Tag: Feedly

Posted on

Concealing Your Gun…and Intentions [CCW Guide]

Concealing Your Gun…and Intentions [CCW Guide]

https://ift.tt/3dRWQvP

When most gun owners think of concealed carry, they often focus on the gun.

Placement, printing, and holsters are the most common considerations when living a concealed carry lifestyle.

Concealed Carry Draw
We livin’ that concealed carry life!

But what if I told you there was way more to it than just slapping a gun on your hip and rolling out the door?

In fact, concealed carry is so much more than just making sure you aren’t printing.

(Printing is a fancy way of saying the gun shows through your clothing.)

Concealed Carry Printing
Umm…you got something…right there.

While, yes, concealed carry’s top priority is making sure the gun is hidden from view, there are other things you might want to conceal, too — and I’m not talking about knives, mags, or other gear.

When operating in the concealed carry world, disguising our intentions and our capabilities is just as important.

What do I mean by this? Well, you’re in luck because we’re going to explore those two things in this very article.

Lucky Day

We’ll talk about how your behaviors and mannerisms can give you away as a gun owner and what to do to improve your overall concealed carry mindset.

By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of how your mental attitude impacts your physical carry.

For more details on concealing your intentions and avoiding looking like a guy or gal with a gun, check out the Brownells Daily Defense video below. Jeff Gonzales of Trident Concepts offers up some great info on staying incognito while carrying!

Table of Contents

Loading…

Intentions & Capabilities

We can all agree that concealing the gun is first and foremost. But concealing information comes in a close second.

What do we mean by this?

Well, bad guys are very good at reading behaviors. They’re practically pros at it.

thief
Bad guys are pretty aware because they have to be.

A bad guy’s entire focus centers on assessing people, determining who would make a good victim.

They’re watching for all sorts of things — are you wearing nice designer clothes or jewelry, are you aware of your surroundings…even whether or not you seem like someone who would put up a fight if confronted.

So, it’s important to not draw attention to ourselves or reveal too much information — like the fact that we’re carrying.

Is Eric carrying, is he not? Can you tell?

If a stranger approaches asking a question, you probably shouldn’t reach for your firearm…at least before you determine whether they are a threat.

Telegraphing you have a gun before you actually need it just hands that info to someone who might attempt to use it against you, i.e. steal your gun.

While we hope we never have to use a handgun, if we are faced with that decision, we want to use it as a last resort. Meaning, you want to wait until there’s another choice.

Bringing it out too soon can result in way more headaches.

LOTR headache
You if you start brandishing your gun…

Concealing that you have a gun until the moment you need it keeps the information with you and out of the hands of someone who might use it to gain the upper hand.

Similarly, bragging about your awesome shooting skills and your custom gun could tip your hand to nefarious baddies.

Again, information is crucial. So much so that there are organizations literally dedicated to mining information. (I’m looking at you, CIA.)

CIA
Well played, sir, well played.

So, keeping your cards close to your hand is a great way to make sure information, like your skill level, stays safe.

Comfort & Confidence

There’s a whole psychology that goes into concealed carry — much more than we can cover in one article.

That said, subconscious mannerisms and their part in concealed carry are truly fascinating!

Subconscious Simpsons

What are subconscious mannerisms?

These are little physical manifestations resulting from what we feel.

Think about it like this, when that Taco Bell burrito isn’t quite sitting right, you might clutch or rub your stomach. Alternatively, nerves can find you wringing your hands or tapping your foot excessively.

How you feel has a direct correlation to the behaviors you exhibit to the world. It’s all body language, man.

Ursula Body language

For concealed carry, this can come in many shapes and forms.

Someone who isn’t quite confident in themselves or their CCW setup might tug at the bottom of the shirt frequently to ensure the gun isn’t showing. A gun owner with a floppy belt and sagging holster will constantly readjust their pants.

You’d be amazed at how many times nervous gun owners unknowingly touch their gun or holster throughout the day — completely unaware that they’re doing it.

Concealed Carry Tugging at Shirt
Tugging at the shirt…telltale sign that you got something under there.

To a bad guy, though, this is a clear indicator that a gun might be available for the taking.

So, how do we combat actions that might betray us?

Comfort and confidence, my friends.

Comfortable

First, comfort is no excuse for bad gear. You should always choose quality gear.

We have some recommendations for good IWB holsters and concealed carry holsters to get you started.

Concealed Carry Gun in Holster
A good holster makes all the difference.

But, make sure what you’re choosing isn’t too uncomfortable.

Minor adjustments like sandpapering rough edges make a world of difference!

Concealed Carry Gun in Holster
Don’t forget about the belt! It keeps everything up!

Buying a good belt to pair with your gun/holster setup prevents floppiness and that nervous feeling that your gun is going to fall out at your feet. We have some thoughts on gun belts — check it out here.

Ultimately, the best thing you can do is develop a comfort level with your gear — meaning, familiarize yourself with it, so you’re not worried about it.

Some things to try to get you feeling good with your concealed carry rig:

  • Invest time in the early stages to setting up your holster, belt, and gun the way that works the best for you.
  • Put in those dry fire reps, drawing and getting the gun up on target.
  • Walk around your house and get a feel for how your gear moves.
  • Try it on with different outfits. See what works (and what doesn’t) before you’re out on the town.
  • Get some training. Sign up for professional classes and train, train, train.
PPTGoodGuy3
Good training will make you feel confident!

Conclusion

Concealed carry isn’t all about the gun — mindset proves just as important. Putting in the time to get comfortable with your CCW gun and holster translates into better body language.

Ultimately, this keeps valuable info out of the hands of bad guys.

Carrying with confidence!

For more tips, check out Brownells Daily Defense to get the lowdown on concealed carry mindset.

Are you confident in your carry system? Let us know how you set it up in the comments below! If you need even more concealed carry content, check out our Comprehensive Concealed Carry Guide.

The post Concealing Your Gun…and Intentions [CCW Guide] appeared first on Pew Pew Tactical.

guns

via Pew Pew Tactical https://ift.tt/2ZTrCfI

February 27, 2021 at 01:46PM

Posted on

How Aluminum Cans Are Made

How Aluminum Cans Are Made

https://ift.tt/3uESvBY

How Aluminum Cans Are Made

Link

Aluminum is one of the world’s most recyclable materials. It can be melted down over and over again without degrading. So it’s no wonder soda, and beer cans are made from the metal. In this older clip from How Its Made, they visited a factory that stamps and shapes aluminum into cans millions of times a day.

fun

via The Awesomer https://theawesomer.com

February 26, 2021 at 04:15PM

Posted on

A story in two parts

A story in two parts

https://ift.tt/3dIjw1o

Part 1:

Part 2:

 

I can imagine how rushing to a woman who fell in tight pants would be taken as less chivalrous and more rapey in today’s world.

Congratulations society, you destroyed good men.  I hope you’re happy now because it will suck when the barbarian horde arrives.

guns

via https://gunfreezone.net

February 24, 2021 at 06:28PM

Posted on

It is not paranoia if they are coming after you.

It is not paranoia if they are coming after you.

https://ift.tt/3pLKhEN

Via Legal Insurrection:

The Hill:

The investigation stems from a report by the nonprofit group Accountable.US which found that the company is the registrar for eight groups that were involved in activities leading up to the Jan. 6 riot.

A spokesperson for GoDaddy told The Hill that it is now looking into those connections, and stressed that using its service to “promote, encourage or engage in violence” violates company policies.

“If content goes beyond the exercise of expression and crosses over to inciting violence, we will take appropriate action,” the spokesperson added.

Accountable.US’s report, first obtained by The Hill, found that the online store of the right-wing militia group Oath Keepers is hosted by GoDaddy, which also serves as the site’s domain registrar.
…

The report also notes that GoDaddy is the domain registrar for pro-Trump student group Turning Point USA.

The nonprofit arm of the group bused supporters to the “March to Save America” rally ahead of the storming and its founder Charlie Kirk promoted the false narrative that the November election was stolen from former President Trump.

Women For America First’s website is also registered by GoDaddy, according to Accountable.US’s report. The group headed up the organization of the rally and had been urging supporters to join a “caravan” headed to the event….

Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US, said that GoDaddy should have already severed ties with the websites in the report.

“The mainstream online vendors shouldn’t have to wait for public scrutiny before cutting ties with groups that traffic in hate and dangerous rhetoric,” he told The Hill in a statement. “That’s a value judgment, and for some reason they have yet to render one against the groups that incited the deadly sedition at the Capitol.”

If you are still being hosted by anybody form Amazon to Google to WordPress.com, you need to get your ass moving NOW and find suitable alternatives. Check with Troglodyte (look on the right) and with Divemedic for budget hosting.

These idiots trying to silence us do not understand that it will come to the point where the usual speech will be substituted by loud and continuous crack and booms.

And that kind of speech they will truly hate and be fearful about.

guns

via https://gunfreezone.net

February 24, 2021 at 10:19AM

Posted on

Star Wars Stories From Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars That Should Rejoin Canon

Star Wars Stories From Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars That Should Rejoin Canon

https://ift.tt/3pVXDyp


The very first time the Separatists learned to beware of the ARC Troopers.
Image: Lucasfilm

Dave Filoni has created a vast swath of the Star Wars universe through his Clone Wars and Rebels cartoons, The Mandalorian, and whatever else he has in the works next. He’s been such a driving force in the franchise that it can be hard to remember he didn’t actually make the first modern Star Wars cartoon. That honor belonged to Russian-American animator Genndy Tartakovsky,

Tartakovsky was hired to make the first Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoons in 2003, chronicling some of the events that occurred between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. And they were completely awesome. These shorts were both incredibly stylish and action-packed, as one might expect of the man who was concurrently making Samurai Jack.

But George Lucas’ own plans to explore the conflict with 2008’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars pushed the original animated take aside. That’s a damn shame, because the 2003-2005 series heavily influenced many Star Wars stories afterward—and yet there’s still more greatness from it that can be reinstated. Here are a few suggestions.

Durge

The most important Star Wars villain that hasn’t made his way to the new canon is Durge, a Gen’Dai bounty hunter seen in the first season of Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars who went on to feature in Dark Horse’s excellent Star Wars: Republic comic series. His hulking shape and bulky blue armor feel on-brand for the aesthetics of the prequel trilogy, but Durge comes with a twist.

G/O Media may get a commission

The armor is there mostly to give him the semblance of anthropomorphism because otherwise, he’d revert to his regular form: a giant, writhing mass of tendrils, which allow Durge to reattach his limbs and torso without harm after Obi-Wan trisects him. When the villain reappeared for round two, he’s unencumbered by the armor, and watching the Jedi and Clone Troopers battling the giant, hostile blob of flesh was like seeing them try to fight Tetsuo from the end of Akira. This was a good thing.

Maximum Mace Windu

Apologies to George Lucas, Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau, and anyone who has ever directed a Star Wars movie: The coolest moment in the entire franchise came in 2004, courtesy of Tartakosky, who pitted Samuel Jackson’s Jedi master Mace Windu against an entire army of Super Battle Droids…by himself. The fight is kinetic, balletic, and almost threateningly awesome as the perfectly calm Jedi takes out of scores of Battle Droids even after he loses his lightsaber.

It’s the platonic ideal that kids had of Jedi after growing up with the original trilogy, and using Jackson’s character from the prequels is perfect, given that fans had been complaining (justifiably so) that Mace hadn’t had his time to shine yet. Tartakovsky’s interpretation of Mace and of how powerful a true Jedi master could be remains one of the franchise’s greatest scenes of all time, canon be damned.

Completely Silent ARC Troopers

One of the best aspects of Mace Windu’s battle above is how he never utters a word. A few droids do, usually while futilely trying to take control of the situation, but Mace doesn’t need to bog down the proceedings with exposition or quips. Neither do these ARC Troopers—Captain Fordo and the infamous “Muunilist 10”—on their special mission to infiltrate the Muunilinst capital and destroy a giant artillery cannon, so Obi-Wan and his Clone Troopers can safely enter the city and defeat the Separatist forces inside.

Watching the ARC Troopers complete their mission with total competency—but not without casualty—is immensely satisfying. So much of Star Wars is about characters growing and learning and developing, as it should be. But in these brief cartoons, watching badasses just be badasses can be a welcome and highly entertaining respite.

Padmé’s Snow Outfit

Admittedly, there’s not much to say about a single outfit Padmé wore during the series, other than she donned it to brave the snows of the planet Ilum after Yoda set out to rescue a pair of Jedi but fails to return himself. Padmé doesn’t get very far, as she’s attacked by a cadre of invisible chameleon attack droids, although she acquits herself well until the Jedi return. But her outfit is outstanding.

It’s a perfect mash-up of Padmé’s outfit on Geonosis in Attack of the Clones combined with the hood of Princess Leia’s striking original outfit in A New Hope. With the fur fringe, it’s an instantly iconic look for the character that stands tall in Padmé’s truly exquisite wardrobe of designs. Plus, it’s one that lived on in Star Wars merchandise well after this Clone Wars series was de-canonized. (Still, it must be noted, it’s a bummer that this is the most exciting moment Padmé received in the series.)

Padawan Anakin Vs. Asajj Ventress

Anakin tussled with Count Dooku’s pupil Asajj Ventress on a few occasions during Dave Filoni’s Clone Wars series—where she went on to become a major, tragic figure—but never like this. While Anakin leads the Republic fleet against the droid forces of the Banking Clan over the planet Muunilinst, a lone Geonosian ship arrives, its pilot strong with the Force. Anakin chases her through hyperspace against Obi-Wan’s orders to Yavin IV, where the would-be Jedi and would-be Sith face off. The fight is, again, wordless and tremendous, starting as a simple lightsaber duel on the ground which becomes a Force-augmented wuxia battle among the trees.

When they arrive at an abandoned Jedi temple, there’s a pause as wisps of steam burst off their lightsabers when the raindrops land on their blades. The final fight is brutal, as Anakin gets angrier and sloppier, which Asajj takes advantage of. But when Anakin channels his hate for his foe, he’s able to dispatch her with her own weapon—leaving viewers with the indelible image of his cold, heartless visage illuminated by a red lightsaber. In six or so minutes, the first Clone Wars cartoons gave us a more thorough and convincing depiction of Anakin’s tragic fall than the movies ever did.

The Horror of General Grievous

Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars gave fans the first look at the new villain in 2004, a year before he hit live action (so to speak) in Revenge of the Sith. In the movie, he was a bland bad guy, whose most noticeable distinction was being able to wield a bunch of lightsabers at once…until Obi-Wan almost immediately, and literally, disarms him. Although it kept the lightsabers, the original Clone Wars cartoon didn’t even try to make Grievous a character—instead, it made him a horror.

The final segment of the show’s second season has Ki-Adi-Mundi, Shaak-Ti, and other Jedi running for their lives into a defensive position. They’re surrounded by a sea of battle droids, and even though Mace Windu proved they aren’t a serious threat, these Jedi are terrified. It’s clear many of their kind have already died, and the threat is still very real and very close. It’s completely unnerving to see Jedi Knights so utterly panicked, especially after watching other Jedi easily kick ass in other episodes. Clone Wars sure made Grevious infinitely scarier and more compelling than the Revenge of the Sith did.

Ride of the IG Lancer Droids

When Durge first attacks Obi-Wan and the troops of the Republic, prior to becoming the aforementioned Lovecraftian pile of tentacles, he leads a group of lancers to take out clone troopers and their transports—lancers who are all IG droids. IG droids have a great design, but give them a long, skinny black lance in their hands and put them on long, skinny, black speederbikes and they look even cooler. In full disclosure, a lance-wielding IG droid did briefly appear in the new canon via a Darth Maul comic, but it was the merest of cameos. These IG lancer droids deserve to ride again.

The Trial on Nelvaan

Anakin’s fight with Asajj closed out season two of Clone Wars; Tartakovsky had a different, but equally compelling, plan to showcase Anakin’s continued fall to the Dark Side in season three. The two Jedi land on a planet belonging to tribes of blue-skinned aliens, whose menfolk have all disappeared after setting off to fight an unknown evil. Anakin’s metal hand makes him a prophesied hero, and he is sent out to find out what happened. Along the way, he has a mystical vision presaging his fall to the Dark Side—it’s not necessarily subtle, but neither is Star Wars, usually—and discovers the male Nelvaanians have been captured by the Techno Union, which has mutated them into monsters and attached blasters to their arms.

Anakin frees the Nelvaanians by grabbing a crystal that destroys his metal hand, and the Nelvaanians rampage through the facility as Anakin cold-bloodedly murders the Unionists. The furious Nelvaanians rip off their own blasters in solidarity with Anakin, both originally driven by their desire to protect their loved ones, then malformed inside and out by their desire to punish those who hurt them. Although the CG Clone Wars would spend a much greater time depicting Anakin’s complexities as he grappled with the push and pull of his own darkness, this, combined with his duel against Asajj, allowed the original show to perfectly deliver the condensed, badly-needed character development that connects the Anakin of Attack of the Clones and the version who would appear in Revenge of the Sith. (In case you were wondering, season three of Clone Wars came out in 2005; James Cameron’s Avatar premiered in 2009. Just sayin’.)

Palpatine’s Capture

In the Disney canon, we don’t officially know how Count Dooku and General Grievous managed to steal the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic just before the beginning of Revenge of the Sith beyond what we get in the film’s opening titles. He’s simply on the villains’ ship, waiting to be rescued by Anakin and Obi-Wan. We used to know the reason, courtesy of the early Clone Wars, as a trio of desperate Jedi tries to usher Palpatine through Coruscant away from General Grievous and his droid minions when the Separatist fleet launches a surprise assault.

The Jedi are still outmatched and Grevious is still scary, but frankly, this is just an awesome action-suspense story made tenser because you know who the Jedi are rescuing and what their ultimate fate will be. If you feel like “how Palpatine got caught” wasn’t a question that needed to be answered, frankly, I agree. But I also don’t think it’s any less necessary than learning how Princess Leia got ahold of the Death Star schematics, and that got a whole movie.

General Grievous’ Wheeze

There’s one more reason, however, to add Palpatine’s flight through Coruscant into the canon, and that’s because of how it ends. As the general’s ship starts to fly off, Mace Windu uses the Force to crush Grievous’ chest-plate in a last-ditch effort to save the Chancellor. It doesn’t work, but Grievous’s intimidating voice turns into a perpetual wheeze that persists through Revenge of the Sith. There’s an explanation for the general’s respiratory issues in the current canon, which is that he’s augmented his living body with robotics and technology so many times that all he has left is a sack of organs located somewhere inside his armor, which makes breathing a bit…difficult. This is an OK answer, but Mace getting one good shot in on a major Star Wars villain before the Jedi go kaput is slightly more satisfying, don’t you think?

For more, make sure you’re following us on our Instagram @io9dotcom.

geeky,Tech

via Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com

February 23, 2021 at 05:39PM

Posted on

I Demand a Vaccination: The Musical

I Demand a Vaccination: The Musical

https://ift.tt/2NO7mJz

I Demand a Vaccination: The Musical

Link

Inspired by Andre Antunes, musician Brandon Ethridge likes to add melodies to voices expressed in current events. In this short clip, he turns televangelist Kenneth Copeland’s impassioned sermon about a COVID-19 vaccine into an epic mini-musical. If this doesn’t get people stoked for vaccination, we don’t know what will.

fun

via The Awesomer https://theawesomer.com

February 23, 2021 at 11:00AM

Posted on

Nobody knows what’s coming, but we can all feel it in our bones

Nobody knows what’s coming, but we can all feel it in our bones

https://ift.tt/3dzzxXA

 

"Thoughts from Frank & Fern" is a blog I’ve read occasionally for a long time.  Now and again the couple who write it come up with really good, thought-provoking posts.  Their latest is well worth reading in full.  Bold, underlined text is my emphasis.

The relationship of government to the people [supposedly] began where the government servants were for the benefit of the people. Now that relationship has flipped. You had better do what you’re told or else. Or else what? We will raise the price of your medication, control the medical attention you can receive, force you to pay for our medical insurance, regulate your business [or shut it down all together, because, you know, COVID], take your guns, brainwash your children and tell you that you better be damn happy while we’re doing it. No, wait, they’re already doing that. Are you enjoying the symbiotic relationship you have with your government? Federal or local? Is it a give and take situation that benefits both parties or have you become a slave to ‘the man’?

. . .

Ladies and Gentlemen [the only two genders on the planet in the realm of reality], this is where we are. The symbiotic relationship of our country, our government and all of it’s interwoven companions in crime, have entered the stage of over extension in so many areas that an implosion of all systems is inevitable. This is not something new in the last few months, it has been developing for years, even decades. Remember the statement, “You’re either with us or you’re against us.”?

Think of an area that has a season of abundance that allows the rabbit population to increase dramatically. What happens? The predators, coyotes for example, also increase in abundance until one day, the situations changes. There is no longer enough for the rabbits to eat, they become sick and die. The coyotes don’t have enough to eat. What happens? The system collapses back into a more manageable condition.

It appears that some factions of our country have reached the tipping point where they will no longer sit quietly by. You know we have done that for decades now. Appeasement. Does it work? Never has. So this where we are. We have brought ourselves to the point of listening to the government tell us to sit down and shut up. Are we going to? A lot of us are. It’s scary not to. We don’t want to lose everything we have – home, job, retirement, family, societal recognition. But the situation with the election and impeachments, the current avalanche of executive orders appear to have created a backlash of sorts. Will the country remain united? That has yet to be seen. There are a lot of theories being postulated out here in internet world. Some seem more plausible than others.

This is where we are. If you aren’t in a situation, location, state of mind where you can provide for your NEEDS, not wants, when the system implodes or declines to the point of not supplying the basics for everyday life, then please work diligently with all of your might to get that way. Sometimes the decline of a system is rapid, sometimes it’s slow and you can see it coming more clearly and make the needed adjustments. Everyone we talk to, everyone, normal everyday people that up to now didn’t have a care in the world, shopped everyday for dinner and went about their lives, KNOWS something is very not right. It’s in the air, in our bones, invading our thoughts and feelings. The world is not right. Something is coming.

Be as ready as you can. It’s important. It’s beyond important. It’s beyond words important.

There’s more at the link.

None of us know what’s coming, but I think we can all agree that the "signs of the times" point to serious disruption in our way of life.  The "blue states" are showing signs of reverting to socialist dictatorships.  The "red states" are rebelling against attempts to force them into that same mold, and resisting as best they can.  Within each state, "blue" or "red" enclaves are resisting the other side, and trying to build their own little fiefdoms, insulated from views and policies with which they don’t agree.  There’s no longer a sense of a shared national identity.  We’ve become a nation at war with ourselves.

Nobody knows what’s coming . . . but something’s got to give, sooner or later.  I have a feeling that we may have less than a year before things get out of control, at least somewhere in these formerly United States.  Be as ready as you can to protect and safeguard yourself and your loved ones if and when that happens – and if you’re in an area where you think the danger is particularly great, leave.  Now.  You may have less time than you think.

Peter

non critical

via Bayou Renaissance Man https://ift.tt/1ctARFa

February 23, 2021 at 01:08PM