Charlie Chaplin Movie Speech

From the 1940 film The Great Dictator written, directed and starred in by the legendary American actor himself.

The Moscow Rules

Supposedly, the CIA laid down this set of unwritten rules to guide their agents/operatives during the height of the Cold War. It's considered as the commandments of tradecraft. 

I'm certainly not an American spy, and I suppose neither are the the majority of those who come across this blog. There are things though that we could adapt in our daily life in terms of personal protection and security.   

There is no definite number for the doctrine. International Spy Museum in the US lists 10 Rules:

1. Assume nothing.
2. Never go against your gut.
3. Everyone is potentially under opposition control.
4. Don't look back; you are never completely alone.
5. Go with the flow, blend in.
6. Vary your pattern and stay within your cover.
7. Lull them into a sense of complacency.
8. Don't harass the opposition.
9. Pick the time and place for action.
10. Keep your options open.

Besides another version listing 13 items, there is a much longer and comprehensive set since some things were added or modified over time: 

1. Assume nothing.
2. Technology will always let you down.
3. Murphy is right.
4. Never go against your gut.
5. Always listen to your gut; it is your operational antennae.
6. Everyone is potentially under opposition control.
7. Don’t look back; you are never completely alone. Use your gut.
8. Go with the flow; use the terrain.
9. Take the natural break of traffic.
10. Maintain a natural pace.
11. Establish a distinctive and dynamic profile and pattern.
12. Stay consistent over time.
13. Vary your pattern and stay within your profile.
14. Be non threatening: keep them relaxed; mesmerize!
15. Lull them into a sense of complacency.
16. Know the opposition and their terrain intimately.
17. Build in opportunity but use it sparingly.
18. Don’t harass the opposition.
19. Make sure they can anticipate your destination.
20. Pick the time and place for action.
21. Any operation can be aborted; if it feels wrong, then it is wrong.
22. Keep your options open.
23. If your gut says to act, overwhelm their senses.
24. Use misdirection, illusion, and deception.
25. Hide small operative motions in larger non threatening motions.
26. Float like a butterfly; sting like bee.
27. When free, In Obscura, immediately change direction and leave the area.
28. Break your trail and blend into the local scene.
29. Execute a surveillance detection run designed to draw them out over time.
30. Once is an accident; twice is a coincidence; three times is an enemy action.
31. Avoid static lookouts; stay away from chokepoints where they can reacquire you.
32. Select a meeting site so you can overlook the scene.
33. Keep any asset separated from you by time and distance until it is time.
34. If the asset has surveillance, then the operation has gone bad.
35. Only approach the site when you are sure it is clean.
36. After the meeting or act is done, “close the loop” at a logical cover destination.
37. Be aware of surveillance’s time tolerance so they aren’t forced to raise an alert.
38. If an alert is issued, they must pay a price and so must you.
39. Let them believe they lost you; act innocent.
40. There is no limit to a human being’s ability to rationalize the truth.

Since you're not James Bond/Jason Bourne or even Mata Hari, how can you apply them in your life?

Bottomline: keep everything low and simple, including YOU! 

The 5 Worst Photos To Post Online

I posted something similar HERE. This latest entry though expands on it, specifically the dangers of friendly fraud (i.e. - friends, even family or anyone familiar taking advantage of your personal information). The rest are simple common sense measures that needs revisiting from time to time.

Click THIS.

The Asian Squat

 

Millions of folks here in Asia do it, and it's not just for doing #2 mind you. It's an evolved utilitarian default position. Apes do it, birds perched-up on a branch are great at it too.

 

Sadly though, as cultures and societies change, more "modern" people are less accustomed to doing it, including me! But that's going to change. It's a simple workout of sorts for everything chest down. Try to hold it as long as you can. Don't forget to breath fully afterwards.  

Click HERE to see this short and funny film clip on the mechanics of the Asian squat. 

Giant Croc Captured!

(Photo from the AP)

While it may be true that the Burundi native "Gustave" is mentioned with notoriety as probably being the most successful and long-lived animal serial killer, frankly one can't sort out which is fact, hearsay and folklore. Is it even still alive?  

Reptile-wise, besides the recently discovered bitatawa monitor lizard species sometime back, we Pinoys have one more thing we can tell the world about. This 21-foot salt water croc captured in Agusan del Sur has been in the news for the past couple of days. Of course taking advantage of the hubbub, local officials have kept it and made it into an attraction of sorts. That's a lot of boots and handbags huh?

There's local talk though that it may have a mate: an equally big or even be bigger female. Frankly again, that's jumping the gun a bit and just more talk adding to the excitement of the moment.

That being said though, I think I wouldn't be going in the water anywhere near those parts any time soon!