties in and outside the station. Volunteers are usually required to go through a citizen’s academy, which is a regular series of presentations put on by the department as a part of public relations. Anyone, whether they intend to volunteer or not, can usually participate and learn how their department works in detail. These usually include things like jail tours, ride alongs, SWAT demonstrations, and discussions about police tactics. It is also a useful insight into crime trends and a way to ask questions without seeming like a weirdo. Volunteering will give you inside access to your law enforcement agency. You will get to know command staff and the individual officers. You will have the chance to participate; even the decrepit old folks who answered phones at the station are appreciated. Most volunteers have actual or incidental access to restricted or even confidential information that will help paint your intelligence picture. To actually give back, field volunteering is great. We had two members in particular that ran our command post and came to nearly every major event, emergency or planned, in the city. Others were advisors for our Explorer program. The real meat of volunteering though is the Citizen Patrol. The Citizen Patrol concept dates back to around the 1970s—in fact one of the cities I worked, Camarillo, has the oldest organized patrol in the country. The original citizen patrol concept was volunteers driving around in their personal vehicles with door magnets and CB radios calling in suspicious activity to the deputies. In a world of cellphones, this is no longer needed, but the help of people who can direct traffic, block traffic, take reports, or even write parking tickets is a huge force multiplier. Duties vary by agency, of course. Not all volunteers are grandparents. So besides giving back through vacation checks, reporting writing, and visibility patrols, what does being on the Citizen Patrol get you? First off, awareness. Citizen Patrol members will likely attend the shift briefing, getting access to the latest crime information. They understand the patrol beats, the rhythm of crime, and how day-to-day policing is actually done. A volunteer who pays attention will get to know the names and places that are problematic, what is serious and what isn’t, and most importantly will learn to understand the radio traffic. I cannot overstress how useful volunteering can be. Want to peruse the disaster manual without getting into a public records fight? You can probably just sit down and read it and the worst thing that will happen is someone thinks you’re an overachieving volunteer. You’ll often have access either directly or though human engineering to all the stuff you want to know. If you’ve ever wanted to ask cops questions like “Would you confiscate guns?”, befriending them as a volunteer is a great way to nonchalantly shoot the breeze. The qualifications are minimal; have a clean background (if you have a CCW, you probably qualify), take the citizen’s academy, and actually participate. Since elderly people do it, the physical qualifications are nil. For more practical applications, your police/fire department may have a CERT/DART program. This is not a volunteer fire fighter position, but usually a disaster response network of people with first aid training and some technical rescue expertise. Our DART members were EMTs who have their own ambulance and often provide first aid at planned events (still waiting on “The Big One” to happen). ReservesReserve officers are volunteers as well, but volunteer peace officers. Unlike full-time officers, reservists generally do not draw a salary and do not work regularly scheduled shifts. Nor are they like volunteer fire fighters where they are paged to a call. Rather, most agencies have a minimum hourly requirement that is fulfilled by a patrol obligation. Exact details vary by state and agency. I’ll use California and my agency, Ventura County Sheriff, as an example. California has a three-tier reserve system in which duties, responsibilities, and powers are segregated by training and experience level. Training is required, usually through a specific reserve academy, but once certified Level 1 reserves have the same powers as a regular deputy. VCSO reserve deputies are Level 1. Not every agency is like this: NYPD auxiliaries are unarmed and have more arrest powers than a regular officer. Nye County, NV, Sheriff auxiliaries are like a citizen patrol on steroids that have light and siren equipped vehicles and are often the first responders on traffic collisions on remote desert highways. As state laws and agency policies vary, readers need to conduct individual research specific to their local area. In VCSO’s case, 16 hour requirement is met usually with a monthly reserve meeting (briefing and training) and 1-2 patrol shifts or staffing an event. Even though the state doesn’t require it, the deputies and must always work with a partner. Many reserve deputies work the minimal patrol shifts but often work special event security. Paid details are occasionally available, such as ballot transportation on Election Day. In my experience, reserve deputies are viewed as a mixed bag. All are technically competent and many have had surprising resumes, from defense contractors and trainers to average joes. Some work the minimum hours and special details only while others will take any patrol shift they have free time for. At one station, I worked with a wealthy finance guy and a contractor who were honorary patrol deputies, in that the regular guys accepted them as part of the shift. Reserves may not have the best opinion among regular officers because of the different training requirements and experience levels. Reserve officers don’t suffer the same hardships of shiftwork, don’t have the same level of experience that policing day after day will give you, and in some cases, the individuals themselves may not be proficient enough to gain respect. While we accepted our reservists warmly, some did have the reputation of not being particularly helpful on patrol. They just didn’t have the same instinct and drive as a regular deputy. That being said, the level of dedication and competence a reserve displays is up to the officer; I worked with some great ones. I haven’t heard of a place where reserves can be mobilized like the National Guard. If you fail to meet your minimum service requirements or don’t respond during a major disaster, if that is required of you, you may be dismissed for being a useless volunteer. Again, though it’s possible to have places where reservists sit around listening to the scanner, you aren’t going to be like a volunteer fire fighter who waits around for an “active shooter” call to jump in your car, throw up your blue light, and don your tactical vest over your jeans. Probably no take-home cars either. Some very small and infrequent jurisdictions may have just sort of a thing, but these are also the kind of places that have two-man police departments that end up on the news for turning the hamlet of Tweakers Corner into a speed trap. Some reserve officers are specialists. Again, this will vary by agency but it is possible to be a retired cop appointed as a reservists. This could fill certain detective, technician, or trainer spots. We had a few reserves who volunteered their time in such roles in addition to meeting their regular requirements. Your skills as a radio tech or a firearms instructor may be valuable to your sheriff or chief. Paid positionsOne option is to become a cop yourself. Some agencies have part-time officer positions where you are paid and scheduled to work as a regular office, just on a part-time basis. Many areas utilize these positions to increase their staffing and plenty of full-time officers used these jobs as a stepping stone to a regular position. For those in non-insane states, I would highly recommend that a younger guy without any special skills or interests consider full-time employment for a time. You could treat it like being in the military (except you can quit whenever you’d like) and leave after 4-10 years or stay for your pension at 20-30. I have known lots of guys who did this and went on to other lucrative careers like IT, contracting, or private security. You will have given back to your community, learned a lot about where you live and the nature of crime, plus made valuable contacts all while getting incredible training opportunities. I would caution you that whether reservists or part-time, the job has to be taken seriously. It’s not a way to just get a badge and a sweet HR 218 (LEOSA) CCW permit. Real cops will see through you if you half-ass the job, so dedicated people only need apply. You don’t want to be the reservist who everyone grumbles about behind his back. If you live in a play-to-pay jurisdiction where you can donate your way to credentials, well, I’d move. Corruption doesn’t breed a successful, free society post-SHTF. Finally, it has to be understood that today’s environment is hostile to policing, from the public’s attitude to federal and local prosecutorial behavior. If you are fortunate to live in a sane state without leftist prosecutors, you are probably at no more risk than cops were at before all the “war on police” shenanigans. Yet do not take the job lightly; your life is at risk, you may take a life, and mistakes or unfortunate events may land you behind bars. ConclusionSo why should you volunteer besides building your intelligence picture or because you have a burning desire to help your fellow man? Primarily because knowing cops and even your sheriff/chief face-to-face helps build rapport and community support. Being a volunteer makes you a known quantity to the local constabulary and will give you advantages in tough times. Information is key, but so are relationships. You want cops to talk to you, maybe give you a “heads up,” or know that you can be waved through the roadblock because you won’t drown if the creek is flooded.
One of the major fears that a lot in this community have is coming across negatively on the police radar or becoming a victim of them. Whether your cops are the type to help the neighborhood ride out the apocalypse or just be another gang, you want to be counted as one of them. Be the person that gets a free pass since you stood out in the cold for them at a roadblock or because they’ve seen you every Tuesday night between six and midnight. You want to be friends with the people who can seize power and possibly have machine guns, so why not spend a few hours a week helping out if all you’re doing is learning names and faces. Getting involved is how you build a community. Yes, sometimes you might have to do real work and for free but think of it as forging relationships and gaining knowledge, rather than earning pay. If you really want to know the inside baseball and ask all the questions that would instantly have you marked down as the local “survivalist” weirdo, try exploring the volunteering options. About the author: Don Shift is a veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office and author of the Suburban Defense/Rural Home Defense series, a cop's guides to surviving riots, civil war, or SHTF.
What a major freeway shutdown protest looks like in real time from the CHP traffic incident log. CHP doesn't archive the comments publicly.
10:29 AM 107 [360] OAK FIRE ADV THEY WERE NOT RESP AND TO ROLL SF [Shared]
10:29 AM 106 [359] GG42 ALCO FIRE PAT TEAM -IN TP PARKING ON STAND BY IF NEEDED [Shared] 10:22 AM 105 [355] TOLL PLAZ STILL CLOSED, SOME VEHICLES ARE USING THE R/S TO PASS SRT. TRAFFIC SLOWLY BLEEDING OFF BRUDGE. MOST GOING WW. [Shared] 10:22 AM 104 [354] NEG TRAFFIC GETTING THRU AT MOMENT [Shared] 10:21 AM 103 [352] [Notification] [CHP]-TMC - ITS MOSTLY TRAFFIC RETURNING WW [Shared] 10:21 AM 102 [351] 96-S1 INQ IF TMC CAN ADV IF TRFC IS NOW GETTING THRU WB ON BAY BRDG - VIS OF MOVEMENT NEAR TP [Shared] 10:18 AM 101 [350] 1039 SF 1141 TO 8TH AT BRYANT [Shared] 10:17 AM 100 [346] LE SF 1141 ADV RAMP CLOSED TO TI THEY WOULD HAVE TO LOOP AROUND AND GO WB AND BE IN THE SAME SITUATION AS OAK FIRE [Shared] 10:15 AM 99 [344] 5L5 SRT MEDICS ARE TAKING OFF THE PATIENT THEY WILL ADV ONCE THEY HAVE A GOOD 1020 TO ROLL 1141 / SF 1141 CPYS [Shared] 10:14 AM 98 [343] A15 1141 IS EB 80 #1 ON LOWER DECK [Shared] 10:13 AM 97 [342] 5L5 CPYS 1023 TRYING TO CONFIRM WHERE TO ROLL SF 1141 [Shared] 10:08 AM 96 [335] 1039 OAK FIRE LINE 332 [Shared] 10:08 AM 95 [333] Secondary Location for A96-058: WB 580 TRANS TO WB 80, [Shared] 10:07 AM 94 [331] 1039 OPD LINE 319,325, 329 [Shared] 10:06 AM 93 [328] 5L5 #4 IN A VAN W/ COOL AIR [Shared] 10:05 AM 92 [326] [Notification] [CHP]-OAK FIRE INQ ENGINE 3 ON THE BRIDGE/ WHERE EXACTLY NEEDED REQ VEH DESC OR PLT [Shared] 10:05 AM 91 [325] 5L5 #4 2 LARGE BUSES 10:04 AM 90 [324] 5L5 NR ON VEH DESCRIPT X2 10:03 AM 89 [318] A96-053 SUBA CAME FROM WB 580 TRANS TO WB 80 10:03 AM 88 [317] A96-098 ANOTHER VEH FAILING TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS - WB 80 AT TP // NOW FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS - EXITING RADIO RD 10:01 AM 87 [312] A96-053 VEH JUST BLEW CLOSURE - WB AT TP 9:57 AM 86 [302] 96-P5 MEDIA 97 AT THE BIKE TRLR ENTRANCE - REQ'ING A SUPV [Shared] 9:56 AM 85 [300] PHYSICAL 415'S AT TOP OF BAY BRIDGE - RP CANT GIVE BETTER 1020 [Shared] 9:55 AM 84 [297] 1A54 REMOVING FIRST BATCH OF CARS OFF BRIDGE [Shared] 9:45 AM 83 [292] BC 96 LNS 290/291 [Shared] 9:42 AM 82 [288] AFFIRM WB AT TI OPEN [Shared] 9:42 AM 81 [286] 300-S7 INQ W/ SRT WB JWO TI TO OPEN UP // PER SRT NEG 5 MIN ETA [Shared] 9:41 AM 80 [282] [Notification] [CHP]-ALCO FIRE IS TRYING TO STAGE 1141 FROM OAKLAND SIDE IF NEEDED [Shared] 9:38 AM 79 [275] 96-D7 EB 80 JWO W GRAND - NEAR RADIO RD - BUS DRIVERS LETTING PEDS OUT / AC TRANSIT AND GREYHOUND BUSSES - - PED PATH IS CLOSED SO THEY ARE WALKING ONTO THE FWY [Shared] 9:37 AM 78 [273] 300-S7 WB JWI TI OPEN // BC YBI [Shared] 9:36 AM 77 [272] A96-008 OUT W/ SOME PEDS - EB 80 NEAR RADIO RD - REQ UNIT TO PROVIDE TRANSPORT // RADIO 10-1 [Shared] 9:30 AM 76 [271] 32-S10 TI OPEN // NO TRAFFIC ON TI [Shared] 9:28 AM 75 [270] Secondary Location for 96-S1: W GRAND ONR TO WB 80, [Shared] 9:25 AM 74 [265] 96-S1 CPYS LN 260 [Shared] 9:21 AM 73 [262] 1039 EMVILLE -- REQ CB TO ADV WHEN CAN RE OPEN [Shared] 9:21 AM 72 [261] W/B 80 E/OF TOLL PLAZA TRAFFIC IS GOING WW IN THE LANES [Shared] 9:20 AM 71 [260] [Notification] [CHP]-SUPERVISOR THOMPSON FROM OPD REQ NUMBER FOR SOMEONE ON THE GROUND TO COORDINATE MOVING VEHS [Shared] 9:20 AM 70 [259] GG-C201 REQ EMVL PD TO SHUT DOWN POWELL ONR TO WB 80 [Shared] 9:19 AM 69 [258] A96-008 1125 VEH * [Shared] 9:19 AM 68 [257] A96-008 1125 WB 80 JEO TP - REQ BRDG [Shared] 9:18 AM 67 [256] FIRE IS W/THE PATIENT NOW [Shared] 9:17 AM 66 [253] 19-S1 FIRE OUT W/PT IN #1 // WHI COMPACT [Shared] 9:17 AM 65 [254] [Notification] [CHP]-FIRE ENRT TO WHI TOYT COA WB JEO TI -- SUBJ WAS ADV'D TO TURN HAZARDS ON IFO SPEED LIMIT SIGN - LEFT LANE [Shared] 9:17 AM 64 [252] 96-55T NO VIS OF ANYONE REQ'ING 1141/FIRE FRM W GRAND ONR TO WB 80 [Shared] 9:16 AM 63 [249] 19-R4 OAK FIRE ENRT TO PATIENT UNK 1020 [Shared] 9:14 AM 62 [246] [Notification] [CHP]-FYI, 14 CMS ACTIVATED, W-80, W-580, W-24 N-880, N-880 ONR TO WEST 80 AND N-880 [Shared] 9:13 AM 61 [245] APPROX 15 CARDS NOW GOING WW IN CD and RS [Shared] 9:13 AM 60 [243] TMC COPIES LN 234 [Shared] 9:13 AM 59 [241] BC 96 LN 239 [Shared] 9:12 AM 58 [240] 1039 DOTCC [Shared] 9:11 AM 57 [237] 96-S1 REQ CALTRANS RESP W/ ANY SIGN TRUCKS THEY HAVE AVAIL TO RESP TO ALL CLOSURE POINTS TO WB 80 : WB 80 JWO POWELL // WB 580 TRANS TO WB 80 // NB 880 TRAND TO WB 80 // W GRAND ONR TO WB 80 [Shared] 9:08 AM 56 [234] JEO MAIN CLOSURE [Shared] 9:06 AM 55 [230] 1039 OPD ADV'D LN 220 [Shared] 9:06 AM 54 [228] [Notification] [CHP]-SRT522 JUST REACHED A COUPLE PEDS AT 5TH ST ONR [Shared] 9:05 AM 53 [226] Secondary Location for A96-176: NB 880 TRANS TO WB 80, [Shared] 9:05 AM 52 [225] SRT UNIT ADV HAVING TEAM SWEEP JWO OF THEM TO MAKE SURE NO ONE IS ON THAT SIDE OF THE CLOSURE [Shared] 9:02 AM 51 [218] A96-055T REQ ADTL UNIT TO SHUT DOWN NB 880 TRANS TO WB 80 [Shared] 8:59 AM 50 [211] W/B TRAFFIC IS GOING W/W ON R/S AT THE TOLL PLAZA [Shared] 8:58 AM 49 [204] Secondary Location for A96-055T: W GRAND ONR TO WB 80, [Shared] 8:57 AM 48 [198] Secondary Location for A96-053: WB 580 TRANS TO WB 80, [Shared] 8:57 AM 47 [197] A96-055T W GRAND ONR TO WB 80 SHUT DOWN [Shared] 8:56 AM 46 [186] RP ADVD VEHS IN #1-2 LNS HAVE ALL TURNED AROUND AND WENT WWAY, AND NOW A BOX TK JUST TURNED AROUND [Shared] 8:56 AM 45 [185] 19-R2 ON EAST SIDE O BRIDGE [Shared] 8:55 AM 44 [182] WB JEO CHAIN / 1 W/ GUN [Shared] 8:55 AM 43 [179] FOR LINE 154, APPRX 1/4 MILE JWO METERING LIGHTS, ON THE INCLINE, NEAR SIGN THAT READS EMERGENCY LANE CLOSED [Shared] 8:53 AM 42 [174] RP ADVD VEHS IN EVERY LANES ARE TURNING AROUND, EXCEPT BIG RIGS AND DELIVERY TK'S [Shared] 8:53 AM 41 [170] GG-C201 REQ SIGALERT TO ADV WB 80 BAY BRIDGE IS CLOSED / UNK ETO [Shared] 8:52 AM 40 [165] GG-C201 SHUTTING DOWN ENTRANCE TO WB 80 BAY BRDG / TURNING AT POWELL [Shared] 8:52 AM 39 [163] SRT-L3 EB TRAFFIC STOPPED // ADV TO ACCESS WW FRM TI [Shared] 8:52 AM 38 [162] BC LN 160 96 [Shared] 8:51 AM 37 [160] 19-S1 ALL WW AROUND US // MRE GOING TO SHUT DOWN THE APPR TO BAY BRIDGE [Shared] 8:51 AM 36 [159] BC LN 154 96 - 8 CPYS [Shared] 8:50 AM 35 [154] [Notification] [CHP]-PER ANOTHER CALLER, VEHS ARE TURNING AROUND AND DRIVING THE WWAY IN ALL LANES, RP ADVD EVERYTHING IS SCRABBLED, MC'S AT HIGH SPEEDS SPLITTING LANES 100 MPH [Shared] 8:50 AM 34 [153] A32-081 POSS TO BLK VEHS / RADIO 10-1 [Shared] 8:46 AM 33 [148] 19-R3 WB JEO CHAIN / 100 PTYS GETTING UPSET IN VERBAL 415 [Shared] 8:44 AM 32 [144] [CHP] has closed their incident [231116GG00493] 8:42 AM 31 [138] BC 96 LN 136 [Shared] 8:41 AM 30 [136] WEST OF TOLL PLAZA W/B TRAFFIC IS USING THE CD TO GO WW, NO UNITS AT LOCATION [Shared] 8:37 AM 29 [134] 19-S1 SENDING TRAFFIC WW ??? RADIO 10-1 [Shared] 8:36 AM 28 [129] 19-S1 MEDIA 97 AT TP [Shared] 8:32 AM 27 [125] BC 96 LN 123 [Shared] 8:31 AM 26 [124] [CHP] has closed their incident [231116GG00420] 8:31 AM 25 [123] 19-S1 LOTS OF VEHS FACING WW // WILL TRY BLEED VEHS TO EB SIDE [Shared] 8:30 AM 24 [118] 19-S1 TRAFFIC ALL STOPPED // SEVERAL PTYS OO VEH [Shared] 8:29 AM 23 [115] UNK SRT / MEDIA UP ON BRIDGE [Shared] 8:28 AM 22 [113] 96-P5 WB ** IN THE WB LNS [Shared] 8:28 AM 21 [112] 96-P5 MULTIPLE PRTYS NOW RUNNING WB IN EB LNS [Shared] 8:25 AM 20 [107] BC 96 LN 105 [Shared] 8:23 AM 19 [105] PER ANOTHER PTYS WALKING UP ONTO BRDG BEFORE TP [Shared] 8:22 AM 18 [101] 32-C GETTING OUT OF VEH // ON APEC 93 CHANNEL [Shared] 8:16 AM 17 [98] 32-C START SF UNITS TO ASSIST SRT W/180 // AND REMOVING VEHS [Shared] 8:07 AM 16 [78] SRT-3C2 HAVE ALL CHP UNITS STAY TO THE LEFT SIDE // BREAK DOWN OR #2 KEEP RIGHT SIDE OPEN FOR EMERG VEHS [Shared] 8:05 AM 15 [75] 19-R2 VIS RUNNING BTWN VEHS [Shared] 8:04 AM 14 [70] [Notification] [CHP]-RP ADVD 2 CHP VEHS WB 80 JUST PASSED 4-6 XRAY PROTESTERS THAT ARE HIDING BEHIND VEHS, ALL WEARING YEL SAFETY VESTS [Shared] 7:56 AM 13 [60] 32-S7 6 VEHS BLKGS LNS [Shared] 7:54 AM 12 [57] 32-S7 APPROX 100 PROTESTORS BLKG LNS [Shared] 7:50 AM 11 [44] REQ CAL TRANS W/ TKS / CPYS BRIDGE ENRT [Shared] 7:49 AM 10 [43] BRIDGE CPYS ENRT [Shared] 7:48 AM 9 [39] 24-S10 SQ 7/8 EXT DUE TO TRAFFIC [Shared] 7:48 AM 8 [37] LL BRIDGE [Shared] 7:48 AM 7 [35] VEHS ACROSS LANES REQ 1185'S [Shared] 7:47 AM 6 [34] A32-081 ALL LNS BLKD AT 3RD TOWER [Shared] 7:46 AM 5 [26] 25-E2 PEACEFUL FOR NOW ALL LANES WB BLOCKED [Shared] 7:44 AM 4 [16] 1039 DOTCC, CMS ON [Shared] 7:42 AM 3 [4] PBY ADV ALL LNS ARE BLOCKED [Shared] 7:42 AM 2 [3] ALL LANES ARE BLOCKED [Shared] 7:42 AM 1 [1] RP ADVD 100'S OF PEOPLE JUST BLOCKED THE BAY BRIDGE Did the ATF just make it illegal to sell/buy/possess airsoft smoke grenades (and flashbangs)? It looks like it. At this time, CO2 powered flashbangs still appear to be legal, but anything with pyrotechnics or that burns appears to become questionable.
Smoke grenades are often used in military simulation style airsoft (MILSIM) for gaming purposes to act as an obscurant. They are also used in gender reveal parties or for emergency signaling devices. These “cold burn” devices use a low-temperature (approx. 190°F) to burn chemicals that release colored smoke. Standard Mk18 smoke grenades with a hotter and more dangerous pyrotechnic fuse have already had an iffy legal background and were never commonly available on the open retail market. Flashbang grenades in the airsoft realm are basically firecrackers in a cardboard tube that looks like a real distraction device, but with a much lower dB report that basically creates a loud bang instead of a disorienting pressure wave. Both airsoft smoke and flashbang devices are similar to smoke bombs and firecrackers except no lighter/match is require to ignite them. The ATF quietly posted on its website under “Special Explosive Device Exemptions”: “In November 2023, ATF issued an open letter rescinding special explosive device exemptions for certain consumer-style grenades (e.g. flashbang grenades, smoke grenades).” Digging around locates a letter dated November 2, 2023, that includes a table of previously popular exempted airsoft smoke grenades, including from the popular Enola Gaye brand. Basically, every airsoft smoke grenade has been put on the list. Technically, if you own one of these without a proper ATF license, you are now in violation of federal law. Or at least that’s how I read this. The ATF cites non-specific incidents where certain explosive devices “(e.g., flashbang grenades, smoke grenades)” were used against law enforcement and claims that they have caused wildfires. “Based on these public safety concerns, ATF has determined that these explosive devices pose a risk to public safety and rescinded the SED exemptions.” In other words, because they’ve been used in uncited criminal acts and are dangerous, we can’t have them. "As a result of these rescissions, these explosive devices are no longer exempt from the provisions of the Federal explosives regulations at 27 CFR Part 555. Accordingly, any person engaging in the business of importing, manufacturing, or distributing these devices must obtain the applicable Federal explosives license. In addition, any person acquiring the devices must first obtain a Federal explosives license or permit." [emphasis added] The requirements to obtain a license/permit and store them within explosive regulation guidelines would make it effectively impossible for average citizens (airsofters) to own these devices. Those with these items in their possession may be unknowingly in violation of the law. As of this writing (November 15, 2023), the author has been unable to find any statements from manufacturers or retailers. Some websites still show these popular products in stock and for sale, others out of stock. Be advised that purchasing these after-the-fact may result in the seller being forced to turn over purchaser information to the ATF. At this time, the author has no information regarding legal challenges or comments from ATF, manufacturers, or retailers. Recently, I was asked what I would recommend for someone’s first guns. I immediately said a polymer framed, semi-automatic striker-fired pistol that is neither a full-size “service” pistol or a subcompact “pocket” pistol and an AR-15 style rifle, in that order. Why? Purchasing a pistol first immediately takes care of the self-defense need, which is most pressing. Most self-defense shootings, end of the world or not, will take place at distances where a pistol is perfectly adequate. For novices, pistols can be less intimidating to shoot (perceived recoil issues) and easier to learn. They require less accessorizing and can be stored more easily than a long gun. The AR-15 is the world’s standard of modern semi-automatic rifles. It works as a home defense weapon (better than a shotgun), can be your zombie-apocalypse/civil war gun, and is often used for hunting. HandgunsNote that the term “pistol” includes any handgun, including revolvers or semi-automatics. Why not a full-size “service” pistol or a subcompact “pocket” pistol? Most people who expect to fight for their lives should have a larger pistol that has the capacity for a semi-sustained fight. A larger gun makes it easier to control and reduces felt recoil, which is important for a novice. The last thing a “newbie” should have is a small gun that hurts their hand. That being said, the best gun is the one you will actually shoot and carry, so a smaller gun (a subcompact) like a Glock 43 or Ruger LCP is something you might have on a daily basis when a mugging occurs. Usually, a few shots are enough to end the encounter. So revolvers for daily carry aren’t a bad choice. Unfortunately, learning on these guns might be intimidating due to potentially greater recoil and less controllability because of their size. That’s why I suggest small guns be purchased after a new shooter is comfortable and competent. The biggest issue new shooters seem to have is a gun they can’t manage. Either it’s a Desert Eagle that’s grossly overpowered or a too-small gun they don’t shoot because after five rounds of .357 Magnum their palm stings too much. For this reason, revolvers are poor choices for a first gun. They’re relatively heavy, have lower capacity, are less-intuitive to load quickly, and the triggers aren’t newbie-friendly. Some recommend women and elderly shooters carry revolvers because there is no slide to cock. Well can the shooter manipulate the cylinder and do they have the hand strength to pull a 12lb double-action trigger, or can they reach the hammer to manually cock/de-cock it? There’s no safe hammer-drop lever on a revolver. As for actions, a semi-automatic handgun should be striker fired. These have no external hammer and are cocked when the slide is cycled. They fire when you pull the trigger, so there is no preparation to fire necessary unless the gun comes with a manual thumb safety. Despite often not having external safety switches, these are safe guns that will not fire on their own unless you violate a safety rule. Most have a trigger safety device that will not allow the trigger to move, and thus release the firing pin, unless you deliberately pull the trigger. However, many models have thumb safety variants. Older firearm designs, including revolvers and some semi-auto pistols, are hammer fired. Single action is when the hammer must be cocked before the trigger can fire the gun. Double action means that pulling the trigger also cocks the hammer before firing the gun. Pistols that can do both are often referred to as “DA/SA.” These guns will have a longer, heavier first pull and then subsequent trigger pulls are much lighter. For a novice, this requires learning two different trigger pulls to shoot accurately, which is an unnecessary complication today. So save these kinds of pistols for your second or third gun. A medium-framed gun (a Glock 19 for example) is not too small to hurt to shoot and most shooters can get their hands around the grip easily. It is lighter than it’s full-size brother the G17 and thus is easier to carry and conceal. Larger, heavier guns may be something that women, the elderly, and new shooters struck with, so a medium (sometimes a “compact”) pistol is the best balance between the two. There is a reason the G19 size is so popular. A polymer framed, semi-automatic striker-fired pistol is easier to load and fire than a metal framed gun. They’re also lighter too. A heavy gun that you don’t want to carry due to the weight won’t help you in a dangerous moment. The ideal gun is the gun that you will carry on a regular basis. Lighter and smaller isn’t always better because you may not be in a “belly gun” type fight at a few feet away. You may need greater capacity or the ability to take longer shots. Hence, I recommend staying away from “pocket pistols.” What caliber do I get? 9mm Luger (aka Parabellum). This is an ideal compromise between lightweight, small size, and power. A .45 may give new shooters trouble and is large enough to seriously reduce pistol capacity while making the gun heavy and thick. .40 caliber is an acceptable second to 9mm, but it is outdated and recoil will be sharper. 10mm is quite powerful, where as .380 and anything smaller isn’t powerful enough to be a primary cartridge. 9mm bullets of modern hollow-point design are perfectly adequate for self-defense. In the past, there were concerns that round-nosed bullets wouldn’t stop an assailant, but that is mostly apocryphal. These days, any 9mm defensive cartridge off the shelf will work. Since accuracy (head or chest) is what matters in stopping a threat, even full metal jacket range ammo will work well enough. Again, 9mm is the best balance between efficacy on target, recoil, and weight. Here are my specifications for first handgun: a polymer framed double stack pistol in 9mm. Note that “double stack” refers to a magazine (sometimes erroneously called a “clip”) where the cartridges (“bullets”) are in two staggered columns. This provides greater use of the available volume over a “single stack” where the cartridges are in a single row. Some new guns may use something in between but the key is that the standard magazine should not be less than 10 rounds. Bare minimum specs are:
Here are some examples of handguns in this category (not necessarily an endorsement):
This next category is a hybrid between compact and pocket pistols. These will be a little smaller than the guns above, making them less suitable for being a “sidearm” (hence you won’t see them in a cop’s holster). The smaller size and barrel length will make them less suitable for longer-ranged shots:
The standard (original) Smith and Wesson Shield series is an exception to the 10-round rule. These are physically larger pistols than some of the newest designs like the Sig P365, so capacity is less, but they may be easier for some shooters to grip. The Shield EZ series has been modified for those with weaker hand strength, such as women and the elderly, so that it is easier to cock and fire (using a grip safety). The Sig P365 can have its serialize trigger chassis swapped out at home for the XMacro or XL frames and slides for a larger gun. For sighting systems, the first gun should have traditional “iron” sights, ideally self-illuminating Tritium night sights. Lasers should not be used for aiming, but a rail-mounted flashlight is not a bad addition (though you might want to become a competent shooter before adding one). Avoid “red dot” optic sights on your first handgun. Optics can be added later and most modern designs already have the ability to mount one. Optic sights are great, but learning to shoot for the first time on them alone is a crutch that will cause harm. Learning traditional sights will allow you to use virtually all handguns. Learning basic handgun shooting only with a red dot is like learning to drive only automatic transmissions in the 1950s; there’s gonna be a lot of cars you simply can’t drive. The two sighting systems require different methods of presentation that do not translate over to one another. A red dot is difficult to acquire because the small aperture provides a limited field of view which is exacerbated by the distance from the eye. Without extensive practice, the need for proper alignment every time (from the draw) will result in the shooter subtly moving the pistol around "hunting" for the red dot. Thus, practice drawing and obtaining a correct sight picture requires a lot of repetition for competency. For carrying, purchase two holsters: one suitable for concealed carry and one suitable for open carry. For the latter, you’ll mainly use this one at the range or if the world ends when having a shirt in the way will be a hindrance. Any exposed holster needs positive retention, like a thumb release or a thumb strap. Concealed carry holsters need to be made of a solid, inflexible material that covers the trigger guard so nothing can inadvertently contact the trigger while holstering. Never carry a gun without a holsters (i.e. stuffed behind your belt). Purchase a suitable supply of magazines. You will want to have an extra in a gunfight an a lot more if the world ends. Your gun will come with either two or three in the box, but I would suggest having a minimum six. This will allow spares if you drop one in a fight, it fails, or the world ends, plus you won’t have to stop shooting on the range as often to reload. RiflesFor a long gun, an AR-15 variant is the way to go. They are ergonomic, capable of rapid repeat shots, often more compact than most shotguns, light recoiling, can be budget friendly, and are deadly. The AR-15 is the most common rifle in the US and one of the most produced firearms ever because it is lightweight, reliable, effective, and ergonomic. In fact, the innovations created by designer Eugene Stoner in his AR-10/15 and AR-16/18 series of rifles are what most western modern semi-automatic designs incorporate to form their most basic configuration. The is a reason so many modern rifles imitate Stoner’s designs. Parts are prevalent and their manufacture is so prolific that they can be super cheap. Palmetto State Armory sells rifle packages that can go for about $500 and will completely equip someone with gun, scope, magazines, and ammo. The upper and lower receivers can be easily swapped out and parts accessorized to create more suitable weapons. Capable out to 400 yards, their cartridge will incapacitate man and most deer-sized game. The 5.56mm/.223 bullet is actually less likely to over-penetrate indoors and hit an innocent victim. Recoil is light and the weapon controllable. The controls are easily manipulated with one hand for the most part and the fire selector falls right under the thumb. The ergonomics has been copied or derived from by nearly every modern design. The 5.56mm caliber is NATO standard and similarly sized cartridges have been adopted by China and Russia. They are not unreliable. Reliability issues from Vietnam were due to the Army changing the powder specifications, for which the rifle was not tuned for, and a failure of soldiers to clean their M16s which were billed incorrectly as “self-cleaning.” ARs do not jam up more easily in dusty/muddy conditions than other weapons; in fact, their closed-up design and ejection port cover anecdotally makes them more reliable than other rifles. For a first-time, I don’t recommend assembling your own AR. Buy a complete rifle, both upper and lower. Once you become familiar with it, you can customize it and “build” your own at home. Unless you are an experienced garage gunsmith, don’t take the chance the gun your life may depend on might have an odd failure. Use a factory weapon. Ballistically speaking, for most applications a barrel length 10 inches or longer will be fine, but the AR-15 was designed to work best with a 20-inch barrel and 16 inches is the standard. Federal law (the National Firearms Act or NFA) requires rifle barrels to be 16 inches or more long, otherwise, they are short-barrel rifles that require a special background check and $200 tax. If you want to go this route, fine, but make sure you do this with a second rifle because the wait can be months to over a year for approval. 16 inches is a fine compromise. To get around this, stock-less “pistols” or with ersatz “braces” (which are-but-aren’t legally stocks-it’s complicated) were sold. I recommend avoiding AR “pistols” even with braces due to ongoing litigation challenging an ATF regulation which may make certain configurations illegal. While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with these weapons, for a novice it would be best to steer clear of potentially committing a federal crime. For ammo choice, opinions vary. Test whatever you intend to use for self-defense first to ensure it feeds and fires. M193 55gr 5.56mm is perfectly adequate for self-defense. M855 “green tip” 62gr 5.56 is preferred for some for its armor penetrating capabilities, but it is not a magic cartridge that will slice through armor. Heavier weights like 75gr and 77gr are preferred for self-defense applications. In any case, all of the above ammo will be sufficient to kill. Be sure to buy 500-1000 rounds and half a dozen magazines; the more the better. Be sure to buy a red dot sight if your weapon doesn’t come with one; it make shooting a rifle so much easier than iron sights. Brands may vary, but expect to pay at least $199 for a quality unmagnified optic. Learn to shoot unmagnified before moving to magnified and also note the red dot pistol caveats above do not apply to rifles. Why not shotguns?Shotguns are heavy, often cumbersome, slow to reload, and low-capacity. The recoil of defensive rounds (slugs and buckshot) is often too much for many shooters. The sound of a racking slide does not automatically scare off burglars. They are not point-and-shoot weapons that “you don’t even have to aim.” Do not take Joe Biden’s advice about shooting one up in the air.
While perfectly adequate inside the home, shotguns lack range outdoors, often being effective out to about 60 yards even with slugs. Now with proper sights, slugs, and a good shooter they can reach out to 100-150 yards under perfect conditions, they aren’t terrible, an AR is a better choice. ARs are just as maneuverable indoors as a shotgun but reload faster via a box magazine and have greater capacity. Shotguns can be great, but they are just too much of a compromise in a world where we have better choices available. |
Author Don ShiftDon Shift is a veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office and avid fan of post-apocalyptic literature and film who has pushed a black and white for a mile or two. He is a student of disasters, history, and current events. Archives
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