If you’ve ever had a basic science course, you probably covered Sir Isaac Newton’s “Three Law’s of Motion.” Written in the late 1600’s, the first law states that any object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an outside force is applied to it.
This idea actually came from some earlier work by the astronomer Galileo, and is also called the “Law of Inertia.” What’s interesting is that the same law can also apply to things that are standing still. So an object that is standing still will remain that way unless also acted on by an outside force.
Galileo was trying to explain the movement of the cosmos. Newton realized that things as large as planets not only their own gravity possessed gravity (the apple falling), but were also affected by gravity (our orbit around the sun). His second law (Force = Mass x Acceleration) provided the basis for the math calculations that allowed scientists to predict orbits and understand our relationship with the sun.
Concealed Carry: Train Safe; Train Often
Posted: January 20, 2016
With all the things we’ve seen in the news in recent years, and even the last month, more people are thinking about getting their Concealed Carry License. I don’t disagree with this idea. But as a firearms instructor, I do have some ideas about how people should go about it.
Before we talk about training, let me state that I definitely believe in our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, and not just muskets, either. The original idea was that people should be able to protect themselves from brigands, and a tyrannical government. You may recall they were a bit sensitive to tyranny back then.
This idea wasn’t just for them. It’s for us too. You can’t pick and choose what part of the Constitution you leave behind. The Constitution still protects us, and so does the Second Amendment. Since brigands are better armed these days, we need to be also. Certainly, criminals don’t care if they’re breaking the law; just read the court report every week.
Take the Right Road
Posted: January 15, 2016
So many times, we go down a road we shouldn’t. We watch that show that we know is too violent. We entertain a thought that we know we should flee from. We grab that bag of ____________ (fill in the blank) and just keep on eating.
We know going in, that going down that road is going to result in nothing good. But still we do it. Why is the pull so strong that even knowing better, we jump in anyway? For what reason do we willingly give up our reason, and knowingly participate in our own destruction?
Ok, that one sounds over the top. But who doesn’t know smoking causes cancer? Who is unaware that obesity carries heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other problems with it? Who doesn’t know that a simple flirty conversation can lead to something more?
Action Is Required
Posted: January 13, 2016
So you have big dreams. You’ve made your New Year’s resolutions. You’ve smartly turned them into SMART goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. What now?
This is where things sometimes begin to falter. You can have a great goal. You can have everything mapped out. You can have your target all lined up. But at some point, you have to take the shot. You have to pull the trigger on it. You have to take action.
Dreams are pretty nebulous. While goals are more concrete, without action they quickly revert back to dreams. Your first action step has the power to launch a project, but nothing will kill it quicker than inaction. Even desire begins to wane, when you don’t take action.
S.M.A.R.T. Goals in 2016
Posted: January 06, 2016
Every year around this time, I like to review my goals for the new year. Resolutions are fine, important even, but for them to become a reality, they need to become real goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals.
S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym made up of the first letter from five different, things that make your goals much more likely to happen. If you have S.M.A.R.T. goals, more often than not, you’re going to to be successful.
S. stands for Specific. If your goals are too general, they’re really more ideas then they are goals. The trick is to be very specific about what you want to do. Rather than say you want to lose weight, say, “My goal is to lose 20 pounds.” You can even be more specific than that: “I want to lose 2 pounds a week for the next 10 weeks.”