So J. Kb. “had a feeling” about talking about the benefits of security cameras which roughly translated means: “Yo! Your turn to add something to the conversation.”

I was told a story when I was a kid about the Great wall of China. Supposedly it was indeed impregnable and many lives of enemies were lost trying to defeat it.  Its effectiveness eventually collapsed when the enemy prodded and found the common failure of all security systems: The human factor. Guards at one of the gates were bribed and the wall was breached.

We are animals with deeply ingrained curiosity and the need to find answers. While most animals run away at some sudden noise, we concentrate our attention to what caused it and seek to find out an answer.  I am not saying it is a dangerous thing to do, but we have other ways to achieve the same results in a safer manner: surveillance cameras. I have spoken about that at a length, so I am not going to repeat it.

The question now is: If you have gone and installed security cameras and even a doorbell camera, why do you need to breach you own perimeter if something looks/sounds fishy? Use the tools you spent and make sure there is nothing outside your perimeter that can kill you.

This is my Mail Lady. She has been in our area for decades and she is as sweet as she can be. She came to deliver a registered letter but even though I knew her, I did not open my door till I made sure it was her and only her.  My perimeter was opened because there was no detected or presumed danger.

If somebody I don’t know knocks my door  or I have people making  racket outside at night, I no longer need to try to gather info via the peephole  or crack open the door to gather info: The camera does it for me and either gives me peace of mind or the chance to elevate the DEFCON and prepare accordingly.

So yes, get at least a doorbell camera and keep your perimeter security intact

Usually when we say “play stupid games, win stupid prizes” we are sarcastically referring to a criminal or person engaged in malicious activity getting their comeuppance somewhat instantly.

Sometimes, however, good people play stupid games as well and they prizes they win are tragic.

Florida man fatally shoots son-in-law who was trying to surprise him for his birthday
The incident was “a horrible accident that should have never happened,” the Santa Rosa County sheriff said.

A Florida man who shot and killed his son-in-law who jumped out of a bush to surprise him for his birthday will not face criminal charges, authorities said.

Christopher Bergan, 37, had arrived in Florida from Norway on Tuesday night to surprise his wife’s father, Richard Dennis, 61, Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said at a news conference Thursday.

The sheriff called the shooting “totally accidental,” saying it was preceded by an unrelated incident at about 9:30 p.m. that night when a relative banged on Dennis’ front door. The banging startled Dennis, who went outside and ran the person off, the sheriff said.

About two hours later, Bergan arrived at the home in Gulf Breeze outside of Pensacola to surprise his father-in-law, according to the sheriff.

“At 11:30, Mr. Dennis hears the same type of banging on the back door that he heard on the front door earlier,” the sheriff said. “So he turns on the back porch light, he steps out and Mr. Bergan jumps out of the shadows, scaring Mr. Dennis.”

Bergan made a growling sound when he jumped out of the bushes, the sheriff said, citing a police report.

Dennis fired one round and struck Bergan, killing him instantly, according to the sheriff.

“Our investigation has revealed that this was totally accidental, it was a really sad occurrence, and that no charges are warranted in this case,” Sheriff Johnson said.

After the shots were fired, Dennis immediately called 911 and started first aid, the sheriff said, adding that when deputies arrived to the scene, there were towels on Bergan and attempts had been made to stop the bleeding.

The incident was “a horrible accident that should have never happened,” Johnson said. “I can’t imagine what they’re going through,” he said of the family.

This is just horrible.

The son-in-law clearly thought that he was playing a joke on his father-in-law, but in the United States, especially a state like Florida (because of the number of gun owners) banging on the back door and then jumping out of the bushes is just stupid.

Maybe, the son-in-law being from Norway didn’t think that the homeowner would check out what goes bump in the night at 11:30 PM armed with a pistol, but in the US, that is common.

Yes, I am aware of the 4th rule of gun safety “Be certain of your target, your line of fire, and what lies beyond your target.”  But this situation, had it been a home invader, not the son-in-law would have been a textbook quick reaction self-defense shoot.

It’s especially sad that the father-in-law did try to save his son-in-law’s life with first aid and failed.

The only slightly silver lining to this is that the police are not charging the father-in-law because everything pointed to it being an otherwise “good” (lawful) shoot.

I like pranks as much as the next person, but this kind of prank is stupid.

I have a feeling Miguel might want to follow this post up with something about the benefits of security cameras and checking on who is banning on your door close to midnight from safety over the WiFi.

I believe we never gave her the proper respect as a singer as she should had when she came out. She was cute and dressed outrageously but so were many other is in the Era of King MTV. She got lost among many One Hit Wonders and that is a crying shame.

J. Kb.’s post reminded me I had not checked lately where do we stand in Florida lately about permits.  Since June of this year, we have added 40,832 new licenses.

This ws the count that came out in June, 2019.

Till September 2019.

It is about 10 thousand a month, so maybe we get another 30K to the count for the year.

Not too shabby.

Remember my post from last month about the group of super-predators, as per Hillary Clinton’s nomenclature, in Minneapolis who were attacking people for their cellphones and beating them up?

Despite some arrests, this is continuing.

‘You Have To Be Alert Constantly’: Community In Shock After Man In Wheelchair Robbed On LRT

Nothing to see here.

Just a pair of Eagle Scouts on their way to lead a church youth service, liberating a handicap old man of his cellphone.

Two 14-year-old boys are suspected of attacking a man in a wheelchair and robbing him on a light rail platform near the state Capitol.

The incident happened Sunday, Aug. 25 at 4:30 in the afternoon. The video shows the two boys on bicycles approach the man, eventually knocking him over and stealing what appears to be his cell phone.

The man was sitting in his wheelchair on the eastbound platform when the attack happened.

From two different angles, the two teens are seen harassing the man. He tries to hide his phone, but they continue to go after it, eventually grabbing it and knocking him backward before taking off.

Again, I’m going to refer you to an older post, one about a video from BBC Three on moped crime.

When you are on a public street, put away your damn cellphone.  It’s hard, I know, trust me.  But nose down in your phone, not paying attention makes you vulnerable and shows off that $900 piece of technology you have.  To a thief, holding a new cellphone in your hand is like holding a fat stack of bills.  It’s something they just want to grab out of your hands and run away with.

Put it away.

Also, these youths are pretty vicious to attack a man in a wheelchair.

It might be a bad idea to shoot a 14-year-old, but a face full of mace from a guy in a wheelchair seems like a reasonable idea.