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What is the best way to simulate ‘stress shooting?’
Mike Ox Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityI got a great question recently: What is the best way to simulate "stress shooting?" It’s an important question, and one that most people get wrong. When most people think of stress shooting, they think of trying to shoot in high stress shooting conditions that are usually overwhelming. Force on force; a dark range with flashing lights and heavy metal or screaming; immersive scenarios and/or time constraints that are beyond the shooter’s ability. This type of training does not help shooters improve quickly…it mainly serves to highlight shortcomings and gets the shooter to focus on what not to do.
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Who are the worst password offenders?
Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIt appears that we won’t have fond memories of 2020. From COVID-19 to a very long and contentious election cycle, it was a terrible year. But, while most people were just trying to hang on, it was business as usual for cybercriminals who are nothing if not opportunists. And last year provided plenty of opportunities for hackers to take advantage of poor cybersecurity practices. Dashlane recently announced its annual list of the worst password offenders of 2020. The top 10 list — the worst of the worst — reads as follows.
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World’s first African American music museum opens in Nashville
Dave G. Houser Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementThe world’s first and only institution dedicated to preserving and celebrating African American music opened to the public Jan. 30, 2021, in Nashville. Tennessee’s capital city has long attracted visitors to its throng of neon-lit honky-tonks, live music venues and songwriter’s cafes — and now "Music City," as it is popularly known, is home to a monumental new attraction for music lovers — the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM).
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Is the BMW M440i the best possible coupe?
David Newton Transportation Technology & AutomotiveSeveral months ago, I asked myself this question — is the 2021 BMW M440i the best coupe for the money? I was in the market to replace my warranty-expiring 718 Cayman, and I had to be able to at least pretend the replacement was worth the tradeoff regarding performance, comfort and a great design. Now before you brand me a lunatic, I am aware these two cars are in somewhat different solar systems. But that was actually the point when I flipped the Cayman, our Honda HRV and a small chunk of savings for this surprisingly delightful sports coupe. I wanted the best blend of features in a single vehicle.
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CES 2021: The year of staying home with gadgets
Lark Gould Science & TechnologyAs CES 2021 rolled out, it was not in Las Vegas. In fact, it was not anywhere in particular this year after more than a half-century of taking over the neon gaming mecca for four days of immersion in a veritable ocean of newfangled stuff and portentous technology. It was online-only and navigated through a tornado of tech talks and virtual kiosks. Still, there was news, analysis and plenty to talk about this year as the coronavirus continues to rage and a new administration takes over and changes some key commerce and trade policies.
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Is your gun training perturbing enough?
Mike Ox Law Enforcement, Defense & Security"I’m very perturbed about that" was a relatively common saying when I was growing up. Today, when you say it, it elicits reminiscent smiles from those old enough to remember and confused scrunchy faces from most 20-somethings. But did you know that perturbation is vital for effective self-defense firearms training? How quickly we’re able to restabilize our balance, our vision, and our aim after being perturbed are some of the biggest differences between sterile range training and resilient self-defense training.
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What to see and do in America’s newest national park
Dave G. Houser Recreation & LeisureHidden away in the COVID-19 stimulus package passed by Congress on Dec. 27, 2020, was a pleasing bit of "pork" that resulted in the designation of the nation’s 63rd and newest national park — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Situated in southeastern West Virginia, this rugged 73,000 acre stretch of Appalachian canyon land, coursed by the roaring New, Gauley and Bluestone rivers, has long been a world-class hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking and whitewater rafting destination. It was recognized as far back as 1978 as a national river based on its natural beauty and recreational features.
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Private jet travel: 2021 to be the year private flying takes off
Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event Management2020 was a banner year for private jet travel. And given the unabating proliferation of new virus outbreaks and mutations, it is likely that 2021 will not see those statistics moving backwards. While airlines see passenger counts off by more than half, private flights are running at 90% of normal — or what they were in what is now tabbed as "pre-pandemic times." Corporates are increasingly flying entire teams to multiple locations around the world to ensure business continuity, according to industry research from Private Jet Card Comparisons showing that 31% of U.S. companies are expanding their use of private aviation for business trips.
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Buying a new car in a COVID environment
David Newton Transportation Technology & AutomotiveIf you appreciate an interesting predicament (or read my earlier article), I have been struggling with what to do when the warranty expires on my 2017 718 Cayman in July. I can’t possibly chance an uncovered Porsche, as the potential consequences can be fiscally catastrophic. So, I’ve been accustomed to flipping for a new one when it gets too close. I’ve been leaning strongly toward the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 — with that insanely delightful flat-six powerhouse producing nearly 400 ponies. I was raised on muscle cars, so I was also intrigued by the release of the mid-engine Corvette C8. And it wasn’t long before I was obsessed. But only one of these beauties could fit in my garage, or in my wallet. Well, that all went sideways when the coronavirus arrived.
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Are you training too much at one time?
Mike Ox Recreation & LeisureThere’s a natural assumption that if you want to get better at a skill, you should spend hours every day practicing it. After all, we hear stories all the time about the best athletes in the world showing up an hour or two early for practice and being the best because they simply outwork everyone else. But pros train different aspects of their skill than ordinary people. Pros are able to spend so much time practicing because they’ve already mastered the fundamentals. From a shooting perspective, when you push yourself too much mentally or physically while you’re trying to learn a skill, you’re not going to have as much mental bandwidth available for the actual skill.
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