Another victim of wokeness

 

Notre Dame is Burning

The Cathedral of Notre Dame is burning.




Notre Dame Cathedral fire: Flames break out in historic church tower in Paris, France - CBS News

I'm surprised...

...that President Trump hasn't been touting the wisdom of Robert Frost...

On This Date...

...in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln stood up in Gettysburg, PA, and delivered what may be the greatest oration in American history:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Ironic to consider that it wasn't even supposed to be "the main event", which was supposed to be The Honorable Edward Everett's two hour long "Gettysburg Oration". The lesson there for public speakers is obvious.

Readers Notes -- Geography is Destiny

In comments to my previous notes I mentioned that reader Arthur's comments provided me with a segue to my next post. Which this is.

I believe I saw Tim Marshall's book Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (Amazon link) linked in an Instapundit post.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that has studied military tactics that geography has a controlling factor on what you do, and how you do it. It therefore follows that geography has an impact on your application of Operational Art, and of your strategy, not to mention of what used to be referred to a your "Grand Strategy", but in this less-poetically inclined age we simply refer to as "Foreign Policy"; in other words, "geo-politics" is more than just a word.

British journalist Tim Marshall attempts in this book to lay out the geographic causes behind how nations have developed, and fallen.  As the sub-title says, he lays out 10 maps of significant nations or regions to be studied, one chapter each. This analysis addresses current issues in international geopolitics as well as "how we got here."

He starts with China, then moves on to Russia and the USA; he then looks at regions: Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, the Indian sub-continent, northeast Asia, and finally, the Arctic.

He describes, for example, how geography (including climate, topography and hydrology) impacted the development of Mexico as contrasted to the United States.

There are few earth-shattering (heh) revelations here for the student of history, especially of military history, at least, not when examining well-studied eras and campaigns. But few westerners have an appreciation of how, for example, African geography constrained the development of civilizations and societies beyond the tribal/village level, and even now prevents most nations there from taking full advantage of the potential available to them.

So I believe that this book will have some useful information to anyone, and might serve as a primer for students with an interest in why nations make the decisions they do, but it is far from an in-depth study.

I will note, on the other hand, that at a certain level it is typical of books that address current events in that in only 3 years, some (much?) of the commentary is already obsolete. For example, he mentions that Obama's Iran deal has dissolved fears of an Iranian nuclear attack.

On the gripping hand, I did see some examples where the author's reasoning was a bit, well, facile. As an American, I am used to the subtle sneers and jibes of Europeans who shrug off anything we do in a sort of  "Well, you know, Americans. AmIright?" way. But Marshal spends a lot of time explaining why Mexico did not grow into the socio-economic powerhouse that the USA did, implying that the United States sort of fell into the jackpot, easily and undeservedly, while poor Mexico got stuck with the North American booby prize.

But the only reason Mexico did not inherit an empire that covered all of North America is that the Spanish Empire's interest in the New World was primarily as a source for the gold that would allow Spain to conquer and maintain a European empire: All that gold was pissed away in the Netherlands, the English Channel, and Italy.

Consider an alternate universe, where Spain saw the Great Plains as an opportunity for colonization for more than just extractive reasons. Where Spanish trappers paid Native Americans for furs, instead of complaining impotently while gringos took them directly, trapping the mountains almost bare of beaver in the process. Where instead of inviting American settlement in Texas as a buffer between Mexico and Comancheria, Spain found loyal subjects who would take on that challenge. But Spain didn't find any subjects who were interested in settling on the frontier, they were interested either in milking the New World for all they could get, or in converting the natives -- and it is questionable just how serious they were about saving native souls.

Whereas Americans were not just interested in settling on the frontier, they were downright insistent that they had a right to and would do so even when their own government said they didn't and couldn't. And, oh by the way, it wasn't all that easy. Europeans, amiright?

In other words, while geography shapes strategy and policy, so does culture. Geography also has an impact on culture, but culture has an impact beyond just "a people who arise in such-and-such terrain will be characterized thus-and-so."

Having spotted these issues in the chapter on the United States, I couldn't help wonder if I was missing similar issues in the other chapters.

Mind you, I'm not saying it ruined the book for me; far from it. The analyses of how geography has and will continue to impact national-level policy and strategy were, IMHO, spot on.

So this book is recommended, just be prepared for an occasional jolt as you think "Did he really write that?" or "THAT statement didn't age well!"


Here is the Amazon blurb:

Maps have a mysterious hold over us. Whether ancient, crumbling parchments or generated by Google, maps tell us things we want to know, not only about our current location or where we are going but about the world in general. And yet, when it comes to geo-politics, much of what we are told is generated by analysts and other experts who have neglected to refer to a map of the place in question.

All leaders of nations are constrained by geography. In “one of the best books about geopolitics” (The Evening Standard), now updated to include 2016 geopolitical developments, journalist Tim Marshall examines Russia, China, the US, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Japan, Korea, and Greenland and the Arctic—their weather, seas, mountains, rivers, deserts, and borders—to provide a context often missing from our political reportage: how the physical characteristics of these countries affect their strengths and vulnerabilities and the decisions made by their leaders.

Offering “a fresh way of looking at maps” (The New York Times Book Review), Marshall explains the complex geo-political strategies that shape the globe. Why is Putin so obsessed with Crimea? Why was the US destined to become a global superpower? Why does China’s power base continue to expand? Why is Tibet destined to lose its autonomy? Why will Europe never be united? The answers are geographical. “In an ever more complex, chaotic, and interlinked world, Prisoners of Geography is a concise and useful primer on geopolitics” (Newsweek) and a critical guide to one of the major determining factors in world affairs.

Chain Migration, an observation

The excellent Powerline blog has a piece up today entitled Port Authority Bombing Puts Spotlight on Chain Migration | Power Line.

The comments system there requires that one log in with Facebook, and I've pointed out before that I will not attempt to log into my Facebook account as long as Facebook insists that I send them scans of government issued ID, so here's my observation:

Hey, now, every Detroiter knows Greek chain migration gets you Coney Island stands and excellent family restaurants!

I would further point out that a hundred years ago chain migration of people from Mediterranean and Eastern European nations was a Concern, leading to, among other things, New York's Sullivan Act.

I don't actually know that chain migration, per se, is a significant factor in terrorist attacks that have occurred in America.

On the other hand, there have certainly been several terrorist attacks perpetrated by immigrants, so maybe someone ought to look into that...

...as I am sure they are. (Based on White House comments shared in that Powerline post.)

Really, evaluating someone for immigration  should rely on a bit more than just "My third cousin twice removed is living in Dearborn."

The history geek in me wants to make a Leon Czolgosz (or maybe Vito Corleone) joke, but the fact that Czolgosz was native born kind of ruins it. (The rest of the family was born in Poland.)

Clearly...

"Socialist Worker Peasant's Paradise" ≠ "Paradise".

This is why American tourists don’t want to travel to Cuba - MarketWatch

Indeed, the initial excitement about the formerly closed off country gave way to moral dilemmas over food shortages and other problems caused by tourism, as well as disappointment over limited working internet, lower hotel standards, and lack of running water there. The Allianz study found lack of travel infrastructure was a major cause of anxiety about traveling to Cuba for 13% of Americans.

The slide in demand has led a number of airlines to reduce or completely eliminate flights to the country...

Sumers suggested confusion over the approved reasons to go to Cuba is keeping the average American visitor away still. As of May 2017, visitors to the country have to select one of 12 categories for their visit, which include religious activities, humanitarian projects, “support for the Cuban people,” and journalistic activities. “You can’t go to Cuba to sit on the beach and have fun and that’s what Americans like to do on vacation,” he said. “Cuba is a bit of an outlier still — it is not easy to visit and for a lot of people it’s still a pain. You have to really want to go there.”

...

Cuba has a long way to go before it’s suitable for many high-maintenance American tourists. “This will come with certain expectations: Americans expect that cell phones will work, credit cards will work, and that access to internet won’t be limited,” ...

(Emphasis added.)

So, let me get this straight, you want my money, in exchange for not letting me do what I like to do on vacation? And you can't (or won't) let me stay in touch with the folks back home?

I talked the other day with a co-worker about a recent (Trans-Panama Canal) cruise she went on, and she's already excited about the Cuba cruise she is planning to sign on for: "Just waiting for a bargain rate." A cruise may be the way to do that, since you are not reliant on the "tourism infrastructure",  although it sounds like the Cubans are very insistent about the excursions allowed. (I.e., you have to go on their excursions. But then, it's a Socialist Worker Peasant's paradise, what other excursions are there...?)

I had heard that Cuba was a popular destination for Canadians and Europeans who wanted fun in the sun sans Yankees. Now I'm wondering if that was exaggerated.

Making America America

So, if you don't have the time to read James Webb's excellent little book Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America*, Joe Bob Briggs offers the TL;DR version here: A Brief History of the Redneck - Taki's Magazine Being Joe Bob of course, his version is, well, funnier.

I like to speculate about what things would look like today if James Webb had won the Democratic nomination for President.  Frankly, when he wasn't looking,American politics shifted and he would now fully qualify as "sometimes a RINO" if he changed parties.





*Because "executive summary" somehow just doesn't apply to Joe Bob Briggs writing about rednecks...

Mean To Be Nice

This post at Instapundit led me to this article: The Real Motivation Behind the Left’s "Niceness" - Acculturated

It might be difficult to believe in the wake of the recent election, but if there is a guiding principle to today’s left-leaning bourgeoisie, it is niceness. The votes of this group depend largely on which party is seen as being nicer to those most in need. Being nice to minorities, women, the disabled, gay people, poor people and illegal immigrants is of paramount importance.

But what if niceness is not just vague but destructive? What if niceness is just an excuse for selfishness? What if being nice to groups seen as marginalized is actually hurting them?

These thoughts arise from an argument made by Peter Augustine Lawler, a professor of government at Berry College, in the new edition of National Affairs. Lawler sees the Donald Trump-Hillary Clinton contest as in large part a tale of the brutish against the nice. Many a Clinton voter would enthusiastically agree. But while the dangers of brutish thinking are obvious, Lawler points out that there is also good reason for niceness to be rejected by Americans in large parts of the country.

Niceness isn’t really a virtue, Lawler says. It’s more of a cop-out, a moral shrug. “A nice person won’t fight for you,” he points out. “A nice person isn’t animated by love or honor or God. Niceness, if you think about it, is the most selfish of virtues, one, as Tocqueville noticed, rooted in a deep indifference to the well-being of others.” Trump’s lack of niceness, so horrifying to Clinton voters, registered to his acolytes as a willingness to fight for what’s good, particularly American jobs and American culture.

The "nice" person may not be declining to express an opinion because of a reluctance to offend.

His reluctance to take a side may not in fact be because he is trying to see all sides.

Maybe he just doesn't give a shit.

Now I'm debating getting a t-shirt that says "Asshole because I care."

At The Fair

One of our first dates (26 years ago!) was going to The Western Washington Fair. Later it was simply called "The Puyallup Fair", for where the Western Washington Fairgrounds are. (This is also where the Washington Arms Collectors have most of their gun shows.) Now it has changed its name again, claiming to be The Washington State Fair.

Whatever.

So, there you are, taking you 900 pound pumpkin to the fair,
thinking you've got it made,
and some guy shows up with an 1100 pound gourd.
And then some other guy shows up with one that weighs 1300 pounds...

The worlds biggest kohlrabi...

Which was spawning.

Hooray for hops!

Honorable tree-san.

Somebody gave the bacon beast a perm!

Hippie cow.
(Actually a Tibetan Yak.)

Horny cow.
("The Watusi Cow has such large horns as a cooling mechanism...
blood circulates through them and cools off...")

Once again ran into Daddy Bear at the Fair.

Did not have scones, which are a standard, at least here. Was supposed to meet a colleague from work, but a minor crisis led to our arriving late enough that she and her husband had already left, so  that beer will have to wait. (Then again, this year all the beer gardens, pubs, and the like are posted "No Minors", which sign on an establishment serving alcohol in this state also means "No licensed firearms.")

Didn't see any rodeo events, and missed the draft horses. 

Did stop and chat with the techs who sold us our orthotics, though, and Mrs. Drang had hers adjusted. Mine are OK. Picked up some honey, passed on the fudge as we still have some in the fridge from the spring.

Passed on taunting the democrats in their booth. Didn't see where the Libertarian Party was set up this year, not sure if I would have been able to resist the urge ask WTF they were thinking?!

Walked until our feet were killing us. Came home.

Earworm, 08/30/2016

Earworms tend to run from mildly pleasant through irritating to madding.

Those that you are actually glad to be infected with are few and far between.

Those that arise from a commercial, well...

Tamara embeds a unicorn in Commercial Art.  Had it stuck in my head all day. Not complaining, and I doubt those I shared it with are, either.

Here's the full song, with lyrics:

Lyrics with translation here: Non, je ne regrette rien lyrics + English translation (Version #7) | Édith Piaf (There are 14 different translations, in differing degrees of literal vs idiomatic.)

Looking at that last verse, I am imagining Edith signing it as Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner got back together yesterday...

Quintana Roo, April 2016

Another Mexican Photo Post, most of the pics are after the break. (All photos copyright D.W. Drang and the Cluemeter.)

So, all-inclusive resorts are pretty cool,the food was pretty good, just wander up to the beach bar and grab a mojito.  Or, you know, the staff comes by and brings you one in your cabana.

We were staying at a place just south of Puerto Morelos, which is between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (AKA the Great Mayan Reef) is just offshore; we were told repeatedly that Jacques Cousteau had called it the second best SCUBA Diving and snorkeling spot in the world.

We made plans to visit Chichen Itza, but the morning we were supposed to go we had some medical problems and so did not. Guess we'll have to go back. There are other Mayan sites as well. Didn't do any of those, either. Maybe if/when we go back...

"Look, honey, there's a cabana right outside our room!"
Turns out you can get sunburned while lying in your cabana drinking your mojito.

A Petition for Parliament

I'm guessing you need to be, you know, a Crown subject in the UK for your signature to be legit: Make self defence a legitimate reason to own a firearms licence - Petitions

In the meantime, SayUncle points us to this: Gun lobby stirs to life in Europe – POLITICO.

JM having more fun than is probably allowed...

Jerry Miculek takes a look at the new Nintendo Zapper-style Glock:

I never did Nintendo or any of the other gaming consoles, but this stuff is still so much a part of pop culture it's pretty hard not to snicker when you see these.

(Seen here, with much more discussion.)

Farewell to Facebook

or: Goodbye to all that.

Drang's Statement of Principles

Those of you who have been following these scribblings may recall seeing last June that I posted a post called Attention, Facebook Friends!, in which I explained that Facebook was telling me that, in order to access my account there, I would have to provide them with scans of government issued photo ID, or certain acceptable alternatives.

I used that post to tell Facebook what it could do with that idea.

Facebook is a private firm, it can set the requirements for use of it's services at whatever they want to.  The thing to remember is that, as Chris Byrne says,

If you're not paying for the product you ARE the product.

It's free, they make a shit-ton of money off of advertising and selling the members information.

I get it.

I also know that my business is my business.

Among other things I see people at work get all worked up about so-and-so said this or did that. I don't want those loons looking me up and sending me friends requests.

I've also heard too many accounts of those oh-so-tolerant, freedom loving clowns on the left "doxing" someone for something that was said on the Internet; while I have no illusions that this account could not be traced back to me, I want to make it as hard as possible.

(Note that the first purpose listed in that Wiki article for "doxing" is to "aid law enforcement", which is a crock; it's usually some commie posting the address of someone who has the temerity to disagree with them...)

And, I dunno, maybe my background as a Secret Squirrel/MI Geek had something to do with it.

Now when I set that account up I honestly don't remember seeing something that said "Account must be in your legal name", although I was vaguely aware that that was the policy. Maybe I didn't look hard enough. Maybe I ass-you-me'd that a well-established Internet presence, including a moderately successful blog, would count. I dunno.

I don't care.

It's hard enough maintaining Personal Security in the modern age as it is, I am just not comfortable with the idea of handing over copies of ID to some faceless strangers. Barn-door late, of course, considering that my own government hired a bunch of ChiComs to set up the Personnel Database, and now Beijing has access to my and my wife's data, but just because the horse is gone is no reason to open the pig pen up, too, to coin a phrase.

(So, Zuckerburg goes jogging in Beijing to prove it's not all that unhealthy in an effort to get the Chinese to open up to Facebook...
(Seeking Access to Facebook in China, Zuckerberg Courts Risks - The New York Times)

So last week I clicked on a link to an article that someone posted to their Facebook page, and while there just for shits and giggles I clicked on the "Log In" button, and it worked. Cool.

It was cool because, in the 9 months or so since I lost access, a bunch of people have migrated away from other venues where I could interact with them regularly, and were hanging out on Facebook. I didn't even notice it, because I could just go to Facebook and talk to Tam about her latest blog post, for example, or hang out with The Cool Kids in a Facebook Group. Since I'd never even been invited to be one of the Cool Kids before, it was... Cool.

But.

My business is my business.

My information is my information, my identity is my business, and if I tell you my name is "D.W. Drang", you can damned well like it or leave it.

Yes, I'm aware of the irony, considering that Facebook is telling me "All your data are belong to us, like it or leave it."

When I was able to get back in I thought perhaps they had relaxed the policy a bit. Maybe I could have the account in my legal name and have that private, all anyone would see would be my "nickname."

Nope.  You can have a nickname, but it will be displayed right next to your legal name.

And, yes, I can make a Facebook page for the blog, but it must be associated with a legal name, which will be visible to anyone looking at the blog's page. they said I have until March 22^nd to send them the goods.

UPDATE: And I forgot to mention that, when I got back in last week, Facebook said I have until March 22^nd to upload the goods.

So, no.

Repeat after me:

My business is my business.

My information is my business.

My identity is my business.

Fun Show! Plus bonus Fashion Show!

This post was update multiple times during the gun show today, using Mobile Blogger on my cell phone. As noted below, I have updated it with corrections, comments, and additional information.

 ***

So, here we are, bought a kitchen knife, ordered 2 holsters for the new Sigs, and the Ladies' Concealed Carry Fashion Show is about to start!

I'll try and update as we go along...

*And, yes, there are more women than men in this corner of the hall. Ages run from barely old enough to buy a gun, through "of a certain age", and on up.

Update 1: There's a guy with a video camera. The camera has ESPN stickers...
Correction: Not ESPN. STSPN?  (I'll keep an eye on this page and share any video they put up.)

Update 2: Hosted/sponsored by www.the22connection.com. EmCee is Ms Sturlaugson, not sure which one... Started out as a firearms safety/marksmanship program for youngsters, but Moms kept expressing interest...

Update 3: Noted that they aren't selling the products, just demonstrating them. Also, the models are not professionals, but friends and employees, all of whom carry daily.

The first 3 products are by UnderTech; leggings,  undershirt, belly band. Look secure, but re-holstering may be issue.
After the show many of the garments were put out for display. 
Mrs. Drang said the gundershirt (so to speak) seemed to be made from a light enough material it would be comfortable, but you would obviously still need a cover garment. They did not have a pair of the leggings, so no opinion; comment was made that they ned to be as comfoy as, but better built than, standard yoga pants. 
Mrs. Drang said the belly band as worn looked like it would work. My concerns with soft holsters in general is that re-holstering may be difficult if not impossible, security/retention is a concern, and that the material may be soft enough not to protect the trigger enough to prevent an accidental/negligent discharge.

Update 4 is a Crossbreed belly band. This one can be used with a regular holster, which eliminates some of my concerns. Mrs. Drang is concerned about velcro fasteners.

Purses. Off body carry sucks, JMHO.
The problem with off-body carry -- purses, murse, turse, backpack, etc. -- is security of the carrier, that they need to be in a compartment designed for just that (to prevent fumbling to find the gun when needed),  and, again, it needs to be in a holster that will protect the trigger.

Update 5: Noted that all products are new, and while the models carry, they may not be familiar with a specific product.

Update 6: Stealth Gear clip holster for LCP, worn appendix. Model easily re-holstered pistol.

Next was a locally-made custom shoulder holster, but I failed to note the maker.
After the show, Mrs. Drang and I discussed the drawbacks of shoulder holsters. They may take considerably more wardrobe considerations than other method of carry, and are often banned at ranges, as it is pretty much impossible to draw from one without muzzle sweeping yourself and others. The military uses them mostly as chest holsters, and for convenience, not concealment.

More purses, these by Gun Totin' Mamas.

Update 7: Another GTM purse. Neither are on market yet.

"Under The Gun" vest, with many pockets and holsters.
The kind of folks who read this blog are likely to be more familiar with this firm as UTG, subsidiary of Leapers, purveyors of airsoft type of gear. Maybe I'm being unfair, but I tend to assume this gear is not exactly made for hard use. OTOH, Mrs. Drang examined this after the show, and said it seemed very well made. It certainly didn't look like a tactical vest, nor like a photojournalist/"shoot me first"/IDPA vest.

12-6 company purses, hand made.

I'll update as possible afterwards, names, links. {Done.}

Update 8: Hiding Hilda. Purses, etc. Also a purveyor of jewelry.
From the owner's web site:

The story behind HidingHilda…. I had a stalker beginning in October of 2006, he was finally convicted to 2 felony counts of Stalking in March of 2012, Sentenced to 10 years. He served 3 of his 10 years obtaining college degrees and was released in April 2015 – with no notice.  In November 2015, he violated his parole and returned to prison and is currently awaiting his hearing.  Thank God I didn’t procrastinate.  He wasn’t supposed to be eligible for parole until Feb of 2017 – imagine my surprise when he was released… But I digress…

While going through the ordeal I hid out for 2 years, everything was under HidingHilda. Hiding – what I was doing at the time, and Hilda – my log in at work… Hillyer, Dawn. And now, although I have several carry options – Hilda is my go to – the name of my Glock 380. HidingHilda is part of who I am.

I get calls from all over the country from people who are being Stalked and can’t find help, this is how you to protect yourself. Protective Orders are a piece of paper, and the Police can’t be there to protect you all the time.

Mossy Oak sent some fashionable camouflage clothing for the lady hunters.

Update 9: Silver State Apparel Concealed Carry Shirt. Pockets built into shirt, drapes naturally. Not sure how it carrys.
Mrs Drang was quite taken with these designs. I am not that crazy about them, I had a 5.11 jeans jacket with their holster system, and when I put a gun in the holster it sagged and printed badly. YMMV, especially if you are not trying to conceal a 1911... 
{Update to the update: Silver State Apparel is in Reno, and thus IMHO should be contacted about Gun Blogger Rendezvous.}

Update 10: Blade Tech holsters. Of course, they're just up the road from here.
Many of the folks in the audience seemed very impressed that a lady dressed fashionably could conceal a full-sized pistol -- including a Glock 17 -- in a belt holster.  

Update 11: Good point: Some of these holsters work without a belt...
I have an inexpensive hybrid holster for a Keltec PF9 that I can wear clipped directly to the waistband of my trousers. Again, this may not work as well with a full sized and weight pistol.

King (?) universal holster worn SOB.
Neither of us took any further notes on this, so I cannot identify the manufacturer any further. Sorry.
Part of the point behind this was that different carry techniques work for different body types.
As for Small of Back carry, I feel that it is asking for damage to the base of the spine and the pelvis...

 Dee Pelkey of Foxes & Firearms talked a bit about firearms training and come other information.

***

Show was co-sponsored  by Axelson Tactical, LLC.

In Conclusion:

While I did not necessarily think all the items demonstrated were the best options for concealed carry, I do feel that it was a valuable event, and did some good. As a community, I think those of us who are in positions to influence the public's decisions about what to carry and how have to recognize that to newcomers to the gun culture, simply buying the gun itself is a major decision, and things like holsters, belts, extra magazines, etc. rarely enter into the decision process. While we have an obligation to try and educate them about why a particular style of holster is superior to others, we need to do so in a manner that will lead them to make the decision for themselves.

Before this event started, Mrs. Drang was speaking  to another women who commented that she had a gun.. Her husband had bought it for her. She hadn't known he was going to do it, and hadn't wanted him to get her a gun for her birthday. It sat in a box for 7 months before she touched it. He had just now decided what kind of "bullets" to load it with. (Pretty sure he's described in here, somewhere...) Never found out whether she had ever fired it, let alone taken a class, had any idea how to carry it, I didn't want to ask, lest I have to go find her husband and tell him what an ass he is...

Anyway. I hope this other lady stayed through the show, and got some ideas about carry that will inform her decision making process more than just her husband saying "This is what you ought to do." I try to avoid doing that beyone saying "here are your options, and what I think of them."

WAC and 22 Connection are looking at doing these quarterly, which may 

1. Help more folks carry responsibly
2. Bring in more variety and options

Observations:

• This was the first time, it could be more polished. No big deal, but being able to speak into a mic so that you are audible is not intuitive, and may need practice.
• According to the advertisement all the "guns" used were simulated, but they were all black. Blue Guns (or Red, or Yellow) would be better so that it was obvious that they were not real, and also may be make it easier to see details of carry techniques. Black simulated gun against black leggings...
• The stage was a short platform at the front of the space used; Mrs. Drang made the observation that it would have been better to use a "thruster" or catwalk, so that more folks in the audience could see details. I think I heard Dave workman say something about that, too.

Towards A Taxonomy of Some Types of the Gun Culture

 I've been thinking, or maybe over-thinking, about this for a while as you might suspect...
And I may or may not have displayed some of these behaviors at one time or another...

@Copyright 2016, D.W. Drang and The Cluemeter.

***

Towards A Taxonomy of Some Types of the Gun Culture
Fudd: Primary interest is in killing things (animate or inanimate) for sport, preferably using a gun made of blued steel and wood. Little interest in politics, beyond the politics of his/her preferred game animal.

Gun Store Commando: Often also encountered at gun shows, rarely seen at the range. Has no compunctions about sharing information, which is frequently inaccurate, and usually based on what he read somewhere or something someone he knows or knew claimed happened far, far away. Unless it is merely opinion or prejudice, ditto what he read somewhere, etc., etc.
Fond of "sound bites" like "They all fall to hardball", "God made man, Sam Colt made men equal", "Any caliber will do as long as it starts with a '4'", "ARs shit where they eat", etc.
Refuses to allow himself to be confused by the facts, i.e., just try and convince him that a snub-nosed J Frame-sized .38 Special is a less than ideal firearm for anyone new to pistols, especially the elderly, infirm, or small in stature.

Tactical Timmy: Obsessed with military equipment, nomenclature, terminology, and procedures. Has full sets of camouflage uniforms and load bearing and other gear "as used by xxxx!", where "xxxx" represents the "Flavor Of The Day" in elite military units. Must have latest and greatest gear ascribed to said "FOTD" unit, regardless of whether said gear is actually being used or not.
Obsessed with technical details of weapons and equipment he will never own, or have a practical use for if he owned it.

Unlike the Gun Store Commando, the Tactical Timmy will actually spend time at the range, but due to his insistence on owning all the latest and greatest will likely accomplish little, since he has too much "kit" with him.

Cletus: (Thanks to Tamara Keel for her ground-breaking work on identifying this specimen.)
Owns a gun. Spends as little as possible on ancillary equipment and supplies, like ammunition or holsters. If seen at a range, is apparently more interested in making noise than in safety, precision of shots, or in learning effective gun handling skills.
Like the Gun Store Commando, his decisions are based on myth, lore, and received wisdom. (Or "wisdom"...)
Also like the Gun Store Commando, is regrettably not shy about sharing his "knowledge."
Notes on the Cletii:

1. Feminine form: Lurleen. 
2. The plural form, "Cletii" is often mis-used by those of less than rigorous dedication to accuracy as interchangeable with the singular form, "Cletus".
3. "Cletus" is a generic name, and also tends to describe a sub-genre; other acceptable forms may take forms such as "T-Bone", "J-Dawg", "Boracho", etc.
4. There is some dispute as to whether the Cletii are really part of the gun culture, but if you spend enough time at gun shops, shows and ranges, you are sure to encounter them.

Maybe it's just me...

...but all these shows in which an alien race has arrived and has to a greater or lesser extent taken over, is now controlling everything...

..I cannot for the life of me conceive how in the hell anyone can write these stories and have collaborators with the alien overloads as protagonists.

That was unexpected

It seems that I have made it almost to the end of Downton Abbey without actually seeing an episode until the last week or two. I wa vaguely aware that it was considered to be somewhat subversive by some because of it's tendencey to show that British Upper Class, and specifically the landed, titled Upper Class, in a good light, but really, never had any interest.

So the last few weeks, what with my work schedule change, I have sat through a couple of episodes,  not really watching them, as I have nearly no chance of really following what was going on, but there is a sub-plot in which there is a bid by a larger hospital to absorb the smaller, local one. Most people support the move on the grounds that it will result in better care locally. Professor McGonagall*, who has transformed herself into the current mother of the Earl of Grantham, and is therefore known as the Doawger Countess, OTOH, is fighting to maintain local control; everyone assumes that she simply does not want to lose power, despite the fact that she has said repeatedly that the move would result in worse care locally, notwithstanding the allegedly better equipment the move would bring.

The other day she expanded on that, using a line of reasoning one might not expect from a member of the gentry. Citing King John Lackland and the Barons, she said (from Washington Examiner)

"For years I've watched governments take control of our lives, and their argument is always the same — fewer costs, greater efficiency — but the result is the same too," Violet said. "Less control by the people, more control by the state, until the individual's own wishes count for nothing. That is what I consider my duty to resist."

She went on to argue, "Your great-grandchildren won't thank you when the state is all powerful because we didn't fight."

Alas, not only your great-grandchildren not know whether you fought or not, it will probably never occur to them that there was anything to fight about.



*Yeah, I know, but I couldn't resist. Some actors, you always see them in a certain role.

"Andrew Jackson is mad as hell, and he’s not going to take it anymore."

(Minor edits for typos.)
Walter Russel Mead on Jacksonianism in today's politics: Andrew Jackson, Revenant - The American Interest.

It's no surprise that Obama hates Jacksonians; this is the clearest explanation of that. Maybe it took the guy who first wrote about Jacksonianism* to state it so clearly.

The hate and the disdain don’t spring from anything as trivial as pique. Historically, Jacksonian America has been the enemy of many of what President Obama, rightly, sees as some of America’s most important advances. Jacksonian sentiment embraces a concept of the United States as a folk community and, over time, that folk community was generally construed as whites only. Lynch law and Jim Crow were manifestations of Jacksonian communalism, and there are few examples of race, religious or ethnic prejudice in which Jacksonian America hasn’t indulged. Jacksonians have come a long way on race, but they will never move far enough and fast enough for liberal opinion; liberals are moving too, and are becoming angrier and more exacting regardless of Jacksonian progress.

Just as bad, in the view of the President and his allies, Jacksonians don’t have much respect for the educated and the credentialed. Like William F. Buckley, they would rather be governed by the first 100 names in the phonebook than by the Harvard faculty. They loathe the interfering busybodies of the progressive state, believe that government (except for the police and the military) is a necessary evil, think most ‘experts’ and university professors are no smarter or wiser than other people. and feel only contempt for the gender theorists and the social justice warriors of the contemporary classroom.

Virtually everything about progressive politics today is about liquidating the Jacksonian influence in American life. From immigration policy, touted as ending the era when American whites were the population of the United States, to gun policy and to regulatory policy, President Obama and his coalition aim to crush what Jacksonians love, empower what they fear, and exalt what they hate.

*And the other schools of American political philosophy, Jeffersonianism, Hamiltonianism, and Wilsonians, in Special Providence.