Richard Marcinko Quote on Conventional Wisdom

Dick Marcinko is a former Navy SEAL and an author of many books.  The most famous of them being the Rogue Warrior series of international military thriller type action novels.  But he also wrote the “Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior” and “A Commando’s Principle of Winning”

It is from one of these two books that (I believe) this quote came from.  It is very worth revisiting at times.

“Conventional wisdom is no wisdom at all. Conventional wisdom is taking somebody else’s word for the way things are… It’s the followers of this world who rely on assumption. Not the leaders.”

– Richard Marcinko

Christmas Gift Ideas

It’s that time of the year again where we are constantly looking for good Christmas gift ideas.

But what should you the the loved ones in your life?  Things that they will enjoy and will help promote self-sufficiency.  They may not be a homesteader, prepare, modern survivalist, etc – and they don’t have to be to make the most of the right gifts.

However, a gift is pretty useless if it doesn’t appeal to the person you give it to.  Choose wisely!

Some of my Christmas gift ideas:

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5.11 Tactical Rush MOAB 10 Unboxing & First Look

My first impressions of the Rush MOAB 10

Over the years I have tried a number of different bags for my everyday carry and laptop.

Messenger style shoulder bags, backpacks, and laptop sleeves – I’ve tried a lot of different combinations.  Things are more difficult because I have a 17″ MacBook Laptop – many packs and bags are meant more for 15″ units.  For about the past five years, I have used a Targus backpack that would take my large laptop.  It’s EDC capabilities were ok, but it was gear more just for the laptop, a book, and some documents.

I’ve also had a decent Oggi EDC backpack that my employer gave me.  I was better for carrying items (first aid, food, small jacket, flash light, multitool, etc.) and was pretty heavy-duty.  But the layout still wasn’t quite what I was looking for.  Plus my laptop wouldn’t fit, so I had to use a sleeve with handles.

So I decided to take a close look at the Rush MOAB 10 by 5.11 Tactical

Click here for Pricing and Reviews from Amazon

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Shooting the Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum

Here is a short video I posted to YouTube of me Shooting the Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum.

On my first trip to a shooting range, we finished up the session with a few shots of the big 500.

It sure was a blast and I’m definitely looking forward to getting a shot at some of the other big boys they have there: .460 and the .454 Casull, along with the famous Desert Eagle 50.

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Black Friday Sales

Black Friday Sales to take advantage of

Black Friday is a national holiday to our American friends, but up here in Canada there are also deals to be had.  Retailers noticed that Canadians cross the border each year to take part in the madness across the line.  As much fun is it is to do hand-to-hand combat over a Tickle me Elmo in a Walmart, I sure am glad that retailers here are taking part in the shopping action.

Check out Canadian Tire, Princess Auto, Cabela’s, and Amazon.ca

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Tax Reduction: Donate to a Charity

You reduce your taxes If you donate to a charity

Previously I discussed how you can reduce your taxes by making a political contribution.

Well, most of us aren’t exactly enamoured by Canadian politics and political parties, so we need another way to reduce our taxes.

The most noble way of reducing your taxes is by donating to a charity.  This could be something for helping the poor, medical research, or another form of approved charity.

Charitable donations are considered a non-refundable tax credit.

Some helpful links:

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Time to get my PAL

It is time for me to get a PAL

Yes I could use more friends, but that isn’t what I meant.  No, the PAL is the Possession and Acquisition Licence and you require this to purchase firearms or ammunition in Canada.

Formerly know as the FAC (Firearms Acquisition Certificate), obtaining a PAL is an involved process.  Here I will outline what I know of it before going through.  Later I will write the definitive process for you to also get your licence.

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Podcasts 02 November

If you missed it, these are last week’s episodes

Here are my recommendations for podcasts 02 November:

Lew Rockwell Episode 371 – Street Smarts with Jim Rogers – Jim Rodgers KNOWS money and investing.  We all should at least listen to what he has to say.  In this podcast Jim & Lew discuss Roger’s book: Street Smarts.

Lew Rockwell Episode 372 – Wheat Belly with Dr. William Davis – Lose the wheat, lose the weight.  Dr. William Davis discusses how bad modern wheat is for us.  This combines paleo and gluten free concepts.

Lew Rockwell Episode 373 – Homeschooling, War, and Banking with Ron Paul – I don’t have to describe this one.  If it has Dr. Paul in it, you should listen.  This episode if chock-full of wisdom.

Modern Self Protection 72 – Testing You – Criminals and Terrorists are out there testing your capabilities and vulnerabilities all of the time.  Ben discusses how to recognize this, how to react, and how to know when you are being threatened.

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Shooting Range Visit

Thoughts from my second shooting range visit

On Halloween I ended up with the evening free to myself.  I could have gone to the gym, watched movies, or even eaten candy.  But instead, I decided on an indoor shooting range visit since it was over a month since I had been there.  Plus there was a great deal on at the time that I couldn’t resist.

As you may have read, my first visit to the shooting range was a real eye opener.  I came out of it with both confidence and respect.

Below I report on the firearms I used and my thought on each for this shooting range visit:

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Benefits of Vacation

The Numerous Benefits of Vacation

We are always busy: working, family, running around, shopping, etc. But when we take time to ourselves we can experience the numerous benefits of vacation.

Some of us travel and experience new cultures, others rest on the beach.  Some visit family, and sometimes we have the opportunity to travel halfway around the world.  None of these approaches to vacations are wrong – all forms of vacation can be highly beneficial.

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