When the premier of Joko Anwar's latest thriller 'Modus Anomali' was over, the Indonesian twitter sphere exploded with exclamations of praise. Famous online personalities stumbled all over themselves to heap accolades on the new movie. The word 'mindfuck' was thrown about with gusto, like Indonesian politicians liberally use 'kerakyatan'.

I wasn't surprised. I liked Joko's previous films. Kala is still my favorite. I've watched that DVD maybe 10-12 times now. Pintu Terlarang is really good too. It was tense, it was twisted, it was something refreshing to see in Indonesian movies. So I expected that reaction from Modus Anomali's audience. I was thrilled. And check out the trailer below. It got me excited.

So last night I decided to let my mind be fucked. Off I went to see the movie, expecting more of Joko's mindfuckery. Yes, you guessed it. This is my review of Modus Anomali.

Before we get to it let me get something off this chest: You motherfuckers who go to theaters to see movies need to learn to shut the fuck up. Seriously. My experience of the film was severely damaged by people who insist on tittering along as the movie played out. And this was not just one or two people. This was a LOT of people. Commenting to your friends about something in the movie is good. Hell, its part of the fun of watching movies. But do it quietly, and do it quickly. You should not engage in prolonged, loud, dialectical debate about whatever it was that crossed your mind during the film. Oh for the love of everything holy, police your fucking phones! Simple concepts people. Simple concepts.

Anyway, off to the movie.

It started well. In typical Joko Anwar style, it seeked to shock the audience in the opening minutes. It more or less achieved that despite my expectations of a shocking opening from a Joko Anwar movie. However, I'm sad to have to say, that the movie went downhill from there.

The twists were predictable. When a character got killed (well, the first character to be killed after the opening), my reaction was honestly: :"Well, yeah. Who else?" After that I knew what was what. It was clear to see who was going to be killed next. Even more sadly, it was clear to see who was the actual killer. When the 'box of truth' was finally introduced, my reaction was 'You have GOT to be kidding me.' 

Unlike previous Joko movies, there wasn't a single tense moment in it for me. Oh there were the usual movie trick surprise shots here and there and I, along with everyone else, was dutifully surprised, but then the realization that you knew what was about to happen sunk in, and the experience evaporated. 

Then there are the characters. To call them cliché would be an understatement. The weak brother, the stronger sister...come on. Where's the Joko thrill? The roller coaster ride (see? Another cliché) into insanity that leave the audience breathless? 

The final scene where the movie tried to explain the killer's methodology was disappointing. It would be much better to end it when he drove away, but nope, no such luck. With all the tenseness gone, the movie was prolonged to include yet more kills. Explaining something that the audience already knew, further taking away what (little) mystery it had left. 

As to the mindfuck, I wonder where all this hero worship came from. If you grew up watching the 'Twilight Zone' or 'Outer Limits' on TV like I did when I was a kid (remember those early RCTI days?), there was no mindfuck there. Or maybe the mindfuck standards of movie goers has changed without me knowing? Maybe.

So TL:DR: Modus Anomali was a predictable journey. Like that old carnival ride that you've seen copied in every other carnival in the world, and riders that pretended to enjoy a renewed thrill everytime they ride it. I expected more.

One of the fundamental rights of an individual is the right to defend him/herself, their properties and loved ones from crime/harm. Unfortunately many people are either unwilling or unable to exercise this right, or even worse, have the wrong idea of how to do it. This usually ends in them being victims of crimes, often causing phisical injury - or even death - and loss of valuables. For women, its worse. This can end in rape.

The problem with Indonesia is that the government seems intent not to allow its people to defend itself. We may not, for instance, carry knives/pocket knifes. We have no right to bear firearms. For the GoI, it is better that we are unarmed, unprepared and unable to defend ourselves for one reason or another. This post, however, will not deal with that. This post will deal with how one can defend one's self and loved ones with these restrictions.

Let me open this post with a story: I used to carry concealed. Yep. You heard me. I believe that it is the fundamental right of an individual to be armed with a firearm for self defense. My pistol is a Springfield Armory custom Operator 1911A1. It has a rail, on which I affix an X5 light (very important for proper target ID in low light), and a set of adjustable Novak sights. It fires a 230g Federal Hydroshok .45 ACP (expensive rounds here!). 

I was trained with it. Some of the best pistol operators in the world once held a defensive pistol course in Buffalo New York in which my ROTC class had the priviliedge to attend. I had a nice concealed carry holster, and I can carry that full sized 1911 well, without it being visible, printing, exposed, and better yet, I know I can clear hoster, disengage the safety, and put rounds down range with accuracy really fast if I have to.

Here's another advantage of being trained with a pistol. A lot of you think that Indonesians should not be allowed to have pistols because people have the tendency to pull it out and use it to scare people. Angry in traffic? Pull out a pistol. Got in a verbal match? Pull out a pistol. Well, let me tell you this: A lot of people are just shouldn't be allowed to have firearms, or oxygen for that matter. These douchebags will do that with any weapon/object they have. Let me tell you my mindset everytime I put my weapon in my holster and carry it with me: I know for a fact that I'm prepared to use it - as the absolute last resort if there's an emergency. As a matter of fact, every single time I put my pistol in my holster, I hope, fervently wished, and begged the universe: Please, please don't put me in a situation where I have to have my pistol clear holster. Please. Because unlike those douchebags, to include the Indonesian National Police, in my training, and my mindset, IF you have to pull out your pistol, you had better damn well intend to disengage the safety and put rounds in some motherfucker's center mass. I will not pull my pistol unless I have absolutely no other choice. I'm not a cop. I'm not gonna pull out my gun and point it to someone and order that person to lay on the ground. 

Having said that, as humanity have discovered for about half a million years, praying and wishing really don't do jack shit unless you actually make an effort. Here's the gist of this post: This effort is applicable to all, not only those who carry concealed. I want to go over these to give you the reader a better perspective of how to defend yourself and your family.

First. The BEST self defense is Situational Awareness (henceforth: SA). Proper SA means that you can engage in defending yourself in the best possible way: Avoid the necessity althogether. Many times I walk around I see people with the SA of a Fucking Rock (henceforth: SAOFR). Example: A girl walking on the sidewalk. Shopping bags hung on her elbow, headset blasting music in her ears, head down intent on staring at the screen of her smartphone, fingers busy typing whatever super important gossip she's sharing with her girlfriends. This is the victim mentality. The voice in her head says "It'll never happen to me." 

Wrong.

It will happen to her. Most crimes are crimes of opportunity. Most people who snatch purses and phones do not plan their actions. They do not stalk a target for hours or days, learning her routine. They see an opportunity, and they pounce on it. Same with rape, robbery etc. They see a person so unaware of her surroundings, presenting a nice, juicy target too good to pass up. Thus they commit the crime. 

Maintaining proper SA will avoid this situation. If she's aware of the people around her,where the most obvious threats are, where safest routes are, she will be safe. Instead of that ill lit, empty corridor in the mall, she could take note of that and chose instead to go through the main thoroughfare with a lot of people. She can avoid that alley where unsavory men seem to hang out and instead take a more circuitous - but safer - route home. She is prepared to react in a moment's notice, either to run, scream, lash out, if she hears something coming up fast behind her. She puts herself in a position where the possibility of threat against her is dramatically reduced. She understands her environment, the dynamics of the people within her immediate sphere of interest, and will manage to Observe, Orient, Decide and Act accordingly (this is known as the OODA loop).

Second. Carry the right tools. There are plenty of options for less-lethal self defense. A stun gun will work well, for instance, and you can get this relatively cheaply. A stun gun works by electrocuting its target with several thousand volts of electricity. This will lock their central nervous system. Now, you're not Batman the crime fighter. When you stun that robber/potential rapist, don't stand there trying to restrain him. Don't stand there stomping his head against the pavement (because that'd be murder, see?). What do you do? You run. You clear the area. Get to a safe place. Then call the police, your friends, whatever. Another option is the collapsible baton. However this requires training and strength to use. But with the right mindset and will, you can do a lot of hurt. Another tool in the tool box is a pepper spray or CS gas spray. CS is basically tear gas. With these, however, you need to note at least where you are and the opponent is, to avoid getting hit and incapacitated yourself. Also note that there are people (a small portion of the human population) that are unaffected by these agents. My recommendation is to carry two devices, allowing you to have a back up device just in case.

Again, the objective here is not to close with and destroy your enemy. Leave that to the Infantry. The objective here is to provide you with that window to escape and end the threat.

One thing that most people forget is to train yourself. Its not enough to have a stun gun and a pepper spray, for instance, drop them in your purse, and forget about it. These devices have safety locks. Once you acquire these items you need to train with it. When the first time you fumble with your fingers, under the stress of an imminent threat, to deploy these tools against an attacker, you're already lost. When you have to frantically rummage around your oversized purse (never do understand that with women) to find that pepper spray, that man is already on top you.

What you need to do is plan on how you will deploy these tools to potentially save your lives or your loved ones'. Many lady's purses have separate compartments, for instance, where you can drop these tools. There are pros and cons to this. The pros are, among others, you always know where they are, and they are separate from the rest of your stuff. Meaning that you don't have to look for them if you need them. The cons are that these compartments are often enclosed with a zipper, forcing you to deal with that first before gaining access to the tools. Leaving the zipper open or halfway open maybe a solution for this.

After this planning, then you train. Carry that purse around the house. Imagine scenarios where you have to pull the devices quickly, disengage the safety, and deploy them against an attacker. Figure out the best solution that works for you. Stand in front of a mirror with your purse in the carry position, and 'practice your draw'. Shooters do this all the time to allow themselves to see how they are pulling out their pistols from their holsters and see what they are doing wrong. You should do this as well. Get to know your tools intimately. You need to be able to draw, disengage the safety, and deploy these tools by touch. Your fingers should know exactly what to do to activate these devices.   

Personally, I EDC (everyday carry) three items with me at all times: A folding knife, a flashlight and a Leatherman Wave multitool. UNDERSTAND: These are NOT weapons, although they will function as such as a last resort. These are TOOLS, because I want to be PREPARED. A folding knife, for instance, will help me cut away my seatbelt if I am involved in an auto accident and need to get out of the vehicle fast while the seatbelt mechanism is jammed. A flashlight is useful if I'm in a situation where the power goes out and I need to escape in darkness. 

The third step is willingness. A lot of people are victims of crimes because they are unwilling to fight to defend themselves. I point an accusing finger straight at a society that teaches that violence is not the solution, and to be abhored at all costs. Hippies and bleeding hearts. The so called 'progressives.' Wrong. Violence, like everything else, is  tool. It can be the difference between life and death.

Lets take a woman. Say you're about to be attacked, raped. Even unarmed there are plenty of things you can use to put a hurt on your attacker. Not to kill him (although if that's the outcome then, well, good for you), but to deter him long enough for you to make your escape and alert others of your situation. You have long nails. You can use it on their eyes. The human eyes are jelly. You can penetrate and cause permanent damage easily if you have the will to commit. You have teeth. You can use it on their necks. Its just flesh. You can rip out chunks of flesh and aorta if you have to. You have your knees, your hands, your elbows, your head. What you NEED is the will to actually do it. The will to realize that, "Okay self. Fight or flight? Flight is impossible at this moment. So fight. Fight fast. Fight brutally. Fight violently." Its you or him and goddammit, you had better come out on top.

Again, I must emphasize, this is not for you to go Chuck Norris and karate move his ass to submission. This is for you to get him to step off and away from you, distracted by his own pain/wounds/predicament, thus allowing you - the potential victim - to clear the area fast and find help and/or get to safety.

Part of the willingness is also the willingness to take pain. KNOW for a fact that you're gonna get hurt fighting back. KNOW that that pain, that dislocated shoulder or broken finger or bloody lip or broken nose, is NOTHING compared to the shit you'll be in if he rapes you, or stabs you. If you don't mind the pain, you'll fight through and be safe. This also applies to protecting your loved ones. I'd rather take the punishment, have my ribs broken for instance, but successfully escaping with my loved ones rather than allowing them to be victimized unprotected.

So. BLUF: SA, Tools, Willingness. The three basic tenets of self defense that you need to understand. Walking around with your head up your ass is a recipe for disaster.

In today's global anti-corruption days, Indonesian journalists, political activists as well a populist politicians are fond of dropping hints and innuendos without actually explaining themselves. This is a symptom of the thin-skinned duplicity and sheer arrogance of that segment of society.

There are information about which the public has no right to know. I've accepted this as a fact. Unlike what the well-intentioned, but ultimately misguided, folks at WikiLeaks - we know that States must be able to keep its secrets - if only for the protection of those who serve it, and quite frankly, the unthinking sheeple wouldn't know what to do with the information given to them.

It grates me, however, to see that such public figures as journalists and political activists, engage in a masturbation of adulation by dropping these hints and innuendos. One political activist/politician today tweeted: "The bigger the corruption, the more untouchable he is." A journalist made long, seried tweets about corruption involving an unnamed person in a government department. However, none of them are willing to say who it is, exactly, they are alluding to.

It maybe a failure on my part to grasp what is they're trying to do, but to my eyes, I fail to see the point. If such corruption actually happens, and they have the evidence to support it, then why not openly say it? They're accusing someone of a crime, have the guts to actually say it to their faces. Otherwise, keep their mouths shut.

What is the point of dropping hints and innuendos like that if not, in the sheer arrogance of their chosen profession, they wish it be known that they are more connected, more 'in the know', than the rest of us? Of course they couch it all in the veneer of 'activism', and 'exposing the truth' but, really, what truth did they expose? That a government department is corrupt? Yes, that's a pansophy. That does not give us any new information.

This is pandemic in this country. People would be 'daring' enough to expose something, but never expose it all the way. People would drop hints, drop names, just to show others that they are well known, well connected, better than the rest. I find it sickening.

If you actually want to fight against corruption, tell us who they are. But you better make damn sure you have all the evidence in your pockets, because I can see a libel suit coming your way. If you're too scared to do this, don't say anything at all.

Journalists and political activists take note: You are what you are on sufferance. We suffer you to live, and be journalists and activists. The society which you claim to defend gave birth to you. So get off your high horses.

So the past several days, an organization naming themselves the U.S. Day of Rage (akin to the Middle Eastern movement of the same name) managed to organize themselves and several hundred of them camped out at Wall St. to demand an end to an unjust economic system, free market economy, global warming, clubbing baby seals, and whatever it is the privileged middle class feels disturbing their free thinking lifestyle. The movement was called ‘Occupy Wall St.’ and by and large they managed to do just that. 

Before we continue with the demand-by-demand look of the movement itself, allow me to briefly acquaint you with these ‘radical activists.’ When I was in college I came to know a lot of them. Most, if not all, are middle class kids. Comfortable in their dorms or rented houses, never having to actually do anything more difficult in their lives but to actually go to class. For some reason, they got angry with the world (who gave them more than most, actually) and decided to lash out. They do this by public displays of disobedience, which mostly resulted in them being arrested and people being disrupted in their routine lives (you know, that thing called ‘going to work to bring food for the table’, something that never crosses their minds).

You know what gets me though, is that everytime they pull something like this, all of a sudden a crop of new fanbois sprout like so many mushrooms in a dank cell. Oh they got arrested? Police brutality. They got maced? Police brutality. Let me tell you something: They want to get arrested. Matter of fact they do everything they can to get arrested. One female 'activist' reached beyond the barricade to grab a cop. Of course she was arrested. Her compatriots then pushed and shoved to prevent her from getting arrested, they were pepper sprayed. What the fuck do you expect? Another brandished a baseball bat at a police officer trying to keep them on the sidewalk (you know, so cars driven by people who actually work can pass?) and he expects the cop to just smile and shake his head? The fanbois are no less capitalistic though...so that's a bit of irony.

A lot of them are anarchists; many are communists (yep. Now, you bring out the Soviet Union and the DPRK and they sputter about something that has to do with ‘it was not Marx’s intention’), some are even Leninists (which are the most entertaining, let me tell you).

In any case now that you’ve been acquainted with the species, let us see what they actually want. Well, they have listed 13 demands on their website. For some reason, a Manhattan based PR firm called Workhouse Publicity – which, mind you, mainly work with celebrities, fashion and luxury clients (oh look, how very capitalistic) decided to help them out. The demands are thus:

1.       Restoration of the living wage.

Thi  This demand can only be met by ending "Freetrade" by re-imposing trade tariffs on all imported goods entering the American market to level the playing field for domestic family farming and domestic manufacturing as most nations that are dumping cheap products onto the American market have radical wage and environmental regulation advantages. Another policy that must be instituted is raising the minimum wage to twenty dollars an hr.

Comments: Well okay, sure. You start imposing tariffs on foreign products coming into the US, and other countries start imposing tariffs on American products coming into their countries. Guess what: American products are still going to be more expensive. You’ll pay more for your patchouli incense, which will, of course, disrupt your commune with nature. Not only that, people not so advantaged as you would have to pay more for life sustaining necessities like food, medicine, etc. But see, you can afford it. You don’t care.

2. Institute a universal single payer healthcare system.

To do this all private insurers must be banned from the healthcare market as their only effect on the health of patients is to take money away from doctors, nurses and hospitals preventing them from doing their jobs and hand that money to wall st. investors.

Comment: So, your country is in a recession. People are struggling to make money to begin with. Your country is deep in debt (wait, this has something to do with a latter demand), and barely have money to keep you safe (which it is doing admirably, one might add). Now you want it to pay for your little boo boos? England tried this, and they went bankrupt in the 70s. Well, sure, you have Cuba – your socialist/communist paradise. But Cuba is small. They can afford this shit. And the quality of Cuban healthcare is probably not up to par (well, as good as cheap/free healthcare will give you), their main source of medicine is the black market, no patient protection, no malpractice laws and members of the ruling party (wait, there’s only ONE ruling party) will always get priority. Want that?

3.       Guaranteed living wage income regardless of employment.

Comment: Well, this sounds familiar…oh yeah, it’s been done. Back in the days in the Eastern Block, they did this. Basically this meant that you get paid for being there, not working nor for results. What did it do to them? Well, people not working. They can just chill out all day in the office, and they still get paid. OF COURSE you want this shit. The thought of actually having to earn a living must be terrifying for you.

4.       Free college education.

Comment: Another classic demand. Unfortunately a lot of these so called college educated morons here believe it too. Let me spell this out for you: Quality education is expensive. Free college education is possible in smaller countries, yes, on the caveat that only a smaller number of the population (10% for instance) wants to get a higher education. Now, in most countries, this is just not possible. First of all, where will the money come from? Someone will have to pay. If we increase your taxes, you’ll scream. If we cut food/healthcare program, you scream. So who’s gonna pay? Another result is that the quality of education drops. Yep. Free college education means your faculty members will get paid peanuts. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys. This is what happens when you think college is a right. It’s not.  College is a privilege. It’s not for everyone. Putting just any moron into college results in the celebrated mediocrity we see in our society today. But of course, you’re the 99%. You are the celebrated mediocrity.

5.      Begin a fast track process to bring the fossil fuel economy to an end while at the same bringing the alternative energy economy up to energy demand.

Comment: Phew! That was a mouthful. This seems to be utopian, on one end. Who WOULDN’T want to fill their cars up with water instead of gas? But let’s see the alternative. See, alternative fuel sources are either too expensive or too dangerous. Forget all the crap you hear about the oil industry holding us back. Do you want to drive around with a miniature fission reactor in your fuel tank? Hydrogen powered engines are expensive. Sure, you can afford it – just ask mommy. But the technology just isn’t there. Plus alternative fuels like jathropa oils and such have their own environmental problems too. And lets not even talk about batteries. You know how its manufactured?

6.       One trillion dollars in infrastructure (Water, Sewer, Rail, Roads and Bridges and Electrical Grid) spending now.

Comment: Ah..I’m tired of saying this…WITH WHAT MONEY? Spend one trillion on infrastructure, forget everything else right? Good for you.

7.       One trillion dollars in ecological restoration planting forests, reestablishing wetlands and the natural flow of river systems and decommissioning of all of America's nuclear power plants.

Comment: Right. What’ll happen if this happens? Most people are forced to heat their homes by way of burning their feces and chopping down nearby trees. Oh wait…

8.       Racial and gender equal rights amendment.

Comment: At last you make some sense. However, this isn’t much of a problem in the United States eh? I mean, say that fucking thing here.

9.       Open borders migration. Anyone can travel anywhere to work and live.

Comment: Three quarters of Mexico, half of South America, whole of Cuba and whoever can make it across the Bering Strait alive moves to U.S. (or any other place that puts minimum wage at around 20 $ and abolishes immigration law) within a week. After that happens even 10 trillion might be spent on infrastructure in that particular country, things will still go to shit within a couple of years.

10.   Bring American elections up to international standards of a paper ballot precinct counted and recounted in front of an independent and party observers system.

Comment: As opposed to what standard does it have now, North Korean? You people elected Obama. If that doesn’t show that the election wasn’t rigged, I don’t know what does.

11.  Immediate across the board debt forgiveness for all.

Debt forgiveness of sovereign debt, commercial loans, home mortgages, home equity loans, credit card debt, student loans and personal loans now! All debt must be stricken from the "Books." World Bank Loans to all Nations, Bank to Bank Debt and all Bonds and Margin Call Debt in the stock market including all Derivatives or Credit Default Swaps, all 65 trillion dollars of them must also be stricken from the "Books." And I don't mean debt that is in default, I mean all debt on the entire planet period.

Comment: So basically, you want to be able to shop on e-bay, buying whatever the fuck, with your credit card, and not have to pay for shit? Hell, I’m with you on this one! Nothing better than free shit right? Who gives a fuck about the guys who actually MAKE the shit. Not to mention their employees. And their employees’ wages. Who cares that you took out a bad loan, or buy that house you really can’t afford, or take that trip to India to commune with some stinking guru who probably haven’t showered in a decade on your daddy’s credit card right? Shit, you don’t wanna pay for shit goddammit! Oh, and let’s not forget who the biggest lender is these days. Yep, you got it. The People’s Republic of China. So I invite you to go to Beijing, face the politburo and tell them, “We don’t want to pay you anymore. FUCK your nuclear weapons, modern 1 billion man army, and everything else you got.”

12.   Outlaw all credit reporting agencies.

Comment: *Sigh*, how the hell did you survive childhood? So in the middle of a recession, you want to take away jobs? Jobs that are actually still paying people? Oh yea, that’s so you can NOT PAY YOUR FUCKING CREDIT CARDS.

13.   Allow all workers to sign a ballot at any time during a union organizing campaign or at any time that represents their yeah or nay to having a union represent them in collective bargaining or to form a union.

Comment: You know why a lot of US companies outsource? Yeah, the union. So every time a worker feels that he’s not getting his fair share (Vladimir, you have to show up at work at 930, not 11) they can unionize and sign ballots and throw shit. Yes. Great job. The economy will surely benefit from such genius.

So there you have it folks. This is what these monkeys want. Let’s all hope this fucking stupidity don’t infect us too. God knows we have enough problems.

I had the pleasure of attending a seminar on Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism once, a long time ago. I had the pleasure of watching a (heated) debate between a Major in the conventional forces and a Captain of one of the Special Forces Groups.

The Major contended insurgents and terrorists understood violence and that any response to attacks that is less than the level they were willing to commit will only foster a perception of weakness. He argued that the more efforts should be made to find, fix, and destroy the enemy.

The Captain countered, "Kill them, Sir? How do you kill them if the very people you seek to kill is that teenager you just had chai with? Find them? You've found them already when you shook the hands of that village elder. How many will you destroy?"

The Captain then explained that the key of winning a COIN fight is to take away indigenous support towards the insurgents. Alienate the terrorists to the rest of the indigenous population and you can start making headway.

This is something that our government and armed forces, having fought through countless insurgencies, should know very well. Instead, almost no efforts are made to do this. The government seems to turn a blind eye towards religious extremism, and enforces it to some extent.

There are parallels of what’s happening here in Indonesia to events in history.  One is the Weimar Republic. At the end of the 1920s, the Nazi movement was growing in Germany. At that time, a lot of people seem to ‘turn a blind eye’ towards the rampant anti-Semitism expressed by the Nazis. Most ‘moderate’ Germans would tell you that they don’t support the Nazis or violence against the Jewry. And yet, they did nothing. Several years later, Hitler’s power-base was consolidated and most of these ‘moderates’ turned out to be Nazis anyway. Most Germany, actually, supported the Nazis.

Another parallel is Pakistan, where the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) seeks to use extremist elements in order to become the dominant force in the region. As we’ve seen several times, that plan resulted in major terror attacks in Pakistani cities, a major insurgency in Waziristan, and deep involvement in Afghanistan.

So, where are we heading? Our government openly consorts with terrorist elements like the FPI, encourages (or at least turns a blind eye towards) intolerance and Islamic extremism, elect ministers who espouses Wahabbist agendas, and is curiously quiet about the injustices committed by the majority religion. Will we, then, head the same way Germany went? Or worse, will we become Southeast Asia’s Pakistan? The signs point there, unfortunately.

Back in 1998 I picked up my copy of Rainbow Six for the first time, and I was blown away. With that game , Red Storm Entertainment pretty much defined the 'tactical simulator' genre of First Person Shooter games. Those of you who played this game (*gasp..WHEN was that? We're old) will remember with great fondness the planning stage before the mission, where you set way points and actions of the other team.

In 2001, another defining game was produced by RSE: Ghost Recon. Graphics wise, for the time, it was alright. It was not the highest specced out there. What was mind blowing was the fact that it was a tactical shooter, focused on realistic small unit tactics, engaging in realistic Special Operations Direct Action missions with realistic AI. The game was a nice follow up after the first Operation Flash Point: Cold War Crisis (focused on combined arms operations like its more realistic brother VBS1 that was released the year after) was released earlier that year.

A screenshot of the original Ghost Recon. As you can see, the grapics - even for that time - was not revolutionary. This game taught me the importance of gameplay. 

The game was so good, it has a loyal following that still plays it to this day. Not bad for a decade old game. It had literally hundreds (maybe even thousands) of modifications ranging from simple mods of skin and maps for multiplayer, to mods adding new weapons and optics to the game to massive full conversion mods adding new campaigns, vehicles, enemies, terrain, and other game features (Frostbite is one of the most famous mods, adding arctic warfare to Ghost Recon. War of Infamy is a very famous World War II mod). 

What was so good about the game is the sheer replayability and open-endedness of it. Sure, the missions were scripted, with pre-determined objectives (not an RPG see?), but that was about it. Enemy AI would react realistically to you. Setting up ambushes, setting off mines, maneuvering on your unit, generally problem solving. The gameplay was addictive. You can play the same mission over and over, with different tactics and load outs, and generally be creative. One of the most satisfying moments of the game is shooting a Russian rifleman just when he was about to toss a fragmentation grenade at you. He dropped, dropping the primed grenade in the midst of his own fire team, which then detonated taking the fire team out with it. The multiplayer was also addictive. As many other multiplayer games, we formed clans and these clans trained together like a real infantry fire team. Using voice communications (we used TeamSpeak) we coordinated attacks, defenses, ambushes and movements. We planned our movements too, utilizing the tactical map available in game (there was a mod that overlays a grid reference on the map, making it easier to navigate). One highlight was that when my clan was ambushed during a movement to contact to an objective. It got so intense - we were close to being overrun - that the team leader ordered a direct Final Protective Fire on the enemy team just for us to survive.

Now I have to admit that I didn't play the Ghost Recon sequels that were released afterward (well I played Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter a bit) but then I saw Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. What struck me first was the awesome weapons customization feature of that game (called Gunsmith). This feature allows you to customize the weapons used by your characters - tailor it to suit the mission. The customization is extensive. In the video below, you can see how even the gas system is customizable (a feature which will - probably - leave gamers that are unfamiliar with firearms scratching their heads), setting a new record in tactical shooters.

The Gunsmith feature demonstrated at E3. This is easily the most exciting feature of the new game.

Despite my obvious interest, something else jumped at me. I might be the only one to feel this, I might be a pariah, but I feel that most games these days rely too much on features and graphics, while sacrificing a lot on gameplay and replayability. Perhaps this was spurred by the increasing dominance of console games over PC games (lets face it: Who can afford to build a US$3k kickass gaming machine these days), where the limited controls necessitates simpler gameplay; on the other hand, perhaps this is the natural course of action because the demands of hardcore gaming from gamers who want something more than running and gunning is declining.

Take one of the best modern warfare shooter available now. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was hailed as one of the best military themed games out there. I played the game from start to finish, and yes! I liked it! A lot! It was a lot of fun. However, how many times have you played that game front to back, over and over, before getting bored? Even with all the different difficulty levels? Not a lot. CoD 4 was a really good game, but the replayability sucks. Enemy AIs don't really react to your presence by creative problem solving. They're all scripted. Die in your first try? Try again. The enemy will come from the same place, at the same time, doing the same thing. You cannot choose another way to go through the level. You have to stick to the scripted path and do the scripted actions. The excitement of the game comes from the intense graphics, the wonderfully scripted sequences and the attention to detail that the developers put into the game. Like a good friend said: CoD 4 puts you in the midst of a really good military action film. Unfortunately, just like a film, it repeats itself. BlackHawk Down will still be the same no matter how many times you've watched it. 

Now, I don't know about Crysis 2; I heard that its very open ended. If this is true, than its a breath of fresh air in a gaming environment where appearance and eye candy is more important than experience. However, I fear that the days where a game can last a decade with loyal fans still playing it over and over everyday is fast approaching an end. 

I am anxiously waiting for GR:FS to be released so I can see if I'll like it. I will certainly play around with the Gunsmith feature. If its anything like COD 4: MW, I will probably like it a lot; having said that, I do have serious doubts that the game's popularity will be close to its namesake. Lets all hope I'm proven wrong. 

The recent disasters that befell many parts of the world have inspired some people to prepare 'emergency bags' for themselves and their families. While this is always a good idea, from the reading I've done of several people's set ups, it was clear to me that a lot of people out there really don't know what to pack, how to pack it, and what to do when (god forbid) disasters DO happen.

I've had some experience gallivanting around with heavy rucksacks this way and that. Trust me, its not fun at all. So based on that, here's some simple tricks to keep in mind for your 'bug out situation.' This is part one of the post. A second post is scheduled, so be patient.

1. First and Foremost: Have a Plan.

It doesn't really matter how much high-speed kit you have if you run around like a beheaded chicken as soon as the shit hits the fan. Having a workable plan that is familiar to each and every member of your family will make certain that your chances of survival are much higher.

Formulate this plan by taking into account your environment. We live mostly on urbanized terrain. Keeping that in mind, the most plausible survival plan for you and yours (barring some catastrophic failure of EVERY part of society and the government) is simply to survive the trip from your home/office/school to an emergency shelter/gathering point set up by the Emergency Management Agency.

A key component to this plan is your ability to navigate, or as we call it: LANDNAV. Don't be discouraged. This probably would not involve walking overland more than 50 kilometers with a topographic map, a GPS, a prismatic compass, etc. Remember: Urbanized Terrain. Know the landmarks, know the major throughfares, know alternate routes. Prepare in advance the waypoints/stop points that you would visit in sequence from the beginning of your survival trip. These locations could be major police stations/army bases, government buildings where you think its likely the Emergency Management Agency would set up shelters, public gathering places where you might find help/other survivors, etc.

To do all this, you need to have a map. Get a good map of the area you live in and its surrounding counties. Go over it with your family and loved ones. Figure out what roads to take if you have your vehicle, and what routes you will take if you're on foot. Take into account that major avenues may not be passable. Figure out the alternate routes. Sharpen your map reading skills. Knowing how to orient a map to the four cardinal directions (N, E, S, W) will go a long way in ensuring that you don't waste any effort in your trip. Make sure each person in your party has a copy of this map and make sure they know how to read it. You should also have a spare map with the same annotations packed in your kit, just in case something happens to your main map. 

If you live in such an area where the trip would be a significant distance (say over 30 kilometers), prepare laying up points - that is areas where you can stop to rest - along the way.

Also important is to figure out and designate rally points. Make sure everyone in your party know where they are. A rally point is a point where your party can gather if they get split up. In the chaos of a post disaster area, this is a major possibility, and the last thing you want to do is to go around looking for lost party members. Set up rally points along the way, and a plan to use them. A rally point should be prominent and some place everyone is familiar with. For example, if you get split up after passing landmark A, the rally point would be this mall here. Once there, wait for 3-5 hours. If the missing members fail to show up then, leave a note/marker and move on to the next rally point and do the same.

Remember: Your goal is to reach an area where shelter and aid are available. Why live off the land shivering in a tent if you can simply walk to the nearest aid station? You want to survive, not be Bear Gryls against nature.

2. Know What to Pack

In the beginning of this post, I explained that I had some experience walking long distances with heavy rucksacks. If you've never done that before, let me explain something to you: It will suck the life out of you. Having a huge backpack while walking long distances require conditioning, stamina and, most of all, determination. It will quickly tire you out. It will slow you down significantly. If you need to make a quick exit out of an area a heavy backpack is NOT the way to go. An anecdote I heard from the recent tsunami disaster in Japan: A significant number of the victims were found still wearing their survival backpacks. They were prepared, but their backpacks slowed them down. You must avoid this at all costs.

It all begins with how you choose your backpacks. My suggestion is to go to outdoor stores and buy a medium sized hiking rucksack. You don't need a huge 90 liter rucksack. Trust me. You're not gonna be carrying ammunition, mortar rounds or the kitchen sink in there. You want a medium sized bag, about 20-30 liters, with a good design such as easy access pouches, wide and padded - if possible contoured/curved - straps, as well as other features that will make it easier for you to carry your load. The most critical of these features are internal frames, sternum straps and a hip belt. The frame, sternum/chest straps and the hip belt will distribute the load more evenly on your body, so that you don't carry the entire weight on your shoulders.

The contents are key. Many people tend to overpack their rucksacks. They tend to want to carry everything they can just in case. This will slow you down. Remember: You Want To Survive. Therefore what you need to pack is the bare minimum you need to survive.

Here's a loadout that I suggest in bug out bags (BOBs):

• Clothing. Don't bring your entire wardrobe. Trust me, that beautiful Mango skirt isn't gonna help you. I only have two sets of clothes in my BOB. One set for the walk/trip. This is what I wear most of the time. A nice long-sleeve t-shirt, good quality cargo pants, wool socks. Don't forget a cap and sunglasses to keep the sun off. The second set is a set I keep in a plastic/waterproof bag. This is my sleeping set - just in case I need to make overnight stops. You might want to bring several pairs of socks and underwear as well. Plus a weatherproof jacket that you should keep in an outer pocket of your pack for fast access. This is ALL the clothes you need. No, you don't need to change your shirt/pants everyday. Its a disaster. No one will care if you look like a supermodel. Wear one set for the walk, wear the clean/dry set for sleeping. That's it. Maybe you can bring a pair of sandals to wear in the camp to let your boots dry out. We will cover clothing in detail later.
• Hygene kit. Leave your body lotions, facial creams, etc. Bring a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. Maybe some soap just in case you have a chance to take a shower. Maybe some shampoo. If you're a woman, you may want to bring some of your specific hygene kit. Pads and all that. Nothing fancy. Remember: The Bare Essentials. That's about all. Nothing else matters.
• Shelter. Get one of those lightweight dome tents that accomodate to persons. Each rucksack should have one of these. Personally I do away with a tent, and just carry a rubberized military poncho. I love ponchos. You can make shelters out of them and they're light. But a tent will do as well. Also carry a nice sleeping bag and a bivvy bag (a sleeping bag outer sleeve made out of weather proof material like Gore-Tex). No, you don't need a mattress. The sleeping bag will insulate you and you'll sleep well enough. Its a survival situation, not a trip to the Ritz Carlton.
• Food and Water. MREs or prepackaged meals you can eat without cooking is ideal. Canned food are good, but the cans can quickly add to the weight. Each person and each backpack should have their own supply. Water is also very important. Don't carry more than you think you need but, more importantly, don't carry too little. I'm a big fan of the bladder hydration system. Check out your nearest hiking/outdoor stores and purchase water bladders there. Make sure you also carry water purification pills or water filters in case you need to replenish your supply along the way. Again I must emphasize that you pack only what you need. Chocolate is a good source of energy, coffee is too. To this end, you can always carry one of those camping stoves and a set of camping/outdoor cooking utensils. Use one of those military/outdoor hexy stove/burners. These are small, light and efficient. Your beverage might taste a bit weird, but you'll survive. Leave the fancy chips and salsa dip, the vegan fake turkey shit, the hummus and whatever fancy food you think you'd like to eat while having a stroll. You're surviving. You're not out having a picnic. 
• First Aid Kit. No, no need to re-watch House or ER. You're no brain surgeon (well, unless you are) and you shouldn't try. Learning basic first aid, however, is essential in survival situations. You need to at least be able to clear airways, stop bleeding and esure circulation. Learn how to properly bandage wounds, treat burns, splint fractures and other survival skills. Check out the U.S. Army Field Manual 3-05.70: Survival to learn about survival and emergency medical skills. Again, you don't need to sit around with your party members to discuss alternative diagnosis of strange and exotic diseases. Leave that to House. You just need to patch people up and make sure they survive the trip to the nearest medical aid station.
• Rope. Rope is essential. No, you won't need this rope to play tie-me-up games in the middle of the rubble. Rope can secure your shelter, help you climb, help you cross rivers/streams. It secures stuff to you and your gear. I suggest procuring some 550 cords (paracords). You can gut it open and use the five internal cords for many things. Gutten paracord is also my favorite bootlace. It is strong and it will not slip. 
• Emergency Essential Backups. Some of your emergency essentials should always stay on your person. We will cover these later. You should, however, have back-ups or spares packed in your rucksack. Make sure you pack extra batteries for your phone (see Communications in the second post) and radio, batteries for your flashlight, another small light, an extra multitool (see Gears in the second post), an extra knife, writing utensils/markers and other small essentials spares. Make sure all of this fit into a small-ish pouch. Keep them together.

I would really like to add weapons or small arms to the list. I know I would carry one in my BOB. But knowing some of you lot, you'd probably hurt yourself with a weapon, so none of that. If you can though, team up with someone who knows how to use weapons/firearms. That would improve your chances even more.

3. Understand the Line System

Look at everything you carry with you in terms of lines. Essentially, you will have 3 lines of kit.

The first line is the basic essentials. These are your clothing, and what you carry around your waist on a belt/belt pouches as well as your clothes' pockets. These are bare, basic survival essential. You should have some water and food in this layer. You should also always have your tools (flash light, and multitool) on this layer. A knife is useful there too, as well as your spare map and small compass. IF you have to ditch the rest of your gear, you should be able to survive based on this layer alone.

The second line is your primary life support system. Look into tactical vests with a lot of pockets/pouches. If you don't like the tactical look, you can always obtain one of those fisherman's/journalist vests from your local outdoor store. This is where you carry most of your gear. To be exact, this is where you carry the gear you need to be able to access without doffing your rucksack. Your navigation aid (compass, GPS, etc), comms, water, some food, and essential gear should go here. You should also have a decent flashlight (go to Alat Selam.com and pick a small, bright light with AAA batteries. Trust me. You don't want to look for CR123s in an emergency), a knife (fixed blade or folder. Make sure it has a semi-serrated blade), and a set of multitools. These are folded tools that have different tools integrated in it. They usually have a couple of different knives (smooth edge, serrated edge and sawblade), a plier, screw drivers with different bits, a file that can also be used as a pry bar, etc. Look at the Leatherman Wave as a good sample. You can get these at Ace Hardware.You should also have a First Aid Kit in your second line. Check out the U.S. Army and Marine Corps IFAK (Improved First Aid Kit) as an inspiration.

The third line is your rucksack. We've covered that above. Remember to replenish supplies in your second line from the spares in your third line. This is essential. If something were to happen, and you have to ditch your rucksack, you don't want to do so while the pouches on your vest are empty. So whenever you stop for a break, remember to resupply your second line.

The line system was designed to make sure that you always have gear on you. You may encounter situations where you have to lighten your load quickly and drop your gear. If you have the opportunity to return and recover them, everything's fine. However, you may not have that opportunity and it pays to be prepared. Using the line system, you can survive even if you only have the clothes on your back.

This is the first three essential things you need to think about when you plan for your survival. The next post will go over choosing your gear, what communications you should have as well as other stuff I haven't gone over in this one. Hope this helps.

To remember Operation Neptune, 6 June 1944, I post here Ronald Reagan's speech made on 6 June 1984, titled "The Boys of Pointe du Hoc"

We're here to mark that day in history when the Allied armies joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty. For four long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow. Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. Europe was enslaved and the world prayed for its rescue. Here, in Normandy, the rescue began. Here, the Allies stood and fought against tyranny, in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.

We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but forty years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, two hundred and twenty-five Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs.

Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here, and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance.

The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers at the edge of the cliffs, shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After two days of fighting, only ninety could still bear arms.

And behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there. These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. And these are the heroes who helped end a war. Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your "lives fought for life and left the vivid air signed with your honor."

I think I know what you may be thinking right now -- thinking "we were just part of a bigger effort; everyone was brave that day." Well everyone was. Do you remember the story of Bill Millin of the 51st Highlanders? Forty years ago today, British troops were pinned down near a bridge, waiting desperately for help. Suddenly, they heard the sound of bagpipes, and some thought they were dreaming. Well, they weren't. They looked up and saw Bill Millin with his bagpipes, leading the reinforcements and ignoring the smack of the bullets into the ground around him.

Lord Lovat was with him -- Lord Lovat of Scotland, who calmly announced when he got to the bridge, "Sorry, I'm a few minutes late," as if he'd been delayed by a traffic jam, when in truth he'd just come from the bloody fighting on Sword Beach, which he and his men had just taken.

There was the impossible valor of the Poles, who threw themselves between the enemy and the rest of Europe as the invasion took hold; and the unsurpassed courage of the Canadians who had already seen the horrors of war on this coast. They knew what awaited them there, but they would not be deterred. And once they hit Juno Beach, they never looked back.

All of these men were part of a roll call of honor with names that spoke of a pride as bright as the colors they bore; The Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Poland's 24th Lancers, the Royal Scots' Fusiliers, the Screaming Eagles, the Yeomen of England's armored divisions, the forces of Free France, the Coast Guard's "Matchbox Fleet," and you, the American Rangers.

Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith and belief. It was loyalty and love.

The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead, or on the next. It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.

The Americans who fought here that morning knew word of the invasion was spreading through the darkness back home. They fought -- or felt in their hearts, though they couldn't know in fact, that in Georgia they were filling the churches at 4:00 am. In Kansas they were kneeling on their porches and praying. And in Philadelphia they were ringing the Liberty Bell.

Something else helped the men of D-day; their rock-hard belief that Providence would have a great hand in the events that would unfold here; that God was an ally in this great cause. And so, the night before the invasion, when Colonel Wolverton asked his parachute troops to kneel with him in prayer, he told them: "Do not bow your heads, but look up so you can see God and ask His blessing in what we're about to do." Also, that night, General Matthew Ridgway on his cot, listening in the darkness for the promise God made to Joshua: "I will not fail thee nor forsake thee."

These are the things that impelled them; these are the things that shaped the unity of the Allies.

When the war was over, there were lives to be rebuilt and governments to be returned to the people. There were nations to be reborn. Above all, there was a new peace to be assured. These were huge and daunting tasks. But the Allies summoned strength from the faith, belief, loyalty, and love of those who fell here. They rebuilt a new Europe together. There was first a great reconciliation among those who had been enemies, all of whom had suffered so greatly. The United States did its part, creating the Marshall Plan to help rebuild our allies and our former enemies. The Marshall Plan led to the Atlantic alliance -- a great alliance that serves to this day as our shield for freedom, for prosperity, and for peace.

In spite of our great efforts and successes, not all that followed the end of the war was happy or planned. Some liberated countries were lost. The great sadness of this loss echoes down to our own time in the streets of Warsaw, Prague, and East Berlin. The Soviet troops that came to the center of this continent did not leave when peace came. They're still there, uninvited, unwanted, unyielding, almost forty years after the war. Because of this, allied forces still stand on this continent. Today, as forty years ago, our armies are here for only one purpose: to protect and defend democracy. The only territories we hold are memorials like this one and graveyards where our heroes rest.

We in America have learned bitter lessons from two world wars. It is better to be here ready to protect the peace, than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost. We've learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent. But we try always to be prepared for peace, prepared to deter aggression, prepared to negotiate the reduction of arms, and yes, prepared to reach out again in the spirit of reconciliation. In truth, there is no reconciliation we would welcome more than a reconciliation with the Soviet Union, so, together, we can lessen the risks of war, now and forever.

It's fitting to remember here the great losses also suffered by the Russian people during World War II. Twenty million perished, a terrible price that testifies to all the world the necessity of ending war. I tell you from my heart that we in the United States do not want war. We want to wipe from the face of the earth the terrible weapons that man now has in his hands. And I tell you, we are ready to seize that beachhead. We look for some sign from the Soviet Union that they are willing to move forward, that they share our desire and love for peace, and that they will give up the ways of conquest. There must be a changing there that will allow us to turn our hope into action.

We will pray forever that someday that changing will come. But for now, particularly today, it is good and fitting to renew our commitment to each other, to our freedom, and to the alliance that protects it.

We're bound today by what bound us 40 years ago, the same loyalties, traditions, and beliefs. We're bound by reality. The strength of America's allies is vital to the United States, and the American security guarantee is essential to the continued freedom of Europe's democracies. We were with you then; we're with you now. Your hopes are our hopes, and your destiny is our destiny.

Here, in this place where the West held together, let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened: "I will not fail thee nor forsake thee."

Strengthened by their courage and heartened by their value [valor] and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.

Thank you very much, and God bless you all.

May we never forget the sacrifices made that day to ensure a free world. May we always take the lessons learned that day to heart.

So Nicci Micco of Eating Well apparently wrote an article titled "Best and worst BBQ foods". My attention was directed there by a friend at another forum I visit. Among the hippy drivel this woman posted there was this gem:

. Bad BBQ appetizer: Potato chips with French Onion dip. A large handful of chips delivers about 150 calories and 10 grams of fat. Add to that 60 calories and 4.5 grams of fat from 2 tablespoons of dip. Tortilla chips and guacamole deliver about the same calories (about 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, plus 50 calories and 4.5 grams of fat in the guac). The problem with these snacks isn’t so much how many calories one serving delivers, but rather how darn hard it is to stop there.
Better BBQ appetizer: Veggies with hummus. You can have a full cup of sugar snap peas for 60 calories (0 grams of fat). Add 2 tablespoons of hummus (50 calories, 3 grams of fat) and you have a nice fiber-rich (read: uber-filling) snack for just a little more than 100 calories.

I was trying to find an appropriate response to this obvious defeatist hippie sentiment when one particular gentleman, recently of the 3rd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment wrote this apt response:

Veggies with hummus? Who the hell eats veggies with hummus at a BBQ? If I ever seen someone eating veggies with hummus at a BBQ I would pistol whip them. Twice. Veggies with hummus...damn hippy new age crap is what that is. Friggin communist bitch....should be flogged is what should happen...veggies and hummus.....It's fucking BBQ Bitch! A damn American fucking standard! We take dead animals, cook them over fire and eat them with a whole bunch of unhealthy shit while guzzling beer! Don't fuck with tradition! You want veggies and hummus, fine, eat all you want. But if you bring that shit to a BBQ you need to fucking cunt punted! Fucking veggies with hummus at a BBQ. Fucking cunt. 

I obviously couldn't say it better than that. So there.

Its been months since I write something here – mostly because I’m too busy doing other stuff. So here’s a post to rectify the situation.

Many important things happened in the past few months; but I’d like to highlight two things: the MV Sinar Kudus piracy by Somalians, and the death (finally!) of Usmah bin Laden (henceforth: UBL).

Specifically, I’d like to address the outcry that surrounded the two events.

I read, with growing disgust, comments surrounding the Piracy case – supporting our useless President in his decision to not launch a military rescue of our citizens held hostage by criminals in Somalia. What’s sad is that this view is expressed by more and more people, saying that the violence will not solve anything and that launching a military strike will only end in unnecessary bloodbath.  One commenter even had the gall to say that launching a military rescue will only cause the pirates to retaliate against other ships.

I wonder: When did we become such nation of fearful sheep? During World War 2, in the United States, men lined up eager to enlist. To go fight for their country against an enemy that their generation had – correctly – identified as the bad guy. Unlike one journalist alleged on twitter, the depression in men in that era did not come from the fact that ‘they were the ones who suffered, not their comrades’, but from the fact that some of them were ineligible for service. Yes. Men committed suicide when they were rejected by the Armed Service. They could not stand the fact that they could not ship out with their comrades and fight alongside them.

In Indonesia, men flocked to fight against the Dutch. Fought proudly for our independence. A different generation eh? Today’s generation show up to music shows wearing t-shirts saying ‘You Say War, We Say Suicide.’

Today’s generation feel that they deserve what they have, what the nation gives them, without having to pay the price of democracy and peace. Today’s generation feels that their security and peace is a birthright, something that should just be handed to them. They vilify those who actually fight for them in order to secure this right. Their culture of entitlement makes them feel that they don’t have to earn anything.

Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the modern school system. Here, every achievement is celebrated. Every time a student goes up a grade, a major ceremony. Even worse: Bullying is encouraged. Yes, teachers, I point an accusing finger squarely at your faces. YOU encourage bullying. How? Let me tell you.

Bullies are a fact of life. They exist in the form of bigger boys/girls. They exist in the form of pirates in Somalia. In the form of Hitler and Genghis Khan. In the form of Usmah bin Ladin. There has not been ANY time in human history where bullies do not exist. They are always there. We call these bullies Wolves. They’re predators. To prey on the weak and the foolish is their nature.

Contrary to modern sentiments, you cannot talk to Wolves. You just can’t. If Genghis Khan arrived at a city’s gates to find the men wearing t-shirts saying ‘You Say War, We Say Suicide’, he would laugh his ass off. He would, cordially I might add, say to the men, “Please, go right ahead. Commit suicide and save us the hard work of killing you off before we plunder your city, rape your women, sell your children off to slavery and defecate upon the graves of your elders.”

Today’s generation would do everything in their power to appease the Wolves. We can’t kill off extremist Muslims. We have to respect their beliefs in the name of pluralism. We can’t shoot them in the face, we have to talk to them, get them to see our point of view, and ask them – nicely – if they would live side-by-side with us in harmony. We can’t shoot the Somalian Pirates. That will hurt their feelings. We have to embrace them in brotherhood. Help their economic woes so that they wouldn’t be pirates anymore. Guess what they will do? Take your money and still be pirates.

Why do you think that is? Because bullying works. Bullying will get them power over their fellow classmates. Bullying will get them your lunch money. Your villages. Your women. Your cities. Your countries. The wolves will prey on the sheep, because the sheep cannot fight back. The sheep will cower in fear wish that someone else will get rid of the bad Wolves for them – sounds familiar?

Long ago, in the Victorian era, it was believed that crime happened because the ‘criminal classes’ were poor and destitute. It was later that criminologists realized that the phrase ‘crime doesn’t pay’ is a lie. Crime pays. People become criminals, or bullies or wolves, because it pays. We realized this once. We forgot it now.

Now, we frown upon those who dare to fight back. Students have been suspended for fighting when they fight back against their bullies. Yes, teachers, you who encourage students to not fight back, and to report bullying to you – this is all on you. What are you going to do with the bullies? Sit down with them? Counsel them? Tell them that bullying is wrong?  You think they care? And on the other hand you punish those that are willing to stand up for themselves and in the process protect others by showing the Wolves that they cannot get their way.  We call these guys and gals Sheepdogs.

Today’s society actively prosecutes Sheepdogs as a way to hide their own sheep-like insecurities behind the veils of legal hand-wringing. Today’s society would have you surrender to the bullies. Fighting back, it seems, is wrong. Protecting yourselves is wrong. This is not how it should be.

We should’ve attacked those Somalian pirates, shoot them dead and hang them from the masts of our ships, to show the Wolves: The Sheepdogs came. They were pissed. They tore your fellow wolves apart. Don’t do this again. We should’ve hung Osama from a mast at the center of Ground Zero, instead of appeasing the Muslims and giving him an ‘Islamic burial at sea.’

We should give students who fight back a soft ruffle on their hairs, a soft clap on their back and say, “Well done.” For these are people who realized that someone has to step up. These are men who realized that, as Reagan said in that most touching of speeches, "There is a price we will not pay. There is a point beyond which they must not advance."

We should greet our Sheepdogs upon their return. Make eye contact with them and give them a quiet nod of acknowledgement. Take them to a quiet bar and in a quiet voice tell them, “Good job.” We should seek to emulate them, not vilify them. Only then will we be able to stand tall and proud among the nations of the world.

Unfortunately, the media, the NGOs, the journalists, the teachers and other liberal leaders out there will have you bow and succumb. Appease and not offend. We, as we are now, will forever be a nation of slaves.