A couple interesting stories: This one was 'reported' on TV, but I don't
think it was the news. A man and his wife had the mindset of always being
on the alert for the need to defend themselves against armed attack. One
day outta the blue came a couple guys on the freeway shootin at them for no
reason. They took the nearest off ramp, pulled into a gas station and took
up defensive positions behind the car just like they always 'trained'. They
ended up killing one and I think wounding the other.

This was also 'reported' on TV, in an interview months after the event. A
pilot was flying an airliner to Hawaii when suddenly the top of the
aircraft flew off unexpectedly (is there any other way?) One stewardess was
sucked out of the plane presumably to her death; I believe all others
survived. In the interview the pilot stated he had rehearsed just such an
incident repeatedly in his mind over a period of time to 'practice'
handling the plane under such conditions.

insert Twilight Zone music here



An acquaintance owns 60 acres, through which an easement passed in favor
of
the adjoining landowner. The adjoining landowner was one of those fellows
who might subscribe to the Rules for Gunfighting cited above. He was
always
well-dressed and well-spoken, and he always carried a .357. I had
spoken
on friendly terms often with him, but he was clearly one of those fellows
who "had a plan for killing everyone he met."

This fellow developed a running conflict with his other neighbor over
essentially nothing. One day he went to the other fellow's house and
began
to make some sort of dispute while the other fellow was working in the
yard
with a rake. In the ensuing altercation our fellow went for the gun in
his
jacket and the other fellow whopped him with the rake and grabbed him
around
the neck. The other fellow strangled him to death as he fired repeatedly
trying to hit the guy.

When I heard what had happened, I was not at all surprised. I considered
this both an entirely predictable outcome and the best outcome under the
circumstances. This fellow lived a life that flirted with someone's
violent
death, he created a situation wherein it was not reasonable for him to
use a
gun, and his intended victim killed him precisely because of his attempt
to
use that gun. Good day to him.