April 28, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"ANTIFA: UNWITTING Pawns of the ESTABLISHMENT"

Black Pigeon Speaks (9 min.)

Firearms/Self-Defense/Prepping:

• TGIF: Active Response Training has another Weekend Knowledge Dump posted, including an article by yours truly (thank you, Greg!). Lots of good articles, as always. One you might want to check out in particular, however--especially in light of the recent opinion letter from the ATF reversing its position that shouldering an arm support converts an AR pistol into an SBR--is an article from Imminent Threat Solutions entitled "Considering Building an AR-15 Pistol? Here’s the 411."
• "Trauma patients may benefit from ice bag on face after blood loss"--UPI. From the article:

       Cooling the face of an accident victim who has lost a lot of blood may help prevent a life-threatening drop in blood pressure, according to preliminary research.

       The researchers said first responders could apply an ice bag to the face of trauma victims to help ensure that their heart, brain and other vital organs continue to receive adequate oxygen. Sudden drop in blood pressure -- known as cardiovascular decompensation -- is a major risk after blood loss. And it's even a danger after the patient is no longer bleeding, the researchers added.

       "We think that this technique could be used by first responders or combat medics on the battlefield to give additional time for transportation or evacuation," study leader Blair Johnson said in an American Physiological Society news release. Johnson is assistant professor at the University at Buffalo's department of exercise and nutrition sciences.

       The researchers stressed that the cooling should only be used after a tourniquet or direct pressure is applied. That's because boosting blood pressure while a patient is bleeding could worsen blood loss.

• "Chip McCormick Railed Power Mags"--The Firearms Blog. If you shoot .45 ACP 1911 style pistols, you undoubtedly have seen, heard about, or used the Chip McCormick magazines. They are great magazines and, I believe, one of the first (at least, first reliable) magazines for the 1911 that stuffed 8 rounds into the same space as had previously only held 7. He has a new design out that uses feed lips of a rolled/folded steel, and claims that it makes the feed lips twice as strong as regular feed lips, and will provide twice the service life.
• As good as a .30-30 for taking deer? "The .357 Magnum Carbine, Perfected"--The Six Gun Journal. The article mostly is about the author discovering the joys of shooting a lever-action .357 Magnum and his work to bring a Rossi Model 92 up to snuff (the author complains about the rear sight, but I would point out that Steve's Gunz offers a peep sight that replaces the safety lever on the top of the bolt and, if using the rounded barrel rather than octagonal barrel, you can order a rail attachment from Rossi for scope or red dot). However, what caught my attention was the comments on the performance of the round out of the carbine barrel:

       In 20” barrels, the 30-30 is capable of making clean kills on deer to around 200 yards. I’ve chronographed Winchester’s Power Point and a number of other 150 grain factory loads. Most of them start around 2280 fps and at 200 yards, are down around 1600 fps. If you start a 140 grain XTP from a 16” .357 carbine at 2000 fps, your retained velocity at 200 will be around 1250- typical handgun muzzle velocity for today’s watered-down .357 factory loads. This is well within the expansion range of the slightly larger XTP. If you compare a 16” 30-30 to a 16” .357 Mag, the difference is even smaller. Careful load selection and good shot placement are far bigger factors, than any power difference between these cartridges.

       I am a great proponent of the 30-30 Winchester, but it is nowhere near as versatile as the 357 Magnum in a rifle or pistol. The 357 round is substantially cheaper to buy, reload for and specialty loads abound. The ability to use 38 Specials adds another layer of versatility. 38/357 brass and bullets are widely available. The 357’s range of useful bullet weights is 90 to 200 grains; and loaded to about 1500 fps, that 200 penetrates like there’s no tomorrow.

• "The Scout Rifle: Is it Still Relevant?"--Lucky Gunner. Cooper's concept of a scout rifle was a general purpose rifle suitable for taking game or, in a pinch, use in a defensive role against other riflemen, that could have been carried by the likes of a wilderness scout or explorer for extended periods in the field. As such it had to be reliable, light weight (under 7 lbs including scope and sling), use a forward mounted optic of low power (to maintain situational awareness when using the scope), and sport an integral bipod. There are some physical drawbacks to the design,which are detailed in the article, but the more serious drawback is whether it is a useful concept. The author explains:

       If we take a cold, hard look at the place of the scout rifle in the modern world, it’s essentially a decent hunting rifle with some features that make it better suited for dangerous game, prolonged trips in the field, and about as good for protection from two-legged predators as a bolt gun can be.

       According to NSSF research, the overlap between avid shooters and avid hunters is declining. Some shooters hunt and some hunters shoot, but most people pick one or the other. When the guy or girl we would consider a shooting enthusiast goes looking for a “general purpose” rifle, hunting is going to be a secondary consideration at best. They want a rifle they can use to protect their home and family, and hone their skills on the range. Sure, you could use a scout rifle for any of those things, but if you’re not planning to sleep under the stars on your way to hunt mountain goats tomorrow, there are other guns that are better suited for those tasks.

       If you’re looking for that one “general purpose” rifle that can do all of the above, we can borrow a lot from Cooper’s ideas, but shouldn’t limit ourselves to the specifics of his scout concept. For instance, contemporary shooters seem to have adopted the AR-15 as their default go-to rifle. Cooper would scoff at the idea of using an AR for self-defense and hunting, and is known to have called the M16 a “poodle-shooter”. However, today’s bullet choices make the .223 more versatile than ever, and it’s proven to be pretty effective on small and medium game, including The Most Dangerous Game of All. For a little more punch, we now have other excellent options in the AR platform like the 300 BLK and 6.8 SPC. An AR in .308 Win or similar battle rifle will put you over the scout weight requirement, but not necessarily by much.

• The Truth About Guns reports that "11 prestigious professional policing organizations, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Tactical Officers Association" have recommended that police use "warning shots" under certain circumstances where deadly force is called for, but use of a warning shot would not jeopardize the safety of the officer and would reduce the need to actually use deadly force. I can think of no situation where a mere member of the public should use a warning shot, but I suppose there are limited situations where an officer pursuing a fleeing felon might want the option. What I wonder, and which is raised in the comments, is whether this will lead to policies to shoot to wound or some other nonsense. 
• "Negative Outcomes: Mistaken Identity Shootings"--The Tactical Wire. Another article on the importance of identifying your target before employing a firearm, lest you shoot an innocent. The author mentions the need to use a flashlight when checking out those bumps in the night, but also notes the need to use your voice: 

Along with illumination, your voice is one of your most valuable tools. A simple 'Who's there?' would have prevented any number of tragedies I can name. If you want to be really 'tactical,' you can make your challenge from behind a position of cover. If you hear "It's me, Daddy" then it's time to stand-down.

As I watch movies or television programs where someone walks into their darkened house or apartment and is set upon by a burglar, I always wonder: "Who walks into their house without turning on the lights?" Don't ignore the possibility of using interior or exterior lights in addition to, or in lieu of, a flashlight.  

• "Gunman pursued injured officer seeking cover, fired again"--AP via My San Antonio. An incident in Delaware where a police officer had confronted a robber outside a convenience store. The robber shot the officer, who withdrew to cover behind his patrol car. However, the robber followed the officer around the vehicle and killed the officer. Lesson: Don't assume that just because you get behind cover that you are going to remain safe. (The robber was later killed in a shootout with other police).
• "Springfield Armory® Introduces the New Springfield XD-E with external Hammer"--The Firearms Blog. The primary advantage is supposed to be a 27% reduction in the force needed to rack the slide. 

Other Stuff:

• Diversity is our strength: "'If you don't join the gang, we will kill you': How the murderous Central American street gang MS-13 has built up a terrifying criminal stronghold in suburban Long Island"--Daily Mail. From the article:

       MS-13, or the Mara Salvatrucha, is believed by federal prosecutors to have thousands of members across the U.S., primarily immigrants from Central America. It has a stronghold in Los Angeles, where it emerged in the 1980s as a neighborhood street gang.

       But its true rise began after members were deported back to El Salvador in the 1990s. There, the gang thrived and spread to Honduras. 

       MS-13 and rival groups there now control entire towns, rape girls and young women, massacre students, bus drivers and merchants who refuse to pay extortion, and kill competitors or youths who simply refuse to join.

* * * 

       Since the fall of 2013, the U.S. has placed 165,000 unaccompanied minors. Long Island has been a frequent landing spot. Suffolk County, which includes Brentwood and Central Islip, has gotten 4,500. Neighboring Nassau County has received 3,800.

       In a recent roundup of 13 suspected MS-13 gang members accused of murder and other charges, seven had entered as unaccompanied minors.

       'There's no question that MS-13 is recruiting these unaccompanied children,' said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini. The youngsters 'don't have an established social network, at least many of them don't, and MS-13 is providing that network.'

        'They're also using coercion,' Sini said. 'They say, 'If you don't join the gang, we will kill you.''

So, basically, the admission of these "children" included "teens" that were gang members, who then proceeded to build up their gangs by further recruitment of "children". Nice job, Obama. 

• More diversity! "Shocking footage shows group of high school bullies savagely beating a girl, 12, in the bathroom and leaving her with severe head injuries"--Daily Mail. The incident was in Kentucky. The victim was white, the attacker was black.
• Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory: House Republicans fail to pass a bill repealing Obama Care.
• And how does this differ from any other intelligence agency? "Russian mafia groups reportedly operate in Europe on behalf of the Kremlin"--Deutsche Welle. The article reports: 

The [European Council on Foreign Relations] report claims there is a close connection between the Kremlin's state security apparatus represented by the Foreign Intelligence Service, military intelligence (GRU), and the Federal Security Service (FSB) and Russian organized criminal groups active in European countries. Moreover, the Kremlin often tasks these groups to act on its behalf. "The Russian state is highly criminalised, and the interpenetration of the criminal ‘underworld’ and the political ‘upperworld’ has led the regime to use criminals from time to time as instruments of its rule," the ECFR study said.

• Because they don't want the proles to have the technology: "Google is super secretive about its anti-aging research. No one knows why."--Vox. Although, for some reason, this story reminds me of the movie, The Island.
• "In Hungary, It's a Duel to the Death between the P.M. and 'Dr. Evil'"--Michael Walsh at PJ Media. Walsh observes:

       The visible struggle for the soul of Europe may be going on in France, but the real action lies further east, in Hungary, where prime minister Viktor Orban is locked in a struggle with the Hungarian-born George Soros (real name: Gyorgy Schwartz) in a proxy war against the de-Christianization and Islamization (via "migrant" invasion) of Europe. While the countries of Western Europe have largely become non-observant, former Soviet satellite states like Poland and Hungary have not only maintained their faith in Christianity and Western civilization, but are strengthening it.

       ... Orban supporters see the CEU as a globalist stalking-camel, trying to get its nose under the tent of Hungarian nationhood and indigenous culture. The fight also pits Orban and Hungary against the EU, which naturally supports Soros, so in case you were wondering, now you know which way to root.

Walsh compares Soros to the "Dr. Evil" character from the Austin Powers movies, but Soros has always reminded me of Palpatine, probably because with his blotchy, pale skin and huge eye bags, he looks like Palpatine. Oh, and the whole evil emperor bit. 

• "The Gruesome Reality of Racist South Africa"--FrontPage Magazine. A 2013 article about the ongoing genocide of the Boer farmers of South Africa--the most dangerous profession in the world based on homicide rates. 

• Related: "Family hurt in farm attack"--News 24. An April 12, 2017 story which reports: 

       The incident has sparked both concern and outrage from the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (Kwanalu). Their security desk head, Koos Marais, said farm attacks were becoming more violent.

       Marais said there had been nine farm attacks and two murders in KZN this year to date.

       He said although last year’s figures were similar, the organisation had noticed intruders were attacking farms in much larger groups than in previous years.

       He said the organisation had also seen a surge in intruders carrying firearms and using extreme physical violence on their victims.

       “They are attacking in larger groups with up to seven people and they are more brazen,” said Marais.

       “They are attacking during the day, and in the early evenings when farm staff are still on the property.

       “They are using any means of force to achieve their goals.”

• "Researcher uses math to investigate possibility of time travel"--Phys.Org. The physicist, Ben Tippet, who specializes in relativity and black holes. notes that space-time is curved, and uses this curvature to explain how time travel would be possible.

       "The time direction of the space-time surface also shows curvature. There is evidence showing the closer to a black hole we get, time moves slower," says Tippett. "My model of a time machine uses the curved space-time—to bend time into a circle for the passengers, not in a straight line. That circle takes us back in time."

       While it is possible to describe this type of time travel using a mathematical equation, Tippett doubts that anyone will ever build a machine to make it work.

       "HG Wells popularized the term 'time machine' and he left people with the thought that an explorer would need a 'machine or special box' to actually accomplish time travel," Tippett says. "While is it mathematically feasible, it is not yet possible to build a space-time machine because we need materials—which we call exotic matter—to bend space-time in these impossible ways, but they have yet to be discovered."

In a nod to Dr. Who, Tippet named his model the Traversable Acausal Retrograde Domain in Space-time, or TARDIS.