Thursday, June 18, 2026

Handloading for the .223/5.56

    In response to a comment the other day about the Mini-14, I noted that many years ago I had worked up a load that worked quite well in a Mini-14 I owned, which was a 50-grain Speer soft point over 27 grains of Accurate 2230. That load worked well for me and my particular rifle, but it may not be appropriate for your weapon, so use that recipe at your own risk.

    The reason that I selected 2230 powder over other powders was that it was specifically developed as a 5.56 NATO propellant. (See "Propellant Profiles - Accurate 2230" at Handloader Magazine for more detailed information on the background of the powder). Of course, it being the early 1990s, I didn't have that article available, but found that out from some other source, probably an article in one of my father's gun magazines. It may not be the best powder for the application, but it worked for me and so I continue to use it.

    I've moved on since then and my loadings in recent years have been heavier bullets to use with an AR style rifle, including bulk 62 grain Green Tip pulled bullets that I had purchased from RMR Bullets. Since I like the 2230 powder, I just used the manufacturer's loading data for the Green Tip ammo (you can download a PDF of their reloading data here). For .223, the load for the 62 grain M855 is 21.4 grains of 2230. They have a separate section of loads for the 5.56mm; and when using the M855 bullets, the powder weight is listed as 22.8 grains of 2230, reflecting the higher pressures for 5.56. Of course, you may need to adjust the powder load to get the best performance out of your firearm. 

    And a few articles on the subject:

Tell Us What You Really Think...

The Bugscuffle Gazette (fka Law Dog Files) has some thoughts on the so-called grooming gang scandal in the UK and what was revealed in the recent investigative report of the same:

    ... I was not expecting to learn that the grooming gangs have been operating since 1955. Seventy-one years. At least two generations of British children have been savagely sacrificed on the altar of multiculturalism, willingly helped and encouraged by not only the State, but by our “Journalistic Betters”.

    I was not expecting to learn that the victims number a quarter of a million. At minimum.

    The least job of a society — the very minimal function expected — is the protection of the innocent and the defence of those who cannot protect themselves.

    The Government of Great Britain — from the least to the highest — not only failed in this most minor of duties, but actively aided and abetted the destruction of the innocent and the depredation of the defenceless — with the enthusiastic assistance of “professional” “journalists”.

    Seventy-one (71) years. Two-hundred and fifty-thousand (250,000) children raped. Trafficked. Tortured.

    I don’t ever bloody well want to hear any English person tell me I don’t need guns again. “The police will protect you” you say, with that supercilious smirk. Read that report again — especially the part about the police failing to protect children, CHILDREN for God’s sake — and then get sodding bent.

    I am furious. I don’t want apologies — I want officers executed. I want politicians hung in the public square, their possessions seized. I want journalistic edifices chained shut and set on fire.
   

I think this should be a reminder that police are like sheep dogs; and just like sheep dogs, they work for the shepherd, not the sheep. If the police failed to protect these children on the scale that the report indicates, it is because it was government policy. 

Who Were The People Plotting To Attack The White House UFC Match?

You've probably already heard that the FBI arrested 5 individuals for plotting an attack on the attendees of a UFC fight being held at the White House. If not, the Daily Mail reports on it here. It is a somewhat odd article because it desperately wants to paint the attackers as a right wing group--and perhaps they are--but some points suggest otherwise:

  • First, the article reports (bold added), "the group's plan to target the UFC fight was carefully orchestrated to maximize confusion and present the gunman with opportunities to target Trump administration officials and billionaires - what he considered 'HVTs,' high value targets." This suggests a Leftist worldview. 
  • Second, the leader of the group had "mused about targeting Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, noting on his phone how 'she's taken money from the Israel pro Israel lobby.'" Similarly, "[a]lso on the alleged target list were politicians who received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to sources." This point cuts both ways, but the pro-Palestinian movement is definitely Left wing and Sen. Blackburn is a Republican. 
  • Third, per the article, "[o]ne suspect allegedly told authorities the group was targeting 'capitalist elites' and 'billionaires.'" That is pretty much communist rhetoric. 

 And then there is this article, "Alleged ‘ringleader’ of disrupted attack on White House UFC show arrested in Nebraska," which reports: "Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31, of Omaha was arrested Sunday in a raid on an old church in the small town of Western, Neb. According to federal court records filed Tuesday, Alvarez is not a U.S. citizen." The piece continues:

    “From his home here in Nebraska, Alvarez allegedly directed and recruited others across the country to conduct a horrific attack against government officials in a mass casualty event. Our team worked around the clock to locate and apprehend Alvarez, take him into custody, and collect crucial evidence,” Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha field office said in Tuesday release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

 [snip]

    According to court records, Proper said the group would meet up in Fredericksburg, Va., and use drones during a demonstration to blow up the north side of the UFC arena built outside the White House, then shoot the crowd as they evacuated to the south. The snipers would focus on high-value targets, like wealthy people and politicians, in order to jumpstart a revolution, the documents state, listing top targets as President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Tesla/SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and multiple members of Congress. Messages in the e-communications identified Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jim Justice (R-W. Va.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), and Reps. Carol Miller (R-W. Va.) and Riley Moore (R-W. Va.), as potential targets as they were recipients of AIPAC funds. 

A Metaphor For Obama's Presidency

"Obama Presidential Center subcontractors claim they’re owed millions and facing financial ruin ahead of grand opening"--New York Post.  It's not just that the contractors haven't been paid, but many are afraid to even publicly talk about it:

Several also described what they viewed as a wall of silence surrounding the project, with some declining to speak publicly or requesting anonymity because of confidentiality agreements or fears of professional retaliation.    

And of course the complete lack of concern for ordinary Americans:

    As the center prepares for a star-studded pre-opening celebration on Thursday featuring performers including Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and John Legend, Owen said it has been difficult to watch the buildup and soft-opening events take shape over the past few weeks while his company struggles financially.

    “It was kind of hard seeing some local and national celebrities high-fiving and back-slapping here about the work that’s been done,” Owen said. “The backdrop of a coming celebration is kind of hard to swallow for me and for some of my peers at the moment.” 
  

The article goes on to note that "the Obama Presidential Center was built around one of the most ambitious efforts to increase participation by minority-owned businesses and workers from historically underserved communities," but then reports that many of the contractors that have not been paid and are struggling financially as a result are these same minority-owned businesses.  

Wilder: Space X and the AI Bubble

John Wilder's latest piece, "SpaceX®: The Final Frontier?", discusses the SpaceX initial public offering, profitability, and financial bubbles. 

    Under normal economic theory, money is more or less efficiently used because it chases after business opportunities and investments that will make those businesses a profit, meaning that it is flowing to companies producing goods and services which people actually want and need. This is why socialism and communism always fail--instead of going into things people need and want, it goes where some soulless bureaucrat thinks it should go, which is often for social engineering programs. 

    But bubbles are driven by speculation (a financial term meaning gambling) which chases hype and the fast buck. Unfortunately, it draws in a lot of money that would otherwise have gone to stable, useful investments into a gambling frenzy until it the bubble pops and the money is gone into the pockets of the best gamblers leaving the late comers high and dry.  And if the bubble was big enough, and drew in enough money, it will result in a recession or, even, a depression. 

    The concern that John has is that this IPO was not to support SpaceX or even Starlink, but is intended to fund Musk's venture into AI. And investment in AI (by everyone, not just Musk) may well be a bubble.  

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Guest Post: Zombie Apocalypse Movie Theater, Part IV - Micro-Theater

The Realist is back with another guest post:

Post apocalyptic improvised movie theater inside an
abandoned building. (Bing AI Image Creator https://www.bing.com/images/create/)

Zombie Apocalypse Movie Theater, Part IV - Micro-Theater

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this article were purchased by myself. I did not receive free samples, evaluation models, or other compensation from any manufacturer or retailer. I have no formal relationship with any manufacturer or retailer mentioned in this article - I have only been an arms-length customer. All brand names and product names used in this review are the trade names,  service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Further, this article reflects my unique circumstances and subjective opinions with regard to performance and other characteristics of the products discussed. Your mileage may vary.

    The power has gone out and you don't know if it will be returning any time soon. Your family is going stir-crazy. To provide a couple hours of normalcy, you invite your equally stir-crazy neighbors over to your home for Zombie Apocalypse movie night. You pop some popcorn on a small gas camp stove and set up a small movie theater with your battery powered projector to watch a few hours of movies.

    While most of the Zombie Apocalypse Movie Theater project has focused on ways to set up an informal movie theater environment for larger groups of people, I have also been looking at trying to produce a minimalist ZAMT configuration for a small group of people.

    A minimalist movie theater should include a battery-powered projector, a battery-powered amplified speaker, an audio cable to connect the projector to the speaker, a smaller projector screen, and a USB flash drive for storing movies. Optionally, a tripod could be included to support the projector, and a small power-bank with an appropriate charging cable could be added to extend the operating time of the projector. Further, the components of this minimalist movie theater setup should be selected such that they will fit comfortably in a small backpack.  

Micro ZAMT components. From top to bottom, left to
right: three small Bluetooth speakers including a JBL Flip 4 on the right, the
TMY V98 projector with its remote control, the Kodak LUMA 350 projector with its
remote control, the Kodak LUMA 75 projector, a small hard case, a zippered EVA
case, and a nano USB flash drive in the foreground. The 12 ounce soft drink can
is for scale.

 Projector

    There have been many battery powered "pico" projectors sold over the years.Unfortunately, most battery powered pico projectors seem to have a relatively short market life before they go out of production.

    (Terminology note: Some people differentiate between "pico" and "pocket" sized projectors, with the pocket sized being a little larger than the pico sized projectors. Both are still very small.)

    I have tested three currently available DLP (Digital Light Processing) "pico" projectors that are very small, operate for at least a couple of hours on their built-in battery, and have an audio output jack to facilitate hooking up to an amplified speaker. Two of these projectors have a native resolution of 640x360 pixels (360P), which I have found to be acceptable for movie viewing (see the Kodak LUMA 75 DLP projector discussion in Zombie Apocalypse Movie Theater, Part II (https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/2024/10/zombie-apocalypse-movie-theater-part-ii.html)), while the third projector has a native resolution of 854x480 pixels (480P).

    Kodak LUMA 75 DLP projector (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078NCG82N/): This projector has a native resolution of 640x360 pixels (360P) and properly handles higher resolution source material with varying aspect ratios. I measured its light output at 57 ANSI lumens. It ran 1.9 hours on its built-in battery. This projector requires 5 VDC (Volts Direct Current) via USB-C for charging. This projector does not support a remote control. This is the smallest of the three projectors discussed in this article.

    TMY (NUTROMO) V98 DLP Projector (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GWHV8P2W/): This projector has a native resolution of 640x360 pixels (360P) and properly handles higher resolution source material with varying aspect ratios. I measured its light output at 50 ANSI lumens (45 ANSI lumens advertised). It operated 3.2 hours (3.5 hours advertised) on its built-in battery. This projector requires 5 VDC via USB-C for charging. This projector comes with a remote control.

    The TMY V98 is a strange little projector, with the reviews suggesting lots of problems (dead-on-arrival, failed after a few minutes, customer returns sold as new), and the seller creating a new Amazon listing to escape all the bad reviews. While my V98 projector may have been a customer return, it worked perfectly out of the box and performed properly for several hours of operational testing. I bought it because it was deeply discounted, but would not have considered it at full price. At full price, the V98 is the same price as the Kodak LUMA 75, with the Kodak LUMA 75 being a better projector.

    Kodak LUMA 350 DLP projector (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWMFDL3J/): This projector has a native resolution of 854x480 pixels (480P) and properly handles higher resolution source material with varying aspect ratios. It has three brightness modes: "High", "Normal", and "Eco". I measured its light output at 154.1 (high), 116.0 (normal), 85.8 (eco) ANSI lumens. Battery operation was 2.0 hours hours on high, 2.8 hours on normal, and 3.6 hours on eco. This projector requires 15 VDC via a small barrel connector for charging. This projector comes with a remote control.

    The Kodak projectors have been on the market for several years, which is both good and bad. The good is that these projectors have a proven track record and the manufacturer has had time to work out the design bugs. The bad is that some may consider their limited feature sets and lower resolution to be a detriment. I don't care about being able to stream from Netflix or do wireless smartphone screen mirroring. The lower resolution does not annoy me when watching a movie, although it would drive me crazy if using any of these projectors to display a PowerPoint presentation. I do care about portability, battery operating life, and how well they handle the aspect ratios of various movies. Both Kodak
projectors perform well for my needs.

    There are many pico/pocket DLP projectors sold on Amazon. Very carefully scrutinize the descriptions, especially for the more inexpensive listings. Some are just a bare projector with no ability to play movies from a USB flash drive or a micro-SD card. Others lack an audio output jack, and rely solely on Bluetooth for connecting to external speakers. If possible, find and download the owners manual for the projector to verify features if you are unsure. (Just because a USB-A port is present does not mean it will play movies stored on a USB flash drive. Similarly, what looks like a hole for the audio output jack may be a window for the IR sensor for the remote control.)

    The cheap twenty-dollar projectors might be categorized as "pico" (or "pocket")size, but they don't have built-in batteries and they otherwise suffer from poor performance. The twenty-dollar projectors operate on 12 VDC, although most will also operate on 5 VDC. But, at 5 VDC, the already dim light output is much dimmer. They could be powered from an external 12 volt battery, but that is added complexity for a very poor result.

Speaker

    While these pico projectors have surprisingly capable built-in speakers, a battery powered external speaker would improve the overall sound quality of the movie viewing experience.

    The external speaker I have decided on is a standard battery-powered Bluetooth speaker that has a 3.5 mm audio input jack. Even though many projectors can pair with a Bluetooth speaker, I do not want to use Bluetooth because the 200 millisecond (one-fifth of a second) delay in the audio can be very annoying.

    There are many battery-powered Bluetooth speaker options available. I settled on a JBL Flip 4 speaker, which is the last of the JBL Flip series to have a 3.5 mm audio input jack. Later models of the JBL Flip lack the input jack. Many, but not all, of the no-name Chinese Bluetooth speakers also have a 3.5 mm audio input jack.

Movies

    I did not include a DVD or Blu-Ray player due to the extra bulk and setup complexity. Instead, I decided to dramatically simplify the setup by relying on a USB flash drive to store the movies. I specifically chose a 64 GB nano flash drive because of its low profile and because some projectors cannot read a USB flash drive larger than 64 GB. A low-profile USB flash drive makes it easy to just leave it plugged into the projector - one less item to worry about losing.

    The movies loaded onto the USB flash drive were either ripped from DVDs I own or public domain movies downloaded from Internet Archive.  

Side view diagram of projector and screen
alignment. With regular projectors, the axis of the lens must be aimed at the
center of the screen. With DLP projectors, the axis of the lens must be aimed at
the bottom center of the screen. The axis of the lens should be perpendicular to
the plane of the screen.

 Projector Screen

    If practical, avoid using a blank wall as an improvised screen with these pico projectors. A quality projector screen will dramatically improve the viewability of the projected image. For this micro ZAMT setup, a Da-Lite pop-up screen or a vintage tripod screen is not practical since those screens are bulky.

    For the projector screen, I decided to go with a small IOLIEO fabric screen. As discussed in my ZAMT Part III article (https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/2025/06/guest-post-zombie-apocalypse-movie.html), the IOLIEO screens consist of two cloth layers sandwiched together - a thick white front layer, and a black back layer. The black backing solves the problem of light passing through the screen reflecting back from whatever is behind the screen. The IOLIEO screen discussed in the ZAMT Part III article was 84 inches diagonal (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9VPRNNW), but 72-inch and 60-inch diagonal IOLIEO screens are also available.

    Since the IOLIEO screens are cloth, they fold up very compactly. The IOLIEO cloth screens come with two different types of mounting hardware for attaching the screen to a wall, along with cords for suspending the screen between two trees or two vertical support columns. The eyelets on the IOLIEO screens are large enough that screws or nails could also be used to attach the screen to a wall.

    Due to the widely varying circumstances under which this micro ZAMT may be used, I'll leave supporting/mounting of the screen as an exercise for the reader.

Tripod

    While a small tripod is optional, it will make setting up the projector much easier. Since these projectors are small and light weight, an inexpensive aluminum tripod is a practical option for supporting the projector. These inexpensive tripods are fairly light weight, with some weighing as little as 1.3 pounds. A tripod will make setup and proper alignment of the projector with the screen easier.

    I would not recommend a tripod any cheaper than the Amazon Basics 50-inch tripod. There are cheaper tripods, but they are very flimsy and have leg sections thinner than a regular pencil.

    If you want to purchase a used tripod, make sure it either has a captive 1/4"-20 screw or comes with the quick release plate with its captive 1/4"-20 screw. Avoid the tripod if the quick release plate is not present. While modestly priced quick release plates are readily available on Amazon (there are many styles and sizes), having to purchase a quick release plate could eliminate the cost savings of a used tripod.

    If you have a tripod, first set up the screen, then mount the projector to the tripod and adjust the height of the tripod so that the projected image is properly placed on the screen without any keystone issues.

    Most regular projectors (i.e. non-DLP projectors) require the lens to be pointed at the center of the screen. Most DLP projectors require the lens to be pointed at the bottom center of the screen. (Ultra Short Throw projectors are outside the scope of this discussion.)  

Kodak LUMA 350 projector charging with a PD trigger
cable, set to 15 Volts, from a PD power bank.

 Accessories

    I highly recommend some kind of case to protect the projector during transport. While I prefer hard cases, they can be bulky. EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) zippered cases are inexpensive and will protect these projectors from most normal handling and transportation abuses. EVA cases are generally cheaper than hard cases.

    A power bank would allow you to extend the operating time of your projector (e.g. show more than a single movie), and potentially allow you to recharge your projector and Bluetooth speaker while AC power is not available.

    If your projector operates/charges off a 5 VDC power source, an inexpensive power bank is sufficient. If your projector does not operate/charge from a 5 VDC source, there are more flexible power bank options available.

    With the advent of rapid charging for tablets, smart phones, and some laptop computers, the USB Power Delivery (PD) standard was developed to provide a way for a PD-compatible device to negotiate with a PD-compatible power source to provide the needed charge voltage. Every PD-compatible device I have personally seen uses USB-C for its power input, although not all devices with USB-C are PD-
compatible.

    To charge/operate the Kodak LUMA 350 projector from a power bank, I purchased a "PD Trigger Cable" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNMV127Y/) and a PD-compatible power bank (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJQ7F16T/). The cable incorporates the smarts necessary to negotiate with a PD-compatible power source to have it deliver the selected voltage. The USB-C end of the PD trigger cable plugs into the power source, in this case a PD compatible power bank, and the other end of the cable plugs into a non-PD device, in this case the projector. The cable comes with a variety different adapters for various sizes of barrel connectors.

    (If you want to know more about USB Power Delivery, this web page is useful: https://www.ecoflow.com/us/blog/usb-pd-versions-complete-guide)

    If you include a power bank, be sure to include the necessary USB power cables to reach your projector, and to recharge the projector and speaker after use.

    The only audio cable that is necessary is a 3.5 mm audio cable. If you want the amplified speaker to be placed in front of your audience, a cable that is ten to twenty feet (3 to 6 meters) would be necessary. If you hang the speaker from the tripod supporting the projector, a short 3 foot (1 meter) cable would be adequate.
 

Everything needed for the micro ZAMT, including an
inexpensive aluminum tripod on top of its storage bag, the JBL Flip 4 Bluetooth
speaker, an IOLIEO cloth screen, the Kodak Luma 350 projector (USB flash drive
inserted in the back of the projector) with its remote control and EVA zippered
case, a PD power bank with a PD trigger cable, a ten-foot audio cable, and a
micro-USB charging cable for the Bluetooth speaker. Fully collapsed, as shown,
the tripod is 17 inches long.

 Conclusions

    The micro ZAMT is optimized for maximum portability and setup simplicity. The equipment selection described above is sufficient for a living-room sized venue. Battery-powered pico projectors are surprisingly capable for their size, and if used in a darkened room, they project sufficient light to fill a moderately sized projector screen with a bright crisp image. A battery powered Bluetooth speaker allows the movie sound to be heard by everybody in the room. And, a small USB flash drive for storing several movies further simplifies the ZAMT.

    While highly recommended, a case for the projector and a tripod are optional. A moderately sized power bank and necessary cables are optional but beneficial.

Postscript

    In case you are wondering, I am having way too much fun with the Zombie Apocalypse Movie Theater project, which is why there is another installment to the series.

VIDEO: The Role Of Guns After A Collapse

Some lessons from Bosnia on what happens after a collapse. It covers more than guns and security, but there is a frank discussion of how the large number of firearms in the U.S. will change the equation for better and worse because people will be better able to defend themselves, but it also raises the consequences if disagreements arise. The host also goes over the items that will first be stolen after a collapse (food, medicine, generators, etc.) and what matters for survival, such as a tight knit group, a variety of needed skills, maintaining a low profile, etc.  

 VIDEO: "Bosnia Survival Lessons for a U.S. Collapse"
iBankerU (10 min.)

VIDEO: Old Mini-14 Practical Accuracy To 500 Yards

9-Holes Review tested an old Mini-14 manufactured in 1983 (so well before the more recent upgrades to the sight and barrel) out to 500 yards using 55 grain bullets. Considering the very basic sights, it did fairly well--actually pretty good to 300 yards or so, but was limited by the sights beyond that range. When considering its performance, keep in mind that it was intended to compete against the M16A1 style rifles with their pencil barrels and basic sights, not the A2 with its rifleman sights and heavy barrel.  

The whole video is long (42 minutes) but the actual testing of the rifle was only the first 14 minutes. The remainder is discussion about the rifle: the host's history with the rifle, it's widespread use in the 1980s, how the Mini-14 tends to escape many of the bans that impact the AR-15 or AK, and more general discussion about the rifle. I was mostly interested in the shooting test, so I did not watch much beyond the segment on the testing. 

If you are interested in reading more about the Mini-14, see my post: "Survival Weapons -- The Ruger Mini-14." It is one of my most popular articles. 

 VIDEO: "Mini 14 (1983 vintage) to 500yds: Practical Accuracy"
9-Hole Reviews (42 min.)

Some More Examples Of Cultural Enrichment And Diversity

The Grooming Gang Scandal In The UK Is Worse Than Anyone Thought

Rupert Lowe, a member of parliament in the UK, conducted the investigation that the UK government refused to do. His report is here. I haven't had time to read it (it is 219 pages in total), but there is this from the executive summary:

    The Rape Gang Inquiry examined the systematic targeting of vulnerable girls, overwhelmingly White British, by predominantly Muslim Pakistani gangs across towns and cities throughout the United Kingdom. The evidence put to the Inquiry confirms that this scandal constitutes one of the most horrendous failures in the history of the country. Organised networks of perpetrators built coordinated operations that transported victims between locations, supplied them with drugs and alcohol, recorded abuse for distribution and blackmail, and passed girls between multiple adult men. These crimes have been committed for decades, since the 1950s by Pakistanis in particular, and have affected every region of our nation.

    The scale of the crimes committed is staggering. It has been previously established that, at the very least, 250,000 young white girls have been subjected to repeated rape, gang rape, trafficking, torture, pregnancy, forced Islamic conversion, and lifelong trauma.1 The true number is probably higher. The perpetrators bear primary responsibility, yet the institutional failures that enabled them for decades must also be confronted. In court records and official inquiries, around 87% of those convicted in these group-based child sexual exploitation (‘CSE’) cases bore distinctively Muslim names.2 The vast majority of men involved in these gangs were not convicted. Dr. Taj Hargey, an imam with the Oxford Islamic Congregation, believes the true proportion of gang members who are Muslims to be around 95%.3 This figure far exceeds the Muslim share of the overall United Kingdom population. The overwhelming majority of the rape gang networks consisted entirely of men from Muslim backgrounds – predominantly of Pakistani heritage, although smaller groups from Somali, Iranian, Syrian, Turkish, and other Muslim origins were also involved.   

It appears part of the reason that nothing was done was because the victims were from the working class and held in disdain by authorities because of it.  Daniel Heneghan, writing on X, sums this point up:

    We have class issues in this country, though we deny it, but nothing like the deep loathing that the UK middle classes (not the upper classes) have for the working class. We are talking about the university credentialed class (used to be a lot smaller). A whole class of educators, officers, medical, engineers, managers. One life example, I recall on Youtube, an interview with a working-class electrician. In the engineering firm that we worked at managment/engineering never addressed him by his name, not his first name nor his last name (Mr. Raines, for example) but simply as "Sparks". "Hey Sparks, take a look at this....". He's an electricians, so "Sparks", get it. The intent was to alienated, even dehumanize, and it's still there working today. 

    Deep, deep, deep loathing. A loathing that was as deep as American racism at it's worst.

Well, to be fair, it exists here in the U.S. among much of the educated class. Having come from a working-poor background, I witnessed much of it first hand.

    But back to the UK grooming gang scandal, one of the questions that needs to be addressed is the government's policy of covering up what was going on. Instapundit linked to this article at the Pimlico Journal that delves into this issue: "Manchester Labour's Grooming Gang Complicity." But one item you should pay attention to are the comments about ethnic voting blocs:

Much has been said of the biraderi (or baraderi), clan dimension to South Asian local politics recently, and it is impossible to understand the political dynamics that led to the rise of figures like Ahmed and Akhtar without understanding biraderi. While this has become a more salient factor in political discourse by virtue of the breakaway of certain heavily Muslim constituencies to the so-called ‘Gaza Independents’ since 2024, in reality, it has been a known and relevant fact of local party politics for many decades. Academic interest in the phenomenon began to pick up in the 2010s as the surprise victory of George Galloway in the Bradford West by-election revealed that minority votes were not exclusively determined by individual loyalties to the Labour Party. In fact, it turned out that ‘elders’ and ‘community leaders’ were incentivised by established local politicians to make ethnicity-based and religion-based claims for their communities, and these ‘elders’ and ‘community leaders’ could return them with bloc votes — from which the victory of Galloway’s Respect and the more recent Muslim First parties are an aberration. This patronage system made such constituencies effectively unpollable, each a black box with dynamics comprehensible only to those with local knowledge.  

In short, though, as the article explains, it is is this political power and influence that enabled the gangs to continue without any real interference. The fear of upsetting "community relations" both acted as a damper on any criminal investigation and enforcement, while also serving as the excuse to promote key players into positions of authority over the police and other agencies that would have been charged with investigating the abuse of the girls. The author points out:

    One of the starkest failures appears to be in the fact that men like Akhtar were able to accumulate vast amounts of formal and informal power with few, if any checks. The web of relationships between the state, third sector, and ‘communities’ drastically increased the number of areas vulnerable to abuse. This is perhaps best illustrated by the data-loss saga which occurred in 2011. The council suspiciously failed to inform the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) about the theft of twenty-one laptops holding important data on victims of Child Sexual Exploitation. A meeting of the council’s Corporate Governance Board and IT Governance Board, itself chaired by Akhtar, failed to record any minutes and was told that a report was being prepared to recommend that the Senior Leadership team should not file the loss with the ICO. In fact, it turned out the ICO only discovered the incident due to press reporting.

    Akhtar appears at every juncture in the Rotherham story and at every institutional pressure point: community brokerage, police liaison, youth and neighbourhood activity, licensing and regulatory functions, publicly funded community organisations, a major official inspection’s account of local fear and power, a CSE handover allegation, and the council data-loss scandal involving sensitive information. In fact, his own daughter’s employment came to light in 2019 when the charity she worked for, Rotherham Rise, was criticised for employing her in a senior role supporting victims of Child Sexual Exploitation. This is a remarkable mark on the town for a single individual and his family.

    He is representative of the wider problem: a total failure by the authorities, and sometimes outright collusion, in one of the worst atrocities ever perpetrated on British soil. It would be no surprise to discover hundreds of Jahangir Akhtars up and down the country, and no one, least of all in the Labour Party, has done enough to uncover the full story. Given the importance of baradiri networks as powerbrokers in (particularly) Labour local politics, it does not take much thinking to explain the reluctance of its senior politicians to upset the apple cart.  

We have seen a similar dynamic with the rampant fraud among the Somali community in Minnesota. 

    For my LDS readers, this should remind them of the various secret combinations (including the Gadianton Robbers) that arose in Nephite society in order to protect its members from prosecution and to gain political power and wealth. When I was a kid, there was few clear examples of this to point to outside of organized crime syndicates, but now it seems that nearly every month we are shown evidence of such groups permeating our society and government.   

Handloading for the .223/5.56

     In response to a comment the other day about the Mini-14, I noted that many years ago I had worked up a load that worked quite well in ...