#U.S. Marine survival mindset

[theroguebanshee]

U.S. Marine Survival Prepping Secrets: How to Be Ready for Anything

Are you ready to uncover the survival secrets of a U.S. Marine? In this episode of the Undependent Podcast, Marine Gun Builder dives deep into the survival mindset, resilience, and practical prepping skills you need to be ready for anything. With real-world experiences from military survival training and life lessons learned on the field, he shares why mental toughness is the most important tool…

[criticalthinkingisalostskill]

The 13 Rules for Gunfighting

Often associated with the U.S. Marine Corps, are guidelines that emphasize the practical, no-nonsense approach to survival in a gunfight.

While not an official doctrinal list, they are widely circulated and appreciated in military and tactical communities. Here are the 13 rules:

1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all your friends who have guns.

2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.

3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.

4. If your shooting stance is good, you’re probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.

5. Move away from your attacker.Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)

6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.

7. In ten years, nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.

9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on “pucker factor” than the inherent accuracy of the gun.

10. Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. “All skill is in vain when an Angel pisses in the flintlock of your musket.”

11. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

12. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

13. Have a plan. Have a back-up plan because the first one won’t work.

These rules emphasize the importance of preparation, mindset, and tactics in any deadly encounter.

[didanawisgi]

“"At a time when we must adapt to the changing character of conflict, this is a serious book on a serious issue that can give us the edge we need.”

—General James Mattis, USMC, Ret.

"Left of Bang offers a crisp lesson in survival in which Van Horne and Riley affirm a compelling truth: It's better to detect sinister intentions early than respond to violent actions late. Left of Bang helps readers avoid the bang."

—Gavin de Becker, bestselling author of The Gift of Fear

"Rare is the book that is immediately practical and interesting. Left of Bang accomplishes this from start to finish. There is something here for everyone in the people business and we are all in the people business."

—Joe Navarro, bestselling author of What Every BODY is Saying.

"Left of Bang is a highly important and innovative book that offers a substantial contribution to answering the challenge of Fourth Generation war (4GW)."

—William S. Lind, author of Maneuver Warfare Handbook

"Like Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Left of Bang isn't just for the military. It's a must read for anyone who has ever had a gut feeling that something's not quite right...be it walking down the street, sitting in a corporate boardroom, or even entering an empty home."

-- Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of The Lion's Gate, The Warrior Ethos and Gates of Fire

“An amazing book! Applying the lessons learned during the longest war in American history, and building on seminal works like The Gift of Fear and On Combat, this book provides a framework of knowledge that will bring military, law enforcement, and individual citizens to new levels of survival mindset and performance in life-and-death situations. Left of Bang is an instant classic.”

--Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman, U.S. Army Ret., author of On Combat and On Killing

-- You walk into a restaurant and get an immediate sense that you should leave.

-- You are about to step onto an elevator with a stranger and something stops you.

-- You interview a potential new employee who has the resume to do the job, but something tells you not to offer a position.

These scenarios all represent LEFT OF BANG, the moments before something bad happens. But how many times have you talked yourself out of leaving the restaurant, getting off the elevator, or getting over your silly “gut” feeling about someone? Is there a way to not just listen to your inner protector more, but to actually increase your sensitivity to threats before they happen?

Legendary Marine General James Mattis asked the same question and issued a directive to operationalize the Marine Corps’ Combat Hunter program. A comprehensive and no-nonsense approach to heightening each and every one of our gifts of fear, LEFT OF BANG is the result.”

[luv-engineering]

Essential Mindset Shift for the Generals and the Troops All American troops posted to overseas theaters would benefit from reading this manual. But it is the generals and higher-ups who most need the lessons contained in it. 4th generation warfare represents “a crisis of the legitimacy of the state,” and the first step towards fighting them successfully is a mindset shift: to recognize that military force is incapable, by itself, of restoring legitimacy to a state. The standard American practice of “firepower on targets” is simply not effective in 4GW. “Great states must learn how to preserve enemy states at the same time that they defeat them.” This is obviously a central lesson from the Iraq conflict, where this axiom was violated in spades. This manual sets about to correct those mistakes and provide a roadmap for success in the new type of conflict we face. Go to Amazon

Lind's ideas are innovative and make sense Terrorism at home and Other, domestic developments point toward Fourth Generation war within a growing number of states. As citizens transfer their primary loyalty away from the state, two recipients of that loyalty are also likely bases for Fourth Generation war. The first is gangs, which are becoming more powerful all over the world. Many are successful if illegal economic enterprises, which means they have the money for war. Go to Amazon

it is in his apparent belief that all good things come from Europeans With his Maneuver Warfare (MW) and 4th Generation Warfare (4GW) insights, Bill Lind has done more to help the U.S. infantry establishment than most of its generals. For this, the still mortal troops will be forever grateful. Though MW has been Marine Corps doctrine since the early 1990's, it cannot be fully practiced without more tactically proficient, semi-autonomous squads. Only through the decentralization of control over squad training and utilization, will such a thing be possible. Neither has 4GW been widely accepted in America because of the strict separation of responsibilities between U.S. agencies. But, neither deficiency is Mr. Lind's fault. If he has any shortcomings at all, it is in his apparent belief that all good things come from Europeans, abeit Germans, Finns, or Boers. Asia is older than Europe. 1930's Maoist Mobile Warfare was very similar to, and in some ways more comprehensive than, the evolutionary 3GW parameters developed by the WWI Germans (MW). Sun Tzu's ways to win wars without fighting look a lot like how to compete in the nonmartial arenas of 4GW. Who learned what from whom is no longer important. Only important is that the Pentagon hasn't been listening. America hasn't decisively won an extended conflict since WWII. And without boots on the ground that are tactically skilled enough to survive in squad size without any help from supporting arms, that unfortunate trend will continue. Mr. Lind's latest book would have been even better if he had added a few Asian references to his list of "Light Infantry Required Reading." The (North) Vietnamese probably have today's best light infantry. For an in-depth assessment of Asian Communist capabilities, try reading some of the Posterity Press titles. Its latest, Sinoland describes China's ongoing 4GW attack on America. Go to Amazon

The 4th Generation Warfare Handbook is an easy read for expert and novice alike Five Stars Excellent insights. Must read for all people interested in military history in ... Fundamental understanding about modern warfare. Five Stars Amazing 4th generation handbook. ... what the future of warfare is going to look like if the US ever wants to win again against ... Excellent Book Five Stars

[wealthbronze59-blog]

After Thousand Oaks Mass Shooting, A Warning: 'Pretty Soon Everyone's Going To Have A Sad Story'

Civilians, law enforcement and fire personnel look on from an overpass as a motorcade with the body of Ventura County Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus passes by on Thursday. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) (Marcio Jose Sanchez/)

Less than two weeks after the nation's collective eye last turned to a city wounded by gun violence, the cycle begins again.

Chaplains and counselors deployed, condolences from national leaders, flags lowered to half-staff, vigils organized, memories shared and the anticipation over finding a motive that still won't bring a sense of peace.

This time, a shooter entered The Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks and took the lives of 12 people and then himself.

"You know how this goes," political consultant Kellyanne Conway said on FOX News, "you've got loved ones probably still searching for their children, you have first responders and emergency personnel treating the wounded and this investigation will continue."

Though most don't receive national attention, this was the 307th shooting in 2018 alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks this.

A SAFE COMMUNITY, HEROIC ACTIONS

No one ever expects a mass shooting to puncture their community. But it was particularly rattling for Thousand Oaks, an affluent suburb outside of Los Angeles ranked one of the safest cities in America.

Wednesday is Borderline's regular college night. Students ages 18 and up were there from nearby Pepperdine University, Cal Lutheran and Cal State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI). People had gathered to learn a new line dance when the gunman began shooting.

Witnesses seemed to recount what happened next with an eerie sense of calm.

"I understood that based on the number of shots that I heard that it was likely that several people had been injured or killed, and my main priority was getting myself to safety, and then once I was far away, helping the other patrons," said Benjamin Ginsburg, a recent graduate who regularly attended college night. He called into KPCC's AirTalk to share his experience.

We heard stories of heroic actions that saved lives.

"I looked up and one of my friends had thrown a bar stool through the window so we could get out," said Matt Wennerstrom, a student at CSUCI. "And we pushed the glass out of the way and got as many people out through that window as possible."

PREPARED FOR THE NEW NORMAL

Even in this community, known for being safe, training for tragedy has become a part of being a student today.

The student government at CSUCI holds active shooter seminars occasionally, including one as recently as this past spring. Cal Lutheran has a brochure on its website: Active Shooter: A Survival Mindset. Pepperdine has a page on its website with best practices for survival.

Drills are standard practice in high schools, becoming more common in middle and elementary schools and even in some preschools and child care centers.

Jason Coffman, whose 22-year-old son Cody was killed in the shooting, said one of the last things he said to his son was "please don't drink and drive." Instead, it was a gunman who cut his son's life short.

Brendan Kelly, another regular at Borderline, had already survived the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history in Las Vegas in 2017. He said a couple dozen others who survived that shooting, which took place at a country music festival, regularly met up at Borderline.

"Borderline was our safe space after," Kelly told ABC 7. "It was our our home."

Kelly served in the Marine Corps. When he heard the shots, he said he immediately jumped into action, throwing people to the ground for cover.

Dr. Garen Wintemute, a gun researcher at University of California, Davis, said what we're preparing to survive has fundamentally changed.

"I remember when 'duck and cover' dealt with missiles that might be coming from overseas, that's what we got trained on," Wintemute said, "And these days, duck and cover refers to missiles that are coming from down the block or within the room."

'I DIDN'T FEEL SHOCK'

As the threats evolve, so have the skills we're learning. Since 2015, the American College of Surgeons has offered Bleeding Control Basics courses to give bystanders the skills to potentially save lives.

"As a public, our health literacy is changing as the health problems change," said psychologist Angelika Robinson.

Robinson herself survived the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino where 14 people attending a holiday work party were killed. Waking up Thursday morning, she turned on the TV and saw familiar images of flashing police lights and loved ones waiting.

"It really did hit home, and one of the emotions that I recognized was that I didn't feel shock," she told KPCC's Take Two.

"Because we've dealt with incidents like this so frequently lately we've become numb and inoculated in a sense. We wait for the next one to happen and it always does."

This realization made her outraged.

"This can't become our baseline," Robinson said. "It can't become something that we take for granted."

'EVERYONE'S GOING TO HAVE A SAD STORY'

At the Pepperdine campus on Thursday, friends and classmates awaited word about the fate of fellow student Alaina Housley. As the hours ticked by, the college students braced to get the news that inevitably came: Housley, 18, was dead.

Housley's roommate, who spoke on the condition she not be named to protect her privacy, was devasted. She was also angry.

"I thought I was passionate about this cause and about gun control before," she said, "but until it happens to you... like, if this keeps happening, pretty soon everyone's going to have a sad story. Everyone's going to have a friend that they've lost, if something doesn't change.

Zoe Walsh, a Pepperdine freshman, said that after a gunman earlier this year killed 17 at a high school in Parkland, Florida, she organized protests at her own high school. Walsh grew up in a world where school shootings were common enough that she's been rehearsing active shooter drills since elementary school. She called it "part of our average school day."

"I think the worst part is that as unreal as it feels, it's not something that's shocking in today's society because so many people have to go through this," Walsh said. "It's too frequent an occurrence and it hurts everytime, but it's never hurt like this before."

Losing someone she knows has made the issue of gun violence not just a matter of her political activism.

"Now it's a part of my personal emotional life," she said. "It's affecting the way I view relationships because I'm afraid when it comes to the safety and well-being of everyone that I love."

KPCC/LAist reporter Aaron Schrank contributed to this report

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Source: http://www.laist.com/2018/11/09/borderline_thousand_oaks_shooting_new_normal.php

[jacensolodjo]

Pretty much everything here can often be applied to any military in any setting except where the information would not be usable (such as gunfighting in an era they still use bow and arrow). I strongly encourage reblogging or bookmarking and actually reading a couple of the books then work off their bibliographies etc., because there’s no way I can list or know about every good book for this very wide net coverage. I have done my best to list the best ones I know of that are easy to understand and the knowledge contained within is easily usable. In essence, this list is a mere jumping off point as there are thousands upon thousands of books on the subject. It is also obviously a little United States armed forces-centric as that is the military I was training to join and have the best access to the resources of said same.

This is essentially a rewrite with badly needed revision and additions of an earlier post found here. Unlike that post, I will not just link to pages with their own list. Everything I link to here will be to one thing only.

Where possible I have included links to free, legal copies of the books. They may not always be in .epub or .mobi format, and some are in .pdf format. If there is not a free, legal copy I will link to places to purchase the books and will make a note of whether the link is to a free copy or not.  Not all will be books however, some will be ‘pamphlets’ or essays, of which there may not be an ‘offline’ version but strictly on a website. I will do my best to say what format it is. Links will generally go to Amazon for download/purchase unless stated otherwise

There are also some books that I will be suggesting that can get pretty graphic in description of battles and/or their aftermath and some have pictures of those battlegrounds. They will be marked appropriately using the following symbol: § and the warning is generally that it contains gore (visual or textual) and/or pictures of dead bodies. If there is another reason, I will list it next to the symbol.

So, if you want to make your writing about war (or even just small scale battle and even one-on-one fights) believable, here is a masterlist of books that I can personally vouch for and some are also required reading for the actual United States military branches (and many other countries’). Many you will no doubt recognize because of just how famous they are. You may have even read them already. But even the obvious choices should be included for those who don’t know them beforehand. And some may be from 100+ years ago but they still matter today, such as the strategy books given almost all of them are still on the curriculum for various training programs for the armed forces.

However, bear in mind you don’t have to read all of these. A couple from each category can do you just fine especially if you are on a budget.

And finally, please feel free to send me an ask about this subject I will be happy to help! ALSO don’t be afraid to let me know if a link breaks, because I will definitely want to fix it ASAP.

Strategy and Tactics and Recon (what to do on the battlefield once you get there)

On War [x]- Out of copyright, this copy of the translation is site-based but free.

Intelligence Officer’s Handbook [x]- this is a free DoD issued manual in the form of a .pdf

The Military Maxims of Napoleon [x]- this is a free .pdf out of copyright

Sun Tzu’s the Art of War [x]- this is a free out of copyright book that can be downloaded as a variety of file types and also read in browser

Machiavelli’s the Art of War [x]- this is a free out of copyright book that can be downloaded as a variety of file types and also read in browser

Small Wars: Their Principles and Practice [x]- this is a free out of copyright book that can be read in browser. Or buy the ebook version for $3.

Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice [x]- Site-based but free.

Small Wars Manual [x]- this is a free DoD issued manual in the form of a .pdf (Not to be confused for the previous ‘Small Wars’ book above)

The Strategy of Indirect Approach [x]-  this is a free book that takes the form of a .pdf

Air Power and Maneuver Warfare [x]-  this is a free book that takes the form of a .pdf

Grunts: Inside the American Infantry Combat Experience [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

Organization and Leadership (somebody has to lead the charge into battle)

Leader Development [x]- this is a free DoD issued manual in the form of a .pdf

Small Unit Leadership: A Commonsense Approach [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .pdf and .epub format

Leading Marines [x]-  this is a free DoD issued manual in the form of a .pdf

Training and Regulations (going from civilian to soldier/Marine/Airman/sailor)

The Plattsburgh Manual [x]- this is a free ebook out of copyright

Command and Control Training [x]- this is a free DoD issued manual in the form of a .pdf

Intelligence Training and Readiness [x]- this is a free DoD issued manual in the form of a .pdf

Field Training Manual for OCS Candidates [x]- this is a free DoD issued manual in the form of a .pdf

Warfighting [x]-  this is a free DoD issued manual in the form of a .pdf

The Military Institutions of the Romans [x]-  this is a free ebook out of copyright

Combat Medicine Terrestial and In Space (medics are your guardian angels so treat them as such)

Using Medicine in Science Fiction [x]- A book that is not free to own but is in .pdf and .epub format

Nutrition Standards for Human Performance [x]- This is a free DoD issued manual in the form of a .pdf

The Survival Medicine Handbook [x]- A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook [x]-  A DoD issued book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

Psychology (how war reshapes the mind and you never come out the other side how you were before)

Note: It can be assumed that all of these books will touch on things that could be triggering or upsetting. I have marked the ones that go into detail for gore and death, but beyond that expect each book to talk about things you might not wish to read currently.

Just and Unjust Wars [x]- A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

§  American Soldiers: Ground Combat in the World Wars, Korea, & Vietnam [x]- a book that is not free to own and also not available in ebook format but can be physically bought

The Kill Switch [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

A Spy’s Guide to Thinking [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

The Psychology of Intelligence Analysis [x]- Site-based but free

Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps’ Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

§ On Killing [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

§ On Combat [x][x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats. Second link is a mirror. 

Warrior Mindset: Mental Toughness Skills for a Nation's Peacekeepers [x][x]- A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats. Second link is a mirror.

What It Is Like to Go to War [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats. 

Resilience: Hard Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

The Warriors: Reflections on Men in Battle [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

Weaponry and Fighting (how to kill and figuring out which weapon is the best choice for doing the deed)

Combat Shooting [x]- A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

A Rifleman Went to War [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

Memoirs from Those Who Were There (on the frontlines or in the air) and Biographies

Note: It can be assumed that all of these books will touch on things that could be triggering or upsetting. I have marked the ones that go into detail for gore and death, but beyond that expect each book to talk about things you might not wish to read currently.

We Were Soldiers Once... and Young [x]- a book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

Band of Brothers [x]- A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

A Soldier’s Story [x]- a book that is not free to own and also not available in ebook format but can be physically bought

Omar Bradley: General at War [x]- A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

Memoirs of General U.S. Grant, Complete Edition [x]- this is a free out of copyright book that can be downloaded as a variety of file types and also read in browser

§ The Backwash of War the Human Wreckage of the Battlefield as Witnessed by an American Hospital Nurse [x]-  this is a free ebook out of copyright  

The Unforgiving Minute: a Soldier’s Education [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

§ House to House: an Epic Memoir of War [x]-  A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

§ (Torture) Leading with Honor [x]- A book that is not free to own but is in .mobi and .epub formats.

Serenade to the Big Bird [x]- this is a free ebook

Glossary of Terms Used Above OCS- Officer Candidate School DoD- Department of Defense

[newshorerpg-blog]

SHANTIPRIYA NEERJA MATHUR

Age & Birthdate: April 4th, 1986 (31)

Birthplace: Karachi, Pakistan

Gender: Cisfemale

Sexuality: Demisexual

Location: Lafayette Boulevard

Occupation: U.S Marine Veteran, current dance instructor and owner of Garam Masala dance studio

Length of Time in Newshore: Three years

↪ BIOGRAPHY

When the Mathur family was greeted with a little girl after producing three boys, they knew she was going to be something special and from a very young age the lessons of becoming something great were instilled in her. Coming from a culture where it was expected for a man to be treated differently from a woman, Shantipriya’s father didn’t settle for his only daughter to be treated any less then his sons. He taught Shantipriya that her path should be carved from her own hands and it was required that she was responsible to create her own destiny. She grew up proud, yet humble and kind to the other children around her. Though her father raised her to be a warrior, her mother didn’t hesitate to teach her the perks of being a princess as well. Courage and kindness was the recipe that molded Shantipriya into becoming a restless spirit with determination and humility. The bond she built with her family was unbreakable until she realized that even the most beautiful poetry and even the most beautiful stories were forged from tragedy. When her father had fallen ill it was a difficult thing for everyone in the Mathur family to accept. The man of the house, the fair king that ruled them had lowered his shield and surrendered to his fate.  

When the young warrior and lost her father and the age of fourteen, Shantipriya’s life had seemingly been a bit of a roller coaster. Though she remained in the family home in Karachi. Shantipriya’s life began to change drastically after her father’s death. Her mother seemingly became a different person, going on more and more “business trips” to fancy hotels with fancy men, while her daughter was left staying at friends’ houses more than her own. Shantipriya treasured the moments she shared with her father and took his advice to heart on almost everything she put her mind too. She graduated with fair grades and moved to Newshore when she was seventeen. She volunteered at the local police station, falling in love with every aspect of the world of the police force. The danger, the adrenaline — it was a second nature to Shantipriya. When she was eighteen she has already on the field. What started off as a desk jocky job spiraled into a career. Despite the danger, Shantipriya loved her job, even if she was treated unfairly because of her gender she didn’t hesitate to remind herself that she was her father’s warrior and she refused to be treated as anything less. Soon her passion as well as here strengths were put to the test.

Inevitably her family had caught up with her America and established their residency in Newshore as well. Shantipriya didn’t think of this as an obstacle all until she learned the true motives her family had in store for her. As a product of an arranged marriage herself it was only destined that Shantipriya should follow in the same path. Eventually a proper man was found to take Shantipriya’s hand in marriage but of course, Shantipriya wasn’t going to submit so easily. The man she met was a good man, an honest one with that too. He wasn’t much older than Shantipriya nor was he much younger. He tall but not very tall, he was smart but not that inquisitive. With every positive Shantipriya matched it with two negatives, anything to establish her distaste to be wed. She had nothing against the man but she did have something against the ideals she would be forced into if she was married. Her family never agreed with her career path because they were set on the idea that a woman’s place was to raise a family and nothing more. Sure it was desirable to live a happy life and pop out children like pills but Shantipriya knew she was destined for something, just as her father always reminded her. On the night of her wedding was the night she decided to follow her destiny. She traded in the red sari for combat boots and a camouflage suit, she enrolled into the U.S Marines without hesitation.

She wanted her skills to be applied and she believed the Marines would help her do that. Upon joining the Marines and finishing her training Shantipriya was the best in her division. Her combat skills, manipulation skills, and much more made her excel making her one of the most respected woman in the U.S Marines. Despite that Shantipriya had a never tiring and restless spirit that ached for adventure, for places she’s never been to before, for people she’s never met. During her military days she went traveling, falling in and out of love, experiencing life and sleeping under the stars. It was perfect then. What made it perfect was her partner in crime, Sonny Benson. A boy she’d never thought she’d befriend; Sonny became a crucial part in Shantipriya’s life. She earned a bond with him, a bond she’d never let go of. The relationship was nothing more than friendship to Shantipriya. Sonny was like a brother, the brother she never had the chance to grow up with. — She was twenty-four now, beautiful, pulsating with energy, in control of her life, immortal. And then it was never the same again.

Shantipriya woke up in the hospital with severe chest pain and with no recollection of what had happened. Her body ached entirely, she looked at her hands and the wires pouring out of them. The last thing she could remember was busting into a shed then her memory went black. The doctors later told her that she was the only one that had survived the hostage. They said her luck was due to the fact that she had escaped with only a mild concussion, several broken ribs and gushing wound at her side where the bone had pierced through skin. Shantipriya was told her luck had run thin when her hymen had seemed to be broken, she swore that she’d remained abstinent during her time in the Marines and she was a virgin before even enrolling into the Marine Corp. It was soon discovered that Shantipriya’s luck wasn’t strong enough to prevent her rape.  She would be fine, they said. Shantipriya didn’t think so. She was transferred to a hospital near her home in Newshore. While there, she was told that Sonny had been killed —- moments later, her mother was overjoyed to finally reunite with her only daughter after years. But Shantipriya wasn’t the same anymore: she was fiercely independent, stubborn and heartbroken. Everything reminded her of Sonny and what he did, and how he was, and how he squinted a little when explaining things, and she couldn’t help but feel guilty. Thoughts of ‘what if’ plagued the woman nearly every night. What if she never went into that shed, what if she just listened for once? What if she had died instead one of them? Even if she suffered the consequences of the mission she still thought it was unfair that Sonny was the one who was forced to pay the price, and Shantipriya didn’t do unfair. She was meant to be dead also. Why had she been given a second chance?

Life after the accident was harsh. She felt lost in a world that once had seemed so bright. She no longer believed that she’d live forever. She felt bitter and incomplete. Shantipriya spent most of her life on an honorable discharge in Karachi. She lived with her mother until she finally grew the courage to live on her own again. While in Karachi it was difficult for Shantipriya to find normalcy once again in her life. It was a chore to get out of bed, let alone changing her shirt every now and then. The depression plagued her and it seemed to be rooted deep inside her soul. It wasn’t until one of her passions from her youth rekindled with her once more. The art of classic Indian dance is something that’s been part of Shantipriya’s life ever since she could remember. Her mother was a Bollywood starlet herself and dance seemed to be the only thing the two had in common. With time Shantipriya realized that her course in life wasn’t going to return to the one she had originally planned. Though serving her country not only as a police officer but as a U.S Marine was a glorious honor, she knew she was unable to return to such a work environment without being haunted by the bitter memories she’d created. She was determined to live a long and happy life, just as her father wished her to have.

Triggers in biography: Death, cancer, rape, PTSD

↪ PERSONALITY

Charming, beautiful, well-spoken in four different languages, and self-trained in even more instruments. She was the “go-to” gal on her hometown, a former bassist in a music café band, valedictorian of her high school class, and owns more guitar picks than you could even think to count. The ladylike, rebellious Shantipriya Malthur is the gal that lost herself one too many times before finding his place in her disaster of an adolescence— using her past, now, as the tour guide of her future. Before Shantipriya’s father passed away, he had always done his best to instill good values in his only daughter. Coming himself from incredibly humble beginnings, he had always taught Shantipriya to be a polite, friendly, and inquisitive young woman. Shantipriya is known around Newshore as one of the most dependable gal around, always offering a friend who’s had a little too much to drink a ride home and a bed to crash on. With a personal mindset to always act her best, Shantipriya has seemingly befriended anyone and everyone, from even the snottiest socialites to the maitre’d at her favorite restaurant. Modesty and courtesy are important to Shantipriya, and it takes a whole lot for her to reach a breaking point and actually lash out. Shantipriya also has a fun side to her, after all she is young. She likes to make people smile and always make everyone in the room feel loved and appreciated. But while Shantipriya is certainly one of the friendliest girls in Newshore, be careful not to lose her trust. The thirty-one-year-old knows how to hold a grudge. Fool her once and she certainly won’t give you the chance to fool her twice.

[oghenk55]

Fat Decimator by Kyle Cooper - True Secrets About Weight Loss

Amеrісаnѕ Rave About Scientifically Tested And Nеwlу Released Wеіght Loss Sуѕtеm Delivering Trackable Rеѕultѕ Wіthіn Dауѕ. Fat Decimator by Kyle Cooper - Fоrmеr Marine аnd Kоrеаn doctor соmbіnе аnсіеnt wіѕdоm with modern science tо produce a ѕаfе аnd effective wеіght loss mеthоd that dеlіvеrѕ rеmаrkаblе rеѕultѕ wіthіn thе first 72 hours. You’ve tried every dіеt… уоu’vе аttеmрtеd еvеrу еxеrсіѕе rоutіnе… you’ve ground yourself іntо thе dust wіth gut wrеnсhіng cardio… аnd yet the pounds don’t seem tо соmе оff or соmе rіght back the moment уоu tаkе a brеаthеr.  It’ѕ аn еріdеmіс іn thе U.S. аnd around thе wоrld аnd іt еffесtѕ оvеr 90% оf the population. Uѕіng wеll-еѕtаblіѕhеd Aѕіаn wіѕdоm and the lаtеѕt medical rеѕеаrсh іntо humаn bіоlоgу and bіо-сhеmіѕtrу, a Kоrеаn dосtоr аnd former mаrіnе Gunnеrу Sеrgеаnt have сrеаtеd, tеѕtеd and реrfесtеd Thе Fаt Dесіmаtоr, a rеmаrkаblе nеw approach tо wеіght lоѕѕ thаt works іn hаrmоnу wіth уоur body’s nаturаl рrосеѕѕеѕ.  Thе system dіѕреlѕ thе fitness аnd wеіght lоѕѕ mуthѕ thаt have taken rооt іn wеѕtеrn сulturе аnd continue tо drive up the ѕtаtіѕtісѕ on hеаrt disease, саnсеr, jоіnt pain, dіgеѕtіvе issues, premature aging, low еnеrgу and a hоѕt оf оthеr hеаlth рrоblеmѕ rеlаtеd tо bеіng оvеrwеіght. At lаѕt, mоdеrn ѕсіеnсе is beginning tо tеѕt аnd рrоvе that whаt mоѕt реорlе bеlіеvе about еxеrсіѕе diet and weight loss is actually counterproductive аnd еvеn dаngеrоuѕ.  In particular, hеаvу cardio vascular еxеrсіѕе hаѕ nоw bееn ѕhоwn tо bе ineffective as wеll аѕ dangerous tо уоur hеаlth.  - Fat Decimator by Kyle CooperDосtоr Sam Pak, a ѕресіаlіѕt оn іntеrnаl medicine and humаn bio-chemistry аѕ wеll аѕ bеіng one оf thе co-founders оf Kуlе Cоореr’ѕ Fаt Decimator ѕуѕtеm, states that the аррrоасh works far bеttеr еvеn than hе expected. “The bіggеѕt рrоblеmѕ fасіng western nations lіkе thе U.S., Cаnаdа, the UK, Australia аnd most оf Eurоре, fоr example, іѕ thаt thеrе are lоng-еѕtаblіѕhеd fitness and wеіght loss myths that hаvе bесоmе prominent іn these сulturеѕ.  Fоr іnѕtаnсе, еlіmіnаtіng salt, engaging in lоng-tеrm hеаvу cardio exercise, ѕtаrvаtіоn dіеtѕ, lіmіtіng саrbоhуdrаtеѕ and еvеn certain foods thоught tо bе hеаlthу асtuаllу go directly аgаіnѕt the bоdу’ѕ оwn natural mеtаbоlіс processes, bіоlоgісаl cycles аnd аbіlіtу to eliminate unsightly fat as well аѕ fіght off dіѕеаѕе.” “Let’s examine саrdіо еxеrсіѕе.  Jogging, runnіng, bіkіng аnd the lіkе done over lоng periods оf tіmе.  Hundrеdѕ of independent clinical ѕtudіеѕ have сlеаrlу shown thаt a humаn bеіng burns аn average of 5 саlоrіеѕ per minute.  Cоnѕіdеr thаt іf уоu jоg fоr аn hоur, you only burn about 300 to 400 саlоrіеѕ.  Consider also thаt a ѕіnglе ѕlісе оf banana brеаd соntаіnѕ mоrе thаn 450 саlоrіеѕ.  Yоu саn ѕее, thеn thаt іn оrdеr to have any rеаl еffесt, slow and lоng саrdіо muѕt be dоnе fоr hоurѕ еасh day, whісh іѕ impractical.”  -- Fat Decimator by Kyle Cooper “Furthеr,” Dосtоr Pаk says, “mоrе іntеnѕе іntеrvаl саrdіо dоеѕ trірlе the еffесt, уеt іt аlѕо requires mоrе rесоvеrу time.  It’s thеrеfоrе no mоrе еffесtіvе than lоng low-intensity саrdіо.  If overdone, іn fact, pushing your bоdу too hаrd wіth hеаvу running аnd оthеr саrdіо exercises dаmаgіng thе jоіntѕ and builds ѕсаr tissue on the heart lеаdіng tо thе оnѕеt of hеаrt dіѕеаѕе.  Aѕ if thіѕ weren’t’ bаd еnоugh, уоur bоdу bеgіnѕ tо go іntо whаt’ѕ known аѕ a саtаbоlіс ѕtаtе.  Thіѕ mеаnѕ that аll thіѕ hard running, fоr еxаmрlе, рutѕ уоur body into survival mоdе аnd it bеgіnѕ tо соnѕumе muscle tissue for еnеrgу rаthеr fаt, аѕ muscle соntаіnѕ mоrе energy.” Thаn this is juѕt one еxаmрlе of how weight lоѕѕ mуthѕ nеgаtіvеlу effect thоѕе searching fоr weight loss solutions.  In their Fat Dесіmаtоr program, Dосtоr Pak аnd Gunnery Sеrgеаnt Cоореr еxроѕе these mуthѕ аnd uѕе independent ѕсіеntіfіс ѕtudу to clearly іlluѕtrаtе why іt’ѕ vіtаl thаt уоu аvоіd them.  Furthеr, thеу еxрlаіn hоw уоur bоdу wоrkѕ and hоw to wоrk іn hаrmоnу wіth іt tо brіng аbоut trulу аmаzіng weight loss results. In his Fаt Dесіmаtоr рrеѕеntаtіоn, Kуlе Cooper tеllѕ thе ѕtоrу оf hоw hе mеt Dосtоr Pаk іn Afghаnіѕtаn and how whаt thеу created tоgеthеr has h��lреd tеnѕ оf thоuѕаndѕ of реорlе dеѕреrаtе fоr a rеаl ѕоlutіоn thаt dеlіvеrеd fаѕt trackable results wіthоut rоbbіng their bаnk accounts.  Evеn mоrе dramatic іѕ the story Kуlе ѕhаrеѕ about a wоmаn in hіѕ hоmе town оf St. Louis, Missouri whоѕе weight соndіtіоn hаd led to a severe decline іn hеr hеаlth.  So much so, іn fасt, thаt ѕhе wаѕ lіtеrаllу fасіng the frіghtеnіnglу rеаl рrоѕресt оf аn іmреndіng dеаth due to hеаrt dіѕеаѕе. “Shаrоn is реrhарѕ mу most drаmаtіс ѕuссеѕѕ ѕtоrу,” Cоореr states, “Shе wаѕ lіtеrаllу аt the еnd оf hеr rope whеn I hарреnеd tо mееt hеr іn сhurсh оnе day.  Her turnаrоund both рhуѕісаllу аnd mеntаllу іѕ аѕtоnіѕhіng аnd a bіg раrt оf whу I’ve mаdе ѕhаrіng Fat Decimator my lіfе’ѕ mіѕѕіоn.” Evеrу соnсерt in Fаt Dесіmаtоr hаѕ been сlіnісаllу рrоvеn.  In fact, whеn Sharon Mоnrое lоѕt over 40 роundѕ іn a single month, she couldn’t even bеlіеvе her own bоdу.  Shе drоvе tо Jоhn’ѕ Hорkіnѕ іn Bаltіmоrе аnd hаd a full mеdісаl workup done, including рhуѕісаl as wеll аѕ gеnеtіс tеѕtіng. Thе dосtоrѕ соnfіrmеd that hеr rеѕultѕ were rеаl, ѕаfе аnd thаt she’d even turned bасk the biological clock.  Addіtіоnаllу, hеr hеаrt dіѕеаѕе іmрrоvеd аnd ѕhе was no lоngеr оn thе brіnk of tуре 2 dіаbеtеѕ. Thе Fаt Dесіmаtоr gіvеѕ уоu thе power tо bооѕt уоur bоdу’ѕ оwn mеtаbоlіс рrосеѕѕеѕ, іmрrоvе уоur dіgеѕtіоn, еnhаnсе уоur ability tо fight dіѕеаѕе all while delivering astonishing weight lоѕѕ rеѕultѕ.  An average of 5 tо 7 роundѕ реr week оvеr thе соurѕе оf thе 30 dау рrоgrаm is nоt unrеаѕоnаblе – аnd grеаtеr results have been mеаѕurеd. Enthuѕіаѕtіс users: Rеbесса S. оf Wіlmіngtоn, NC rероrtеd thаt аt thе еnd оf her first wееk, she had drорреd 9 pounds аnd wеnt оn tо lоѕе 18 more by thе еnd оf the mоnth. Angеlа L. of Cіnсіnnаtі, Ohіо reports thаt nоt only dіd ѕhе lose 31 роundѕ оn hеr fіrѕt try with Fat Decimator, she аlѕо hаѕ mоrе energy thаn she’s hаd іn уеаrѕ аnd her іntіmаtе life wіth hеr huѕbаnd hаѕ nеvеr bееn bеttеr. Fаt Dесіmаtоr іѕ a ѕіmрlе ѕtер bу step рrосеѕѕ thаt doesn’t rеԛuіrе ѕtаrvіng yourself, gruеlіng wоrkоutѕ, сrаzу ріllѕ оr ѕuррlеmеntѕ or еxреnѕіvе еxеrсіѕе gаdgеtѕ that dоn’t wоrk.  It’s аn аll-nаturаl, ѕсіеntіfісаllу рrоvеn рrоgrаm that dеlіvеrѕ аmаzіng rеѕultѕ to those whо fоllоw іt. Trу Fаt Decimator for yourself wіth no rіѕk! Tо lеаrn more about this rеmаrkаblе рrоgrаm, click buttоn lіnk below :  аnd wаtсh Kуlе’ѕ frее Fаt Dесіmаtоr рrеѕеntаtіоn аnd learn the truе ѕесrеtѕ аbоut wеіght lоѕѕ and hоw уоu саn fіnаllу асhіеvе thе results that hаvе eluded уоu fоr ѕо lоng. About Thе Prоduсt The Fаt Dесіmаtоr Sуѕtеm is a brаnd-nеw weight lоѕѕ program thаt сlеаnѕеѕ thе bоdу аnd ѕhеdѕ unwanted fаt ԛuісklу аnd ѕаfеlу. It аllоwѕ аlmоѕt аnуоnе tо lоѕе 21 lbs іn juѕt 21 days – оr more than a pound a dау! Bаѕеd on more than a dесаdе оf rеѕеаrсh spanning оvеr 500 mеdісаl ѕtudіеѕ аѕ wеll аѕ almost thrее years of real-world tеѕtіng, thіѕ рrоgrаm hаѕ thе rеѕultѕ – аnd thе ѕсіеnсе – to back іt uр. Kуlе Cоореr, creator of Thе Fаt Dесіmаtоr System, іѕ a former marine and a сеrtіfіеd trainer whо hаѕ bееn trаіnіng soldiers in thе military аnd civilians tо get іn thеіr best ѕhаре possible fоr thе раѕt 10 years. Thіѕ рrоgrаm іѕ bаѕеd оn a chance meeting with a Korean mеdісаl ѕtudеnt whіlе serving іn Afghanistan. Thіѕ man introduced Gunnу Cоореr tо a whole new wау оf lооkіng аt wеіght lоѕѕ аnd hеаlth аnd іt’ѕ rеvоlutіоnіzеd thе way that he trains his сlіеntѕ аnd how hе’ѕ bееn able tо hеlр tеnѕ of thоuѕаndѕ of реорlе rеgаіn thе bоdіеѕ thеу’vе desperately mіѕѕеd. Thіѕ system peels bасk the vеіl оn wеіght lоѕѕ bу dіѕреllіng the mуthѕ аnd ѕhоwіng уоu thе ѕсіеnсе bеhіnd how the bоdу wоrkѕ аnd hоw to wоrk іn hаrmоnу with your body’s natural fаt burnіng abilities to rapidly, safely and permanently shed unѕіghtlу аnd unhеаlthу роundѕ. Thіѕ comprehensive bооk іѕ broken down into thrее dіffеrеnt ѕесtіоnѕ: Dіеt: Thіѕ роrtіоn оf Thе Fаt Decimator System оutlіnеѕ the іmроrtаnсе оf dеtоxіfуіng thе bоdу bеfоrе weight lоѕѕ еffоrtѕ, whу tоxіnѕ саn hold your mеtаbоlіѕm back, and thе оvеrаll bеnеfіtѕ оf a сlеаnѕеd ѕуѕtеm fоr bоth thе bоdу аnd mіnd. What’s more, it оutlіnеѕ in dеtаіl whісh energy-rich fооdѕ рrеvіоuѕlу соnѕіdеrеd ‘bad fоr you’ саn hеlр your burn fat faster than ever bеfоrе. Exercise: Thе exercise section іѕ dеѕіgnеd tо соmрlеmеnt thе dіеt роrtіоn оf Thе Fat Dесіmаtоr Sуѕtеm. It соnѕіѕtѕ of a variety оf ѕuреrсhаrgеd еxеrсіѕеѕ thаt wіll hеlр mеlt bоdу fаt еvеn faster. Cоuрlеd with thе metabolism-boosting diet, these quick аnd еffесtіvе routines hаvе thе potential to аlmоѕt dоublе thе wеіght lоѕѕ rеѕultѕ. Wіllроwеr, Mоtіvаtіоn, and Mindset: This thіrd section dеlvеѕ into ѕоmе оf thе most common myths about wіllроwеr аnd hоw trulу undеrѕtаndіng thе undеrlуіng rеаlіtіеѕ of mоtіvаtіоn can revolutionize уоur wеіght lоѕѕ – and уоur life. It’s a vital part оf this program аnd, fоr mаnу, has hеlреd them lоѕе wеіght fаѕt аnd kеер it оff for good. Thеѕе three elements соmbіnеd сrеаtе one оf thе most соmрrеhеnѕіvе аnd еаѕу-tо-uѕе fаt loss рrоgrаmѕ to dаtе. Pеорlе аll оvеr thе wоrld аrе аlrеаdу uѕіng іt to lose wеіght ԛuісklу аnd еаѕіlу whіlе lіvіng a hеаlthіеr аnd hарріеr lіfе along the wау. To tар іntо the ѕесrеtѕ аbоut wеіght lоѕѕ thаt hаvе bееn hіddеn for so long, vіѕіt Kуlе’ѕ wеbѕіtе аnd watch hіѕ frее рrеѕеntаtіоn tоdау. Interview with Kуlе Cоореr Fіtnеѕѕ аnd nutrіtіоn expert, соасh аnd fоrmеr Marine Cоrрѕ Gunnеrу Sеrgеаnt Kуlе Cooper, сrеаtоr оf thе rеnоwnеd Fat Decimator wеіght lоѕѕ ѕуѕtеm hаѕ graciously agreed tо аn еxсluѕіvе interview.  Kуlе has аlrеаdу роѕіtіvеlу сhаngеd thе lives of tеnѕ оf thоuѕаndѕ аnd соntіnuеѕ with hіѕ life’s mіѕѕіоn tо hеlр everyone conquer weight gаіn аnd rесарturе thеіr youth, vіtаlіtу and rоbuѕt hеаlth. Q: Kyle, whаt’ѕ your еxреrіеnсе with fitness аnd weight loss? “Wеll, аftеr high ѕсhооl I еnlіѕtеd іn thе Marine Corps.  This wаѕn’t tоо lоng after 9-11 аnd I fеlt a ѕtrоng desire tо serve mу соuntrу аnd, okay, gеt ѕоmе рауbасk fоr thе реорlе thаt hаd attacked uѕ. Wеll, I’d рlауеd fооtbаll іn school, ѕо thе rigorous рhуѕісаl fіtnеѕѕ аnd training оf thе Cоrрѕ арреаlеd to mе.  Aftеr ѕеrvіng аnd fіghtіng іn the Mіddlе Eаѕt, I mоvеd to thе ѕресіаl Fоrсе Rесоn dіvіѕіоn аnd еаrnеd the rаnk оf Gunnеrу Sergeant.  I nоt оnlу was in сhаrgе оf a unit, but rеѕроnѕіblе for training mу men аnd kееріng thеm fіt. I rеаllу lоvеd thаt раrt – and lеаrnеd еvеrуthіng I соuld about wоrkіng оut аnd nutrition.  It wоuldn’t be untіl a fеw years аgо, though, thаt I’d lеаrn thаt muсh of whаt I thоught was ѕоlіd information wаѕ actually useless аnd еvеn hаrmful.” Q: What dо уоu mеаn bу ѕоmе оf thаt іnfо was harmful? “It kіnd of leads into how I саmе uр wіth Fat Dесіmаtоr in thе fіrѕt рlасе.  While In Afghanistan a соuрlе оf years bасk, there was аn іnсіdеnt whеrе a Nаtіоnаl Guаrdѕmаn аttасhеd to mу unit wаѕ killed іn a cave іn the Khуbеr Pаѕѕ whіlе wе were ѕuрроѕеd tо bе going after Bіn Lаdеn.  It wаѕ because he was оut оf ѕhаре dеѕріtе еvеrуthіng I hаd bееn doing. It wasn’t until a couple оf dауѕ lаtеr whеn a Kоrеаn mеdісаl student came tо vіѕіt mе thаt mу еуеѕ wеrе opened аnd muсh оf the fаlѕе beliefs we westerners adhere tоо were rеvеаlеd tо bе ineffective аt losing wеіght аnd іn ѕоmе саѕеѕ, еvеn hаrmful tо уоur hеаlth.” Q: Sо whаt is The Fаt Dесіmаtоr anyway? “It’ѕ a weight loss аnd hеаlth plan that’s based on аnсіеnt knоwlеdgе frоm Asia thаt’ѕ bееn іndереndеntlу studied and vеrіfіеd bу a lot of clinical ѕtudіеѕ.  Doctor Sam Pаk, my Korean friend, іntrоduсеd mе to ѕоmе of his rеѕеаrсh while we ѕhаrеd a bоttlе оf Jack one nіght shortly аftеr my mаn wаѕ kіllеd.  I kіnd оf blamed mуѕеlf, уоu know… but Sаm ѕhоwеd me ѕоmе vеrу hard dаtа thаt rеаllу ореnеd mу еуеѕ аnd rеvеаlеd a whоlе nеw way оf thіnkіng about losing weight. Tоgеthеr, we оrgаnіzеd hіѕ notes аnd fleshed it оut іntо a рrоgrаm thаt involves food, exercise and the bоdу’ѕ nаturаl biology tо brіng аbоut аѕtоnіѕhіng weight lоѕѕ as well аѕ rеѕtоrіng thе body’s аbіlіtу tо hеаl аnd rеvіtаlіzе іtѕеlf.  Wе tеѕtеd іt оn my mаrіnеѕ аnd оn оthеrѕ оn bаѕе and the results wеrе аmаzіng.” Q: Sо hоw dіd your tеѕtіng оvеrѕеаѕ turn іntо your lіfе’ѕ work? “It’ѕ аn interesting ѕtоrу, and kіnd оf іnvоlvеd, ѕо I’ll try to gіvе уоu the hіghlіghtѕ.  Yоu саn always lеаrn more by wаtсhіng the Fat Dесіmаtоr video, but here’s kіnd оf the ѕhоrt vеrѕіоn. Whеn I was rоtаtеd back to the Stаtеѕ nоt lоng аftеr I mеt Sаm, I started a ѕmаll fitness bооt саmр іn St. Louis, whеrе I’m from.  It was going wеll, реорlе ѕlоwlу ѕtаrtеd trісklіng іn аnd thоѕе whо followed the рrоgrаm wеrе dоіng well.  But fоr me, the switch hadn’t ԛuіtе bееn thrоwn уеt… Then I mеt Sharon Mоnrое.  She’s a mom іn hеr fоrtіеѕ whо at thе time wаѕ 40+ роundѕ overweight аnd had juѕt fоund out thаt hеr hеаrt wаѕn’t dоіng ѕо well.  In fact, hеr dосtоr ѕаіd she should ѕtаrt рlаnnіng for thе worst.  Well, Shаrоn аnd I mеt, аnd I believe to thіѕ dау that God рut uѕ in еасh other’s path. I wаѕ thеrе tо ѕhоw Shаrоn hоw to change her lіfе, аnd she wаѕ thеrе tо ѕhоw mе in no uncertain terms thаt whаt Sam аnd I hаd сrеаtеd wаѕ tо be mу lіfе’ѕ mission.  To help реорlе lіkе Shаrоn аnd аnуоnе еlѕе to lose wеіght аnd соmе оut wіth a ѕtrоngеr, healthier bоdу.  Tо knоw еxасtlу what to dо аnd whаt not to dо – thаt’ѕ іmроrtаnt. Aѕ уоu knоw, thеrе’ѕ a lоt оf BS оut thеrе when іt comes tо wеіght lоѕѕ.” Q: Sо whо іѕ Fat Dесіmаtоr for? “Hоnеѕtlу… it’s fоr everyone.  Tеnѕ оf thоuѕаndѕ оf people аll over the wоrld hаvе used іt аnd I’m соnѕtаntlу bоmbаrdеd with еmаіlѕ frоm fоlkѕ rаvіng аbоut hоw it’s changed their lіvеѕ.  And not just how they lоѕt wеіght аnd look bеttеr… I gеt stories аbоut wіvеѕ whо ѕау іt’ѕ saved their marriages, husbands whо say the ѕаmе.  I hear from mеn аnd wоmеn whо say mу рrоgrаm lіtеrаllу pulled thеm bасk frоm thе brink оf death.  Even kіdѕ whо wеrе оn thе fast trасk to оbеѕіtу turned their lіvеѕ аrоund.  It’ѕ rеаllу humblіng. I mean, whеthеr you wаnt to drop 10 роundѕ for the wedding or nееd to lose a hundrеd роundѕ оr еlѕе… Fаt decimator ѕhоwѕ уоu exactly what tо dо іn a ѕіmрlе step by ѕtер рrосеѕѕ.  In a matter of weeks, I’vе ѕееn реорlе drop 20, 30 and well оvеr 40 роundѕ… аnd whаt’ѕ better, оnсе уоu knоw what tо dо, thеrе rеаllу is no lіmіt аnd you can maintain a hеаlthу аnd уоuthful bоdу рrеttу muсh fоrеvеr.” Q: Whу does уоur рrоgrаm work ѕо wеll? “Wеll, aside from the іnfоrmаtіоn thаt еxрlаіnѕ what tо eat, whаt not tо еаt аnd whаt hеrbѕ аrе hеаlthу аnd how tо exercise рrореrlу wіth a minimal іnvеѕtmеnt in tіmе wіth a mаxіmum rеturn іn rеѕultѕ… аnd how tо put уоur mіnd rіght, tоо… Fаt Dесіmаtоr dоеѕ ѕоmеthіng else that’s rеаllу іmроrtаnt. It сlаrіfіеѕ thе mуthѕ and fасtѕ аbоut nutrition, exercise, weight loss, carbs аnd аll оf the junk wе’rе fеd іn оur соuntrу.  In the U.S., Cаnаdа, thе UK аnd Australia аlоnе, thе fіtnеѕѕ іnduѕtrу іѕ gargantuan.  Tens of bіllіоnѕ… hеll, hundreds оf billions оf dollars are mаdе each уеаr bу соnvіnсіng реорlе tо buу some mаgіс ріll or сrаzу dіеt or new and іmрrоvеd mасhіnе… But thіnk about іt – іf аll thіѕ сrар worked ѕо well, there wоuldn’t bе a fіtnеѕѕ іnduѕtrу, wоuld thеrе?  Lооk at mеdісіnе, tоо.  If big рhаrmа and thе mеdісаl іnduѕtrу wаѕ ѕо effective, thеу’d hаvе no mоrе customers, rіght? Tо mе, that’s thе bіggеѕt bеnеfіt оf Fat Decimator.  It lays оut the truth іn a ѕіmрlе ѕtер bу ѕtер рlаn аnd іt’ѕ all backed bу rеаl wоrld ѕсіеnсе.” Q: Are thеrе ѕесrеtѕ іn уоur program? “Hmm… I guess уоu соuld say thаt.  Only because over here іn the lаnd of the ԛuісk fіx аnd thе rеаdу ріll, we’re not рrіvу to what ancient cultures lіkе thе Chіnеѕе, Vіеtnаmеѕе, Japanese, Indіаnѕ and Kоrеаnѕ hаvе knоwn fоr thоuѕаndѕ оf years. These реорlе hаvе lіvеd healthier and lоngеr lives bу following ѕееmіnglу ѕіmрlе rules.  Onlу now іn thе 21st сеnturу are scientists bеgіnnіng tо ѕtudу thеѕе аnсіеnt bits of wіѕdоm аnd vеrіfуіng how trulу роwеrful thеу are.  Thanks tо Sаm Pаk, a grеаt blеnd of оld wоrld knowledge аnd new wоrld science, wе’rе аll thе bеttеr fоr having access tо these ‘ѕесrеtѕ.’ If I соuld роіnt tо any one secret about The Fаt Decimator… it’s thаt іt’ѕ nоt only tremendously effective аnd affordable… it’s simple аnd dоеѕn’t rеԛuіrе crazy diets or ѕtаrvіng уоurѕеlf оr killing уоurѕеlf оn thе trеаdmіll.” https://bellyfatteas.blogspot.com/2018/08/fat-decimator-by-kyle-cooper-true.html

[tabiochan-blog]

9 Best Movies like The Killing (1956)

After just being released from a five year stint in prison, Johnny Clay has assembled a five man team, including two insiders, to carry out what he estimates will be a $2 million heist at Lansdowne Racetrack, that take, minus expenses, to be split five ways. Besides Johnny, none of the men truly are criminals in the typical sense. In addition to the other four team members, Johnny has hired two men external to the team to carry out specific functions for a flat fee, the other four who will not meet the two men for hire or know who they are, while the two men for hire will not be told of the bigger picture of the heist. None involved are to tell anyone, even their loved ones, about the job, each of the five who has a specific reason for wanting his share of the money: Johnny, in wanting to get married to his longtime girlfriend Fay, the two who have known each other since they were kids, realizes that to live comfortably, he has to shoot for the moon instead of carrying out the penny ante stuff that put him behind bars; Marvin Unger, a bookkeeper who is bankrolling the plan, is doing it out of his friendship and loyalty to Johnny; Randy Kennan, a crooked police officer, is already late with his repayment to a loan shark; Mike O'Reilly, one of the track's bartenders, wants to be able to provide better overall care, most importantly medical, to his bedridden wife, Ruthie O'Reilly; and milquetoast George Peatty, one of the track's ticket clerks, is trying to buy back the love of his shrew of a wife of five years, Sherry Peatty, if he ever had her love at all. The elaborate plan requires meticulous timing by all seven men. Beyond any unforeseen problems causing the plan to fail, what the other four team members are unaware of is that weak minded George told Sherry of the broad issue that he will be involved in a heist in an effort to hold on to her emotionally, she, in turn, who told her boyfriend Val Cannon, with Sherry and Val having their own ideas of absconding with the entire take of the heist after the fact.

Here are list of 9 Best Movies like The Killing (1956):

1. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Paranoid Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper of Burpelson Air Force Base, believing that fluoridation of the American water supply is a Soviet plot to poison the U.S. populace, is able to deploy through a back door mechanism a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union without the knowledge of his superiors, including the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Buck Turgidson, and President Merkin Muffley. Only Ripper knows the code to recall the B-52 bombers and he has shut down communication in and out of Burpelson as a measure to protect this attack. Ripper's executive officer, RAF Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (on exchange from Britain), who is being held at Burpelson by Ripper, believes he knows the recall codes if he can only get a message to the outside world. Meanwhile at the Pentagon War Room, key persons including Muffley, Turgidson and nuclear scientist and adviser, a former Nazi named Dr. Strangelove, are discussing measures to stop the attack or mitigate its blow-up into an all out nuclear war with the Soviets. Against Turgidson's wishes, Muffley brings Soviet Ambassador Alexi de Sadesky into the War Room, and get his boss, Soviet Premier Dimitri Kisov, on the hot line to inform him of what's going on. The Americans in the War Room are dismayed to learn that the Soviets have an as yet unannounced Doomsday Device to detonate if any of their key targets are hit. As Ripper, Mandrake and those in the War Room try and work the situation to their end goal, Major T.J. "King" Kong, one of the B-52 bomber pilots, is working on his own agenda of deploying his bomb where ever he can on enemy soil if he can't make it to his intended target.

2. Paths of Glory (1957)

The futility and irony of the war in the trenches in WWI is shown as a unit commander in the French army must deal with the mutiny of his men and a glory-seeking general after part of his force falls back under fire in an impossible attack.

3. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

A two-segment look at the effect of the military mindset and war itself on Vietnam era Marines. The first half follows a group of recruits in boot camp under the command of the punishing Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. The second half shows one of those recruits, Joker, covering the war as a correspondent for Stars and Stripes, focusing on the Tet offensive.

4. Barry Lyndon (1975)

In the Eighteenth Century, in a small village in Ireland, Redmond Barry is a young farm boy in love with his cousin Nora Brady. When Nora gets engaged to the British Captain John Quin, Barry challenges him to a duel of pistols. He wins and escapes to Dublin but is robbed on the road. Without an alternative, Barry joins the British Army to fight in the Seven Years War. He deserts and is forced to join the Prussian Army where he saves the life of his captain and becomes his protégé and spy of the Irish gambler Chevalier de Balibari. He helps Chevalier and becomes his associate until he decides to marry the wealthy Lady Lyndon. They move to England and Barry, in his obsession of nobility, dissipates her fortune and makes a dangerous and revengeful enemy.

5. Spartacus (1960)

In 73 BCE, a Thracian slave leads a revolt at a gladiatorial school run by Lentulus Batiatus. The uprising soon spreads across the Italian Peninsula involving thousand of slaves. The plan is to acquire sufficient funds to acquire ships from Silesian pirates who could then transport them to other lands from Brandisium in the south. The Roman Senator Gracchus schemes to have Marcus Publius Glabrus, Commander of the garrison of Rome, lead an army against the slaves who are living on Vesuvius. When Glabrus is defeated his mentor, Senator and General Marcus Licinius Crassus is greatly embarrassed and leads his own army against the slaves. Spartacus and the thousands of freed slaves successfully make their way to Brandisium only to find that the Silesians have abandoned them. They then turn north and must face the might of Rome.

6. Lolita (1962)

Humbert Humbert forces a confrontation with a man, whose name he has just recently learned, in this man's home. The events that led to this standoff began four years earlier. Middle aged Humbert, a European, arrives in the United States where he has secured at job at Beardsley College in Beardsley, Ohio as a Professor of French Literature. Before he begins his post in the fall, he decides to spend the summer in the resort town of Ramsdale, New Hampshire. He is given the name of Charlotte Haze as someone who is renting a room in her home for the summer. He finds that Charlotte, widowed now for seven years, is a woman who puts on airs. Among the demonstration of those airs is throwing around the name of Clare Quilty, a television and stage script writer, who came to speak at her women's club meeting and who she implies is now a friend. Those airs also mask being lonely, especially as she is a sexually aggressive and liberated woman. Humbert considers Charlotte a proverbial "joke" but decides to rent the room upon meeting Charlotte's provocative daughter, Dolores Haze - more frequently referred to as Lolita - who he first spots in a bikini tanning in the back yard. He is immediately infatuated with Lolita, with who he becomes obsessed in a sexual manner despite her age, she being just into her teens. He will also learn that Charlotte has the exact same feelings for him. While Charlotte does whatever she can to be alone with Humbert, Humbert does the same with Lolita. As the summer progresses, Humbert, based on the circumstances, decides to enter into a relationship with Charlotte just to be near Lolita. In that new arrangement, Humbert has to figure out how to achieve his goal of being with Lolita with Charlotte out of the way. As things begin to go Humbert's way, he is unaware that Charlotte is not the only thing standing in his way between him and Lolita, that other thing being Lolita's possible interest in other boys, and other members of the male sex, young or old, who may have their own designs on Lolita.

7. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

After his wife, Alice, tells him about her sexual fantasies, William Harford sets out for a night of sexual adventure. After several less than successful encounters, he meets an old friend, Nick Nightingale - now a musician - who tells him of strange sex parties when he is required to play the piano blindfolded. All the men at the party are costumed and wear masks while the women are all young and beautiful. Harford manages to find an appropriate costume and heads out to the party. Once there, however, he is warned by someone who recognizes him, despite the mask, that he is in great danger. He manages to extricate himself but the threats prove to be quite real and sinister.

8. Killer's Kiss (1955)

Prize-fighter Davy Gordon intervenes when private dancer Gloria Price is being attacked by her employer and lover Vincent Raphello. This brings the two together and they get involved with each other, which displeases Raphello. He sends men out to kill Davy, but they instead kill his friend. Gloria is soon kidnapped by Raphello and his men, and it is up to Davy to save her.

9. Fear and Desire (1953)

A ficticious war in an unidentified country provides the setting for this drama. Four soldiers survive the crash-landing of their plane to find themselves in a forest six miles behind enemy lines. The group, led by Lt. Corby, has a plan: They'll make their way to a nearby river, build a raft, and then, under cover of night, float back to friendly territory. Their plans for getting back safely are sidetracked by a young woman who stumbles across them as they hide in the woods, and by the nearby presence of an enemy general who one member of the group is determined to kill.

Source: https://moviessimilarto.com/title/the-killing-1956

[thisdaynews]

Breaking News: Launch abort? Trump tries to get his 'Space Force' off the ground, but not everyone is on board

New Post has been published on https://www.thisdaynews.net/2018/05/22/breaking-news-launch-abort-trump-tries-to-get-his-space-force-off-the-ground-but-not-everyone-is-on-board/

Breaking News: Launch abort? Trump tries to get his 'Space Force' off the ground, but not everyone is on board

In a ceremony earlier this month honoring the Army football team, President Trump took a rhetorical detour to the military’s potential future in outer space.

“You will be part of the five proud branches of the United States Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and the Coast Guard,” Trump said. “And we’re actually thinking of a sixth, and that would be the Space Force. Does that make sense? Because we’re getting very big in space, both militarily and for other reasons. And we are seriously thinking of the Space Force.”

It wasn’t the first time he had mentioned the idea, which he first broached while speaking to Marines in California in March.

“You know, I was saying the other day because we’re doing a tremendous amount of work in space, maybe we need a new force,” Trump said. “We’ll call it the Space Force. And I was not really serious, and then I thought, ‘Maybe that’s a great idea. Maybe we’ll have to do that.’ ”

As Trump’s offhand comments implied, there is no official plan for something called “Space Force,” and there is opposition within the administration itself, including from Defense Secretary James Mattis. But the idea is popular with some in Congress. While the Air Force has had a Space Command division since 1982, some legislators and analysts believe the military needs a new branch devoted to warfare beyond the atmosphere.

The immediate future of space combat will almost certainly be less romantic than it sounds, less about X-wing vs. TIE fighter dogfights between rocket-jockey pilots than about protecting America’s military satellites in orbit and incapacitating an enemy’s. Satellites are expensive but critical to the U.S. effort, providing GPS, reconnaissance, communications and early detection of missile launches. But they’re also difficult to maneuver, almost impossible to repair and would likely become key targets in any future war. A 2000 report assessing the country’s space capabilities warned of the danger of a potential “Pearl Harbor in space.”

The race to find a technology to destroy satellites started shortly after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I in 1957, raising fears of a nuclear attack from space. Over the ensuing decades the military researched various approaches, including a 1985 test in which the Air Force shot an American satellite out of the sky with a missile from an F-15 fighter plane.

The USS Lake Erie launches a missile at a nonfunctioning satellite as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph over the Pacific Ocean in February 2008. (Photo: U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

The anti-satellite arms race hasn’t slowed since. In 2007, the Chinese successfully tested a surface-to-space guided missile, destroying one of their own weather satellites, alarming the Pentagon. The following year the American military showed a similar capability, modifying a missile from the USS Lake Erie to take out an inoperable spy satellite in a decaying orbit. Officials said they were concerned that the toxic chemicals in the satellite’s fuel tank could survive reentry and present a danger on the ground.

These tests leave debris in space, making it more difficult to find room for additional satellites and occasionally threatening the International Space Station. If a number of satellites were destroyed in a conflict, the resulting debris would make space difficult for anyone to use for any purpose, be it government or commercial.

But a missile strike isn’t the only way to take out a potential adversary’s space capabilities. Intelligence officials have raised the possibility of jamming transmissions or using a laser to temporarily dazzle or permanently blind reconnaissance satellites, burning out sensitive optical sensors. Earlier this year an anonymous Russian official said the country had developed a plane with a laser system on top capable of blinding enemy satellites, a potential danger described by Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats in 2017 Senate testimony.

What are some potential counters? One suggestion is simply to put up more and smaller satellites, decentralizing the network and making it more likely that a country’s imaging capabilities would slowly fade rather than go blind. Other possibilities include a movable shutter on the satellite lens to protect it from a laser attack, and additional shielding and maneuverability.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn. (Photos: Zach Gibson/AP,  Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the battle is taking place in Congress. The most recent skirmish was over last year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., senior members of the House Armed Services Committee, included language that would have mandated the Air Force to create a United States Space Corps. It would constitute a separate wing of the military that would function the way the Marines operate within the Navy but with its own seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The congressmen believe the Air Force has been negligent in modernizing its space capability, raiding funds allocated to Space Command to pay for cost overruns in other projects.

Analysts said the new focus is needed because America’s rivals in space are catching up.

“It’s easy to just delay space programs and not give them the funding increases that were planned in future years,” said Todd Harrison, a director and aerospace expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “and the military’s been able to do that for many years because we haven’t really been matched in space. There weren’t a lot of countries that could put our systems at risk, and now that’s changed. There are an increasing number of countries that can hold our space systems at risk, so we’ve got to change the culture and mindset within the military [so] that this needs to be a higher priority.”

Rogers and Cooper’s amendment passed the House but failed in the Senate. It was opposed by Mattis, who said he shared concerns about the Department of Defense’s space capabilities but wanted to maintain the current structure. In a letter to Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, provided by Turner’s office, Mattis wrote: “At a time when we are trying to integrate the Department’s joint warfighting functions, I do not wish to add a separate service that would likely present a narrower and even parochial approach to space operations.”

Air Force brass Heather Wilson, center, and Gen. David L. Goldfein, right, prepare for a hearing on on the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2018 and the Future Years Defense Program in June 2017. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

At the urging of Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson and others at the Pentagon, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., stripped the Space Corps language from the NDAA. Brian Weeden, a former officer in Space Command who is now a director at the Secure World Foundation, told Yahoo News the Air Force was engaging in some old-fashioned bureaucratic maneuvering.

“If the space mission goes somewhere else, that means the Air Force loses X billion of dollars from their budget and presumably somewhere around 40,000 people from their personnel list,” said Weeden. “And in bureaucracies, budget and people are power.”

The final version of the NDAA did include a few concessions to those pushing for the creation of a Space Corps. There were management and procedural changes meant to streamline the existing space programs and language calling for a study on the creation of a separate branch, which an official recently said would be done by August.

“The Air Force will no longer be able to treat space as a third-order priority after fighter jets and bombers,” said Rogers and Cooper in a joint statement after the NDAA passed in December with the revised language.

Thisday News photo Illustration; photos: AP, Getty

The United Nations attempted to address some space war concerns in 1967 when it urged members to sign on to an agreement known as the Outer Space Treaty. The treaty addressed a wide array of issues, including everything from classifying astronauts as “envoys of mankind” to banning the placement of nuclear weapons in orbit, on the moon or other “celestial bodies.” The treaty states that space should be used for “peaceful purposes,” but peaceful doesn’t necessarily mean nonmilitary; in terms of the treaty, it means nonaggressive in space. Satellites collecting intelligence, handling communications and guiding terrestrial weapons with their GPS have come to be allowed, but under the treaty no country can fire satellite-to-satellite or engage in space-to-surface warfare.

As legislators and administrators debate the space division’s structure and budget, preparations for a future space conflict continue. Space Command officials have set up virtual reality simulations for satellite technicians to practice their response if there were attacks on the U.S. network, an attempt by the Air Force to instill a “war fighting mentality” in veteran space operators. There are also the annual Schriever War Games, an exercise set a decade in the future that attempts to predict the evolution of space-based combat. And while the technological focus is mainly based around satellites, there are a few more fantastical advances, such as a potential new fighter-based laser weapon system, like the one Lockheed Martin was contracted to develop last year, and the X-37B, an unmanned spaceplane capable of flights lasting two years that has been partaking in a series of classified missions and experiments.

Whether under the rubric of a “Space Force” or the existing Air Force Space Command, it seems certain that the militarization of space will continue.

[my-tas-modern-world-history-blog]

THE VIETNAM WAR | Episode Five: This Is What We Do (July 1967-December 1967) | Themes Analysis

A picture of war could be drawn to have the themes of heroism, compassion, or bravery. But veterans of the Vietnam War “painted” the picture using their words, with the themes of hatred, fear and cruelty.

Summary:

“Soldiers adapt.” said Roger Harris, a former U.S. Marine, “You go over there with one mindset. You adapt to the atrocities of war, killing and dying.” With those words being said, episode five – This Is What We Do – starts with a summary of what happened between July 1967 and December 1967: American military’s confidence in the forward progress they had made in Vietnam (despise taking a heavy tolls on thousands of American soldiers), racial unrest in the U.S., and North Vietnamese leaders’ plan to destroy “the puppet government in Saigon”. Perhaps, the summary is intended to be background information for this episode. Because then, the documentary goes into pointing out the themes of the episode, by letting war veterans tell how they felt on the battlefield, as well as showing footages captured during the war.

Hatred:

“I will waste as many gooks as I can find; I’ll wax as many dinks as I can find, but I ain’t gonna kill anybody.” said John Musgrave, a former U.S. Marine, describing his hatred towards the Vietnamese back in the war, in an interview. The terms gooks and dinks were racial slurs that were used to call the Vietnamese by the American soldiers. John Musgrave emphasized those terms in order to point out how racism was applied in the war; it was used to keep soldiers “sane”, so that emotions would not get in the way of their work. However, hatred was one of the main feelings John felt during the war. “My hatred for them was pure,” he said, “I hated them so much.” But Musgrave was not the only one who despised his enemies. “There was an internal conflict between the feeling of love and hate,” said Ho Huu Lan, a former North Vietnamese soldier, “But when fighting, hate must overcome love.” Furthermore, the topic of racism and the theme of hatred are also conveyed by touching on the Civil Right Movement in the United States. Therefore, hatred is one of the major themes in this episode.

Fear:

Furthermore, a theme of fear is also shown in this episode. Roger Harris decided to join the Marines because he wanted to be a “gladiator”. But it turned out that he was not the only gladiator in the arena. “Massive ambushes,” he said, choking with emotion, “a lot of death. I have the at most respect for the North Vietnamese soldiers.” And then, he continues to talk about the gallantry that he had seen in the enemies that frightened him. Later, in the battle of Con Tien, Roger Harris recalled his feelings: “I’ve never been as afraid. In fact, that’s why I’m not afraid of anything now. There’s nothing you could do. You just listen to the sounds of rockets coming over and pray that they don’t land on you.” The description of Roger Harris is also made alive by sounds and footages of American soldiers trying to survive under heavy artillery. 

Similarly, John Musgrave also got to tell about his near death experience during his unit’s patrol after the battle Con Tien. His story is accompanied with the sounds of bullets bursting in the air and screaming of dying soldiers. As a result, the theme of fear is heavily conveyed in the episode.

Cruelty:

When John Musgrave told the story about when the Marine’s headquarters would offered days off to a Marine that were able to capture North Vietnamese prisoners, he made it clear that the Marines didn’t torture prisoners nor did they mutilate them. But “if a prisoner fell in their hand”, he would be “one sorry fucker”. The act of cruelty was implied when Musgrave witnessed bodies of Marines that were executed by shot in the back of the heads or mutilated by North Vietnamese soldiers.

 Later, in the documentary, footage of an old interview of Denis Stout, an army reporter, said that he had witnessed “atrocities on the part of American troops” when he was serving in combat with his platoon. “One such incident was the rape and killing of a Vietnamese girl,” Stout said. When asked if the girl was raped by more than person or not, Stout replied: “Yes, all but the medic, and myself, and possibly one of the men from the platoon.” It was also revealed in the documentary that eighteen men from another platoon that Stout was with, were tried for murder or assault. 

Furthermore, another story about an American pilot, John McCain, who was shot down and captured by North Vietnamese, told by the narrator that: “He was beaten for not expressing sufficient gratitude to his captors.”, after an interview in a hospital. With those stories about atrocities committed in the war, the theme of cruelty is present in the episode.

Verdict:

To summary, episode five – This Is What We Do – intends to minimize details of background events and creates more space to talk about things that happened specifically on the battlefield of the war as well as highlighting the themes of hatred, fear and cruelty. These themes are demonstrated by interviews of traumatized war veterans, convincing sound effects, and authentic footages, captured right in the middle of the battlefield.

-Bruce-

[sherristockman]

Glitter Has Become a Global Hazard Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Microplastic pollution is a critical issue affecting waterways and wildlife. Glitter is a form of microplastic that may harm marine life. A chain of 19 child care nurseries across southern England recently announced they were banning the use of glitter in their children's craft projects in an effort to reduce pollution.1 Discarded bottles, bags and straws break down in the ocean waters to microplastic pieces, 5 millimeters (mm) or smaller. These pieces are literally clouding the ocean waters with "plastic smog."2 Billions of pounds of plastic can also be found in convergences that now cover approximately 40 percent of the world's ocean surface.3 The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located just a few hundred miles north of Hawaii, is one of the most polluted gyres. The United Nations (U.N.) states that there are 51 trillion pieces of microplastic particles polluting the ocean.4 The U.N. describes this as 500 times more than there are stars in our galaxy. These are the pieces that currently exist in the ocean waters and not those making their way through fresh water lakes, waterways and sewer systems. Glitter has been used for celebrations, decorations and even for revenge, as an Australian startup company promises to ship a glitter bomb to your enemy.5 The company uses glitter as it is so insidious you’ll be vacuuming it out of the carpet and picking it out of your clothes for months once it has been released. The idea was so popular they were overwhelmed with orders within 24 hours of opening for business. Pieces of plastic have now reached the previously pristine waters of the Arctic Ocean, where damage to marine life and ocean waters continue to spread. Growing concern over the plight of the environment and human health has led some scientists to call for a ban on glitter.6 Glitter Is Not Just Annoying CNN calls glitter "the ultimate supervillain of the craft and makeup world."7 It often takes weeks to completely remove it from your home after a craft project. It easily adheres to skin, clothing and under your nails. In other words, once your project is complete, glitter becomes completely annoying. Forensic scientists have used it as trace evidence in court cases, including the trial of an Alaskan man convicted of murdering a 15-year-old girl when glitter on her body was linked to the same glitter found in his home and car.8 Glitter as we know it today wasn't invented until 1934 when machinist Henry Rushman accidently ground up a load of scrap metal and plastics together.9 Rushman filed for four patents on inventions for cutting foil or film, and the company he opened, Meadowbrook Inventions, continues to manufacture glitter today. The company slogan is, “Our glitter covers the world.”10 Indeed, it does. Although the craft and cosmetic industries are where most glitter is now used, the U.S. Air Force briefly used it to cloud enemy radar by blowing it out the back of their jets, and the U.K. released strips of aluminum coated paper from fighter planes with the same intent. Although not immediately dangerous if ingested in minute amounts, every year near the holiday season ophthalmologists warn11 small glitter pieces can easily get into your eye and scratch your cornea,12 increasing your risk for an eye infection or permanent vision loss.13 Beyond the annoyance of finding it on your skin, in your hair, on your clothes and throughout your home, once washed down the drain, glitter becomes a problem for wastewater treatment plants and waterways. Environmental scientists believe taking the step to ban glitter is an important way of reducing the amount of microplastic particles that make their way into the oceans and fresh water, damaging aquatic life.14 Environmental Scientists Want Glitter Banned Trisia Farrelly, Ph.D., environmental anthropologist at Massey University in New Zealand, was the first to call for a ban on glitter15 in an interview with CBS.16 Glitter today is manufactured from polymer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that goes under the trade name Mylar. Sheets of PET are cut into tiny pieces and shapes, most measuring less than 5 mm. These bits of microplastic particles are consumed by marine life, and collect in bird's stomachs, causing the birds to die of starvation.17 While the majority of microplastic particles that have been measured are believed to have degraded from larger pieces of plastic, glitter enters the environment already small enough for smaller marine animals to ingest. Tons of Microplastic Contribute to Water and Food Pollution Some journalists believe banning glitter is a pointless effort in a war against millions of tons of garbage and plastic that enter the waterways and oceans each year.18 The argument is that the amount of glitter disposed of in the environment is nowhere near the damage created by the degradation of plastic bags and plastic bottles. However, as with all complex and multifaceted problems, it will likely require more than one strategy to effect change. In 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), amended the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to include the Microbead-Free Waters Act19 prohibiting the manufacturing, packaging and distribution of cosmetic products that contain rinse-off microbeads.20 The deadline to stop introduction or delivery in interstate commerce of microbead cosmetics is July 1, 2018. The deadline for drugs is July 1, 2019. While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has not paid special attention to the dissemination of glitter in the ocean waters, Amy V. Uhrin, chief scientist of NOAA's marine debris division commented that although they have not specifically addressed glitter,21 "Because it is a microplastic, we would have the same concerns as we would with any other microplastic that ends up in the environment." Glitter offers a unique challenge to fish as they are attracted to shiny objects. In fact, a significant number of patents have been filed for fishing lures that include the use of glitter to attract fish.22 It turns out even the smallest creatures are attracted by all that glitters in the ocean. A study published in Environmental Science and Technology reported finding microplastics ingested by a range of zooplankton, some of the smallest creatures in the ocean that play a vital ecological role in the marine food chain.23 The findings of this study suggest that ingestion of microplastics may have a detrimental effect on the function and health of a creature vital to the survival of marine animals that feed on zooplankton. This has severe implications throughout the food chain, as microplastic particles are not metabolized and thus accumulate in predators, and ultimately in the final predator, humans. Our Addiction to Plastic Is Poisoning the Planet and Your Body The first synthetic polymer was invented in 1869, but it wasn't until 1907 that the first fully synthetic plastic was produced.24 During World War II the industry grew, and production surged even further after the war. Essentially, plastic has provided the world with short-term products that survive for centuries after their use has expired. Where once products were sold in recyclable, reusable or degradable containers, the world has gravitated toward a throwaway mindset with plastic driving the movement. Plastic chemicals are finding their way into water and food supplies, and ultimately into your body. They accumulate over time as they are not metabolized. The potential for catastrophic biological consequences for the human race grows with each discarded bottle, bag or other plastic item. Chemicals used to make plastics more pliable, like BPA, disrupt embryonic development and are linked to the development of heart disease and cancer. Phthalates dysregulate gene expression and cause genital anomalies, especially in boys. These anomalies may be passed down for several generations. Unfortunately, these plastic chemicals are found not only in the environment, but also in the water supply of 83 percent of samples tested worldwide. In the U.S. the results were even more alarming, as 94 percent of all tap water samples were found to contain plastic chemicals.25 Once in the water, plastics like glitter easily absorb endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as PCBs. It is even possible for those plastic particles to end up in other areas of your body, other than your gut. Orb reported:26 “If plastic fibers are in your water, experts say they’re surely in your food as well — baby formula, pasta, soups and sauces, whether from the kitchen or the grocery. Plastic fibers may leaven your pizza crust, and a forthcoming study says it’s likely in the craft beer you’ll drink to chase the pepperoni down. It gets worse. Plastic is all but indestructible, meaning plastic waste doesn’t biodegrade; rather, it only breaks down into smaller pieces of itself, even down to particles in nanometer scale — one-one thousandth of one-one thousandth of a millimeter. Studies show particles of that size can migrate through the intestinal wall and travel to the lymph nodes and other bodily organs.” The staggering amount of plastic that enters the environment likely doesn't overtly affect your day-to-day life. It may however have an impact on your health without your knowledge. A study published in Environmental Science and Technology found salt sold and consumed in China contained microplastic particles from disposable bottles, as well as polyethylene, cellophane and a number of other types of plastics. The highest levels of plastics were found in salt harvested from seawater.27 In other words, as you purchase sea salt to be healthy, you may be polluting your body with plastic that has absorbed toxic chemicals from the ocean. You May Not Have to Give Up Glitter Scientists believe the shine and shimmer from glitter appeals to adults and children stemming from an instinct to find water sources vital for survival.28 Glitter appears on the fashion runway and has made a way into a children's trend of making glitter slime at home. Considering the damage these tiny pieces of plastic are doing to environment, safer options are sorely needed. Voting with your pocketbook is one of the most powerful ways you have of protecting your health and the waterways. It may seem as if the purchases you make do not have an impact, but when combined with others doing the same thing, it can be a powerful way of communicating to manufacturers that you aren't satisfied with their product. British scientist Stephen Cotton has developed glitter from the eucalyptus plant and aluminum.29 The drive to create the product stemmed from the coming ban on microbeads in the U.K. According to Cotton, his product is biodegradable and softer to the touch, but it won't melt off your face before you're finished wearing your makeup.30 However, even this alternative may not be wholly ideal, as aluminum also has adverse environmental consequences.31 In high amounts, aluminum is toxic to aquatic, gill-breathing animals. It’s also been shown to bioaccumulate in freshwater invertebrates. A safer alternative might be Bioglitz,32 which sells cosmetic glitter advertised as biodegradable, compostable and made from renewably sourced, non-GMO plant ingredients. Although traditional glitter may pose a threat to marine wildlife and human health, it appears using a little ingenuity and motivation, an alternative product has been developed to meet your cosmetic needs.

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: This article was submitted by Tom D. to Pat awhile ago. I am publishing it, with some “military language” edits, since it provides some insights into the reality of military life and some good points for us all to consider. Tom D. – we all thank you for your service.

First things first, I am an active duty soldier in the U.S. Army. I have been in for about ten years and have multiple combat deployments under my belt. I would not call myself an avid prepper (right now), but there is one thing that is always on my mind. SECURITY. Don’t get me wrong, I want to be able to prep as much as possible, but we have unique situation while serving.

Being in the Military really does have its pro’s and con’s when it comes to prepping. The biggest con to me is the fact that we are always moving. I lived in Western Texas for a few years. There, I started adding to my “stash” for desert survival. Both of our kids had walk in closets, and they were too small to walk so my wife and I turned those closets into strongholds for food and water (along with other supplies). We bought a house at the outskirts of the city with a mindset that if TSHTF we could get out fast. Our house was also as far away from Juarez, Mexico as possible while still being in the El Paso city limits. I had a dirt bike and ATV for quick getaways, and knew the lay of the land and how to utilize the wadis (valley, ravine or channel) to my advantage. We had all the fire power we needed, but not too much where we were wasting money on guns. Long story short is, we were moderately prepared. That is, until I got orders to move the family to the Seattle/Tacoma area in Washington state.

After feeling like we would be as good as we could get for TEOTWAWKI (The End of the World as We Know It) in Texas, I showed up here. Washington is an entirely different beast. It rains over half of the year and I am now in a Major Metro Area. I went from my primary concern being an Economic Collapse or Major Terror Attack to now worrying about Mount Rainier deciding to blow. Here in Tacoma we have one major escape route. That is Interstate-5. The issue is that I-5 is a road block now without any sort of emergency. Once TSHTF it will be impossible to go north or south in a vehicle. The ocean to the West and mountains and then high dessert to the east. These are all issues that I need to create new COA’s (course of action) and alternate COA’s to be prepared.

Now that you have seen some of the pain with moving, I will bring up my next Con with being an Active Duty Prepper. DEPLOYMENTS! Many people have a commute of an hour or so on the Civilian side of the house. With us it can be much different. If I am in Afghanistan again when TEOTWAWKI happens, things will be much different. I am a combat arms soldier and have had to fire a weapon at other people before, so that is not the most mind-bending thing for me. The hard thing to consider is my wife and children possibly having to do the things I have done or seen in a combat zone without me. You can train all you want, but will never know how you will react in certain situations until they are staring you in the face.

     No matter where we live, my wife will have weapons at her disposal. She knows how to shoot, and she has supplies. In a world-wide catastrophe, we have to accept that we may never see each other again if I am on the other side of the world. Luckily, we are already prepared for that before any deployment to begin with.

If the power is still on, whether deployed or not I promise each and every one of you reading this that myself and every Soldier I know would go to our families and friends first.

I read an article written by Pat about two years ago that seemed to question what the Military would be willing to do to its own people. My friends and family have asked me similar questions before as well. I am going to explain this to the best of my ability. First off, a lot of people think that every Soldier or Marine is a robot that takes orders and blows stuff up. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Less than 10 percent of the entire Armed Forces is Combat Arms. Everyone else is Support. So, the thought of every able-bodied Soldier coming to private residences to kick down doors and take you to FEMA Camps is out of the question.

The topic of Prepping is a conversation that I think I have had on every field problem I have ever been on in the Army. Most of the soldiers I know do not have caches of goods prepared for when TSHTF. Nearly all of them do have a plan for when it does happen. Most soldiers are prepared to fight whoever and whatever is out there if they have to. If you are in the Military, it is easy to get your Subordinates to form a team for such scenarios. It is also great for Unit cohesion. In Texas, my house was the Rally Point for my team. We had weapons and defense measures prepared and available to last a hot minute. The best part of our plan was that every member of “my Team” was trained and proficient in soldier skills. Every one of them had been through medical training, knows land navigation and had access to vehicles with GPS capabilities that would track every vehicle we had if necessary. We had been through hard times together and know how to handle each other when it got tough.

Sure, we were not the most organized group with lots of land for farming and honestly were not prepared for a kind transition. We were a group of grunts ready to fight our way through what we had to in order to survive. I have learned that Security is always #1 while serving. It is that way in combat, and it is that way when I go to bed at night. So why would it ever be anything different for TEOTWAWKI.

The one thing that has always been the general consensus was that if anybody gave us orders to turn on our own people, we would all refuse. Most people that join the Military do it out of pride for their Nation and families. There might be ones and two who want to follow along with some plan to implement Martial Law, but I will gladly say that the clear majority of us would be getting home to our families at the same time and be ready to fight the “bad guys.”

  The post A Soldiers Experience appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

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