Coffee with Alain

Coffee with Alain sharing a few tips to help make your travel more enjoyable and safe.

A Few Travel Safety Tips:

Do some research on where you are going, for overseas travel the U.S. State Department is a good place to look.

Enroll with the US Embassy or Consulate with STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program).

Keep emergency numbers available.

Have copies of important documents saved.

Keep valuables on you, or don't take them.

Be smart about rides.

Make sure your insurance covers you where you are traveling.

Pay Attention! Download the free ebooks and Situational Awareness videos from the Enjoy Life Safely website.

Coffee with Alain sharing some wisdom from Presidents Lincoln, Washington, and Reagan.

"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"

- Abraham Lincoln

"To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peach."

- George Washington

"What should happen when you make a mistake is this: you take your knocks, you learn your lessons, and then you move on."

- Ronald Reagan

"Because we are a great nation, our challenges seem complex. It will always be this way. But as long as we remember our first principles and believe in ourselves, the future will always be ours."

- Ronald Reagan

Coffee with Alain discussing 50th episode, turning 56, changes in Hapkido class, and taking times to reflect, plan, and ponder.

Will be working on the Disney projects, but they are a ways out...

Since Ridge Fitness (Formerly Gold's Gym) is closing, my Hapkido class of over 20 years there will be moving to Missoula Taekwondo. Looking forward to the new location and change.

Make sure you take time, birthday's are great, to ponder your successes, look back at failures (but don't beat yourself up over them), and look to where you are going. Make great things happen and enjoy life safely.

Coffee with Alain discussing experiences for enjoying life with a focus on the Olympics in Korea.

Get out an experience as much as you can. Collect experiences, not things.

When doing so, don't be the "Ugly American" if from America. Be a good guest wherever you are visiting.

Practice the safe habits I teach so you can experience more and do so safely.

Coffee with Alain discussing the third part of the Active Shooter Triangle - Attack Back. Part 3 of a 3 part series on Active Shooter Response.

Depending on your location, the environment you are in, and the location of the killer, there may be no option other than attacking back and stopping the killer.

It will be your attitude and mindset that are most important in this situation. Don't believe those who say, "The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," because it's not true. Unarmed good guys have stopped bad guys with guns. But you must have the right mindset and attitude to do it. You must be a survivor!

Use improvised weapons or anything you can. Improvised weapons are more of a mindset than an object as well. You can use just about anything. Just stop the killer and be a survivor.

Coffee with Alain discussing Deny, the second part of the Active Shooter Triangle. Part 2 in a 3 part series this week.

Denying access to you is a survival strategy for active killers. If you can lock a door, barricade a door, or do something else so the killer can't get to you, you can stay safe.

You must also have a good communication system to notify people to lock down when something happens.

Once you have denied access to you, don't stop. Continue to improve your position, escape from another exit, or prepare to defend yourself if the door is breached.

Coffee with Alain discussing active shooter response and the escape option of the Active Shooter Triangle.

The Active Shooter Triangle: Escape, Deny and Attack Back. The option you choose will be determined by you, your location, the location of the killer, and the environment.

Escape:

If you have an escape route and opportunity it is a good survival action. But if not, one of the other options may be better or necessary.

Escaping may be crawling, going out a window, etc. Not always running.

If you run, run straight, not zig zag.

Use cover and concealment as you are escaping.

Slice the pie and leap frog when appropriate.

Coffee with Alain discussing the virtues of Tramp on Valentine's Day, and also mentioning the killing at Michigan State yesterday. Tomorrow will be the start of a three part series on Active Killers/Active Shooters.

Tramp was independent, caring, romantic, fun loving, and a protector, all good qualities for us to incorporate into our own lives.

I've been a fan of Tramp since the first time I saw the movie as a little kid. Tramp was cool, fun loving and independent. He could be romantic (remember the spaghetti scene), but he was also tough and courageous when he had to be. So yes, be like Tramp!

Coffee with Alain shares a story, The Strawberry, and discusses intuition and your safety.

All of us need to take a moment and enjoy the strawberries of life, regardless of what is in our past, what may be in our future, and the little troubles of today. Live in the present and enjoy those moments you can. Enjoy them safely.

Pay attention to your gut feelings, or intuition. You have these feelings for a reason, and they can help keep you safe along with your knowledge, education, training and preparation.

Coffee with Alain discussing the Superbowl and enjoying your celebration safely. Go Eagles! (Hey, My daughter lives in Philly.)

Enjoy the game or whatever else you are doing today.

Practice safe habits such as washing your hands, not touching other's food, or double dipping in community dips. Stay healthy and help keep others healthy too.

Don't drink and drive. Have a designated driver or use a taxi, uber, or lyft.

Be smart. Have a fantastic day and just stay safe doing it, and watch out for your friends and help keep them safe too. Be extra nice to those who are working and helping you have fun today. Tip well so they can have some fun when their shift is over.

Go Eagles!