The Future Of Self-Defense May Involve Defense Against Gangs/Mobs

There is a famous line from L.P. Hartley's "The Go Between" that goes like this: “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” Well, drop the past. Foreign countries are foreign and they do things different there as well. And when they come to the U.S. or other Western countries, they bring that otherness or differences with them.

    We've lately been regaled with some of those differences when it comes to animals, e.g.:

• "Animal sacrifices on the rise in Queens with chickens, pigs being tortured in ‘twisted’ rituals"--New York Post. 
• "Springfield city manager admitted in March he'd 'heard' about Haitian migrants eating 'domesticated animals'"--Post Millennial. 

But migrant crime extends just beyond torturing and killing our pets, e.g.:

• "In New York, dead bodies are starting to turn up"--American Thinker.
• "Illegal Alien Charged with Five Counts of Child Rape on Martha’s Vineyard"--Breitbart.

    Of real concern are the gangs that have found their way into the country and their increasingly brazen behavior. Most of you are probably aware of the news accounts of the Tren de Aragua, a criminal group from Venezuela, that has had openly controlled the Whispering Pines Apartments in Aurora since late 2023. You've probably scene the videos of some of the gang members with weapons in hand, including an AK style rifle, moving through the complex and entering an apartment. During its reign, the gang has engaged in assaults, threats of murder, extortion and child prostitution. It has been even reported that "Tren de Aragua has threatened to kill (and, in certain instances, has apparently actively attempted to kill) members of Whispering Pines management," and "gang members allegedly stabbed a Whispering Pines resident for refusing to pay 'rent' to the gang."

    Four alleged Tren de Aragua members have been arrested in Aurora in connection to an attempted  murder in July.

    ICE officials told Fox News all four are undocumented immigrants who were detained and released after crossing the Texas border.

You probably saw the news stories and videos even as the Colorado governor and Aurora police department denied any such thing was happening, and claimed that the owner of the apartment complex was responsible for the run-down conditions there. 

    Of course it is not just in Aurora, CO, that the Tren de Aragua gang is taking up residence. They have been active in North Texas according to Dallas law enforcement, and took over a hotel in El Paso. And while the Democrat controlled government of Colorado lets the gang members walk free after arrests, current and former law enforcement are warning that the gang (shortened to TdA) has "unleashed a crime wave from Miami to New York" and is preparing for  major gang wars. 

    ‘There’s about to be a big gang war,' John Fabbricatore, the former director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for Colorado told DailyMail.com.

    'I believe that they’re setting up their network right now. These guys are setting up faster than MS-13 did. They’re getting into these apartment complexes and what they’re doing is they’re starting with prostitution.'

* * *

    'Prostitution is a big money-maker, and the thing with prostitution is that it brings guys in that they can then sell dope to,' Fabbricatore explained.

    'These guys come in, they meet these Johns and shake them down. See if they want to buy drugs. They’ve started with moving these girls through, and if you go in these apartments, you’ll see these young girls. It’s bad.’

* * *

     At the Whispering Pines apartments, DailyMail.com witnessed TdA gang graffiti all the over the walls, where the transnational organization has clearly marked its territory.

    'That tells me that's TdA property. That's showing, "Hey this is our territory, this is our property.' Along those lines is intimidating the people of that building,' retired FBI agent Dan Brunner explained to Dailymail.com.

     TdA is using the cash to expand, meanwhile arming itself, Fabbricatore, who is currently the Republican congressional candidate hoping to represent Aurora, said.

    'Colfax, the area that they’re in, has been controlled by the Bloods, Crips, Sureños, for years,' he added.

    'These gangs already set up their networks. They’ve been dealing dope in those areas. They control prostitution in that area. So Tren de Aragua comes in and they start to try put their girls on the street, and they start to move dope in the area, you’re going to see push back. We’ve haven’t seen it yet, but I believe it’s about to happen.’

* * *

    Earlier this week, the Aurora Police Department announced the arrests of 10 TdA members, despite having previously denied there was a gang problem.

    TdA has described as the 'epitome of evil' and is best known in their homeland for sex trafficking girls and women and exploiting their fellow countrymen, have now set up strongholds in Denver, New York, Miami, El Paso and Dallas-- as DailyMail.com first reported.

    Since arriving in the United States, TdA is accused of taking part in shootings, shake-downs of other migrants who had were told to pay rent to the gang instead of the property, beatings, and robberies in Colorado.

    'TdA is MS-13 on steroids.' Brunner, who spent years leading an FBI task force to taken down Salvadoran gang MS-13, added.

    Federal law enforcement has been shocked and taken off guard by how quickly TdA has been able to establish itself and eclipse the previous operations set up by gangs like MS-13. 

 * * *

     For now, TdA seems focused on victimizing the migrants, using migrant women into prostitutes, but it's only a matter of time before their tentacles spread.

    'There are some million dollar homes not far from where those apartment complexes are. How long do you think it will be before they go there?' 

That is a good question. How long before they move their activities beyond apartment complexes and shelters that cater to immigrants to regular Americans.

    In his most recent Defensive Pistolcraft newsletter, Jon Low cites to a an article by John Farnam on Ethnic gangs. Farnam warns:

    Here in the Denver area, ethnic Venezuelan gangs (nearly all illegally in this country to begin with) are currently engaging in violent take-overs of entire neighborhoods and apartment buildings, all with scant interference from police.

    This would have been unthinkable a decade ago!

    Now, it is dangerously real.

    To no one’s surprise, the mayor of Denver, the mayor of Aurora, CO, and our state’s governor (all liberals) have gone into “full-spin mode” as they sheepishly render cowardly “word-salad” responses (reminiscent of KDH) to hard questions about this desperate reality.

    Some facts not in dispute:

    1) Many police departments (all over the US) are currently on a “slow-roll” for calls involving violence.

    In many cases, this is an administrative decision, based on universal staff shortages, and political agenda.

    Yet, nervous citizens translate this trend as “abandonment!”

    2) The Aurora, CO PD has identified ethnic-gang-infested apartment complexes as sufficiently dangerous, that no fewer than three LEO’s are to simultaneously respond to calls from there.

    So, while Aurora’s mayor says, in effect, “Nothing to see here,” his PD’s tactics clearly indicate otherwise!

    3) Without fail, liberal politicians create “exemptions”  to gun laws, exemptions that benefit only them!

    In addition, they invariably requisition large cadres of LEOs (who would otherwise be out protecting citizens) to devote themselves to protecting only them.

    It’s fairly obvious that, to them, only their personal safety is important.

 In other words, in some locals, you may be on your own in the face of violent gangs that will become more brazen and confident as time goes on. What to do? 

    Jon Low writes in this regard:

    These gangs have automatic rifles.  Do you?  These gangs operate in coordinated teams.  Do you?  How is your militia or vigilante team?  Or do you think you can defend yourself and your family from the gangs by yourself?  Because the police are not responding.  Good luck on that. 

      As Michael Mann says, "Prevention, not reaction."  If you want zero friendly casualties, you must strike pre-emptively and decisively.  If the police don't show up when good citizens complain of gangs, what makes you think the police will show up when the gangs complain about your militia?  I'm joking.  No, as a matter of fact, I'm not. 

 Also be sure to check out his list of 6 essential rifle skills in the same newsletter. Because even if you don't have automatic rifles, you should have a defensive rifle.

Bombs & Bants Episode 143 (Streameed 9/18/2024)

 “You fool, Warren is DEAD!” Oh, sorry, wrong podcast. Door slams.

 VIDEO: Bombs & Bants Episode 143 (53 min.)

Where To Keep A Home Defense Gun

Sheriff Jim Wilson asks "Where Is Your Home-Defense Gun?" He doesn't actually care about an answer, though. The article is, instead, about good places to keep a home defense weapon with a particular emphasis on responding to a home invasion. As Wilson observes:

The thing to keep in mind about home invasions is that they happen in an almighty hurry. One will almost certainly not have time to go into another room to arm him or herself. For that reason, it is imperative to keep a gun on your person or very close by. And, it is important to study the layout of your house, consider your own personal situation and determine the best way to respond to this sort of quick attack. Talk it over with family members, do some study and planning and make yourselves a harder target. You won’t regret such a proactive decision.

    No surprise, he states that the best place to keep a defensive pistol is on your person as it offers rapid access while simultaneously controlling who can access the weapon. But you can't (or won't) always carry a weapon at home, so then what? 

Almost as quick as having the gun on you is to have several guns strategically located throughout the house in the areas where you spend the most time. The kitchen, the TV room and your office would be good locations and, given your particular situation, you will think of others (like your workspace out in the garage or shop). Simply look at the places in your home where you spend your time, and those are the locations to have a defensive firearm.

A gun safe is far too slow to access a defensive weapon, which is probably why Democrats push gun storage laws. They don't want a homeowner killing a reliable Democrat voter. 

    If you do resort to storing weapons around your residence, Wilson suggests some sort of storage box or case, adding:

One that especially interests me looks like a small shelf like one that you might put a couple of photographs on, or maybe a flower arrangement, but the bottom of it pops open to expose the defensive handgun. Such a device might be just the thing to install near the front door. 

My father-in-law had one of these that used a hidden locking mechanism. To me, a 4-inch thick shelf seemed obvious as a place to hide a weapon, but perhaps that is just because of my experience and reading in home defense. The problem we discovered as we were in the process of moving my father-in-law to a nursing home and selling the house was that we couldn't easily open the shelf/box because the battery that operated the locking mechanism had died. We were able to open it, but it took some time. Just something to keep in mind when you consider different models.   

    Although Wilson discusses keeping a firearm in the kitchen or TV room, the reality is that for most of us, when we are at home, we spend the majority of that time in the bedroom as we sleep at night; so the bedroom is definitely one place you would want to keep a defensive weapon. And since I assume that most of you are not going to be wearing a firearm to bed, you will have to consider a method of storing a firearm that also offers quick access. 

    I've seen (but not tried) some devices (basically a metal bracket) that slide between a mattress and a box spring to which you can attach a holster. It might not be a viable solution if you have small children as it doesn't address the issue of controlling access, but it does offer quick access to the weapon even if you are awoken in the night. 

    There are, of course, plenty of lock box type products on the market, and even secured "quick access" brackets for storing long arms. Lucky Gunner posted a video in 2018 reviewing some of the quick access pistol safes, and thereafter did one for quick access safes for rifles and shotguns. But even a cable lock or locked pistol or long arm case can suffice. (But will you know where is the key at 3 a.m.?)

    If you are forced to resort to hiding a weapon or putting it in a place difficult for a child to access, this article from Texas Gun Club has some suggestions. This article on storing firearms and ammunition from The Provident Prepper also has some good tips on storing a weapon for home defense (as well as for longer term storage). 

• More: "How to Store a Gun for Home Defense"--The Armory Life.
  

Most Centenarians Are Dead

I saw this the other day at the Asahi Shimbun: "Japan’s centenarian population hits new record high." From the article:

    As of Sept. 1, 47,888 individuals had reached the age of 100 this fiscal year or were projected to do so by the end of the fiscal year in March. This represents a 781-person increase from the previous year and is the highest number ever recorded.

    Women accounted for 88 percent of centenarians, with 83,958 women and 11,161 men reaching the milestone.

    When considering the number of centenarians per 100,000 people, Shimane Prefecture had the highest rate at 159.54, ranking first for the 12th consecutive year.

    Saitama Prefecture had the lowest rate, with 45.81 centenarians per 100,000 people, marking the 35th consecutive year at the bottom of the list.

But is it true? Vox Day recently noted that "The Extreme Elderly Don’t Exist." He related comments from a researcher who examined claims of the numbers of centenarians. The researcher wrote:

In general, the claims about how long people are living mostly don’t stack up. I’ve tracked down 80% of the people aged over 110 in the world (the other 20% are from countries you can’t meaningfully analyse). Of those, almost none have a birth certificate. In the US there are over 500 of these people; seven have a birth certificate. Even worse, only about 10% have a death certificate.

The researcher also mentions that "[t]here was a Japanese government review in 2010, which found that 82% of the people aged over 100 in Japan turned out to be dead. The secret to living to 110 was, don’t register your death." And:

Regions where people most often reach 100-110 years old are the ones where there’s the most pressure to commit pension fraud, and they also have the worst records. For example, the best place to reach 105 in England is Tower Hamlets. It has more 105-year-olds than all of the rich places in England put together.

Wikipedia relates that "[i]n 2017, a joint study by Trust for London and New Policy Institute found Tower Hamlets to be the 2nd most deprived London borough (after Barking and Dagenham) based on an average calculated across a range of indicators; with high rates of poverty, child poverty, unemployment and pay inequality compared to other London boroughs." It also has one of the highest proportions of Muslims in England.

You Will Eat Bugs ... And It Will Make You Frisky?

Apparently grasshoppers are being touted as an aphrodisiac. "Eating grasshoppers has been found to boost sex drive, improve sleep quality, promote healthy hair and help with weight management," says the New York Post, before going into the standard lefty myths of global warming and overpopulation:

    As food supplies continuously face changes and uncertainties due to population growth and climate change, experts have increasingly promoted integrating insects into more cuisines.

    About a quarter of Americans are reportedly willing to ingest insect ingredients, and 18% would be willing to eat whole bugs.

    But that number could raise if libidos do. 

The proper response is--as it should be to all leftist "solutions"--"you first".

Now Israel Has Detonated Thousands Of Hezbollah's Hand-Held Radios

 From the New York Post:

    A second wave of blasts rocked Hezbollah on Wednesday as thousands of radios and other devices used by the terror group were detonated across Lebanon, killing at least nine people and leaving more than 300 wounded, security sources and officials said.

    Additional explosions were reported throughout the capital of Beirut and in the country’s south following Tuesday’s massive security breach that caused Hezbollah pagers to explode, killing at least 12 people and injuring another 2,800.

    Some thousands of personal walkie-talkie radios were targeted in Wednesday’s operation, sources told Axios reporter Barak Ravid, which were all ordered from the terror group five months ago, around the same time as the deadly pagers. 

Hungary is now denying that the pagers were manufactured there. CNN has a long (9 min.) report if you would prefer a video.

More On Springfield, OH, And Its Haitian Problem

A lot of information in the "Springfield Haitian Situation Summary" from the Aliens In This World blog. But while the author covers and collects links to Haitians eating and sacrificing various animals (including cats and dogs), the most important point to me was how the invasion of the Haitians was the work of corporations seeking low cost labor:

    In recent years, several new factories, warehouses, and other large businesses have been built in Columbus, Ohio, and along the I-70 corridor. Local people in Columbus, Springfield, Dayton, and other municipalities were anticipating getting jobs at these places.

    Instead, the local warehouse/factory staffing agency near me closed down a few years back, leaving the people who used to work in Columbus through them to find jobs somewhere else. I kinda wondered why that happened, but assumed their staffing contracts had fallen through somehow.

    But now I know. Instead, corporate warehouse/factory staffing agencies brought in a huge number of migrant workers from Haiti, and found them cheap group housing in Springfield. These people are not being taught English or assisted on a path to citizenship. Instead, they are being treated the same as the Mexican/Guatemalan migrant workforce in California or Iowa, at big factories and warehouses, which are controlled by the big staffing agencies. They are subject to being deported at any time that they get fired, so they have to work for that one agency they signed up with.

    The idea is that the staffing agency pays rent on apartments and houses, and then places the migrants into them, while the migrants pay the agency monthly for their beds (often cited as $250 for a cot). In California and Iowa, migrants often have to sleep in shifts; this does not seem to be the case in Springfield. However, there are reports of up to twelve grown adults sleeping in a single two-bedroom apartment, which would be illegal for anyone else. But the staffing agencies get a pass, for some reason.

A possible reason that the staffing agency, First Diversity Staffing, is getting a pass is because it looks like the Mayor of Springfield is making substantial amounts of money by renting apartments for the Haitians.

    Just as a reminder, as the author of "Smoke And Mirrors: What Happens After Biden’s Economic Manipulations Disappear?" points out:

    An even greater concern is the fact that all new jobs created for the past several years have been going to illegal aliens, not legal citizens. In fact, since October of 2019 native-born US workers have lost over 1.4 million jobs. Over the same period, migrants illegally residing in the US have gained 3 million jobs. The new narrative among leftists is that this is a good thing; they claim that the US needs illegal immigration and open borders in order to support the jobs market and “bring down inflation.”

    I’m doubtful that the jobs boost to illegals is real, either. More likely the migrant jobs data is rigged because it’s much harder to track and confirm. But these people don’t seem to understand how inflation works – Greater population means higher resource demand, and that helps drive up prices (as we’ve seen in housing). It doesn’t bring prices down, nor does it reduce the existing money supply.

In the end, the support for immigration--legal or otherwise--comes down to money and pliant voters. But mostly money. It is key for the wealth pump that has been transferring wealth from the middle class to the ruling elites for the past 40+ years.

Say "No" To A Carry Rotation

In "Ditch the 'Carry Rotation'" at Shooting Illustrated, Chris Cypert points out the downsides to a daily carry rotation (i.e., using a different handgun depending on mood or according to a schedule). His argument basically boils down to the fact that with so many different handguns that are going to have different trigger pulls, manual of arms, aiming points, etc., a regular carry rotation will result in having a handgun which you have not really mastered as the handgun on which your life may depend. 

    As an example, he observes:

Just examining grip angle, any shooter who has switched to or from a Glock handgun has likely noticed issues with transitioning between Glocks and non-Glocks. With its unique 22 degree grip angle, a Glock handgun differs just enough from the more common 18 degree 1911-mimicking grip angle to cause issues with many people. When one switches to a Glock, there is an adjustment period as shooters typically present the gun and find themselves naturally pointing the muzzle high. Likewise, when Glock shooters switch to non-Glocks, they may find themselves needing to retrain their presentations to avoid pointing low. This same holds true for other semiautomatic pistols as well as revolvers, and if we’re switching back and forth between guns on a daily basis, it will inevitably affect our performance compared to just carrying one gun consistently.

A similar problem can result in switching between weapons with double-action triggers, single action triggers, and "safe-action" triggers such as in Glocks. 

    Cypert recognizes that there are going to be times where the situation demands that you carry something different than normal: perhaps you have to go to a smaller pistol due to heightened concerns about concealment, or you decide to go bigger because you going hunting/camping or going somewhere posing a heightened danger. In that case, Cypert recommends at least sticking to the same general style of firearm "that changes as a little as possible of the mechanics of shooting and manipulating your gun under stress." For instance, if you normally carry a Glock 19 but need something smaller use a Glock 26, 43 or 48; or if bigger, stick with a larger Glock pistol (e.g., a Glock 20 in 10 mm). 

    Sometimes you don't have the option of sticking to the same general style. For instance, if I want something more powerful than a 9mm semi-auto for carrying while camping or hiking, my option (absent buying a new pistol) will necessarily be a revolver. But since I know that I'll be camping or hiking before hand, I can at least practice with the firearm in question to refamiliarize myself with its manual of arms and presentation before a trip, even if all I have time for are a few dry fire sessions.

Another Sign of Election Season

When the leaves turn brown, the weather cools, and the incidents of acute flaccid myelitis go up, you know another election is around the corner. 

    US wastewater samples are showing an alarming increase in a respiratory virus that has been linked to polio-like symptoms.

    An enterovirus variant, EV-D68, can lead to acute flaccid myelitis, which can cause weakness or paralysis, typically in kids.

    “We are detecting EV-D68 nucleic acids in wastewater across the country now, and the levels are increasing,” Alexandria Boehm — program director of WastewaterScan, a nonprofit monitoring network, and a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University — told NBC News this week.

It spikes every other year, with spikes in recent years in 2016, 2018, and 2022. 2020 did not have a spike, attributable by the health community to Covid lock downs, but one has to wonder if the border wall and efforts to control illegal immigration played a role.

The Invisible Hand Of The Market

Although I'm not sure this is what Adam Smith meant by the "invisible hand". From Zero Hedge: "A 'Mystery' Buyer is Propping Up the Markets." The article notes that after large sell offs of the S&P stocks in early August and early September, "someone" stepped in buying up stocks right and left and was able to quickly erase losses in the value of the S&P. 

    Again, this is blatant manipulation. No REAL buyer with deep pockets does this stuff. This was someone who was CLEARLY intent on propping up the stock market at all costs.

    Who is doing this?

    It has to be the Fed… or the Fed courtesy of a proxy.

    No other investor has bottomless pockets and PANIC BUYS stocks like this. Again, this is not some investor who’s trying to make money… this is someone who wants stocks higher no matter what.

    Again, this has to be the Fed. In fact, I believe that at some point in the next few months, the Fed will openly admit to buying stocks with a new QE program.

Obviously this is not the first time something like this has happened: the federal government and the Federal Reserve intervened in the 2007-2008 financial crisis and probably has been doing so on a regular basis since. But the timing of this suggests that there is a political motivation: to keep people from seeing their 401k's from crashing before the election.

Israel Triggers Pagers To Explode (Updated)

    In  the Sprawl Trilogy by William Gibson, which includes the classic cyberpunk novel, Neuromancer, corporations and governments protected computer systems from hackers using ICE (Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics). A deadly version of this (Black ICE) would fry a hacker's brain. 

    While we are not quite there yet, the Daily Mail reports that Israel figured out a way to hack the pagers used by Hezbollah for communications and cause them to explode in synchrony. As a result, hundred of pagers exploded injuring hundreds of Hezbollah fighters, officials and civilians, including at least three dead (update: the New York Post is now reporting 2,800 injured and 9 dead). Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also injured, the article relates. 

    Victims were seen sporting significant wounds as they lay on the ground surrounded by terrified bystanders in images shared to social media and broadcast by Lebanese and Israeli networks. 

    Yet more harrowing clips taken inside Lebanese hospitals showed how some unfortunate victims sustained massive head injuries, gaping wounds in their legs and abdomen, or had their hands blown off by the powerful explosions.

    How did Israel pull this off? Another article explains:

    One source close to Hezbollah claimed that the incident came as a direct result of an 'Israeli breach' of its communications, though this has not been confirmed and Israel has not yet commented.

    A different official said on condition of anonymity that the cause of the explosions was likely the lithium batteries that power the pagers.

    While lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in consumer electronics, they can overheat and catch on fire - even exploding violently in some cases.

    This is due to a phenomenon called thermal runaway, a chemical chain reaction which occurs when the battery experiences a rapid temperature change.

    As this chemical reaction progresses it can lead to a sudden release of energy which can cause devices to explode with intense force and heat.

    Thermal runaway is triggered when the battery is overheated, punctured or overcharged.

    There is yet to be any official confirmation on what caused the pagers to detonate simultaneously, however, Lebanese military sources have suggested that the devices were detonated as part of an Israeli attack.

    It is possible that Israeli forces or some other actor could have hacked these devices and remotely overcharged the battery, triggering a thermal runaway.

    Pagers often use unencrypted communications channels and outdated software, making them extremely easy targets for an attack.

    One-way pagers are passive receivers and so cannot be tracked, but when a message is sent it activates every pager transmitter in the area.

    By hijacking the broadcast signal, an adversary could have conceivably infected every single pager on the network simultaneously. 

    A virus could have been implanted into the Hezbollah pager network and allowed to remain dormant on the devices until it had spread widely.

    This malware may have been remotely triggered or activated on a pre-programmed timer.

    Video shows that the devices appeared to receive a message moments before the devices detonated.

    This signal could have been the trigger for the explosion or it may have been used to ensure that the fighters were holding the devices when they exploded.

    If these explosions are the product of a cyberattack then this is an exceptionally rare case of cyberwarfare causing disruption to physical infrastructure.

Yet another reason to be careful of using or carrying your cell phone or a notebook or laptop computer. If it can be done to the pagers, you know someone will want to try and do the same with other devices. In fact, anything that connects to a computer or the internet and uses any sort of software controlled recharging is vulnerable. 

Update: Besides the larger number of injured and dead noted above, the New York Post also reports that "[t]he devices that detonated were all the latest models acquired by Hezbollah in recent months and distributed to its members, with the devices suspected of being tampered with, three security sources told Reuters."

2nd Update: The New York Post reports:

    The Israeli spy agency Mossad allegedly intercepted Hezbollah’s shipment of new pagers months ago and rigged them with high explosives — resulting in the stunning attack on the Lebanese terror group Tuesday, according to a new report.

    Mossad agents reportedly placed Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), a highly explosive material, inside the batteries of the pagers, sources told Sky News Arabia, according to a translation from the Times of Israel.

    The devices were then detonated by an external signal that caused the batteries inside to overheat, the sources added.

Anonymous Conservative has additional information indicating that the pagers, manufactured in Taiwan by Gold Apollo Co., Ltd., were held up by Jordanian customs after the logistics company responsible for delivering them refused to deliver them to Lebanon. 

3rd  Update: The New York Post reports that Gold Apollo is denying that they manufactured the pagers, but they were made by BAC Consulting KFT based in Budapest, Hungary; each had 1 to 2 ounces of explosives; the number of wounded is now listed as over 3,000 and one of the dead is a 9 year old girl. 

4th Update: Now there are reports indicating the Israel set up shell companies to manufacture the pagers, including the BAC Consulting company. But people involved in running the companies are denying knowledge of the plot. 

    According to the New York Times, one of the Mossad shell companies was B.A.C. Consulting in Budapest, Hungary, set up to produce the devices on behalf of a Taiwanese company, Gold Apollo.

    Gold Apollo's chair, Hsu Ching-kuang, told journalists Wednesday the firm has had a licensing agreement with BAC for the past three years.

    'According to the cooperation agreement, we authorize BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in designated regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC,' Gold Apollo said in a statement.

    At least two other shell companies, one in Sofia headed by a Norwegian businessman were created as well to mask the real identities of the people creating the pagers: Israeli intelligence officers.

    It is not known how involved in or aware of the ultimate plan were the legitimate business people running the companies, such as British-educated physicist Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, who has denied any knowledge of the plot.

    B.A.C. did take on ordinary clients, for which it produced a range of ordinary pagers. But for Mossad the only client that really mattered was Hezbollah, and its pagers were far from ordinary.

    Produced separately, they contained batteries laced with the explosive PETN, according to the three intelligence officers speaking to the NYT.

I will be interested to see if there are lawsuits and/or criminal charges brought against those companies and the people running them.

St. Louis' Underground River

Not an urban ruins video, per se, but an urban exploration video that discusses how a 9-mile section of the River Des Pres running through a portion of St. Louis (including Forest Park) was buried and eventually run through a series of concrete tunnels. The video also shows sections of the tunnels with some explanation and tour by a manager working for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD).

VIDEO: "Exploring the Underground River Beneath St. Louis"
Oddity Odysseys (16 min.)

Liberals are both stupid and evil

 The late Charles Krauthammer famously observed: "To understand the workings of American politics, you have to understand this fundamental law: Conservatives think liberals are stupid. Liberals think conservatives are evil." That liberals are stupid seems self-evident, but Krauthammer put it down to liberals believing, deep down, that everyone is a nice person; and if they aren't nice, it is because they were deprived. "If only we could get social conditions right — eliminate poverty, teach anger management, restore the ozone, arrest John Ashcroft — everyone would be holding hands smiley-faced, rocking back and forth to 'We Shall Overcome.'" Thus, they are incapable of understanding the world as it is. As Krauthammer points out: "Who else but that oracle of American liberalism, The New York Times, could run the puzzled headline: 'Crime Keeps On Falling, but Prisons Keep On Filling.'" But since liberals are so stupid, "the conservative attitude toward liberals is one of compassionate condescension."

    On the other hand:

Liberals are not quite as reciprocally charitable. It is natural. They think conservatives are mean. How can conservatives believe in the things they do — self-reliance, self-discipline, competition, military power — without being soulless? How to understand the conservative desire to actually abolish welfare, if it is not to punish the poor? The argument that it would increase self-reliance and thus ultimately reduce poverty is dismissed as meanness rationalized.

And, therefore, to explain why conservatives would oppose the, to-them, self-evident good that comes from progressive policies, liberals engage in demonizing conservatives. After all, under the religion of the left, the only reason that the left cannot create their utopia is because they are being stymied by earthly demons and traitors: i.e., conservatives and moderates. 

    Krauthammer uses, as an example, how at the time he first published his article, liberals liked to blame election losses on "angry white males." 

The “angry white male” was thus a legend, but a necessary one. It was unimaginable that conservatives could be given power by any sentiment less base than anger, the selfish fury of the former top dog — the white male — forced to accommodate the aspirations of women, minorities and sundry upstarts.

    But while unaddressed by Krauthammer, the "angry white men" motif did not appear out of nowhere. As we now understand, it was the root and essence of the neo-Marxist critical thinking school which has given us critical race theory, critical gender theory, DEI, and many other gifts. But it wasn't all that original because it was just a gussied up version of the standard socialist/Marxist strategy of demonizing one group to bring the rest under their control.

    For Stalin, the hated group to be rounded up and slaughtered were the Kulaks. Although Mao Zedong pretty much killed and starved everyone by the end of his evil life, the initial focus of the public hate under his rule were the intellectuals. Hitler focused public hate on the Jews. Pol Pot, of Cambodia, was more broad, with public hate extending to intellectuals, foreign nationals, Cambodian Christians, and Buddhist monks.

    For the modern left in the United States, the group to be hated are white, straight, males (aka, the "angry white males"). I can only assume that the reason that "angry white males" and their allies have not been rounded up and shipped to concentration camps is that the left still doesn't exert the control over government as it needs. Nothing that another decade or two of immigration won't correct.

    But it is due to the liberals' overwhelming need to demonize conservatives that we see Democrats blaming Republicans for the attempted assassinations of Trump. "If it wasn't for the Republicans being so evil," the liberals explain, "we wouldn't have to suggest violence; so it is really the Republicans' fault."

More:

• "Hillary Clinton blasted for saying Trump is a 'danger to the country and the world' less than 48 hours after the assassination attempt"--Daily Mail.
  

I'd Watch It ...

VIDEO: "Thundarr the Barbarian as a 1980s Dark Fantasy Film - Super Panavision 70"
A.I. Film Forge (2 min.)

TSA Warns Of Rise In Passengers Trying To Carry "Cat's Eyes" Onto Planes

One of the consequences of the constant effort to disarm Americans so that they are helpless in the face of a terrorist or other violent criminal is an arms race to develop defensive tools that might get through a security checkpoint and into a non-permissive environment. And thus this recent headline from the Daily Mail: "What are 'cat eyes'? TSA issues urgent warning over surge in passengers carrying banned items." The article describes them as follows:

    Cat eyes are self-defense weapons similar to brass knuckles, but have pointed edges shaped like a cat's ears.

    The user slips two of their fingers through two holes - the eyes - then close their fists so the sharp [sic: pointy] edges [the ears] are sticking out. This allows the person to slash at others with a punch.

Basically, the "ears" of the cat head shape act like spikes on a knuckleduster, but the device has the overall appearance of a cute cat's head. And the TSA does not like them because an increasing number of people are trying to sneak them through airport security. 

    The TSA has been aware of the proliferation of cat eyes since last year, when the agency amended a rule to classify cat eyes as a type of brass knuckle.

    Brass knuckles, like cat eyes, are not allowed in carry-on bags but can be stowed away in checked bags.

    If a passenger is found to have cat eyes in their bag at a security line, officers will pull them aside and search their bags.

    They can either return the weapon to their car, hand it off to someone that isn't traveling with them or hand it over to an agent so it can be disposed.

John Wilder Talks Color Revolutions and the United States

 His post is "Are We In The Middle Of A Planned Revolution? Yes." He covers the basics of color revolutions and why he thinks we are in the middle of one.

Another Attempted Trump Assassination

What with the Emmy Awards this weekend, many of you might not have heard that there was a second assassination attempt on former president Trump. (I'm just joking--I didn't know about the Emmy Awards on Sunday until I was catching up on some headlines and, frankly, wonder how many people even care). 

    As you probably heard, a devoted Democrat and confirmed globalist, Ryan Routh, was waiting in ambush to shoot Trump as the candidate was golfing at his Trump International Golf Club in Florida. Initial reports apparently were that there had been a shooting near the golf course but unrelated to Trump. Now we are told that Routh, a convicted felon, had been hiding out anywhere from 300 to 500 yards from where Trump was playing when a Secret Service Agent spotted him and engaged him with gun fire. (Routh, fortunately, seems to have had lousy fieldcraft). Routh fled the scene, leaving behind a scoped AK [update: SKS] style rifle, body armor, and a Go Pro camera. Routh was arrested shortly thereafter.

    There are a few questions about all of this, including the biggie: how Routh knew that Trump would be golfing at that particular time and place. Some have suggested that the information was leaked to him. Maybe someone who does not want to see peace in Ukraine. Of course, Routh might have just hung out there every weekend hoping for a shot. I would also like to know if he had ties to Leftist groups. The public might have been able to discover the answers, but Routh's X account was quickly taken down and his Facebook account was scrubbed.

    But because of the hubbub over this, one thing you might not have heard about is that the affidavit of an ABC News whistleblower was released and shows that the Harris Campaign was exercising considerable control over the debate, including requiring live "fact checking" of Trump (which is why only Trump was being "fact checked" and not Harris). 

    But back to the second assassination attempt. Anonymous Conservative has collected links and is probably the best source for additional information I've come across (see his daily news brief for today and his post, "Another Trump Assassination Attempt, Trump Is Safe And Unharmed"). And some more article:

• "Alleged Trump Fla. Assassin Was Democrat Voter, Biden Donor and Ukraine Loyalist"-- Headline USA.
• "Ryan Wesley Routh Fought in Ukraine War"--Newsweek.
• "Alleged would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh donated exclusively to Democrats since 2019"--New York Post.
• "The Story Behind Trump's Second Assassin Took a Strange Turn...and It Involves the Media"--Townhall. About the New York Times having interviewed Routh concerning Ukraine. As Glenn Reynolds notes, it appears that Routh might have been working with diplomats and/or intelligence agencies as late as last year.
• "Democrats shouldn’t be surprised by Trump’s would-be assassins"--The Spectator. Roger Kimball argues that the attempted assassinations are the inevitable results of Democrats incessantly demonizing Trump for the past 7 years (i.e., the Left's Trump Derangement Syndrome).
  

World War III Before Christmas?

The New York Post notes that "Even Democrats want Harris-Biden to end their cowardice and remove Ukraine’s handcuffs." I laughed a bit at the "Even..." part since, historically, Democrat controlled administrations (e.g., Wilson, FDR, Kennedy/Johnson) are far more eager to get us involved in major conflicts than Republicans.

    Apparently upset that they haven't yet gotten the U.S. embroiled in a world war, "[o]n Wednesday, Democratic Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin declared the 'time has come' for easing Harris-Biden restrictions on Kyiv’s use of US weapons, given 'Vladimir Putin’s relentless attacks on Ukrainian civilians.'" But the editorial board also mentions that "[a] bipartisan House group issued similar calls: 'Unless these restrictions are lifted, Ukraine will continue to struggle to achieve victory' and Ukrainians will 'suffer unnecessary death, loss and hardship,' they said." 

    Not to sound harsh, but so what? Do you think that Ukrainian president Zelenskyy cares if he gets the U.S. dragged into a world war--perhaps a nuclear conflict resulting in tens of millions dead--so long as it helps him or his country? As Charles de Gaulle noted, "Countries don't have friends, only interests." 

    The hot issue right now is that Ukraine wants to be able to use Western supplied missiles against targets deep inside Russia. Ukraine's interest in using U.S. or U.K. supplied long range missiles is apparent: "Ukraine sees the ability to use long-range missiles behind enemy lines as a game-changer," reports ABC News, "allowing it to target air bases, supply depots, and communication centers hundreds of kilometers (miles) over the border." 

    It argues that this would help reduce Russia’s air superiority and weaken supply lines needed to launch daily airstrikes against Ukraine – with drones, missiles, and powerful glide bombs – and to sustain its military ground offensive into Ukraine. 

    With winter likely to slow that advance, long-range air strike capabilities will become a higher priority. Kyiv wants to go back on the offensive to offset military manpower shortages 2½ years into the war and to protect its badly-damaged power infrastructure. 

It's debatable how effective the missiles would be since, as the BBC notes:

    ... Kyiv has been asking to use long-range Western missiles inside Russia for so long now that Moscow has already taken precautions for the eventuality of the restrictions being lifted.

    It has moved bombers, missiles and some of the infrastructure that maintains them further back, away from the border with Ukraine and beyond the range of [the Anglo-French] Storm Shadow [missiles].

    But what overwhelming interest does the United States have in Ukraine that is worth the risk of a nuclear war? 

    I don't buy the excuse that it is needed to curb Russian expansionism. Even if you accept that Russia is interested in expansion, the fact of the matter is that Russia can barely wage a war against Ukraine on its very borders. What makes anyone think it could wage a successful war against NATO? 

    And arguments that it helps strengthen us against China are ludicrous. It's like arguing that pumping up your front tire will keep the back from going flat. China's role both as a consumer of Russian exports and in supplying goods and materials to Russia is not weakening China, but strengthening it--especially in its influence over Russia. 

    So what is the U.S. or NATO interest in Ukraine? That our politicians' corruption and bribery not be exposed? That secret biolabs not be revealed? That our "strategic thinkers" not be revealed as empty suits? That certain corporations see record profits selling weapons? What compelling interest do we have in continually upping the ante?

    And lest you think that there will be no consequences, Russian president Putin raises a good point about when a proxy war ceases to be a proxy war and become a direct conflict. As CNN reports:

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned NATO alliance leaders that a move to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of longer-range Western missiles to strike deep inside his country would be considered an act of war.

    “This will mean that NATO countries – the United States and European countries – are at war with Russia. And if this is the case, then, bearing in mind the change in the essence of the conflict, we will make appropriate decisions in response to the threats that will be posed to us,” Putin told reporters on Thursday. 

And, pulling from a lengthier quote in a Vox Day piece:

    “There is an attempt to substitute concepts. Because we are not talking about allowing or prohibiting the Kiev regime to strike at Russian territory. It is already striking with the help of unmanned aerial vehicles and other means. But when it comes to using high–precision long-range Western-made weapons, it’s a completely different story. The fact is that, as I have already said, and any experts will confirm this (both here and in the West), the Ukrainian army is not able to strike with modern high-precision long-range systems of Western production. It can’t do that. This is possible only with the use of satellite data, which Ukraine does not have — this is data only from satellites of either the European Union or the United States, in general, from NATO satellites. This is the first one.

    “The second, and very important, perhaps key, is that flight missions to these missile systems can, in fact, only be carried out by military personnel of NATO countries. Ukrainian servicemen cannot do this. And therefore, it is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not to allow it. It’s about deciding whether NATO countries are directly involved in a military conflict or not. If this decision is made, it will mean nothing more than the direct participation of NATO countries, the United States, and European countries in the war in Ukraine. This is their direct involvement.

    “And this, of course, significantly changes the very essence, the very nature of the conflict. This will mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia. And if this is the case, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created to us.”

    Those bleating about supporting Ukraine have no winning strategy.  Rather, the strategy at this point seems to be to keep Ukraine supplied with enough war materials (and cash to line the pockets of its oligarchs) to be a constant thorn in the side of Russia. And that would work if we were discussing fairly equally matched countries. But even with Western support, Ukraine lacks the resources--manpower, manufacturing--to maintain a stalemate, let alone defeat Russia. Rather, its resources are declining. The result is that in order to even maintain a stalemate, the West must continually enlarge and expand the aid it provides. 

    But, as Putin is warning, that expansion of aid and assistance will at some point cross a threshold where it is no longer a proxy war. Perhaps it will be enough that the West will be providing the weapons, manning the weapons, and targeting the weapons, as Putin alleges. Perhaps it will not come until a missile strikes a civilian target, whether by mistake or otherwise, and the Russian people (and Putin's rivals) scream for blood. 

    So what do you think? Will we see World War III before Christmas?

VIDEO: The Most Hazardous Person At The Gun Range

A video from the TUCOtheratt YouTube channel discusses another's YouTuber's admission of a negligent discharge and range safety in general. His contention is that the most hazardous people at gun ranges are those that are arrogant about their safety to the point that they are complacent.

VIDEO: "Who Is The Most Hazardous Person On The Gun Range?"
TUCOtheratt (10 min.)

And here is the link to the video from YouTuber Levi Perry (discussed in the TUCOtheratt video, above) on "Why I got 4 months of nonreporting probation last year" after a negligent discharge in his apartment .

    And yet luck still plays a role. I've noticed that sometimes the most hazardous people just get lucky and never have an accident that hurts people. For instance, I knew a guy that was the type to pull a loaded handgun (i.e., with a round chambered) out of his pocket in a room full of people and just start waving it around without any regard to where it was pointing in order to show off a new laser or new grips. Yet, to the best of my memory, he never had a negligent discharge.

Bombs & Bants Episode 142

 And we'll have fun, fun, fun, until YouTube takes our account away....

VIDEO: "Bombs & Bants Episode 142" (41 min.)

Never Forget

 Another anniversary of 9/11 is upon us ...

Source: "Defining images from the 9/11 attacks"--Reuters

John Taylor's Vision Of The Destruction of America

Similar to a post a few weeks ago concerning a vision from George Albert Smith, here is another vision--this time from John Taylor--involving the last days and the destruction of the United States. (Actually the first 8-1/2 minutes is the vision/dream in question, and the rest of the video is of something else). Unlike the prior video, however, where the vision was poorly documented, this one has been better documented and I've posted about it before. Nevertheless, this vision has never received any official sanction, so you must decide for yourself whether it was truly a vision or merely a dream....

VIDEO: "John Taylor's Visions of the Days Prior to the Return of Jesus Christ."
The Words of Christ (13 min.)

VIDEO: "The Curious Case of the 'Hyper Gray Man'"

Some humor at the expense of those who take the "gray man" concept a bit too far.

VIDEO: "The Curious Case of The 'Hyper Gray Man'..."--Tenicor (6 min.)

Is Your Pistol Oven Safe?

"Handgun forgotten inside oven fires off multiple rounds in Virginia home after overheating," reports the New York Post. From the article:

    The department said that firefighters responded to a house fire Thursday evening after the homeowner reported that the home’s oven had exploded.

    Upon arrival at the residence, firefighters opened the oven and found a gun melted to the steel grates.

    “It turns out, someone turned the oven on with the gun inside, the weapon heated up, and five rounds went off,” Chesterfield Fire and EMS wrote.

The article also notes that "[b]ullets [sic] need to reach around 400 degrees before they can spontaneously discharge on their own, according to Online Texas LTC, a firearms training course."

    Looking at the photograph of the pistol melted to the oven rack, it appears to be a Sig P320.

Decrypting Second Coming Timing

 Another video from Gospel Lessons, this one going over some common misunderstandings of the timing of the Second Coming (when Christ returns in his full glory):

VIDEO: "Decrypting"--Gospel Lessons (14 min.)

Florida Deputy's Duty Sidearm Found, Sold By Criminals Online

From The Truth About Guns, "Florida Deputy’s Sig P320 Sold For $40 On Cash App After Being Found In Restroom." Not only was it found by a member of the public, but it was found by a convicted felon out on probation. The article relates:

    ... Stopping to answer nature’s call at around 5:30 p.m. on a Thursday, the Florida cop shed layers of his gear, including a bulletproof vest and gun belt, before taking the proverbial throne.

    An affidavit reports that the gun slipped unnoticed from his holster at some point during the deed, and it was only after departing to a call that the deputy discovered his firearm was missing, prompting him to rush back to the store as if to handle unfinished business.

I have a hard time believing that it fell out of the deputy's holster because of the various retention features on police duty holsters.

New Weekend Knowledge Dump From Greg Ellifritz

 Greg Ellifritz has published a new Weekend Knowledge Dump. Some highlights:

    There is a nice selection of articles for revolver shooters including:

• Claude Werner's course outline for his "Teaching the Snub Nosed Revolver" (including links to targets and the LAPD qualification manual used as part of the course).
• A comparison and test of several speed loader designs from HKS, Safariland, 5 Star, Pachmayr, Maxfire, and Speedbeez. The author tested not just speed of reloading, but how well (strongly) they held the cartridges. 
• An article on sight regulation and point of impact, or why does my revolver have such a tall front sight post?
• A link to an article discussing carrying 5 or 6 rounds in a old 6-shooter (note: typically with the old SAA and similar firearms, the chamber under the firing pin was left empty to avoid an accidental discharge because there was nothing keeping the firing pin from resting on the primer--and this was a habit that carried forward for many decades even after the introduction of design features to prevent such problems). 
  
• And a link to the Revolver Guy's test of a grip from a Taurus snubby on a S&W J-frame.

There are, of course, a bunch of other articles that will be of interest to the defensive shooter. One I want to emphasize is an article at Outside Magazine on the efficacy of bear spray versus using firearms. The author of what are probably considered the seminal studies on bear defense using spray and bear defense using firearms points that the two studies cannot compared to one another because the criteria were so different. For instance, the bear spray study mostly involved the use of bear spray to drive off bear that were curious or had gotten too close, not bears attacking victims; whereas, a substantial number of firearms incidents studied involved bear attacks. Also, the gun study didn't include the majority of bear attacks in Alaska because it did not include the Alaska Defense of Life and Property (DLP) records. In addition, the article relates: "The point of 'Efficacy of Firearms' wasn’t to arrive at a conclusion on whether or not firearms work but, rather, to analyze the reasons why they didn’t—'poor aim, no time to use them, jammed, etc.,' elaborates Smith." 

    Another interesting point from the article is that bear spray is less effective against black bears (which are responsible for the majority of bear attacks) than brown bears.

Shooting Suspect's Father Arrested, Charged With Murder

Colt Gray's father, Colin Gray, has been arrested and is being charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children. This is based on allegations that the father knowingly provided the AR style rifle to his son. As you may have read or heard already, Colt Gray had been investigated last year for supposedly making online threats of a school shooting culminating in an interview between local sheriff's deputies and both Colt Gray and his father. Nevertheless, the father apparently gave Colt Gray an AR rifle in December 2023 as a present. Authorities believe it is this rifle that was used in the shooting.

Mug Shot of Georgia Shooter Released

 From the New York Post: "Pictured: Georgia school shooting suspect Colt Gray, 14, seen in mug shot as aunt says he was ‘begging for help’." 

Quite a different appearance from a 2022 photo in also in the article. No surprise, the aunt of the shooter, Colt Gray, "said he had been struggling with his mental health prior to the shooting." Of course the liberals, like Kamala Harris, don't care about the mental health crises among boys and young men, but are only concerned about pushing gun control.

VIDEO: "Snow Woke And The Poisoned Apple"

A humorous mashup of the upcoming "Not-White" movie from Disney and an iconic scene from Lord of the Rings:

VIDEO: "Snow Woke and the Poisoned Apple"--Beanie Bros (1 min.)

Bombs & Bants #141 (Streamed 9/4/2024)

 Another irreverent look at current events...

VIDEO: "Bombs & Bants #141" (52 min.)

RIP Paul Harrell

Source: Found on Reddit

I've been a long time fan of Paul Harrell's YouTube channel. Of course I knew of his cancer diagnosis, but was nevertheless surprised and saddened to hear that he had passed away. I saw the "I'm Dead" video yesterday evening, about 45 minutes after it was released and before I even saw the update video from his brother released a couple hours earlier. It is both interesting and gratifying that Paul's death has received some wider media attention (see, e.g., "YouTuber and guns rights activist Paul Harrell announces his own death: ‘If you’re watching me, I’m dead’"--New York Post; "‘If You’re Watching Me, I’m Dead’: Popular Firearms Expert And YouTuber Paul Harrell Dies At 58"--Daily Caller). His brother Roy and his editor hope to continue the channel.

This Is The Way: EEOC Complaint Filed Against Williams-Sonoma For DEI Hiring/Promotions

America First Legal (AFL) has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against San Francisco based Willaims-Sonoma for illegal discrimination by using race, nationality, and sex as factors in hiring and promotion decisions, or in awarding contracts to outside companies, in accordance with the Company's DEI policies. Specifically, AFL contends that Williams-Sonoma gives preferences to women and people of color when making employment decisions. The article relates that:

    The company's recent annual report boasts that an aggressive DEI push has led to women making up 68 percent of its workforce, and with 41 percent hailing from an 'ethnic minority group.'

    The same goes for the leadership of the company, which is headed by the $24 million-a-year CEO Laura Alber — 57 percent of board members are women, and 29 percent are classed as 'diverse.'

    In other filings, the company says it is working at 'increasing black representation across our company,' as well as in deciding upon which vendors to award contracts.

This seems like a slam dunk case of discrimination although I doubt that the EEOC will take any action. But you have to jump through the hoops.

Something To Keep In Mind When Forced To Use A Paper Straw

The Daily Mail reports on the top 10 countries responsible for plastic pollution. Notwithstanding what the liers on the Left say, not a single Western country is among the top 10. Rather, the top 10 are:

1. India
2. Nigeria
3. Indonesia
4. China
5. Pakistan
6. Bangladesh
7. Russia
8. Brazil
9. Thailand
10. Democratic Republic of Congo

The Enrichment Report #4

A selection of articles demonstrating how countries, local communities, individuals and businesses benefit from immigration and diversity:

• Crazier than an outhouse fly: "'Brown love is the most beautiful kind' - BREAKING: All 90 Pages of Nashville Transgender Shooter Audrey Hale Manifesto Released"--The Gateway Pundit.

• More: "Tennessee Shooter’s Manifesto Reveals Hatred Towards Whites, Christianity"--Legal Insurrection. She just acted out what liberals secretly want to do.

•  "Las Vegas Teen Converts to Islam, and Guess What He Did Next"--PJ Media. Per the article, "Las Vegas’ KLAS reported Thursday that Joshua Robles, 16, has been 'accused of plotting an ISIS-inspired terror attack.'" He apparently was caught building pressure cooker bombs similar to those used in the Boston Marathon attack. 
• "Colorado Gun Stores Block Robberies by Minors Pushed by Migrant Gangs"--Breitbart. The article relates that "[m]igrant gangs in Colorado have robbed eight gun stores using children between the ages of 12 and 17 to commit the crimes, but some of the attacks have not gone as planned thanks to proactive measures put in place by shop owners." According to the article, the gangs' MO is to ram a car through the front doors of a gun store, and then steel weapons and ammunition. Gun store owners have responded by making sure that most of the firearms are locked up in gun vaults at night and strengthening the entrances--for instance, one shop built a double entrance so that while the vehicle was able to crash through the first set of doors, it was not able to breach the second set.
• "Racist Signs Popping Up in Denver Connected to Controversial Street Artist"--Westward. Sabo strikes again, mocking leftist over their open border policies. 

• The media and politicians have been lying to you: "New Wage Data Show No STEM Worker ‘Shortage’"--CIS. We have been told for years that we need to import increasing numbers of Indians and Chinese under the H1B visa program because there is a shortage of STEM workers. Often we will be told this even as a major tech firm is laying off thousands of American STEM workers. The Center for Immigration Studies tried to examine the truth of this phenomena by analyzing wage data. The basic thesis is that if there were endemic shortages of STEM workers, then salaries would have risen for those jobs. It's basic supply/demand. But CIS found that salaries have, in fact, been stagnant. The article notes that for the period studied--2008 through 2023--"compensation grew at a rate of just 0.15 percent per year." Moreover, "compensation for STEM workers was 7.1 percent lower in 2023 than in 2019 before the pandemic, with wages down 7.6 percent and benefits down 6.2 percent." Obviously there has been no shortage--it is and always has been part of a scheme to import foreigners in order to keep salaries down.
• Dane on X: "London, England: A pack of 50 Africans beat a lone 15 yr old White British girl nearly to death. She collapsed not far from the scene and was rushed to the hospital with internal injuries and concussion."
• "Oakland California Golden Hours Liquor worker pulls gun on mob of bikers"--New York Post. A very diverse and culturally enriching group of bikers.
• "Shooting leaves one dead at historically bloody West Indian Day Festival Parade in NYC"--New York Post. 
• "Migrants flooding NYC’s justice system — making up ‘75% of arrests in Midtown’ — as ‘pathetic’ sanctuary city laws handcuff cops"--New York Post. And "[i]n parts of Queens, the figure is more than 60%, sources there estimate."
• "Once-deported migrant arrested after ‘intense manhunt’ following random stabbing of teen girl at baseball game"--New York Post. 
• "Gunshots ring out at Venezuelan gathering in Target parking lot in Aurora - as Colorado cops warn ruthless Tren de Aragua gang is on the loose"--Daily Mail. 
• "Cattle rancher who's seen 500,000 migrants cross his border property reveals the sick tricks used by cartels to earn them $3.5 MILLION a day"--Daily Mail. 
• "Pack of teen girls randomly attack 76-year-old man on NYC subway platform"--New York Post. 
• "California city joins growing list of hubs to seek massive slavery reparations payouts for black residents despite hole in budget"--Daily Mail. The city is Los Angeles. The article mentions that "[t]he Reparations Advisory Commission released a 56-page report on Tuesday that does not propose a full cost for reparations, but suggests it could run into hundreds of trillions of dollars in America's second-biggest city."
• This is the way: "Shocking moment Spanish police boat chases down and runs over 'migrant dinghy' sending occupants flying after vessel ignored orders to stop"--Daily Mail. 
• "Aspiring Dem lawmaker who claimed he was victim of hate speech is 'revealed to be four accounts that were trolling him'"--Daily Mail. A former Biden administration appointee and aspiring Texas lawmaker, Taral Patel, faked online racial attacks against himself. 
• "Church Vandalized with ‘Kill Whites’ Graffiti"--The National Pulse. The church in question is the 800-year-old Heggen church in Vikersund, Norway.
• "'No whites' graffiti in Birmingham investigated by police as CCTV shows hooded figure"--GB News.
• "Teachers across Britain will be taught to challenge 'whiteness' in schools"--GB News.
• "Fury in historic northeast city as officials use school buses for MIGRANTS, axing local kids' service"--Daily Mail. 
• "Staten Island man, 62, attacked by mob of teens during his nightly walk, suspects arrested: ‘I no longer want to live here’"--New York Post.
• "Texas AG raids homes of Latino civil rights group members, setting up a voting rights showdown"--NBC News. The so-called civil rights groups are alleged to have assisted in registering illegals to vote.
  

The 50/200 Yard Zero For .223 And .308

 A good article at Ammo Land on the "50/200 Yard Zero Simplified for 5.56 and .308 Rifles." The basic idea of this zero is that if you zero at 50 yards, the bullet should pass back through the zero again at 200 yards. "This means," the article explains, "that within this distance, your point of aim and point of impact will be very close, minimizing the need for adjustments. This is particularly advantageous in dynamic situations where quick target acquisition is crucial." 

    The article describes the advantages to the 50/200 zero over other commons distances used for zeroing a scope, and goes through the process of zeroing the rifle for 50/200 even if you do not have a 200 yard range. Part of this includes bore sighting the rifle at 10 yards, and the article includes a link to a sight used for bore sighting at that range. 

    Finally, the article discusses the ballistics in more detail as well as pros and cons with the 50/200 zero.

New Evidence Concerning the Shroud of Turin

Carbon-14 dating performed in the 1980s of the Shroud of Turin--believed by some to be the cloth in which Christ was wrapped when he was interred after his death and later resurrected--supposedly showed that the Shroud only dated back to the Middle-Ages. However, there have long been suspicions about the dating because the results of the three tests conducted varied one from another, suggesting that the samples were contaminated, which would make the cloth appear younger than it actually was--not an unlikely assumption since the Shroud had been displayed and handled in environments where it was exposed to contamination and it had been repaired at times.

    Last month, a team of researchers using a new dating technique released findings showing that the Shroud is indeed 2,000 years old. Per a Daily Mail article:

    For the new study, scientists at Italy's Institute of Crystallography of the National Research Council conducted a recent study using wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS).

    The technique measures the natural aging of flax cellulose and converts it to time since manufacture.

    The team studied eight small samples of fabric from the Shroud of Turin, putting them under an X-ray to uncover tiny details of the linen's structure and cellulose patterns.

    Cellulose is made up of long chains of sugar molecules linked together that break over time, showing how long a garment or cloth has been around.

    To date the shroud, the team used specific aging parameters, including temperature and humidity, which cause significant breakdown of cellulose.

    Based on the amount of breakdown, the team determined that the shroud of Turin was likely kept at temperatures at about 72.5 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of around 55 percent for about 13 centuries before it arrived in Europe.

    If it had been kept in different conditions, the aging would be different.

    Researchers then compared the cellulose breakdown in the shroud to other linens found in Israel that date back to the first century.

    'The data profiles were fully compatible with analogous measurements obtained on a linen sample whose dating, according to historical records, is 55-74 AD, found at Masada, Israel [Herod's famous fortress built on a limestone bedrock overlooking the Dead Sea],' reads the study published in the journal Heritage.

    The team also compared the shroud with samples from linens manufactured between 1260 and 1390 AD, finding none were a match. 

Another team, also last month, released the results of their examination of samples from the Shroud showing that there was blood on the Shroud (not paints or dies as often claimed by unbelievers) as well as chemicals (creatine) indicating the blood came from someone that had suffered severe physical trauma. 

    Consequently, scientists involved in the more recent research believe there is enough evidence to warrant a more detailed examination of the Shroud.