A Humorous Video From Lucky Gunner

"Real Men Don't Carry Pocket Pistols"--Lucky Gunner (4 min.)

I'm not sure if he is mocking someone in particular, or just the more general attitude that "I carry a .45 because they don't make a .46."

Calling Home the Missionaries?

Brigham Young warned:

When the testimony of the Elders ceases to be given, and the Lord says to them, “Come home; I will now preach my own sermons to the nations of the earth,” all you now know can scarcely be called a preface to the sermon that will be preached with fire and sword, tempests, earthquakes, hail, rain, thunders and lightnings, and fearful destruction. What matters the destruction of a few railway cars? You will hear of magnificent cities, now idolized by the people, sinking in the earth, entombing the inhabitants. The sea will heave itself beyond its bounds, engulfing mighty cities. Famine will spread over the nations, and nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and states against states, in our own country and in foreign lands. 

(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8, p. 123, July 15, 1860). Heber C. Kimball similarly explained that "[t]he judgments of God will be poured out upon the wicked to the extent that our elders from far and near will be called home." Orson Pratt made similar statements.

       This comes to mind because my eldest son returned early from his mission due to medical issues, and will soon be serving the rest of his 2 years as a service missionary. When it became apparent that he was not going to be able to remain in the field, my wife and I, of course, discussed this with our bishop and to those that inquired about how he was doing. What surprised me was the number of people that, in turn, told us of sons, daughters, and grandchildren that had returned early from missions. This is not just an odd anecdote. According to Dave Banack, in a 2014 article for Times & Seasons, "[i]t turns out that more missionaries are coming home early than ever before. The percentage is now into the double-digits, and it turns out the folks in Salt Lake City are already well aware that we have a problem." We are now four years on.

       Probably as a consequence of this, the Church has been expanding its offerings of service missions. Young men that have not been able to serve a full-time proselyting mission can now serve a service mission where they can labor for the Church (or other charities) while living at home. The program is flexible--service missionaries can serve the Church full time, or work part time and serve the Church part time. Even dating is allowed.

        Many of the missionaries returning early from proselyting missions are serving out the reminder of their time in service missions. Currently, a missionary returning home from a proselyting mission early has to be released by their stake president, then re-apply to be a service missionary and receive a calling to do so.  This is going to change in October, so that a missionary returning from the field and moving into a service mission will simply be "transfered"--that is, it will be treated as if they simply transferred from one mission area to another. I don't know if this is to reduce any stigma in having to return early, reduce the paper work load, or what, but it will make it easier for missionaries to transition from one type of mission to the other.

       As I have learned about the service missions, the number of youth that are going into service missions, and the streamlining of moving missionaries from proselyting (now to be called "teaching") missions to service missions, I was reminded of the statements from earlier prophets and general authorities that there would come a time that the missionaries would be called home so that the Lord could pour out his wrath on the world. The addition of the service missions, the streamlining of the process to move from a teaching mission to a service mission, and the increasing number of missionaries returning early all seem, at least to me, to be either the beginning of, or preparations for, "calling the missionaries home."

        Although the Church does not have formal missions in every country in the world, the spread of members across the globe, the LDS service members that have served around the globe, the penetration of the Internet, means that the gospel has been preached to some extent in all nations. Thus, it makes sense to me that the Lord could consider the promise that the gospel be taught in all nations to be fulfilled.

       I'm not saying that the Lord is going to unleash his judgments tomorrow, the next week, or even the next year. I'm just pointing out a steady progression and what might be another signpost along the route.

September 20, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Defense against a rapid thrust knife attack"--Ron Balicki (10 min.)

While this video shows how to react to these types of attacks, the producers also make it clear that you are still going to be cut up really bad. There is just no way around it if the attacker has the surprise and initiative.

• "Changing Weather, Changing Wardrobe, and Changing Tactics"--USA Carry. Colder weather means heavier clothes and/or multiple layers. Even if you don't switch to a larger weapon or a different carry method, you still have to deal with different types of clothing. Thus, this article suggests that you remember to practice with whatever is changing. The biggest issue I worry about in colder times of the year is trying to draw from under a jacket or coat that is buttoned or zipped up. This is one of the reasons that I will sometimes just slip a small revolver into an outside pocket either in addition to, or in lieu of something larger on a belt holster.
• "Range Review: Glock 26 Gen 5"--Shooting Illustrated. The main points that the author raises is that the Gen 5 doesn't have the finger grooves, has a much better trigger, and you have the option of getting decent sights. One thing I thought was interesting is that Glock began using finger grooves with the Glock 26 in order to qualify for the "sporting purpose" exception prohibiting to the prohibition on the import of small handguns. The author explains:

See, the subcompact Glock 26 and 27 were the first Glock handguns to introduce the molded-in finger grooves on the grip frontstrap and the dimpled “thumb rests” on the frames. This was done in order to gain enough “points” under an obscure rule instituted via the Gun Control Act of 1968. A breakdown of the point system can be found here on the NRA-ILA website, but basically due to its loss of points for size and weight, the sub-compact Glock 26 needed to gain them back some other way, and “target grips” were worth five points.

• "Serious Mistakes – Unjustified Killings"--Tactical Professor. The author points to a story where a neighbor was shot to death over a disagreement about garbage. As the author observes: "Learn to control your emotions and to walk away." 
• "Ditch the Batteries: Off-Grid Compressed Air Energy Storage"--Low Tech Magazine. Large scale systems, using buried air tanks, have been investigated before. This article, instead, explores a growing trend to develop small scale systems using above ground tanks. The author explains the benefits:

       Compared to chemical batteries, micro-CAES systems have some interesting advantages. Most importantly, a distributed network of compressed air energy storage systems would be much more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Over their lifetimes, chemical batteries store only two to ten times the energy needed to manufacture them. Small-scale CAES systems do much better than that, mainly because of their much longer lifespan.

       Furthermore, they do not require rare or toxic materials, and the hardware is easily recyclable. In addition, decentralised compressed air energy storage doesn’t need high-tech production lines and can be manufactured, installed and maintained by local business, unlike an energy storage system based on chemical batteries. Finally, micro-CAES has no self-discharge, is tolerant of a wider range of environments, and promises to be cheaper than chemical batteries.

The issue I see is the amount of electricity--particularly amperage--to run a compressor. You can trickle feed electricity to charge a battery from a solar system, but not have the amperage to run a compressor. 

• "Is It Safe to Store Guns and Ammo in a Hot Car?"--USA Carry. Short answer: yes. Longer answer: "But the fact is, it has to be over 400 degrees inside your car in order for the ammunition to 'explode.'" If it is over 400 degrees inside your car, you have bigger problems than whether the ammunition is going to pop off.

"Real Guns of Fallout: Gauss Rifle"--TFB TV (9 min.)

It works, but doesn't really have any more power than a BB gun. Still, interesting to see what is being developed.

• "REVEALED: Mysterious FBI shutdown of Sunspot Solar Observatory for 11 days was due to investigation into its night janitor downloading child porn NOT alien contact"--Daily Mail. From the article:

       The laptop was confiscated, and the chief observer told investigators that the janitor 'feverishly started looking through the facility' when he realized it was missing.

       The janitor began making paranoid comments about 'lax security at the facility' and said it was 'only a matter of time before the facility got hit'.

       The chief observer became concerned for his personal safety after the janitor stated that he 'believed there was a serial killer in the area' and that the killer might enter the observatory and execute someone. 

       At that point the agencies that operate the facility decided to shut it down out of an abundance of caution. 

• "China bets on the blue wave"--The Week. China's reaction to the latest round of tariffs imposed by President Trump has been fairly muted. The reason is that the Chinese believe that Trump will be more open to negotiation after the midterm elections. But the article also notes that China has less options to strike back at the United States because it imports so little from the United States, compared to what we import from China. Although the author suggests that the Chinese could jack tariffs up much higher on the few products it does import. That may be problematic, though. For instance, China was originally going to impose steep tariffs on American grown soybeans, but reversed its decision ... probably because it would have resulted in higher food prices in China. 
• "Economic Trendline Reversion Does Not Happen Evenly"--The Futurist. Since 2007, world GDP (in dollars) has increased by about 40%, but that increase is not spread evenly. While the United States has seen about a 34% gain, China has seen a gain of 245%, but the European Union has seen a decline of 11%. Part of the reason why China has seen such huge gains is because it started so far behind that it has a lot of room to expand its economy: "The growth of China (and to a lesser extent, India) appears to be a reversion to a status quo that existed from the dawn of civilization all the way until the early 19th century.  If this factor is combined with the exponential trend of world growth, then China's current outperformance seems less like an aberration." But what about future years? The author states: "There is almost no chance that China can outperform the RoW [rest of the world] by the same magnitude from this point onwards, simply due to the RoW no longer being large enough to manage the same intake of Chinese exports relative to China's size as before."
• "Assets Need Protection"--The Dignified Rant. The author suggests that it would benefit American security concerns for China to focus on that portion of its Belts and Roads Initiative that are based on land transport across Eurasia, because it would necessarily require China to focus its military on protecting those assets.
• "Project Veritas: Deep State Video II"--Raconteur Report. The first video was of a State Department paper pusher that worked on his socialist political organization's stuff while at work, while this newer video reveals an intern for the DoJ that uses government resources to get the addresses of political opponents so they can be doxxed.  Aesop writes: "As you ponder government officials who know your license plate and what schools your kids go to, tell me how your ammo count and local accountability lists are coming along, particularly in light of today's previous post." As I have stated many times before, you need to start collecting names and figure out the links between them, to understand what is going on.
• "White existence is a crime, says BLF spokesperson"--The Citizen. The Black First, Land First spokesperson making these comments is Lindsay Maasdorp.
• "Historical storage cellars in Budapest: The architectural history and functional operation of an industrial building in 19th-century Hungary"--published in the journal, Építés – Építészettudomány. From the abstract:

The Kőbánya district of Budapest is situated on the eastern margins of the Hungarian capital city. Beneath Kőbánya there is an extensive limestone layer, in which tunnels and passages have been made, some  of which  appear  to  date  from  the 13th  century.  In  the 19th  century,  the  limestone caverns  of Budapest-Kőbánya were used for the refrigeration of  perishable goods in  large quantities. 

• "Artificial Saviors"--B2O. A lengthy article discussing the current state of AI development and a bit on how we got here, and where we may be going. Specifically, the author looks at whether current AI research could lead to people placing unwarranted faith in AIs. Amusingly, the article came with this trigger warning: "Content Warning: The following text references algorithmic systems acting in racist ways towards people of color." But this actually hints at the crux of the article, which is that current machine learning is opaque--we don't really know how the machine arrived at its decision or determination. To the author, this raises the specter that our belief in the veracity or correctness of such decisions will become matters of faith. And, for the author, this raises the concern that "[w]hen decisions are made automatically without any way for people to understand the reasoning, to check the way power acts and potentially discriminates, there is no longer any political debate apart from whether to fall in line or to abolish the system all together." For example, the author worries, an AI that predicts crime and learns that crime is disproportionately committed by PoC will undermine attempts of PoC to achieve political solutions to change the status quo. Or, as his argument could otherwise be stated, AIs will be red-pilled, which could lead society to become red-pilled by proxy.
• "Luther's Knocking"--The Social Pathologist. The author discusses why there is such a disconnect between the Vatican and American Catholics over the seriousness of the current sex scandal rocking the church. To the author, the difference comes down to the fact that Italians, for instance, have always dealt with corruption in the church, and so, "[i]n a Darwinian manner, Italians have learned to forge a life in a manner which accommodates and accepts institutional corruption." 

        Protestantism, on the other hand, gave the believer far more legitimacy in public affairs  and the theology of Protestantism expected the  believer to behave act as one of the elect. There was no reliance on the confessional to wipe away misdeeds and poor behaviour was an outward sign of perdition which rightly disqualified a man from institutional office. The net effect of this "theological bias" in Protestant culture was attitude towards institutions which demanded honesty and efficiency.

       Which brings us to the phenomenon of American Catholicism. The United States was founded as a Protestant Enlightenment project: the institutional culture is Protestant. While the country was explicitly secular, Protestantism was the de-facto institutional religion of the country and within its theological framework established it's habits, ideas and cultural practices. It was into this culture that the waves of Catholic migrants flooded and eventually became assimilated. However, the assimilation wasn't one way, Catholicism too had to adapt to the culture with the overall result that American Catholicism became Protestantised.

The result--and the disconnect--is that "[u]nlike Latin Catholicism, American Catholicism won't put up with institutional corruption." 

POTD: Abandoned House on a Hill Overlooking Birmingham, Alabama

From: "The forgotten South: Striking shots capture abandoned Alabama house that remains frozen in time - with even a classic Mustang still in the garage"--Daily Mail. Even though the house has been abandoned for about 20 years, it seems to fairly well preserved notwithstanding the climate. 

September 19, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around The Web

"Shooting left and low with a handgun"--Personal Defense and Firearm Education (8-1/2 min.)

Are you shooting low and to the left or, if left handed, shooting low and to the right? The producer of this video discusses some simple changes to your grip that may work to correct that problem.

• Grant Cunningham's Hump Day Reading List for this week. One of my posts made the list, so, if for no other reason, you need to check it out (as I pat myself on the back). Seriously, though, he links to some good articles on self-defense and prepping, including how to handle a traffic stop if you are carrying concealed, tips on safely answering the door to your home, prepping if you are pregnant, and others.
• "Bear Spray Fails to Stop Fatal Grizzly Attack in Wyoming"--Ammo Land. More information continues to come out about the fatal grizzly bear attack on a hunter and guide in Wyoming. Previously we had learned that the hunter had to get into a pack to retrieve a pistol, and then simply tossed to the pistol to the guide who was, at that point, under attack. The article relates:

Mark Uptain [the guide] appears to have relied on a can of bear spray to deter the attack. A can of bear spray, with the safety off, was found at the site. The adult sow grizzly had bear spray on her at the scene. The bear was shot and killed as she attacked investigating Fish and Wildlife personnel. 

• "BOB: Bug Out Bags – A Fresh Look"--Beans, Bullets, Bandages & You. The author acknowledges that bug-out-bags, or get-home-bags, depend on your specific circumstances. For instance, he packs thermal underwear in his bag, but that would probably be superfluous for someone living in Florida. In any event, what he suggests is looking at categories of items: water, food, hygiene, first aid, energy, clothing, shelter, transportation (obviously you aren't going to carry a car, but he means things like maps, compass, etc., to assist in traveling), communications, tools, and library.
• ".22 Handgun Utility and Use" and "More .22 stuff"--Total Survivalist Blog. The obvious uses are for hunting small game, recreation, and training. They can also be pressed into service for defense against small critters (e.g., snakes), survival, or a silenced weapon (with appropriate silencer). My personal thinking on the matter is that if I could only have two weapons for bugging out or survival, one would be a .22--it would either be a .22 rifle capable of being broken down coupled with a pistol suitable for self-defense (low-key), or a .22 pistol coupled with a rifle suitable for defense or hunting medium game (don't care if seen with a rifle). The primary reason for this mix is that .22 gives you options for hunting small game (or even medium game with good shot placement), together with the ability to carry a larger supply of ammunition.
• "When Using Lasers on Handguns, Don’t Neglect the Sights"--Jerking the Trigger. The author notes that "[v]isible lasers are a great addition to smaller defensive firearms, especially those with marginal sights that aren’t easily corrected like small frame revolvers. A good laser can make firearms like these easier to aim and extend their useful range but that doesn’t mean you can forget the sights, no matter how rudimentary they are, altogether." The problem is if the laser dot is not on target but going off into space (or striking a non-reflecting object). The author explains:

        Many shooters, even those who train regularly, have never thought of what happens when the surface behind the target is removed because it is not something they have encountered. With no backstop, a laser equipped firearm can be aimed in such a way that the dot is not visible because it is projecting out into the space around the target and not on a surface that registers the dot.  Think of a target on a stand in the middle of a pasture or large parking lot. The dot would not be visible unless it was projected on the target itself or the ground near the target. When this happens there is no visual feedback for adjusting the point of aim which can leave the unprepared shooter with fewer options.

       This is why a correct presentation/draw stroke, even on a laser equipped firearm, involves acquiring the sights (or at least some form of coarse sight picture). The shooter finds the sights and only then, if the projected laser dot is visible, they may switch their focus to the target and dot. This technique mitigates failures on the part of the shooter to find the dot and failures of the laser itself. If there is no visible dot, the shooter is already on the sights.

I have to admit that I haven't used weapon mounted lasers much. I had heard anecdotes about how they greatly assisted sighting with small pistols with only rudimentary sights, but when my wife recently decided to carry a small .380 with laser sights, I was amazed how much faster it was for both of us to acquire the target when using the laser. 

• "KGB LLC Stinger47 Brace Adapter for AK Pistols"--The Firearm Blog. Looks nice; folds to the left, which is the side you want if you need to operate the weapon with the brace folded.
• "Wayne County Commissioner Introduces Ammunition Control"--Ammo Land. Wayne County includes Detroit. The proposed ordinance would require a mental health certificate to purchase ammunition and add an additional tax to ammunition purchases. However, like the devil trying to corrupt little-by-little, "Davis hopes to work with the NRA to find a compromise that would be agreeable to all parties." The only acceptable compromise I see would involve a long fall and a short rope.

".327 Federal Magnum CHAPTER 5: MEAT TARGET BALLISTIC TESTING WITH 85gr LOADS"--Hughes Enterprises (7 min.)

The producer of this video follows Paul Harrell's lead in using a "meat target" to test effectiveness. The loads tested appeared to all perform adequately.

• "Leading U.S. Exorcist: Catholic Church Sex Abuse Scandal Is Demonic, Likely to Get Worse"--PJ Media. From the article:

       Fr. Thomas explained why sexual abuse of children is especially heinous. “By sexually abusing children, Satan desires to destroy the icon of the kingdom of God. He wants to destroy the most innocent version of humanity, which is the child,” he said.

       The priest said that in his opinion, behavior that falls outside the bounds of what is conceivable -- like murder -- is also clearly demonic.

• "Wherein Fr. Z offers one of the hardest posts he has ever written"--Fr. Z's Blog. Good look at the scandal from the perspective of a practicing priest. And this point: 

Some of these homosexual predators are, I think, possessed.   Think about it.  If you know anything about demonic activity, and this is something that lay people should not get too involved with, then you know that certain demons specialize in certain kinds of sins.  They will attach themselves like spiritual lampreys to the souls of people who commit them and also to the places where the sins were committed.  Once a demon gets hold, they claim the right to be there, until the layers of their connection are broken one by one.  That’s what exorcism rites do: they break the legalistic claims of the Enemy to be there.

• "Catholic priest and parishioners defy their Chicago Archdiocese to BURN rainbow flag that had been hanging in the church in an 'exorcism' ceremony"--Daily Mail. From the article: "[Fr.] Kalchik described the flag as 'a sacrilege' because it featured a cross and rainbow intertwined."
• A backlash against political correctness is fomenting in other churches as well: "Thousands of Christians defy own churches' 'social justice' campaigns"--WND. From the article:

       “We further deny that competency to teach on any biblical issue comes from any qualification for spiritual people other than clear understanding and simple communication of what is revealed in Scripture.”

       It references the Bible over and over, contending “the priorities and mission of the largest evangelical denominations, churches, and seminaries in the United States” have “radically changed” in recent years.

       “Seminaries previously focused on Scriptural exegesis and proclamation are now focusing on teaching their future pastors’ postmodern concepts such as critical race theory and intersectionality. Churches throughout the nation are pushing progressive agendas along with the teaching of unconscious bias training and the deceptive idea of ‘white privilege.'”

       The statement says faithful church members “are being encouraged to reject constitutional conservatives and to embrace open borders, reject normative patriotism, and embrace progressive concepts and social justice policies normally reserved for radical socialists or open society adherents.”

You can read the full text of the statement here.

• "When Two Gay Catholic Tribes Go To (Cold) War"--Rod Dreher at The American Conservative. Dreher explains:

       N., an exceptionally well-informed lay Catholic, tells me that there are two basic tribes of gay bishops and priests.

       The first tribe is the Progressives — some sexually active, others not — who believe homosexuality should be normalized by the Catholic Church, and are pushing openly for the Church to change its teachings to reflect that.

       The second tribe are Conservatives who live a double life. Outwardly they advocate for traditional Catholic teaching on homosexuality, but they also live homosocially (in the sense of socializing with other gay conservative priests), and some have gay sex. They therefore live in a state of cognitive dissonance.

       N. discussed particular examples of both kind of bishop and priest.

      I asked N. why the gay Catholic progressive priests don’t simply out the hypocritical conservatives. Why not destroy your opposition, especially given that they really are hypocrites?

       “Neither side wants to do that to the other. That would mean Armageddon,” he said. “Both sides live in a Cold War situation. They take potshots at each other, and fight proxy wars, but neither side wants to challenge the other too hard. If they really went to war, there would be nothing left for anybody.”

       What N. meant is that the problem is so deeply embedded within the Catholic clerical structure that if the truth were known, the system as we know it would likely collapse, and neither gay nor conservative gay priests would have any privileges left to enjoy. So they tolerate each other.

September 18, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Fast First Shot: Micro-Drills 3 (Mantis Dry Fire Monday)"--Active Self Protection Extra (6 min.)

In this "micro-drill," you are to practice presenting the firearm in a standard isosceles stance, paying particular attention to not dipping the head. 

• A new Woodpile Report.
• "Ask the FFL – What Gun for a New Female Shooter?"--The Truth About Guns. The author begins this piece by castigating gun dealers that, instead of offering useful advice, purposefully sell a woman a gun that the seller knows that she will hate in hopes that she brings the gun back to trade in for a different gun ... rinse and repeat. These are probably the same sellers that hoped that Hillary Clinton would have been elected President, and would sell you the rope for their own hanging. 

       In any event, while I appreciated the author's insights on unscrupulous gun dealers, I always question the need for special advice for women shooters versus male shooters when it comes to selecting a handgun. I understand it makes for good marketing, but is it really necessary? If you are approached by a new shooter for advice on buying a firearm, does it really matter--should it even matter--if that person is a man or woman? You still will need to find a gun that the person could carry, maintain and, if necessary, shoot accurately, which will depend to a large extent on the size of hands, recoil sensitivity, and life style/personality. The person's budget and certain medical issues, such as arthritis, may also need to be considered. You will need to know whether the person will put a lot of training or practice into the weapon, or purchase it, maybe shoot a few times to get the hang of it, and then dump it into a drawer or other container until such time as he or she might need it. You will need to know how that person intends to carry the weapon, if it is being purchased for that purpose. The problem is that a new shooter might not provide much of this information, nor can you necessarily intuit the information you need. 

       The real difference between men and women is not so much the firearm, but the method of carry and advice that should be given on a holster or concealment system. In addition to the options available to men, women can carry the weapon in a purse, a thigh holster, or even a flash-bang holster if they really want to be daring. Women are, obviously, shaped differently, and, therefore, women's clothing is cut differently which brings its own complications to determining a good concealed carry method and holster. A few good articles on this topic is "ABOUT CONCEALED CARRY HOLSTERS FOR WOMEN" at The Well Armed Woman, and "WHICH HOLSTER IS THE RIGHT ONE FOR A WOMAN?" at the Daily Caller (I believe both articles are by the same author), and "Concealed Carry Holsters For Women: What To Know Before You Buy" at Down Range Daily. Also check out "WOMEN & SHOOTING, PART 3: HOLSTER SELECTION" at Personal Defense Network.

• "US Army Selects 6 Companies for Sub Compact Weapon Programme"--The Firearm Blog. Gone are HK or any company offering an HK clone. The remaining all appear to use a weapon with a layout similar to the AR.
• "Ten Ruger Mini-14/30 Accessories That Are Actually Worth the Money"--The Truth About Guns. I haven't used the products listed, so I can't offer an opinion. But I would note that some of the links do not take you to products for the Mini-14. Read carefully before you click to buy.
• "Range Review: Winchester SXP Defender Pump Shotgun"--Shooting Illustrated. The review is of a 20-gauge version of the shotgun, which is notable in itself since most defensive shotguns are 12-gauge, and if there is an alternative gauge, it is, for some inexplicable reason, typically a .410. 20-gauge is great if excessive recoil is an issue for you. The downside is that there are not as many self-defense loadings available as with the 12-gauge, but since 99% of people will only be picking up buck-shot, it probably won't be an issue.
• "Powder Measuring Redefined: The Revolutionary AutoTrickler V2 & AutoThrow Powder Dispenser Review"--Guns America Blog. This is a good idea. The manufacturer has paired a quality electronic laboratory scale with a motorized Lee powder trickler to give an automatic powder dispenser that is better than others on the market. Of course, it also costs more: $900. My father-in-law had purchased an RCBS model which quickly failed after only a handful of uses (by quickly, I mean the number of times it was used rather than age--he only hand loads once a year or so), and is now using a Hornady model. However, I haven't seen the accuracy or speed from his demonstrations to justify buying one.

"Self Defense Is Necessary Because Of Evil Like This"--Active Self Protection (6 min.)

The surveillance video in this shows an incident where a woman is stabbed to death, so if you are squeamish, don't watch. There are a few important points to take away from this incident. First, it is a reminder that there are evil people in the world as evidenced by the attacker and his actions. Second, if you are unarmed, there may be no best courses of action. In watching this video, absent the victim being armed with a firearm, I don't see any circumstances where she could have successfully protected herself. She was simply outclassed by a larger, stronger male armed with a knife. Third, as mentioned in the video, is the aspect of "security theater," which in this case was the false security offered by the windows and partitions. 

• The wages of sin socialism: "The Results Are In After Socialist Venezuela Dramatically Raised Its Minimum Wage — It Ain't Pretty"--IJR.com. The article reports that 40% of stores closed after the mandated minimum wage was implemented.
• "Is the accusation against Kavanaugh the culmination of a set-up from 2012?"--Bookworm Room. Short version:

In 2012, Romney might have won the election. In 2012, Toobin stoked Democrat fears that Kavanaugh, a conservative, might get on the Supreme Court and overturn Obamacare. And in 2012, Ford, a psychotherapist who undoubtedly had years of prior therapy herself, suddenly can’t stop talking about her hitherto undisclosed claim that Kavanaugh was a bad boy almost 30 years before.

• Diversity is our strength: "The Loneliness of the Anonymous Neighbor"--The American Conservative. From the article:

       Americans are increasingly unfamiliar with their neighbors. In 2010, Pew found that only 46 percent of its respondents talked face-to-face with neighbors about community issues. Presumably a significant portion of those not talking to neighbors about community issues are also not talking to neighbors about anything else. Additional results from that survey support that conclusion: even fewer people discussed community issues over the telephone or via email, social media, or texting. Keep in mind that “community issues” is like the weather—it’s one of the safest conversation topics available.

       Many sociologists have argued that increasing anonymity in American society is tied to decreasing trust. According to one recent survey, only three in 10 Americans trust others. That same anonymity is also likely responsible for increased rates of loneliness. Despite heightened digital connectivity via social media, loneliness rates have doubled since the 1980s, from 20 percent to 40 percent. I’d be willing to bet a lot of those lonely people are the ones who don’t have any relationship with those living in their neighborhoods (or anywhere else, for that matter!).

(Underline added). And what is responsible for decreasing trust? Ethnic diversity. 

• Diversity is our strength (part 2): "Delingpole: ‘Civil War Is Coming to Europe’ Warns German Politician"--Breitbart. A German politician told James Delingpole, off the record, that Germany was headed for a civil war. Apparently the number of refugees, a significant majority of which are military age men, numbers closer to 3 million--double the official statistics. So why risk it? The first reason commonly heard is that Germany (and Europe generally) need immigrants as workers to offset the demographic decline. This is based on the fallacy, that I have discussed before, that people are fungible, economic units--e.g., an ignorant goat herder from Afghanistan is interchangeable with a skilled technician from Hamburg. The second is the Cultural Marxist goals "promoted and funded by George Soros and his acolytes, an article of faith for many on the hard left." That is:

Encouraging immigration from apparently inimical foreign cultures will ultimately make us better people. It will solve the disgusting problem of white privilege. We will interbreed and cross-pollinate and abandon our unhelpful nationalistic identities which have led to so much chauvinism and war in the past. Sure there might be the odd blip, but because this New World Order is so self-evidently desirable, no sacrifices are too great in order to achieve it.

(H/t Anonymous Conservative).

• Diversity is our strength (part 3): "Is this the worst sex grooming case of all? Abducted as a teen and held prisoner for 12 YEARS, Sarah was repeatedly raped, twice forced into marriage and had EIGHT abortions"--Daily Mail. Money quote: "The all-pervading culture of political correctness at the time of her abduction meant the gangs, often of Pakistani-British heritage, were ignored by police forces that were terrified of being called racist if they pursued them."
• Diversity is our strength (part 4): "Muslim Migration and Rape Statistics in Europe"--Sultan Knish. Greenfield relates that "[a]t 120.79 violent sexual assaults per 100,000 people, and 56 rapes per 100,000, the otherwise bleak socialist country [Sweden] ranks as having the second highest rate of sexual violence in Europe." Conversely, "Finland has a third of Sweden’s rape rates and a quarter of its sexual assault rates." The difference? "Finland has a third of Sweden’s Muslim population proportion and a third of its rape rate." He also notes that "[t]he UK’s sexual assault and rape rates are roughly four times as high as those of Ireland. And at 6.3% versus 1.4%, the difference in Muslim population percentages is in almost perfect proportion." This is the result of importing large numbers of military age men from a culture that places no constraints on their sexual aggression.
• The threat facing the Catholic Church is of a loss of legitimacy, but the Pope doesn't seem to grasp it: "The Very Big Deal Catholic Crisis"--Rod Dreher. Key part:

It wasn’t the pedophile priests that did in my faith. It was the bishops who protected them. That is, the men who ran the system were so morally and spiritually corrupt that in most cases they went out of their way to protect pedophile priests at the expense of children and their families. A priest friend back in 2002 told me that it was impossible to understand the sexual abuse scandal apart from a more general crisis in the Catholic Church. For example (he said), bishops protected these pedophile priests in part because they had lost a sense that the Church is supposed to be about something greater than serving the perceived interests of its ruling class (the clergy). The failure to react like any normal human being would to a sin as horrific as child molestation was in part a manifestation of a loss of sense of sin, period. Bishops had come to see themselves primarily as managers of an institution — an institution whose chief goal was its own perpetuation.

• "The Catholic Church Is Breaking Apart. Here’s Why."--Jonathon V. Last at The Weekly Standard. He writes:

        The abuse itself is terrible, of course. We should say that out loud, because while the details are unspeakable they must be spoken of. Without the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report, we would know much less about the evil inside the church. (It is also instructive to note that authorities within the church opposed the release of this report.) But individual priest-abusers aren’t catastrophic to the church in any structural way. Predators will always be among us. It is a human pathology from which not even priests are immune. But the remedy for predation is straightforward: Whenever and wherever such men are discovered, they should be rooted out and punished.

        The institutional damage is done not by the abusers but by the structures that cover for them, excuse them, and advance them. Viewed in that way, the damage done to the Catholic church by Cardinal Wuerl—and every other bishop who knew about McCarrick and stayed silent—is several orders of magnitude greater than that done by McCarrick himself.

He goes on to explain that there are no mechanisms in the church for dealing with errant bishops or cardinals, who are independent of one another, except through the Pope. "And the structure of the church has no remedy when a pope is foolish or wicked." Which is Pope Francis--foolish or wicked--is open to question, according to the author, but he makes two important points. First, Pope Francis's ascension to the Papacy was the result of political mechanizations, which have produced a Pope that is busily engaged in tearing down orthodox positions and reposition the church on issues such as divorce, abortion, and, most ominously, homosexuality. Second, the Pope and his advisors are incredibly tone-deaf about the current crises. The author observes that American cardinal is Blase Cupich said, in reaction to the current scandal, that “the pope has a bigger agenda. . . . he’s got to get on with other things” such as “talking about the environment and protecting migrants.” Read the whole thing.

• A reminder that we live in the 21st Century: "Elon Musk just revealed who will fly to the moon on SpaceX's new rocket ship"--Business Insider. Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire, together with his guests (he purchased all available seats on the first flight) will be the first tourists to ride Space X's Big Falcon Rocket around the Moon. 

September 17, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Cleaning Black Powder Rifles and Cartridges"--Iraqveteran8888 (27 min.)

• "NSSF: AR-15/AK numbers top 16 million"--Guns.com. Note that this number does not include firearms built or imported prior to 1989, and does not include those built from 80% lowers or parts kits by home builders are not included. 
• "Why Are Gun Sales Up in the U.S.?"--The Survivalist Blog. The author points out that "[b]ackground checks on firearms (only a partial indicator of purchasing activity) are up around 5% from the same time period in 2017." The question is "why?"  Over the last 15 or 20 years, the primary reason for spikes in gun sales have been fear that certain firearms (or firearms generally) will be restricted by Congress. This can be prompted by mass shootings that dominate the airwaves, comments or legislation introduced by gun grabbing politicians (Obama was the greatest gun salesman of all time), or major elections. Unfortunately, the author does not explore why sales are up this year, in particular. I would guess that it is probably a mix of several factors: fear of a "blue wave," low prices on many firearms, buyers still releasing pent up demand for firearms other than the AR from the Obama years, improved economy. However, the author makes a valid point: the time to buy is now when firearms and ammunition is plentiful, rather than later during another panic.
• "The New Handgun Combatives Target: Shot placement is paramount!"--Handgun Combatives. The author discusses the three main methods by which a bullet wound can cause incapacitation of a target: the psychological incapacitation, destroying something important (heart, spine, base of the brain, etc.), and blood loss. The author continues:

       Regardless of what you believe about handgun stopping power theories, bullet caliber/size/weight, velocity or any of the other related topics, the one thing most everyone agrees on is that shots to vital body parts is the best way to stop and fight and the more rounds delivered, the more likely this is to occur. This is why I spent a sizeable amount of time in my classes on shot placement and recoil control before moving on to tactics and techniques like movement, one hand manipulation, cover, etc. Stopping the threat before it can do you harm might be the ultimate tactic!  It will require solid shot placement…

       In order to accomplish this essential skill, I spend a great deal of time shooting 3 x 5 cards in my classes.  A 3 x 5 card is about the same size as the heart and aorta and is likely the best focus region for handgun incapacitation as it is centered in the high chest.  I like to use a series of paste overs in my courses that emphasize the vital parts of the body along with 3 x 5 cards to get my students to “zero in” on the vital zones. ... 

 ... I am a big proponent of what Todd Green calls “negative taping” in which only misses are taped. By doing so, less time is spent taping and more time is spent shooting.

• "Classic Guns: Japanese Type 99 Arisaka Rifle"--Shooting Illustrated. Japan entered the 20th Century with one of the most modern rifles of the era: the Type 38 rifle using a 6.5 mm projectile. However, there were some shortcomings to the Type 38--primarily the length (especially as more countries moved to "carbines" or short rifles) and concerns over the adequacy of the cartridge. Japan decided to update the Type 38 by shortening the overall length, and switching to a larger caliber cartridge, the 7.7 mm (although the author doesn't discuss it, the Japanese 7.7 mm used the same caliber bullet as the British .303--a .311 diameter bullet--and provided about the same power and performance. It is best thought of as a rimless version of the .303 Enfield). Unfortunately, as the article describes in more detail, the rifle gained a reputation for poor quality due to late war models that suffered from lack of materials and simplification of manufacture, and unfortunate incidents of American soldiers attempting to shoot live rounds through training rifles never intended to fire full power rounds.
• "Precision Rifle: Getting Zeroed"--Shooting Sports USA. This is a little more involved than zeroing a rifle for hunting or getting a combat zero:

First chronograph at least five rounds of your load, and average the velocities. Next, use this average velocity, along with your bullet’s ballistic coefficient (BC), to develop a trajectory table for your load using your ballistics software of choice. Some programs include BCs for many bullets. Other programs may require you to enter a BC value, which can be obtained from the manufacturer’s website or catalog.

• "Taking Care of Dental Emergencies Post-SHTF"--The Survivalist Blog. This article concentrates on various herbal remedies that can be used to alleviate tooth or gum pain, information on growing some of the herbs or plants, and making your own mouth wash. You can also buy emergency dental kits of various prices and capabilities (see e.g., here, here, here, here, here and here, respectively).
• Another from Handgun Combatives: "After almost 30 years…thoughts on gear." After reviewing and using different equipment over the past 30 years, the author lists the brands that he has found to be the best, including: Glock pistols, Ruger revolvers, older Remington shotguns and rifles, Milt Sparks and Alessi Leather holsters, Under Armour, Spyderco and Kershaw knives, Surefire, Maxpedition, Merrell shoes, Aimpoint, Magpul, and Federal ammo. The author offers some thoughts as to each.

"The Polish German War - 001 - WW2 September 1 1939"--World War Two (12 min.)

The narrator/creator of this channel, Indy Neidell, is also the host of The Great War Channel--a week-by-week history of World War I. In this channel, he and his team will be giving WWII a similar treatment, discussing events and developments on a week-by-week basis, together with other videos providing additional information on particular topics. The Great War series has been great, and I expect this series to be just as good. And for those interested in the inter-war period, Indy recommends this short series.

• The swamp fights back: "Kavanaugh’s Accuser Has Now Come Forward"--The Daily Wire. The latest attempt by the left to derail the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings is a claim by Christine Blasey Ford that she was sexually assaulted in high school by Kavanaugh and a friend. Something that Ford didn't think to tell to anyone for 30 years and, of which, she admits that she "doesn’t remember key details like exactly when the incident occurred or where specifically." There are many reasons not to believe the account, starting with her lack of memory: if she was too drunk to remember the details of where and when the alleged assault took place, why should we trust her to remember who was involved. Tellingly, a large number of women that knew and dated Kavanaugh have also come forward to state what a gentleman he was. Assaults like this are rarely one-time affairs, so if it happened to Ford, it should have happened to other women that Kavanaugh knew. There is also the fact, as Vox Day has pointed out, that SJW's always lie. Ford is a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, a Democrat supporter, and an opponent to Trump's attempts to reduce illegal immigration, so she definitely falls into the SJW camp. And, finally, there is the unfortunate fact that women make up stuff like this all the time. For instance, just today, the Daily Mail reports on an "Ex-girlfriend, 25, 'who bought a fake baby bump after her boyfriend dumped her sent their clients emails claiming he had raped her'." And it doesn't even have to be sexual assaults: there was also a report of woman arrested for filing a false police report after it was determined that she had made up the story of a hate crime allegedly committed by Trump supporters. In short, none the of the prior accusations against Kavanaugh have stuck, so this is the last desperate attempt to besmirch the man's reputation.
• "Amazon staff are 'taking bribes of more than $2,000' from online merchants to delete bad reviews, restore banned accounts and reveal customers' private buying trends"--Daily Mail. From the article:

       Sellers, predominantly based in China, are buying the data in a bid to gain an edge over competitors and boost sales on the online store, according to a new report.

      Amazon confirmed it was investigating these new allegations, which also accused employees of offering to delete negative reviews and restore banned accounts for cash.

       Fake customer reviews written by the merchants themselves were also among the probe's chief concerns, the company said.

(Underline added).

• "The Heartbreaking Message Disguised as Female Empowerment"--Meridian Magazine. The author of this article asks how aggressive flaunting of sexuality leads to female empowerment. The author writes:

       However, the twentieth century saw the focus of feminism turn from fighting for women to fighting against family. With the emersion of radical feminism, feminist theory blamed marriage and family life for creating sex roles that perpetuate the oppression of women. Consider these quotes from early twentieth century feminists: the family is “simply an institution for the more complete subjugation and enslavement of women and children;” marriage is “an institution which robs a woman of her individuality and reduces her to that of a prostitute;” motherhood “is a calamity to be avoided” at all costs; and “The family goes back to the age of savagery while the state belongs to the age of civilization.”

       Their thinking was, and is, that men have an unfair biological advantage in the workplace. Therefore, in order for women to rise to their highest potential, they need to be free to have sex without the consequence of childbearing, and free to engage in the workplace without the burden of family. This is a decidedly male-centric worldview. How exactly does it advance the place of women and womanhood, who still overwhelmingly value marriage and motherhood, if, in order to find equality in society, they must refashion themselves in the image of non-childbearing men?

Well, there are other lies that have been taught to women as well. One of those being that women are somehow owed a "good man" simply by virtue of being a woman. Dalrock has addressed the problem of this attitude in many posts, but raises it most recently in a post entitled "It turns out they *both* want a tall man." The subject of the post is a short YouTube video ostensibly made by two women who travel to a different town to try and meet Mr. Right. They were unsuccessful. But as Dalrock notes, "[n]either of the two women give any indication in the nine and a half minute video that they understand they aren’t the only ones choosing, that they are being silently rejected by men just as they are silently ruling nearly all men out."

•  "9 Things I Consider When Prophets Disagree with My Politics"--Latter-Day Saint Philosopher. This is a good article that raises a point that I've brought up before: that in regard to commandments that we don't understand, we may not know, and may never know, why it was beneficial to us. The author writes, in part:

When we evaluate the teachings of God’s servants against our ideological worldview (whether it be liberalism, libertarianism, conservatism, or any other perspective), we risk elevating our own ideas over God Himself. In other words, the problem is not libertarianism, liberalism, conservatism, or any other belief system. The problem was with –isms entirely, when those –isms lead us to prioritize abstract ideas over ongoing revelation.

Where the author falls down, in my opinion, is applying this to the Church's recent statement issued in opposition to Proposition 2, which aims to legalize the use of medical marijuana in Utah. And the failure is because the Church's opposition rests, not on inspiration or revelation, but on a legal opinion that appears to be written by a first or second year associate attorney. The author apparently recognizes this weakness in his argument, because he explains:

 If the First Presidency’s reservations about Proposition 2 are inspired, I wouldn’t expect them to come with reasons attached. So it stands to reason that the Church must turn to knowledgeable third parties to supply those reasons, if it is to supply any reason at all. The arguments supplied by these third parties (Kirton McConkie, in this case) could be quite flawed, or even spectacularly wrong — and yet the reservations of the Church could still be divinely inspired. Even if I disagree with some of the arguments made by Kirton McConkie, it doesn’t change my opinion that the Church’s warning should be heeded.

As I pointed out in an earlier post, there are numerous flaws with the Kirton McConkie firm's legal memorandum. But, more tellingly to me, is that there is nothing in the Church's official statement that even suggests that the leaders relied on revelation or inspiration. Rather, the statement ends by suggesting that members read the memorandum and "make their own judgment." Well, I did as the Church instructed, and made my own judgment.

•  "How Brazilian Coyotes Get Their Customers Into America−It Starts With Bribing A Mexican"--V Dare. A Brazilian coyote gave an interview discussing the steps he takes to smuggle people into the United States. It starts with bribing immigration officials in Mexico, but the final step of smuggling people into the United States relies on information and cooperation of in the Unites States, including, possibly, those working with ICE (it specifically mentions getting information on when shelters for children were full or when guards changed along the border). The cost is about $20,000 to be smuggled. And, as the coyote explains: 

According to him, about ten percent of the Brazilians that hire his services are caught by the police. For these cases he's got a network of lawyers who try to release the person through bail while the judicial process runs its course. "Even if the person is deported in the end, there's enough time till the final decision for he or she to amass a good amount of money."

• "The Fundamental Question"--PA. The author notes the fundamental difference between the left and right in American politics: "... appeals to higher values and self-interest are foreign language to libs. There is no communication because we live in different worlds, like black-square and white-square bishops on the chessboard: proximate but never connecting. Namely, the Right follows Truth, the Left follows Power." And the fundamental question facing the republic, according to the author, is whether to increase or decrease immigration. I think it is too late for that question. Even if all immigration, legal and illegal, were stopped tomorrow, white Americans will be disenfranchised within the next one to two decades.

• Related: "Mexican national pleads guilty to illegal voting in Harris County"--Houston Chronicle. 
• Related: And from Florida: "‘This is Hialeah!’ Taco Bell employee refuses to help client [sic] who doesn’t speak Spanish"--Miami Herald.  

• "The long retreat"--Vox Day. He begins: "I always find Americans who insist that ethnic cleansing isn't possible to be amusingly clueless, considering how much of it took place there in the last century, from Detroit, where the blacks ethnically cleansed the whites, to Compton, where the Mexicans ethnically cleansed the blacks."
• "ISS hole saga's new twist: More drill scratches discovered on outside hull"--RT. The article indicates that the drill holes and scratches were found on a Russian built module, and the result of a negligent workman. I'd be looking really hard at the workman as a possible saboteur.
• "Heat Analysis of NOAA Data Suggests the US Is Not Seeing Increased Warming"--Watts Up With That. "The overall net temperature change is 0, which means the net change in heat content is also zero (ΔQ = ƒ{ΔT} = ƒ{0} = 0)."

September 15, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around The Web

"Night Vision vs Camouflage: Does camo still work under infrared light?"--The Social Regressive (10-1/2 min.). The author tests various camouflaged using an infra-red illuminator and viewing it through a night vision scope. Some of the items did not reflect the I.R. light any more than they would visible light, but others reflected I.R. light almost as well as a reflective vest. For instance, ACU camo is highly reflective of the I.R. light. The polyester clothing seemed to be more likely to reflect the I.R. light than cotton. 

• "Skills Check: Low-Capacity Reloading Drills"--Shooting Illustrated. The author observes:

When dealing with a fixed—often low—capacity magazine, a good rule to follow is: Load what you shoot. In practice this means topping off the magazine as part of your post-shooting sequence. Whether hunting or fighting, it’s a good idea to get the gun back to full capacity, as you need to be prepared for whatever may happen next.

The author also describes 4 simple drills for practicing shooting and loading on the go.

• "HOW TO CLEAN A RIFLE SCOPE"--Gun Goals. A key warning: "Keep in mind when cleaning your rifle scope that you do not want to use any solvents or rags that have gun cleaning solvents on them. These solvents can really do some damage to the coatings on the lenses, and also can dissolve the O-ring that seals the tube and makes the scope waterproof."
• "Cognitive Load: How Does This Affect our Shot Process?"--Primary and Secondary. This article may state the obvious--that the more you have to think about things when taking a shot, the slower you will be. But the author relates research backing it up. Also:

One thing that can reduce cognitive load when dealing with multiple required tasks, is to improve your single task performance. Brown and Bennett (2002)pointed out that ‘practice on a task leads to a shift in cognitive processing such that the task uses fewer attentional resources as various components of performance… become automatized.’ (p. 86)

• "Review: Browning 1911-380"--Ballistics By The Inch Blog. Other than the sights, the author liked the weapon. But, he warns, "this is NOT a pocket pistol. Still, anyone who may be recoil shy but still wants an adequate self-defense round should check out the 1911-380. It is small enough to conceal well, and follow-up shots are very quick and easy to control."
• "Ammo Review: Precision One Ammunition 90gr HP .380 ACP"--The Truth About Guns. The author relates:

Wound channels were deep and wide for a .380. The permanent wounds began at about 2” in the gel and displayed a cavity about 5” long and about .5-.6” wide. Combined with the great-for-caliber penetration, the load was capable of delivering excellent wounding results.

Penetration averaged 13 inches, even through heavy clothing.

• "Product Review: Field Expedient e-Readers"--Blue Collar Prepping. I know that there is a line of thought in the prepping community that printed books are the only way to go because they aren't impacted by power outages, EMPs, etc. However, physical books take up a lot of room and weigh a lot; they aren't things that, in large numbers, can be taken with you when hunting, camping, or, heaven forbid, if you have to bug out. On the other hand, tablets or e-readers are handy and can store hundreds or thousands of books, but most are fairly fragile. The author of this article reviews a couple more durable options for an e-reader: the Nintendo 3DS XL, which apparently can store books on an SD card; and a cheap smart phone, the Huawei Union.
• "Atibal XP6 mirage 1-6x FFP review"--The Firearm Blog. This seems to be one of several new, lower-priced, first focal plane scopes. These are preferable when using a bullet drop compensator because you can use the BDC at any magnification--on most second focal plane scopes, you have to set the scope at maximum magnification to use the BDC.
• "PTSD"--West Hunter. From an evolutionary perspective, the author claims, PTSD should not exist. As he points out:

Human history and prehistory is crammed with all kind of mayhem and trauma: infant mortality, infanticide, genocidal fights with neighboring tribes.  You routinely lost family and routinely killed enemies. Childbirth hurts a lot.  What’s the adaptive strategy, in all of these situations? ? Get over it.

Moreover, according to the author, there isn't any real documentation of soldiers in the ancient world--or even into the 19th Century for that matter--suffering from PTSD. This all changed beginning with WWI, the first war where exploding ordinance first played a major role. The author continues:

I would guess that what actually happened was a combination of people finding a way to avoid getting killed, and brain damage due to nearby explosions. After experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus football and boxing, people are thinking seriously about those explosions as a cause of PTSD.

• "Revisiting the 10 Yard Zeroing Target"--Kit Badger. Getting a quick and dirty 50/200 yard zero for your AR at 10 yards. Link to the target you need and a video on how to use are in the article.
• "TK Custom Moon Clips and Moon Clip Tools"--Revolver Guy. A review of the moon clips, and tools to load, and unload, such clips.
• "Hawaii appeals decision to allow guns in public"--Star Advertiser. It's not an appeal, but a motion for reconsideration. To appeal, they would have to file a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court.  

"Dalai Lama: FAR RIGHT Nationalist & Tibetan Supremacist"--Black Pigeon Speaks (7-1/2 min.). The Dalai Lama recently said that Europe is for Europeans, and that refugees should be sent home to rebuild their own countries. BPS comments.

• "No, The Fourteenth Amendment Does Not Authorize Birthright Citizenship"--The Federalist. The author explains:

        ... The fact that this amendment did not authorize birthright citizenship as it exists today is demonstrated further by the fact that Native Americans did not gain U.S. citizenship en masse when this amendment passed, in 1868, but 56 years later, with an act of Congress.

        Regardless of whether we should have birthright citizenship today or not, it is clear that the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment did not intend individuals not subject to the full and complete jurisdiction of the United States to be included as citizens. It is hard to believe that they would have accepted our modern conception of “birthright citizenship,” in which any person, regardless of whether they are in the country legally, and regardless of their parents’ citizenship, can claim U.S. citizenship.

        It is clear that individuals within the territory of the United States, under a tourist or student visa, or who have crossed the border illegally, are not under the full and complete jurisdiction of the United States, but are still under the jurisdiction, at least in part, of a foreign nation.

• "Immigrants in the U.S. States with the Fastest-Growing Foreign-Born Populations"--Migration Policy. "The foreign-born share of the U.S. population is at its highest level since 1910, with the approximately 44 million immigrants living in the United States representing 13.5 percent of the overall population. With U.S. fertility rates at a historic low, the Census Bureau projects that net international migration will be the main driver behind U.S. population growth between 2027 and 2038."
• "1-in-7 US residents are immigrants, 44.5 million, most ever"--Washington Examiner. From the article:

An analysis of the data by the Center for Immigration Studies said that there are 44.5 million legal and illegal immigrants in the country, the highest ever in U.S. history, with the most from Latin America. 

Also:

“American continues to experience the largest wave of mass immigration in our history. The decline in Mexican immigrants has been entirely offset by immigration from the rest of the world. By 2027, the immigrant share will hit its highest level in U.S. history, and continue to rise,” said Steven Camarota, the Center's director of research and co-author of the report.

• "A Half Century of Amnesia"--Steve Sailor at Taki's Magazine. Remarking on an essay by Ezra Klein, entitled "White Threat In A Browning America," Sailor writes:

Klein goes on to recount various small-scale academic studies that found that when researchers point out to white people how fast they are being demographically overwhelmed, they worry about it. Whites who are made aware by researchers of just how precarious their children’s long-term political position will be are likely to favor more conservative policies. It’s almost as if citizens assume that the point of the United States is, as the Preamble to the Constitution states, to benefit “ourselves and our posterity.”

So here, then, is what we know: Even gentle, unconscious exposure to reminders that America is diversifying—and particularly to the idea that America is becoming a majority-minority nation—pushes whites toward more conservative policy opinions and more support of the Republican Party.

In other words, white people become a problem for Democrats when they are made aware of the fate Democrats are plotting for them and theirs.

• "A Most Expected Backlash"--American Spectator. The author notes: "You can’t insult a group of people repeatedly, aggressively, the way the Left in its mob mentality insists upon doing to the majority of America and not expect consequences. Those will come. And in its rampant enthusiasm the Left has apparently decided to take a swing at some 60-plus percent of the population — a decent chunk of which has heretofore been sympathetic to its policies."

September 14, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Taurus Judge Part IV and Gun Fight Statistics Part II"--Paul Herrell (13 min.)

Herrell shoots a couple different types of "multi-projectile" (i.e. buckshot) through a Taurus Judge into his meat target, comparing the results versus a .357 Magnum revolver, and a standard 12 gauge shotgun ... and demonstrating why the Taurus Judge (and similar weapons) are not very good defensive weapons.

• TGIF: This week's Weekend Knowledge Dump from Active Response Training. Lot's of good articles, so go check it out.
• "PSA: Don’t Shoot 300BLK Out Of An AK47"--The Firearm Blog. No damage to the firearm, and no one was injured, but the case ruptured and jammed the weapon.
• "AR Accuracy Testing At 10,000 Rounds"--The Captain's Journal. This isn't cited as best practices, but Herschel directs our attention to an article in which the gun owner decided to not clean his barrel for 10,000 rounds, and tested the accuracy. Results? It didn't seem to make any difference--accuracy was still good.
• "Processing Wild Harvested Venison"--Aussie Hunter. Cleaning the carcase and breaking it down into usable cuts.
• An ode to the defensive shotgun: "RIOT GUNS"--Gabe Suarez. The roles for the police or defense shotgun:

• Close Range Urban Confrontations

• Facing Multiple Advancing Attackers

• Rapidly Evolving Situations Precluding traditional Marksmanship

• Limited Down Range Effect of Missed Shots

• Reduced Visibility Due To Atmospheric or Man Made Effects (smoke, fires, gas)

• Limited Penetration Through Mediums, Living or Static

• Increased Physical Damage from Hits

• Ability To Hit Massed targets With One Projectile

• ".308 Win. vs. 7.62 NATO: What's the Difference?"--Shooting Illustrated. 7.62 NATO has slightly thicker case walls to assist with ejection; the .308 Win. (especially in hunting loads) may be loaded to higher pressures which could damage a semiautomatic military style rifle. (You may remember about 10 years ago when there was a glut of Chilean 7.62x51 on the market, but there were warnings about using them in FALs or M1A1s because they could damage the weapons due to being higher pressure loadings).
• "Small indoor greenhouses let apartment dwellers grow veggies"--Associated Press. From the article:

       One of these indoor greenhouses — or automated growing systems, as they’re referred to — was created by six engineering students at Rice University. Aside from planting the seeds, the greenhouse does pretty much everything. It’s about the size of a small bookshelf and operates anywhere indoors.

       “We didn’t want it to take up too much space in an apartment,” said Harrison Lin, a student who worked on the project. He said they wanted to “make it not intrusive, but it could still grow a useful amount of plants.”

       There are push buttons on the device to designate how much light and water the plants get, and to determine the temperature inside it. If you’re feeling extremely hands-off, there are three pre-set options: leafy greens, roots and herbs. Select what you’re growing and go about your business.

• Flashback: "Active Shooter Response for the Armed Citizen"--Active Response Training. In this 2013 article, Greg Ellifritz addresses some of the statistics of these incidents--including that they are generally over before police arrive, so you will likely be on your own. He also discusses topics such as whether you should engage, and points out the weaknesses to certain types of firearms commonly carried for self-defense. But if you do decide to intervene, he has some pointers, including this one which I think is of paramount importance to the citizen responding to a shooting:

– How do I conceal my gun when working my way to the shooter?  If you don’t conceal it, you may be mistaken for the shooter by a cop or another CCW permit holder.  It’s difficult balancing the competing needs of staying low profile, yet ready at the same time.  In the Arizona shooting, one of the men who responded was armed.  When he heard the shots being fired, he unholstered his 9mm pistol, and put it in his pocket (with his hand still on it) as he made his way to confront the shooter.  That was a very smart move.  He had instant access to the gun, but no one else saw it.

• "Officials: Park employee falsely claimed she was hit by car, loses job"--Austin American Statesmen. Why you might want to take 911 calls with a bit of salt. The park employee was angry at a man that had made a wrong turn into the park entrance and was trying to turn around. She called 911 and started screaming into her phone that the driver was trying to kill her and was running her over. Fortunately, the driver had also recorded the encounter, so he was quickly cleared of any wrongdoing.
• You may have heard of the recent shooting of a black man, Botham Shem Jean, in his Dallas apartment, by police officer Amber Guyger. David French calls it the worst police shooting yet. Guyger contends that she entered Jean's apartment, which is one floor below hers, by mistake thinking it was her own apartment. Supposedly she put her key in the lock and pushed the door open. Confronted by a Jean, whom she believed to be a burglar and who refused to follow her instructions, she shot him in self-defense. Except that facts are beginning to pop up that don't jive with her story. For one thing, "One witness reported hearing a woman yelling, 'Let me in! Let me in!' before the gunshots and a man’s voice saying, 'Oh my God. Why did you do that?' after them." Some other inconsistent facts are that the doors are designed like fire-doors, and automatically close and latch, a red light will flash if the wrong key is inserted into the lock, and the apartment numbers are next to the door and lit up. Also, "Guyger had made noise complaints about Jean, 26, to the building management in the days before his death."
• "Is it Stupid to Train on a Body Opponent Bag (BOB)?"--The Martialist. The author says "No." He explains:

       Put simply, there is no such thing as full-contact training. Training always involves a level of simulation — even that which we call “full contact.” You may have used the phrase before; I know I have. But if we look at the letter of the meaning of the term, it is impossible. A truly full-contact sparring session isn’t sparring at all; it’s fighting another person with the intent to do them serious harm. The only full-contact fight simulation that actually fully replicates full contact is… well, getting into a fight with someone.

      Recognizing this, students of combatives — of reality-based self-defense, and of expedient, realistic self-defense methods — have long relied on Body Opponent Bags, or B.O.B.s. The term has come to be a catch-all for any torso-shaped punching apparatus. The idea is that you can better target your techniques on a freestanding torso dummy than you can a heavy bag. Both allow you to hit as hard as you are able without injuring yourself, yet the BOB lets you better visualize your attacks and their effects.

While it is true that it isn't completely realistic--the bag can't hit back--it does allow you to practice full power strikes. And training full power strikes against a living partner is also unrealistic--it simply can't be done without an unacceptable level of risk, as the author discusses. 

        Although the article discusses striking, I would note that even ground fighting requires you to hold back. I remember training some maneuver that ended up with the guy on top being thrown to one side and his arm being placed in a lock. It was my first time learning the technique, but I was partnered up with someone who was already experienced with it. We started ... and suddenly I was on my back and my arm was in the lock and the suddenness so surprised me that I was a bit slow to tap out. Fortunately, nothing was broken, but I sure let out a yell! 

• "One killed and 12 injured after 60 properties EXPLODE in flames across three Boston suburbs in unexplained gas main meltdown - with families evacuated from hundreds of unsafe homes overnight"--Daily Mail. Electricity was shut down in three towns in an attempt to prevent more explosions and fires.
• "LESSONS FROM THE WINTER WAR: FROZEN GRIT AND FINLAND’S FABIAN DEFENSE"--War On The Rocks. Some interesting background on the war before focusing on the hit and run tactics used against the Soviets:

        The Finns proved singularly adept at leveraging their homeland’s harsh environmental conditions and geography in the course of their struggle for national survival. Finnish troops were nearly all highly experienced skiers and possessed a degree of mobility Soviet soldiers could not match. Silently gliding out of pine forests, bedecked in snow capes often haphazardly assembled from bed linens, Finnish ski troopers continuously surprised, circumvented, and harassed their beleaguered opponents. Despite the earlier warnings of a few isolated voices within the Soviet Commissariat of Defense, the Russian and Ukrainian soldiers catapulted by their thousands into the frozen taiga had received little to no arctic training. Few could effectively use snow shoes, let alone ski. Easily detectable in their khaki uniforms, countless Soviet troops vanished into the frozen wilderness, never to be seen again. When reading about the truly astonishing levels of attrition at the hands of ski troopers, one is reminded of the maneuverability “overmatch” Mongol horse archers enjoyed over their foes for much of the 13th century.

        Perhaps some of the most useful insights into this unique way of war can be gleaned by perusing the writings of Finnish veterans later recruited as winter warfare advisors for the U.S. Army. In their view, it was not sufficient to adapt to a harsh geography. Rather, the goal should to develop new forms of operational art that enable one to leverage that same geography against an ill-adapted foe. ... With much of the landscape blanketed under heavy layers of snow, ski troopers could afford to explore multiple axes of approach, whereas Soviet infantry and armored units were confined to narrow forest roads and logged tracks.

Read the whole thing. A couple other good articles are "Got Sisu? Essential Guerrilla Tactics from the Finnish Winter War" at The Art of Manliness, and "Finnish 'by the book' tactics in the Winter War."

• "Perfect is the Enemy of Good Enough and Problem Admiration"--Total Survivalist Blog. Key point: "Finding the perfect answer isn't realistic. There are inherently compromises which must be made. We have to find the best answer that we can. This means looking at where we are willing to cut corners or accept risk."

"Serena Williams: Victim of Sexism or Sore Loser?"--America Uncovered (9 min.)

Williams suffers from what I term "black privilege" which means that you are not allowed to criticize her and, if you do, she is allowed to retaliate by physically threatening you and calling you a racist. There is a similar female privilege as well. You can see something similar occurring in this story, "WATCH: Cheerleader Pummels Girl Who Challenges Her to a Fistfight," from Breitbart where an angry black woman gets into an exchange of words with a young white woman (the cheerleader) and resorts to physical violence to win her argument.

• The ghost of Chief Justice Warren Burger: "The Second Amendment is a Fraud"--The Truth About Guns. The article notes that Burger once stated that the claim of an individual right to own firearms is “one of the greatest pieces of fraud — I repeat the word ‘fraud’ — on the American public by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime.” Burger, as you may remember, also championed the practice of treating the U.S. Constitution, not as law, but as more of a guide or list of suggestions (i.e., "lode star").
• "Dysgenics and Low Creativity: Why China Can’t Save Civilization"--Unz Report. Intelligence isn't the only inheritable trait needed for a technological advanced civilization, but also a spark of creativity and originality. The majority of the article describes that, just like the West, mean IQ has been dropping in China, likely due to the "Ideocracy" effect--the more intelligent men and women (especially women) having few or no children, while the non-Han minorities are having a relatively larger number of lower IQ children. But there is more (there is always more):

       This decline is made all the more perilous due to research, led by a Japanese psychologist called Kenya Kura, which has shown that Northeast Asians are genetically less intellectually creative than Europeans. [Why do Northeast Asians Win So Few Nobel Prizes?, By Kenya Kura et al., Comprehensive Psychology, 4: 2015] Northeast Asians, compared to Europeans, have higher gene frequencies of polymorphisms which make people collectivist, socially anxious, and fearful of anything novel. Kura and his team argue that this is adaptation to a particular ecology, where it is vital to stay in a tightly-bonded group.

       However, they note that scientific innovators tend to combine very high IQ with an optimally low level of collectivism, low social anxiety and low fearfulness of the new. In other words, they have high “Openness-Intellect”, as psychologists term this trait. This psychological profile means that they can think outside the box and don’t care about the offence to vested interests which their new idea will almost certainly result in.

       This is why, maintains Kura, it is the West that generated the Industrial Revolution, rather than more intelligent Northeast Asians. The West is indeed the Goldilocks Zone for genius.

• How scientific consensus is actually formed: "Academic Activists Send a Published Paper Down the Memory Hole"--Quillette. The paper looked at the well-documented difference between males and females where the male cohort is more likely to produce members of both the highest IQ and the lowest IQ when compared to females (basically, you can think of two graphs of male and female IQ over the same mean, but the male curve is slightly flattened and protrudes slightly past the female curve on both ends of the curve). The paper was attempting to address how this could have arisen. But after it was accepted for publication and pre-print posted online, SJWs started to complain and the acceptance was withdrawn. These same SJWs further defamed the author in order to keep his paper from being accepted by any other journal.
• More support for Red Pill philosophy: "'It's none of his business who I date!' Single mother admits her children's dad has NO idea she's supplementing her income by getting wealthy SUGAR DADDIES to pay half of her bills"--Daily Mail. A couple telling remarks:

       'I decided if I was going to date again, then I might as well start looking for someone already well enough off that I could eliminate that stress,' she explained. 

       Ashley still works full-time, but she said the extra financial support allows her to do more for herself and her children.

       The mom estimates that half of her income — including gifts and bills that have been paid for her — comes from being a sugar baby. 

And, most damning, in my opinion:

       Ashley hopes that being a sugar baby will help her find Mr. Right, but if it doesn't, it isn't something she plans on doing forever.   

       'I will only do it till I'm able to go back to school and find a job that will pay enough to make it in this world by myself with my kids,' she explained. 

In other words, she is just stringing the guy along for as long as he is willing to support her. This is one of the reasons that the number one cardinal rule of dating is to never date a single mother.

• The Deep State in action: "John Kerry Admits He’s Secretly Working With Iran To Salvage Iran Deal"--Victory Girls Blog. Sounds like a Logan Act violation to me.
• The insanity of the left: "Hambach Forest: Battleground for climate action"--DW. The Hambach Forest covers a large coal deposit that Germany companies would like to exploit, but which is opposed by environmentalists. Why is Germany--which supposedly was going to go "green"--needing new sources of coal? Because the environmentalists convinced the government to shutter all of its nuclear power plants.
• The headline says it all: "National Data | August Jobs: Native-born Lose, Immigrant Workers Take All—And Illegal Infiltration Surges."--VDare.
• My LDS readers might appreciate this one: "Genetic links to Siberian and Eastern Asian horses found in wild herd in North Dakota"--Horse Talk. Although the article discusses different mechanisms by which the genes might have wound up in the North Dakotan herd, the obvious implication is that horses were not hunted to extinction in North America by early human hunters.