Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Video: Wrong Assumptions People Make As To Street Fights

Fight Science recently released a video ostensibly on the topic of "4 MISTAKES Older People Believe in Street Fights that Everyone Knows." I'm not sure why he singles out "older people" in the title because the four wrong assumptions he discusses are probably common among all age groups. 

    The first assumption is sort of interesting because it is the assumption that a fight or attack will occur within a certain context such as when doing something stupid, at stupid times, in stupid places, with stupid people. But as the video points out, while following Farnam's rules can reduce your risk, violence can occur anywhere and at anytime: at the grocery store or shop, just walking down a street minding your own business, etc.

VIDEO: "4 MISTAKES Older People Believe in Street Fights that Everyone Knows"

Fight Science (6 min.)

The Enrichment Report #1

 Some articles demonstrating how the West is enriched by diversity and inclusion:

Jewish Democratic senators are alarmed by conservative Justice Samuel Alito’s sympathy for basing government on Christian principles — something he expressed at a Supreme Court gala when he endorsed the idea of returning the nation to a place of “godliness.”

Vox Day has maintained for years that there is no such thing as shared "Judeo-Christian" values and this seems to support that conclusion.

A lawsuit filed Tuesday against Northwestern University opened a new front in the legal battle against affirmative action, alleging that its law school hires less-qualified people of color and women over White men for faculty positions in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws.

The South has the largest share of the foreign-born population today where 19 million foreign-born residents live, followed by the West with almost 16 million, the Northeast with 10.3 million, and the Midwest with 5.7 million.

    Illegal migrants bring in a lot of things with them as they cross into the U.S. They bring in trash and dump it on protected lands, and they bring in diseases thought long eradicated to spread into the U.S. Some smuggle contraband such as fentanyl to pay their smuggling fees. These things have all gotten some attention.

    But one that hasn't is wildfires. As migrants cross into the U.S. illegally, often at night, they get cold and they build fires, without permits, creating a massive wildfire risk.

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Avoiding Ammo Mishaps

Blue Collar Prepping recently published a couple articles on avoiding mishaps using the incorrect ammunition in a firearm:

    Part 1 concerns ammunition which is clearly a different caliber than the chambering of the weapon, but could still load into the chamber and fire. Possibly with catastrophic results. A couple specific examples mentioned in the article is .380 ACP into 9x19mm (probably 9x18mm as well) and .300 Blackout into .223/5.56 NATO. In the latter case, not only do I not take .223/5.56 to the range if I'm going to be shooting .300 Blackout, and vice-versa, but I also use different types of magazines so I can tell by touch the difference between one of my magazines that is loaded with 5.56 and one I've loaded with .300 Blackout--in my case, I use a metal magazine for one and a Magpul for the other. 

    The author also mentions old revolvers that may have been modified from an older (and now obscure) cartridge to one more widely available: he specifically cites .455 Webley revolvers with cylinders modified to accept moonclips in order to shoot .45 ACP, and shooting .38 Special in revolvers chambered for .38 S&W. I will add in the later instance that .38 Special is too long to fit in the majority of .38 S&W revolvers because the cylinders are too short, but there are certain models of revolvers that were made with longer cylinders that can accept .38 Special. I will also note that the British military's .38 S&W load (sometimes designated the .38/200) should not be used in standard .38 S&W revolvers because it uses a much heavier bullet and higher pressures than the standard .38 S&W loading. 

    The second article deals with calibers with identical or almost identical cartridge dimensions as each other, but wildly different loads and/or bullet dimensions that can lead to higher pressures than can be tolerated. Examples cited are the .38 ACP cartridge (yes, .38 ACP and not .380 ACP) which is almost identical in dimensions with .38 Super but loaded to lower pressures; the 7.63 Mauser and 7.62 Tokarev; and the German change around 1900 from an 8×57mm Mauser Patrone 88 to the 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone loadings. Despite the number designations, the latter actually used a larger diameter bullet which makes it dangerous to shoot in rifles intended for the former. (Wikipedia indicates that the German military transitioned from the former to the latter in 1904).  

    The author also mentions the possible dangers from older rifles rechambered to a different caliber where either (i) the barrel/chamber aren't intended for the higher pressures of the new chambering, or (ii) the new chambering is not marked or indicated on the barrel which might still show the old chambering. I'll add that some (probably the majority of the capable) rifle instructors will not allow students to use "sporterized" military bolt action rifles in their courses for this very reason. They don't know you and aren't going to take your word that the rifle is safe to use. No, this is not from personal experience, but something I've come across in my reading. 

Monday, July 1, 2024

Fears of Attack and No Cell Reception Deter Women Trail Runners

 A couple of weeks ago, Greg Ellifritz posted an article in which he related his encounter on a hiking/running trail with a woman carrying a knife in hand, probably for self-protection (see "The Girl With A Knife"). He was hiking up the trail while the woman with a knife was coming down the trail toward him. With no room really to move off the trail because of how steep was the hillside, the two had to pass on the trail. It presents an interesting "what would you do" scenario, and Greg gives his thoughts and reasoning for how he reacted and defused the situation. He also followed up with a later article more generally discussing self-defense for hikers (see "Hiker Self-Protection Strategies"). See also his article, "Best Backpacking Gun?" (spoiler, he generally uses an S&W 317 "kit gun" carried in a Safepacker Concealment Holster in remote areas where he is unlikely to encounter predators, but will upgrade to a .357 for areas where he is more likely to encounter 4-legged predators or 9mm where a 2-legged predator might be more common). 

    The articles about the woman with the knife were in the back of mind when I read the following from MedicalXpress: "Fears of attack and no phone signal deter women trail runners, finds study." It notes a recent study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, which asked 548 regular trail runners about their preferences and concerns when engaged in the sport, and relates, in part:

    The leading concern for all trail runners (women and men alike) was slipping or falling (55.1%). The concerns of men and women differed, however, when asked about encountering other people or wild animals, and the loss of phone reception on trails.

    Women respondents reported a far greater fear of other people (38.9%) and cougars (32.4%) than men, (12.6% and 21.2% respectively). In addition, 50.8% of women were concerned by loss of reception, compared with 33.8% of men.

 I would bet that hikers have similar concerns. 

Uh Oh! Professor Dungeon Master Has Prostate Cancer

"Professor Dungeon Master" who runs the Dungeon Craft YouTube channel reveals that he has prostate cancer and discusses his treatment and encourages his male viewers to get a prostate exam. 

Dungeon Craft (8 min.)

Immigration Is A Strength--Some Recent News Stories

In connection, the report also found the number of foreign-educated doctors in the U.S. has “skyrocketed” in recent decades. The percentage of doctors trained in the U.S. went from 91 percent in 1981 to 75 percent in 2024. Meanwhile, the percentage of foreign-educated doctors went from 9 percent to 25 percent, according to the report.
  • "GERMANY: Woman Convicted Of “Offending” Migrant Gang Rapists Receives Longer Prison Sentence Than The Rapists"--The Publica. The victim of the rape was a 14-year-old girl. The criminals were "multiple groups of migrant men" who independently attacked girl in Hamburg’s Stadtpark over the course of one night. "Among [the nine men] charged, none were of German heritage. The rapists were identified as a Pole, an Egyptian, a Libyan, a Kuwaiti, an Iranian, an Armenian, an Afghan, a Syrian, and a Montenegrin." Eight were let off with probation, while the ninth was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months of prison. 

    The case caused outrage in Germany, both for the brutality of the rape itself and the lenient sentences given to the rapists. As a result, one of the men had his identity and phone number circulated on Snapchat by furious sleuths.

    Angered by the news of the case, a 20-year-old woman from Hamburg messaged the number through WhatsApp. The unnamed woman called him a “dishonorable rapist pig” and a “disgusting miscarriage.” She added: “Aren’t you ashamed when you look in the mirror?”

    The targeted rapist then reported the woman to police, and she was charged with sending him insulting messages.

The woman has now been convicted and sentenced to a weekend in prison for her remarks — meaning that she will have spent more time in jail than 8 of the 9 rapists. ...

Leftists Supporting Democracy Protest/Riot Over Election Losses In France

French President Emmanuel Macron's party, Renaissance (formally En Marche!), was humiliated in the first round of parliamentary elections on June 30 by the more conservative National Rally (RN). Consequently, fearful that it might spell the end of their democracy and the start of democracy for everyone else, Leftists rioted. According to the Daily Mail:

    Rioting engulfed the streets of Paris last night as thousands of enraged left-leaning voters set light to rubbish, smashed up shop windows and launched fireworks after Marine Le Pen's RN steamed to victory with 33% of the first round vote.

    Hordes of riot cops were dispatched across the city, particularly in the French capital's Place de la République where the police clashed with flare-toting rioters into the early hours of the morning. 

* * *

    Barricades designed to keep crowds controlled were overturned as countless protesters poured into Place de la République and climbed the iconic statue showing the personification of France, Marianne. 

    Bins were uprooted, with their contents spread all over the tarmac and promptly set alight as protesters circled touting banners, flares and projectiles.

    Young women trying to enjoy nights out in the city were forced to stand behind armoured cops who forced back the activists with batons and tear gas as firefighters were called in to douse the blazes set by protestors.

The article explains that voting for members of the National Assembly takes place over two rounds. In the first round of voting, anyone receiving a majority of votes gets the Assembly seat for which they were running. If no one gets a majority, the election for that seat then proceeds to a second round of voting. The person that gets the most votes in the second round--even if it is not a majority--wins the seat. 

    The second round is open to any candidate that received 12% or more of the vote in the first round, although a candidate is free to withdraw and sometimes do in order to boost another candidate's results. For instance, in this case, "[s]enior figures in the New Popular Front, the left-wing coalition that came second in the first round, have pledged to pull out of any races where NFP candidates came third and RN candidates came first, in order to allow citizens to vote out the far-right." And "Macron's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who is likely to be forced to resign after the second round, warned that the right was now at the 'gates of power' and implored voters to block the RN in the second round set for Sunday July 7." 

Bombs & Bants #133 (Streamed 7/3/2024)

 VIDEO: "Episode #133" (45 min.)