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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

New York Times: "Dangerously Low on Water, Cape Town Now Faces ‘Day Zero’"

          It sounds like a Hollywood blockbuster. “Day Zero” is coming to Cape Town this April. Everyone, be warned. 
          The government cautions that the Day Zero threat will surpass anything a major city has faced since World War II or the Sept. 11 attacks. Talks are underway with South Africa’s police because “normal policing will be entirely inadequate.” Residents, their nerves increasingly frayed, speak in whispers of impending chaos. 
         The reason for the alarm is simple: The city’s water supply is dangerously close to running dry. 
          If water levels keep falling, Cape Town will declare Day Zero in less than three months. Taps in homes and businesses will be turned off until the rains come. The city’s four million residents will have to line up for water rations at 200 collection points. The city is bracing for the impact on public health and social order. 
          “When Day Zero comes, they’ll have to call in the army,” said Phaldie Ranqueste, who was filling his white S.U.V. with big containers of water at a natural spring where people waited in a long, anxious line. 
           It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way for Cape Town. This city is known for its strong environmental policies, including its careful management of water in an increasingly dry corner of the world. 
           But after a three-year drought, considered the worst in over a century, South African officials say Cape Town is now at serious risk of becoming one of the few major cities in the world to lose piped water to homes and most businesses. 
            Hospitals, schools and other vital institutions will still get water, officials say, but the scale of the shut-off will be severe.
As is usually the case these days, the city officials relied on "green" initiatives to reduce consumption ignoring the need to look for additional sources of water, even as the population continued to increase. As a consequence, the city is scrambling to develop alternative sources of water, including ground water sources and desalination plants. The article notes, for instance:
            Here in Cape Town, the water shortages have strained political divisions, especially because much of the responsibility for building water infrastructure lies with the national government led by the African National Congress. 
           “The national government has dragged its feet,” said David Olivier, who studies climate change at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Global Change Institute. 
            The national government controls the water supply to Cape Town, other municipalities and the province’s agricultural sector, including the large wine industry east of Cape Town. In the first two years of the drought, experts say, the national government failed to limit water supplies to farmers, intensifying the problem. 
           But the city made mistakes, too. Last year, instead of focusing on “low-hanging fruit” like tapping into local aquifers, the city concentrated on building temporary desalination units, said Kevin Winter, a water expert at the University of Cape Town’s Future Water Institute.
           So what is a person supposed to do. First of all, I have a lengthy article on storing water (including prepping containers, the use of bleach to make sure it stays usable, etc.). Review that article. Hopefully you have already been storing water, but if not, start doing so to prepare for when the water is shut down.

           Obviously, you only want to store water in food grade containers. The 2-L soda-pop bottles work well. If you have purchased water in jugs (for instance, my wife and I have to use distilled water, which comes in 1 gallon jugs), you can use those jugs. However, don't try to reuse milk jugs--you won't be able to get all the milk residue out and it will contaminate the water. If you can get larger containers, well and good--just make sure that you can get the water out. For instance, I have a couple of large drums filled with water, and have a hand operated pump to get the water out of the drums. You can also buy bottled water. Remember that this water is for storage and use when the shortages hit, so don't be using it before the authorities start to restrict water. This water is to supplement what water you will be able to get after authorities begin rationing water: in essence, your stored water will supplement what you can otherwise get. This is especially important if, for some reason, you are unable to retrieve your ration on a given day. And, of course, you will want to reserve some containers for obtaining you allotment/ration if, as the article above indicates, potable water will be limited to certain collection points.

          You will need a minimum of 1 gallon (~4 liters) of water per day per person for drinking. Plan on more if you will be doing any labor--particular where you might sweat. Perhaps 3 gallons per day per person in that case. This does not include water for sanitation. In my prior article, I recommended at least 5 gallons per day per person, including for sanitation.

          You right as well now learn how to take sponge baths to preserve water. Hair can be washed pouring some water over it to dampen it (try and catch that water to reuse for rinsing), and then using a bit more to rinse the hair. As for flushing the toilet, remember the rule: "yellow, its mellow; brown, its down." That is, don't flush if its just urine; flush (or wash it down) only if it is fecal material.

         Be careful of drinking contaminated water or food; diarrhea can and will cause dehydration. I would be particularly careful of water in open top containers (buckets) or drawn from open sources of water (ponds, streams or brooks).

Here's Your Chance for an Inexpensive Vacation Home in Italy

           Since I first read Goldman's Why Civilizations Die, I've related to my children that, due to the declining birth rate in Italy, Greece, and Spain, that property in those countries will become cheaper as whole villages become depopulated; and predicted that when they retire, they probably will be able to relocate to Europe. It seems this is coming to pass. The Daily Mail today reported on a village in Sardinia (Italy) that is selling homes for as little as 1 euro (with the catch that you have to refurbish the property) in order to attract new residents. The town, Ollolai, has seen its population halved over the past three decades, "with just 1,300 people – mostly middle-aged childless couples – left[.]"

            This is just a sign of a more serious problem. A group called Gefira recently released a population analysis for Italy that claimed that "[b]y 2080, Italians will be a minority in their own country." According to their report, this will be a consequence of low reproduction rates (a fertility rate of 1.34) combined with increased immigration. They also write:
If the official Eurostat forecast is correct, then within 60 years or, taking into consideration the current pace of migration even sooner, 50% of Italy’s inhabitants will be of African or Asian descent. The figures found by our demographic-research team are by far not unique and government statisticians have the same numbers. Not only are the Italian and European authorities fully aware of this, but they seem to be executing a re-population program on such a monumental scale that will dwarf the Swedish mass migration experiment.
(Bold in original). They contrast this with Japan, where the government has steadfastly refused to replace their declining population with aliens.

Tugging on Superman's Cape

          Mazda Tara Kurdan comments on an interview given by Yigit Bulut, Turkish President Erdogan's chief aid, wherein Bulut purportedly "asks the US to stop sending its dogs and instead face #Turkey by itself, claims the US has no strength to fight against #Turkey in the region."

          A few days ago, Solomon at SNAFU! caught a short Twitter report: "Big Turkish army convoy including APCs drove thru HTS controlled Idlib in Syria heading towards AlEis, a rebel controlled frontline with Syrian gov forces &allies. Turkish army convoy was escorted whole time by AlQaeda linked HTS group." Solomon commented: "The Turks are getting assistance from ISIS, who we're trying to kill, while they are trying to kill the YPG that is helping us kill ISIS, while we're trying to protect the YPG from the Turks while the Russians, Syrians and Iranians laugh at us all."

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Plasma Discharges and Ancient Iconography



I wrote:
"The Squatter Man (Squatting Man) Petroglyphs" The first two images in the top left corner represent how a certain pinched type of high-energy plasma discharge would appear to a viewer; the other images show examples of petroglyphs from around the globe apparently showing the same phenomena. For more information, see Peratt, Anthony L., "Characteristics for the Occurrence of a High-Current Z-Pinch Aurora as Recorded in Antiquity," IEEE Transactions On Plasma Science, Vol. 31, No. 6 (Dec. 2003) (large PDF). According to Peratt, these plasma discharges would occur from a current that would only be produced "if the solar flux from the Sun were to increase one or two magnitudes or if another source of plasma were to enter the solar system." (Peratt at 1210) (underline added). It offers a different possible interpretation of what John saw in Revelation 10:1-3.
The full article contains illustrations of other shapes of plasma discharges which vary somewhat from the squatting man type, but are still recognizably similar.

        Revelation 10:1-3 states:
1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, 
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
 The other day I was following a link on a different matter, and came across a story about what the author called God-Self icons from various cultures around the world. I was immediately struck by the marked similarity between these icons and the squatting man petroglyphs:


Anyway, something to think about.

January 30, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web


  • A new Woodpile Report. Check it out.
  • "The Ultimate Guide to Surviving: Finding Food Edition – Squirrels and Rabbits"--The Survivalist Blog. The author summarizes his article: "This article ... will discuss the steps to take in order to successfully trap, clean, prepare and cook a squirrel or a rabbit when you find yourself without your basic needs. Finding food is going to be the most stressful aspect of your survival, so make it a priority to learn these necessary skills."
  • "New Update on Status of CMP 1911s from United States Army"--Ammo Land. CMP is reporting that they have received the 8,000 pistols alloted for this year from the Army.
  • "Russian Army Adopts AK-12, AK-15, AEK-971, and AEK-973 Rifles for Military Service (For Real This Time)"--The Firearms Blog. The AK-12 is 5.45x39, the AK-15 is 7.62x39. These two are apparently for the regular forces. The AEK-971 and -973 are also in 5.45 and 7.62, respectively, but this rifle uses the counteracting weight to reduce recoil and muzzle climb. These latter two rifles are being adopted in limited quantities for special operation forces.
  • "A 'How To' For Outdoor Potted Plant Protection"--Backyard Boss. Maybe too late for this year, but the author of this article discusses ways (other than simply bringing them indoors) to protect potted plants from being killed off by a freeze or just simple winter weather. As you may know, the USDA has split the nation into certain growing zones, with the lower numbered zones to the north (see here and here). The author indicates that if you are in Zones 1-3, you pretty much have no choice but to bring the plants indoors. So his article focuses on what to do in other areas.
  • "Bovine basics for beginners"--Backwoods Home Magazine. The author briefly discusses various topics about keeping a cow, including the need for sufficient pasturage, feeding (especially in winter when grazing is difficult or impossible), shelter, the need to offer the cow company (whether another animal and/or the daily care and contact you will provide), and so on. The thing to remember is that a cow represents a significant investment, and it relies on you for care and protection.
  • "Doctors warn another flu-like deadly virus is going round - but only military officers can get a vaccine to block it"--Daily Mail. Per the article: "The adenovirus — which often infects the airways and the intestinal tract — shares several symptoms with the flu, including congestion, sore throat, cough and fever, and can cause the common cold."
  • Oops: "China’s Two-Child Policy Fails to Produce Baby Boom"--Breitbart.  
          In 2016, the Chinese Communist Party abandoned its decades-long one-child policy and allowed all couples to have two children. China’s National Commission of Health and Family Planning confidently predicted that the new two-child policy would result in at least 20 million new births.
              The state’s birth planners were wrong.
                 The National Bureau of Statistics reported on January 19th that there were only 17.2 million births in 2017, down from 17.9 million births the year before. The numbers not only fell millions short of the projected number, they suggest that the birth rate in China is set to dramatically decline in the future years.
        Since fecundity is related to religiosity, I'm not sure how a Communist/Atheist country could reasonably expect to increase its birthrates. In any event, the problem is compounded by parents selectively aborting females in favor of sons. As the author writes, "tens of millions of women have been eliminated from the population by sex-selection abortions and female infanticide. The result is fewer women of childbearing age in China and a further dip in the birthrate."
                   The comments from Mr Hunt and Mr Turnbull follow several recent headline-grabbing crimes blamed on groups of young African men, including the trashing of an Airbnb property in Werribee and the repeated destruction of a community centre in Tarneit.
                    In both cases, walls were scrawled with the letters "MTS", which are understood to stand for a western suburbs-based group, "Menace to Society".
                       A spate of jewellery store robberies in 2016 and 2017, many carried out by groups of men described as being of African appearance, also prompted debate about gang crime.
                         South Sudanese Australian Nelly Yoa, who said he mentored troubled young members of the community in Melbourne, said the Prime Minister's criticism of the Victorian Government was valid.
                            "The State Government has watched this unfold over the past two years," said Mr Yoa, who came to Australia in 2003 as a refugee.
                              "Nothing has been done."
                                 He said more must be done to address violence in African communities.
                        We apply standard operational principles of inflows and outflows to estimate the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States, using the best available data, including some that has only recently become available. We generate a lower bound for the number of undocumented immigrants using conservative parameter values that underestimate inflows and overestimate outflows. Our lower bound is close to 17 million, 50% higher than the most prominent current estimate of 11.3 million, which is based on survey data and thus different sources and methods. Standard parameter values generate an estimate of 22.8 million undocumented immigrants, twice as large as the current estimate.
                                  About 55 million years ago global temperatures spiked. Then, as now, sea levels rose, the oceans became more acidic, and species disappeared forever.
                        * * *
                                     One of the biggest concerns today is that the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking because of climate change. This wasn't a problem during the PETM, because there probably was no Antarctic ice sheet. Even before the onset of the PETM, global temperatures were several degrees warmer than they are now.
                                       Some researchers think the pace of climate change during the PETM distinguishes the event from today too. A controversial study published in 2013 made the case.
                                         Researchers examined another set of muds that formed at the bottom of the ocean 55 million years ago, this time in the north-west Atlantic. They found banding in the muds that they argued was formed by annual cycles.
                                           When they traced the oxygen and carbon isotope blips associated with the PETM, they found that they were contained in just 13 bands. This means, they said, that the PETM temperature surge came in just 13 years.

                                  * * *

                                             What it would imply is that global temperatures ramped up to that 5 °C figure in just 13 years. Today, in contrast, global temperatures have risen about 1 °C since the late 19th century.
                                    A common problem at paleoindian sites in the northeastern region of North America is the recovery of radiocarbon dates that are much younger than their western counterparts, sometimes by as much as 10,000 years. Other methods like thermoluminescence, geoarchaeology, and sedimentation suggest that the dates are incorrect. Evidence has been mounting that the peopling of the Americas occurred much earlier than 12,000 bp. The discovery of tracks and micrometeorite-like particles in paleoindian artifacts across North America demonstrates they were bombarded during a cosmic event. Measurements of Uranium 235 (235U), depleted by 17-77%, and enhanced concentrations of Plutonium 239 (239Pu), from neutron capture on Uranium 238 (238U), in artifacts, associated chert types, and sediments at depth indicates that the entire prehistoric North American landscape was bombarded by thermal neutrons. Radiocarbon dating assumes that there is no substantial change in isotopic composition over time. A large thermal neutron event would convert residual Nitrogen 14 (14N) in charcoal to Carbon 14 (14C) thus resetting the radiocarbon date to a younger value and pushing back the date that paleoindians occupied the Americas by thousands of years. Analysis of data from 11 locations across North America indicates there were episodes of cosmic ray bombardments of the prehistoric landscape in Late Glacial times. Examination of the radiocarbon record suggests these events were coupled with geomagnetic excursions at 41,000, 33,000, and 12,500 bp and irradiated the landscape with massive thermal neutron fluxes of the order of ~1015 neutrons/cm2. These data provide a clear body of terrestrial evidence supporting either one of two longstanding hypotheses for catastrophe in paleoindian times: 1) a giant solar flare during a geomagnetic excursion as explored by Wolfendale and Zook, and 2) a supernova shockwave as forwarded by Brackenridge, Clarke, and Dar. The evidence is reviewed, and logical implications for Late Glacial mass extinctions and associated plant mutations are explored.
                                    (See also this excerpt at Science Frontiers). Update: You can read the full article via this PDF (starting at p. 9).

                                    Monday, January 29, 2018

                                    January 29, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

                                    "Electric Health Risk from Space Weather"--Suspicious Observers (3 min.)
                                    A quick look at some recent research showing a correlation between space weather and cardio-vascular health. I would also recommend the author's news video from a couple days ago which mentions some additional research showing electrical precursors to earthquakes.


                                    • "A Closer Look and First Set-Up of our Bris Inflatable Fishing Boat"--Security & Self-Reliance. The author reviews an inflatable boat that he describes as being between your standard inflatable boat or raft, and a Zodiac boat. He also notes that "[t]his boat is advertised as a 6 person boat, 1600 pound capacity and it’s rated to 25 horsepower. It came with the floor system, oars and oar locks, 2 seats, a foot pump, 2 storage bags, repair kit, Certificate of Origin and an instruction booklet." Also, Security & Self-Reliance has added a new "PDF of the Week," this one on recipes for home dehydrating.
                                    • "Prepping 101 | The Medical Bucket and M3 Medic Bag"--Loadout Room. In this article, the author lists what he keeps in his basic medical bag, and introduces the idea of using a 5-gallon sealable bucket to store additional medical items (make sure to use a red bucket or otherwise mark it so you can differentiate it from buckets used for other items, such as food storage).
                                    • This looks interesting: "Revolutionary Gun Grip Created by Vets Aims to Make Operators Deadlier"--Kit Up!  From the article:
                                            The Ryker Grip, designed and marketed by a team of Navy and Marine Corps veterans with close ties to the special operations community, uses ergonomics to ease strain on the body, allowing for a more natural head position, squared shoulders, and better body alignment.
                                                The fist-sized piece of military-grade polymer fixes to the rail, allowing shooters to hold and control the gun from the side, rather than from underneath as with a conventional vertical grip.
                                        Although it doesn't seem to improve accuracy, the inventors contend that it gives a 12-20% increase in speed (target to target). The other thing with this grip is that it leaves the forefinger free, so it can be used to trigger a light or some other use, while still maintaining a solid grip. MSRP is $75.
                                        • Another product I saw discussed at a couple different sites: the Double-Star Noogie Bottle Opener. Basically, it is "brass knuckles" except made from aluminum ... and with a bottle opener thrown in on the bottom so, I guess, you can claim you didn't know it was a weapon. 
                                        • "Bugging out 101: Get Off Your Feet And Onto Your Bike"--Dreaming of Sunsets Over Ochre Dunes. A look at the bicycle as a bug-out vehicle. They are quiet, efficient (at least if you are physically fit) and, with a trailer, can haul children or supplies. But they are slow and don't offer any protection.
                                        • "Airguns at the 2018 SHOT Show – Day One"--Hard Air Magazine. One of the tidbits that caught my attention: "Crosman was showing the new Benjamin Traveler portable compressor. This is designed to connect directly to the 12 Volt  battery of a car, lawn mower or ATV and provide up to 4,500 PSI of High Pressure Air to directly fill a PCP air rifle." This means that you wouldn't be stuck going to a scuba shop to fill the PCP tank or a separate refill tank.
                                        • "Illegals commit crimes at double the rate of native-born: Study"--The Washington Times. Anonymous Conservative has some comments on this, including a possible genetic connection.
                                        • "GRAPHIC — Hooded Cartel Gunmen Kill Nine in Mexican Border State House Party"--Breitbart. Per the article, "[a] team of hooded cartel gunmen barged into a suburban home of this metropolitan area to execute nine men at a party. The women and children were locked in a room while gunmen executed their victims." Warning: the photographs are graphic.
                                        • Migrants Welcome! "Amsterdam: One Dead, Several Wounded in Multiple Shooting"--Breitbart. The deceased is a 17-year old (wink, wink) Moroccan. The shooters were armed with AK rifles. The authorities are stating that the shooting is not terror related, which means it is probably part of a gang war between rival Middle-Eastern and/or North African gangs.
                                        • Well, migrants welcome except in Mexico: "Over 100 Migrants Found Dying of Asphyxiation in Tractor-Trailer Headed for Texas"--Breitbart. Mexican authorities found the migrants stuffed into the trailer for a semi-tractor suffering from dehydration and asphyxia. They were identified as being from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. According to the article, "[t]he migrants were taken to Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office in Ciudad Victoria so INM could contact their respective consulates and carry out their deportations."
                                        • Diversity is our strength: "Minnesota Man Explains Mall Stabbings"--Power Line. Last November, Mahad Abdiaziz Abdiraham stabbed two men in the Mall of America. Authorities have never revealed a motive, but suggested it was due to mental issues. However, pleading guilty the other day, Abdiraham explained the reason for the attack: 
                                                   In the statement, Abdiraham said he went to the Mall of America to answer the “call for jihad by the Chief of Believer, Abu-bakr Al-baghdadi, may Allah protect him, and by the Mujahiden of the Islamic State.”
                                                     The statement added, “I understand that the two men I stabbed know and have explained the reason for my attack, and I am here reaffirming that it was indeed an act of Jihad in the way of Allah.”
                                                       Abdiraham also said in the statement that Americans will not be safe as long as “your country is at war with Islam.”
                                                Also this:
                                                          Twin Cities Somali community spokesman Omar Jamal suggested that Abdirahman is not simply the basket case presented by the Star Tribune. “This is a widespread sentiment with Somali youth,” he said. Jamal said the federal government’s effort to make it difficult for would-be jihadists to travel abroad and join a terrorist group has had unintended consequences locally.

                                                            Translation: they are talking about waging jihad here in Minnesota. 
                                                    • "Five Jihadis in the U.S. You Haven’t Heard Of"--PJ Media. Robert Spencer observes: "Just in the last week, five Muslims were involved in courtroom proceedings connected with jihad terror activity. Clearly the jihad against Americans, and against the United States as an entity, is ongoing." He goes on to offer summaries about each of these men.
                                                    • And another one: "Terrorism eyed after driver allegedly targets pedestrians in Philadelphia"--Fox News. This incident of pedestrian bowling was ended when an off-duty police officer shot the driver in the head. Despite his injury, the suspect did not die and was taken to a hospital in very serious condition.
                                                    • "Reverting to a third world s***hole"--Bayou Renaissance Man. Surprise, surprise, but South Africa is reverting to a "s***hole" with the evidence in this case being that theft of electrical cabling and other infrastructure is so rampant that the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) refuses to replace or repair some traffic lights. While the author--Peter Grant--recognizes that this is post-Apartheid, he bristled when a reader posted a comment suggesting a link to the country moving to black rule. Michael Levin, a professor at CCNY and CUNY has a great book, Why Race Matters, that Grant should probably read. As I've maintained before, minorities shouldn't want a national conversation on race because they won't like where it goes. Unfortunately for minorities, the SJWs, BLM and the "white privilege" mantras have started that conversation.
                                                    • And this is where a national conversation on race goes: "His Unhappy Life In A Sh*thole"--Rod Dreher at American Conservative publishes a letter from one of his readers describing his/her life in a s***hole, right here in America in a mostly Hispanic community. An excerpt:
                                                               First, I grew up in a comfortable middle class community with a solid religious foundation (even though I rebelled against this as a teenager) and a large, close-knit, functional family support system. I did not move to my current city because I necessarily wanted to live here but simply because circumstances led me here. Furthermore, I am white and thus of a different ethnicity than the majority Hispanic people I come in contact with on a daily basis in my city. I don’t know if Alicia is of the same ethnicity as her poorer neighbors, but I merely disclose this background information to admit that it could affect my perception of my particular situation.

                                                              That said, I do not have the same stories of neighborliness and charity in my community that Alicia has in hers. It could very be due to the fact that I am not neighborly and charitable enough myself and thus haven’t been open to such experiences. I think it also has to due with my being white and not Hispanic, especially when so many of the Hispanics here speak little or no English. If I can’t communicate with my poor neighbors, how can I ever begin to understand them and forge those bonds of community? Language aside, I think the biggest hurdle that keeps me from seeing beyond the shithole aspects of my community goes back to the issue of culture.

                                                              My community is dominated by a degenerate culture. In my previous comment, I talked a lot about Mexican culture, but here I’m not referring to that ethnic culture specifically, though it may contribute. The culture I’m referring to is, for lack of a better term, “ghetto” culture. This culture is by no means relegated only to Hispanics or blacks but seeps into all lower class ethnic groups. It’s a culture of selfishness, hedonism, irresponsibility, sloth, and violence. In short, it’s a culture of sin. Yes, I’m sure the comfortable, middle class culture of my hometown definitely had its share of sinfulness masquerading as respectability, but it doesn’t blatantly dominate the culture in the way the ghetto culture does in my current community.
                                                    Read the whole thing.

                                                    More Draining of the Swamp


                                                    Saturday, January 27, 2018

                                                    January 27, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

                                                    A comparison of the Tower of Babel and Globalism.

                                                    The depth of the wound is what matters with strips.
                                                      – Less than 3/16″ deep probably okay to use tape (strips).
                                                        – Above 1/4″ probably should be sutures.
                                                          At 3/16″ it is iffy, tape or suture.
                                                          • "Chickens: The most valuable animal on the homestead"--Backwoods Home Magazine. An article about raising chickens. It is not quite a primer, but instead a look at some of the highlights and give you an idea of what you will need to successfully raise chickens and why you might want to in order to be self-sufficient.
                                                          • "OTIS Bore Stick"--The Firearms Blog. A Shot Show product announcement. And this sounds like a great product. It is a chemically treated stick that you can insert into a barrel to keep it from corroding during long term storage, along with a plastic plug to seal the end of the barrel. It is supposed to be good for up to two years of storage. There will be three models, for rifles, pistols and shotguns, of course. Pricing is pretty reasonable too: $5 for a single stick, or $7 for a double pack.
                                                          • I'm not so sure this is good news: "First GEMTECH Suppressors Manufactured At S&W"--The Firearms Blog. GEMTECH is a Boise, Idaho based silencer manufacturer that was purchased by Smith & Wesson last year. At the time of purchase, GemTech was in the process of constructing a new manufacturing facility in Meridian, Idaho (a suburb of Boise). According to this article, S&W has manufactured its first GemTech silencers at an S&W facility in Springfield, Massachusetts. To my mind, this is an indication that S&W will probably wind down production in Idaho; there would be no reason to move production to Massachusetts unless they planned on abandoning the Idaho facility.
                                                          • "Flu Season From Hell Keeps Getting Worse"--Bloomberg. The CDC expects at least 50,000 dead from this season's flu by the time it is all over.
                                                          • Paging Al Gore: "IN PICTURES: French Alps hit by 'once-in-a-generation' snow storms"--The Local
                                                          • "The Knobkerrie"--Dreaming of Sunsets Over Ochre Dunes. The author received training in using sticks and batons as a prison guard. He opines that the Knobkerrie (a walking stick with a knobbed head) would be a great defensive weapon. 
                                                          • Immigration is our strength: "The MSM Faces the Truth About Sweden"--PJ Media. The author notes: "Sweden is undergoing a 'sexual assault crisis' owing to the immigration of 'men from extremely patriarchal cultures' and that Sweden's self-described 'feminist government' has 'quietly abandoned women.'"
                                                          Top NASA officials and their partners in the International Space Station program gathered in Tokyo this past Friday and Monday, Popular Mechanics has learned, for behind-closed-doors talks on the next big step in human spaceflight: the lunar orbiting station. Officially known as the Deep Space Gateway, or DSG, the modular outpost will occupy an egg-shaped orbit around the moon in the 2020s, when it replaces the ISS and becomes the main destination for astronauts and cosmonauts.

                                                          An Example of the Failure of OPSEC During a Food Crises

                                                                    I'm reading A Train To Potevka by Mike Ramsdell. Ramsdell indicates in the forward to the book that he had operated as a spy in the Soviet Union, including about the time it collapsed. The book is a fictionalized account of his time there (details changed to protect sources and avoid problems with revealing classified information). So far, the story is about an operation that went south, leaving him to evacuate via a train (hence the title of the book) to avoid being captured by Russian mafia and/or KGB, but he also offers along the way some side points or stories. One of these that caught my attention, because of its obvious lessons for preppers, had to do with the robbery of a diplomat and his family for their food as the Soviet Union was collapsing. Some of you may be old enough to remember that for several years around that time, the economic situation in Russia was dire, with both fuel and food shortages. I can remember the efforts of various charities and churches (including the LDS Church) to get food and clothing to Russia during the worst of it (including an account of Russian aid workers "drafting" a translator for one of the Church authorities to assist with explaining what were some of the food stuffs, and how to use or prepare them--none of the labels were in Russian!).

                                                                   Ramsdell relates the following incident:
                                                                  It was during this same time period that those in our diplomatic corps stationed in the Soviet Union thought themselves immune from the growing food crisis until it showed its ugly head, even in the capital city of Moscow itself.  
                                                                    The very week I had arrived at the American Embassy in Moscow in preparation for this mission to Siberia, three Russian men broke into the apartment of an American diplomat in the middle of the night.  The young attaché officer was living with his wife and young baby a short distance from the American Embassy compound in one of the old high-rise, Stalinesque apartment buildings.  
                                                                    The diplomat had obviously been seen taking groceries into his apartment each week, which he had purchased at the small commissary at our embassy.  With the Soviet food crisis growing worse day by day, the U.S. State Department had established an emergency program of flying in foodstuffs from abroad for the embassy personnel posted in Moscow.  
                                                                   As the thieves entered the attaché’s apartment brandishing handguns, they took the baby hostage from the hysterical mother.  Never asking for money, they said they would return the infant unharmed once she and her husband emptied their flat of all food.  
                                                                   After two anxious hours of carrying boxes of food from their apartment to the thieves’ car near the building exit, the thugs gave the baby back to the frantic parents, then drove off in a Russian Zhiguli loaded with the couple’s entire supply of food.
                                                          The diplomat and his family were lucky that the incident turned out as well as it did. But it is sobering reminder that during a crises--particularly an extended crises--some people will resort to desperate measures to get food and other necessities. In such a crises, if you have food, you best either conceal the fact and/or be prepared to defend yourself. In the story related above, the thieves just wanted the food, but that won't always be the case.

                                                          Friday, January 26, 2018

                                                          "The Hellbound Train"--by Anonymous

                                                          The Lackawanna Valley by George Inness, 1855, oil on canvas - National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA. (Source)
                                                          Hellbound Train

                                                          A Texas cowboy lay down on a barroom floor,
                                                          Having drunk so much he could drink no more;
                                                          So he fell asleep with a troubled brain
                                                          To dream that he rode on a hell-bound train.

                                                          The engine with murderous blood was damp
                                                          And was brilliantly lit with a brimstone lamp;
                                                          An imp, for fuel, was shoveling bones,
                                                          While the furnace rang with a thousand groans.

                                                          The boiler was filled with lager beer
                                                          And the devil himself was the engineer;
                                                          The passengers were a most motly crew—
                                                          Church member, atheist, Gentile, and Jew,

                                                          Rich men in broadcloth, beggers in rags,
                                                          Handsome young ladies, and withered old hags,
                                                          Yellow and black men, red, brown, and white,
                                                          All chained together—O God, what a site!

                                                          While the train rushed on at an awful pace—
                                                          The sulphurous fumes scorched their hands and face;
                                                          Wider and wider the country grew,
                                                          As faster and faster the engine flew.

                                                          Louder and louder the thunder crashed
                                                          And brighter and brighter the lightning flashed;
                                                          Hotter and hotter the air became
                                                          Till the clothes were burned from each quivering frame.

                                                          And out of the distance there arose a yell,
                                                          "Ha, ha," said the devil, "we're nearing hell!"
                                                          Then oh, how the passengers all shrieked with pain
                                                          And begged the devil to stop the train.

                                                          But he capered about and danced for glee,
                                                          And laughed and joked at their misery.
                                                          "My faithful friends, you have done the work
                                                          And the devil never can a payday shirk.

                                                          "You've bullied the weak, you've robbed the poor,
                                                          The starving brother you've turned from the door;
                                                          You've laid up gold where the canker rust,
                                                          And have given free vent to your beastly lust.

                                                          "You've justice scorned, and corruption sown,
                                                          And trampled the laws of nature down.
                                                          You have drunk, rioted, cheated, plundered, and lied,
                                                          And mocked at God in your hell-born pride.

                                                          "You have paid full fair, so I'll carry you through,
                                                          For it's only right you should have your due.
                                                          Why, the laborer always expects his hire,
                                                          So I'll land you safe in the lake of fire,

                                                          "Where your flesh will waste in the flames that roar,
                                                          And my imps torment you forevermore."
                                                          Then the cowboy awoke with an anguished cry,
                                                          His clothes wet with sweat and his hair standing high

                                                          Then he prayed as he never had prayed till that hour
                                                          To be saved from his sin and the demon's power;
                                                          And his prayers and his vows were not in vain,
                                                          For he never road the hell-bound train.

                                                          My Borders, My Choice

                                                          Just saw this on Heartiste's blog and thought it funny and worth sharing:


                                                          January 26, 2018 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

                                                          "What is a flash sight picture"--Lucky Gunner Ammo (8 min.)
                                                          He includes a test/demonstration of how fast you can actually perceive the target and sights. It is a lot faster than you probably would believe.


                                                          • Greg Ellifritz has posted another excellent "Weekend Knowledge Dump". While I've linked to a couple of the articles in the past few weeks, most of them are things I missed and worth the look. Also, he has a link to free PDF downloads from another Paladin Press author--in this case, Ralph Mroz, who is offering Tactical Defense Training for Real Life Encounters and Defensive Shooting for Real Life Encounters.
                                                          • I've always maintained that your food supply should, to the extent possible, reflect what you actually eat, whether by making sure that your food supply consists of food you currently eat, or learning recipes to make use of your food supply so you learn to enjoy the food. The latter is particularly important for the Basic 5 foods that tend to be easy to store in bulk for long periods of time. The author of Security & Self-Reliance shares his recipe for sausage and lentil soup.
                                                          • While we are on the subject of Security & Self-Reliance, the author has started a new program of offering a free PDF download of a survival book each week. Details here. Note that because of bandwidth and space restrictions, he will be cycling through the books; meaning, they will be taken down after a week or two to make room for new titles.
                                                          • I was watching a TFB TV video last night on shot show, where they were interviewing someone from the Civilian Marksmanship Program. They discussed the status of the receipt of the 1911 pistols, of course, but she also confirmed that CMP had received shipments of M1 Garands from the Philippines and Turkey. No word on how long it would take to process the weapons, but we may see some of the "sold-out" categories fill up.
                                                          • Actually, I have to confess that I watched several videos about shot show. Another one--sort of in the "that would be cool to own"--was an interview with Ion Productions which sells portable flame throwers. Their base model is about $1,200, if I remember correctly. Anyway, check out the video.
                                                          • "Be Polite, or Be Safe?"--Arms Guide. The author's mother was stalked by a stranger throughout a grocery store. Although her mother was able to finally elude the stranger, the author discusses how her mother was afraid to confront the man about his actions (while still in the grocery store) because she didn't want to be rude. Sometimes, though, you need to be a little rude. A simple "can I help you?" in an assertive voice can do wonders.
                                                          • "The People Who Would Survive Nuclear War"--The Atlantic. In 1979, a government commission published a report entitled "The Effects of Nuclear War" (PDF here). This article is about an appendix to the report, Appendix C, which provided a fictionalized account of a survivor of an attack in the Charlottesville area in order to illustrate the commission's findings.
                                                          • "Cry Havoc: Let Slip The QRB"--Recoil Magazine. This is another Shot Show product announcement, but one that may be of interest to someone wanting to fit an AR into a pack for carry. Cry Havoc Tactical was showing off a Quick Release Barrel (QRB) system that allows you to simply and easily detach the barrel/front hand guard on an AR style rifle (using a direct impingement system). From the article:
                                                          Your BCG, charging handle and upper receiver remain on the rifle. While we, unfortunately, do not have the photos on hand right now, this author has personally seen photos of a QRB rifle broken down and fit inside a Trapper Keeper binder. Of course, any backpack, gym bag or short duffel will work, as the overall package goes down to a 17.5-inch overall length once broken apart. The Dead Foot Arms folding stock assembly incorporated into this build shrinks that number even further.
                                                          The system can also be used for a quick caliber change between 5.56 and .300 Blackout (since they use the same BCG and magazines).
                                                          • Related: "The Sad Decline of the FBI: You Read It Here First"--Powerline. The author asks: "If 'mainstream' reporters had joined us in blowing the whistle on DOJ’s rather obvious corruption under the Obama/Holder/Lynch regime, would we ever have gotten to the point where Loretta Lynch was meeting with Bill Clinton, apparently to assure him that Hillary was safe from prosecution, regardless of the evidence, while senior FBI officials huddled to discuss how they could prevent the outsider, Donald Trump, from assuming the presidency?"
                                                                       Bosnian prosecutor Goran Glamocanin has claimed that Sweden is the number one market in Europe for illegal weapons from the Balkan region after yet another explosion occurred in Malmö over the weekend.
                                                                         The Bosnian prosecutor, who is currently involved with the prosecution of 20 people who are alleged to have attempted to traffick illegal military grade arms out of the country, said almost all of the weapons were headed to Sweden, Aftonbladet reports.
                                                                         The 2018 Accelerating Acceptance report found that 49 percent of the non-LGBTQ respondents identified themselves as LGBTQ “allies” in 2017, down from 53 percent in 2016. At the same time, 55 percent of the LGBTQ respondents said they experienced anti-queer discrimination last year, compared to 44 percent in 2016. 
                                                                           Advocates said it was the first time in the four-year history of the report, which surveyed more than 2,100 Americans over the age of 18, that the results had indicated a drop in LGBTQ acceptance. 
                                                                    Since opposition to LGBTQ... is based in the disgust response, and conservatives have stronger disgust responses than liberals, this suggests a conservative shift. Probably too little, too late, but we will see.
                                                                                New dating of fossils from Israel indicates that our species (Homo sapiens) lived outside Africa around 185,000 years ago, some 80,000 years earlier than the previous evidence.

                                                                        * * *

                                                                                  The co-lead researcher, Prof Israel Hershkovitz, told BBC News that the discovery would fundamentally alter ideas of recent human evolution.
                                                                                     "We have to rewrite the whole story of human evolution, not just for our own species but all the other species that lived outside of Africa at the time," the researcher, from Tel Aviv University, explained.
                                                                              Also:
                                                                                         "The new dating hints that there could be even older Homo sapiens finds to come from the region of western Asia."
                                                                                           The new scientific dating evidence raises the possibility that modern humans interacted with other, now extinct, species of humans for tens of thousands of years. It also fits in with recent discoveries of remains and genetic studies that also indicate an earlier departure from Africa.
                                                                                    If you were to take a course or read a book on physical anthropology, it would teach that humans had evolved in Africa then spread out fairly recently (it was about 50,000 bp when I was at university), and that only minor evolution had occurred in the intervening period--there hadn't been enough time for significant differences. Every time the period is pushed back, it means that there was additional time for evolving separately from populations in Africa, and intermixing with other hominids already extant, or taking traits back into Africa.  
                                                                                                You would think a girl that young would be naturally healthy. It is not impossible it is just one of those cases where a bug hits a human victim who happens to not have the right mix of immune abilities to meet and repel it.
                                                                                                 But, the multiple prescription drugs to treat urinary tract infections might imply you are looking at some sort of antibiotic resistance.
                                                                                                   That, of course, brings to mind the cases they were seeing in San Francisco of MRSA that had cultivated themselves in the gay HIV+ community. The belief at the time was, the HIV+ community was somewhat irregular in taking their HIV meds, so while they didn’t go into full blown AIDS, their immune systems were compromised. As a result, they took antibiotics at higher than normal rates due to frequent illnesses. Combined, the immune suppression allowed a pathogenic staph species to colonize them and adapt to living on humans regularly, while the frequent antibiotic usage helped in developing antibiotic resistance. Over time, the strain was culled for its ability to bypass various facets of human immunity.
                                                                                                    The species was noted because of a rash of healthy, young, straight people who were coming in with necrotizing fasciitis that had not had any originating damage to the integument of the skin to allow the bacteria entry. Normally a healthy person needs a hole in their skin for the MRSA to gain entry, but in these cases, it was believed the individual had merely touched something and gotten a bacterium on their healthy, undamaged skin, and it proceeded to bore right down into the flesh. They said the originating circumstances were likely from contact with the pads on weight machines at gyms, though they said they could not rule out having rested an arm on a counter at a reception desk somewhere.
                                                                                                He adds:
                                                                                                  The Bible isn’t lying. The world is designed innately to favor the advance of K, sometimes quite unkindly. I sometimes think there is some deep insight into what we are all doing here buried in that realization, if I meditated on it long enough.

                                                                                                  Thursday, January 25, 2018

                                                                                                  Accuracy of Small 9 mm Pistols

                                                                                                         I decided to compare the accuracy of some of the small, single-stack 9 mm pistols out there intended for concealed carry. Obviously, I can't test them all because I don't own or have access to all these weapons. Instead, I decided to look for online sources where the weapons had been tested. Moreover, I decided to stick to results published in NRA publications (The American Rifleman and Shooting Illustrated). I had a couple reasons for doing so: first, although the distances varied, the authors all shot the weapons from some sort of rest, and used five (5) 5-round groups; and, second, being NRA publications, I figured that the authors would give the handguns the benefit of the doubt, so if there was any bias it would be in favor of greater accuracy.

                                                                                                          The firearms I found and decided to use for my comparison were:
                                                                                                  1.  The Glock 43;
                                                                                                  2.  Remington's Gen 2 R51;
                                                                                                  3.  The M&P Shield;
                                                                                                  4.  The Taurus Millennium G2;
                                                                                                  5.  The Beretta Nano
                                                                                                  6.  Springfield XD-E, and:
                                                                                                  7.  Ruger LC9s Pro.
                                                                                                  According to the articles, the firearms performed as follows (I will be using the average group size, and, where necessary, calculating the average for 7 yards for comparison purposes):

                                                                                                  • Glock 43: 1.96 inches at 7 yards.
                                                                                                  • R51: 1.16 inches at 7 yards.
                                                                                                  • M&P Shield: 4.09 inches at 25 yards (or 1.15 inches at 7 yards).
                                                                                                  • Taurus PT111: 5.18 inches at 15 yards (or 2.42 inches at 7 yards).
                                                                                                  • Beretta Nano: 0.81 inches at 7 yards.
                                                                                                  • Springfield XD-E: 1.13 inches at 7 yards.
                                                                                                  • Ruger LC9s Pro: 2.72 inches at 5 yards (or 3.81 inches at 7 yards).
                                                                                                  Accuracy is not the sole criteria in selecting a defensive pistol, and not even the most significant factor. But it is something to consider since, under stress, your accuracy is going to be worse than normal and you don't need the additional handicap of a weapon that has inherently poor mechanical accuracy.

                                                                                                  "The Shape of Water" And The Decline Of Civilization

                                                                                                            Nominations for the Oscars are out, and a movie called The Shape of Water has swept them, receiving nominations in 13 different categories. You might be forgiven if you had never heard of the film--its theatrical release was only on December 1, 2017. The basic premise is that a mute woman, working at a secret lab, develops a relationship with a humanoid newt type creature that had been captured in South America. But I was curious: why such intense interest in a film no one (normal) had heard of? And one with a basic plot--fantasy/horror--that rarely attracts the interest of those giving out awards? Because it hits all the correct buttons with the left.

                                                                                                            From the BBC:
                                                                                                  All things considered, the savvy choice for best picture might be Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water, which has been nominated in a whopping 13 different categories. Admittedly, it’s yet another film with a male director, but it does have a female co-writer, Vanessa Taylor, and a female lead, Sally Hawkins, and it passes the Bechdel Test[*] within minutes. If that weren’t enough, it has major black and gay characters, as well as a South American immigrant; true, he’s a half-human, half-newt South American immigrant, but that’s not the point. More diverse and inclusive than any of the other best picture nominees, the film doesn’t just rail against sexism, racism and homophobia, it argues that they are all symptoms of the same patriarchal disease – a disease which all voiceless and oppressed people should defeat together. In short, The Shape of Water is a lot more militant than the average magic-realist fable about a woman who fancies a fish-monster. What’s more, it’s even more topical now than when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival last August.
                                                                                                  Can you even read that without laughing? What pretentious drivel.

                                                                                                            In addition to the leftist "hot buttons" listed by the BBC, the movie also hits another leftist button: deviant sex. According to IMDb's Parents' Guide, the film is "[r]ated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, violence and language." This includes, on top of several other sex scenes, "[a] sex scene between the main character and a fish monster .... " (Underline added). Presumably the two communicated throughout so that there would be no misunderstandings as to consent. We wouldn't want the fish monster swept up into a #metoo accusation!

                                                                                                          A common theme writers often use to demonstrate a civilization in decline is the decline or decadence of its art. One particular example that comes to mind is the following from H.P. Lovecraft's classic, "At the Mountains of Madness":
                                                                                                  Art and decoration were pursued, though of course with a certain decadence. The Old Ones seemed to realize this falling off themselves, and in many cases anticipated the policy of Constantine the Great by transplanting especially fine blocks of ancient carving from their land city, just as the emperor, in a similar age of decline, stripped Greece and Asia of their finest art to give his new Byzantine capital greater splendors than its own people could create. That the transfer of sculptured blocks had not been more extensive was doubtless owing to the fact that the land city was not at first wholly abandoned. By the time total abandonment did occur—and it surely must have occurred before the polar Pleistocene was far advanced—the Old Ones had perhaps become satisfied with their decadent art—or had ceased to recognize the superior merit of the older carvings. At any rate, the aeon-silent ruins around us had certainly undergone no wholesale sculptural denudation, though all the best separate statues, like other movables, had been taken away.
                                                                                                  Spengler argued the same in his Decline of the West, that once a civilization's connection with its roots was cut off, the quality and originality of art immediately began to decline. Truly this film, The Shape of Water, illustrates this principle. The BBC writer doesn't make any comments about it being art, only about it addressing all the politically correct issues. The film appears to be nothing more than political statement and sexual debasement. This is a large part of the swamp which must be drained.

                                                                                                  * According to Wikipedia, the Bechdel test asks whether a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man.

                                                                                                  January 24, 2017--A Quick Run Around the Web

                                                                                                  "China’s New Eurasia Rail Project is a FLOP"--China Uncensored (7 min.)
                                                                                                  Basic problem is that the volume of cargo traffic it can handle is minuscule to what can be shipped by container ships. Coupled to this is that the costs are higher than by sea; and when subsidies are taken into consideration, the price is about the same as air freight. Finally, it appears that there a lack of climate controlled freight cars: things get too hot in the summer and freeze in the winter. However, even if the project is, overall, an economic flop, it still allows China to exercise its "soft power" through bribes and construction contracts in the affected countries. Unfortunately, for China, it still means that its trade must pass through oceans patrolled by the U.S. Navy.


                                                                                                  • "4 Knives You Could Buy Instead of a Mora"--Security & Self-Reliance. Mora knives has taken the knife world by storm, initially brought to public consciousness by Cody Lundin in the show Dual Survival,  the company is known for producing decent quality knives for a very reasonable price. Of late, they have been increasing both the quality and the cost of their offerings. The author of this article takes a look at four alternatives that offer basically the same features (3-4 inch blade, thermoplastic grips, and reasonable prices). One that I would add to the list is the SOG Field Pup. Although the MSRP is $70, Cabela's generally has them on sale for less than $20. I've picked up several the past few years, with the intention of keeping it for myself, but have always ended up giving them away as gifts. 
                                                                                                  • "The .35 Whelen: A Practical Powerhouse"--Shooting Times. The cartridge uses a .30-06 case necked up to accept a .35 caliber bullet. The author contends that it makes for a much better hunting cartridge for medium to large game, with sufficient power to take down anything in North America including bear and moose, plus many African game animals. Although not as powerful as the .375 H&H Magnum, it is substantially more powerful than the standard .30-06, but, according to the author, without appreciably more recoil.
                                                                                                  • So one of the big product announcements at Shot Show was Brownell's line of 1960's reproductions of the early models of the AR15, and reproductions of early models of the AR10. (See video here). The AR10 rifles (both a heavy barrel and light barrel version) feature a 1:10 twist. The AR15 rifles feature a 1:12 twist. If you want to read up on the twist-rates in the AR platform for various weights of bullets, the Captain's Journal has a good article, as is this article from Shooting Times. The 1:12 twist is the preferred twist rate for the lighter bullets: 55 grain and less.
                                                                                                  • Greg Ellifritz reviews the book, How to Be Your Own Bodyguard by Nick Hughes
                                                                                                  • "Philippines volcano spectacularly erupts spewing lava and ash kilometres into the air as more than 60,000 residents evacuate the area"--Daily Mail. The article reports that "Mount Mayon has sent lava more than 600 metres into the air and massive plumes of ash and smoke nearly 5km above the crater, forcing thousands of locals and tourists to flee to safety," and that "[t]he volcano gushed out lava and molten rock again on Wednesday, its violent explosion at the tail-end of a week of ominous rumbling." Some great photographs and video at the link.
                                                                                                  • "Report: Crime prediction software less accurate than random people"--Deutsche Welle. The software, called COMPAS, supposedly is able to predict recidivism, and is widely used in the criminal justice system in the United States. However, Dartmouth researchers have shown that it is no more accurate than predictions by random people off the street. In that regard, I guess it is like polygraphs, which aren't really any more accurate than flipping a coin.
                                                                                                  • Inadvertent slip of the tongue (or Twitter finger): Rob Reiner essentially admits that the push for immigration is to cause, in his words, "the browning of America." He also compares immigration to the Civil War, and states that "Diversity is our Strength." As I've and many others have been saying: immigration is being used to replace the electorate with one that supports big government and the progressive/socialist goals, and disenfranchise conservative voters. 
                                                                                                  • Related: "New California Law Will Automatically Register Illegal Aliens to Vote"--The New American. California allows illegal aliens to obtain driver's licenses. A new law is being implemented that automatically registers to vote a person applying for, or renewing, a driver's license. The only way to not be registered is to affirmatively opt-out. I wonder how many illegal aliens are going to do that?
                                                                                                  Peter King, R-N.Y., the committee’s chairman, said his staff recently visited El Salvador and was told by law enforcement there that the gang -- which mostly operates out of prisons in the Central American country -- is "frustrated that MS-13 members in [the U.S.] are not violent enough.”
                                                                                                  • What we are importing: "Mexico posts record-breaking homicide rate in 2017"--Deutsche Welle. The article reports that "[t]he Interior Ministry said authorities across Mexico opened 29,168 murder cases, saying that it put the country's homicide rate at 20.5 per 100,000 inhabitants." However, the article also indicates that "experts have cast doubt on the latest figures, saying the homicide rate is likely much higher," noting that "the [government's] figure is based on the number of murder investigations opened last year, not the number of victims."
                                                                                                  • Related: "Katie Hopkins: 'The Sh*thole Countries Are Here in Western Europe'"--PJ Media. British commentator Katie Hopkins not only agreed with Trump's comments about many third world countries, but also noted that the mass migration of individuals from these countries was making Britain (and Europe more generally) just like those nations. She asked her readers how many of them were planning on fleeing Britain because of the decline of the cultures and received an overwhelming response. They seem to primarily be fleeing to East Asia (Hong Kong and Singapore), Australia, New Zealand, the United States, or to Eastern Europe.
                                                                                                          Abdul Dostmohammadi, 18, was living with his 45-year-old girlfriend in Sölvesborg, southern Sweden, when he sexually molested the 12-year-old. 
                                                                                                             When the girl told her what had happened, the mother refused to report him to police as she feared he would be sent back to Afghanistan, court documents reveal.
                                                                                                              [E]ach day brings credible reports suggesting there is a massive scandal involving the top ranks of America’s premier law enforcement agency. The reports, which feature talk among agents of a “secret society” and suddenly missing text messages, point to the existence both of a cabal dedicated to defeating Donald Trump in 2016 and of a plan to let Hillary Clinton skate free in the classified email probe.
                                                                                                                If either one is true — and I believe both probably are — it would mean FBI leaders betrayed the nation by abusing their powers in a bid to pick the president.
                                                                                                        • Related: "Loretta Lynch – Bill Clinton tarmac meeting now makes sense, it was the end not the beginning"--Legal Insurrection. The author summarizes what we now know about the Lynch-Clinton meeting and concludes: "We now know a lot more about the sequence of events, which now strongly suggests that the tarmac meeting was not the start of events that led to the exoneration. Rather, it now appears that the tarmac meeting was the end of that process, the signal to the Clintons that all was taken care of."
                                                                                                                    New research published late last year by scholars at Harvard University and Indiana University Bloomington is just the latest to reveal the myth. This research questioned the “secularization thesis,” which holds that the United States is following most advanced industrial nations in the death of their once vibrant faith culture. Churches becoming mere landmarks, dance halls, boutique hotels, museums, and all that.
                                                                                                                      Not only did their examination find no support for this secularization in terms of actual practice and belief, the researchers proclaim that religion continues to enjoy “persistent and exceptional intensity” in America. These researchers hold our nation “remains an exceptional outlier and potential counter example to the secularization thesis.”

                                                                                                              * * *

                                                                                                                        Mainline churches are tanking as if they have super-sized millstones around their necks. Yes, these churches are hemorrhaging members in startling numbers, but many of those folks are not leaving Christianity. They are simply going elsewhere. Because of this shifting, other very different kinds of churches are holding strong in crowds and have been for as long as such data has been collected. In some ways, they are even growing. This is what this new research has found.
                                                                                                                            The percentage of Americans who attend church more than once a week, pray daily, and accept the Bible as wholly reliable and deeply instructive to their lives has remained absolutely, steel-bar constant for the last 50 years or more, right up to today. These authors describe this continuity as “patently persistent.”
                                                                                                                            The percentage of such people is also not small. One in three Americans prays multiple times a day, while one in 15 do so in other countries on average. Attending services more than once a week continues to be twice as high among Americans compared to the next highest-attending industrial country, and three times higher than the average comparable nation.
                                                                                                                      The problem the mainline churches are facing is that they are trying to compromise their beliefs in order to appease the liberal rabbits.