One of the instructors at my local Krav Maga school has written an article titled Legal Issues Surrounding Use of Force and Krav Maga which is published on the East Texas Krav Maga school web page. While generally well written and quite informative, in my judgement the piece suffers from a particularly dangerous failure of perspective as a result of the author's contextual assumptions.
As a former police officer, Paul Landreth-Smith appears to have approached his topic from the perspective of someone who enjoys benefit of the legal notion known as qualified immunity as well as the assumption that individuals interests are best served by providing all the information possible to law enforcement agents following involvement in a violent incident. While this may in fact be the case for a member of law enforcement (and my reading shows that opinion is not universal), I believe that advice is a particular disservice to the vast majority of non-law enforcement Krav Maga students as well as all people who lawfully carry a firearm in their own right.
The wealth of detail Paul Landreth-Smith offers regarding recording the incident you were involved in is quite comprehensive and useful to your defense counsel. And here we see how Paul's assumption based on Qualified Immunity misinforms his thesis; Paul is quite correct that all of the data he itemizes is necessary to a proper defense of the Krav Maga student, but the assumption that law enforcement is necessarily concerned with your defense is potentially a tragically mistaken one.
The other error of assumption the author makes is to base the choice of whether or not to engage the skills learned in Krav Maga from any other standpoint than, "Does this act meet the legal standard of self defense?" Paul Landreth-Smith rightly dismisses the nonsense notion of there being any requirement to declare your martial arts training status (and more generally, that you are armed at all), but he fails to specify the legal requirements for an individuals actions to qualify as self defense. This, especially combined with the other error cited above, makes his article very problematic.
In brief, a claim of self defense requires that a hypothetical other person would concur that your actions were both reasonable and proper in the circumstances in which they occurred. In my judgement, every student of Krav Maga (most especially to include anyone who owns or carries a firearm on their person) must base there decision to engage in violence with another on this principle alone. Unlike law enforcement, as a general rule people do not have any requirement to engage in violence with other people (as I understand it, the requirement for law enforcement to do so is the fundamental justification for Qualified Immunity). Granted, in most US states people famously have the right to "Stand Your Ground", but all that really means is there is no lawful requirement to retreat from threat. As Krav students, this means we don't have to try to "run away, run away", but that also doesn't obviate our requirement (just like every other reasonable and law abiding person) to avoid physical conflict whenever circumstance permits.
I commend Paul Landreth-Smith for extending this discussion to specifically include Krav Maga students. I believe I have illustrated how my fellow students might further benefit from debate about possible refinement or expansion of this discussion as part of our Krav Maga training. In that vein, I suggest that inclusion of legal experts on this specific topic might be of value. For now, I encourage my fellow Krav students to adopt the Self Defense legal standard as their own metric by which to weigh their decision whether or not to use their Krav training, in addition to applying as much of Paul Landreth-Smiths advice in supplying their defense council with as much data as possible, should they ever have to choose to fight.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Wellville Update
To re-cap; on Sunday the 19th of January I developed lower back pain that extended down the length of my left leg. On the following Monday (January 20), this was diagnosed as bursitis since X-ray revealed no physical abnormality to my back and pelvic region. The next day, I was seen by the first available orthopedic specialist who determined there was no medical cause for my symptoms revealed so far (he specifically ruled out bursitis) and he scheduled me for an MRI which took place the next day (Wednesday, Jan 22). The following Tuesday, 28 Jan, the orthopedic specialist determined I was suffering from a stenosis of the L-1 and/or L-2 vertebrae, which basically means a narrowing or constriction of the channels through which the nerves run causing nerve pain (which has the attribute of expressing as pain almost anywhere the given nerve extends or "transmits" to/from).
Simply as a result of who I saw first for pain treatment (the Urgent Care doc-in-a-box alternative to the Emergency Room), I ended up going to the wrong specialist. No one's fault as such; everyone involved sought the best treatment for me as the information they had available indicated. My personal physician has now taken the lead position on my treatment, as would have occurred from the outset had this not transpired on a holiday weekend. He has arranged for me to begin physical therapy starting this next Tuesday (that would be Feb 4 for those keeping score at home) and for me to be seen by a neurosurgeon, although that doesn't happen until Thursday Feb 13.
I've been off work this entire time and getting the Sickness and Accident insurance payments going is a slloooww process. I'm in no danger of starvation, especially when you take the appetite suppression qualities of codeine into account, and the bills are all being paid still, but I'm actually looking forward to beginning PT if only for something to do. Anyone who has been treated by a physical therapist will recognize just how extreme my level of boredom must be. Also, poverty (the money to pay for stuff is coming from my money to do things account). First world problems all.
I expect to be off work for several more weeks at best.
I'm tempted to whine that "it never ends", but in fact it does and that alternative invites not at all. I'll wait (and work) for "gets better".
Simply as a result of who I saw first for pain treatment (the Urgent Care doc-in-a-box alternative to the Emergency Room), I ended up going to the wrong specialist. No one's fault as such; everyone involved sought the best treatment for me as the information they had available indicated. My personal physician has now taken the lead position on my treatment, as would have occurred from the outset had this not transpired on a holiday weekend. He has arranged for me to begin physical therapy starting this next Tuesday (that would be Feb 4 for those keeping score at home) and for me to be seen by a neurosurgeon, although that doesn't happen until Thursday Feb 13.
I've been off work this entire time and getting the Sickness and Accident insurance payments going is a slloooww process. I'm in no danger of starvation, especially when you take the appetite suppression qualities of codeine into account, and the bills are all being paid still, but I'm actually looking forward to beginning PT if only for something to do. Anyone who has been treated by a physical therapist will recognize just how extreme my level of boredom must be. Also, poverty (the money to pay for stuff is coming from my money to do things account). First world problems all.
I expect to be off work for several more weeks at best.
I'm tempted to whine that "it never ends", but in fact it does and that alternative invites not at all. I'll wait (and work) for "gets better".
Friday, January 31, 2014
I Blame JayG
I've been following along via JayG for a few months now as the Elio Motors motorcycle/car continues its development process. A two-seat tandem vehicle that features a 60 hp 3-cylinder engine powering the 3 wheeled vehicle (which is what technically makes it a motorcycle). 80+ highway mpg (45+ city) out of an 8 gallon tank. Fully enclosed cabin with A/C, power windows/locks, 3 air bags, 15" rims ... a lot of features for a $6800.00 price tag.
I just now put $500.00 down on my all in order for the first actual new vehicle I've ever bought.
Claimed delivery window is 4th quarter 2014 so I can hope for a birthday present. The factory is an hour or so east of here (it's actually closer than the nearest planned dealership is) so I will definitely be exercising the factory pick up delivery option. Texas doesn't require a helmet and is one of the many states that doesn't require a motorcycle endorsement (for this particular vehicle type) on the driving license too.
Haven't really settled on the basic options yet, but I'm leaning towards the silver and black paint job with the 5-speed manual transmission. I'm also more than likely going to use the company's "credit card financing" method instead of the more traditional methods. Basically, you buy gas at triple the pump price and everything over the actual fuel purchase amount is applied to your remaining balance in lieu of a regular loan payment.
Come on Jay, get on the list with me and share the anticipation frustration. :)
I just now put $500.00 down on my all in order for the first actual new vehicle I've ever bought.
Claimed delivery window is 4th quarter 2014 so I can hope for a birthday present. The factory is an hour or so east of here (it's actually closer than the nearest planned dealership is) so I will definitely be exercising the factory pick up delivery option. Texas doesn't require a helmet and is one of the many states that doesn't require a motorcycle endorsement (for this particular vehicle type) on the driving license too.
Haven't really settled on the basic options yet, but I'm leaning towards the silver and black paint job with the 5-speed manual transmission. I'm also more than likely going to use the company's "credit card financing" method instead of the more traditional methods. Basically, you buy gas at triple the pump price and everything over the actual fuel purchase amount is applied to your remaining balance in lieu of a regular loan payment.
Come on Jay, get on the list with me and share the anticipation frustration. :)
Friday, January 24, 2014
Thursday, January 23, 2014
A Bump In The Road To Wellville
This past Sunday afternoon at about 4:30 I started feeling pain in my left hip. Within an hour, I was almost in tears. On Monday, I went to the Doc-in-a-box where I was irradiated and given codeine for pain.
This resulted in a man in great pain who was also high. Not there fault, it was all they could do.
Other than get me an appointment with an Orthopedic specialist for the following day. Whimpered my way there on the Tuesday expecting a "hip shot" (injection into the hip region) of cortisone and whatnot to resolve the pain and begin therapy.
When you go to an expert, you don't get to tell him what he finds wrong with you. IOW, there's nothing medically wrong with my hip, thus no hip shot for pain relief, but I did get a much bigger bottle of codeine and an appointment for an MRI the following day.
That same afternoon I did get in to see my usual Doctor and he was able to look over everyones notes and accumulated work (x-rays and the like) and he thinks that, along with some arthritis developing in my lower back and pelvic region - not surprising in a man of 60 years, some hopefully still-minor damage has occurred to a disc in my L-spine or that possibly something else has pinched the nerve running down into my left leg.
Wednesday, I went to get the MRI. I've had one before for my knees. Surprising to me, a spine scan is less complicated than one of the knee; only took about 20 minutes, even with the do-over toward the end when I had to move or wet myself. Something else I discovered - when in a building that contains an active MRI machine, don't bother texting anyone. Your message(s) will eventually go through, but the (increasingly irritated) replies will all appear on your phone in a cascade of bloops and beeps once you get into the more usually constructed portion of the building, like reception say. I wasn't taking notes at the time, but either the electronic symphony coming out of my pocket or the sight of me madly choking down drugs while whimpering my way toward the water fountain will likely get you looked at in a concerned fashion by everyone else too.
Just saying.
The ortho guy won't be back in town 'till next week, so I get to spend the next several days looking at the clock to see if my morally ill-prepared self control is stronger than the pain-addled rest of me (the label says "every 6 hours", which so far means my life still has unfulfilled aspirations as of yet) along with ice packs wedged dangerously close to the groinal region, resulting in sporadic (not to mention hasty) inspections for testicular frost damage.
So, I'm never not in pain and I'm too high to do much of anything more demanding than move the blue ice pack somewhere a little less close to my urinary tract. I failed to mention that I did get a course of steroids to keep track of along with all the rest. I'd forgotten how steroids make one urinate so much more frequently. Levitating up out of bed from yet-another nap with one leg in agony and the other in cramp is not an experience I can recommend. Note to self: just drink more water, you're too high to know if you're thirsty or not anyway.
I am told that there are good non-surgical therapies these days even if it turns out to be a ruptured disc in my spine. I resolutely refuse to speculate, mostly because doing so requires too much mental horsepower. I'll know more next Tuesday.
This resulted in a man in great pain who was also high. Not there fault, it was all they could do.
Other than get me an appointment with an Orthopedic specialist for the following day. Whimpered my way there on the Tuesday expecting a "hip shot" (injection into the hip region) of cortisone and whatnot to resolve the pain and begin therapy.
When you go to an expert, you don't get to tell him what he finds wrong with you. IOW, there's nothing medically wrong with my hip, thus no hip shot for pain relief, but I did get a much bigger bottle of codeine and an appointment for an MRI the following day.
That same afternoon I did get in to see my usual Doctor and he was able to look over everyones notes and accumulated work (x-rays and the like) and he thinks that, along with some arthritis developing in my lower back and pelvic region - not surprising in a man of 60 years, some hopefully still-minor damage has occurred to a disc in my L-spine or that possibly something else has pinched the nerve running down into my left leg.
Wednesday, I went to get the MRI. I've had one before for my knees. Surprising to me, a spine scan is less complicated than one of the knee; only took about 20 minutes, even with the do-over toward the end when I had to move or wet myself. Something else I discovered - when in a building that contains an active MRI machine, don't bother texting anyone. Your message(s) will eventually go through, but the (increasingly irritated) replies will all appear on your phone in a cascade of bloops and beeps once you get into the more usually constructed portion of the building, like reception say. I wasn't taking notes at the time, but either the electronic symphony coming out of my pocket or the sight of me madly choking down drugs while whimpering my way toward the water fountain will likely get you looked at in a concerned fashion by everyone else too.
Just saying.
The ortho guy won't be back in town 'till next week, so I get to spend the next several days looking at the clock to see if my morally ill-prepared self control is stronger than the pain-addled rest of me (the label says "every 6 hours", which so far means my life still has unfulfilled aspirations as of yet) along with ice packs wedged dangerously close to the groinal region, resulting in sporadic (not to mention hasty) inspections for testicular frost damage.
So, I'm never not in pain and I'm too high to do much of anything more demanding than move the blue ice pack somewhere a little less close to my urinary tract. I failed to mention that I did get a course of steroids to keep track of along with all the rest. I'd forgotten how steroids make one urinate so much more frequently. Levitating up out of bed from yet-another nap with one leg in agony and the other in cramp is not an experience I can recommend. Note to self: just drink more water, you're too high to know if you're thirsty or not anyway.
I am told that there are good non-surgical therapies these days even if it turns out to be a ruptured disc in my spine. I resolutely refuse to speculate, mostly because doing so requires too much mental horsepower. I'll know more next Tuesday.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Fun Show Today
Going to the local gun show today. Not really expecting to see much of anything I'm really interested in actually buying, but we'll see. This ain't the Indy 1500.
Would like to find a new Kel Tec PMR30. Won't pay more than MSRP for one and would hope to dicker a deal for a gun and three spare magazines for ~ $500 Obamabux (plus the Governor's gratuity, of course - place wouldn't function without that).
I've gone over the Lucky Gunner ammo price list to use as a buying guide reference. The ammo shortage is basically over, but we'll see just how far down the retail chain that message has gotten. Some .22 (LR and WMR), .223, .308, .45acp and 9mm are all on the look-for list, but only if I can't get it delivered to my front door for the same price instead. That's my version of the "immediate gratification" value of an ammo purchase (or most any other these days). Me and Jeff Bezos have a relationship don'tcha know?
Maybe I'll find something to inspire a follow-up post.
Would like to find a new Kel Tec PMR30. Won't pay more than MSRP for one and would hope to dicker a deal for a gun and three spare magazines for ~ $500 Obamabux (plus the Governor's gratuity, of course - place wouldn't function without that).
I've gone over the Lucky Gunner ammo price list to use as a buying guide reference. The ammo shortage is basically over, but we'll see just how far down the retail chain that message has gotten. Some .22 (LR and WMR), .223, .308, .45acp and 9mm are all on the look-for list, but only if I can't get it delivered to my front door for the same price instead. That's my version of the "immediate gratification" value of an ammo purchase (or most any other these days). Me and Jeff Bezos have a relationship don'tcha know?
Maybe I'll find something to inspire a follow-up post.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Me, Me, Me, Me, Me
Just back from the local hospital's ENT specialist; Ive had a "scratchy sounding voice" for a couple years or more. Frankly, I just kinda assumed it was a by-product effect of having quit smoking a few years ago, but figured it was worth a look. Literally.
Laryngoscopy lets the MD do a direct visual exam of the larynx while you use it (the letter "e" was popular for some reason). I am pleased to announce that there is no sign of anything looking remotely cancerous, so there's that. Me being me, of course, there actually is something gone adrift though.
If you follow the wiki-link above you'll see an illustration of the human throat/larynx on the R/H sidebar. The parts labeled cartilage are what the muscles of the throat use to regulate the vocal cords (I'm probably saying this badly, but that's the gist of what I remember the Doc saying). In my throat, one side of the cartilage is bent in a "U" shape such that it covers the upper aspect of one side of my vocal cords. The Doc thinks I may not be using that side of the voice box at all.
The last time I took a shot (fist, I think, but it could have been an unbroken beer bottle) to that part of my throat was in the mid-ish 80's, so I have my doubts the two are all that related. Whatever the cause, there definitely is something out of kilter in my vocal regions (which oddly offers little comfort - or balance - to my nether regions).
The nearest laryngology medical specialist is a fellow in Dallas, so I'll be getting to know him just as soon as I confirm that the health insurance will pick up most of the tab. I already know the hotel stay will be on my own dime, I need to learn more about our policy as regards out-of-region specialists and the like.
So, crappy voice is due to physical deformity and not cancer. It's always something, you know? The view from here may still be kinda crappy, but so far I've gotta say 2014 is looking up.
Well, down really, but you know what I mean. :)
Laryngoscopy lets the MD do a direct visual exam of the larynx while you use it (the letter "e" was popular for some reason). I am pleased to announce that there is no sign of anything looking remotely cancerous, so there's that. Me being me, of course, there actually is something gone adrift though.
If you follow the wiki-link above you'll see an illustration of the human throat/larynx on the R/H sidebar. The parts labeled cartilage are what the muscles of the throat use to regulate the vocal cords (I'm probably saying this badly, but that's the gist of what I remember the Doc saying). In my throat, one side of the cartilage is bent in a "U" shape such that it covers the upper aspect of one side of my vocal cords. The Doc thinks I may not be using that side of the voice box at all.
The last time I took a shot (fist, I think, but it could have been an unbroken beer bottle) to that part of my throat was in the mid-ish 80's, so I have my doubts the two are all that related. Whatever the cause, there definitely is something out of kilter in my vocal regions (which oddly offers little comfort - or balance - to my nether regions).
The nearest laryngology medical specialist is a fellow in Dallas, so I'll be getting to know him just as soon as I confirm that the health insurance will pick up most of the tab. I already know the hotel stay will be on my own dime, I need to learn more about our policy as regards out-of-region specialists and the like.
So, crappy voice is due to physical deformity and not cancer. It's always something, you know? The view from here may still be kinda crappy, but so far I've gotta say 2014 is looking up.
Well, down really, but you know what I mean. :)
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Happy New Year
It being after midnight here in East Texas (and no sirens to be heard either for a change), I wanted to note how good this past year has been for me personally and to say how much I'm looking forward to this year's promise. I know that the concern for Obamacare and his administration's financial shenanigans are all the rage, but I choose to focus on things more close to home and heart.
Best wishes to all who stop by these pages in the coming year and I hope you find your way back to reality real soon now.
Best wishes to all who stop by these pages in the coming year and I hope you find your way back to reality real soon now.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Keeping Up With The Tam
During my wander through the blogs I ordinarily follow this fine Christmas day (and, to be completely honest, to fill in the time waiting for the laundry to finish), I checked in with TamaraK - as you do - and read this.
Now, I already have one of these in .22 caliber and really wasn't expecting to get into .177 also, but given the steeply discounted asking price, I simply couldn't convince myself not to hit the "one-click purchase" button.
Amazon is pleased to inform me it (with the spare "5 shot pellet clip" and can of pellets) will get here this coming Saturday. I guess I'm going to have to gather up some getaroundtoit and put this together. I've lived in this apartment complex for 12 years, it's time totest the neighbors patience see if all of those on-time rent checks bought me any special consideration. There's a strip of grass that runs along a fence line that ends in an L-shaped corner behind the maintenance building and is right outside my apartment door. The perfect 50' semi-secluded spot for some quiet Sunday afternoon practice I think. We'll see how many others agree soon enough.
So, thanks (again) Tam, and Merry Christmas to us both.
Now, I already have one of these in .22 caliber and really wasn't expecting to get into .177 also, but given the steeply discounted asking price, I simply couldn't convince myself not to hit the "one-click purchase" button.
Amazon is pleased to inform me it (with the spare "5 shot pellet clip" and can of pellets) will get here this coming Saturday. I guess I'm going to have to gather up some getaroundtoit and put this together. I've lived in this apartment complex for 12 years, it's time to
So, thanks (again) Tam, and Merry Christmas to us both.
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