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Showing posts from September, 2022

This Shouldn't Surprise You

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David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen and Ted Nugent sometime in the 70's or (very) early 80's What does Rock & Roll have to do with being a better Protector?! Stay with me because I have an cool story for you with a PeaceWalker lesson inside... Before anyone knew who they were, an obscure rock band named Van Halen opened for Ted Nugent. During Van Halen's sound check Ted couldn't believe his ears . . . He was staring in amazement at this unknown kid named Eddie. The sounds coming out of this kid's guitar!! Nugent was out of his mind. How was he doing it?? Guitarists everywhere are obsessed with creating just the right tone, and so Ted just HAD to know how the kid was pulling this off. He was convinced that Eddie was using some sort of secret gear. After a bit of arm twisting, Ted finally talked Eddie's guitar tech into letting him give Eddie's rig a test drive. But when Ted started playing through Eddie's gear, a funny thing happened . . . Ted Nugent stil

The flight of the Forgotten Flight

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  Flight 93 Memorial  I know 9/11 has passed, however I wanted to share one more story... . Flight 93 was the last plane to be hijacked, and some passengers on the plane were able to use cell phones to contact their loved ones. . (Remember this was 7 years before the iPhone 1, not everyone had a phone back then.) . They made the decision that if they were going down, they were going down fighting. . And they did. . The plane crashed in an empty field in Pennsylvania, rather than hit its intended target. . Why? . Because the passengers got wind of what was happening and fought back.   . Even when they knew they would have to pay the ultimate price. . These people were truly heroes . That dedication also reminds me that no matter how hopeless the situation seems, you too can still step up to the plate…  . Even when the chips are down… . And as we know, they really were on that fateful flight. . Right Now... I know you’re fighting for something too... We all are. . It could be fighting fo

Remembering 9/11

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                                          Picture taken from a Buyu friend, Mark Guest, who was there... (REPOSTED FROM 2021) Today I am in a bit of a reflective mood about the shock and tragedy that happened over 20 years ago. It could just as well have been yesterday for me... It's still that clear in my memory... Where I was... What I was doing... How I was feeling... The phone calls... Watching events unfold... I was one of the billions of people who weren't actually there... But I have friends who were... Police, firefighters, friends. Not everyone made it... But, we all remember... I remember... That also reminds me of Israel and what an Israeli friend of mine said about the attitude of many in his culture... I Wish I Was There?!? WHAT?! When a terrorist attack occurs many people think  "I'm so lucky I  wasn't  there." And don't get me wrong I would say that would be a pretty rational and intuitive thing to think... However... Some of my friends and

The Space Between Police & Community

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When it comes to dealing with conflict and violence, we talk a lot about tactical space. What is it exactly and what does it have to do with the recent situation of the death of Grand Rapids resident Patrick Lyoya, who was killed by a GRPD officer after a traffic stop and altercation.  Simply put, the tactical space holds the place of advantage, the place of relative safety.  Ok, so what does this have to do with any of this exactly? Stick with me here a minute, because it's important that you understand this.  However... Before I go on, I want to back up a second to recognize that we are talking about the lives of real people here.  My condolences go out to Patrick's family and loved ones. No matter the circumstance, it is heart breaking losing someone you love, especially to violence.  I also want to extend my thoughts to the officer and his family.  This situation is surely going to affect all of us, obviously, some more greatly than others, but make no mistake, it's rip