NRA Family: "4 Best Concealed Carry Positions"

 From NRA Family, an article on the "4 Best Concealed Carry Positions: Pros Vs. Cons." The four carry positions covered in the article are: 

1. Inside the waistband (IWB)--specifically at the 4 o'clock position;
2. Outside the waistband (OWB)--specifically at the 3 o'clock position;
3. Appendix carry; and,
4. Small of the back (SOB).

    Strangely, the photograph accompanying the article shows the first three positions listed above and a shoulder holster, but the shoulder holster is not covered in the article. But the author finishes by noting:

While these are four of the most common carry methods remember that we are only scratching the surface. We left out off-body carry, shoulder rigs, ankle holsters, and more. How you carry your gun is a very personal choice, so nobody can truly advise you on what's best. Here we feel the best approach is to present our opinions, support them with facts, and let you decide based on how you dress, what you carry and (of course) your body style. Take your time, try on a few holsters and decide what works best for you.

Unfortunately, the pros or cons of a particular carry method/location or holster might only be appreciated after using it for awhile--it might not show up just by trying on a holster at a store, particularly if you are just standing around with an empty holster. 

    For instance, when I first tried SOB carry many years ago, it actually seemed to go pretty well for the first couple of days. Then I went and watched a movie at a theater with my family, and the pain from it digging into my back was so excruciating by the time the movie ended that I knew it was not for me. I tried it again several years ago when I was given an SOB holster to evaluate; and while it seemed to go better with that particular design of holster, I've never gone back to that type of carry style. 

    On the other hand, it took a bit for the cross draw holster to grow on me but it became my favorite holster for my Beretta 84 when I used that for my primary concealed carry weapon.

Latest Defensive Pistolcraft Newsletter

    Work and life have been busy over the past couple of weeks so I have been late getting to some stories and topics. One of these is Jon Low's most recent Defensive Pistolcraft newsletter from July 15, 2024. As always he has lots of links to good information about training, self-defense, dealing with the aftermath of an armed encounter, and other topics. 

    He also has some lengthier excerpts of information, one of which caught my attention in particular because it deals with memory and learning, excerpted from emails from Dustin Salomon, author of the 2016 book, Building Shooters: Applying Neuroscience Research to Tactical Training System Design and Training Delivery. Because shooting/self-defense requires learning that you can draw on in high stress situations, Salomon indicates that our concern is with procedural memory. In that regard, his email focuses on two aspects of procedural memory and learning: "The first is downtime and sleep.  The second is chaotic, or 'interleaved' practice." He explains:

      It is somewhat counterintuitive, but both time away from the subject matter and sleep are extremely important for retention.  The reason is that the complex chemical processes necessary to store information and create new neural circuitry have some requirements that cannot be met when we are awake and actively working with new material. 

     If students do not have both downtime, away from the related subject matter, and sleep, you can be sure that retention will be poor and that most of what you see from students during the training is only happening from short-term memory.

And:

     Likewise, weaving multiple skills together during practice - ideally in a manner similar to how they may be used in the real world - improves retention and biases consolidation to the Procedural (unconscious access) memory system.  This is called "interleaving" in neural network training. 

There is more. And excerpts from a second email go into more detail on how the body creates neural circuitry and memory. 

    A couple more items that caught my attention:

• An excerpt from an article on testing of gun care:

      "What we have been told is correct, apply liberally to coat and then remove all excess to the point where you think you have removed too much and you will enjoy the least amount of friction.  The side benefit to that dry level of lubrication is that it will not attract foreign contaminants that could get trapped in excess/wet lubricant."  

My father did this. 

• An excerpt from an article, "Surface Forces : Russian Black Sea Nightmare" describing how Russia had built up its naval bases and capabilities in the Black Sea, but lost it all after starting the war in Ukraine as the Ukrainians sunk many of their naval vessels and limited their ability to safely access the Bosporus.  

Anyway, be sure to check out the whole thing.

VIDEO: "The Truth About Sodom And Gomorrah"

    Given the depravity shown at the opening show of the Paris Olympics, including but not limited to the drag queen mockery of the Last Supper and the complete lack of tolerance and inclusion the Left has toward Christians, a video about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah seems apropos. 

    Yes, I know that Leftists are claiming that the show was a representation of the Feast of Dionysus--even going as far as claiming it was modeled after a different painting--but the arrangement of the table with the drag queen the approximate size of a whale at the center with what is clearly meant to represent a halo about its head make it clear that the performance was to represent a copy of De Vinci's Last Supper. Moreover, both myths and historicity is wrong:  the Greek god Dionysus had nothing to do with the Olympic games among the classical Greeks. I have to agree with Glenn Reynolds that the spectacle was  was intended to be terrible and to offend: "Lousy culture like this is a power statement (“look what we can get away with!”) and also a convenient benchmark: One needs little in the way of talent to produce such an exhibition. Chutzpah will do." Reynolds continues:

    Why was it designed to stink? Again, power. A friend pointed out that the only good recent Olympic opening ceremonies were in Sochi, Russia, and in Beijing. Those governments, whatever their many flaws, wanted to present a positive message about their nations and their cultures to the world. They wanted to portray themselves as rising powers, full of cultural vigor.

    Ceremonies like the Paris opener, on the other hand, are intended to do just the opposite. They are intended to mock and denigrate the underlying Western culture, which even atheists like Richard Dawkins admit is Christian. This, we’re told, is “brave.” Or they pretend surprise that anyone is offended, but as the French say, “Ils sont toujours au courant,” meaning, “They’re always aware.”

    And, as we all know, they’d never mock Islam in a spirit of “inclusion.” There will be no blue-painted obese Prophet Muhammads. Partly that’s out of fear — unlike Christians, Muslims tend to respond to mockery with violence aimed at the mockers — and partly it comes from the belief that mocking non-Western culture is somehow racist.

The Left know that they can get away with this behavior toward Christians because there will never be any significant backlash, as might happen if they mocked Islam; and, perhaps more important, Christians no longer have the cultural cachet to give someone pause before insulting or mocking them.

VIDEO: "The Truth About Sodom And Gomorrah Like You Have Never Seen Before"
Metatron (50 min.)

Nation States vs. Multicultural Empires

    I watched a video from Black Pigeon Speaks the other day on the topic of "WHY China's UNICULTURAL EDGE Terrifies Pentagon Planners." (I've embedded the video below for your convenience). 

    Without going into too much detail, the video references a declassified 2013 Pentagon report, The Strategic Consequences of Chinese Racism: A Strategic Asymmetry for the United States, discussing that China views the multiculturalism of the United States as a weakness and vulnerability, while China's strong "uniculture" (i.e., homogeneous culture and strong national ties) provides China with a strategic advantage. (For more information, see "The Unicultural Edge" by Steve Sailer at Taki's Magazine; or you can download the full report here). A notable quote from the report, which is mentioned in the video, goes:

The United States used to be a strong society that the Chinese respected when it was unicultural, defined by the centrality of AngloProtestant culture at the core of American national identity aligned with the political ideology of liberalism, the rule of law, and free market capitalism. The Chinese see multiculturalism as a sickness that has overtaken the United States, and a component of U.S. decline.

The video mostly focused on the strength of the ties between China and the Chinese diaspora, particularly in South East Asia, with Black Pigeon offering up his own experiences interacting with the Chinese in Thailand and his thoughts on why the Chinese diaspora has maintained its racial and cultural purity, for lack of a better term. We, in fact, see this in operation in the United States where the Chinese government makes use of Chinese living in the United States to engage in espionage, and is now busy smuggling Chinese illegals of military age into the United States.

    As is sometimes the case when watching a video or reading an article or book, it can offer insight into another issue or topic. The fact of the matter is that China, while acting as an empire over many of its neighbors--the video makes clear that the Chinese diaspora is generally an economically dominant class or group in most South East Asian countries--has avoided the fate of other empires (e.g., the Roman Empire or the Ottoman Empire) in breaking apart--often irreparably--following civilizational collapse. And I think that China's resilience in the face of invasion and occupation (e.g., the Mongols), state collapse (e.g., the warring states period), or economic decline (e.g., Western dominance of South East Asia in the 19th Century) is because that its core nation--its people and culture--provided a solid foundation on which to build. To borrow from the scriptures, its people and culture are the rock on which it was built.

    But what about countries and empires built on a foundation of sand? Because that is what is multiculturalism. It turns a nation's people and culture into an atomized conglomerate of disparate peoples and cultures that only hang together while times are good but cannot weather a storm. The collapse of the Roman Empire is a great example of this. Between the importation of slaves, the beggaring of its native people, and barbarian migrations, Romans were diluted and, for all intents and purposes, disappeared. The result was that after its fall, the Roman Empire never reconstituted in any form; and, in fact, the Italian peninsula was a hodgepodge of small states and kingdoms until the latter half of the 19th Century.

    The United States is more atomized as to peoples and cultures than almost any empire or state in history. What will be its fate when it finally collapses? I suspect that like Humpty Dumpty, all the king's horses and all the king's men will not be able to put it together again.

VIDEO: "WHY China's UNICULTURAL EDGE Terrifies Pentagon Planners"
Black Pigeon Speaks (15 min.)

LDS Church Inviting Illegals To Utah

As Robert Conquest is famous for observing: "The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies." 

    From Breitbart: "Utah in Uproar as Mormon Church Pulls in Thousands of Migrants." I had noted recently that Denver had angered the governor of Utah for shipping illegals from Colorado to Utah. Now the Utah governor has learned (or, more likely, is finally complaining) that "The Mormon Church — officially the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) — is quietly welcoming thousands of migrants sent to Utah from overcrowded Denver, Colorado, despite public protests by state and local elected officials." The article further relates:

    Utah has suffered under the arrival of thousands of cast-off border crossers sent its way by officials in Denver, but even as the state has no resources for migrants, the Mormon Church is quietly welcoming them, causing the public burden to magnify.

* * *

    Despite all the proclamations from elected officials that Utah is not a “sanctuary state,” the Mormon Church is undermining the lack of official sanctuary status by using its own vast resources to welcome illegals into the state by the thousands and working with non-profits and non-governmental organizations to cater to the migrants.

    The church has been outspoken in support of left-wing immmigration policies and has, for instance, announced support for the Utah Compact, which demands federal reform of policy with an eye toward keeping families together and extending “compassion” to migrants, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

    The church has also directed meeting houses to serve as migrant centers and shifted an unreported amount of church funding to the care of illegals.

    LDS officials have been issuing statements in support of illegal immigrants for years, as well. As far back as 2018, the church criticized federal policies that tend to remove children from their parents when families illegally cross the border.

    In 2021, the LDS also stepped up its services for illegals as part of its “Immigrant Services Initiative.”

    So, while the state government races to assure voters that Utah is not a sanctuary state, the most powerful institution in the state is working at cross purposes with official proclamations, nullifying the politicians’ claims that illegals have no place in Utah.

    In a 2011 article entitled "The Mormon Church and Illegal Immigration," Ronald Mortensen of the Center for Immigration Studies noted that historically the Church had told its foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) members to stay in their own countries and build up the Church there, rather than immigrate to the United States. In addition, the Church's 12th Article of Faith (a compilation of basic tenets of the Church) reads, “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.” Thus, members have traditionally had a great deal of respect for civil authorities and civil laws. The article notes, for instance (footnotes omitted):

    LDS Church leaders have traditionally been among the staunchest defenders of the United States, the Constitution, and of the rule of law. They openly taught that the founding fathers were guided by the hand of God, that the United States Constitution was divinely inspired, and that the United States was the chosen land for the restoration of Christ’s true church. In addition, as noted above, American exceptionalism and America as a promised land are both key elements of LDS doctrine.

    During the cold war, LDS leaders and Church members were among the strongest opponents of communism and communist regimes because of their denial of free agency, which is an essential tenet of the LDS Church’s view of the plan of salvation. At the same time, in spite of their abhorrence of communism, senior Church leaders, including the Church’s current Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, continued to show unwavering support for the 12th Article of Faith by encouraging members in communist countries to remain in their homelands and to obey, honor, and sustain the laws of those countries in spite of the restrictions on free agency, severe economic hardships, and regardless of whether the laws were just or not. 

Consequently, even before the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Church was able to gain concessions from East Germany such as building a temple in East Germany and getting permission for East German members to travel abroad to serve proselyting missions, because of its encouragement to members there to be good citizens. 

    But along the way, the Church changed from being an American church to being a worldwide church. And with that shift came a shift in the Church's practices toward illegal immigration. Mortensen relates:

    Today’s Church leaders seldom talk about the divinely inspired U.S. Constitution during general conference sessions because they are now addressing a truly worldwide audience. No longer is the 12th Article of Faith given the same status as when President Monson advised East German members to obey it unflinchingly, since the Church now has to reconcile its traditional support of the rule of law with its current practice of baptizing illegal aliens who are violating United States immigration laws and who routinely commit multiple job-related felonies.

    And, although the LDS Church continues to be based in Utah, its policies are no longer necessarily determined by what is best for the Utah or for the United States. As a worldwide church, LDS leaders now have to consider the impact that legislation in Utah will have on the Church’s international operations and its ability to take its message to countries around the world.

    Therefore, when the Utah legislature, which is composed primarily of members of the LDS Church, takes up illegal immigration-related legislation, the Church finds itself in the position of weighing the benefits for the citizens of Utah against the harm that the legislation may do to its missionary efforts within the illegal alien community, the impact that the legislation will have on its many illegal alien members, and the effect it will have on the Church’s overseas operations and interests.

Mortensen adds:

As the Church searches for the right balance, it has yet to explain to its American members why individuals violating U.S. immigration laws and committing multiple job-related felonies are eligible for baptism, temple recommends, and to serve in important church positions. Because of its failure to clarify its position on illegal immigration and to hold illegal aliens to the same standard as other members, mainstream Mormons are left to try to discern what this change means for the gospel as they have known it.

He goes on to discuss the actions that the Church as taken, some of it of the proverbial "back room" influence, to stymie immigration control and shield the Church from liability for employing illegals as missionaries or in other Church callings or positions. 

    Moreover, while the Church's position toward illegals and other migrants are supposedly based on doctrine's of compassion and strengthening the family (by keeping families of illegals together), Mortensen argues that the Church has ignored the costs to society (footnotes omitted):

    Both Jensen and Tuttle ignored the fact that the vast majority of illegal aliens commit multiple job-related felonies, including document/Social Security fraud, perjury on I-9 forms, and, in many cases, identity theft that victimizes an estimated 50,000 Utah children and their families.

    The victims of these employment-related felonies suffer very real and serious harm, including the destruction of their good names and futures. Children are denied public benefits, including badly needed medical assistance, and have their credit destroyed. They have income tax liabilities attached to their names for unpaid taxes on income earned under their Social Security numbers by illegal aliens and are saddled with the arrest records of illegal aliens using their numbers. Students are denied badly needed means-tested financial assistance, people with disabilities have their disability payments suspended when income is earned under their Social Security numbers, and people whose medical records are corrupted suffer life-threatening consequences.

    In spite of this, Church spokesman Tuttle still challenges those who argue in favor of the 12th Article of Faith, stating: “I wonder how they’d feel about the second great commandment, to love thy neighbor as thyself … . Sometimes it’s hard to do them all.” 

He adds:

Over the years, Church-owned media, which commands a large share of the Utah market, has continually supported illegal aliens and opposed any legislation that would limit their ability to function freely in Utah. Church-owned radio and TV stations, along with the Deseret News newspaper, serve as a public relations arm of the Church and attempt to sway public opinion by routinely carrying sympathetic stories about illegal aliens while ignoring the 50,000 Utah children who are victims of illegal aliens’ job-related identity theft and other victims of illegal immigration. The Deseret News also publishes a Spanish language newspaper, El Observador.

At the time of Mortensen's article, in 2011, the Church apparently followed an official policy of neutrality toward illegal immigration. In fact, an official statement from the Church issued in June 2011 stated, in part, "As a matter of policy, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discourages its members from entering any country without legal documentation, and from deliberately overstaying legal travel visas." Privately, however, it supported bills that assisted illegal immigration and followed a "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward illegals wanting to join the Church, seeking temple recommends (necessary to enter the temple), or serving in Church positions.

    Moreover, the foregoing official statement was not, itself, entirely neutral as it warns against mass expulsion, encourages laws based on compassion (i.e., code word for not subjecting illegals to any legal consequences) and stating: "The Church supports an approach where undocumented immigrants are allowed to square themselves with the law and continue to work without this necessarily leading to citizenship." In other words, amnesty. The Church has elsewhere objected to separating children from their parents (or, as more likely the case, adult smugglers) at the border. 

    Moreover, the Church's supposed neutrality seems at odds with its establishment of "Welcome Centers" that " help immigrants find access to community legal services, improve their English, strengthen emotional resilience, progress on the path to citizenship and better understand American culture so that they can obtain better jobs and live better lives. The legal services are done in partnership with local university law schools." And, best of all, "all these services are free for immigrants." I'm sure that your and my tithing are paying for it, though.

    It seems to me that the Church leadership has decided on "compassion" for illegals, but a lack of the same for its rank and file American members or even Americans generally. One cannot be neutral about immigration. Immigration is great for the pocketbooks of the wealthy who benefit from cheap labor. But it is hardly compassionate to the breadwinner who must accept a lower wage to keep a job or is simply replaced by a cheaper immigrant, whose is priced out of a home because of the massive demand for housing created by mass immigration, who can no longer go to a local hospital because it has declared bankruptcy due to migrants not paying bills, whose culture and language is eroded, who no longer can live in a safe neighborhood because of the increased crime. Professions of "neutrality" toward immigration is, in reality, a signal that a person or group hates the natives.

Bombs & Bants Episode 136 (Streamed 7/24/2024)

 I was traveling and not able to make it, but that just means that the witticisms fly faster...

VIDEO: "Episode 136" (39 min.)

VIDEO: 3 O'clock vs. Appendix vs. Hip Carry Positions

The producer of the video, below, makes the argument that the best position for a concealed carry holster (at least around the waist--he doesn't really address other methods of carry) is the 3 o'clock position even when compared to appendix or what he terms "hip carry"--i.e., 4 or 5 o'clock position. He doesn't discuss cross-draw positions (10 or 11 o'clock) and only mentions center of the back.

    I think he makes good points about why 3 o'clock works for him. But rather than viewers getting defensive that his favorite carry position is not mentioned or rejected by the producer, I think this video is a good opportunity to (a) listen to a different point of view on the topic, and (b) consider that what is the best, or even what is acceptable, is going to vary between people--sometimes, significantly so. Often times, the type of clothing that must be used or other factors (i.e., how much sitting, standing, etc.) must be considered. Also, realize that sometimes the issue may not be the carry position, but the holster and/or weapon. 

    For instance, although the producer of the video did not like appendix, would that have changed with a different holster that allowed him to adjust how deep the holster rode in relation to the belt, or that allowed for the attachment of pads or wedges to fine tune the orientation of the holster? Would a different sized weapon have made a difference?

    The producer of the video favors 3 o'clock, but the only other alternative he discusses in any great depth is carrying at 5 o'clock which is almost a small of the back type of carry. Myself, because of my body shape, tend to prefer the 4 o'clock or 2 o'clock (if I can get away with it--it does get in the way of fishing things out of your front pocket) because the 3 o'clock position is too visible in my opinion. I've also used a cross-draw holster with good success and it is a good carry position if you are sitting or driving. I've tried appendix with a couple different pistols, but haven't really liked it--but I've only used cheap holsters and recognize that it might be more comfortable with a better holster.  

    I've noted before that the small of the back carry is one of the worst carry methods--unless you are someone like a store clerk who stands all day and can get away with wearing a jacket, a vest, or untucked shirt. Then it is comfortable and allows reasonably quick access. You just have to be careful to not bend over at the waist because it will either expose the weapon by your clothing riding up or cause the weapon to print as the clothing becomes more taut over the weapon. Squat down keeping your back as straight as possible if you need to pick something up off the floor.

     My main point is that just because something works well (or doesn't work well) for one person--even if that is someone you trust and respect--doesn't mean that it will be the best option for you and your life style. But I'm also not suggesting that you completely disregard information from the best people. But you may need to consider other view points and experiment yourself. That is why, when the topic of holsters comes up, you will discover that most gun people will have a substantial number of holsters in boxes or whatnot that they have tried and then discarded as they found something better or newer. They may even have multiple holsters for the same firearm to accommodate different carrying needs and circumstances. 

    Anyway, even though I don't prefer the 3 o'clock for my carrying, the producer raises some good points, so be sure to watch the video.

 VIDEO: "3:00 VS Appendix VS Hip Carry"
EscapeFromNewYork (8 min.)

Anton Petrov: Earth Tilted On Side 84 Million Years Ago

 For those of you that also follow the Suspicious Observers YouTube channel, I thought that the following video from Anton Petrov was interesting as he goes over research showing that the earth tilted on its side and reversed around 84 million years ago.

VIDEO: "Earth Tilted on Its Side And Then Suddenly Reversed, 84 Million Year Ago"
Anton Petrov (10 min.)

Bombs & Bants Episode #135 (Streamed 7/17/2024)

 Take a load off, sit back, and enjoy:

VIDEO: "Bombs & Bants Episode 135" (52 min.)

The Secret Service Guns And Gear Seen At The Attempted Assassination

As gun guys, knowing what firearms were used by the Secret Service is just as important new as many of the other details about what the Secret Service did and what where their jobs. Fortunately, The Firearm Blog has that covered with its article: "Secret Service Guns And Gear at the Trump Assassination Attempt." While some of the firearms and gear are easy to identify, other identifications are based on educated guesses.

    The author believes that the SS counter-sniper team was using Remington 700 long actions in Accuracy International AX chassis systems. The caliber used was likely .300 Win. Mag. And the optics used appear to be Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 scopes with Envision MARS laser rangefinders. He goes into the bipods and tripods, and binoculars, but you can get that information from his article.

    Turning to Counter Assault Team (CAT)--that is, the armored guys in body armor and assault rifles down on the ground--the author believes they were using suppressed Knight’s Armament SR-16 CQB Mod 2.1 with 11.5-inch barrels, with an attached KAC QDC/MCQ-PRT 5.56 silencer. The optics were Aimpoint T-2 red dot sights on a  LaRue Tactical mount. And the weapon mounted lights were a SureFire light (possibly a Scout Light Pro Dual Fuel) for visible light, and the BE Meyers MAWL for infrared illumination and aiming. He also notes that the stock is a Magpul CTR with a LAW Tactical AR Folding Stock Adapter.

    The CAT's sidearms were Glock 19 Gen 5 MOS with Aimpoint ACRO P-2 red dot sight, using a +2 magazine extension. The holster was a Safariland 7-series.

    The author also discusses the CAT's rifle magazines, sling, ear protection/communications, and other gear, but I will again refer you to the article for those details. 

    Finally, he notes that the Special Agents were armed with Glock 19 Gen 5 pistols, none of which sported optics.

Kevin Downey Jr. Recommends Stockpiling Food, Water, And Mostley Peaceful Ammo

Kevin Downey Jr.  notes that the communists are being forced on the defensive as companies start to walk back DEI initiatives, the Trans Mania movement starts to loose its steam, and people see the unabashed hatred present in the Leftism, the corruption among Leftist politicians, the general incompetence in government, and the flood of illegal immigrants overwhelming local communities. But, he warns about what to expect next:

    I have a mantra when it comes to live comedy shows: hope for the best but prepare for the worst. What we are seeing now is the beginning of the end of the communists' stranglehold on American culture, but they won't go away quietly.

    You can expect riots to break out at any time. Frankly, I'm shocked it has not started yet.

    I suggest you buy stockpile food, water, and perhaps a few more boxes of mostly peaceful ammo.

    I wouldn't be surprised if Biden launches WWIII before Election Day and uses the hostilities to cancel the election — you know, to save democracy.

    I'm also convinced the miscreants will try again to take Trump out.

8th Circuit Strikes Down Minn. Law Prohibiting 18-20 Year-Olds Getting Concealed Carry Permit

 From the Washington Examiner:

    A law barring young adults from being able to get concealed-carry weapons permits is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

    The three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Minnesota has not shown that the founders would have countenanced an age-based restriction on gun ownership, so its concealed-carry law barring those under 21 from obtaining permits cannot survive constitutional scrutiny.

    “Minnesota claims that 18 to 20-year-olds present a danger to the public, but it has failed to support its claim with enough evidence,” wrote Judge Duane Benton, an appointee of George W. Bush, in upholding an injunction against the state’s law.

The Facts About The Assassination Attempt Keep Getting Worse

• "Shocking new details reveal how Trump shooter evaded Secret Service and cops THREE times - with one agent even taking a photo of him - before opening fire from top of building with counter-sniper team inside"--Daily Mail 

    A team of police snipers team saw Thomas Crooks scouting their command post three times in the minutes before he climbed on top of it and shot Donald Trump from just inches above their heads, it has emerged.

    Three police marksmen from Beaver County were using the single-story AGR International building as their watch-post when the would-be assassin chose it as his place to shoot from, CBS reported.

    And he may have been in place on the roof for up to 30 minutes before he unleashed his volley of shots that killed one man and nearly took the life of the 45th president on Saturday evening.

    A law enforcement official told the channel said that no action was taken after one of the snipers first spotted Crooks looking up at the roof of the building in Butler, Pennsylvania, just 130 yards from where the president would speak.

    The 20-year-old disappeared around a corner before he was seen a second time, sitting down and looking at his phone, prompting one of the snipers to take his picture.

    The sniper then radioed to a command post after seeing Crooks take out a rangefinder.

    But no further action was taken before Crooks reappeared a third time, this time wearing a backpack and disappearing from sight as he walked to the back of the building.

    A further radio report relaying the information was submitted by the sniper team who did not realize that Crooks was now scaling their building.

The article goes on to report that "Pittsburgh's WPXI reported that a Beaver officer took a photo after seeing Crooks on the roof at 5.45pm, by which time he had already been photographed on the ground by a colleague." Trump was shot at 6:11 pm, meaning that the police had been aware of Crooks as a suspicious person for almost a half hour before Trump was shot; and Crooks took his shot from the roof of the building that the police sniper team were using, from probably the very spot the sniper team were supposed to be set up. 

• "Why Was Trump’s Dedicated Secret Service Detail On Break During PA Rally?"--American Greatness. Because of their long work without breaks in the days and weeks preceding this rally, Trump's regular Secret Service detail were given a break and replaced by an ad-hoc detail comprised of agents from various field offices. Also, approval of a counter-sniper team was only provided the day before the rally which, according to sources in the article, was not long enough for the 2-man team to do a thorough preparation. 
• "Sniper team was inside building where Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from the roof... and cops spotted him 26 minutes before the assassination attempt"--Daily Mail
  

Impro Guns: Hybrid 3D Printed Subguns From Brazil

Interesting article and photograph at Impro Guns on hybrid 3D printed subguns from Brazil. Not a lot of information, but the article indicates that the weapon is "[a] 9mm submachine gun made using 3D printed AR9 parts combined with a steel tubing upper receiver." It also indicates that several have been confiscated by police. Go check out the photo.

1 In 4 Homicides In Colorado Justifiable

Ammo Land reports that "Colorado Finds 1 in 4 Homicides with Firearms are ‘Justifiable Self Defense’." The article illustrates why Leftists don't want people to dig into "gun violence" statistics, and why gun control organizations like to include suicides in their "gun violence" figures. The article relates: 

    The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment analyzed 5,287 firearm-related deaths in Colorado from 2016 to 2020. Of those deaths, the vast majority, 73.6%, were suicides. 24.9% were homicides/assaults (about 1316). Of the homicides, 24.7% were justifiable self-defense (about 325).

    Firearms availability has minimal if any, effect on overall suicide rates. Firearms availability may increase or decrease overall homicide rates. The preponderance of the evidence is the availability of firearms has either no effect or slightly reduces overall homicide rates. Increasing legal firearms carry appears to have a small but measurable effect in decreasing overall homicide rates.

    The 24.7% of firearms homicides is plausible. However, the number of justifiable homicides is seldom compiled and recorded in official statistics. The FBI records some justifiable homicide data, but the FBI’s definition of what is recorded as a justifiable homicide is extremely limited. Studies of overall homicide data compared to what is reported and recorded by the FBI indicate actual numbers of justifiable homicide are about five times those recorded in the FBI Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). The UCR was changed to an event-based system, so UCR data is only available through 2019.

10-Ways To Cool Down On The Trail

I was just reading this morning that a man (52) and his daughter (23) were found dead in Canyonlands National Park last Friday. Ambient air temperature was over 100 degrees F. (37.7 C). The article states that "[t]hey were hiking on the Syncline Loop Trail- 'the most challenging trail in the Island in the Sky district'- when they got lost and ran out of water, the National Park Service said on Sunday." 

    The Syncline Loop Trail requires hikers to climb and navigate boulder fields and steep zigzag paths.

    The trail is 8.1miles long and is situated on a 1,500ft elevation change, according to the National Park Service. It takes about five to seven hours to complete the hike.

    The agency has informed hikers to over prepare for the treacherous journey with necessary supplies, including at least a gallon of water, snacks, headlamps, flashlights, maps, and 'sturdy footwear.'

    They also warn hikers to be prepared for all types of weather conditions, including sun, rain, the cold, or intense heat. 

This isn't the only outdoors recreational heat death I've seen news reports about over the last couple of weeks. For instance, last week saw articles about a 4-month old baby that died from extreme heat when her parents took her on a boat excursion on Lake Havasu near Needles, Arizona. Temperatures had been as high as 120 degrees F (48.9 C) near the time the child died. 

    There are ways to avoid suffering a heat related injury. Much like with crime, the simplest things you can do are to avoid the heat: don't go out in the heat; if you do engage in outdoor activities, try and schedule them for morning or late evening when the heat is less; choose locations or routes that offer shade or are near water sources or are more likely to have breezes. But if you find yourself outdoors and in the heat, the Backpacker website has some tips on cooling off in its article, "10 Science-Backed Ways To Cool Down Fast on the Trail," as well as outlining symptoms of heat related illness including the different symptoms of heat exhaustion versus heat stroke.

    Obviously the article goes into more detail on each, but the 10 tips are:

1. Spend 30 minutes in the shade, preferably where there is a cross-breeze.
2. Wear light colored, cotton clothing and take a cotton scarf or bandana. The article notes that light colored clothing can be up to 30 degrees cooler than dark clothing.
3. Soak in cool water or put on a wet T-shirt.
4. Soak a hat or bandanna--the hat to cool your head, and the scarf to cool the back of your neck. 
5. Wet your wrists and ankles, where the skin is thinner with lots of blood vessels to speed cooling. The armpits and groin are also areas that cool you faster when cooled.
6. Carry a paper (or other lightweight) fan.
7. Drink extra water--be sure to freeze your water the night before or carry cool water in an insulated container.
8. Keep eating in order to keep electrolyte levels up. The article recommends a mixture of sweet and salty foods. Jelly Belly makes a line of jelly beans intended to boost energy and provide electrolytes that I like to use.
   
9. Pack a hat with wide brims and mesh sides or panels to allow air circulation (like a truckers hat). I've also used a genuine pith helmet to good success--the helmet suspension system keeps the helmet elevated off your head to allow air circulation and, if worse comes to worse, you can soak the helmet (the pith will absorb the water) and the evaporation will help keep you cool. The downside is that you have to keep soaking the helmet periodically to replace the water that circulates, so you want to have a large source of water.
   
10. Consider applying ice packs, but be careful not to overdo it and cause hypothermia. 
    

Oops! NBC News Poll Showing Biden Leading By Three Points Was A Mistake

From the Washington Examiner: "NBC polling correction causing stir among Democrats". That may be a bit of an understatement. From the article:

    Public Opinion Strategies, a polling firm used by NBC News in its latest poll, revealed a massive mistake in a survey released Sunday that appeared to show President Joe Biden ahead by 3 percentage points nationally.

    Former President Donald Trump, not Biden, had been ahead by 3 points in a multicandidate race, according to a statement from the company. The company acknowledged its mistake Sunday night, well after many Democrats had seized the poll as an opportunity to buoy Biden.

Trump's Classified Documents Case Dismissed

 From the New York Post: "Trump's Florida case stunningly dismissed after judge finds appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution." So I guess the over-the-top FBI raid, the planting of folders marked "Top Secret" at the scene by the FBI, and the National Archives planting classified documents in some of the boxes it sent to Trump was all in vain.

Update On Attempted Assassination

 You've probably already seen most of this stuff, but just in case:

• "Revealed: Donald Trump shooter is a 20-year-old registered Republican who donated to Biden - as his father says he is trying to work out 'what the hell is going on'"--Daily Mail. Main takeaway is that back in high school, before he was even old enough to vote (he was 17 years old), Thomas Matthew Crooks donated money to a Democrat/Leftist political action committee called ActBlue; but he was currently registered as Republican and wearing a Demolition Ranch T-shirt. It is common for political activists (how else to explain a high school kid donating to a PAC) to register as the other party in closed primary states to vote for the least electable candidate. 
• "Who was Thomas Matthew Crooks? Everything we know about the Donald Trump shooter, 20, who opened fire on the ex-President from a nearby roof and was a registered Republican who donated to Joe Biden"--Daily Mail. Emphasizes that Crooks donated to Democrat PAC on the day of Biden's inauguration. It also mentions the CYA comments from top Democrats expressing faux outrage at the assassination attempt and/or wishing Trump well.
  
• "Pictured: Thomas Matthew Crooks, would-be assassin who shot former President Trump"--New York Post. Just shows a couple high school photos of Crooks. If you want to see photographs of Crooks after the shot, you can find a good quality one here. Based of the flow of blood around his right ear, it appears that the Secret Service sniper struck him just behind the upper part of his ear. Good shot.
• "Mississippi congressman's staffer says 'don’t miss next time’ after Trump assassination attempt"-- Just The News. The staffer was Jacqueline Marsaw, a field director for U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi. I've since read that the Marsaw was fired by Thompson. However, Marsaw is a local NAACP director, but I have not seen whether that organization will fire her or call for her resignation.
• "Liberals have full-blown meltdown after shooter misses Donald Trump at rally: 'We were a centimeter away!'"--Daily Mail. More Democrats expressing their disappointment that Trump had not been killed.
  
• "Bomb-making materials found in vehicle and home of man suspected of shooting Trump: Police"--Just The News.
• "Veteran who holds world record for longest confirmed sniper kill weighs in on Trump assassination attempt"--Daily Mail. Key bit:

Dallas Alexander, who spent 14 years in a sniper team for the Canadian military doing close protection for major world leaders including the Canadian prime minister, suggested in a video Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who opened fire at the former president's rally Saturday night, may have had help from the inside.

Basically he suggests that Crooks could not have gotten that close and up to such an obvious shooting position without assistance from someone. (Certainly not with both a rifle and an extremely long ladder). So who was in charge of the zone from where the would-be assassin took his shot? The local PD.

• "I served in the FBI for 25 years... here's who I suspect is to blame for the Trump assassination attempt security disaster"--Daily Mail. More information on how security would have been handled, and pointing fingers primarily at local PD, but he also points out possible communication lapses between local PD and the Secret Service security team about vital information.
• "Secret Service blames local police, says it was tasked with securing properties surrounding Trump's Pa. rally"--New York Post. And this apparently will be the narrative, probably in order to divert attention from the Secret Service sacrificing standards to support the SS director's DEI goals.
• "Video shows Trump gunman crawling on roof while onlookers alert cops"--New York Post. Apparently spectators were trying to warn law enforcement almost a full minute before the shooting started. 

And some videos:

    This first video has mostly the same background details as we have seen in other news stories, but this one is notable for pointing out that both of Crooks parents are licensed behavioral counselors.

 VIDEO: "Federal investigators trying to learn more about Trump rally shooter"
CBS Pittsburgh (4 min.)

 

Paul Joseph Watson provides analysis and asks probing questions about the incident, including the DEI priorities of the Secret Service director. He has collected a lot of facts, so this is a good, quick summary of everything.

VIDEO: "Strange Questions About the Trump Assassination Attempt"
Paul Joseph Watson (10 min.)

 

Next up is an analysis and summary by Chris Chappell, who even as he tries to take a non-partisan, balanced position still must acknowledge that the main stream news outlets were completely disingenuous in downplaying the assassination attempt, trying to blame the Republicans, and the vile responses from those on the left. Another video I recommend watching.

 VIDEO: "This Was a Turning Point In American History"
America Uncovered (10 min.)

Finally, the VSO Gun Channel gives his take on the incident and responses from various outlets and politicians.

VIDEO: "Biden Tells You to Calm Down. Facts About Attempted Assassination of Trump"
The VSO Gun Channel (11 min.)

Assassination Attempt On Donald Trump

Various outlets are reporting on the incident, but here is the story from NBC News: "Trump injured, rushed from stage after shots fired at Pennsylvania rally." The article relates:

    Former President Donald Trump was rushed off the stage with blood on the side of his head and his ear after shots were fired just minutes into his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

    Trump is currently safe and is expected to survive, according to two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter.

    One spectator from the rally is dead, and a second is in serious condition, according to the Butler County district attorney. The shooter is dead, NBC News confirms.

Listening to video of the incident, it sounds like there were 8 shots in total, but the last shot sounded different and was likely the shot that killed the would-be assassin. The New York Post is reporting that the Secret Service and or police snipers had returned shots and killed the shooter. The article also indicated that "The shooter, identified only as a white male, was in a sniper position located hundreds of yards away from Trump’s podium in Butler, Pa. as he spoke to a campaign crowd, sources said." Earlier, though, the shooter had been identified as a Chinese man.

    I would note that various Democrats and other leftists have been urging or wishing the assassination of Trump for a long time. Just last week, Nancy Pelosi stated in an interview on MSNBC about Trump:

"This is not a normal election where you want to win and if you don't, you cooperate and do the best you can for the country and hope to win the next time. This is something that is undermining our democracy. He must be stopped. He cannot be president!"

In 2023, Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson had written on X that Trump needed to be killed. Earlier in the week, Biden had told supporters that it was time to put Trump in a bullseye. And just this afternoon, a field director for Democrat Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (who headed the Jan. 6th Commission and recently proposed legislation to remove Trump’s Secret Service detail) expressed her wish that the assassin had better aim.

Jason Hanson Hates Glocks

Jason Hanson runs a YouTube channel of the same name, and claims a background in law enforcement, the CIA and security. He produces videos that cover self-defense and security topics running the gambit from tips on finding hidden cameras in a hotel or AirBnB, to something like this one covering firearms. I find his videos interesting and informative, even when I don't agree with something he says. 

    In this video he addresses why he doesn't like Glock pistols (something he has made clear in other videos). When Glocks were first introduced, they were head and shoulders above other semi-autos in terms of reliability straight out of the box. Thus, a lot of their other faults were overlooked. Today, most polymer striker-fired pistols from any respectable manufacturer is reliable right out of the box so Glocks are no longer quite as special in that regard. But when comparing other features and characteristics, Hanson believes Glocks are deficient compared to other offerings, particularly in the quality of the trigger and ergonomics.

VIDEO: "Here's Why I Do Not Like Glocks"
Jason Hanson (3 min.)

In this same vein, Greg Ellifritz's Weekend Knowledge Dump for this weekend included a link to an article from A Girl And A Gun  on "Women’s Favorite Handgun Brands in 2024" based on the brands and models most popular with the ladies competing in the 12th Annual A Girl & A Gun National Conference. Although Glocks, overall, where the most popular brand at the competition, they barely edged out Sig Sauer at 22.75% of the shooters versus 20.29% of the shooters, respectively. But looking at particular models, the most popular was the Walther PDP/PDP F-Series, with 15.38% of the pistols used at the competition. The Glock 19 was the second most popular pistol, but at only 11.56%. In fact, the Glock 19 was the only Glock handgun to get into the top 5 most popular, while Sig Sauer had two models in the top 5. 

    As the article explains: "With the PDP, Walther created a handgun with good ergonomics, SuperTerrain slide serrations, and a performance duty trigger, and then really changed the game for women with the F-Series model and its reduced trigger reach, reduced grip circumference, and reduced force necessary to operate the slide." I would note, however, that the Walther PDP was the only Walther in the top 10 list, while half of the top 10 most popular were Glocks of one type or another.

Abandoned Short Cruise/Gambling Ship

The photograph is from a Daily Mail article: "Eerie photos show abandoned party ship where gamblers 'simply vanished' at sea with games now 'frozen in time'." The article indicates that "[t]he Blue Horizon casino cruise ship, which sailed out of the Port of Palm Beach, disbanded operations less than a year after being launched in 2015." Apparently it was one of those ships that would take short cruises into international waters so people could legally gamble, as gambling was illegal or very limited in Florida at that time. Once Florida loosened its laws on gambling, the article relates, the casino cruise ship business was no longer profitable. There are other photos at the link including an exterior shot of the ship and several more interior shots.

Man Shot To Death At SW Idaho Gun Range

A recent story from my neck of woods: "One dead in accidental shooting at Nampa gun range"--KIVI. From the article:

    At 5 p.m. on July 5, officers with the Canyon County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of an accidental shooting at the George Nourse Gun Range just south of Nampa.

    When CCSO deputies arrived at the range, they found 26-year-old Evan Michael Chase of Nampa who had been shot accidentally in the abdomen.

    According to CCSO, a rifle discharged an hit Chase as another man at the range was unloading it.

    Life-saving measures were performed, but the victim succumbed to his injury at the scene.

And that is all the information about the shooting in the article. 

    The gun range in question is south of Nampa, Idaho, and "operated" by Canyon County if memory serves me right (it's been years since I was last out there). I put "operated" in quotes because it is an open range--no fees, no range officer, no targets or target stands--where you can just go and leave as you please. You literally just pull your car up to where you are going to shoot and unload your gear. I've even seen people back a truck up to a lane and shoot out the back of the truck while laying down in the bed. 

    The fact that there is no charge or fee makes it a popular range with people teaching firearm safety classes or classes for concealed carry licenses. Consequently, it is so crowded on weekends that it is hard to get a spot to shoot. It's the primary reason I stopped traveling out to that range.

    On the other side of the coin, with no supervision, it means that there are no set periods for loading/unloading/shooting or checking on targets. You just have to rely on the cooperation of anyone else using the lane to stop shooting when you signal that you want to go check or move a target; and that they will exercise common sense when handling their firearms.

    There are berms between lanes, but some of the lanes are so wide that you can easily have 3 or 4 groups using the same lane. In fact, the only single lanes as best as I can remember are the ones at each end of the range. These are also the only lanes that actually stretch out 100 yards--most of the others are only about 80 yards deep.

    But the timber boxes set up as tables and shooting positions are past the berms--there is nothing between them. 

    So, this could have been a case where the weapon was pointed crosswise to the lanes when the man handling the rifle touched off the round; or the man that was shot could have gone down range while the man with the rifle was (mis)handling his weapon; or the man with the rifle was unloading his rifle at or around his vehicle and pointing in who knows what direction. 

    As I said, I haven't been out there in years, mostly because of how crowded it had become. With so many people moving into the area from blue states, I suspect that the range has become much less safe and friendly.

Another Fake Racism Allegation, This Time At U. of Wash.

The Daily Mail reports that a black "Muslim student 'lied that her Jewish roommate threatened her with a knife following dispute about October 7' Hamas attack in viral post." The article relates that "a campus police report concluded it 'could not establish probable cause' after a witness contradicted Hussein's account." The witness was a third roommate present at the time of the alleged incident.

    Although the Jewish roommate was forced to move out due to the University's actions and backlash from other students, the lying black Muslim student--Isha Hussein--will face no repercussions from the University per the article. 

'To my knowledge, there were no repercussions for [redacted] for making false and defamatory claims against me which resulted in my temporary loss of housing and permanent need to relocate and which caused considerable stress and strain on my academic schedule and emotional wellbeing,' the accused roommate said.

Unsurprisingly, Hussein has also alleged that the University of Washington has not protected her or taken her complaints seriously. 

    Her former Jewish roommate "speculated that Hussein may have fabricated the event in a bid to bolster her campaign to become student body president."

Gun Restrictions Do Not Reduce Homicide Rates Says New Study

The Daily Mail reports on a new study from Duke University that found that "Gun law restrictions have no impact on the rate of homicides between states[.]" Per the article:

    Researchers at Duke University compared gun laws across the US, including states with and without background checks, 'stand your ground' laws and safe storage requirements.

    They found there was no difference in homicide rates in states with or without firearm laws and restrictive access, a finding they said 'surprised' them.

If this surprised them, they were either stupid or ignorant of similar research in the past. Past research has shown that there is no correlation between homicide rates and rates of gun ownership, either within the U.S. or internationally. So, why would they think that restrictions on ownership--the cause of differing ownership rates--would be different?

    The article also notes that:

    States with stricter gun laws have ranked as having higher firearm homicides than others in the country, including Illinois which has the 12th highest rate of gun homicides in the US while 92 percent of gun deaths in Washington, DC are homicides.

So the research actually showed a inverse relationship between strict gun control laws and homicide rates.

    In any event, stymied on trying to find a connection between strict gun control laws and reduced homicide rates, the researchers fell back on the old canard of "if it saves one child" by pointing out that safe storage laws and waiting periods did reduce pediatric suicides (I'm a little unsure how waiting periods would reduce children's suicides since children can't buy firearms from an FFL anyway).

Bombs & Bants #134 (Streamed 7/10/2024)

Some good banter and I got ambushed with the topic of the Mini-14 for the "two minutes of gun talk in one minute" segment:

 VIDEO: Episode #134 (51 min.)

George Kelly's Case Dismissed With Prejudice By Trial Judge

George Kelly, as you might remember, is an Arizona rancher accused have having used an AK style rifle to shoot and kill an illegal alien on his property in January 2023. In April 2024, the jury was unable to come to a decision (with one holdout refusing to acquit) and a mistrial was declared. Shortly thereafter, the prosecutor declined retrying and asked for the case to be dismissed. But it apparently was not a done deal: the prosecutor wanted the case dismissed without prejudice, meaning that he could again bring the charges against Kelly at a later date and retry him in the future. But the judge was having none of that: he has denied the request for a dismissal without prejudice, and instead ordered dismissal with prejudice (meaning that the prosecutor will not be able to refile charges). 

    'The interests of justice are not advanced where the only thing to be accomplished by a dismissal without prejudice, where there is not possibility that a re-trial will occur, is the harassment of the Defendant,' [Judge] Fink said in a decision obtained by KGUN 9.

    'The interests of justice are not served by the dismissal without prejudice for [a] case that cannot and will not be re-tried.

    'The State's motion to dismiss without prejudice is denied. In the interests of justice the case is ordered dismissed with prejudice.'

    After the trial, Deputy County Attorney Kimberly Hunley said the prosecution supported dismissing the case but wanted the option to retry it if circumstances change.

    She had said unknown witnesses may come forward and known witnesses in Mexico might become available.

Meaning that they wanted to use illegal aliens--apparently some returned to Mexico--and perhaps smugglers to bolster their case against Kelly if they were able to locate them. Which is problematic for Kelly and his defense team because there would be virtually no means of obtaining information about their backgrounds or even confirming their identities.

The Empire Strikes Back: France Facing Rule By Bureaucrats/Commies

As you know, the French elites might have staved off the French people regaining control of their nation's fate by allying with the far left, resulting in the conservative National Rally doing much worse in the second round of the French parliamentary elections. As France 24 reports, "With 182 seats for the leftist coalition, 168 for President Macron’s centrists and 143 for the far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National, or RN) the Assembly, the lower house, is now divided into three distinct blocs." The article goes on to examine different scenarios of how this three way split might play out. 

    First, the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) could force President Macron to appoint a prime minister from the NFP. Termed "cohabitations," this arrangement, where the PM is a different party from the President, has only occurred three times since 1958. "But in each of these previous periods of shared power, either the right or the left had obtained an absolute majority in the Assembly." In addition, lacking a majority might result in the NFP passing laws by decree:

    If an NFP-led government is formed, it could try to force legislation through the Assembly by decree. Article 49.3 of the Constitution allows a bill to be passed without a vote, a procedure that was denounced by both right and left when it was used by Macron, notably to impose pension reform.

    “What was done by 49.3 can be undone by 49.3,” said Faure on France Info radio, while suggesting this was not an ideal method.

    The notion of passing bills by decree was ruled out by Sandrine Rousseau, who was re-elected as a Green (EELV) MP, in an interview on BFMTV. “The New Popular Front will not govern by 49.3. We will respect the sovereignty of the National Assembly and its ability to make amendments and work on legislative bills. I think we need to make this very clear to the French people."

    The second scenario is that the current Prime Minister could be left in charge of a "provisional government."

    A third possibility is "the formation of a 'grand coalition' between different political groups, which would bring together a majority in the Assembly behind a consensus prime minister." The article notes that while common in certain other European countries, it would be the first time in the Fifth Republic (i.e., since 1958).

    Fourth, Macron's party could form a minority government:

    The NFP could theoretically form a minority government, but would need the tacit support of elected representatives of other political parties. The presidential camp could also form a new government but would face the same requirement."

    In any case, such a minority government would live under the constant threat of a no confidence vote from the Assembly which could force the prime minister to resign. It would struggle to govern and be obliged to seek majorities on a case-by-case basis for each bill.

    “A minority government can work if it’s not too far from a majority. But then there has to be a tacit agreement with the other political forces to let this government get on with the basics of governing, and not just immediately trash it,” sums up constitutionalist Maus.

    Finally, "[i]f the situation remains deadlocked, the appointment of a 'technocratic' government may be called for. This would involve appointing non-partisan ministers – experts and technocrats – to manage the daily business of government and implement consensual reforms. The arrangement, which is somewhat vague, has never been tried under the Fifth Republic."

    Macron was able to arrange deals so that candidates would withdraw from the second round of voting in order to keep National Rally from winning a majority, so I'm sure that whatever happens, it will have already been decided in various backroom deals. 

More:

• "French Elections: Populist Le Pen Party Won Most Votes But Awarded Third Most Seats"--Breitbart. From the article: "The disparity between votes and seats in the National Assembly came as a result of the backroom deal struck between President Macron and the New Popular Front, in which each side agreed to drop out in favour of the candidate with the best chance of beating out the populist party in over 200 legislative districts."
  
• "Communists and Islamists Take France: A movement aimed at destroying France will now be in a prime position to do so"--Front Page Magazine. Daniel Greenfield relates: "Macron, who had bet hard on the public rallying to him against the National Rally and Marine Le Pen’s conservatives, was crushed and decided to ally with the Communists and Jihadists represented by Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his France Unbowed party which is at the heart of the New Popular Front (NFP)."
  

Russell Brand has some more analysis in his video, below:

 

VIDEO: "Wait, What The F*ck Just Happened In France?"
Russell Brand (12 min.)

See also this video from Paul Joseph Watson, who had anticipated the election outcome:

 

VIDEO: "The Truth About the French Election"
Paul Joseph Watson (13 min.)

Sweden Safer When Refugees Go Home For Vacations

Robert Spencer at PJ Media reports:

    The Swedish-language publication Fria Tider reported Tuesday that “in southern Sweden, it becomes quieter in the summer when the criminals go on holiday to their home countries, according to the police.”

    Yes, you read that right: the people who commit most of the crimes in Sweden go on vacation to their countries of origin, and so their place of refuge becomes calmer and safer for the native population. Mats Karlsson, the head of intelligence for the police in the southern region of Sweden, explained: “Some of them, who originate in other countries, go there over the summer. Then we notice a big difference, a greater calm, in our vulnerable areas. In the second year when they are still in Sweden, they become messier.”

Spencer continues by asking the important questions:

    Now wait a minute. Aren’t many of these migrants supposed to be asylum seekers and refugees? So why are they vacationing in the countries they supposedly fled for their lives?

    Also, who is paying for these vacations, with migrants receiving “65 percent of social welfare expenditures”? Swedish taxpayers, obviously. But why?

    The “foreign-born represent 53 percent of individuals with long prison sentences, 58 percent of the unemployed.” As if that weren’t enough, they receive “77 percent of Sweden’s child poverty is present in households with a foreign background, while 90 percent of suspects in public shootings have immigrant backgrounds.” What benefit does Sweden receive from importing a large criminal element?

This presupposes that Sweden's ruling elites are trying to benefit Swedes and Sweden. No, the real question is what benefit do the Swedish elites and the Swedish government get from importing a large group of criminals and welfare recipients?

    Whatever the benefit to the elites, Spencer goes on to describe how importing Muslims--who have no respect for Western laws or norms--is destructive the native peoples and culture. 

In the case of Islam, since Islamic law contains a complete model for society and governance that is considered to be divinely inspired and superior to all its rivals, multiculturalism accommodation is short-sighted and tantamount to cultural suicide. And given that Islam also is unique among the religions of the world in containing a developed doctrine, theology, and legal system that mandates warfare against unbelievers, this accommodation is difficult to distinguish, either in intention or effect, from outright appeasement.

He notes that what is happening in Europe should be serving as a warning to the United States about the dangers of Islam and multiculturalism, but it is being ignored. 

    Read the whole thing.

Japan Looks At Easing Rifle Restrictions To Combat Bear Attacks

On the subject of bears and bear attacks, the Asahi Shimbun reports: "Hunting rifle ban to be adjusted after bear attacks increase." According to Environment Ministry records, Japan suffered a record 219 bear attacks in fiscal year 2023 with 6 fatalities; and just since April 2024, there have been 34 people injured and 2 people killed in bear attacks. Thus, the Ministry is looking at easing restrictions on using hunting rifles in urban (yes, urban) areas. 

    The current law prohibits the use of hunting rifles in urban areas, with two exceptions.

    A hunting club or other group can only shoot a bear if a police officer is present and instructs them to fire.

    The other instance is responding to the situation as an unavoidable act, which is considered an “emergency evacuation” under the Penal Code.

    However, there are cases where it took an officer a long time to grant permission and others where the trapper was questioned about the legality of their choice after taking the shot.

I don't see how having a police officer with little or no experience with shooting--far less than their American counterparts, anyway--let alone hunting, would make a difference, but I'm not a government bureaucrat so perhaps there is something I'm missing. The article continues:

    In May, a panel of experts proposed a policy allowing the use of hunting rifles in cases where there is a real threat of harm to people.

    The panel also proposed allowing the use of hunting rifles to kill bears captured with box traps.

    The panel requested that the law be revised.

    However, there is the risk of bullets ricocheting and hitting someone or damaging a building. Injuring a bear could also increase the level of danger if the animal grows agitated.

    And going to the other side of the world, "Horror as teenage tourist is attacked by a bear which then dropped her 330ft down a cliff to her death in front her shocked boyfriend while she was hiking in Romania." 

    The unnamed 19-year-old woman was hiking in the Bucegi mountains in central Romania, near the city of Brasov, on Tuesday when she was attacked and dragged away by the animal.

    According to the victim's boyfriend, the bear first grabbed the woman's leg and hauled her off the path before throwing her 330 feet down a cliff, where her body was later found and recovered by emergency services. 

    In order to retrieve the body, rescuers faced a difficult mission as the animal remained nearby. This resulted in them having to put down the vicious bear, who remained nearby and was particularly aggressive, according to authorities. 

The article suggests that this type of attack is unusual. It then adds:

    According to government figures, there are around 8,000 brown bears in the Romanian Carpathians. It is the second largest bear population in Europe after Russia.

    The World Animal Foundation said that between 2016 and 2021, Romania had experienced 14 fatalities and 158 injuries from bear attacks.

    And back to the United States: "Ultra-runner attacked by bear while running in Yosemite Valley." 

    A California ultra-runner was attacked by a bear while finishing up a 50-mile run through Yosemite Valley over the weekend.

    Jon-Kyle Mohr was less than a mile away from a triumphant finish to his lengthy sprint Sunday night when he collided with the large, adult black bear, he told the Los Angeles Times on Monday. 

Fortunately for Mohr, the bear was more interested in escaping than mauling him, and he suffered only minor injuries. The article notes: "There have been 10 bear 'incidents' this year in Yosemite, down 9% from last year, when there were 38 incidents in total, according to the park’s website."

Hunter Uses 10mm Pistol To Kill Attacking Brown Bear

The Daily Mail reports on a hunter in Alaska whose bear hunt got a little wild when the 1,000 lbs Kodiak brown bear he was hunting decided to become the hunter. As the article reports, Tyce Erickson was one of the lucky handful of hunters to get a hunting tag for brown bears on Kodiak Island in Alaska. His hunt apparently started as a bow hunt, but frustrated at his lack of success and with time running out to use his tag, he borrowed a friend's rifle to take a shot at a bear about 50 feet from him. Unfortunately, his first shot missed. 

    His second shot hit, but the bear disappeared from view and he wasn't sure whether he took it down, so the hunting party moved around to see it.

    The bear was not where they expected it to be lying, so it was still alive and walking away leaving a blood trail that they followed.

    After tracking the bear for about two miles, the bear decided it had enough and it charged down the side of a hill at its pursuers.

 Another man in the group, Ryan, was able to get his rifle up and shot the bear in the chest at about 20 feet distance, but as the hunter stepped back, his foot became caught and he fell down, calling for help. 

    Erickson didn't have a clear shot past Ryan with his 10mm Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0, so he crawled through bushes until he could get to Ryan's side - just as the bear resumed its charge.

    'I got to his side... at this point he's only about 12 feet off my barrel and pulled out my handgun and just unloaded on him,' he said.

    'I didn't really have time to get nervous... it was getting real right now, just in that second [I was thinking] I'm saving Ryan's life. I shot three times... and by the third shot, it ended up taking him down.

    'It's rolling down the hill and hits the alders, and it was like we killed the dragon that was destroying the village, we were cheering, it was an adrenaline rush.'

    Ryan poked the bear to make sure it was dead and it growled and raised its head, so he shot it again through the shoulder to finish it off. 

The article adds, "Erickson said at least two of his handgun shots hit the bear in the back and neck, and his rifle shot that first wounded it hit the back of its knee." 

    While we are on the topic of bear attacks, Lucky Gunner's latest video is on the topic of handguns for bear defense looking at the real world results compiled by Ammoland:

VIDEO: "Handguns for Bear Defense: Lessons from Real-World Attacks"
Lucky Gunner Ammo (12 min.)