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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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The Intentional Measurement Swindle
This post has a long introduction – please be patient. After the introduction, I’ll show how it relates to gun rights and self-defense. However, you need to understand the methodology detailed in the introduction. Introduction I have a technology background. The term “balloon effect” is used when a fix is made to a complex system,…
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Preventative Medical Scans
As a follow-up to my last post on fact boxes…. A recent article in the New Yorker on Full Body MRI Scans shows some of the complexities with too much information. Here is a quote, but I urge you to read the article in its entirety. There were no visible problems in my lungs, liver,…
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Self-defense: Strategy, Context, and Tactics
In my book, I used the “fact box” to discuss the benefits and harms of concealed carry. The fact box was created by the Harding Center for Risk Literacy. I first read about them in the book Risk Savvy by Gerd Gigerenzer. They were developed to help people determine the risk of specific health tests,…
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Scammers
I recently gave a presentation about online / phone scammers. If you have elderly friends and family, this presentation may be a good one to share. There are two versions – a color and a black & white. Enjoy! Here is the color one. Here is the black & white one, in case you want…
Got any book recommendations?