November 17, 2016 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"7″ HERA Arms CQR with Magpul D60"--The Firearms Blog.

• "The Carbine and the Rifleman"--The New Rifleman. Having anticipated a Hillary win, with the inevitable rush to buy firearms, the author put together a handy, short guide intended for new shooters and get them on the road to mastering their new AR. As such, he discusses setting up the carbine, including iron sights and optical sights, slings, and magazines; zeroing the rifle (including a recommendation of the 50 yard), estimating range, and holdovers to use at various ranges ("The chest, the head, the hat are your reference points for 0-200, 300, and 400 yard shooting"), holds for wind, and making use of "the rifleman's pair"; methods to stabilize your weapon; and selecting appropriate ammunition. This is a must read.
• "Gear Review: Primary Arms 2.5x ACSS Prism Scope"--The Truth About Guns. The reviewer gives it high marks, and the MSRP is $200.
• "The 2016 Binocular Test: We Review 17 Full- and Mid-Size Binos"--Outdoor Life. This is a test of optics in the $300 to $1,000 range.
• "Surveillance Self-Defense Against The Trump Administration"--The Intercept. Now that the tools developed by the Obama Administration will soon be in the hands of the Trump Administration, the author now warns his readers of steps to secure their cell phone, computer (including a different operating system specifically designed to thwart hackers) and safeguard communications between members of a protest group. This is information useful to anyone interested in privacy or operational security.
• "A secret Russian bioweapon has been decoded, decades after it escaped the lab: We finally know what was breeding in Russia's Cold War labs."--Science Alert. In April 1979, a strain of anthrax-causing bacterium, Bacillus anthracis, that had been modified by Soviet scientists, wafted past in incorrectly installed filter and out into the open world, The result was at least 66 people dead and an uncounted number of animals also dying. This particular strain was apparently modified to be resistant to antibiotics, and even be able to evade a vaccine. 
• This shouldn't be a shock to anyone; the imams in Europe have been saying this for years: "Arabic Translator: Muslim Migrants Secretly Hate Christians, Seek to Outbreed Them"--Breitbart. From the article:

A translator who has lived in Germany since the 1990s has revealed that Muslim migrants believe “Germany should be Islamised”, and loathe their hosts, according to a new report.

Working with asylum seekers in migrant centres, the 39 year old translator says she learnt that Muslims seek to “destroy” Christians, through having more children, and preach hatred towards people of other faiths.

Another article on this topic at the Daily Mail.

• We dodged a bullet in more than one way with Hillary Clinton losing the election. By now, you've probably already heard accounts of Hillary exploding in a drunken rage once she realized she had lost, which included throwing objects and attacking a couple people in her retinue, including Podesta. She had to be sedated before they were able to get her under control. Now she admits that after losing, she "wanted to curl up and never leave the house again." Can you imagine this being the person in charge of the nuclear codes, or having the authority to order military strikes?
• "Flexible , Portable Terahertz Scanner Made From Carbon Nanotubes"--IEEE Spectrum. The results will be cheaper, smaller terahertz scanners for looking through your clothing or through your walls.
• Peak oil: "Permian’s Wolfcamp formation called biggest shale oil field in U.S."--Star Telegram. From the article:

In a troubled oil world, the Permian Basin is the gift that keeps on giving.

One portion of the giant field, known as the Wolfcamp formation, was found to hold 20 billion barrels of oil trapped in four layers of shale beneath West Texas. That’s almost three times larger than North Dakota’s Bakken play and the single largest U.S. unconventional crude accumulation ever assessed, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. At current prices, that oil is worth almost $900 billion.

The estimate lends credence to the assertion from Pioneer Natural Resources CEO Scott Sheffield that the Permian’s shale could hold as much as 75 billion barrels, making it second only to Saudi Arabia’s Ghawar field. Irving-based Pioneer has been increasing its production targets all year as drilling in the Wolfcamp produced bigger gushers than the company’s engineers and geologists forecast.

• Brave new world: 

• "Scientists have rejuvenated old mice with the blood of human teenagers"--Science Alert. In past ages, certain people would bathe in the blood of a young man or woman (or virgin) believing it extended life. They apparently were just doing it wrong. Although this treatment appears to be at an early stage of research (although there have been similar studies for the past few years at least), I would be shocked if some of the very wealthy and powerful were not already undergoing similar treatment.

• "A brave new world indeed!"--Bayou Renaissance Man.  The author notes a Washington Post article reporting on the spread of euthanasia in Belgium and the Netherlands to include persons with mental illnesses or cognitive disorders, including dementia. Also, there are reports that euthanized patients are being harvested for their organs. This is reminiscent of Larry Nivon's science fiction future where the death penalty was expanded to eventually even the most trivial of crimes and offenses (e.g., speeding) in order to meet the demand for organ transplants.