December 12, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Winter Clothing Discussion"--Dave Canterbury (22 min.)

• A new Woodpile Report is up.
• "Review: A Closer Look at the SOG Responder Bag"--Security & Self-Reliance. The author rates it as a great EDC bag--lightweight, well-made, and with 3 magazine pouches able to accommodate a couple AR mags each.
• "Hornady .44spl 165gr FTX gel test and review"--The Firearms Blog. Although penetration was only about 12 inches on both bare gelatin and the heavy clothing test, expansion was pretty good in both instances.
• "When Can You Pull A Gun On Someone"--Alien Gear Holsters Blog. The short answer, according to the article, is: "When a person would reasonably fear for their life or great injury." The problem you face, from a legal perspective, is that many states have laws prohibiting brandishing of a weapon; and even in states without brandishing a weapon, doing so may give rise to an aggravated assault. Although "brandishing" in its common definition denotes waving or presenting a firearm, this has been watered down in many cases where it is sufficient to show someone a weapon with the intent to intimidate them, whether or not you draw the weapon; similarly, a claim of assault does not necessarily require that a weapon be drawn.
• "What Criminals With Guns?"--MacYoung's Musings. Marc MacYoung notes that the white elephant that everyone ignores when it comes to gun crime statistics is the relationship between committing or being a victim of a gun crime, and a past history of criminality, but no attempt is made to quantify it or raise it when discussing the causes of gun crime. He writes:

When it comes to gun deaths and shootings, crime is more important than race. It is more important than age. It is more important than income. It is more important than sex. And it definitely has a lot to do with who is pulling the trigger and why. That's why it's 'absence' in official numbers is a serious, "Hold the phone." As in how the hell can you have a rational conversation about guns without it? ... The bottom line is in the U.S. we have a professional, armed criminal class who shoot each other with distressing regularity. They in fact make up most of (nonsuicide) gunshot 'victims.'

And when discussing gun violence and children, a history of criminality involves gangs:

But let's talk about gang affiliation. Not just membership. Gang members make up a majority of teens who are shot and killed. But also on that list are people who know, are related to, and -- often -- are in physical proximity to a gang member (who is the actual target). This especially means other minors. Oh and do you want to know the fastest way for a teenage girl to get shot? Try screwing or partying with a gang member. It's all fun and games until the other side shows up, and bullets start flying. 

Read the whole thing.

• "How to Make Improvised Snowshoes"--The Art of Manliness. Trudging through deep snow may be good aerobic exercise, but it is not good for anyone interested in efficient movement. This article briefly describes two methods of making improvised snowshoes. The first method is not really all that improvised, and might be better described as a DIY snowshoe: using branches and cord/tape (for webbing) to make snow shoes. While not as nicely finished as old-time snow shoes made with a wood frame and rawhide webbing, the results are remarkably similar. The second method is truly improvised: tying a fresh bough from a fur tree to the bottom of your feet.
• "Trump Era NICS on Track to Second-Highest Year Ever"--Ammo Land. Obviously NICS checks don't necessarily translate into firearm purchases--as the article observes, NICS checks are increasingly being used for other purposes than purchasing a firearm, and Kentucky apparently runs a NICS check monthly on all its concealed weapons licensees. But as the author writes:

       Based on performance from the last few years, one hundred NICS checks result in an increase of the private firearms stock in the United States by 56 newly produced or imported firearms.

       Using that criteria, over twelve and a half million firearms have been added to the private stock in 2017 so far. The total for the year is likely to be between 13.5 million and 14 million additional private firearms.

       Those numbers would place the number of privately owned firearms in the United States at about 418 million firearms at the end of 2017.

• The book "The Evolutionary Psychology Behind Politics: How Conservatism and Liberalism Evolved Within Humans, Third Edition" is currently available for free for Kindle (h/t Active Response Training).
• "Investigation finds Swedish scientists committed scientific misconduct"--Nature. The researchers are Peter Eklöv and Oona Lönnstedt; and the paper for which they apparently made up evidence, whole cloth, was "that microplastic particles had negative effects on young fish, including reducing their efforts to avoid predators."
• "Record remittances were sent in October"--Mexico News Daily. Per the article, "[t]he total amounted to over US $2.6 million, up 19% compared to the same month last year and the largest monthly total since the central bank began keeping a tally in 1995." Total remittances for the year are predicted to reach $29 billion. Remittances represent less than 2% of Mexico's GDP, but have more than doubled since 1997, and are an important source of foreign currency.
• A glimpse into an actual rape culture: "Sexual harassment is much worse in the Third World"--Bayou Renaissance Man. From the article: "The epidemic of sexual violence against women in Lesotho, a nation of 2.2 million people, is arguably the worst in the world. But it is rarely reported."
• Diversity is our strength: "NYC Terror Suspect Picked Target Because Of Christmas-Themed Poster"--The Daily Caller. The bomber,  Akayed Ullah, is a Muslim immigrant who told investigators "he chose his target based on Christmas-themed posters hanging on the walls near the Times Square subway station"; and he "had benefited [in his immigration to the U.S.] from a process known as chain migration. Chain migration allows immigrants to sponsor extended family members to live in the United States."
• "Swedish Synagogue Firebombed in Apparent Terror Attack After Anti-Semitic Incidents in Malmo and Stockholm"--PJ Media. This incident was on December 9, 2017, and occurred in Gothenburg, Sweden's second largest city. The attacks were apparently carried out by Muslims.

• Related: "Synagogue in Malmo attacked by firebombs two days after attack on Gothenburg Synagogue"--The Rebel Media. Also Muslim attackers.

• "Pope Francis Would Remove 'Lead Us Not Into Temptation' From the Lord's Prayer"--PJ Media. The issue is whether the phrase "leas us not into temptation" is an accurate translation, with the Pope saying it is not; that God does not "lead" anyone into temptation. The author disagrees, explaining:

         Martin is correct that Jesus likely did not teach in Greek, the language in which the gospels were originally written. Even so, there is no surviving copy of Jesus' famous prayer in Aramaic or Hebrew. ...

         That does not make the text of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) unreliable, however. The Early Church had high standards for the gospels, and only selected texts with a direct connection to eyewitnesses.

          Furthermore, Luke 11:2-4 contains another version of the Lord's Prayer. The Luke prayer is shorter than the Matthew one, but it still includes the phrase "lead us not into temptation."

         The Greek word in both verses is eisenenkēs, which means "to carry inward."

         Were Francis to translate Matthew 6:13 and Luke 11:4 as "do not let us fall into temptation," he would be the one mistranslating the actual text. He would be applying his own interpretation on the Bible over and above the actual words of Jesus.

       ... If God does not tempt people, how should Christians interpret — and pray — Matthew 6:13 and Luke 11:4?

       The book of Proverbs may suggest an answer. "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps," according to Proverbs 16:9.

         When millions of Catholics and other Christians pray "lead us not into temptation," they are not asking God to decide not to tempt them, as if God were the one doing the tempting in the first place. Instead, they are asking to live lives shielded from too much temptation.