March 25, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around The Web

"Using Trees for Cover: Part 1"--Paul Harrell (10-1/2 min.)

Harrell shoots at (and, in a few cases, through) Douglas Fir trees of varying diameter. Surprisingly to me, a 6 inch diameter tree was able to stop 9 mm and .45 ACP without any problem (of course, that is not enough for full concealment). Both 5.56 NATO and 7.62x39 was stopped by a tree 13 inches in diameter, even when using a steel penetrator in the 5.56.

"Using Trees for Cover: Part 2"--Kentucky Patriot (14-1/2 min.)

Kentucky Patriot takes over from Harrell in this video to do similar testing against hard wood trees. Kentucky Patriot did not have a 7.62x39, so he instead used a 7.62x54R. In one of his tests, he shoots a hardwood tree of about 7 inches diameter, which stops 5.56, no problem, but the 7.62x54R (roughly the same power and performance as .308) goes right through it.

• "Gun Test: Browning BAR MK 3 DBM Rifle"--Range 365. Interestingly, Browning has taken its classic BAR for hunting and made it more "tactical." The biggest difference is that the floor plate covering the bottom of the magazine well has been deleted so that the rifle can accept larger magazines--in this case, 10 rounds. Although the BAR has been offered in magnum calibers, this one (at least as tested) was in .308. It is apparently being offered as an alternative to the AR-10 for hunters who want a semi-automatic rifle. It's selling point, in that regard, is that it is lighter than most AR-10 style rifles. 
• "Testing the Accuracy of a Mosin-Nagant Sniper Rifle"--Shooting Illustrated. The author was able to procure a genuine Mosin-Nagant sniper rifle. His best results were 1.5 MOA, using handloads.
• "The Care and Feeding of Socks"--SHTF Blog. This is a good article on selecting the types of sock material, choosing a correct size, and caring for socks. An excerpt:

        When picking a size, first avoid socks that are too small or way too big.  Small socks may restrict free toe movement and the tops may be so tight they cut off circulation above the ankles.  When you remove socks and there are signs of deep elastic impressions on the skin, then the socks are probably too small, and hence too tight.

        The same can be said for socks that are excessively large on the foot.  This may cause the socks to move around inside the footwear causing material to bunch up and even elevate the creation of blisters.  Abrasion causes blisters and other feet problems when socks shift or move back and forth with each step.

        Best fitting socks should be form fitting to the outline of the foot.  The toes should be able to move and wiggle freely for good blood circulation.  Socks should fit well at the ankles and on the heel.  Sock tops should not be too tight as mentioned, but form fitting enough to help keep the socks from eventually sliding down into the boots or shoes.

• "Apocalypse for the Ladies"--Survive the Apocalypse. This article addresses concerns specific to the ladies, including bras (or the lack thereof), body hair, taking care of (head) hair and whether to go with shorter hair, and periods. 
• "101 Uses: Borax to deal with ants and other pests"--The Modern Survivalist. Up until the 1980s or 90s, Borax would have been found in most homes as a cleanser, weed killer, and numerous other uses. One of the uses, highlighted here, is to use it to control ants and other insects (the author says it works for roaches):

        So what you do is mix 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of Borax, and 1.5 cups of warm water. Mix it until you fully dissolve both Borax and sugar.

        Once that’s done let it cool and either place it directly along the path of the ants, or better yet, soak some cotton balls and leave that along the path of the ants or close to their nest.

        Ants will be attracted by the sugar, they will take it back to the nest and this will eventually kill the entire ant colony.

• "10 Worst Holsters for Women"--The Cornered Cat. "Lethal lace" repeated 10 times.
• "Seeking Uniformity: Differences in Battle Dress, Field Cut and Combat Cut Uniform Tops"--Imminent Threat Solutions. Uniforms didn't really change all that much between WWII and the 1980s. Then, within just a couple decades, we saw significant changes as to both camouflage patterns, but also the cut and pattern of the uniforms. This article discusses these changes as to the standard shirt used by U.S. forces.
• "The Pressure Cooker: Population Density and Crime"--NYC Data Science. The authors apparently approached this problem with the hypothesis that there would be a positive correlation between population density and crime (something suggested by research into rats), but in this case, it was more complex: that is, using a 1990-2015 data set, the author found that crime rates in New York City actually went down even as population density was increasing. Looking more broadly at the whole of New York state, the authors found that crime increased with population density only until the density reached 500 people per square mile, then it began to decrease. 
• "Why Latin America Dominates Global Homicide Rankings"--In Sight Crime. From the article:

With the exception of a few urban centers in the United States and South Africa, the latest annual ranking of the world’s 50 most homicidal cities by the Citizen Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice (Consejo Ciudadano para la Seguridad Pública y la Justicia Penal – CCSPJP) is comprised entirely of Latin American and Caribbean locations. The list contains 43 cities in the region with murder rates ranging from just under 35 per 100,000 inhabitants to more than 111 per 100,000.

* * *

Just three countries — Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela — are home to more than two-thirds of the cities on the list. (Two Venezuelan urban centers present in last year’s list were taken out of the ranking this year due to lack of reliable data.) 

Interestingly, interpersonal conflict and extra-judicial killings by law enforcement actually account for a large number of murders.

• The Anonymous Conservative warns that BitCoin has been sabotaged by the inclusion of links to child pornography in the blockchain and, possibly, at least one image. "Since the totality of Bitcoin’s blockchain has to be downloaded in order to mine Bitcoin or run a full Bitcoin node — a program that validates transactions on the network — that means anyone who does so is in possession of potentially illegal content."
• Socialism hates competition: "The Nazis Fought The Original War On Christmas"-Smithsonian Magazine (h/t Instapundit). 
• Speaking of socialism, Weasel Zippers urges his readers to "Watch What David Hogg Does At The End Of His Unhinged Speech." He links to two videos: the first is from CNN, which cuts before the crucial moment,  but the second, from Fox, shows Hogg perform the universal socialist solute (e.g., the Nazi salute, but also used by other socialist and communist organizations during the last century). True colors, indeed. From a technical point of view, Hogg seems to do a good job with the timing and cadence of  his speech, getting the crowd excited. I expect that we will see more of Hogg in the coming years. But watching how Hogg ostensibly has pulled all this together, I find myself more suspicious of whether he had a relationship with Cruz, whom we have learned was apparently well known among students at the Parkland school for his proclivities. Hogg was awfully well prepared, even as the shooting was taking place, to videotape himself and prepare for the national stage.

• Related: "Delta helps hundreds of students fly to DC for gun protest"--ABC News. The article reports that "Delta Air Lines has donated three round-trip charter flights that allowed hundreds of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students to participate in the 'March for Our Lives' protest against gun violence in Washington." The CEO of Delta is Edward H. Bastian. Remember.

• Related: ABC News goes whole hog (pun intended) for the anti-American -gun march this weekend: "'America, love your children not your guns': Memorable signs from March for Our Lives"--ABC News. My response: "America, love your children not your cars." Statistics show that over 37,000 people die in road crashes each year just in the United States, with an additional 2.35 million injured or disabled; and worldwide, 1.3 million die in car crashes each year.

• Related: "Report: March For Our Lives Crowd Count Well Below Expected And Initial Reports"--Weasel Zippers. Media reports of the size of the crowd in Washington D.C. was just fake news. Outlets reported as many as 800,000 attendees. Actual size: about 200,000. And those 200,000 were well protected by scores of people with guns (i.e., armed police).