November 30, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Primitive Technology: Natural Draft Furnace"--Primitive Technology (6 min.)

Firearms/Self-Defense/Prepping:

• "National Reciprocity for Concealed Carry Passes, Next Stop House Floor"--Breitbart. The bill was passed by the House Judiciary Committee, and now goes to a general vote before the House of Representatives.
• "Update On Civilian Marksmanship Program Getting New Rifles & Pistols"--Ammo Land. At the time this article was written, the defense authorization bill containing the mandate that 1911 pistols be transferred to the CMP was still pending before the Senate. However, it has since passed its final Senate vote and is waiting for the President's signature. The article also notes that the Philippines will be returning 86,000 M-1 Garands, which will go to the CMP. It also has an update on the status of South Korean Garands; basically, that the Obama's move to kill the sale of the weapons to an importer has called into doubt the ownership of the weapons, and possible opening the door to them being returned to the U.S. government (and, thereby, hopefully going to the CMP).
• "Sierra Bullets 6.5 Grendel Load Data Now Available"--The Firearms Blog. The article sets out the tables, but here is a link to the PDF of the tables.
• "Weighing Sources"--Fleeting Survival. The author writes:

       This video from Primary & Secondary is spot on! You need to gather your data from different sources – different data points as I like to say and then make a conclusion. Even when you do that perfectly, you still might not like the outcome.

       There is so much bad information now. I am in a few groups in facebook and the info there is so bad. At least on a forum you build up a reputation and watch people that have a reputation. Most of the time you know when people are full of shit. Seems like lately you have to start your research thinking this author / video creator is full of shit.

       Its on you to find good sources of info if you care. ...

• "Product Review: AeroGarden Ultra"--Blue Collar Prepping. The author reviews a "small automated aeroponic (growing plants without soil or other media) gardens where everything from the lighting to the watering is automated." It doesn't work too well for root vegetables, and it requires a power source, but has otherwise worked nicely for the author.
• "Composting and Mulching Fall Leaves"--Go Garden Club. The author writes:

         Turning leaves into compost is really quite simple and involves the following steps:

       1. Add Leaves to a compost pile. Use a rake to gather the leaves into a central location so that the composting process can begin.

       2. Stir the compost pile often. The compost pile should be turned even during the cold months of winter to ensure that the compost decomposes properly.

       3. Keep the compost pile moist because it accelerates decomposition. Watering the compost insures that it will deteriorate in the manner that makes it most beneficial to a lawn.

• "The Spices of Life"--SHTF Blog. An article on spices and seasonings for cooking. The author, in particular, likes garlic powder (not garlic salt). He also notes: "My own list of spices is not terribly extensive, but they include curry powder, Italian spices, sage, coriander, bay leaves, paprika, basil, celery seed, chives, chili powder, mustard, cinnamon, sesame seeds, poultry seasoning, parsley, poppy seeds, and several others."
• "Why Salt Is Important To Survival"--Survival Based. The author advises that you should "[a]dd salt to your emergency kit if you haven’t already, as this mineral is an essential to human life. The body does not produce salt, but it needs it for survival. Salt is necessary for correct nerve transmission as well as sweat, blood, and digestive uses." She also briefly discusses its use for preserving foods and wound management.
• If you could have only one gun: "Shotguns: Do-It-All Workhorse Firearms"--Shooting Illustrated. The secret to having a shotgun work as a "do-it-all" firearm is to have a variety of types of ammunition: small shot for birds and small game; buckshot for self-defense or hunting; slugs for self-defense or hunting; and perhaps some exotic rounds for particular purposes (e.g., signal flares). Unfortunately, by being a do-it-all weapon--especially in configurations that make it usable for self-defense--it doesn't do any one task particularly well. The shorter barrel and generally more open choke of a defensive shotgun makes it a little less handy for bird hunting then a full length, properly choked shotgun; the effective range of buckshot is generally less than that of a defensive pistol; and the slug lacks the accuracy and range of a rifle. And then there is the ammunition costs for an equivalent number of rounds. Most of the buckshot and slug rounds I see run between $1 to $2 dollars per round in 12 ga., depending on brand and whether it is a premium round.
• More UK crime statistics: "More than 700,000 men were victims of domestic abuse in a year as stats reveal arrests are only made in less than HALF of all cases"--Daily Mail.

Other Stuff:

• "Trump Unveils New White House Christmas Card: ‘Happy Holidays’ Is Gone, Merry Christmas Is Back"--Weasel Zippers. Another campaign promise fulfilled.
• I think they are being optimistic: "Muslim population in parts of Europe could TRIPLE by 2050: New study predicts migration and birth rates will lead to dramatic rise in numbers across continent"--Daily Mail. This represents a best case scenario for Europeans.
• They actually do hate you:

• "Student op-ed calls white people 'an abomination'"--Campus Reform. Texas State University.

• "University event highlights 14 ways ‘whiteness’ oppresses society"--The College Fix. California State University at San Marcos. 

• "Having 'white nuclear family' promotes white supremacy, says New York professor, report says"--Fox News. City University of New York (CUNY).

• "Strategy to curb farm killings to be finalised, says Mbalula"--News24.  Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has indicated that a safety strategy to address the wave of murders of Boer farmers in South Africa (which the government has heretofore denied was occurring) will be finalized by the end of the year. But not seriously: "In the statement, the police ministry indicated that office-bound police officers would be deployed during the upcoming festive season to respond to farm killings."
• Coming soon to a place near you: "26 Executed In Veracruz in 3 Days, Including a Mayor and his Wife"--Borderland Beat. That is the whole state of Veracruz, but still....
• "China’s annual GDP growth only 50% of that reported?"--Dinocrat. Quoting from a Financial Times article:

        Typically, analysts assume that changes in reported GDP reflect movements in living standards and productive capacity. In China, however, this is not the case. Local governments are expected to boost spending by whatever amount is needed to meet the country’s targets, whether or not it is productive.

        GDP growth is not the same as economic growth. Consider two factories that cost the same to build and operate. If the first factory produces useful goods, and the second produces unwanted ones that pile up as inventory, only the first boosts the underlying economy. Both factories, however, will increase GDP in exactly the same way.

... The implications are clear. China’s growth miracle has already run out of steam. It is only by allowing debt to surge that the country is able to meet its GDP targets. ...

• "Madagascar’s plague epidemic is slowing, but we must sustain the response"--Relief Web. The WHO's own statistics show a case fatality rate of less than 9%. With numbers like that, and the slow spread, it was never going to be a significant threat.
• "Mystery as North Korean 'ghost ship' washes up in Japan with eight skeletons on board"--Daily Mail. See also this article from Deutsche Welle. The working theory is that North Korean fishermen are being forced to go farther from shore to catch fish, and so more are getting lost or stranded at sea. The question this raises, at least in my mind, is whether North Korea has overfished fisheries closer to its shores, or otherwise done something that has killed off fish closer to its shores?
• "Cosmonaut says space station bacteria 'come from outer space'"--CNET. From the article:

       Cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov says he found bacteria clinging to the external surface of the International Space Station that didn't come from the surface of Earth. 

        Shkaplerov told the Russian news agency Tass that cosmonauts collected the bacteria by swabbing the outside of the space station during space walks years ago.  

        "And now it turns out that somehow these swabs reveal bacteria that were absent during the launch of the ISS module," Shkaplerov told Tass. "That is, they have come from outer space and settled along the external surface. They are being studied so far and it seems that they pose no danger."

The most likely explanation is that these are bacteria living high in the atmosphere that are occasionally kicked up high enough to reach the space station. Whether or not that is correct, the discovery definitely has implications for the theory of panspermia. 

• Another third world import? "England hit by 50 year spike in scarlet fever"--Deutsche Welle.
• Speaking of globalists: "Two Familiar Democratic Names Tied To Possible Immigration Scam"--Hot Air. The article reports:

[A] group of Chinese investors who are suing both [former Virginia Governor, Terry] McCauliffe and Tony Rodham, brother of Hillary, claiming that they were defrauded in an immigration scam involving a company McAuliffe founded nearly a decade ago. Chinese investors hoping to benefit from the EB-5 visa program dumped more than a half million dollars each into the firm with the expectation that there would be green cards available for them in short order. Now, with the company on the rocks and their immigration status in peril, they feel that they’ve been ripped off.

• Deuteronomy 22:5: "Cross dressing snuck up in our blind spot."--Dalrock. The author hypothesizes that the acceptance of women dressing like men, grooming their hair like men, and otherwise acting like men, opened the door to the current cross-dressing, transgenderism movement.
• "STUDY: Satellites Show No Acceleration In Global Warming For 23 Years"--The Daily Caller. From the article: "University of Alabama-Huntsville climate scientists John Christy and Richard McNider found that by removing the climate effects of volcanic eruptions early on in the satellite temperature record it showed virtually no change in the rate of warming since the early 1990s." The key to understanding why this is an issue is that the satellites were launched to address concerns that ground weather stations were compromised by being located in urban "heat islands" and of too limited of coverage. But then the data started coming in, and the climatologists didn't like what they saw, because the satellite data has not supported on-going global warming--at least not at the rates which justify the vast economic and lifestyle changes being pushed by climate scientists and governments. Thus, what you will see is that the reports still asserting continued global warming make extensive use of data from the ground weather stations, even though such data is known to be less reliable. This study also further illustrates a primary failure of climate science, which is that none of the climate models have accurately predicted temperature changes, or even been close. In other words, there are no climate "models," just fantasy.