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I checked the SMM statistics the other day. It’s not something I regularly do, primarily because I’m not a stat-driven personality, but once a year, I take a look, and I was surprised.  I’ve always known SMM had international readers, but this scruffy little blog is read in more than 100 countries around the world.  There are about 195 at the moment.  I stopped counting at 100, and there were more. Pretty amazing.  Of course, I’m sure some of those were people stopping by for a good daily chuckle to see what the crazy Americans were up to, but it’s a fascinating stat.

The top ten countries for 2018, apart from the crazy Americans, were, in top to bottom order: Canada, The United Kingdom, Australia, Israel, Denmark, Germany, India, The European Union (Is that mostly Belgium or Brussels?  Hard to tell…), Malaysia and Norway.  The top 10 for the existence of SMM were, again in top to bottom order: Canada, The United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Israel, Malaysia, India, The Phillipines and The Netherlands.

On to the top 15 articles of 2018:

G19 right side

#1:  I Carry A Handgun Because (2018)

This is the updated version of an article that has long been a favorite, widely read and linked all over the Net.  It’s a list of why I carry a handgun, and why anyone else so inclined should.

#2: Friends Don’t Let Friends Get Killed By Islamist Savages

This is something of a touchy subject.  The two young Scandinavian women brutally murdered by Islamist barbarians in Morocco surely did not deserve their fate.  But if one doesn’t learn from the mistakes of those that venture into dangerous territory armed with nothing more than good will, other good people will needlessly die.

Derek Colling, formerly of the Las Vegas Metro Police

#3: Vegas Transplanted To Laramie: Colling Kills Again

It’s interesting this is in the top 15.  It was only posted at the middle of November.  Derek Colling was a former Las Vegas Metro serial killer.  When he was fired by Metro–an amazing feat in and of itself–for brutally beating a man without the least justification and lying about it, he left Las Vegas with two kills notched in his gun.  The article provides relevant history, and is an analysis of the sparse information available to the public about his third kill, this time in Laramie, WY, at the time.

Glock 17 with Railmaster Pro (left side view)

#4: The Standard: The Glock 17

First posted back in March of 2013, this is a perennial favorite. I’d like to think it’s so continually popular because of my brilliant prose, but more likely, it’s due to the popularity of the Glock 17, and those who want to read a review or two.  The photos feature my 17 with an older Streamlight laser/light.  I’ve since switched to the Crimson Trace Rangemaster Pro, a much more compact unit with a better laser.  There are very good reasons for the never-ending popularity of the G17, and this article may provide a bit of insight into why.

Tesla 3
credit: tesla

#5: Tesla: Musk Fought The Law (Of Physics), And The Law Won

As regular readers know, I’ve been writing on electric vehicles for many a year.  This article is an update on Tesla’s continuing troubles in trying to produce an electric car with a low enough price, sufficient reliability, and universal appeal: the Model 3.  The article is going well; the Model 3 is not.

#6: Vegas Transplanted to Laramie: Derek Colling, Update 2

This is the second article in the series on Colling’s third kill. Buy this time, a bit of video was available, and my analysis is  hopefully, more complete and accurate.

#7: Vegas Transplanted to Laramie: Derek Colling, Update 3

This is the third article in the series: an analysis of the most comprehensive article yet written on the Laramie killing.  What’s interesting about it is it is just a little behind Update 2, despite having been posted at the end of December. There are, in this case, many similarities to the Erik Scott case, which is no coincidence.  This is going to be a lengthy and interesting case.

H&K MP5-SD6

#8: The HK MP5 SD6: Good, Clean, Sexy, All-American Fun

This article, first posted back in March of 2013, is also a perennial favorite.  Again, I suspect it’s less the brilliance of my writing than interest in one of the most iconic submachine guns of all time.  The SD6 is actually a .22LR version, made under license by Walther, of the real integrally suppressed MP5, but as the article notes, it is true to the original in most meaningful ways.  A real MP5, particularly the suppressed version, is hard to come by, but one can own the next best thing.

#9: License To Kill: The Murder Of Erik Scott

As regular readers know, my co-authored book on the murder of Erik Scott by Las Vegas Metro cops was finally published in June of 2018, the culmination of a very long process beginning when I wrote my first article on the case back in 2010.  Our reviews have been excellent, and while it will never make the best-seller lists, it’s a good book, if I do say so myself, and I do.  It’s available though the publisher, North Slope Publications–which makes us a few cents more–or Amazon in print and kindle versions.  The print version costs the same–$17.99 (Kindle $4.99)–through either source. This article, and occasional updates, keep readers up to date on response to the book, and related developments. This case is never going away, much to the rage of Metro brass.  It couldn’t happen to nicer people.

credit: paulspoop.blogspot.com

#10: Little Bits Of Lunacy And Wisdom

This article was the forerunner of the SMM Sunday Funnies series, and features people dressed as vaginas, including a guy who looks awfully happy about it.  I can think of nothing more convincing in winning any argument.  “Well, they’re dressed as vaginas, so they must be right!”  It’s good for a chuckle or two.

#11: FBI: Forever Broken Institution?

I often resist rushing to the Net with topical stories until some time has past.  Only then can one begin to sift through the usual media mistakes and lies.  With more time and perspective, more informative information is usually available.  This is largely an article on the mismanagement and crimes of former FBI Director James Comey, surely a member of the Deep State, and a betrayer of his oath of office.  The damage he and others have done to the FBI may never be repaired.

#12: Peter Strzok: Fun Facts To Know And Tell

The article begins:

The July 12, 2018 public congressional hearings of FBI Agent Peter Strzok proved several things: (1) Republicans deserve the title “The Stupid Party,” and continue to earn it every day. (2) Democrats continue to demonstrate they are the post-constitution, current socialist and future communist party. (3) The Department of Justice and FBI continue to be led by hopelessly corrupt Democrat/deep state operatives.  (4) Neither organization is trustworthy, and may never be trustworthy again. (5) Strzok’s testimony did even more damage to the FBI than any of the many blows to its credibility its former and current leaders have inflicted on it in the last several years. (6) The self-imagined elite’s hatred of normal Americans is virtually limitless.

Former high-ranking FBI agent Strzok, with Comey, is responsible for enormous damage to public faith in the FBI and in our government. He belongs behind bars, but like Hillary Clinton, will surely never get what he deserves.

#13) Florida: Evil Again

This is the first in the series of articles on the Parkland attack.  It’s almost impossible to stop such attacks, but this one had at least the potential to be stopped.  Obama era political correctness and police incompetence played a large role in making it possible.

#14: A Meditation On Faith

My favorite Bookworm often inspires me.  This is my expansion of her original article on the same subject. My article links to hers, and both may be worth your time.  The response to this one is significant, in that it was only posted at the beginning of December.

12 year-old Trayvon Martin

#15: The Trayvon Martin Case, Update #42: Resting In Power, Episode 1

This is an analysis and review of the first of a six-part TV crockumentary on the death of Trayvon Martin.  I reviewed each of the remaining five, all available in the SMM Trayvon Martin archive.  Martin, as regular readers know, was a drug abuser and thug wannabe who made the mistake of brutally beating a man armed with a handgun, which he was forced to use in legitimate self-defense.  George Zimmerman was eventually acquitted of murder, but the race-hustling narrative never dies.  The series was an emotion-drenched recitation of the racist narrative, but full of particularly egregious lies.  It’s the most deceptive and manipulative documentary I’ve ever seen, a real challenger to Al Gore.

That’s all for now gentle readers.  Have a Happy New Years, and I look forward to seeing you throughout 2019!