July 13, 2016 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

Source: "The British Martini-Henry Rifle"--Guns & Ammo.

Survival/Prepping/Self-Defense:

• "The Case For Hiking Shoes Over Boots"--Spotter Up. The author relates:

I started asking long distance hikers what boots they wear.  I was looking for lighter weight and boots which allowed more flexing of the ankle.  Nearly all told me to buy hiking shoes, and with my new found knowledge, I went back out with boots again.  Before I completed my first mile, I rolled my ankle and had to abort the hike.  Could the argument be made that the boots protected me from a healthy sprain?  Yes.  However, I believe it would never have happened if I did not have the boots.

I purchased my first pair of hiking shoes and set out on another 3-5 mile hike.  After the hike, I realized my feet and ankles were not sore or stiff.  My feet were not sweaty and clammy.   And, most importantly, I was able to traverse the landscape faster and without tripping or rolling my ankle.  In fact, I switched to the shoes nearly 2 years ago and I have never fallen, never twisted an ankle, and my feet dry quickly after water crossings.  I am no doctor, but I would imagine the boots prevented the natural flexing my ankles would do naturally with shoes and that is why I was more clumsy walking through terrain with boots.  From a utility standpoint, boots absolutely serve a purpose.  If I am carrying 80-100 pounds on my back up a mountain, I would want to rely on the additional support that boots would provide.

• "Bleeding Control – A Paradigm Shift"--Loadout Room. An article on the advantages of using the Stretch Wrap and Tuck Tourniquet (SWAT-T) over other types of tourniquets, including statistics comparing the effectiveness of the different types.
• "Criminals Think Differently – Understand Them & Remain Armed"--Ammo Land. A discussion of the traits of anti-social criminals, sociopaths, and psychopaths. A couple points:

• "Criminals think in such selfish all or nothing terms because believing themselves omniscient and knowing everything, they sense no need to evaluate a situation at any length (unless casing out a place to commit a crime). For the criminal mind, just thinking something makes it so."

• "Assaults, bullying, and attacks occur for a criminal’s amusement or self-gratification."

• "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Making Percussion Caps and Primers But Were Afraid to Google"--The Truth About Guns. According to the author, making caps and primers is not difficult, and is safe.
• "EXTREME Fragmentation Range from 7.62 M80A1 EPR – .300 Blackout Test from The Wound Channel"--The Firearms Blog. The new .30 caliber Enhanced Performance Round (EPR) was loaded in a .300 Blackout casing to test its effectiveness at the resultant lower velocities. And it still performed spectacularly.
• Arma Dynamics Printable Targets--download and enjoy. Targets for (i) sighting in red-dots, (ii) pistol practice, and (iii) sighting in telescopic sights.

Other Stuff:

• More from the workers' paradise: "Venezuela army deployed to control food production and distribution"--BBC News. From the article: "In a decree, President Nicolas Maduro has ordered the army to monitor food processing plants, and co-ordinate the production and distribution of items."
• "Hague rejects China's S. China Sea claim: how it could shape future disputes"--Christian Science Monitor. The World Court has not only rejected claims based on China's "nine-dash line" but ruled in favor of the Philippines as to the Scarborough Shoal, which China had occupied in 2013. China has indicated that it has no intention of honoring the decision. Whether the South China Sea is controlled by China or remains largely international waters is a significant issue not only because of the vast amount of commercial shipping that travels through the waters, but also because of the mineral and petroleum wealth under the Sea and the military advantage it confers to China (see below).

• Related: "The submarines and rivalries underneath the South China Sea"--BBC News. The article reports:

But a critical element to China's motivations for island-building lies beneath the surface of the sea.

Mounting concern within the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) over the vulnerability of its land-based nuclear deterrent and the ability to deliver a retaliatory second strike has prompted China to place some of its nuclear warheads on board submarines.

Two years ago, China deployed the Jin-class ballistic missile submarine for the first time, each armed with 12 JL-2 nuclear missiles.

Operating from a state-of-the-art base near Sanya, on Hainan island's southernmost tip, Jin class submarines are now patrolling the depths of the South China Sea. But in order to be within range of the US, they must be able to break out into the Pacific Ocean.

Before the submarines achieve this, they must leave their base in Hainan and cross the South China Sea to reach the Pacific Ocean undetected. ...

• "Iran Violates the Deal. Now What?"--Commentary. From the article:

The report from the German FBI—the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution spoke of Iran’s support for terrorists inside Germany including Hezbollah and Hamas. But just as alarming was the finding that Iran made at least ninety recent attempts to acquire technology for nuclear arms development. Though it claimed the majority of those attempts were thwarted by German intelligence, the agency said there was no doubt the Islamist regime would continue “its intensive procurement activities in Germany using clandestine methods to achieve its objectives.”

The implications of this report cannot be overestimated.

This means that despite all the happy talk from the United States and its Western allies about compliance with the terms of the nuclear pact, their confidence is unfounded. Instead of merely reaping the enormous benefits that have accrued to it from the ending of sanctions and waiting patiently for the pact to expire in ten years before resuming their push for a weapon, Iran has never stopped working to achieve its nuclear ambition. ...

• Related: "German Intel: Iran Sought Chemical, Biological Weapons Tech Across Germany in 2015"--The Tower.

• "Iran’s Kurds Now Growing Restless"--American Interest. The article was inspired by reports of an assassination attempt by Kurdish rebels. But the key point is more general: "The real threat to Iran from the violence in Syria and Iraq is not that a jihadi Sunni army will storm the frontier, but that the chaos and disintegration will spread across the border." I've noted before that I believe we are seeing the formation of a Kurdish state, which will completely overturn the current political dynamic in the region.
• Muslim outreach: "More than 2,000 men reportedly sexually assaulted 1,200 German women on New Year's Eve"--Fox News. The problem was much worse than initially reported.
• "Google quietly brings forgetting to the U.S."--Computer World. Google is now allowing users to manage (even delete) information collected by Google. From the article:

If you are worried about your online privacy, it might be of interest to you that Google has quietly brought its Google forget program to the U.S. It has made it quite simple, for the most part. Simply go to myactivity.google.com to see the history of your searches, YouTube viewing and everything else you do on Google platforms, and then be guided through the process of trimming that history.

The author warns, however, that this may impact your "experience" at various sites you visit, because content and advertisements will no longer be individualized to you.

• "Lets Cook Limestone to Raise Atmospheric CO2 to 1000ppm"--Watts Up With That. The author notes that 1000 ppm of CO2 provides the best level for growing crops, and would greatly benefit the climate. However, we are currently woefully below this critical level of atmospheric carbon dioxide.