January 27, 2019 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Earth Catastrophe Cycle | The Oceans"--Suspicious Observers (7 min.)

• It's not too late to check out Active Response Training's Weekend Knowledge Dump for this past week. Links include a test of three different popular .223/5.56 defense loads out of an AR pistol (7.5 inch barrel) which just seem to confirm my decision to use .300 Blackout for a pistol AR rather than 5.56.
• While you are at the Active Response Training site, check out Greg Ellifritz's article on "How to Spot a Bad Guy- A Comprehensive Look at Body Language and Pre-Assault Indicators." It is important to understand that the use of firearm or other deadly weapon is (or should be) the end of a long path of opportunities to avoid crime. The biggest factor in whether you are going to be the victim of a violent crime is life-style choices. But if you find yourself in a situation where you are being stalked by a potential predator, you need to learn to watch for certain behavior to identify the fact that you are being singled out for a possible assault as well as warnings that an attack is imminent. As Ellifritz mentions, a clenched hand or holding hands above the waistline are signs that someone may be getting ready to use those hands. Similarly, someone positioning themselves into a fighting stance is a sign that they may be about to fight. Ellifritz also mentions breathing, the "thousand yard stare", or touching themselves around their face or shoulders in order to mask movements or nervousness. Anyway, Ellifritz discusses a lot more warning signs, as well as methods to reduce signals or signs that a criminal might look for to determine whether you are potential victim or someone to be avoided. Read the whole thing.
• "New CMMG Resolute .350 Legend in Burnt Bronze Cerakote"--The Firearm Blog. Winchester was apparently working with CMMG to bring out an AR using the new .350 Legend. Since it is based on the .223 case, the bolt and bolt carrier are the same, and it makes use of a standard AR15 upper and lower. The barrel is obviously different, but because it is a straight wall cartridge, it cannot use the standard AR magazine. The magazine it does use, however, can be used in the standard AR magazine well. CMMG is making complete rifles, but also promises to release separate uppers and, even, just barrels. CMMG will also sell the new magazines. 
• "Guns for Beginners: How to Aim a Pistol"--The Truth About Guns. A critical point:

You should see an equal amount of light between the sight posts (called “light bars”) and equal height of the front and rear sight.  That is good sight alignment. After you can obtain both good sight alignment and a good sight picture, it’s all up to your trigger finger.  In fact, a proper trigger press is probably more important than a perfect sight picture and alignment.

• "5 facts about crime in the U.S."--Pew Research Center. They are: (1) Violent crime in the U.S. has fallen sharply over the past quarter century; (2) Property crime has declined significantly over the long term; (3) Public perceptions about crime in the U.S. often don’t align with the data; (4) There are large geographic variations in crime rates; and (5) Most crimes are not reported to police, and most reported crimes are not solved.
• "FIVE TIPS TO MODIFY A ZIPPO LIGHTER FOR SURVIVAL FIRE MAKING"--Survival Common Sense. Tips include putting an extra flint in the fuel reservoir under the stuffing, and some methods of sealing the lighter to reduce the evaporation of the fuel. And that is the biggest problem with the Zippo, in my opinion, is how quickly fuel can evaporate. The author noted that, even sealed, he had all the fuel evaporate within a few days. It doesn't take long for fuel to evaporate, so you need to make sure that the lighter works before you go out, and be sure to top it off if you are planning on going into the field or woods.
• "TTAG Exclusive Ammo Review: Steinel .38 Special 125 gr +P Snub Nose Pro"--The Truth About Guns. This is a monolithic projectile, made of copper, that performed quit well in ballistic tests conducted by the author out of a J-frame snub-nosed revolver. He reports consistent penetration of 13-inches, and consistent expansion even through heavy clothing and leather. MSRP is a little high, however: $32 for 25 rounds.
• "Review of the North American Arms Mini-Revolvers"--The Survivalist Blog. The other day I linked to a video from Lucky Gunner that wasn't very positive about the NAA revolvers. In this review, the author approaches the weapon more as one for keeping with you in a non-permissive environment. In answer to why carry one, the author responds: "Simply put, when you positively cannot carry anything else. These guns have serious advantages in their niche, but as niches go theirs is very, very small." The author goes on to discuss different models and the disadvantages and advantages to this weapon.
• "Should You Buy An AK-47 Rifle?"--The Truth About Guns. The AR glut and international sanctions have resulted in a price reversal where a decent quality AR is cheaper than an AK.
• We know that the Glock 42 was the .380 single stack compact pistol, and the Glock 43 was the single stack 9 mm pistol. Then Glock released the Glock 45 which was the Glock 19 slide mated to the Glock 17 frame. And then Glock just recently released the Glock 48 which is a single-stack 9 mm with a slightly longer grip on the frame. But what about the missing numbers:

• Glock 44? Don't know.

• Glock 46? A 9 mm with a rotating barrel that was apparently intended to compete in the German Police pistol trials.

• Glock 47? This is a single stack in 9x18 (Makarov) caliber. 

"Hitler Survivor Warns Americans To Buy MORE GUNS"--JPChannel100 (4 min.)

A reader brought this video to my attention. I would also add to stock up on ammunition.

• "Yellow vest protestors block Parisian streets with burning barricades as demonstrators face-off with riot police and violence erupts in France for the 11th week running"--Daily Mail. The article reports that "[t]he worst early violence was in Paris, and in northern towns including Evreux and Rouen, in Normandy, where tear gas and baton charges were used by police to restore order."

• Related: "Doctors Say Number of Serious Injuries Inflicted on Yellow Vests Unprecedented"--Breitbart. 

• "French protest leader 'will be disabled for life' after eye injury: Yellow Vest activist is put in coma after he is struck the in face by rubber bullet amid calls for 'mass uprising' against Macron"--Daily Mail. 

• "Migrant Caravan Swells to 12,000 at Mexico’s Southern Border"--Breitbart. Per the article: "The ranks of a new Central American migrant caravan reportedly grew in size to more than 12,000 as of Friday. The caravan is now heading to Mexico’s southern border." The article suggests that changes to Mexico's immigration laws, making it easier for migrants to obtain humanitarian visas, is part of the reason for the surge (although that doesn't seem to have been an issue in the past). In that regard, the article indicates that "[i]t is believed that many of the migrants will be able to seek out temporary work while waiting at the U.S. border for asylum requests to be processed. Many are expected to decide to attempt to cross illegally into the United States."

• Flashback: "Yale Study: There Are Probably Twice As Many Illegal Immigrants Living In America As Commonly Believed"--Hot Air. At least 16 million, and perhaps more.

• "Pew: Record 67 percent of Hispanic migrants live in US"--Washington Examiner. So, of all the Latin Americans that have migrated from their native country to another country since 1990, 67% have ended up in the United States.

• "Fort Bragg soldiers accused of arranging sham marriages between soldiers and immigrants"--Stars & Stripes. The soldiers involved? Sgt. Edward Kumi Anguah and Pvt. Ahmid Mohammed-Murtada.
• Only police can be trusted with guns: "Officer Accused of Fatally Shooting Cop During Russian Roulette"--Breitbart. 
• Château Heartiste has some thoughts on the arrest of Roger Stone by the FBI and whether the FBI is a rogue agency. Specifically:

Roger Stone, a political operative and former Trump campaign associate, was arrested in a pre-dawn raid by a battalion of FBI agents wielding automatic weapons, because Stone was a dangerous threat as evidenced by the cheesy process crimes he is charged with committing. Fake News CNN was there to film it, obviously tipped off by the FBI. I’ve no doubt Mueller himself directed a subordinate to tell CNN about the raid, because this piece of shit wanted his handiwork broadcast live and in color, as a message to those who thwarted the ascension of his Queen Hillary to the throne. He’s Still With Her.

He has also uncovered the FBI and CNN link, discovering that the CNN reporter at the scene, Josh Campbell, used to work for the FBI as an assistant to James Comey. 

• "This Map Shows Where in the World the U.S. Military Is Combatting Terrorism"--Smithsonian Magazine. Apparently "the U.S. is now operating in 40 percent of the world’s nations".
• Anthony Watts reports that "Germany totally kills coal – will likely end up in the dark, without heat and light." Germany already killed off their nuclear power industry, which forced the country to rely more heavily on coal. Now Germany is planning on closing all 84 of its coal fired power plants over the next 19 years. To be replaced by what? Supposedly the generating capacity will be made up through so-called renewable resources, presumably wind or solar. So how will this play out over the long run? Wind turbines are energy and material intensive to manufacture compared to their output, besides the fact that they tend to chop up birds. It also isn't reliable. Germany isn't exactly the best country for solar power, so that source will also be intermittent. So Germany has the choice of either purchasing power from other countries to make up shortfalls (i.e., exporting its carbon footprint) or storing the power during periods of excess production. Generally storing power under these circumstances is accomplished by pumping water into reservoirs and then using the water to drive turbines when the wind or solar power production declines. Consequently, Germany will need to build large reservoirs. I'm not sure how that will be any more environmentally friendly than coal mining.

       My guess is that Germany will have to backtrack. Perhaps not return to burning coal, but switching to power plants burning natural gas. I can't see Germany sending troops to Syria in order that the pipeline from the Gulf States can reach Europe, so Germany will have to turn to Russia to import even more natural gas or ... gasp ... purchase gas from Israel as it develops its off-shore gas fields. If Germany does the latter, though, it will cause friction between Germany and Turkey and, by extension, friction within Germany because of its large Turkish community.

• "Bank of England Cuts off Maduro Regime from $1.2bn in Gold Assets"--Breitbart. The article suggests that the decision by the Bank of England was made under pressure from the United States, but I wonder if the Bank of England simply no longer has the gold. The article notes: "It is believed, according to Bloomberg, that in mid-December the president of Venezuela’s central bank, Calixto Ortega, led a delegation to London to access the gold reserves but was unsuccessful." And a November 2018 article I found indicates that Venezuela had begun requesting its gold from the Bank 2 months prior (i.e., in September), but the Bank had not complied with the request.

• Related: "How Germany got its gold back"--Financial Times. During the cold war, Germany built up and stored its gold reserves in Paris, London and New York, in order to keep it out of the hands of the Soviet Union in the event of war. In the early 2000s, Germany repatriated some of the gold stored at the Bank of England. In 2013, Germany decided to repatriate half of the gold kept at foreign locations, including from Paris and the Fed in New York.

• Related: "The Fed Has 6,200 Tons of Gold in a Manhattan Basement—Or Does It?"--Wall Street Journal (alternate source). The article relates that "[i]n a 2012 audit of U.S. gold at the Fed’s vault, the U.S. Mint and the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General sent 367 samples to an independent lab for testing. All but three samples came back within 0.13% of the purity recorded by the government, within standard industry tolerance, according to the Mint and Treasury." And what about those three? 

• We only have 12 years to save the planet: "Mao et al 2019 Show an Upcoming 1-Deg C + Decline in Global Land Surface Temperatures by the Early 2100s"--Watts Up With That.
• "Army readying 1000-mile ‘super gun’ that can strike Chinese targets beyond retaliation range"--Great Power War. No information on how the weapon is supposed to work; i.e., whether it is some kind of magnetic rail gun or what.
• More failures to detect dark matter: "An experiment to search for dark-matter interactions using sodium iodide detectors"--Nature. Key point: "no definitive signal from such dark-matter interactions has been detected despite concerted efforts by many collaborations." 

• Related: An alternative to dark energy: "Configuration entropy of the Cosmic Web: Can voids mimic the dark energy?" (PDF)--Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Could this explain the discrepancies in measurements of the Hubble Constant?