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Friday, May 19, 2017

May 19, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"The Worst AR-15 Ever (Still Better Than An AK?)"
The Wound Channel (8-1/2 min.)

Firearms/Self-Defense/Prepping:
  • TGIF! This week's Weekend Knowledge Dump from Active Response Training. Articles on the effective range of buckshot, veterinary treatment of pets when SHTF, the "Israeli Limited Penetration" tactics of searching a building (which Greg suggests is good for both police and homeowners checking out a "bump in the night"), and a lot more. Check it out.
  • "Jeff Gonzales: How to Use a Flashlight for Armed Self-Defense Pt. 2"--The Truth About Guns. The author discusses that two of the biggest problems he sees in using a flashlight in armed self-defense is (1) people who don't know how to use a flashlight for searching, and (2) are not comfortable/practiced in operating in dark or dim environments. As to the second point, the only solution will be practice; and, if available, the author suggests taking a low-light shooting class. As to the first point, the initial lesson is to not use your weapon light for searching because, the author opines, using your weapon light means that you must have had a justification to draw the weapon and point it someone--otherwise, you are just brandishing. Finally, the author describes his favored method of holding the flashlight: the light held in his off-hand, indexed against his (off-hand) jaw line, which allows him to illuminate both a potential threat and, if needed, the firearm's sites. 
       Due to the prevalence of lighting in streets, parking lots and garages, and so on, shooting a handgun in a situation requiring a flashlight is probably going to be more rare than most people think. If you are in your own home, I don't believe brandishing a firearm is an issue; the reason not to rely on a weapon mounted light in that situation is, in my opinion, to avoid a panic shot should you be surprised by a family member who was just bumbling around in the dark. (Yes, the trigger finger should be off the trigger; but when over a quarter of trained shooters will still unconsciously put their finger on the trigger when anticipating danger, you should not assume that you will never have your finger on the trigger). Whether the same would apply to searchers outside the home, but still within the curtilage, probably would depend on your local laws. 
    A    Alpha
      B    Bravo
        C    Charlie
          D    Delta
            E    Echo
              F    Foxtrot
                G    Golf
                  H    Hotel
                    I    India
                      J    Juliet
                        K    Kilo
                          L    Lima
                            M    Mike
                              N    November
                                O    Oscar
                                  P    Papa
                                    Q    Quebec
                                      R    Romeo
                                        S    Sierra
                                          T    Tango
                                            U    Uniform
                                              V    Victor
                                                W    Whiskey
                                                  X    X-ray
                                                    Y    Yankee
                                                      Z    Zulu
                                                      •  "The Flowchart Of Killing"--Gabe Suarez. A decision tree for the use of lethal force.
                                                      • "6 Helpful Tips for Disabled Shooters"--Pew Pew Tactical. The author discusses each of the tips which cover: (1) Ask the Right Questions to Find the Right Gun; (2) Shooting From a Wheelchair; (3) Shooting With Chronic Pain; (4) Shooting With Impairments of the Hands, Arms, or Shoulder; (5) Choose the Right Holster; (6) Investigate Other Firearm Accessories for People with Disabilities.
                                                      • "CDM Gear BC47 AK Light Mounts – Now Available"--Jerking The Trigger. These mounts are designed to clamp to the barrel, and include a hole for the cleaning rod.
                                                      • The real world is different than a Disney cartoon: "The Downfall of Bear Fanatic Timothy Treadwell"--Field & Stream. I don't remember where I came across a reference to Treadwell, but it is an interesting, if sober, story. Treadwell was one of those environmental wackos that believed that people could get along with bears if they just understood them better. Accordingly, he started spending summers living in Alaska amongst Alaskan Brown Bears. Apparently it worked well, until it didn't. In early October 2003, "[w]hen a bush pilot arriving to pick up Treadwell sighted his flattened tent and investigated, an old boar bear was perching on his partially buried remains. Treadwell had been largely eaten. Along with his body parts were those of his 37-year-old girlfriend" who had also been mauled and partially eaten. When the bear first started bothering the couple's tent, Treadwell asked his girlfriend to start recording the encounter. Unfortunately, Treadwell wasn't able to make peace with the bear, and ended his life begging his girlfriend, first, to hit the bear with a frying pan (apparently his only "weapon") and, finally, to get out of there. 
                                                      • "How The Humvee Compares To The New Oshkosh JLTV"--Motor Trend. The Humvee, in its military configuration, is an underpowered, overly large vehicle for its role. To make matters worse, the military has gradually transformed it from a utility vehicle into an armored car (albeit, not a very good one). Its heir apparent, the JLTV, has over twice the horsepower, and is more heavily armored, but is also fatter and has a curb weight of 14,000 lbs. Just the thing for fighting in built-up areas with narrow streets, chasing insurgents along narrow goat trails, and crossing rickety wooden bridges. 

                                                      Other Stuff:
                                                      • "Scientists think they found proof of a parallel universe"--New York Post. The evidence is a "region of space which is 1.8 billion light years across and colder than its surroundings." According to the article, the scientists "believe a parallel universe could have smashed into ours affecting it in a way similar to a multiple vehicle pileup," and that the impact "pushed energy out of a huge region of space resulting in the Cold Spot."
                                                      • "George Soros Still Quietly Buying District Attorneys’ Seats"--The Daily Caller. Soros paid for Larry Krasner to win the primary election in the race for the Philadelphia district attorney. It would be nice to have a list of the district attorneys/prosecutors that are owned by Soros, as it would give us a map of where BLM and La Raza protests will be the most violent.
                                                      • The consequences of letting the camel's nose into the tent: "Black Students at UCLA Make Ultimatum Demanding $40 Million, Free Housing and ‘Safe Spaces’"--Heat Street. Remember, affirmative action programs (including the favored admission status) was supposed to have been compensation for past wrongs to blacks.  
                                                      • "Sex Differences in Intelligence in Nigeria"--Unz Review. In the most comprehensive study to date of intelligence and scholastic ability among Nigerians, the researchers discovered that while there was near parity in intelligence between boys and girls at young ages, a male advantage in IQ begins to appear as the children age, appearing as early as 10 years of age. By ages 18 and 19, the male participants in the study had a 7 point advantage over females, on average (although the standard deviation for females was less than males, meaning that females cluster more tightly around the norm). The author also notes that this is the most comprehensive study on IQ, generally, in Nigeria, and shows an average IQ of 70 for the country. An IQ of 70 represents borderline mental disability, while "in the past, an IQ score below 70 was considered a benchmark for mental retardation."
                                                      • "Intelligence: Clever Korean Con Compromised"--Strategy Page. This article goes into more detail on the evidence showing the China (or, at least, certain Chinese companies) have been violating trade restrictions with North Korea, and providing it with technology and equipment needed for its ballistic missile program. 
                                                      • And this is a problem? "Report: Illegal Aliens Forego Food Stamps to Stay off Trump’s Radar"--Breitbart. 
                                                      • The wages of sin socialism: "In secret recording, Venezuelan general pushes for snipers to control demonstrators"--Miami Herald. Read the whole thing, but basically, according to the recording of a meeting between Venezuelan military leaders, they already view the protests as "war," and (all but one) believed that killing protesters would soon be the only way to keep them off the streets. The lone dissenter argued that shooting protesters could result in jail for the military leaders, and would turn the tide of public opinion against the government. However, Division General José Rafael Torrealba Pérez stated that he didn't care about public opinion.
                                                      • "A Coup Attempt, Not a Constitutional Crisis"--David P. Goldman at PJ Media. Goldman writes:
                                                      A ranking Republican statesman this week told an off-the-record gathering that a “coup” attempt was in progress against President Donald Trump, with collusion between the largely Democratic media and Trump’s numerous enemies in the Republican Party. The object of the coup, the Republican leader added, was not impeachment, but the recruitment of a critical mass of Republican senators and congressmen to the claim that Trump was “unfit” for office and to force his resignation.
                                                      He goes on to explain: 
                                                             Why did Obama get a pass while Trump got the bum’s rush? Apart from the antipathy of the major media to a candidate who campaigned against them, there is the hostility of the intelligence agencies. That, the Wall Street Journal editors said, is Trump’s own fault: “Mr. Trump’s strife and insults with the intelligence community were also bound to invite blowback,” their May 17 editorial scolded. “In that case the public leaks about Mr. Trump’s actions, if true, will do more damage than whatever he said in private.”
                                                               The Journal editors imply that disaffection in the intelligence community is the result of Trump’s obstreperousness, but the source of the dispute is policy and accountability. Trump’s first national security adviser, Gen. Michael Flynn, was fired by Obama as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency for claiming that U.S. intelligence agencies bore some responsibility for the emergence of ISIS. The CIA funded Sunni rebels against the Assad regime including many from a branch of al-Qaeda, the al-Nusra Front, in its campaign to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Trump has shifted America’s priority to stopping the bloodshed in Syria rather than forcing out al-Assad, and is willing to work with Russia to achieve this—provided that the result doesn’t give undue influence to Iran, a senior administration official explained.
                                                                 A shift to peacemaking and the limited possibility of a regional deal with Russia away from the covert war operations of the CIA under the Obama administration represents a major policy change. It threatens the credibility of Sen. McCain, the Wall Street Journal editorial page, and the Republican Establishment, not to mention the CIA officials who made their careers on collaboration with Syria’s Sunni rebels.
                                                            Richard Fernandez, adding his own thoughts to Goldman's analysis, writes:
                                                              Who will eventually dangle from the gibbet now under construction is hard to predict, but it's safe to say the victim will resist with a fight that will devastate the political landscape. The Trump election revealed a nation nearly evenly divided. This near equality means neither side can realistically expect an outright victory. Nothing is now certain except uncertainty ...
                                                                I would direct you to a piece written by the Diplomad concerning this issue. He observes:
                                                                         Let us not forget, as I have written often, that the progressives have infiltrated the bureaucracy of government from top to bottom. There is a palpable hatred for Trump within that bureaucracy; he wasn't supposed to win! I am willing to bet, for example, that easily 80% of State Department bureaucrats voted for Hillary Clinton--easily 80%, and probably closer to 90%.
                                                                           Sabotage is all they have left on the left . . .
                                                                      And remember, the Deep State plays to win:
                                                                      By at

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                                                                      Weekend Reading -- A New Weekend Knowledge Dump

                                                                      Greg Ellifritz has posted a new Weekend Knowledge Dump at his Active Response Training blog . Before I discuss some of his links, I want to ...