Arguments To Avoid.

Someday, I'll learn not to get into discussions using FACTS. Especially in this day and age, when popular opinion is accepted as gospel truth. Then, there is the belief that the vagaries of chance makes something into a thing that it is not.

Take the first assault rifle, for instance.

It's generally accepted by most that the Sturmgewehr 44 is the first true assault rifle in history. A carbine, with a detachable box magazine and capable of select/full automatic fire, and chambered for an "intermediate" cartridge. Just like the modern descendants of this history making weapon. It set the criteria of what constitutes an "assault rifle" as we understand it today.

That is, if you know what an assault rifle actually is. Some continue, out of ignorance, to refer to weapons such as the FAL and G3 as assault rifles. They are NOT assault rifles, but "battle rifles", since they use full powered rifle cartridges.

Which brings us to the Fedorov Model of 1916. In some quarters, it has become popular to proclaim this innovative rifle as being the actual father of the modern assault rifle. It does meet SOME of the requirements, except for one major key point. It was chambered in the 6.5mm Arisaka round (6.5mm Meiji 30), which is considered a full powered service cartridge. Thus, the Fedorov Automat would correctly labeled a battle rifle. It is not an assault rifle.

However, since it used a lower powered cartridge in relation to the 7.62 X 54R, some argue that it is the same concept as the StG44. Thus, they say, it qualifies. It is irrelevant that the "intermediate" classification didn't exist at the time, they say.

I say BULLSHIT. If it isn't chambered in an intermediate cartridge, then it isn't an assault rifle. And if true intermediate rounds didn't exist at the time, which wouldn't allow such a chambering, then the facts should be obvious. The Fedorov being the first assault rifle is historically incorrect.

But some fuckers just don't get it. I blame Wikipedia, and disgust with Sturmgewehr fanboys causing irrational denial of the facts.

(That was a joke, by the way).

Another weapon touted as the father of modern assault rifles is the M2 Carbine. This one really makes me laugh my ass off.

Nevermind the fact that the StG44 actually predates the M2 (it's irrelevant that the M1 Carbine was originally supposed to be a select fire weapon, the fact was that it wasn't in it's final form), the .30 Carbine cartridge, while technically a rifle round, has ballistics closely akin to a hot autoloading .357 Magnum fired out of a rifle length barrel.

In other words, it's a glorified handgun round posing as a rifle cartridge. Which makes the the M2, at best, what we would consider today a Person Defense Weapon (PDW), much like the M1 Carbine that preceded it. At worst, it's a glorified submachine gun. It's not an assault rifle.

There is an old Chinese saying about the first steps on the path to wisdom, is to call things by what they truly are. In this day and age, when we play fast and loose with terminology, we lose wisdom. But people today just don't see that, or just don't care.

Even minor disagreements, like the assault rifle discussion, sticks in my craw when people argue from point if view (opinion) when the hard facts are staring them right in the face. This is almost as bad as arguing from pure ignorance.

I fully realize that no one likes a "know it all". And it's even worse when the "know it all" actually knows what the fuck they're talking about. But I look at the desire to wallow in misconceptions to be a tragic thing. No matter what the subject at hand is.

Don't get me wrong. I don't push myself on others, nor mouth off about shit I know nothing about. But I have a bad tendency to allow myself to get pulled into discussions where the other guy gets pissed when proven wrong. I'm like a fucking magnet for the easily butthurt types.

I really need to sharpen my detection skills, and head off such discussions/arguments with those kind of people before they get started.

*sigh*

Well, that's my rant for the day.

Macross Frontier Revisited

Well, the series is over. And to be honest, I was somewhat disappointed with the final episode.

As with Macross Zero, I felt that the ending was rushed. Sure it had a fast paced, kick ass space battle in the end. But the closure of the story was one big high speed blurring clutter. They should've stretched the ending out over three episodes. That would have allowed for a deeper, more dramatic ending. Not to mention, explain things in more detail.

But overall, I still give the series two thumbs up. I had no problem with the series until the final episode. And I still highly recommend that Macross fans (or anime fans who are just curious), who haven't seen it yet, check it out.