Author Archives: Michael Saad

Its not what you call yourself that defines you.

In modern society, it seems that all age-old descriptive titles have given way for more ‘civilized’ names. Because of political correctness, or some new-age way of correcting a long-time stereotype, things change – sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

• Bounty Hunters now conduct Fugitive Recovery or Bail Enforcement. 
• Stewardesses spent a time being called flight attendants, but have since become known as “Flight Crew”. 
• Secretaries are now known as Administrative Assistants.
• And, of course, bodyguards are now Executive Protection Specialists or Close Protection Officers.

To some, the term ‘bodyguard‘ projects an image of a 400 pound brute gate keeper, with virtually no concept of tactic or skill, other than that of hired-muscle. But, it is a term that everyone knows. The media uses it. People searching for security use it. And it’s what some clients use on a regular basis, particularly when searching for a new security provider or casually talking (executive protection specialist can be a bit much to just roll off the tongue in a casual conversation)

I often get questions like “Why do you still use that word?” and some even have the gall to question one’s professionalism because they use it. I was recently told of a comment from a guy wanting to get into the security industry – that said he would not work with someone that referred to themselves as a “bodyguard”, or join any association that used the term in their name.

I wonder, did the guy think his statement made him sound more professional, or more in-tune to the industry – possibly hoping his words would trigger someone to hire him because of his belief of what is the ‘right term’ to use? While some may think it to be an uncivilized term, it is still at the top of the current-day terms used to describe the profession, particularly in this Google-age.

While those in the know may search for “executive protection”, “close protection”, “personal security” or the like; chances are good that most search for “bodyguard”, “celebrity bodyguard”, “vip protection” or a variation to describe the service they want, not the ‘official’ title given by someone in the industry.

It’s not what one calls themselves that defines their professionalism, or their knowledge of the job they are tasked with… it’s the way they act, the way they work and, yes, the way they provide the service that they are tasked to perform.

5-Year-Old girl raps Nicki Minaj’s “Superbass”

This was great!

Application Processing

We have had several applicants say that the job listing part of our site doesn’t always work… We are currently working on new code to update it and make it easier (and much more simpler) to apply for jobs and upload your resume. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

UPDATE

The Jobs Code has been rewritten and tested on multiple platforms.

20 Passenger Ship Hijacked by Pirates

With the most recent hijacking of a ship en route to the Tanzanian port city of Dar es Salaam with 29 people on board, it stands to reason that its not gonna get any better anytime soon. Pirates from Somalia usually seize ships in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest waterways, but patrols by an international flotilla has only caused them to move their operations farther south.

The January 17-21 training course, provided by the Executive Protection Institute on International Protective Operations on a Caribbean Cruise, looks to provide training in a niche market. While it doesn’t necessarily cover a tactical approach to a pirate invasion – it will most definitely be a good investment for the bodyguard looking to expand his/her arsenal to more well-rounded capabilities.

Plus, its set on an actual cruise – so, you get a kind-sorta mini vacation out of the deal as well.

Learn more about the Advanced Program in International Protective Operations on a Caribbean Cruise

4 US Citizens Killed in Separate Mexico Attacks

Chihuahua state prosecutors’ spokesman Arturo Sandoval said Edgar Lopez, 35, of El Paso, Texas, was killed Sunday along with two Mexican men when gunmen opened fire on a group standing outside a house.

On Saturday, a 26-year-old U.S. woman and an American boy were slain shortly after crossing an international bridge from El Paso. Giovanna Herrera and Luis Araiza, 15, were shot to death along with a Mexican man traveling with them just after 11 a.m., Sandoval said.

Sandoval said authorities also identified a 24-year-old woman killed Friday inside a tortilla shop as Lorena Izaguirre, a U.S. citizen and El Paso resident. A Mexican man was also found dead in the store.

To read more, click here.

Terrorist Held in NY without Bail

Afghan Children

As part of the day-to-day observations I have around Afghanistan, the most notable being a lack of discouragment. Every day, a 10 year old is out on the street trying to make money – whether by hussling the ever-so-present american, or by pushing a cart up and down the street selling ice cream or other goodies. Being from a country with so much going against it – it might be easy for one to understandibly give up. I dont see that here. I see a most of the people doing the best they can, with what they have.

Whether that 10 year old actually is allowed to grow up, or whether he becomes the next casuality of war, or just collateral damage – or whether he becomes Taliban (if he’s not been indoctrinated already)… only time will tell, and I will never know.

What I do know – is these children, have no time or understanding – on how to be real children. They play soccer on the road side, but the common things that people take for granted – like not having to worry about becoming the next victim… are very much at the forefront of these Afghan children – but, still, they continue.

Katharine McPhee in Paparazzi Protection

Enough said…

Muscle Memory – yeah, it’s that important.

Most in the private security industry have seen the video of the 1972 attack on Imelda Marcos, wife of Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

On December 7, Carlito Dimahilig tried to stab her to death, but not only failed – was said to have been killed in the aftermath. This post, however, is not about the popular belief that this was a staged attack, to get sympathy votes for the unpopular president – its also not about the blatant tell-tale signs of the assassin moments before the attack that should have been addressed by her security (which is another post in itself) but rather to demonstrate the importance of muscle memory as it applies to everyday security concepts.

Philippine history is rich in combat arts, especially with weapons systems such as Arnis, Eskrima and Kali. Much like other martial art-rich cultures,  especially in the 1960s and 1970s, some young Filipino children have been raised and groomed in their family’s chosen art. These blade wielders are more like ceremonious dancers making eloquent sweeps back and forth, up and down, side to side to create a constant flow of energy and movement with their body and weapon. In addition, for those that were not privy to the martial way – knives played an integral part in their everyday lives.

It would stand to reason – that someone who grows up wanting to be an assassin would have at least become familiar with his instrument of death in an intimate way. And someone whose culture is rich with bladed weapons, would obviously choose to learn to use a blade before attempting to assassinate the wife of his country’s president.

The video below shows that, either this was not the case – that the attempted killer had just grabbed the knife from his mothers kitchen cabinet the morning of the incident – OR, everything he had learned in training went out the window during the most important event of his life and his motor skills resorted to the most basic form of less-than-fluid movements.

Muscle memory is everything. Whether its performing movement (like walking or breathing), or reloading an empty magazine without thinking about it, or striking an intended target with an elbow, open hand or forearm. If you have to rely on conscientiously thinking about something – under stress when it really matters – you will fail.

Train like you fight. Fight like you train.

Celebrity ‘encounters’ made easier… for some.

So, now there’s a website that tracks the whereabouts of your favorite (or, more importantly, maybe your not-so-favorite) celebrity. Originally, it had been developed in co-operation with Twitter and other social networking websites to collate news of 7,000 celebrities who advertise their activities through the internet. But last week, the twitster terminated the agreement.

How does it work? I’ll let AJ Asver, the founder, explain:

“We’re using technology to refresh a space that really hasn’t changed that much since TMZ and Perez Hilton moved in and started blogging. We’re able to aggregate and produce 100X more content that most of these sites but without having to hire a huge team of reporters.”

Asver has said that the site is about fans getting psychologically close to their idols rather than actually physically tracking them down:

“The information isn’t real-time enough for you to run over there and see them.”

What happens when this catches on, and more and more people start updating – to give play-by-play locations of where these folks are going -  where they are at – or where they have been? Or what their daily routine was, is and will be tomorrow and the next day?

By the way – I looked, but nobody has updated the site with Waldo’s location… yet.

Read more on this story.

Which browser?

Over the last year or so – Ive grown to basically detest Internet Explorer, preferring Firefox. The main reason – is for the same reason I get aggravated with Windows… it freezes up a lot, and refuses to show some pages correctly, if at all.

Its funny, because I used to dislike firefox, and prefer ie for that same reason – but it seems what ie lost, firefox found.

Anyway, I received this email tonight saying there was troubles with my sites in Opera:

Hey, I can’t view your site properly within Opera, I actually hope you look into fixing this.

I don’t know if it’s on a mac, or on windows – but I downloaded Opera to my Vaio – and I must say – I actually like the little browser. It’s lite. It’s clean. It’s fast. And, there was no troubles on my end.

They got the pics anyway.

Q: What do you get when you cross a tiger reserve, paparazzi and an angry bodyguard?

A: Better pictures.

Even though Russell Brand’s bodyguard punched the photogs, took their car keys and left them stranded in an area that “27 wild tigers roam freely”, along with leopards, wild boars, hyenas and sloth bears – they still got pics! And, even better ones by paparazzi standards.

Read the full story here.

Where to start.

I really don’t know the answer to that.

For several years, I have been told “you should keep a blog” but, given my choices for work (narcotics, private investigator, etc) my topics were always limited. I hate reading abstract views with no details, so I figured no one else would either.

I mean, reading that “suspect A” got tased isn’t half as good as reading that Joe Smith got tased because he decided to attack his wife in the Police Department lobby… but that’s just not practical. So in this new form of expression, I wont concentrate so much on work – but more so on the things I see around me, whether at work or elsewhere.

This isn’t really meant to be a Monday-morning quarterback forum – even though it may look that way at times… it’s just the way I see it. Some will like what I have to say, others may take offense. Its just my opinion. Take it or leave it.