In today’s world full of motive-driven media outlets and the internet’s non-stop outrage party, it pays to unplug from the anger-matrix from time to time so you can focus on the broader issues affecting our society. If you want to be better informed that than your average Facebook spamming troll, it means learning more about […]
Luke Ryan
Honing the demon and channelizing violence of action
“Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.” – H.L. Mencken Every person has it in them — the demon. I’m not sure what it is exactly, whether it’s some inner spiritual rage or some biological instinct to spur one toward survival […]
Exploring your own backyard
I could use a trip to Iceland. Or to Brazil. Or Italy or Japan. Thailand is about to start getting into tourist season in a few months — that would be nice. I’ve seen the Instagram posts and hear the stories of friends or family who seem to be making these sorts of trips all […]
Hollywood: Suppressors Still Go Bang
I’m quite forgiving when it comes to realism in movies — I don’t have to watch a one-for-one retelling of a firefight with perfect tactics and flawless uniforms in order to enjoy it. For starters, I realize that soldiers in real life make stupid mistakes all the time, and I realize that actors are not […]
Proficiency in combat: Getting good at the basics
You’ve seen it before time and time again — the YouTube videos of foreign Special Operations members drawing their weapons in non-traditional ways lightning fast, engaging two targets with rapid headshots from the hip, transitioning to a knife, stabbing another target in the chest. Well, you’ve probably seen some version of this — you know the types […]
Running: Everyone’s favorite form of exercise
No, running is not everyone’s favorite form of exercise. The mindless jarring forward with little-to-no reprieve can last fifteen, twenty or thirty minutes before a solid, worthwhile distance run is knocked out for the day. By the end, you’re out of breath, sweaty and, if you don’t eat quickly, feeling pretty weak. The exercise is […]
A brief history of bulletproof vests and armor
The evolution of the firearm is an interesting one — from the unknown Chinese origins of gunpowder, to the fire lance, and the slow development of handheld tubes that use gunpowder to force a projectile outward and into an enemy target. By the 1300s, what we consider guns today were well along in development, and […]
Popular music in times of war
What do you think of when you think of war music? Maybe you think of the civil war style snare drum with an accompanying trumpet, maybe you think of an orchestra of brass and strings that could be put to a war movie about brave soldiers in harrowing circumstances — there’s a good chance you think of […]
The American Dream in a foster kid turned Ranger
It’s not easy to become a U.S. Army Ranger. To be a successful Ranger, you need to have a strong sense of self, be physically fit and mentally strong. You have to be able to push yourself further than you imagined possible, and then you have grit your teeth and low crawl a little further. You are […]