The gunfight and the epiphany

The gunfight and the epiphany

I shouted for him to exit the vehicle with his hands visible, my arms locked out in an extended position with a death grip on my Glock 17. I had at least half a magazine left in it by my guesstimation. My stance was wide and low, ready for a fight as the adrenaline surged […]

Backflipping FBI agent that shot bystander cleared to carry firearm again by judge

Backflipping FBI agent that shot bystander cleared to carry firearm again by judge

Early last month, footage surfaced on social media showing 29-year-old FBI agent Chase Bishop dancing in a crowded bar in Denver, Colorado, finishing his display with a backflip that saw his firearm fall from its holster and land on the floor. The agent quickly went to recover his weapon, pulling the trigger of the pistol […]

Singapore: A (former) Rabble In Arms

Singapore: A (former) Rabble In Arms

“Rabble we may be, but we are now a rabble in arms…” (The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress) This is part two, read part one here. In 1965 Singapore was tossed out into the cold by Malaysia. Few countries get their independence in such a fashion. They were on their own in a very bad […]

‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’ — The complexities of modern war

‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’ — The complexities of modern war

If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t spoil it here — watch it first, then come back. When I heard that “Sicario” was getting a sequel, my first question was “why?” The first film was great, but was a sequel really necessary? “Sicario” had a pretty definitive beginning, middle, and end and was certainly not […]

‘The Wild Bunch’: an epic western

‘The Wild Bunch’: an epic western

The Western movie genre is one that I enjoy a great deal. When I saw Luke Ryan’s article about “The Magnificent Seven” I thought I’d write one about of my favorite film in the genre. The film in question is the polar opposite of the adaptation of “Seven Samurai” by Akira Kurosawa, “The Magnificent Seven,” […]

Tattoos: Branding victims of human trafficking

Tattoos: Branding victims of human trafficking

Human beings have used markings to denote ownership since before written language. They still use it on livestock, like a brand or a tag on cattle. Unfortunately, they have historically done this to other human beings as well — sometimes it’s in the form of brands or scarring, sometimes it’s in the form of tattoos. […]

Myanmar: Reporters charged with violating the Official Secrets Act move to trial

Myanmar: Reporters charged with violating the Official Secrets Act move to trial

In December 2017, two Reuters journalists were arrested in Myanmar/Burma, by the names of Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo. They had been reporting on the violence in Rakhine State in regards to the violence against the Rohingya. The story they were specifically working on was of a mass grave where 10 Rohingya men […]

Opinion: Human trafficking is a reoccurring crime, not an epidemic

Opinion: Human trafficking is a reoccurring crime, not an epidemic

Many headlines, articles and even conversations in regards to human trafficking refer to it as if it’s some sort of epidemic. It’s a problem that each country struggles with, even nations like the United States. It happens in cities and towns and everywhere in between. It’s probably happening in the nearest small town and nearest […]

Historians, analysts, journalists and storytellers

Historians, analysts, journalists and storytellers

Before the 9/11 the studies on “terrorism” remained confined among a small group of academics who mostly investigated motives and connections with the superpowers ideology and the Cold War. Already in the 1970s there were few University or private institutes operating in the sector, both at the service of some government or independent, who addressed […]

A guide to front companies through the lens of Breaking Bad

A guide to front companies through the lens of Breaking Bad

By now anyone who reads these articles knows that money laundering is the process of taking money from criminal activity and cleaning it up to look like fresh and clean taxable income. Additionally the fact that if a drug dealer or would be terrorist walks into the bank with a suitcase full of cash sets […]