April 30, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Yellowstone Pressure Release | Long-Term View"--Suspicious Observers (2-1/2 min.)

The producer explains that the hydrothermal events and small earthquake swarms are good news indicating that the Yellowstone caldera is releasing pressure rather than letting it build up.

• Typically I try to start these run around the web columns with gun and self-defense subjects then move into the current events. However, this one deserves to be front and center because it represents either thinking with blinders in place or a devious attempt to mislead readers. The article is "Why Fascism Won’t Come To America," in which the author reviews 'Can It Happen Here?: Authoritarianism in America.', purporting to be a collection of essays by various academicians explaining why fascism specifically (or a tyrannical government more generally) would be impossible in the United States. Most of the reasoning is laughable.

         For instance, one essayist argues:

“American fascism cannot happen anymore because the American government is too large and unwieldy. It is simply too hard for the fascists, or for that matter other radical groups, to seize control of. No matter who is elected, the fascists cannot control the bureaucracy, they cannot control the judiciary, they cannot control semi-independent institutions such as the Federal Reserve, and they cannot control what is sometimes called ‘the deep state.’ The net result is they simply can’t control enough of the modern state to steer it in a fascist direction.”

However, even if he never had full control over the German bureaucracy, which was as well entrenched as ours, Hitler was able to get it to accede to his wishes using a variety of tactics ranging from arrest, to patronage, to replacing key democrats bureaucrats, or setting up parallel institutions. (See, e.g., this article from The Nation). Basically, when faced with losing their jobs and/or pensions, the bureaucracy took the easy road.

           Another essayist apparently argues that the Constitutional separation of powers would save the Republic. However, the separation of powers is mostly a joke. With the passage of the Administrative Procedures Act, Congress passed much of its powers and the powers of the courts to the Administrative branch: agencies supposedly run by dispassionate experts would make regulations with the force of law, and administrative law judges would oversee disputes arising under those regulations. Besides which, again looking at Hitler as an example, he simply ignored court decisions until he'd had the opportunity to undermine the court system with enough of his own appointments and otherwise intimidate the judges.

          The author also dismisses references to Hungary and other former Warsaw Pact nations as examples of nations moving away from representative government by the fact that they don't have the historical or cultural roots in democracy. The author writes:

          America is different, and exceptionally so. Our predecessors had a head start in that they lived in colonies founded by Great Britain. While Britain was by no means a democracy in those days, it was the most democratic of any of the eighteenth-century European nations, with the possible exception of Poland-Lithuania (which had no colonies and was conquered by illiberal powers before the century’s end). Britons also had a clearer sense of their natural rights than most Europeans did, owing to the enactment of the Magna Carta in 1215 and the 1689 Bill of Rights that followed their ouster of a king bent on absolutism.

           Added to that was America’s good luck to be led by a generation of leaders who practiced what they preached. Our system of government may have been devised to divide power and resist tyranny, but had we elected a would-be tyrant in those early years, the task of preserving the Constitution might have seemed less important to a people who had not grown up with it.

         Instead, we had George Washington, a man popular enough to become a dictator like Napoleon or Toussaint Louverture, but who instead denied himself powers not granted him and retired peacefully after two terms in office. With the weight of two centuries of liberal democracy, our national character has evolved to resist tyrants, even those who promise things we might like. Foreign analogies are interesting, but the shoe will never quite fit.

That probably would have been true if U.S. demographics were primarily composed of descendants of the early English and Dutch settlers. But that is not the case. Increasingly, our electorate is composed of people that are not the descendants of British jurisprudence and political philosophy; people, who in fact, come from traditions of rule by tyrants. These immigrants don't carry "the weight of two centuries of liberal democracy," but instead come from societies with a history and culture of corruption, dictators, and political violence. 

• Wow. Obama's greatest foreign policy success is his biggest failure. "Netanyahu: Iran Nuclear Deal Is Based on Lies – Here's the Proof"--Haaretz. Israel stole over 100,000 documents from a secret Iranian archive that reveal that Iran never stopped their nuclear weapons program. 

Netanyahu concluded by saying "Iran lied about never having a secret nuclear program. Secondly, even after the deal, it continued to expand its nuclear program for future use. Thirdly, Iran lied by not coming clean to the IAEA," he said, adding that, "the nuclear deal is based on lies based on Iranian deception."

Some thoughts from Anonymous Conservative here and here. 

Also, from The Times of Israel: 

         Netanyahu says Iran’s secret nuclear files reveal that Iran’s nuclear program was designed to “test and build nuclear weapons.”

         In a nationally televised address, Netanyahu said Israel recently uncovered 55,000 documents and 183 CDs of information from Iran’s “nuclear archives.”

         “These files conclusively prove that Iran is brazenly lying when it says it never had a nuclear weapons program,” he says at a press conference in Tel Aviv. “The files prove that.”

        He says the US has vouched for the authenticity of the secret archive obtained by Israel, and that it would make the documents available to the UN atomic agency and other countries.

• "Is Free-Floating an AR15 Barrel Worth It?"--The New Rifleman. The author of this piece decided to conduct an experiment: he took a 20-inch AR with standard A2 stock and front sight post/gas block, and free floated it using a system that used the existing barrel nut. Comparing performance from before and after, he found significant improvements in accuracy (measuring the mean radius of groups) in most loads tested. However, there were a couple loads (both Hornady, by the way), where the group sizes opened up.
• "Koreatown Twenty-Six Years Ago: The Guns of the L.A. Riots"--The Truth About Guns. The 1992 Rodney King riots in Los Angeles saw shops and other businesses in black neighborhoods and adjoining areas looted and burned ... except for Koreatown, where the owners took up arms to protect their livelihoods. The author looks over photographs of these Korean merchants and discusses the weapons shown. One thing that the author notes is the scarcity of AR15 rifles. He notes: "Colt, Bushmaster, and Olympic Arms all made AR-15s, but prices for those were closer to $1,000. A Mini-14 cost around $250-$300 and 20- and 30-round magazines were easy to get." Well, I don't know if that is realistic. I started purchasing firearms about that time (1991 and 1992), and remember Mini-14's running about $350 to $400 depending on the particulars (blue steel versus stainless), and ARs running for around $800. In any event, the author also goes on to note how California law would have largely disarmed these Korean businessmen if the there were riots today.
• "LEAKED: USMC Test Calls M27, M38 DMR Into Question"--The Firearm Blog. Nathaniel F. reviews a 2016 test of these systems that found that the weapons could not run reliably with suppressors attached, exhibiting "bolt over base malfunctions indicating an extremely high cyclic rate" when using suppressors.  He also notes that those tests used the Mk. 262 ammunition, but "USMC forces abroad are now using the M855A1 EPR round, which typically produces much higher cyclic rates than Mk. 262." Thus, the system, at least as configured for those tests, would not be reliable in a suppressed role.
• "Solar Activity Flatlines: Weakest solar cycle in 200 years"--Watts Up With That. The author notes that the current solar cycle (24) is weak, and that solar cycle 25 will probably be similar. So, we should not expect the Sun's activity to start to perk up to more normal levels until at least 2031 when Solar Cycle 26 is expected to start. The article ends: "The good news is that it is highly improbable the sun will enter a Grand Minimum, such as the one that occurred from 1645 – 1715, the period known as the Little Ice Age."
• "Seismic Upgrade, Moral Hazard and Gentrification"--Chicago Boyz. The author warns that Portland is chock full of “unreinforced masonry” or URM buildings that offer little protection during an earthquake--in fact, they are the most likely to suffer catastrophic failure. The article links to an interactive map showing where these buildings are located in Portland.
• Ever Again: "Keep assault weapons in the military"--Times Union. The author of this op-ed is Sol Wachtler, a former chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, and professor at Touro law School. For those of you not versed in the New York court system, the Court of Appeals is New York's highest court--what would in most states be called a supreme court. So, this former chief of New York's highest court is calling for another national assault weapon's ban. However, reading between the lines, he does not appear to be calling for a ban on just new weapons, but a ban all weapons that would fall within the nebulous classification of "assault weapon."
• No. "Can Islamization Be Rolled Back Without Eroding Civil Liberties?"--Gates of Vienna. A back and forth discussion on whether the Islamization of Europe can be contained and rolled back without martial law. Well worth the read.
• "France to boost security on Alps border with Italy after far-Right 'block' migrant route"--The Telegraph. You might remember the Lauren Southern video to which I linked recently showing the European young men and women working to block a pass used by illegal aliens seeking to enter France from Italy. There actions (as well as an attack by pro-immigrant group on border police) have worked: France will be increasing border security.
• "SYRIAN ARMY SAYS 'ENEMY' ROCKET ATTACKS STRIKE AT MILITARY BASES"--Jerusalem Post. Israel attacks and destroys Iranian military bases in Syria. 

• Related: "Huge Mother Of All Explosions Hits Syrian City Of Hama"--Red State. Initial reports from last night when the attack occurred.

• "‘Their Country Is Being Invaded’: Exodus of Venezuelans Overwhelms Northern Brazil"--The New York Times. An estimated 1.5 million have already fled the country, and another 1.8 million are expected to leave this year. From the article:

        As Venezuelans began resettling across Latin America in large numbers in 2015, for the most part they found open borders and paths to legal residency in neighboring countries.

        But as their numbers have swelled — and as a larger share of recent migrants arrive without savings and in need of medical care — some officials in the region have begun to question the wisdom of open borders.

        Ms. Campos [governor of the northern Brazilian state of Roraima] said she took the “extreme measure” of suing the federal government because the influx of Venezuelans led to a spike in crime, drove down wages for menial jobs and set off an outbreak of measles, which had been eradicated in Brazil.

        At least 93 people were killed during the first four months of this year, already exceeding the 83 violent deaths recorded last year, Ms. Campos said. And law enforcement officials say drug trafficking in the region has increased as destitute Venezuelans have been drafted into Brazilian smuggling networks.

        The population of Boa Vista, the state capital, ballooned over the past few years as some 50,000 Venezuelans resettled here. They now make up roughly 10 percent of the population. At first, residents responded with generosity, establishing soup kitchens and organizing clothes drives.

        By last year however, local residents in Pacaraima, the border town, and Boa Vista, the state capital, which is 130 miles from the border, felt overwhelmed.

• Of course, the New York Times would never characterize our border situation as an invasion, although it has all the hallmarks of one:

• "Caravan stand-off at the border: Some immigrants have crossed the border illegally after they were turned away from the U.S. in dramatic confrontation"--Daily Mail. From the article:

        On Saturday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a statement saying that in the past 24 hours 'several groups of people associated with the Central American Caravan have illegally entered the U.S. without immigration documents by climbing over the dilapidated scrap metal border fence on either side of the San Ysidro Port of Entry'. 

         'In several of these incidents, children as young as four-years-old, and in one case a pregnant female, were detected entering the United States illegally through a dark, treacherous canyon that is notorious for human and drug trafficking,' the statement added. 

         CBP San Diego Chief Patrol Agent Rodney Scott said of those crossing illegally: 'As a father myself, I find it unconscionable that anyone would expose a child to these dangerous conditions.' 

          The agency did not give an estimate of how many people associated with the group have crossed the border illegally or whether any were apprehended. 

• "REPORT: Mexican Police Escort ‘Migrant Caravan’ to Border for Crossing Attempt"--Breitbart. The article reports that "Mexican police officers reportedly escorted the remnants of the once 1,200-person 'migrant caravan' from shelters in Tijuana, Mexico, to the San Ysidro, California, port of entry."

• Sarah Hoyt writes, in "Of Refugees, Borders, and Invaders":

        The US, while a nation, possessed of territory, like all nations, is something quite new in the history of the world, as our founding principles are a radical departure from past countries and an effort to create a citizenship of belief.

        Because I am quite devoted to our founding principles and the liberty which they secure us, I don’t believe in immigration simply for economic necessity or to escape this or that.  While those are valid motives to immigrate anywhere – including here – you should come here with the intention of becoming an American, or as my friend, Dave Freer, himself an immigrant to Australia, puts it, FIFO: Fit in or F**k off.

       This “caravan” coming to “test” our borders is the very antithesis of FIFO, and in fact, if we do not find a way to turn it away, and ship these people back where they came from, we might as well consider our borders non-existent.  And you know what you call a country with non-existent borders?  Not a country.  To study the fate of such a land, read up on the tragedy of the commons.

        If we are open land whom anyone may come and settle in, first we need to stop the welfare system because pioneers by definition don’t get welfare.  And second, we can kiss our culture and our founding principles goodbye, because, in the face of a massive invasion by another culture, there is no way to make anyone acculturate (a painful process at best) or fit in.

April 27, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Escape and Evasion: Road Crossings"--Black Scout Survival (3 min.)

• TGIF: This week's Weekend Knowledge Dump from Active Response Training. Go there to get your weekly fix of firearms and self-defense articles.
• Peace breaking out on Korean Peninsula: "Historic: Kim Jong Un Goes To South Korea, Agrees To End War, Denuclearization of Korean Peninsula"--Weasel Zippers. A Trump victory.
• Mass killing in China: "Knife-wielding man slashes 19 children - killing seven - in 'revenge attack' near school in China"--Daily Mail. Another crime thwarted by gun control (sarc.).
• ".22 LR AR Conversion Kits: Are They Worth It?"--Outdoor Hub. The author of this piece looks at the CMMG conversion kit and gives his thoughts. Basically, however, the CMMG kit ran great, but the accuracy is not the best when putting a .22LR bullet through the tight twist in most ARs. It is great for plinking and practicing techniques for using the AR, but not for hunting or precise target shooting.

• Related: "How To Convert Your AR-15 Into A .22 LR Show-Stopper"--Off The Grid News.

• Related: "Question Of The Day: .22 Upper or Drop-In Kit?"--The Truth About Guns. Depends on what level of accuracy do you want.

• "Nearly every mass killer is a man. We should all be talking more about that"--The Guardian. Well, I don't know about that. It is more that men tend to use dramatic means to achieve their killings, while women are more likely to use poison, smother a victim, or some other concealed method. Just take a look at this list of notable female serial killers. I suspect that many female killers are never discovered.
• "This Chinese Future Weapon Is Absurd"--War Is Boring. China is going down the road that many other countries have gone--including the U.S.--in attempting to create a hybrid weapon combining a rifle and small grenade launcher. These look great in sci-fi movies, but haven't worked out well in practice because of their bulk and weight.
• "Woman Calls 911 on Father with Kids at Park Due to His Pro-2A Shirt"--All Outdoors. From the article:

         A Texas dad playing with his children at a local playground got quite a surprise when the police showed up to question him, stating that his pro-gun shirt was “making other parents uncomfortable”. Troy Johnston and his two daughters, ages four and six, stopped at Castle Park on March 30, so the children could enjoy the park’s swings and maze, he told Blue Lives Matter.

        Several other parents approached Johnston while his daughters were playing, alerting him to the fact that a woman was very irate with the verbiage on his shirt and was threatening to call the police and warning other parents not to go into the park because of “a man with a gun”. Johnston was legally and openly carrying his handgun on a hip holster.

         According Benbrook Police Department (BPD) Corporal J. Reese, a woman contacted the department at approximately 3:21 p.m., and reported a “suspicious person” with a “gun holstered to his chest,” was wearing a shirt that read “You control your kids, I’ll control my guns.”

Although Johnston was openly carrying a handgun, the police report specifically indicated that the woman was not concerned about the gun, but was concerned about his t-shirt. Johnston plans on getting more shirts similar to that which triggered the psycho woman. My thought is that prosecutors should look at whether they can charge the woman with filing a false police report, falsely reporting a crime, or similar, to deter similar conduct in the future.

• "Gun Shops Are Hurting" and "Has the Black Rifle Market Turned White?" from All Outdoors. Both articles concern the decline in gun sales since Trump was elected, and that it is driving some gun sellers out of business. Blame is laid not only at the lack of urgency that drove sales prior to the election, but competition with online retailers (including claims that stores cannot make money off of processing transfers of firearms bought online). My personal take away, after talking to gun shop owners in my areas, as well as just looking at the general situation, is that a lot of the woe can be laid at the feet of shop owners that were so sure that Hillary Clinton was going to win that they over extended themselves, laying in stock which they bought when prices were higher. 
• Interesting: "Cold War time capsule: Abandoned school nuclear fallout shelter one mile from the White House is almost perfectly preserved 56 years after it was hurriedly built following the Cuban Missile Crisis"--Daily Mail. I just wish it had more information on how well the food, water and other supplies stored.
• "Not your Tibetan Buddhism"--Aeon Magazine. Tibetan Buddhism is not as peaceful and unified a belief system as most in the West believe.
• And now for something completely different: The BBC has made its extensive sound effects library available to the public for personal use (public performance or commercial use would still require licensing). The link to the library is here.

April 26, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Defense against a Double Leg Takedown"--Code Red Defense (3 min.)

 

• "Is Appendix Carry Comfortable?"--Lucky Gunner. Some tips on holsters and positioning/adjusting of holsters to make appendix carry more comfortable. And a reminder that appendix carry may just not work you. The author writes:

So to start off, I’ll just reiterate that appendix carry is not for everyone. There are some people who will just never be able to make it work, either because of how their body is shaped or how they wear their clothes, or their tolerance level for having something pressing against their abdomen all day. There are a ton of factors involved, and not everyone will be able to figure out a way to do it comfortably, and that’s okay. And really, the same goes for any method of concealed carry. But I think more often than not, people who give up on appendix carry because it’s uncomfortable haven’t tried all the tricks and techniques available that can make it a lot easier.

• "IDPA RULES"--Re Factor Tactical. The 2018 rules for those that are interested.
• "5 Drills to Improve Your Brain Mapping for Better Trigger Finger Isolation"--Loadout Room. Some background explanation as to why you need to be able to move your fingers independently of one another, and then a couple videos demonstrating various exercises to increase your agility and control of your fingers.
• "Skill Set: Shooting Tempo"--The Tactical Wire. Key part:

When you press the trigger it should be with predictable results - the bullet goes where you need it to, or at least extremely close.  The speed you shoot at is dictated by the accuracy needed.  With close, large targets you can fire rapidly.  As the distance increases, and/or the size of the target decreases you’ll need to slow down to get the desired accuracy.

The author notes that he sees too many students that try to keep the same tempo (i.e., fast fire) when accuracy rather than volume of fire is necessary.

• "YETI vs the NRA, It’s About More Than Discount Coolers"--Ammo Land. As you know, the NRA was told by Yeti that Yeti was terminating its discount program for the NRA (which allowed the NRA to buy the coolers at a discount so they could imprint the NRA logo on the coolers and resell them). After the uproar, Yeti tried to walk back the claims, suggesting that it wasn't aimed just at the NRA and saying that the NRA was misrepresenting what was communicated by Yeti. So, Marion Hammer, who had first released the information about this matter, has responded:

In early March, YETI refused to place a previously negotiated order from NRA-ILA, citing ‘recent events’ as the reason – a clear reference to the tragedy in Parkland, Florida. YETI then delivered notice to the NRA Foundation that it was terminating a seven-year agreement and demanded that the NRA remove the YETI name and logo from all NRA digital assets, as well as refrain from using any YETI trademarks in future print material.

The Anonymous Conservative suggests reselling coolers instead of blowing them up in order to undermine Yeti's sales even farther.

• To protect and to serve: "BSO Deputies Took Cover Behind Cars and Tree During Parkland Massacre, Coral Springs Cops Say"--PJ Media. From the article:

         While students were being hunted down by an armed madman in what was to become the worst school shooting in Florida history, Broward County deputies  were "cowering behind their cars and a nearby tree," according to damning new officer reports released by the Coral Springs Police Department Tuesday.

         Worse yet, the deputies made no attempt to go inside during those critical first moments even though the deputy behind the tree said he knew where the shooter was, the Miami Herald reported. None of the deputies attempted to track down shooter Nikolas Cruz or aid the wounded. Instead, they set up a perimeter outside the building and waited for a SWAT team to arrive.

• It's an invasion: "Migrant 'caravan' at U.S.-Mexico border prepares for mass crossing"--Reuters. From the article:

          Hundreds of Central American migrants from a caravan that crossed Mexico reunited in Tijuana on Wednesday and planned to cross the border together this weekend in defiance of threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to repel them.

         The timing of the migrants arrival could compromise a flurry of talks this week to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which Trump has repeatedly threatened to scrap if Mexico does not crack down on the flow of Central Americans through its territory.

         Busloads of migrants began arriving on Tuesday at a shelter that was a five minute-walk from the border and within sight of a U.S. flag waving under an overpass connecting the two countries.

         While many rested in tents after a month-long journey across Mexico, others wandered up to the border to contemplate the next stage in their journey.

         "The wall doesn't look that tall," said Kimberly George, a 15-year-old girl from Honduras as she looked toward a stunted barrier a few feet away. "I really want to cross it."

Although the article broadly claims that the erstwhile invaders are fleeing death threats from criminal gangs, murder of family members and political prosecution, the only person actually quoted as to why she was fleeing Honduras said it was because of domestic abuse! 

• What we are getting: "A third of the world's murders happen in Latin America where 2.5 MILLION have been killed since 2000 in a 'breathtaking' wave of homicidal violence, study finds"--Daily Mail. Yet, according to the article, the region only accounts for 8% of the world's population.
• "Focus on witchcraft at exorcists’ summit signifies a paradigm shift"--Crux. Catholic priests in Africa are increasingly being sought after to assist with dispelling the effects of witchcraft. From the article:

          ... for the first time, the course [on exorcism] will feature a section on witchcraft in Africa.

          “We will deal with the theme of the kidnapping and murder of children for ritual sacrifice, linked to witchcraft, in order to obtain favors for clients,” he said, calling it a “cruel and inhuman practice.”

           The strong practical appeal of witchcraft and magic across much of the developing world also became clear on the opening day, after 89-year-old Cardinal Ernest Simoni gave a heartfelt talk about his decades of experience performing exorcisms (always in Latin, and always according to the 1884 formula issued under Pope Leo XIII.)

It continues:

           While Northerners may see magic and witchcraft in largely benign terms as a form of New Age spirituality, across the South the working assumption is that magic and witchcraft are real but demonic, so the proper response is spiritual combat. The famed Methodist Yoruba scholar Bolaji Idowu has written, “In Africa, it is idle to begin with the question whether witches exist or not…To Africans of every category, witchcraft is an urgent reality.”

            It’s also a matter of life and death. Secretive cults on Nigeria’s 100 university campuses, with names such as “Black Axes” and “Pyrates,” often practice juju, or black magic, to terrify their rivals, and violent struggles between these cults have left hundreds dead.  In 2007, a gang of villagers in Kenya beat an 81-year-old man to death, suspecting him of having murdered his three grandsons through witchcraft.

          In February 2007, the Catholic University of East Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, held a three-day symposium on the pastoral challenge of witchcraft. Experts warned that witchcraft was “destroying” the Catholic Church in Africa, in part because skeptical, Western-educated clergy are not responding adequately to people’s spiritual needs.

        “It is important for the Church to understand the fears of the people, and not to attribute them to superstition,” said Michael Katola, a lecturer in pastoral theology. “Witchcraft is a reality; it is not a superstition. Many communities in Kenya know these powers exist.” Katola warned that inadequate pastoral responses are driving some Africans into Pentecostalism.

           "Many of our Christians seek deliverance, healing and exorcism from other denominations because priests do not realize they have redemptive powers,” he said. “If we don’t believe in the existence of witchcraft as Satanism, then we cannot deal with it.”

While there are instances of possession and the like (see e.g., Luke 8:26-37), witchcraft appears to be psychosomatic based on strong beliefs in the supernatural (probably helped along once in a while with poisons and drugs). Hence, as one anthropologist related:

Even more interesting to us was the universal understanding that white people were not vulnerable to witchcraft and could neither feel it nor understand it. White people literally lack a crucial sense, or part of the brain. An upside, I was told, was that we did not face the dangers that locals faced. On the other hand our bad feelings could be projected so as good citizens we had to monitor carefull our own “hearts”. 

Video: "Migrants VS European Youth in French Alps"

Lauren Southern has recently posted a video showing the efforts of young men and women in Europe to try and stop the influx of illegal aliens--in this case, migrants attempting to illegally travel from Italy to France via a formerly unpatrolled mountain pass. It is a great example of "building tribe."

"Migrants VS European Youth in French Alps"--Lauren Southern (7 min.)

April 25, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Primary Arms Holosun Micro Red Dot Sight | A cheap Aimpoint alternative?!"--Garand Thumb (13 min.). Somewhat fortuitous since I was just wondering about these a few days ago.

• Grant Cunningham has his "Hump Day Reading List" for this week. Check it out. One of the articles is from our very own sometimes contributor, "The Realist." Our thanks to Mr. Cunningham for the link!
• "How To Raise Rabbits For Meat"--Know Prepare Survive. Just remember that rabbit meat, by itself, does not provide essential fats like other types of meat, so you will need to supplement it. This article discusses some of the better breads, building a rabbit hutch, and other basics, as well as providing links to articles and other resources with information. If you are interested in raising rabbits, this appears to be a good introductory resource.
• "Ducks vs Chickens For the Small Scale Homesteader"--M.D. Creekmore. Another good article for those interested in small scale livestock. One argument for ducks over chickens:

Waterfowl also produce larger and more flavorful eggs.  It is said that duck eggs are healthier than chicken eggs.  There is a higher level of omega-3 fatty acids found in ducks eggs.  Their eggs stay fresher longer than chicken eggs due to the thicker shells.  Many folks with egg allergies claim they do not react to duck eggs the same way they do to chicken eggs and therefore may still consume duck eggs despite their allergy.

My father-in-law tells of his childhood, during the depression, where his parents couldn't afford milk, but they did raise chickens. They would grind up the egg shells, and put them in gelatin capsules as a home-made calcium supplement for he and his siblings.

• "The Lansky Firefighters Battle Axe"--Dreaming of Sunsets Over Ochre Dunes. This small axe also includes various prying points, and the middle of the axe head is cut out to use as a gas valve wrench. 
• "Gun Review: Smith & Wesson M&P380 SHIELD EZ – Take 2"--The Truth About Guns. A handgun designed for people with weak gripping strength and/or arthritis. And, according to the reviewer, S&W has succeeded in its design.
• "Rise Armament RA-140 Super Sport Review"--The New Rifleman. This is a $122 drop in trigger for the AR which the author believes is one of the best out there. It is a single stage unit with a 3.5 lbs trigger weight. It doesn't come with anti-rotation pins--you will need to order those separately (although it was tight of enough fit in the author's AR that he didn't need them).
• "British Politicians Declare War on Knives"--Reason.com. Because it is easier to disarm the lawabiding rather than deal with rising gang and immigrant crime, London's Mayor Sadiq Khan has declared that there is never a reason to carry a knife, and indicated that London police will be cracking down on those choosing to carry a knife. Consequently, several British retailers have announced that they will no longer sell kitchen knives. 

• Related: "KNIFE CONTROL MOVEMENT CROSSES ATLANTIC"--WND. Lori Brown, of Texas, is pushing for greater restrictions on knives, machetes and swords after her son was killed in a stabbing spree at the University of Texas at Austin.

• Related: "Things to consider when carrying a knife for self defense"--Loadout Room. Some questions to guide you to a more optimal knife for self defense. Not all of the questions are necessarily deal breakers; like the title says, they are just things to take into consideration.

• "Selecting The Right Cable Size For Your Battery Bank"--Modern Survival Blog. The author discusses the issues with the cable size and then includes a handy chart matching gauge with amperage.
• "From the Range: Savage Wins with New MSR Competition Line"--Range 365. Not many people will be laying down the $3,000 or more for a competition AR rifle. However, just as race cars and concept cars are useful testbeds for new ideas and technologies, and can point the way toward the future, so too can competition weapons pave the way for advances in firearms. I had noted two or three months ago that I thought that one of the future developments that we will see adopted more and more into rifles, including the AR, will be carbon wrapped barrels to increase rigidity and heat dispersion while reducing weight, and that is one of the features of this weapon. They have some other interesting tweaks that might interest you as well.
• "True grit! Hero in a cowboy hat calmly takes off his sunglasses before leaping on an armed robber after he points a gun at him"--Daily Mail. The video is instructive. The robber turned his back on the man, who then grabbed him and immediately (i.e., it was the focus of attack) disarmed the robber. The disarm was accomplished by grabbing the robbers arm and twisting it down and behind the robbers back and then up again in a standard arm twist. Compare this to a recent news story to which I had linked where the victim decided to attack his mugger when the mugger dropped the wallet, but the victim was facing the mugger and made no real attempt to control the mugger's gun hand.
• Similar to some comments I made recently: "Alan Dershowitz: Maybe Mueller should be investigated"--Washington Examiner.  And, just as I had mentioned, the issue has to do with Mueller's leadership at a time the FBI agents under him were framing 4 men with murder. From the article:

        Mueller was an assistant U.S. attorney in Boston, the head of its criminal division, the head of the criminal division in Main Justice, and the director of the FBI during the most scandalous miscarriage of justice in the modern history of the FBI. Four innocent people were framed by the FBI to protect mass murdering gangsters who were working as FBI informers while they were killing innocent people. An FBI agent, who is now in prison, was tipping off Whitey Bulger as to who might testify against him so that these individuals could be killed. He also tipped off Bulger, allowing him to escape and remain on the lam for 16 years.

        What responsibility, if any, did Mueller, who was in key positions of authority and capable of preventing these horrible miscarriages, have in this sordid incident? A former member of the parole board — a liberal Democrat who also served as mayor of Springfield, Mass. — swears he saw a letter from Mueller urging the denial of release for at least one of these wrongfully convicted defendants. When he went back to retrieve the letter, it was not in the file. This should surprise no one since Judge Mark Wolf (himself a former prosecutor), who conducted extensive hearings about this entire mess, made the following findings:

The files relating to the Wheeler murder, and the FBI's handling of them, exemplify recurring irregularities with regard to the preparation, maintenance, and production in this case of documents damaging to Flemmi and Bulger. First, there appears to be a pattern of false statements placed in Flemmi's informant file to divert attention from his possible crimes and/or FBI misconduct….

•  A red-pill moment? "The racial dot map"--Bayou Renaissance Man. Peter Grant includes a map that shows the distribution of race in the United States and then compares it to a map showing how people voted in the last presidential election. As you might suspect, there is a close correlation between minorities and support for Hillary Clinton. Then, per a reader's suggestion, he includes a map showing the distribution of homicides. And, again, there is a correlation. Now, will Grant make the leap to understanding that immigration is merely a means to disenfranchise Americans and give the Democrats a permanent national majority?
• Karma or irony? "Woman who campaigns against the deportation of migrants from Sweden was raped and sexually assaulted by two Afghan teenagers she met outside a bar"--Daily Mail. While I have no intent to absolve the men of what they did, her actions do beg the question of  why did she accompany them to their apartment? It brings us back to the basic rule of self-defense: don't do stupid things with stupid people in stupid places and at stupid times. She violated all four points.
• "St George and the dragon"--Dalrock. Dalrock has previously noted that one of the great moral lies of the present day is that love sanctifies sex. He has discussed at length that the origin of this belief was the concept of chivalrous or courtly love during the High Middle Ages. In this article, he illustrates this argument by reference to the tale of St. George and his slaying of the dragon.

Overcoming "Flinch" When Shooting

Below are a list of articles, and a video, discussing the "flinch"--anticipation of recoil--when shooting. As is noted therein, this problem is generally not the result of the fear of the recoil, but instead the unconscious attempt to brace the body in anticipation of the recoil so as to not upset your balance.

"How to Stop Flinching or Anticipating When You Shoot a Pistol"--Chris Sajnog (5 min.)

• "Dealing with Anticipation When Shooting"--Shooting Illustrated. The author explains:

        When I teach combat pistol, anticipation is the problem I most frequently need to address. Every shooter I have ever met deals with anticipation to one degree or another, but many misunderstand its nature. The most common misunderstanding of anticipation is that it is fear of recoil. This is untrue. Fear of recoil is one reason to anticipate, but it is not anticipation. Another reason to anticipate—and the most common for advanced shooters—is trying to actively control either recoil or the timing of the shot.

         Anticipation is the mind focusing on what it considers important (what is about to happen) instead of what is important (what needs to happen in the moment). An example of anticipation off the range can be found in driving a vehicle. Imagine a deer running in front of a moving car. The untrained driver will concentrate on what is about to happen—hitting the deer—and will reflexively jam on the brakes while continuing to focus on the danger. This results in locking the wheels and, usually, steering into the deer. The trained driver, however, will assess the danger and focus on what needs to happen now: stopping the car and looking for a safe direction to turn. This results in proper braking (just short of lock-up) and steering toward safety. The ability to not worry about potential outcomes, but simply execute what is important in the moment, is often the difference between a positive outcome and disaster.

         When shooting, anticipation is the mind focusing on the recoil of the firearm, either from fear or desire to control it. This results in a change in grip and stance—an instantaneous, reflexive tensing of the grip, arms and/or body—as the mind reacts to what is about to happen (recoil). If our reflexes were fast enough that we actually reacted to recoil at the instant it happened, there would be no problem. Go ahead and react. Human reaction times aren't that quick, however, so we often tense before recoil. The problem with this sudden tension, no matter how slight, is it changes sight alignment and sight picture if it occurs before the round leaves the barrel.

         Try this:  Adopt a good isosceles stance and two-hand grip with your cleared pistol. Relax your grip completely without opening it. Acquire a sight picture (pointed in a safe direction, of course). While you are watching your sights, suddenly increase the pressure on your grip and forearms. You will see the pistol dip, thereby ruining sight alignment. This usually happens so close to the actual shot, the recoil disguises the flinch and the shooter swears he or she didn't anticipate. This reflex is why anticipated shots are almost always low and left of the target (for a right-handed shooter). If a shooter relaxes, allows recoil to happen (as it must) and allows the shot to happen in its own time, the result will be a good hit.

This is a great article, so be sure to read the whole thing.

Some other articles I came across:

• "Goodbye Low and Left: 8 Ways to Cure a Flinch"--Lucky Gunner. 
• "Overcoming the flinch response: 'Let recoil happen!'"--Police One. 
• "BUILD UP DRILL: ELIMINATE SHOT ANTICIPATION"--Re Factor Blog. 

April 24, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Black Washing History? Troy & BBC Cartoon Debunking"--Metatron (19 min.)

Metatron is a YouTube channel that provides commentary and analysis concerning historic European martial arts and related weapons, as well as a look at related historical subjects (e.g., specific battles). Several of his videos are focused on debunking misconceptions. And that is where this video falls. That is, the producer criticizes the growing trend of casting black actors or inserting black characters into what are white European stories. One of the examples he refers to is Achilles who is portrayed by a black actor in Netflix's "Troy," even though The Illiad quite expressly describes Achilles as a Grecian with blond hair. He also notes a BBC cartoon series on Roman era Britain which falsely inserts black Africans into the population. If this is going to be acceptable, then it should be fair game all around -- I look forward to a Netflix series casting a white actor to play the role of Martin Luther King, Jr.

• A new Woodpile Report is up. One of the articles cited is "Five reasons why we’ll have another domestic conflict" from Forward Observer. The five reasons (which are discussed in more detail on the article) are: (1) "When Americans believe the ‘Social Contract’ is failing them, they seek to revise or leave it"; (2) "As America becomes ungovernable, it will split into governable factions"; (3) "As Americans move father apart politically and ideologically, they will likely favor alternatives to the ‘united’ states"; (4) "Societies collapse when decisions beneficial for elites in the short term are bad for the people in the long term"; and (5) "Eventually, government will grow so powerful that one political party is likely to not give up power." The author also notes that due to the influx of immigrants, the United States has steadily been trending left for decades, and any sort of amnesty for illegal aliens will flip the nation permanently to the left. (Just like California, I would add).

• Related: "Revolution and Worse to Come" by Victor Davis Hanson at National Review. Having Hillary Clinton's "sure win" snatched away from them has driven liberals mad. He discusses their descent into madness (and the various tactics they have tried to stop Trump) and concludes:

         The danger to the country this time around is that the Left has so destroyed the old protocols of the opposition party that it will be hard to resurrect them when progressives return to power.

          We are entering revolutionary times. The law is no longer equally applied. The media are the ministry of truth. The Democratic party is a revolutionary force. And it is all getting scary.

• From Instapundit: "New York’s Governor Cuomo and the NY Department of Financial services are asking New York based banks and financial institutions to examine the 'reputational risk' posed by business relationships with an 'extremist organization,' the National Rifle Association."
• For the radical in you: "How to Build an AR-15: A Beginner’s Guide"--Loadout Room. This looks to be the first in a series. This article is set up in a question and answer format to educate the reader on the different options and steps with building an AR, and sources of parts. 
• "First Aid Kit or Trauma Kit?"--Dark Angel Medical. The author explains why he keeps his first aid kit separate from the trauma kit. He also provides advice on what to have--and what NOT to have--in your trauma kit.
• "Review: The Henry U.S. Survival Rifle & Pack"--All Outdoors. In addition to the AR7 survival rifle, the kit includes "a carry bag, 100 foot of para-cord, a SWAT tourniquet, a Mylar space blanket, an ESEE fire steel, a Life Straw water filter, vacuum sealed food bars, and a Buck folding knife."
• "Top 9 Reasons Why You Need a Revolver for Self-Defense"--Prepper Dome. The author's list are: (1) dependability, (2) fits your hand better, (3) shooter friendly, (4) easier to repair, (5) greater durability, (6) safer, (7) easier to clean, (8) law friendly, and (9) concealability. While I think revolvers are great--and, for certain reasons, may be better than a semi-auto for the grid-down, long-term survivalist--this author has made several mistakes that need to be addressed. 

         First, in dependability, the author claims that revolvers can't jam. As someone who has had revolvers jam, I can say with a certainty that the author is wrong. If you are speaking only of misfeeding ammunition, the author is correct because the revolver relies on mechanical force applied by the operator to advance the cylinder rather than the recoil to feed a new round. But, if we are talking more broadly about the mechanism jamming, revolvers can, indeed, jam. There are two commons reasons that a revolver may jam: first, the bullets may slip slightly out of a cartridge and wedge the cylinder and frame as the cylinder turns (which is why magnum ammunition MUST be crimped); second, the ejector rod can loosen and unscrew and again act to wedge the cylinder so it can't be rotated and/or opened. Of course, a defect or breakage of internal parts may also render a revolver inoperable.

         Second, the author claims that revolvers are easier to repair because "[a] revolver has just a few parts." Revolvers have more parts and are more mechanically complicated than most modern semi-auto pistol designs. They also require more hand fitting of parts.

        Third, the author claims that a revolver will not wear out as fast as a semi-auto. I don't know about that, however. It is not uncommon for older revolvers to have the timing of the cylinder be off due to the wear of parts, or have the cylinder lock up become slack due to worn parts, and worn or damaged forcing cones are not unknown. 

• Circling the drain: "Arrested Chevron workers could face treason charge in Venezuela"--CNBC. Their crime? Failing to sign a multi-million dollar contract whereby Chevron would buy parts from the state-owned oil company PDVSA for more than double the market price.
• "Year Without a Summer"--The Paris Review. I knew the cold weather in Europe resulting from the Tambora explosion had driven the events leading to the writing of Frankenstein, but this article indicates that it was also influential on the invention of the bicycle. 
• "Been told you have a penicillin allergy? There is chance it's not real"--ABC News. Although 1 in 10 people believe they have a penicillin allergy, the actual number is only about 10% of those that believe they have an allergy, or 1% of the population. The article notes:

        Like many drugs, penicillin antibiotics have side effects, which are simply symptoms related to the drug’s normal actions on the body. The most common side effects of penicillin are rash, diarrhea and nausea, which can be easily misinterpreted as an allergic reaction.

       People can also have hypersensitivity reactions or an over-reactive response to a drug. These can look a lot like true allergies, and the best way to differentiate the two is by formal allergy testing. Hypersensitivity reactions can go away over time, so having one in the past does not guarantee the same symptoms the next time someone takes an antibiotic. This is particularly true for children.

       An even more common scenario is when an illness itself mimics an allergic response. It is very common for children with viral infections to develop a rash several days into their illness, which is often the same time they receive an antibiotic. The antibiotic, rather than the infection, gets blamed for the rash.

By comparison, "[a]n anaphylactic reaction happens within one to two hours after a dose and involves hives, facial swelling, difficulty breathing and low blood pressure with dizziness or fainting."

• "The House IT Scandal"--American Greatness. A nice summary of the Awan scandal. From the article: 

         Despite making top tier salaries, it is unclear what services the five [Awan family members] actually provided. Interviews with Members of Congress suggest Imran was doing the bulk of the work, while his family members existed as “ghost employees”on the payroll.

        In the meantime, we do know that the group made unauthorized access to House servers, logging in with the usernames and passwords of Members of Congress, including the servers of members for whom they did not work. Moreover, according to the IG, the access continued after they were banned from the network and, in some cases, fired by the Member offices.

       The unauthorized access peaked just months before the 2016 elections, when the server of the House Democratic Caucus was accessed by the Awans 5,700 times over a seven-month period. Authorities believe Awan routed data from over a dozen House offices to the server, where he may have then read or removed information. Awan’s purpose for doing so has not been made clear, though the Daily Caller recently reported claims by Awan’s father that his son transferred the data to a USB drive, which was then given to a Pakistani senator and former head of a Pakistani intelligence agency.

       In a spy novel twist, the server, containing all the data in question, has gone missing.

        In July, 2017, Awan was arrested attempting to board a flight to Pakistan with a wiped cell phone, a resume that listed his address as Queens, New York, and after initiating a wire transfer of $238,000 from the Congressional Federal Credit Union to the Pakistan. His wife had already left the country with $12,000 in cash hidden in her suitcase.

April 23, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"When Volcanoes Almost Killed a Continent | The 6th Century Dust Veil"--Suspicious Observers (3-1/2 min.). A quick look at how major volcanic eruptions can swiftly change temperatures for a period of up to a few years. Long time readers of this blog will remember that this has come up over and again in looking at cooling events from Bronze Age Egypt to the cooling of North America and Europe by the 1815 Tambora explosion.

• It is time to seriously discuss common sense car control:

• Van mows down people on Toronto sidewalk. Reports indicate 8 to 10 people were struck by a Ryder rental van driving down a sidewalk. Police took the driver, who stated he was armed, into custody.

• Mass killing in North Korea: "36 dead, mostly Chinese, in North Korea traffic accident."

• "China may backslide on deleveraging if trade war looms"--Reuters. In plane English, China may return to borrowing and risky banking practices to grow its economy.
• Add this to your "must-read" list: "Guide to Concealed Carry Holsters and Accessories"--Active Response Training. A reader directed my attention to this article by Greg Ellifritz discussing common concealed carry positions and holsters for each (e.g., belt holsters, inside-the-waistband holsters, appendix carry holsters, etc.). He includes some general considerations and thoughts, as well as some specific advice. For instance, as to the belt holster he notes:

         There are many different ways to keep your gun in the holster.  Some of the methods include the thumb break, tension screw, Serpa lock, ALS lock, and rotating hood.  For concealed carry, I would generally avoid open topped Kydex holsters that have no retention other than the friction fit of the gun.  In a fight, a bad guy will take your gun away so quickly that you won’t be able to implement your weapon retention strategies.

         This advice applies even more to the FOBUS PADDLE HOLSTER.  Don’t use it!  I haven’t had one make it through any of my high intensity fight scenarios.  Don’t believe me?  Watch this short video.  The holster breaks completely off of the paddle.  Save the Fobus paddle and open top Kydex holsters for the range only.  Don’t use them to carry your defensive guns.

• A couple articles that mention the CZ 807 in military service:

• "Beretta GLX-160 UBGLs in Service with Egyptian SOF"--The Firearm Blog. Although the article is about the Beretta grenade launcher, many of the Egyptian troops shown are using the CZ 807 (in 7.62x39 and, apparently, standard AK magazines).

• "Pakistan Is About to Buy a Half-Million New Rifles"--War Is Boring. Pakistan is looking at replacing their HK G3 rifles (which are made under license in Pakistan) and AK style rifles. One of the favorites is the CZ rifle. Although the article specifically names the CZ 806 Bren 2 (a 5.56 mm weapon), the article suggests that Pakistan may be interested in a 7.62x39 version, which would be the CZ 807.

• "Upgrades for the Beretta 92: A Different Gun?"--American Rifleman. If you have a Beretta 92/M9, this article suggests a couple changes to make the weapon a bit better: a lighter trigger spring, and G-10 grip panels to make it a bit thinner around the pistol grip.
• Some (very) basic tools for home repairs and projects: "The Definitive Tool Box--Essential Tools For Any DIY Job." An infographic discussing a few basic tools and projects for which they can be used. It is oriented for the British market, and notes: "Did you know that a handyman can charge between £25 and £45 to replace a light fitting? Or between £30 and £55 just to hang up a picture or mirror?" I've never even thought about hiring someone to hang a picture or mirror or replace a light fixture.
• Time to pressure retailers to stop carrying Yeti products. "Yeti Coolers Ends Its Relationship With The NRA"--Weasel Zippers. This seems to be a particularly stupid move on the part of Yeti inasmuch as there are now several competitors offering comparable products. 
• "AR15 Rail Buyer’s Guide: Budget Edition!"--The New Rifleman. If you are building an AR or thinking of replacing your handguard, this article has the author's reviews of what he considers to be the better quality, yet relatively inexpensive (i.e., sub-$200), free float handguards out there.
• The elites are really pushing gun control: "Amalgamated Bank Pressures Ruger To Support Gun Control Measures"--The Captain's Journal. I can't tell if this is a sign of desperation, or that the elite feel so confident that they don't feel the need to hide their behavior.
• "LifeCard® by TrailBlazer Firearms: Weekly Product Review"--M.D. Creekmore. This is a review of a small, single-shot .22 that folds down to the size of a pack of playing cards. It is interesting to me to see the surge in interest in such weapons. For instance, The Firearm Blog today took a look at a prototype .380 Derringer that folds up to a 3x5 package.
• Not necessarily, but it provides a standard for comparison or compatibility. "Is Mil-Spec Best?"--All Outdoor. 
• Ignoring the elephant in the room: "Murders in the USA - the "Behavioral Sink" in action?"--Bayou Renaissance Man. Peter Grant suggest that John C. Calhoun's research into population density and rats explains the disparity in violent crime rates in the U.S. between dense urban areas and surrounding suburban and rural areas. Only problem is that there are plenty of examples of equally dense populations that don't experience the same levels of violent crime as those areas mentioned by Grant. Grant is from South Africa, and still feels the guilt of apartheid. However, that is no excuse for missing the obvious reason why certain dense urban areas in America have higher violent crime rates than suburban or rural areas.
• "7 Forces Driving America Toward Civil War"--Townhall Magazine. These are: (1) the U.S. is in a post-Constitution era that either ignores the Constitution or treats it as infinitely malleable; (2) tribalism, relieving members of a tribe having to consider other opinions or views; (3) too powerful of a Federal government which forces nationwide conformity and prohibits local variances in government ("When people are unnecessarily forced to live under rules they find abhorrent because the federal government has become an octopus that has inserted its tentacles into every minute crevice of American life, it creates discontent on a wide scale."); (4) moral decline ("When America faces a challenge bigger than we can handle because of ineffective politicians and our 'amusing ourselves to death' population, there are no guarantees our republic will survive."); (5) national debt; (6) lack of a shared culture (i.e., not only do the left and right not want to talk to each other, but even if they did, they wouldn't understand the other); and (7) gun grabbing ("When it is discussed on the Left, there seems to be an assumption that lone resisters might get into firefights with dozens of police or soldiers, as opposed to ganging up with other formerly law-abiding Americans to waylay gun confiscators, politicians and anti-gun activists at THEIR HOMES in guerrilla actions that would be silently applauded and supported by hundreds of millions of Americans concerned about their freedom.").

Our Praetorian Guard

       As you may remember from your history classes, the Praetorian Guard was a select group of Roman troops that acted as the bodyguard of the Roman Emperor. Due to Roman law and tradition, the Guard were the only troops allowed inside of Rome. However, over time, the Guard became increasingly politicized and powerful, to the point that they took upon themselves the power to depose emperors and raise new ones in their place.

Proclaiming Claudius Emperor by Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1867) (Source)

       The United States has developed its own Praetorian Guard, who also have come to see themselves as king makers. In an article by Jack Goldsmith, entitled "The 'deep state' is real. But are its leaks against Trump justified?," The Guardian discusses the current fight to discredit President Trump. Goldsmith writes:

         America doesn’t have coups or tanks in the street. But a deep state of sorts exists here and it includes national security bureaucrats who use secretly collected information to shape or curb the actions of elected officials.

         Some see these American bureaucrats as a vital check on the law-breaking or authoritarian or otherwise illegitimate tendencies of democratically elected officials.

         Others decry them as a self-serving authoritarian cabal that illegally and illegitimately undermines democratically elected officials and the policies they were elected to implement.
         The truth is that the deep state, which is a real phenomenon, has long been both a threat to democratic politics and a savior of it. The problem is that it is hard to maintain its savior role without also accepting its threatening role. The two go hand in hand, and are difficult to untangle.

         The deep state has been blamed for many things since Donald Trump became president, including by the president himself. Trump defenders have used the term promiscuously to include not just intelligence bureaucrats but a broader array of connected players in other administrative bureaucracies, in private industry, and in the media.

         But even if we focus narrowly on the intelligence bureaucracies that conduct and use information collected secretly in the homeland, including the FBI, National Security Agency (NSA), and National Security Council, there is significant evidence that the deep state has used secretly collected information opportunistically and illegally to sabotage the president and his senior officials – either as part of a concerted movement or via individuals acting more or less independently.

           The hard questions are whether this sabotage is virtuous or abusive, whether we can tell, and what the consequences of these actions are.

Actually, the question is not hard, and the answer is that the actions of these agencies are abusive.

        The Constitution provides means of controlling the power of the President. Initially, there is the fact that a President must be elected by a majority of the electors in the Electoral Collage. This gives voice to not just the majority of voters, but also safe-guards the smaller states against a demagogue. Second, it provides for the impeachment of the President by Congress. There is no provision for unelected bureaucrats to decide who should be or shouldn't be President, and certainly no provision for these bureaucrats to sabotage a presidency based on gossip and innuendo.

           If there is some actual crime, take it to Congress for prosecution and impeachment (and, no, I don't believe that the FBI or DOJ have any independent authority to arrest the President). If they have no such evidence, then these agencies need to shut up and mind their place. And if they won't mind their place, then they pose a greater risk to national security than any foreign power, and, for that reason, need to be disbanded.

(H/t Vox Day).

Cattle and Shooting

      I got a chance to go shooting with an old friend this weekend. As is generally the case, we found a nice spot on BLM land and set up our targets in an area surrounded by hills and low ridges that would stop the bullets from flying too far if there was an errant stray. Since the road ran pretty much north-south, we were forced to shoot directly east, and set our targets accordingly. Fortunately, the sun was high enough that it wasn't an issue.  The morning was beautiful, quiet, and the breeze was pretty mild. All in all, a good day for shooting.

Not our cattle (Source)

      After about half an hour of shooting, we suddenly started to see black shapes appear at the top of a ridge to the south of us. A small herd of cattle had heard the shooting, and had started wandering closer as they slowly grazed.

      Another half an hour, and the cattle had now drifted to within 100 yards of where we were, although still to the south of us. But, as though drawn by an invisible force, they continued north, finally forcing us to stop as they got too close to where we had our targets. As we packed up our gear, I suspect the animals took some small satisfaction at driving away some more human interlopers.

        This is not an uncommon occurrence when shooting on federal land that is also being used to graze cattle. Cattle seem drawn to gun fire. Never a sudden rush. Not even a leisurely stroll. But, all the while grazing, they just edge closer and closer. Then, generally, they stop about 50 yards away. Content to be close, but not too close. I've only had one occasion where the cattle actually came up to the group I was with, and that time, they were walking around the cars as we were packing up.

       I'm not sure what draws them in. It may be curiosity. But I suspect that, to them, shooting means humans, and humans mean a sort of safety. After all, a herd doesn't have to worry about a coyote hanging around if there is a group of people nearby--especially shooters. Cattle certainly aren't scared of the noise.

       It happens enough, though, that if I see cattle nearby, it is almost a given that they will mosey on over to see what we are doing.

April 22, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Glock 'Marksman' vs Std Polygonal bbl velocity and accuracy test"--7N6 (16 min.)

The producer of this video tests the new Glock Marksman barrel versus the Polygonal barrel. Using 147 grain and 115 grain ammunition, he found a noticeably higher velocity for the 147 grain in the polygonal barrel versus the Marksman barrel; but only a negligible difference when comparing the 115 grain. Accuracy was noticeably better, however, using the Marksman barrel over the polygonal. 

• Be careful what you wish for: "CDC, in Surveys It Never Bothered Making Public, Provides More Evidence that Plenty of Americans Innocently Defend Themselves with Guns"--Reason. Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz published a study in 1995 reporting that there were between 2.1 million and 2.5 million defensive gun uses (DGUs) per year by Americans. These findings have been severely criticized by the left, and various anti-gun researchers have concluded that the number of DGUs per year is in the tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, but certainly much less than Kleck and Gertz's findings. For instance. a 2013 study by the Violence Policy Center concluded that there were only 67,740 DGUs per year. Because of the large discrepancies, the left has wanted the Centers for Disease Control to research the issue and give its imprimatur on the conclusions that firearms aren't widely used for self-defense. It appears, however, that the reason the CDC didn't want to conduct the research was because it already had ... and its conclusions matched those of Kleck and Gertz. That is, that firearms were used nearly 2.5 million times a year for self-defense.
• "Legally Armed People Have a Murder rate similar to Japan"--Ammo Land. "Within the United States, there is a law abiding culture that has a murder rate as low as Japan's. That culture consists of gun owners who carry guns legally." The author bases this on 14 years of Michigan records that showed 17 criminal convictions of CCL holders for murder during that period, working out to a murder rate of 0.43 murders per 100,000 CCL holders. 
• Five more reasons for a 30-round magazine: "Home Invasion Victims Use AR–15 To Defend Themselves Against Five Armed Intruders"--The Daily Caller. The article reports that "[t]he armed victims shot about 30 rounds, killing the gunman who wore a mask — Corey Lauramore — and wounding two others — William Lauramore and an unidentified 16-year-old." But here is the scary part: the intruders attempted to pass themselves off as a law enforcement raid: 

       Three men were asleep inside their Glen St. Mary, Fla., mobile home when five young intruders claiming to be police broke down the front door at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, News 4 Jax reports.

        The first intruder wore a mask and shouted, “Sheriff’s office!” from outside the trailer before breaking the front door down and shooting a single round.

This is not that uncommon. And the problem for the homeowner is determining whether it is a criminal home invasion or police action. 

• Related: "AR-15: The Right Firearm When Defending Against Multiple Home Invaders"--The Truth About Guns. 

• "How Many Gallons of Propane in a 20 lb Tank"--Modern Survival Blog. According to the author, a standard 20-lbs tank can hold 5 gallons of propane, but for safety reasons, should only be filled 80% full, or about 4 gallons (or 17 lbs). He also notes how the exchange dealers rip you off: "Apparently today’s ‘exchange’ propane tanks are only filled with 15 pounds, or about 3.5 gallons."
• "Looking For a Long-Gun Light? Crimson Trace Has 4 New Options"--Range 365. The 4 options are offered in 500 or 900 lumen, and mountable to a Picatinny rail or M-Lok/K-Mod, starting at an MSRP of $60 to $80, depending on the particular model, which includes a touch pad to activate the light.
• "THE MYTHS OF THE AFTERMATH"--Suarez International. Gabe Suarez attempts to dispel myths on surviving the aftermath of a defensive gun use. He notes that the police will see you in one of two lights--as the victim or the perpetrator--and your job in the aftermath is to make sure that the police know that you are the victim. Thus, he notes that you will need to call the police to report the incident--if you don't, the police will assume that you are the perpetrator. (See Part 2, here).
• "Preparing an Urban Emergency Kit"--American Rifleman. The author discusses several options and recommendations, and explains his choices. He recommends a single strap bag instead of a backpack; two or three sources of illumination (and a portable charger for your cell phone); work gloves, dust mask, foam earplugs, and safety glasses; a light jacket; a bandanna; "sensible shoes" (i.e., something you can actually use to walk long distances or run); a knife and/or multi-tool; some first aid supplies (the photograph he uses includes a tourniquet); and some high energy foods and bottles of water. He also discusses whether to include a firearm. Anyway, great article and worth the read.
• "Terminal ballistics: The wound cavity"--Sporting Rifle Magazine. An excerpt:

        ... Apart from the small amount of heat generated as the bullet passes through tissue, most of the energy is converted to elastic energy.

        Tissue within the body of your quarry has a certain amount of elasticity. Pinching your own skin is a demonstration of this. In the same way that the ballistic gel expands and stretches as the bullet passes through it, so too will flesh (we will tackle the effects on organs later). The extent to which a medium will stretch is defined as its elasticity, which – for those engineers among us – is determined by Young’s modulus, which is a ratio of stress over strain. Intuitively, it is easy to see that the more elastic a medium is, the larger the temporary cavity will be, as a given amount of energy transferred from the bullet will push the medium more easily away.

        What’s interesting is that after the temporary cavity expands and collapses, residual energy remains. This creates a secondary temporary cavity, expanding once again before collapsing. This continues in a pulsing motion until no elastic energy is left. Just like the declining height with which a ball bounces, each created cavity will be smaller than the last. During this time, debris can be pulled into both the entry and exit wound.

        With the tissue relaxed back to its stable state, we are left with a permanent wound channel of destroyed tissue, and an area around this known as the extravasation zone. Unlike the permanent wound channel, which can be defined visually from the by the residual signature left behind in the ballistic gel, the extravasation zone shows no visual destruction. Here, the stretching imposed by the temporary cavity isn’t sufficient to tear tissue, but is enough to rupture sensitive parts of the body such as capillaries. ...

• "11 Killed in Tijuana in 24 hours — 650 Murdered in 2018"--Breitbart. And, the article reports, most homicides are going unsolved.

• Related: "GRAPHIC — Cartel Taunts Mexican Government by Filming Executed Police"--Breitbart. The article reports: "A group of cartel gunmen that ambushed and killed six state police officers from the southern Mexican state of Guerrero taunted officials by releasing images and videos of the gory crime scene via social media."

• Related: "There are 35,000 dead in Mexico not identified"--Borderland Beat. 

• "Who the Heck Is Wendy Wasserman Schultz?"--Townhall. From the article:

On Friday evening, President Donald J. Trump inadvertently referred to the disgraced Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz as "Wendy." In hysteria, the media and blue-check marked liberals on Twitter erupted with laughter as the tweet sat there for twenty minutes. President Trump finally deleted that mistake and replaced it with a tweet featuring her proper name. 

It wasn't a mistake. Q recently posted about "Wendy." Now we know who was "Wendy."

• Good--we need more of this: ‘Sanctuary County’ Declared For Illinois Gun Owners; Citizens ‘Tired Of Being Pushed Around’"--Weasel Zippers. And more civil disobedience. 
• I have a dream: "We Need a Yelp for Rating White People"--The Root. The author wants to call the proposed app "Welp"--which is a slang term expressing resignation or disappointment. He also explains the different grades or ratings. A "D" rating, for instance:

A large number of seasonless Americans fall into this category, including Paul Ryan, white women who work at nonprofits and anyone who believes in reverse racism. Businesses include Cracker Barrel and your church. Yes, yours.

• "Revealed: Dream Democrat Agenda Includes Reparations"--Washington Free Beacon.  By reparations, they mean reparations for slavery, "Jim-Crow," etc. Remember, the end game involves killing the goose which lays the golden eggs.
• Diversity is strength: "Sweden’s violent reality is undoing a peaceful self-image"--Politico. The article reports:

       Gang-related gun murders, now mainly a phenomenon among men with immigrant backgrounds in the country’s parallel societies, increased from 4 per year in the early 1990s to around 40 last year. Because of this, Sweden has gone from being a low-crime country to having homicide rates significantly above the Western European average. Social unrest, with car torchings, attacks on first responders and even riots, is a recurring phenomenon.

        Shootings in the country have become so common that they don’t make top headlines anymore, unless they are spectacular or lead to fatalities. News of attacks are quickly replaced with headlines about sports events and celebrities, as readers have become desensitized to the violence. A generation ago, bombings against the police and riots were extremely rare events. Today, reading about such incidents is considered part of daily life.