• Identification Location on Long Road Trips

    In this post, I discussed how I keep my identification separate from my wallet. Specifically, I’ll keep my identification inside an armband high on my arm (summer) or my wrist (winter, with long-sleeve shirts). I’ve learned that when I’m in the car for long periods of traveling, the armband can get uncomfortable. There seems to…

  • The Mic Drop Slogan

    It is better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it. This slogan is used to convince someone to carry a firearm for self-defense. It sounds persuasive, but is it true? Let’s examine it. Testing Without Symptoms To explore this topic, we must consider a similar…

  • Air Travel with Firearms

    There is an article in CONCEALMENT magazine, Issue 38, called “FLYING ARMED – Air Travel with Firearms” by Dave Merrill. Dave says: In this article, we’ll demystify the process, drawing from the collective hunders of times members of our staff has flown with firearms. I think the article is an excellent resource and has very…

  • BJS Juvenile Crime Report

    The report is here. I encourage you to read the report. I will briefly mention some things I found interesting.

  • Self-defense Products I Wish Existed

    Here are some modifications to products that I think would be very valuable for those interested in self-defense.

  • The Violent Crime Disinformation Matrix

    When it comes to violent crime, there is what I would call a disinformation matrix. Surprisingly, this matrix is formed unintentionally by pro-gunners, intentionally by anti-gunners, by media coverage, by statistical terminology, and sadly, by an abuse of language. What this disinformation matrix does is prevent an ordinary civilian from truly understanding violent crime risks…

  • Hidden Complexity

    I was reading some violent crime studies. One of them began with this sentence: “Gun violence is a public health problem.” It is a simple statement that hides an incredible amount of complexity. I do not know if the authors intended this or not. Let’s go through this sentence. First, the word “violence.” What does…

  • Non-Fatal Carjackings

    The Bureau of Justice Statistics used the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data to run a report on carjackings. The report covers the years 1995-2021. I will note a few interesting details from the report, but I encourage you to read it fully yourself. A couple of things were shocking. Almost 40 percent happened at…

  • The Lottery, Justified Homicides, and Defensive Gun Use

    Ever wonder how many people win a million dollar or more lottery ticket per year? I did. I tried to figure out that information. Turns out, you have to dig for it. Luckily, Dan Ma has an introductory to statistics blog and several years ago, he did a little research. Dan looked into state lottery…

  • Violent Crime and the Victim’s Marital Status

    The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) keeps track of the victim’s marital status. There are several possible values for it: These are mostly self-explanatory. However, an essential point is that “Never married” does not mean single. Another critical item is that this value has no relationship to the offender. It simply is the victim’s marital…

Got any book recommendations?