April 22, 2019 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"GEAR: Why, What, How. Building Your Kit for Tactical Operations"--Max Velocity Tactical (26 min.). This video is about different ways to set up load bearing equipment for patrols of no more than a few days, and so it concentrates on stuff like battle-belts, load bearing vests and whether to wear the armor plates and carriers.

• "Random Gunslinger Neuro-Hack For The Day"--Marcus Wynne. We have all heard of the importance of visualization or mental practice for improving athletics or other pursuits. In this article, Wynne explains how to do that for self-defense use of a firearm:

Then, WITHOUT TAKING YOUR WEAPON OUT, utilize the techniques described in THE MIND’S EYE article to visualize having your pistol in your hand, and seeing your sights aligned:

• Inside your home, from 0-7 yards.

• Then go outside and do the same.

• Then go out in public, sit in a coffee shop or in a shopping mall and do the same.

Mind you, this doesn’t require (past the first few iterations) that you MIME pointing your gun. Just look and visualize perfect sight alignment and recall the feel of the weapon in your hand.

       Now…in a public place, like a food court at the mall, or a restaurant, or a coffee shop, visualize the max distance you’ve trained at, for this we’ll say 7 yards. Now look at the people who are in there, moving or static.

      Visualize the weapon in your hand, your sights aligned.

He then offers some questions you should ask yourself when doing this exercise, and discusses the technique further, so be sure to read the whole thing.

• If you haven't already, check out this past weekend's Weekend Knowledge Dump from Active Response Training, including articles on the important of chest seals and being able to pack wounds, the latest research into bystander reaction after violence, preparing for a house fire, and more.
• "Hearing Protection vs. Auditory Exclusion"--Shooting Range Blog. The author, Scott Wagner, draws on his experience in law enforcement to argue that "[w]hile in the shooting range, One should always wear ear protection. During a 'fight or flight' situation, Auditory Exclusion can protect your hearing." 
• "Fruit Trees: Plant Now, Eat For Decades"--Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You. Obviously, depending on the size when planted, it may take several years before your tree starts producing. But, as the author points out:

       There is very little in the prepping world that can give you as much food security as perennial producing plants, especially ones that require very little maintenance. There’s so many ways you can preserve excess fruit and berry production that it just makes sense to load up your yard with edibles. 

      The best thing about planting perennial edibles is that they are not only a prep for if the Stuff Hits The Fan but they are something you get to enjoy each and every year. 

I would not go as far as the author and say that fruit trees are "plant and forget," because as they get larger, they will need pruning to get the most out of them; and you may need to protect them against birds, insects or disease, or even frost, depending on where you live. But they certainly don't require the same level of care as other plants or a garden.

• "First Firearm: Considerations For Your First Handgun For Home Defense"--The Firearm Blog. An excerpt:

        The size of your first handgun for HD gives you plenty of options. For some people, either for simplicity sake or budgetary constraints, you may want your first handgun to also pull concealed carry duty later on. If that’s the case you may want to narrow your search to mid-sized, subcompact size or pocket guns. Although, if you don’t plan to conceal your HD handgun on your person outside the home later on, your options aren’t as limited and you can consider a full sized handgun for HD.

       There are several advantages to full sized pistols and revolvers. The larger grip size gives more space for a full handed grip which gives better control during recoil. Full-sized semi-auto pistols also have the potential for more ammunition capacity since the magazine is typically stored in the grip. In revolvers, a larger frame can facilitate a larger cylinder holding 7 or 8 rounds (depending on caliber) compared to the traditional 6 rounds or less. Full-size handguns also have more weight to soak up recoil which can help in controlling the gun. Having a longer barrel and more pronounced sights and sight radius can lead to better accuracy as well, compared to pocket guns. 

I started out on a full-sized 9 mm. If I had it to do over again, I would probably start out with a pistol that could pull double duty: i.e., a handgun small enough for concealed carry, but large enough to give me a full grip on the pistol such as a Glock 19 or 43X (for 9 mm), or a mid-sized .380 like the PPK/S or the Beretta 80 series. 

• "6 Helpful Tips for Disabled Shooters"--Pew Pew Tactical. The author's tips are:

Tip #1: Ask the Right Questions to Find the Right Gun

Tip #2: Shooting From a Wheelchair

Tip #3: Shooting With Chronic Pain

Tip #4: Shooting With Impairments of the Hands, Arms, or Shoulder

Tip #5:  Choose the Right Holster

Tip #6: Investigate Other Firearm Accessories for People with Disabilities

 He discusses each point in further detail.

• "Concealed Carry For Women: IWB Holsters & Pistols"--NRA Family. A look at concealed carry from a woman's perspective, including some pistol and holster recommendations.
• "The Disaster Myth Narrative: No One Panics, No One Loots, No One Goes Hungry"--The Organic Prepper. This article discusses how the media and government officials report on disasters, and how articles or reports discussing civil unrest or crime after a disaster have been memory-holed. The author suggests that this is due to an unofficial narrative pushed by government and media concerning disasters:

The Disaster Myth is a narrative created by the establishment and delivered by their stoolies in the mainstream media.  The Disaster Myth points fingers at many of the things that are commonly believed to be true by the preparedness community.  Included in this narrative:

• People do not panic after a disaster – instead, they pull together.

• The official government response is always speedy and appropriate.

• You will be taken care of if you simply comply peacefully with authorities.

• There is little increase in post-disaster crime.

This is a complicated subject because there is exaggeration or single-minded focus on both the good and bad following disasters. For instance, there is literature that discusses how important and effective are personal ties--such as when neighbors that pull together after a disaster (see my prior post on "A Review of Katrina") and that there is an "elite panic" that causes media and policy makers to view the common man or woman as little more than an animal in the aftermath of a disaster (see my prior posts on "Government Paranoia and Disaster Planning" and "Elite Panic", and T. Greer's article "On Survivalism"). In fact, experience tends to show that you're foolish to rely on the government to provide assistance after a disaster (see my post on "More On Sandy, Or, Why You Shouldn't Depend On The Government"). This is not to say that I support the narrative: Katrina did result in nursing home patients being left to die, indiscriminate shooting of some people by law enforcement and private people, and plenty of looting. One of the nearby "bedroom" communities used its law enforcement to block people fleeing the disaster from crossing a bridge that led to that town. And, of course, government and security contractors forcibly disarmed people and prevented needed supplies and rescue workers from entering the city for a period of time.

• "Mantraps: A Unique Solution"--Security. Sorry to disappoint, but this article is not about pits lined with stakes or designed to shoot poisoned darts at an interloper. Rather, it describes entrances or rooms designed to limit access. 

        In its most basic form, a mantrap is comprised of a set of doors that requires the person to enter the first while the others are closed. Mantraps are typically manual swing doors forming a vestibule but can also use sliding doors or gates. Some mantraps use turnstiles or revolving doors.

      Once inside the first door, the person cannot pass through the second door until the first door is closed.

      This system provides security in at least three ways. It makes it difficult to forcibly gain entry by knocking down a single door; it allows time to evaluate the person in the mantrap before releasing him or her through the second door; and it allows entry of only one person at a time.

There are ways around these systems, such as alternate entrances for employees and/or freight, or the brute force method illustrated in The Terminator which allowed access to the police station.

• "Man Uses AK-47 Against 5 Home Invaders, Killing 3 And Injuring 2"--Concealed Nation. This was serious firefight between the home invaders and the victim. Fortunately, "[t]he resident was not wounded during the incident, and police do not expect any charges to be filed."

• Related: "Buying Your First AK-47: A Brief Guide To The Kalashnikov Rifle"--The Truth About Guns.

• "RECOILWEB: CONCEALED CARRY OPTIONS FOR RUNNING & HIKING". The author notes: 

Finding a comfortable way to carry concealed is imperative because you shouldn’t be reminded of the gun with every step you take. It should rest securely and not thump or flop around. And the weight of the carry option should be distributed evenly to prevent unnecessary fatigue or soreness. To determine how to carry, first consider which activity you’ll be doing. With more physical movement, more retention is needed.

The author discusses chest holsters, fanny packs, belly-band types of holsters, and concealment clothing (clothing with a built in pocket or pouch to carry a handgun), including specific suggestions. 

"How to Treat the Choking Conscious Infant"--Merck Manuals (3 min.)

• The Religion of Peace strikes again: "Sri Lanka on edge after local Islamic militant group blamed for Easter Sunday attacks: report"--Fox News. According to the article, the attacks "killed at least 290 and injured more than 500, were carried out by seven suicide bombers from a local militant group named National Thowheek Jaamath."

• Related: Instapundit takes a look at the weirdly different treatment given this attack by Hillary Clinton versus the Christchurch attack. Namely, in the latter instance, Hillary was quick to condemn "Islamophobia" and "white supremacy," but as to this Easter attack, couldn't bother to name the victims as Christians, let along identify the attackers with Islam.

• Out of Africa: "Attackers kill doctor at hospital in Congo’s Ebola epicenter"--AP. From the article:

        The health worker killed was Dr. Richard Valery Mouzoko Kiboung, an epidemiologist, a WHO statement said. A Congo health ministry staffer and a driver were injured, a separate statement by the U.N. secretary-general’s special representative in Congo said.

       Butembo’s deputy mayor, Patrick Kambale Tsiko, said Kiboung was from from Cameroon and blamed a militia group for the attack. He said the militiamen erroneously believed that foreigners had brought the disease with them to Congo.

      “According to witnesses at the scene, these militiamen wanted all the expatriates to go home because according to them, Ebola does not exist in Butembo,” Tsiko said. “They said they will continue if these expatriates do not return as soon as possible.”

• Related: An article about another disease that came from Africa: "CDC: One in Seven Transgender Women Have HIV"--Breitbart. But don't worry, the World Health Organization is on the issue:

The CDC’s warning about HIV among transgender individuals comes as the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.N.’s global health agency, recently announced that individuals who claim to be transgender no longer should be labeled with a mental illness. 

• As I've noted before, we have been at war with Mexico for a long time: "Mexican Soldiers Disarmed U.S. Army Troops At Border"--Newsweek (via AT&T). From the article:

        Newsweek obtained a copy of the serious incident report generated 30 minutes after Mexican military members briefly detained and held at gunpoint the U.S. soldiers after believing they were in Mexican territory, when in fact the Mexican military had unknowingly crossed into U.S. territory. The report was reviewed by U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Gatlin, the commander of 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, and briefed to U.S. Army Lieutenant General Jeffrey Buchanan, the commanding general of U.S. Army North.

        The U.S. soldiers said the Mexican soldiers moved tactically fast on their U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) vehicle, which was unmarked. The Army soldiers did not have enough reaction time to activate a 911 emergency on their Shout Nano, a cellphone-sized, two-way GPS tracking device that also doubles as an emergency beacon when soldiers are in need of additional military units.

       Speaking in Spanish, the Mexican soldiers instructed the sergeant and the private to move to the front of their vehicle, where they were “gently searched," according to the incident report. The sergeant’s service pistol, the Beretta M9, was removed from his hip by the soldiers and thrown inside the U.S. government vehicle.

       The U.S. soldiers reported they did not see “any identifiable seals or symbols” on the Mexicans' vehicle and “could not identify any patches or name tapes on the uniform except for the Mexican flags.”

       The deputy director of public affairs for NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, John Cornelio, said in a statement to Newsweek on Friday that a joint inquiry by CBP and the Defense Department revealed the gunmen to be Mexican military members who believed the U.S. soldiers were south of the Mexican border.  

       “After a brief discussion between the soldiers from the two nations, the Mexican military members departed the area. The U.S. soldiers immediately contacted CBP, who responded quickly. Throughout the incident, the U.S. soldiers followed all established procedures and protocols,” the statement said.

       The U.S. service members reported hearing someone from the south side yell vámonos in Spanish. The Mexican soldiers went back to their vehicle, described as a “dark blue Ford pickup truck with a tactical rack in the back.” The Ford pickup departed the area, heading westbound on the Mexican levee.  

       After the encounter, the service members notified CBP by service radio. CBP agents responded to their location roughly 10 to 12 minutes after the incident, according to the report.

       Once on-site, the CBP agents backtracked the footprints of the Mexican military members and determined the individuals entered U.S. territory about 50 feet north of the Rio Grande, the report said. Members of 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, responded to the location to check on the well-being of their fellow soldiers.

This is not the first time such incidents have occurred. You may remember that in 2014, Mexican military helicopters crossed the border into Arizona and proceeded to fire on a U.S. Border Patrol agents. (See also this article).

• Diversity + Proximity: "25 Years After The Rwandan Genocide, The West Still Hasn’t Learned The Right Lesson"--The Federalist. An excerpt:

        Christine was told later by other survivors that the killing was the worst in the city. The Tutsi RPF rounded up Hutus, including her sister Francoise’s family and two of their maids, in Remera Stadium. They were starved, tortured, and later killed, including baby Bambine.

       It didn’t take long for the organized murders to reach the countryside, where Christine was. The first killings she witnessed took place in a monastery right after Sunday Mass. A group of armed men broke the monastery door and started killing everyone inside indiscriminately.

      The 100 days from April 6 to July 15 were a living hell for most Rwandans. In her book, the “Blazing Holy Fire,” Christine recounts that “killing reached every corner, every family; people met death at every turn. Those killings divided people, families, broke marriages and best friends.” Christine made a vow that if God spared her life, she would devote the rest of her life to Him.

• Chicago's vibrant night life: "Hundreds Of Teens Run Through Downtown Chicago, Fighting And Disobeying Police"--CBS Chicago. And by "teens" they mean young blacks whatever their age. Per the article: "Twenty males and six females were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. All 26 were released from custody."
• "Marriage: soon the Surgeon General will warn about it"--Fabius Maximus. The author comments about a billboard advertisement for a divorce attorney that encourages people (i.e., women) to "Double Your Closet Space". The author writes:

          While the claim is that our family courts are primarily driven by the best interest of children, in reality they tend to focus instead on transferring power and wealth from men to women. When considering the family courts, it is critical to understand that they don’t just impact the unfortunate families they destroy. The goal is to undermine all married fathers, who see that the family courts stand ready to take their children away from them and send them a bill for the pleasure.

        The term social scientists use for this is bargaining in the shadow of the law, and the use of the family courts to weaken married fathers is an open secret. 

He goes on to note an economics paper on divorce that asserts:

In the literature on the economics of the family there has been growing consensus on the need to take bargaining and distribution within marriage seriously. Such models of the family rely on a threat point to determine distribution within the household. The switch to a unilateral divorce regime redistributes power in a marriage, giving power to the person who wants out, and reducing the power previously held by the partner interested in preserving the marriage.

The author notes another scholarly paper on this topic that warns about giving men joint custody of children in the marriage because it gives too much power to divorced fathers. The author concludes: 

When the family courts crush men it is according to plan, and they fully understand the devastation they are meting out to men in the process. They don’t want men to commit suicide, but they know that in order to generate the kind of fear they want to instill they have to inflict extreme brutality on the men who are made examples of.

• John Wilder has posted a two-part review of Dr. Edward Dutton new book, At Our Wits’ End, discussing whether human intelligence is in decline and what this portends for society. (Part 1) (Part 2). An excerpt:

       Having a wealthy society also increases the desire for people from less wealthy countries to immigrate to the rich countries.  As we shown in the previous post (I.Q. – uh- What is it good for? Absolutely Everything. Say it again.), less wealth generally correlates to lower societal I.Q.  Does this translate to real-world outcomes?  Yes.  Dutton and Woodley cite Danish studies that show the average Dane I.Q. to be around 100.  However, the I.Q. of non-Western immigrants is roughly 86 in Denmark.  Immigrants certainly aren’t making Denmark smarter.

       Since intelligence is 0.80 correlated with genetics, they and their children actually can’t make Denmark smarter.  This result would indicate that wealth, quality of life, and ability to self-govern would decrease in countries facing high immigration, while crime would increase.  As a completely unrelated note, the United States has more immigrants than any country on Earth, with 40% of the population (How the Constitution Dies) now being either first generation or born of a foreign mother.

Worth the read.

• "Charlize Theron has us trapped."--Dalrock. Dalrock notes that actress Charlize Theron is complaining that although she is single, men no longer ask her on dates, and demands that men "man up". On the other hand, just a few years ago, she was adamant that marriage wasn't important to her, as she explained how she was dressing her little adopted boy as a girl. Dalrock comments:

        But as unintentionally funny as all of this is, we shouldn’t celebrate.  We lost, and the feminists won.  We lost in large part because we had conservatives constantly assuring us that there was no feminist rebellion in progress.  When women demanded to enter all male spaces, up to and including combat roles in all branches of the military, conservative Christians concocted a fantasy world where no such rebellion existed.

       Now we are trapped inside the psychotic mind of modernism.  On the one hand we have progressives, represented by Theron gleefully dressing a little boy as a girl.  On the other side we have conservatives, represented by Theron denying reality and sternly admonishing men to man up, to grow a pair.