How to stab someone with your rifle like a Marine

The technique of using a bayonet is a somewhat lost art out of military circles, probably for the obvious reason that it’s a bit impractical for civilians. That being said, I’m going to teach you anyway because it’s cool and who knows? There could be some cross relevance to it in relation to close quarters […]

Top Five Must Watch Films for Independence Day

Happy 4th of July to all of our readers out there. In honor of our Independence Day and the fact the weather is calling for a continuation of the heat wave that is consuming the Northeast with temps in the mid-to-high 90s with the heat index of well over 100 degrees, I plan on being […]

Midlife cardio, depression and heart disease

It’s no secret that heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, by quite a significant margin. According to the CDC, Heart disease killed 633,842 people in 2015, and cancer came in second at 595,930 deaths. The next was a significant drop — 155,041 deaths due to chronic lower respiratory diseases. That’s […]

The proximity of history

By the time you’re 25 years old, roughly one-third of the people who were alive when you were born are dead. By the time you’re 50, about two-thirds of everyone on the planet who were alive when you were born are dead. The earth’s turn-over rate is quite something. Things have always happened fast — […]

‘On the Waterfront’ — Pigeons, hawks and something more

“You know this city’s full of hawks? That’s a fact. They hang around on the top of the big hotels. And they spot a pigeon in the park. Right down on him.” — Terry, from Elia Kazan’s “On the Waterfront.” If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t spoil it here — watch it first, then come […]

Movies about the world we can’t quite see

Escapism has always been popular in literature and fiction, but our society seems to have a particular fixation on two forms of it. The first is the “Other World” — where we live in the regular, boring world of day-to-day life, only to find that we are neighbors to a fantastical world, fraught with danger, […]

The most useful skill of all

When you’re learning how to hold your own in combat, there are all sorts of things you need to know. The practical skills come to mind first — how to shoot, how to change magazines and reload, how to react to contact, how to operate various military vehicles, how to conduct effective first aid — […]

‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ — A far cry from civilization

If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t spoil it here — watch it first, then come back. “Once Upon a Time in the West” is a classic film by Sergio Leone, made in 1968. It stars Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson and Jason Robards. The music is masterfully composed by Ennio Morricone, and the score […]

Instilling discipline into a modern, fractured mind

It’s no secret that the modern world is trying to rip our brains apart into a million tiny pieces, pulling it from one distraction to the other. Sure, there are some ill-intentioned CEOs out there running many of these companies whose aim it is to engage our minds, but if we’re being honest with ourselves, […]

’12 Angry Men’ and critical reflections

If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t spoil it here — watch it first, then come back. “12 Angry Men” is a classic film that gets played in schools, universities and is referenced in articles regarding argument, the death penalty, our justice system, and/or race and class. Part of its fame is rooted in the […]

Into a world of simplicity

You awaken to the sound of your customized morning alarm. You grab your phone, peering inside the object in your palm — a window into a world of lights and motion. Icons decorate the top bar, hearts and like symbols display a connection to another person for less than a fraction of a second. An […]

The American Road: Small towns steeped in history

Vestal, New York: it’s a relatively small town in rural New York state, near the border of Pennsylvania and just under a four hour drive to New York City. The town houses around 28,000 people, has pristine neighborhoods, a couple of run-down ones and everything it between. It’s littered with grocery stores and gas stations […]