Southwest PA Self-defense Network Blog

 These are some great, quick reads for when their intuition was kicking off.  40+ Times People's Spidey Senses Ended Up Being True Article was originally published on our site 5dwallpaper.com Have you ever had a gut instinct that something bad was about to happen? Intuitions are powerful things and they can happen to anyone at any time, especially when you least expect it. While most of the time we completely ignore them until it's too late, these people took to Reddit to share times they listened to their intuitions and it ended up saving lives. You won't believe these amazing stories. Life Saving Call U/Donutsareagirlsbff: "When I was 19 I was walking home at midnight from a tram stop and I got the feeling I should pretend I was on the phone. A minute after doing so a car pulls up next to me on the empty road. It's four guys all leering at me, the one in the passenger side starts saying things…and his tone is predatory. I try to keep it cool…and start telling my ...

The Killer Across the Table Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI's original MINDHUNTER by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker c 2019;Pg 340   I never thought I’d say this about the subject of serial killers but this book was boring. Boring and tedious.   They highlight a bad guy, who was raised terrible, who terrorized and kills people, is caught and then is analyzed. This book highlights 4 killers that the author was called in to assist in analyzing and giving opinion and while doing so brings up other cases that he’s worked on.   For those people that are obsessed with all things John Douglas and forensic psychology and serial killers, this is a good read.   However, it’s repetitive from his other books. The 4 killers he reviews are Joseph McGowan, a high school chemistry teaching who kidnapped, raped and beat a 7 year old neighbor girl. Joseph Kondro who molested victims and killed two people. Donald Harvey who was an angel of death, a n...

This question was posted in Quora and is the same style question that makes the rounds about once a month. Someone, sometimes outside the United States, lays down the philosophical gauntlet  of the burglars life versus  property.   The thinking goes along something like this:  A burglar is breaking into your house ( and the question clearly indicates you are home at the time ) to steal your stuff for whatever need or addiction they have and you the homeowner in an attempt to stop the stealing, shoot them and thus taking their life. The further thinking is, if you had just let them take the stuff and leave or just give them a warning to scare them off you wouldn't have chosen toT shoot them. At the moment of stealing your stuff, they weren't attacking you...just your laptop ( or whatever) and that doesn't rise to the level of ending their life.  This line of thinking fails in two directions. 1.  When the bad guy enters your home you don't know what his ...

 After watching another episode of Criminal Minds, this one involving a mentally unbalanced, 20 something incest and abuse survivor who was killing suitors that turned out to be less than perfect, I had to comment.  In the show, the FBI shows up while the girl has a pair of gardening shears in her hand, is about to stab another victim who is already bleeding from a head wound and the FBI ( Reed ) talks her out of a violent act by engaging in her delusion.  She willingly gets in the vehicle and off they go... I've seen this before as I'm sure you have.  In the movies or TV shows, the bad guy is about to engage in a violent act which would potentially kill the person they're involved with whether it's a stabbing or shooting.  This is not a potential or possible or imminent threat, but an active threat, that's about to happen.  The law enforcement personal will then yell " Drop the gun/knife" several times, will try to talk them into giving up or surrendering...

 I Will Find You  by Joanna Connors  c2016, 255 pages This book evokes several descriptive terms, such as provocative, disturbing, annoying, none of which paint a  complete picture of this book which accounts a horrible event.   The book tells the story of Joanna Connors, a 30 year old reporter who in 1984 is the victim of a sexual assault by a stranger  and on the surface is a clear and unflinching look at her assault. The book goes into detail about the assault, the immediate psychological aftermath, the capture, the legal issues, the trial, the response of family, her attitudes, thoughts, and feelings.  She approaches things from a reporter’s agenda but with interpersonal thoughts and first person experience woven into the story. I say on the surface because the book recounts something deeper, she is looking to gain information about her attacker because as she says on page 27 " I needed to make sense of my rape." and " I wanted this random...

 Criminal Justice - Many pieces, one big wheel Eh, maybe not so fine after all.  Criminal justice in our society is composed of several parts. 1. Public opinion - this what the average citizen thinks and feels about crime, criminals, punishment and justice. They, the public, are responsible for putting into power politicians who will make decisions on their behalf.  Public opinion has changed where citizens are voting to allow for criminal behavior to not be punished.  Laws are then enacted to reflect what the citizenry want.  For example, no jail time for thefts under $1000 or no cash bail where the bad guy is allowed to walk with the promise of returning on their own.  2. Laws- created, designed and put in place by the politicians doing the will of the people.  Laws are crafted with good intentions but often fail because of the one size fits all attitude.  Laws don't always allow for the nuances of real life. 3. Police - the active teeth of thos...

  Review of Africa Samurai: the True story of Yasuke, A legendary Black Warrior in Fedual Japan By Thomas Lockley and Geoffrey Girard c. 2019; 380 Pages This was an amazing book. It detailed the true story of a African borne warrior named Yasuke who rose up through various positions in Japanese society around 1579, eventually being granted title of Samurai and allowed two swords. The story is supposed to be historically accurate while being entertaining similar to historical dramas.  A lot of understanding of Japanese culture and background was needed to flesh out the parts that were historically silent but the author did a good job of what would likely have happened. Yasuke was a kidnapped African sold into the slave trade but eventually ended being a valued body guard and warrior for whatever general or lord he was serving under.  He fought often and early in India eventually coming to the guard services for a Catholic regional manager with the Jesuits. The J...