He’s Back

Ok – so I try not to completely nerd out on movies before I see them – there is always the inevitability of over-hyping something that turns out to be a big pile of poo, but a new Rambo movie – I mean come on. Even from a purely tac-porn perspective I just can’t wait to see what kind of goods and kit our favorite anti-Hero will be carrying.

And speaking of carrying, here is one of the recently published stills from the film to make its way on the net.


From the image, you can see that he is going to have some kind of cool new blade. Like him or hate him, First Blood and Rambo did more for the custom and semi-custom knife industry than any other film (doubt me? Try to go on eBay or to a knife show and buy a Jimmy Lile knife). It even set the precedent for the inclusion of the Tom Brown Tracker knife in the much-lamented, The Hunted.

I did like that movie by the way, and for more than the scenes showing the field-expedient creation of knives for the ubiquitous final showdown.

Anyway, go check out the trailer here and see what you think for yourself.

The Punisher’s Movie List

I was recently on Ain’tItCool.com trying to find some new details on the new Rambo movie and saw a bit on the back and forth on the new Punisher film.

To go ahead and spoil everyone’s fun, it looks like Thomas Jane won’t be in the new film. Crap. That makes me not even want to see it or even be interested in the project. Next thing they’ll say that Joel Schumacher is taking over the project (nipples on Batman, anyone?) and he’ll be introducing Tom Arnold as Microchip (no offense, buddy – loved you in True Lies) and the ridiculous Punisher Battle Van. Not that I am really against Vulcan mini-gun-mounted anything, but come on – how many mobsters are there really in New York City? And how long can you really drive around with a giant van sporting a big “Hey – I Have Some Crazy Armaments Here – Please Call the National Guard” sign? And you have to capture a lot of contraband to pay for that freakin’ ammo bill.

Ok – I am completely off topic now.

In either case, the site published an email from Thomas Jane that talked about his preparations for the role and a completely badass list of films he watched to get into character.

Here is the list of films:

Leon the Professional, Oldboy, The Seven-Ups (GREAT flick), Point Blank, Escape from NY, The Driver, Magnum Force, The Mechanic, The Great Silence, Sexy Beast, Nighthawks, Cry Vengeance (check it out), Road Warrior, Man on Fire, Outlaw Josey Wales, Rocky (think about it), Serpico, etc etc etc.

I would also add a few from the John Woo canon of films (Hard Boiled, The Killer), some John Milius (Conan the Barbarian, Red Dawn), anything by Walter Hill, and Mad Max – the George Miller film that started the whole Road Warrior phenomenon.

Overall that is an awesome list of movies. Netflix, here we come . . .

Call for Immediate Dust-off, Nuke the Site from Orbit

I read an article yesterday about a problem that Florida is having with giant rats. Now any rat problem is a bad scene, but when you are talking about rats that are the size of cats – it’s time for definite action. Yikes!

Florida tries to wipe out cat-sized African rats

GRASSY KEY, Florida (Reuters) - Deep in the heart of the Florida Keys, wildlife officials are laying bait laced with poison to try to wipe out a colony of enormous African rats that could threaten crops and other animals.

U.S. federal and state officials are beginning the final phase of a two-year project to eradicate the Gambian pouched rats, which can grow to the size of a cat and began reproducing in the remote area about eight years ago.

"This is the only place in the United States where this is occurring," said Gary Witmer, a biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Wildlife Research Center in Fort Collins, Colorado.

A former exotic pet breeder, living in a small house, bred the species and allowed the critters to escape.

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/
idUSN2430572020070524?feedType=RSS&rpc=22

The state will of course call for the usual answers – poison, having scientists look into it, pie charts, referendums, etc. But there is another answer here that is much more simple – create a new hunting season – without out-of-state fees.

Sure, there’s always the danger of a stray round zooming down some suburban street, but that’s where the concept of arrow-based weaponry really begins to shine. It doesn’t go very far, won’t blow through the wall of a house, doesn’t make noise that will disturb the neighbors and their zombie-like American Idol glaze, and due to the size of the animal, a dum-dum or concussion head may be able to substitute for the broadhead required for deer and their ilk.

And if you already going down that route, you may as well whip out something like the Airrow . . .
The Airrow gun was a paintball maker/crossbow hybrid that used compressed air (in the form of a CA tank) to fire a bolt-sized arrow. It used the same air source as a paintball gun, but used a shrouded tube that the arrow slid over. This helped stabilize the arrow as it exited the muzzle of the weapon. There are now sold by Swivel Machine, and they are not cheap.

It's most notable attribute was that it could fold down into an assassin-sized briefcase ala From Russia With Love, and also that it was featured in John Woo’s first American film, Hard Target, which incidentally may have been the first Jean-Claude Van Damme film to feature the aforementioned Belgian train wreck sporting a mullet.

Ah, the good stuff.

To Bug Out or Not Bug-Out?

There is a great romance to the idea of shouldering a pack, grabbing your rifle, and heading off into the wilderness to fend off the coming maelstrom. Most proponents of a good post-TSHTF scenario advocate the use of a bug-out bag or more in more civil terms – a 72 hour pack.

Interest in this type of “backpack survivalism” is so popular that a cottage-industry is starting to spring-up with various gear manufacturers developing 3-day packs that are specific for this use. Eagle Industries and Blackhawk have long carried these types of “patrol” packs, but a pack specific for this use is relatively new. Guns and Ammo magazine - long on the conservative side of the whole “Red Dawn” advertising so prevalent in the 1980s - even recently published an article highlighting a few suggestions in this regard.

Nowhere is this trend more prevalent than in the anti-zombie communities, where advocating a survival system that allows the user to hit the road makes great sense when taken in the logic of that genre. Zombie Squad – the ubiquitous community of zombie fans and eager preparers for the inevitable zombie holocaust – even hosts special events where they help show users how to create these kits.

A friend sent this over from the Texas section of ar15.com:

Bug Out Drill 2007

Tiger Valley will host its second annual Bug Out Drill, September 29, 2007. We will run the same distance as last year, 15 miles, but the physical challenges will be tougher. For those who didn't attend the last event, the idea for this was spawned from reading the survival forum. I, like a lot of people don't believe that something does what it claims without a test; hence, the But Out Drill was born.

As last year the challenge was to move and recover family members who are a distance away. For the sake of argument an EMP has disabled all vehicles, I know some of you have spare parts wrapped in foil, but we have to keep this on an even keel. That means you have to travel the entire rought on foot, no bikes, 4-wheelers Gurka's or Donkey's allowed on the course. You must carry everything you need for the event on your person. We will have a hydration station that you can top off water during the event.

Last years event had 20 physical challenges, everything from having to cut through chain link fence to triage a tactical mannequin. This year I plan on making some of the challenges technically and physically more challenging. I won't go into detail on the plans but nothing is off the table.

We had 27 hard-core contestants compete last year. Everyone made a great effort, and from the feedback, learned allot from the experience. As the concept stated last year, you don't have to complete each event. If the event is to challenging, you can by-pass it and take the penalty. Remember, this event is designed to test you and your equipment, not kill you. We don't want to run those off who might be intimidated at some events.

I need some feedback from you guys on one area. I thought it might be good to require those attending to camp out on Friday night. Pitch whatever survival tent you have and take off in the morning. This idea is still up for grabs so let me know what you think.

The price for the event will be the same as last year, $150.00. I will start getting prizes as soon as I get back from this class in Waco.

Check out http://www.tigervalley.com/ for more details.

The Alpha-Rubicon has posted a criticism of “bugging out” that definitely deserves a read. Their article makes some great points, but unfortunately their recommendation is out of the means of most would-be survivalists and preparedness folks.

Be that as it may, it does make a lot of sense to keep a bag around the house for each family member to use in the event of a forced evacuation. It could keep an evacuee from becoming a refugee.

Food, water and water purification, essential medicines, first aid gear and PPE, defensive gear, pet food, sleeping bags, and other essential gear are all great to include. Individual kits will vary with each user.

Zombie Squad’s Bug Out Gear page.

The Hunter Killer Arrives

Stand aside, Predator drone. Coming soon to a burned-out metropolis near you . . . the first stage of the dark reality we all came to know and love in the 80s.

Who couldn’t imagine themselves crouched behind the dark corner of a dilapidated urban shopping center, running at full-speed towards the converted El Camino Technical, blazing plasma rifle in hand?

The new Microdrone – as mentioned on thisislondon.co.uk – may not look like much, but the British, always eager to embrace the latest in Orwellian technology, seem to be in a head-long rush towards a dark vision of automated, hovering Big Brothers.

'Flying saucer' police spy camera takes to the skies

It looks more like the latest in saucepan technology than the future of crime fighting.

But police are confident that this miniature remote- controlled helicopter will be an invaluable weapon in the war against wrongdoers.

The Microdrone, measuring only 2ft between the tips of its eight rotor blades, was originally designed for military reconnaissance.

Planned targets will be everything from youths riding motorbikes in a park to clashes between rival football fans and armed sieges where it might be unsafe for officers to come too close.

The cost varies depending on the level of equipment - options include thermal imaging cameras to enable night-time filming and a loudspeaker so officers can shout instructions to those on the ground - but ranges from £10,000 to £15,000 per drone.

With its military background, police are confident it will prove yob-proof, and even if someone is skilful enough to take a successful pot-shot it can still limp home with half its rotors disabled.

More.

The British model is susceptible to phased plasma rifles (in the 40-watt range), Ithaca 37 shotguns, and tea time.

Cheerio!

Always carry your E&E kit

Check out this bit from the news archives:

Kidnapped teen's family describes safety pin escape

BRADENTON, Florida (CNN) -- A 13-year-old boy left bound and gagged in a remote patch of Florida countryside used a safety pin, a stick and his teeth to free himself from captivity, his family said Tuesday.

Clay Moore's stepfather, Steve Kelle, gave reporters details on how the teen escaped after being abducted at gunpoint from his school bus stop in Parrish, Florida, on Friday morning.

The key to his escape was a safety pin that was holding together a rip in Clay's jacket, Kelle said. (Watch how teen used hidden pin to help get himself free )

While his abductor was driving Clay away from the bus stop, the boy took the safety pin off his sleeve and nervously played with it, Kelle said.

When Clay was taken from the truck into the woods, he put the safety pin in his mouth, his stepfather said. Asked later by his parents why he did that, he said he "just thought it would be helpful," Kelle said.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/27/florida.abduction/index.html

This kid did an amazing job with a field-expendent piece of gear, but it would have been much easier if there were a few basic items in the kid's pockets. Not all of these are legal for kids to carry in school, but it's up to parents to decide if the risk of the kid getting into trouble is worth the added safety factor of having the items. In either case, only responsible individuals should carry weapons and tools - whether they are adults or children. I have been around kids who were mature and adults who were not. Mileage varies with conditions in the field.

So what should a basic kit contain?

- Folding saw blade: I am sure a lot of folks would differ on this, but I think a folding hacksaw blade is more versatile and safer than a folding knife blade - especially for smaller hands. Most kids aren't going to be able to carry a knife, but if they can having a small saw is a great addtion. You can sew it to the back of your pants (inside the belt), which helps if your hands are bound behind your back. In the event your hands are bound in the front - you'll have most of their use anyway. It's also small enough to avoid a non-professional search (read: criminals, commies, and shit), though it may be found by a more professionally trained criminal.

- Pocket knife: I carry a blade with me everywhere (see article - What's in Your Pockets?). It's great for most uses, but also very likely to be taken away in the event of capture or kidnapping.

- Another pocket knife: Preferably smaller than the first and in a different location - like your shoe.

Ok, this is basic, but the reality is that if you have a kit that contains everything A) you aren't going to have it with you in an emergency and B) it will likely be taken away as soon as you are captured.

The best thing to help you avoid being the victim of a kidnapping is situational awareness. Teach your kids at a young age to look out for danger and to trust their instincts when they feel like something is wrong.

Merc lawsuits?

Take a backseat, personal injury, mercenary rights defense is posed to be the money making venture of the future.

Families Sue Blackwater for Iraq Deaths

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The families of four private guards whose bodies were burned and dragged through the streets by a mob in Iraq told Congress on Wednesday that the security company that hired them failed to provide armored vehicles and other promised protections.

The guards' families have sued the company, Blackwater USA, telling a House hearing it was the only way they can learn all the circumstances of the deaths. Blackwater and several Republican lawmakers said the lawsuit should not be argued at a congressional hearing.

The deaths of the four, all former members of the military, brought to U.S. television some of its most gruesome images of the Iraq war. A frenzied mob of insurgents ambushed a supply convoy the guards were escorting through Fallujah on March 31, 2004. The men were attacked, their bodies mutilated; two of the corpses were strung from a bridge.

At the hearing, Kathryn Helvenston-Wettengel, mother of Stephen Helvenston, read a statement on behalf of the families. She stopped several times to collect herself as she recounted the emotional day.

She said the security guards were denied armored vehicles, heavy weapons and maps for their convoy routes, and that the rear gunners were removed from vehicles to perform other duties.

"Blackwater gets paid for the number of warm bodies it can put on the ground in certain locations throughout the world," she said. "If some are killed it replaces them at a moment's notice."

The committee also is looking into Blackwater's contract to provide security services in Iraq. After numerous denials, the Pentagon has confirmed that Blackwater provided armed security guards in Iraq under a subcontract that was buried so deeply the government at first couldn't find it.

From: http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/07/D8N515TG0.html

Blackwater USA: http://www.blackwaterusa.com

Maybe I can sue Jack Idema, too.

Those damn vests I spent so much money on in the 80’s won’t hold the new pods.