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Happy 2020 all you lovely people who listen to us!
What we're talking about today are tropes in fiction that bother us because they don't exist in reality: they ONLY exist in fiction pretty much. In the cover pic we have an image from The Witcher: he has two big longswords on his back. In fantasy people always carry longswords on their backs. This is a trope that only exists in fiction because you can't draw a sword longer than about 60cm from your back. So people just didn't carry swords like this. Even if it was only to transport them (although ta transport only option makes a sort of sense). This was only even rarely done with Asian swords.
We'd LOVE to hear about more of these that other people have noticed!
Other ones we cover in the cast are things like defibrillators restarting stopped hearts, people flying back when shot, walking away from an explosion and not flinching, guns clicking all the time and always needing to be cocked, corsets being the worst thing ever and always being word against bare skin, people being fine after being knocked out, the “Heimlich maneuver” being the best way to stop someone from choking, and a few more…
People tell us more and also tell us why we're wrong.
This week Gunwallace has given us the theme to Runner - Breathing evenly, gauging the distance, examining the terrain… one, two, three… GO! Eating up distance with very bound, forward progression, moving, moving, pounding on and on, lungs heaving, arms swinging, legs rise and fall, feet slam heel first into the turf and spring away on the ball. An anthem to sprinting! With touches of Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
Topics and shownotes
Links
Problems with the heimlich manoeuvr - https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/the-heimlich-manoeuvre/3053794
Featured comic:
Runner - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2019/dec/31/featured-comic-runner/
Featured music:
Runner - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Runner/, by JC Mraz rated T.
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Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean
Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes
kawaiidaigakusei - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/kawaiidaigakusei/
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QUACKCAST 460 - Enough trope to hang yourself with
Ozoneocean at 12:00AM, Jan. 7, 2020
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bravo1102 at 4:44AM, Jan. 8, 2020
You're right there, but they'd still be cocking a machine gun because not good to carry it around with an open bolt. Police usually store their shotguns without a round in the chamber so I can see cocking that. And that "lock and load" trope with the M16 was SOP. It was mainly to keep the bolt clean just like a machine gun. Chambered rounds would rust the bolt in an M16 in excessively damp or dry weather. Same with many service rifles and shotguns. So prepare to rush in and cock the weapon.
Ozoneocean at 3:16AM, Jan. 8, 2020
Not what I meant, sorry. The typical scenario is a bunch of police, criminals, special forces etc about pour out of a car and to run into some action, or about to rush into a building, storm a bank, or charge across open ground into cover: in those cases I'd have to imagine you really want to have a round in the chamber already and your gun just on a safety... The dramatic cocking is usually just the moment before the action. Especially with the racking of the pump action shotgun :(
bravo1102 at 2:31AM, Jan. 8, 2020
@ozoneocean, you store all your guns with a round in the chamber? Unless I'm expecting trouble it's advised you don't and that you carry your automatic weapon with the bolt closed. Meaning before firing, you have to cock the weapon.
Ozoneocean at 11:39PM, Jan. 7, 2020
@Thejolle: the reason I say you can't is because no one had the Shad sheath in reality. They fix it a bit in the Witcher with his silly sheath there but that's a horrible bodge. The only historical people that did it were some Chinese, Mongolians and Japanese, but only with their shortest style of sword.
Ozoneocean at 11:36PM, Jan. 7, 2020
Thanks Bravo! That's very detailed 😁 I like the bit about throwing away the gun, haha! They do that too much in TV shows. Yep, weapons are cocked differently and for a lot of the examples in TV shows and movies all they'd be likely doning is to switch off the saftey.
Jason Moon at 12:31PM, Jan. 7, 2020
Geralt is a badass!! :D
TheJolle at 8:03AM, Jan. 7, 2020
You actually CAN draw sword from your back, you just need a specially made sheath fro your sword. Historically it rarely, if ever happened, but it's quite possible. There's a Youtuber called Shadiversity who has a pretty convincing video about the subject
bravo1102 at 7:22AM, Jan. 7, 2020
So to sum up, some weapons fire from and open bolt. So you cock it. Others need a round in the chamber. So you cock it. Others, cocking it is not necessary to fire the first round but it makes the trigger pull less increasing first round hit. If not, you get click. click. And if it does not fire? Perform immediate action and the first thing you do is cock the weapon not grimace and throw it away.
bravo1102 at 7:07AM, Jan. 7, 2020
Preparing an M240 to fire was "load, cock, put on safe" That wasn't tested because it put a round in the chamber. You only did it before firing.
bravo1102 at 7:04AM, Jan. 7, 2020
I can still rattle off the instructions for the station to test a soldier for the operation of a machine gun. "At this station you will clear, disassemble, assemble, perform functions check and load an M240 series machine gun. Clearing, functions check and loading are scored in sequence you can disassemble and assemble in any sequence. The instructor can help you if needed, but you must tell him what to do. You have 12 minutes to perform all tasks. Time will start when I say "go" any questions at this time?
bravo1102 at 6:55AM, Jan. 7, 2020
The whole cocking guns thing goes back to fire locks (flint locks and hammer locks) where half cock was "safe" and full cock was "fire" . And uncocked was "click ". Also single action revolvers and some early breech loaders also needed to be cocked to fire after every shot. Anything else ir just lessens the trigger pull so you have a greater chance of first round hit. I used to do it for first shot from my automatic because I'm an awful shot and need all the help I can get. Some weapons have to be charged and a round put in the chamber or there's only a click. Like an M16? Lock the bolt to the rear and see there chamber is clear then release to put a round in the chamber to shoot. Firing from an open bolt is also necessary for most automatic weapons. So you cock it. A machine gun fires from an open bolt so you cock it first.