July 9, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Is the “Gadget” for Glocks Useful?"--Active Self Protection Extra (11 min.)

This video seems to be part of the trend I've noticed of going toward hammer fired firearms for appendix carry. Yes, I know that the Glock is striker fired, but the Gadget (aka Striker Control Device) is designed to mimic some of the features of an external hammer--it gives both a tactile indication that the trigger is being pulled, and you can press on it to counter the trigger pull. I have one and it works as advertised, and, as the video points out, gives you an extra layer of protection when holstering.

• "Hand-to-Hand Self-Defense Training: Which Option is Best?"--Shooting Illustrated. The author discusses some of the differences between martial arts, self-defense, and defensive tactics. As for the best one? He has no real answer, other than to say that:

When asked, “Which is the ‘best’ of the empty hand martial arts to learn?” what I generally recommend to those who have the time, interest and inclination, is to focus on two areas of proficiency: stand-up defense and ground defense.

He also adds:

Regardless of discipline, the secret three-step formula to gaining street-effective skills is:

1. Demonstrable Familiarity
2. Supervised Repetitions
3. Performance Under Duress

Even after you finally develop effective proficiency—if you do not use it, you lose it. All skills are perishable. Hence, the reason why military, law enforcement and the like rely on in-service training, affording community members the opportunity to maintain standardized levels of proficiency.

       There are a lot of martial arts and self-defense schools out there. I think for most people just wanting to quickly learn some self-defense techniques, classes labeled as teaching self-defense will get you quicker returns over spending years at one discipline. 

        However, you need to be careful in selecting a self-defense class. First, a lot of these classes, at least at the local level, are offered by local martial arts schools or instructors who simply intend the class as an advertisement for the school. This is often the case when the class is offered for free. Sure, you may pick up a couple techniques, but these classes are more to whet your appetite rather than teach you something substantive. For instance, in my college days, I started taking a karate class through the university, but taught by the owner of a local dojo, and dropped it after a few weeks because every class would basically end with a "but we have this really great technique that we will teach you if you join our dojo." And I was paying tuition for that!

       Second, even if you get into a good class, however, you will probably not receive the repetitions that you really need to master the concept. Expect to practice a lot after the class--hopefully with a friend who also attended the class, or someone experienced in self-defense or martial arts.

       As for a school (dojo, gym, etc.), the most telling point, I believe, is whether or not the class teaches using actual contact sparring or practice. Karate, taekwondo or judo, for instance, are often taught as sports rather than for useful street defense. Thus, one thing to look for is whether the students are simply aping the teacher's techniques, or if they actually use a fair amount of contact sparring. 

• "Ticks and Chiggers 101"--American Hunter. From the article:

Chiggers live in many environments where it’s hot and humid; from forests to golf courses, berry patches—anything that’s green and growing. Contrary to popular believe, chiggers don’t actually bite. In their larval stage, they open a small hole in your body, feed on the inner skin and drop off. By the time you feel the onset of itching, the varmint is having the last laugh in the leaves and grass. The worst thing you can do is to scratch, and I mean really scratch, so hard that you cause the site to bleed—and believe me, you’ll want to scratch very hard. Thankfully, there are remedies to relieve the itching. Ask your doctor or pharmacist what works best in your area.  An old wives tale suggests painting the wound with fingernail polish to cut the oxygen supply off the little bad dude, but the joke is on the victim—the chigger has already vacated the premises. This treatment has been thoroughly dismissed by experts. As the affected area runs its course, you’ll observe a nasty sore which will form a small boil and then drain when it bursts. Obviously you won’t want to be wearing shorts at your neighbor’s barbecue or on the beach. I once had 30 or so chigger sores on my legs. I didn’t wear shorts for weeks.

And, as for ticks, "[u]nlike chiggers, which a quickie artists, and mosquitos, which is even speedier, ticks must hold on for awhile before they can do harm, typically at least 36 to 48 hours." They can transmit various diseases, of which the most prominent is Lyme's disease. The author adds:

        Prevention comes in many forms. Most common is to spray your clothing and outdoor gear with a repellent containing 20 to 30 percent DEET or Permethrin. DEET reportedly repels ticks, while Permethrin kills them. The percentage of DEET in repellents are regulated in some states and Canada. Follow application instructions carefully. There are also vaccines, but from what I’ve read, they’re often ineffective and new research is constantly being conducted. These two repellents also work for chigger prevention.

        When you come in the house from any outdoor activity, even barbecuing on your lawn in high-incident tick disease areas, it’s recommended that you put your clothes in the clothes dryer at a high setting, or if you’re washing them, use high heat—either will kill ticks. And don’t forget Fido or the family feline, both can carry ticks into your home. Check with your veterinarian for proper treatment in your region, since they may vary. 

•  "Gear Review: Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Rotary Brass Tumbler (110V, 7L)"--The Truth About Guns. More than just a review, the author takes you through the whole process of cleaning the brass using steel tumbling media and brass cleaner. Very in depth article, and recommended reading for anyone that reloads and is interested in using steel media and rotating tumbler to clean their empty cases.
• "100 Rounds of Practice"--Priority Performance. Some drills intended for a standard "square range" to get the maximum benefit from 100 rounds of practice.
• I already linked to Part 1, but here are the links to the whole thing: "The Ruger Mini-14, A Rifle Folks Love to Hate" (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3). The first part discusses the physical rifle, while parts 2 and 3 discuss its use in various military and police forces around the world, noting that it has done very well where it had been adopted.
• "US Army Awards SIG Sauer Contract for SP2022, MPX, and the MCX"--The Firearm Blog. The MPX is Sig's 9 mm submachine gun (although there are conversion kits for .357 Sig or .40 S&W). It is offered in a 4.5-inch and 8-inch versions, and features controls and layout similar to the AR. According the article, the Army is ordering a 1,000 of each version. So, perhaps this is the reason for the Army's sudden cancellation of the submachine gun solicitation?
• Heh: "Kelsey Grammer: Reproductive Rights Is a ‘Dishonest’ Name for Abortion"--Breitbart. I like the t-shirt.

• "A Tale of Two Deep States"--Sultan Knish. Daniel Greenfield suggests that the whole Russian interference/Mueller investigation is "because the mission of the intelligence community had [been] shifted [by the Obama Administration] from deterring foreign adversaries to suppressing domestic political opponents." Obama had no reason to interfere with the Russian interference, which is why we recently had Congressional testimony that Susan Rice ordered U.S. cybersecurity to "stand down" as to Russian interference. 
• Proof that Obama is part of the Cabel? "The secret story of how America lost the drug war with the Taliban"--Politico (h/t Instapundit). The author writes:

The plan, according to its authors, was both a way of halting the ruinous spread of narcotics around the world and a new — and urgent — approach to confronting ongoing frustrations with the Taliban, whose drug profits were financing the growing insurgency and killing American troops. But the Obama administration’s deputy chief of mission in Kabul, citing political concerns, ordered the plan to be shelved, according to a POLITICO investigation.

Remember, the Obama Administration also shut down DEA attempts to prosecute Hezbollah members involved in the drug trade. 

• Paging Colin Flaherty: "'Go back to your country': Mexican grandfather, 92, is beaten with A BRICK by a mother and four men who shouted abuse at him when 'he accidentally bumped into her little girl'"--Daily Mail. 
• America has become the world's refuse heap: "Wait–How Many Immigrants Are On Welfare Again?"--Townhall (h/t Anonymous Conservative).

        About 51% of immigrant-led households receive at least one kind of welfare benefit, including Medicaid, food stamps, school lunches and housing assistance, compared to 30% for native-led households, according to the report from the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for lower levels of immigration.

       Those numbers increase for households with children, with 76% of immigrant-led households receiving welfare, compared to 52% for the native-born.

• Decatur's Hell's Hollow. I've always been a sucker for a good ghost story, and recently came across a reference to Hell's Hollow in a novel I'm currently reading. The ghost story part is summed up in this entry at Haunted USA, which recounts the area as having once been an Indian burial ground, then the site of starving settlers and cannibalism, and, later, home to river pirates, thieves, and murderers. The truth may be a little more pedestrian. Decatur's Herald & Review stated in an August 2015 article:

       Hell’s Hollow as a dumping place for bodies was a hoax designed to help William Randolph Hearst boost circulation in the Chicago newspaper wars. Robey M. Parks, a Chicago Herald and Examiner reporter, and John Barker, a Sullivan farmhand, concocted the account of a gang of cutthroats, dubbed them the "Hounds of Hell’s Hollow," and unveiled it in a sensational story in the Chicago newspaper on Sept. 13, 1936.

       "The wooded Hell’s Hollow area is infamous for the alleged brawls, murders and other illicit activities which legend has it happened there during the 1920s and early 1930s," Parks wrote.

       While the entire episode was fabricated, it enhanced the reputation Greenwood Cemetery has as one of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States.