Sunday, September 15, 2019

15 September - Blogs I'm Following - 4 of 5

10 pm MDT

Congress Tried to Limit The Navy's Battleships, And Created The First Guided Missile Ship

Robert Farley at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Robert Farley* *History, * How deadly? *Key point:* While very useful, they offered a good start on the revolution of USN anti-air defense. The world’s first guided-missile battleship could trace its origins, oddly enough, to a failed Congressional attempt to limit the size and cost of battleships. In 1904, the United States laid down USS *Mississippi* (BB-23), second of her name and the first of a class of two pre-dreadnoughts intended to stem the growth in naval construction costs. Congress, embittered by the cost of the six *Connecticut*-class battleships, limited the *Miss... more »

Expert: Iran Can't Sink a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier in a War (For Now)

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, Middle East* But the future is unclear. *Key Point*: Iran is currently incapable of sinking a U.S. Navy carrier, but that is not an advantage the Pentagon can count on enjoying forever. The United States and Iran have been on bad terms—occasionally spilling into open hostility—since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. One instrument of American policy and prestige in the Middle East region are the aircraft carriers of the U.S. Navy. The Iranian government is well known to despise these offshore platforms of American power, and that leads us to this questi... more »

F-35 and F-22 RIP?: Researchers in Austria Have Created a Working Quantum Radar

Military and Aerospace Electronics at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Military and Aerospace Electronics* *Technology, Europe* [image: Reuters] RIP F-22 and F-35? *Key point: *A real quantum radar could undo decades of work on stealth, upending the superiority of the F-22 and F-35. KLOSTERNEUBURG, Austria – A new high-definition stealth radar system that could change the nature of warfare has been demonstrated for the first time. Popular Mechanics reports. Continue reading original article The Military & Aerospace Electronics take: 5 Sept. 2019 -- The result, quantum radar is a high definition detection system that provides a much more detailed i... more »

Trump's Worst Fear: Iran Attacks U.S. Bases and Aircraft Carriers with Missiles

David Axe at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*David Axe* *Security, * Iran is continuing to develop increasingly long-range ballistic missiles -- and is firing some shorter-range missiles in combat -- despite demands from the U.S. government that the Islamic republic totally give up any weapons that could, in theory, carry a nuclear warhead. *Key Point*: So the United States likely will continue threatening Iran, while Iran continues developing more and more powerful missiles. Iran is continuing to develop increasingly long-range ballistic missiles -- and is firing some shorter-range missiles in combat -- despite demands fr... more »

In World War I, The German Kaiser's Bombers Were a Fearsome Sight to Behold

Warfare History Network at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Warfare History Network* *History, Europe* The Kaiser lost the war, but his aircraft endured. *Key point: *The bombers did significant damage to Britain, but it was not enough. On May 25, 1917, a fleet of 21 bombers lumbered in a line at 12,000 feet over the English coast. The biplanes, each carrying 13 bombs, had wingspans exceeding 70 feet, immense for World War I aircraft. German military leaders called the planes Gothas, hoping the name would add an element of terror to English citizens in their homes below. Earlier that day the Gothas, a top-secret weapon carefully conceal... more »

How Does the Kel-Tec SU-16 Compare to the World's Best Rifles?

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Technology, * We can tell you. *Key point: *While it's not an AR-15, the SU-16 series offers a lightweight and unique alternative. One of the most popular markets in the world of firearms is the 5.56-millimeter semi-automatic rifle. The most common of these are long guns built around the AR-15 common platform, but alternatives to this do exist. One such alternative is the Kel-Tec SU-16, which incorporates features that make it an attractive alternative to those needing compact rifles or that live in states with so-called assault weapons bans in place. The SU-16... more »

These Are the Quietest, Most Stealthy Non-Nuclear Subs Ever to Exist

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Technology, Europe* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/NATO-SUBMARINE--LR2EB541504H5.html] Impressive. *Key point:* Nuclear power is not necessary for a sub to function, run silent, or even be capable of sinking an enemy carrier. One of the most crucial improvements in submarines of the postwar era is the air independent propulsion (AIP) system. First fielded in the 1990s, the development of AIP changed the ways non-nuclear submarines operated, allowing them to fight—and hide—underwater longer. Combined with their extreme quietness, the use of AIP has... more »

China's Military Deserves America's Respect, But Not Its Fear

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *Security, Asia* Neither a giant nor a paper tiger. *Key point:* China's military is advancing rapidly, but it is still plagued by corruption and discipline problems. China’s new defense white paper has been eagerly awaited by Western analysts searching for clues to Beijing’s national security strategy. The 2019 white paper (the last one was in 2015) lays out general principles of China’s defense policy. It avows the new face of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Cyberwarfare, more flexible command and control, long-range naval operations. Change the names and nu... more »

The Republican Ad Setting AOC On Fire-- Who Financed It?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
If you watched the Democratic presidential debate on ABC last week, you probably saw the disgusting 30 second ad above. It was run by Elizabeth Heng, a 2018 Republican congressional candidate in California's Central Valley. The ABC-TV affiliate in Fresno explained the controversy for anyone who missed the debate or ad. ABC30 reporter Nathalie Granda: An ad showing a picture of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez bursting into flames is sparking outrage. Elizabeth Heng, the woman behind the ad, is facing backlash after comparing the congresswoman to the Khmer Rouge regime. "I... more »

Sunday morning music

Peter at Bayou Renaissance Man - 16 hours ago
Here's something rather different, courtesy of Australian reader Snoggeramus. It's the famous "Largo al factotum" from Rossini's opera "The Barber of Seville" . . . *played on a rubber chicken!* So help me, I'll never be able to get my hair cut again with a straight face . . . Peter

What’s Required

Age of Autism at AGE OF AUTISM - 16 hours ago
By Cathy Jameson It is not enough that we do our best, sometime we have to do what is required. - Winston Churchill I saw that quote last week and immediately thought of parents in both New York and California.... more »

Who’s Minding The Kids?

Fr. Stephen FREEMAN at OrientalReview.org - 16 hours ago
I was sitting in a Sunday School class, and was probably around eight or nine years old. I cannot remember what the Scripture was that day. However, the room was brought into a very serious state of mind as we were presented with something and were asked to sign it. […]

Links 9/15/19

Lambert Strether at naked capitalism - 17 hours ago

Darcy Ribeiro Foundation Proposes Chief Raoni as 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient

Arkady Petrov at The Rio Times - 17 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The Darcy Ribeiro Foundation enrolled Chief Raoni, of the Caiapó tribe, as one of the candidates for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. The institution began the candidacy procedure due to the indigenous chief's work in defense of the Amazon, accomplished throughout his life . . . To read the full […] The post Darcy Ribeiro Foundation Proposes Chief Raoni as 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient appeared first on The Rio Times.

Bolsonaro Announces That Brazil’s Country Risk Drops to Lowest Level Since 2013

Richard Mann at The Rio Times - 17 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - President Jair Bolsonaro celebrated the drop in country risk to its lowest level since 2013 on his Twitter profile. On Friday, September 13th, Brazil's five-year Credit Default Swap (CDS) contract, which acts as a benchmark for country risk, operated at 118 points, its lowest level since May 2013, according to […] The post Bolsonaro Announces That Brazil’s Country Risk Drops to Lowest Level Since 2013 appeared first on The Rio Times.

10 Down: Sharing of a Moral Viewpoint to Gain Social Approval

Diogenes Sarcastica™ at Diogenes' Middle Finger - 17 hours ago
Poor self proclaimed 'Greatest Crossword Solver in the Universe', *Rex Parker*, seemed ready to bust open an artery railing against Saturday's New York Times Crossword which featured a 15-letter expression that we all have come to know all to well: This puzzle is so on-brand. I mean, this is exactly the kind of term I'd expect to find in a puzzle that just this week was reminding us all of the glory of Confederate monuments. That's a term used predominantly by those who are real mad that they can't be as openly racist and homophobic as they used to be in the good ol' days. People wh... more »

ICYMI: My Wife's Birthday Edition (9/15)

Peter Greene at CURMUDGUCATION - 17 hours ago
Happy birthday to one of the best people ever to walk on the face of the earth! But you can have cake and read some worthwhile education pieces as well. So here you go-- *AI in Education Hype* John Warner takes a look at one more technological product in search of a problem to "solve." *Effects of the Flipped Classroom* An Annenberg working paper suggests that there are no big benefits to flipping, and that it may even make some gaps between students worse. *America's Newest Outsourced Job* Vice might be a little late catching on to this trend, but they offer a nice piece from... more »

How Money Can Turn Electoral Results Upside Down

Lambert Strether at naked capitalism - 17 hours ago
The column uses data from French elections since 1993 to show that an increase in spending per voter has consistently increased a candidate’s vote share.

Sar-dick

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 17 hours ago
Polly Toynbee, Katy Balls & Martin Daubney Much-loved financial pundit David Buik sent out a tweet this morning: WOW! - What a line-up for Marr on Sunday! - Polly Toynbee, Mayor Sadiq Khan and Jo Swinson. It's time to wash my hair again - what little left there is! The Test follows at 11.00am - so exciting! I could be wrong but I don't think he was making a point about BBC bias there, merely expressing his wish not to watch any of those three people. His followers, however, took him as saying that this was the complete line-up and, thus, a biased parade of Remainers and filled up t... more »

Untitled

Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 17 hours ago
From Jenna Orkin Not the Onion: MACRON SAYS G-7 DOESN'T NEED U.S., 'WE DON'T MIND BEING SIX' 75 Percent Of Flying Insects Are Gone And Scientists Don’t Know WhySaudi oil production cut by 50% after drones attack crude facilitiesMichael Klare, A Formula for Catastrophe in the ArcticRare external investigation finds wrongdoing in the CIA's watchdog officeExclusive: While battling opioid crisis, U.S. government weighed using fentanyl for executions Gigantic Heat Anomaly Brewing in The Pacific Threatens a Return of 'The Blob' Huge decline in songbirds linked to common insecticide ... more »

The ABC Dilemma ….again

Rural at Democracy Under Fire - 17 hours ago
As 'be counted' day approaches each of us of voting age must decide which 'party' to vote for, yes I know we do not vote for the party but for an individual who 'represents' (or more correctly is a member of) said political party. Lets face it the whole idea that we are voting for an individual is becoming more and more of a farce each time an election comes around be it federal or provincial, the 'party' the 'leader' and the back room boys of said party have all the power and for the most part our individual MPs have very little influence in what is said and done in their name by t... more »

Live: Wade scores superb ton in face of daunting run chase in last Ashes Test

Dean Bilton And Jon Healy at Just In - 18 hours ago
Matthew Wade digs in for a brilliant century as Australia stares down a massive 399-run chase while England closes in on a series-levelling win. Follow our live blog of day four at The Oval.

Tony Abbott calls NSW abortion laws 'effectively infanticide on demand'

Jean Kennedy at Just In - 18 hours ago
The former prime minister tells an anti-abortion rally in Sydney that the NSW Government's proposed bill to decriminalise abortion was not what it was elected to do.

Tyson Fury overcomes bloody cut over eye to beat Swede Wallin

Just In - 18 hours ago
Tyson Fury does not get things all his own way, but the "Gypsy King" prevails over Sweden's Otto Wallin in a bloody heavyweight boxing fight in Las Vegas.

Eels make history with 58-point flogging of Broncos in elimination final

Just In - 18 hours ago
The Eels blitz the Broncos in a one-sided elimination final, laying on 11 tries without reply to set up a final against the Melbourne Storm in week two.

KelTec's PF9 Pocket Pistol: A Good Balance of Lightweight Lethality

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 18 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Technology, * The details are here. *Key point: *The PF9 is an affordable, lightweight, and attractive 9-millimeter handgun. Many people want a simple, compact weapon self-protection but are put off by the retail price of today’s firearms. Affordability is perhaps the least discussed feature of many handguns but one of the foremost in the minds of consumers. The Kel-Tec PF9 handgun combines both features and affordability in an attractive package. Established in Florida in 1995, KelTec has specialized in using high-performance plastics to create lightweight han... more »

See This Sub? It Led the Navy To Build an All-Nuclear Submarine Force

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 18 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * The first of its kind. *Key point: *The Nautilus proved that nuclear propulsion was safe and that the pace of technological change was rapid. In 1948, the U.S. Navy established a Nuclear Power Branch, kicking off a revolution in ship propulsion. The department, headed by legendary naval officer Adm. Hyman Rickover, would oversee the construction of a unique ship, the first to take advantage of the benefits of nuclear propulsion. That ship was the nuclear submarine USS *Nautilus*. The U.S. Navy, used to traveling long distances to fight its battles, w... more »

Why America's Skipjack-Class Nuclear Submarines Were Too Successful

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 18 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * And Russia and China took notice. *Key point: *The Skipjack-class was so successful that it became the basis for future submarine innovations. The Skipjack-class submarines were arguably the first truly modern postwar submarines of the U.S. Navy. Combining two new innovations—a new high-speed hull design and nuclear power—the innovative, fish-shaped subs were the basis of all future American submarines up to the present day. The United States Navy officially entered the Nuclear Age on September 30, 1954. That was the day the USS *Nautilus*, the first... more »

Why Saudi Arabia Wants the Littoral Combat Ship (But Is It a Mistake?)

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 18 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, Middle East* What does the Kingdom fear? *Key point:* Saudi Arabia is taking a gamble. On July 29, members of the U.S. Senate voted forty-five to forty to block new sales of laser-guided bombs and aircraft maintenance services to Saudi Arabia—falling short of the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto by the Trump administration blocking the ban from taking effect. Despite deteriorating public support for Riyadh due to its implication in an exceptional number of civilian deaths in Yemen and the murder of one of its own citizens in the Tur... more »

These Are the Military Exercises Russia Will Conduct This Fall

Petri Mäkelä at The National Interest - 18 hours ago
*Petri Mäkelä* *Security, Europe* [image: Key point: Russia is planning more of its usual exercises this Fall and they will continue to include cooperation with units from China. The Russian army loves it’s grandiose main exercises. Not only do they present a great venue for strategic signaling] We've got the list. *Key point: *Russia is planning more of its usual exercises this Fall and they will continue to include cooperation with units from China. The Russian army loves it’s grandiose main exercises. Not only do they present a great venue for strategic signaling and shows of ... more »

Saddam Hussein Thought He Knew How to Sink U.S. Battleships

James Holmes at The National Interest - 18 hours ago
*James Holmes* *Security, Middle East* Could it have worked? *Key point: *This could have worked, but only under the most ideal conditions. Could Saddam Hussein’s armed forces have sunk a U.S. Navy battleship? That might seem like a question destined to launch an excursion into alt-history, but it was far from hypothetical to the 3,200 or so crewmen of the battleships USS Wisconsin and Missouri who squared off against Iraq in 1991. It was daily life, especially when they closed with hostile shorelines to render naval gunfire support to forces ashore—and thus came within strikin... more »

This is what real collusion looks like. Media, Universities, Environmental NGOs, and the Democratic Party

co2islife at CO2 is Life - 18 hours ago
CNN’S Climate Town Hall Was A Setup For Far-Left Activists To Push 2020 Candidates CNN synchronized its forum with a radical climate change activists and writers masquerading as students and eco-friendly entrepreneurs. Everything about this issue is one huge fraud. Please Like, Share, Subscribe, Re-Blog and Comment Advertisements

This Woman is Over 12 Years Old and is Just Figuring this Out? How can someone go through life and not understand this? These People Truly live in a Bubble.

co2islife at CO2 is Life - 18 hours ago
.@marwilliamson: “What does it say that the conservatives are nicer to me? I’m a serious lefty but they are so — I understand why people on the right called them godless — I mean, it’s like, I didn’t think the left was as mean as the right, they are.” pic.twitter.com/0iXkWPRdAW — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September … Continue reading "This Woman is Over 12 Years Old and is Just Figuring this Out? How can someone go through life and not understand this? These People Truly live in a Bubble."

Ex-Vax Files – A Mother in Mourning

Ceribalius at OYE Alternative News - 18 hours ago
Mother of three, Catie Clobes, followed the CDC’s recommendations, listened to her pediatrician, and less than 48 hours after her 6-month-old daughter Evee’s vaccinations, lost her baby. Refusing to accept a SIDS diagnosis, Catie shares her heart wrenching journey from “pro-vaxxer” to “ex-vaxxer.” Q&A with Catie: Q: Which vaccines did your daughter receive at her 6 … The post Ex-Vax Files – A Mother in Mourning appeared first on OYE Alternative News.

2,200 Fetuses Found at Home of Recently Deceased Abortion Doctor

Ceribalius at OYE Alternative News - 18 hours ago
According to reports from the family members of a recently deceased Abortion Doctor, the remains of more than 2,200 unborn children have been found at his Illinois home. The discovery was made by members of the family of Dr. Ulrich Klopfer, who died on September 3. The family members had been searching through Klopfer’s belongings … The post 2,200 Fetuses Found at Home of Recently Deceased Abortion Doctor appeared first on OYE Alternative News.

Dynamical OPE coefficients as a TOE

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 18 hours ago
Towards the universal equations for quantum gravity in all forms In the 1960s, before string theory was really born, people studied the bootstrap and the S-matrix theory. The basic idea – going back to Werner Heisenberg (but driven by younger folks such as Geoffrey Chew who died in April 2019) – was that the consistency was enough to determine the S-matrix. In such a consistency-determined quantum theory, there would be no clear difference between elementary and composite fields and everything would just fit together. Veneziano wrote his amplitude in 1968 and a few years later, it b... more »

Sunday's Notes

LL at Virtual Mirage - 19 hours ago
*The "Irish Bob Initiative"* We owe a debt of gratitude for Beto laying out the Democrat agenda explicitly in the recent debate. The want to take our firearms by force. All of them. That's the stated goal now and it will likely be a plank of the party going into the 2020 elections. "Say goodbye to your little friend." The red flag laws are merely a smoke screen and are an excuse to denounce people and have the police or whoever they can get to handle a dynamic entry. Irish Bob won't be leading from the front. He'll be in a bunker, surrounded by walls and armed men. At least it's... more »

The SNC Lavalin Scandal: Breaking Canada’s Role in the Belt and Road Initiative

Matthew Ehret at The Duran - 19 hours ago
Submitted by Matthew Ehret… Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock for the past few years, you should know that the world is currently being pulled by two opposing paradigms. The New Silk Road alliance in defense of the multi-polar model of nations led by Russia and China has arisen with incredible speed since 2013… The post The SNC Lavalin Scandal: Breaking Canada’s Role in the Belt and Road Initiative appeared first on The Duran.

Pompeo blames Iran for drone attack on Saudi oil facilities, Senator Graham urges US to strike it

RT at The Duran - 19 hours ago
The Saturday attack has become the most successful strike the Houthis have launched against the Saudis. The post Pompeo blames Iran for drone attack on Saudi oil facilities, Senator Graham urges US to strike it appeared first on The Duran.

Yemen drones hit Saudi oil sites

The Duran at The Duran - 19 hours ago
Saudi state television aired a segment with its local correspondent near a police checkpoint, a thick plume of smoke visible behind him. The post Yemen drones hit Saudi oil sites appeared first on The Duran.

Jurists Defend Protection of Transsexual Juveniles in Socio-educational Facilities

Iolanda Fonseca at The Rio Times - 19 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Socio-educational measures are enforced by the courts for educational purposes and are intended for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 who have been involved in criminal offenses or misdemeanors. Officials of courts from all over the country, the National Council of Justice (CNJ), the Chamber of Deputies, the […] The post Jurists Defend Protection of Transsexual Juveniles in Socio-educational Facilities appeared first on The Rio Times.

Fires Affect Over 6,000 Hectares in Chapada dos Guimarães

Iolanda Fonseca at The Rio Times - 19 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Fires affect 6,180 hectares of the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park (MT), according to an estimate released yesterday, September 14th, by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). The estimate was made based on hotspots. The park remains closed for visitation for an indefinite period. The fires, which began […] The post Fires Affect Over 6,000 Hectares in Chapada dos Guimarães appeared first on The Rio Times.

Iran is ‘ready for war’, US bases within missile range: IRGC

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 19 hours ago
Tehran has always been prepared for a full-fledged war, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps Aerospace Force Chief Amirali Hajizadeh said in a statement on Sunday, just a day after two drone attacks on oilfields in Saudi Arabia, which were claimed by Houthis and blamed by the US and Saudi Arabia on Tehran. “Everybody should know that all […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Russia delivers 3 tonnes of humanitarian to Aleppo

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 19 hours ago
Officers of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Parties in Syria delivered over three tonnes of food and clothing to the settlement of Maaret Um Haush in the Aleppo province, Denis Shatailo, a spokesman for the center, informed reporters. “This settlement 30 kilometers north of the city of Aleppo was severely damaged in the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Iran is behind attack on Saudi Aramco oil site: Pompeo

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 19 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:00 A.M.) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused Iran of being behind the attack on the Saudi Aramco oil site on Saturday morning. Using his Twitter, Pompeo tweeted that Iran is behind many attacks on Saudi Arabia, including the most recent drone strikes that were launched by the Ansarallah forces. […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

What happened in Syria was planned by terrorist organizations: Egypt’s Sisi

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 19 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (8:45 A.M.) – Egyptian President ‘Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Saturday at a conference in Cairo that the events which led to the war in Syria were planned by terrorist organizations that sought to destroy the country, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported. According to SANA, Sisi made these comments during the National […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Tales from the Sunday Papers

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 19 hours ago
I Former BBC China editor Carrie Gracie's book 'Equal: A Story of Women, Men and Money' is out now. According to Katie Glass in *The Sunday Times *it "pulls no punches" over her clash with the corporation over pay. She won, of course, and I've nothing but admiration for her work in China (the best of the BBC) or for bringing a proper, non-Gavin-Esler-like lack of partisanship to *Dateline London*. But the two things I've never really got about her campaign remain 'ungot' in my mind: Firstly, why *should* the BBC's China editor be paid exactly the same as the much higher profil... more »

Could FDA E-Cigarette Regulations Help More People Quit Smoking?

Michael P. Eriksen at The National Interest - 20 hours ago
*Michael P. Eriksen* *Health, Americas* [image: Reuters] A sales clerk exhales vapor while smoking with a vaporizer during a wait for customers at the e-cigarette shop Henley Vaporium in New York. E-cigarettes are smoking hot. They are the most popular nicotine-delivery products used by kids and the majority of adult smokers have tried them. E-cigarettes are a multi-billion dollar industry, with the website Yelp tallying more than 10,000 vape shops across the country. Wall Street analysts are predicting that revenue from e-cigarettes will surpass traditional cigarettes in a decade... more »

The F-35 Will Transform the Polish Air Force—But They May Need Backup

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 20 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, * Like F-16s. And Russia won't like any of it. In September 2019, the State Department approved a $6.5 billion deal to sell Poland thirty-two F-35A Lightning II stealth jets, along with training and maintenance packages. Poland’s intention to procure F-35s for its Harpia fighter program had been evident earlier in 2019. Any F-35s received by Poland would be of the latest Block 4 model of the F-35 with internal weapons capacity expanded from four to six weapons, software patches integrating many new weapons including nuclear gravity bombs, and improv... more »

Best. Rifle. Ever:Is Germany's Mauser Rifle The Best of the Best?

Warfare History Network, Blaine Taylor at The National Interest - 20 hours ago
*Warfare History Network, Blaine Taylor* *Security, * The details are here. *Key point*: There is a reason why the Mauser has been lauded with such high praise. According to The History Channel’s Tales of the Gun, the Mauser 98 was “the best bolt action rifle ever made.” Author Robert W.D. Ball added that the Mauser was “a safe and robust rifle with a five-round clip, and the world’s most popular rifle; 30 countries used it, and 100 million units were manufactured between 1898-1945, during which it was employed in both world wars by the German Army. At 49 inches long, the shorte... more »

Yes, the Navy Should Build Non-Nuclear Stealth Submarines

Robert Farley at The National Interest - 20 hours ago
*Robert Farley* *Technology, Americas* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/CHINA-CYBER-CLOUDHOPPER-RC1A3FCFCDD0.html] They are cheaper and just as deadly. *Key point:* Air-Independent Propulsion is a reliable system, but America hasn't built a diseal submarine since 1959. This is a mistake. Over the past decade, air-independent propulsion (AIP) for submarines has spread rapidly around the world. The technology, which allows conventionally powered submarines to operate without access to outside air, has the potential the shift the balance away from the big nuclear attack... more »

The U.S. Army Wants a New Rifle And We Have Some Ideas

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 20 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * That won't break the bank. *Key point: *The U.S. Army could get what it wants by upgrading the M4 carbine. The U.S. Army is looking for a new weapon for infantry troops. After a half century of using the M16/M4 carbine series of weapons, the Army is looking for a weapon with increased range and lethality to deal with future threats. Although the search is still in its early stages, looking at the threats and the current state of small arms technology we can get an idea of what the service might shoot for—figuratively speaking—in a new soldier weapon... more »

Michelle Obama voted world’s most admired woman

zedie at SOMEONE SOMEWHERE - 20 hours ago
https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/michelle-obama-admired?utm_medium=Social&facebook=1&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1568498993 Advertisements

Eighty Years Ago – 106 Degrees In Indiana

tonyheller at Real Climate Science - 20 hours ago
Michael Mann believes that a 100 degree reading in Alabama confirms his junk science, but on this date eighty years ago thirty-five states were over 90 degrees and seventeen were over 100F. Every Midwest state was over 100F, and schools … Continue reading →

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