Friday, December 31, 2021

31 December - Blogs I'm Following - 1 of 5

 10 pm MST

The National Interest10 minutes ago
How Designated Marksmen Became Key to Infantry Units in Combat
*Travis Pike* *U.S. Army, United States* The Designated Marksmen concept caught on early with infantry forces during the beginning of the Global War on Terror. *Key Point: *The Designated Marksman isn’t a sniper, but the reason squads love a DM is because they can extend the effective range of a rifle squad out to 600 yards or so. You’ve likely seen the term *designated marksmen* or *squad designated marksmen* tossed around this website, military publications, and other forms of military media lately. You might see it shortened as DM or SDM. The rifles these guys and gals use, y... read more
The National Interest10 minutes ago
China Acquires Key Technologies from the United States
*Trevor Filseth* *China, Asia* Artificial intelligence has taken on a particularly prominent role in the Chinese government, which has pushed it, along with other high-tech industries such as robotics, as part of its “Made in China 2025” development strategy. *Here’s What You Need to Remember: *The acting director of the NCSC, Michael Orlando, told reporters in a rare press conference that the United States could “not afford to lose” the race to develop new technology with China. Officials at the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) warned on Friday th... read more
The National Interest10 minutes ago
The U.S. Marine Corps is Buying 19,000 New Optical Gunsights
*Travis Pike* *U.S. Marine Corps, United States* The Variable Combat Optical Gunsight is a 1 to 8 powered optic that will be fielded by combat arms Marines on the M27 rifle. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *For close-quarters combat, an LPVO can be set to 1X and used almost as efficiently as a red dot optic. Should a Marine need to assume an overwatch position, the higher magnification settings enable them to provide accurate fire at various ranges. The Marine Corps prides itself on being a Corps of riflemen. A big part of Marine Corps culture involves the rifle. “Every Marine... read more
Musical interlude II
One more tune to end 2021 - wishing all the best to readers in the new year. Counting Crows - A Long December read more
The Marine Corps' M1014 is the Perfect Combat Shotgun
*Travis Pike* *Shotguns, Europe Middle East United States* The M1014 has been successful now for more than two decades. Deployment of the M1014 is rare, but when it’s needed, there is no better option. *Key Point:* The M1014 is a pure combat shotgun designed for fighting in close quarter’s situations. Benelli built the M1014 from the ground up to meet the Marine Corps requirements. The story of the M1014 is fascinating. The Marine Corps rarely gets to be the lead on a joint service project. The small size and limited resources of the Marine Corps often make them second to the Arm... read more
Can Iran’s F-14A Upgrades Keep the Tomcat Flying?
*Charlie Gao* *Military Affairs, Middle East* The planes are an anomaly in the region. *Here's What You Need to Know:* Iran’s missile upgrade to its F-14A Tomcats is great for the last war it fought. It’s not for the next war it may fight. Iran’s F-14A Tomcats are an anomaly in the region. While most other air forces in the region field multirole or air superiority fighter, the F-14A is a true interceptor with the speed, power and long-range missiles to strike at range then fly away before the enemy has a chance to lock on. This is, of course, enabled by the AIM-54A Phoenix long-... read more
Where I Live We Are Now Under Curfew
The government of Quebec just sent this out to every persons phone in the region regarding the curfew that starts tonight, indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/Dadtf45XDd — Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) December 31, 2021 *WNU Editor:* My cell phone and all the channels on my cable TV broadcasted at the same time the above message at 18:45 EST tonight. This emergency broadcast also knocked out my internet service?!?!? New Years Eve under curfew. I never thought something like this would happen in a place like Canada. read more
War News Updates2 hours ago
The 2021 News Cycle In One Chart
Google Trends for 2021 news topics Dec. 27, 2020, to Dec. 18, 2021, weekly *Axios*:* Google Trends for 2021 news topics* Between a siege on the Capitol building, a Texas snowstorm, Brood X cicadas, the Olympics and a stuck container ship in the Suez Canal — not to mention endless COVID variants — it's been a busy year. *Why it matters: *In the inaugural Axios-Google Trends news cycle chart, we chronicled the unprecedented first year of President Trump. Four years later, Joe Biden is president and the themes have changed, but America's short attention spans and rapid breaking... read more
War News Updates2 hours ago
US Shatters Its Average Daily Covid-19 Case Record Again. 647,067 New Cases In 24 Hours And 2.5 Million In A Week
The US broke a world record for average daily COVID cases for the second day in a row with 647,067 reported on Thursday, according to a DailyMail.com analysis of John Hopkins data *Daily Mail:* *US smashes global COVID infection record for a second day with 647,067 new cases in 24 hours and 2.5m in a week after experts warned 'we are at the very beginning' of a viral blizzard that will cause de facto shut-down: Deaths halve to 1,400* * The US smashed yet another global COVID infection record on Thursday when 647,067 new cases were reported - up 26 percent from the day before, w... read more
Extreme Authoritarian Laws Proposed in New York!
Extreme Authoritarian Laws Proposed in New York! by JP Sears, AwakenWithJP December 28, 2021  Video available at AwakenWithJP Odysee and Rumble channels. Connect with JP Sears The post Extreme Authoritarian Laws Proposed in New York! appeared first on Truth Comes to Light. read more
War News Updates2 hours ago
Tonight's Movie Is 'Away All Boats'
*From Wikipieda:* The story of USS Belinda (APA-22), launched late 1943 with regular-Navy Captain Jebediah S. Hawks (Jeff Chandler) and ex-merchant marine Lieutenant Dave MacDougall (George Nader) as boat commander. Despite personal friction, the two have plenty with which to deal as the only experienced officers on board during the ship's shakedown cruise. Almost laughable incompetence gradually improves, but the crew remains far from perfect when the ship sees action, landing troops on enemy beachheads. Few anticipate the challenges in store at Okinawa. (*Read more*). read more
The Story of the Lockheed Skunk Unit Development of the C-130
*Kris Osborn* *C-130 Skunk Works, Americas* The C-130 cargo airplane first emerged decades ago and is continuing to improve performance through a wide range of ongoing upgrades. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *“The C-130 originally came out of Skunk Works, and to this day, Skunk Works supports that program in terms of coming up with new innovative capabilities to put out on that platform and new innovative ways to think about using that platform to stay focused on what the warfighter needs,” Lockheed Martin’s famous secretive Skunk Works unit is known for its role in giving ... read more
Five Horrific Weapons Used in World War I Trenches
*Travis Pike* *World War I, Europe* Soldiers turned their common everyday tools into effective trench weapons out of creativity or sheer desperation. *Key Point: *Trench weapons started as weapons made by soldiers who were actively fighting in the trenches. Eventually, the military forces caught on and began issuing their own. World War 1, or the Great War, was a 20th-century war fought with 19th-century tactics. The result led to the advent of war machines the world had never seen. The fearsome weapons employed sent men to the trenches and created a meat grinder of a conflict. ... read more
Australia Wants Costly, Futuristic Submarine. But Does Canberra Need Them?
*Andrew Davies, Marcus Hellyer* *Security, Naval Power, Asia Pacific* That’s a big opportunity cost to other force modernisation initiatives. *Here's What to Remember: *We can only hope that the revolutionary technologies of tomorrow will be affordable with what’s left in the kitty. We’ve known for a while that SEA 1000, the Defence Department’s future submarine program, is going to cost a lot of money—we just haven’t known exactly how much. But as time moves on and Defence releases more data, we’re starting to get a better sense of the program’s cost. Let’s review what we know a... read more
Defeat the Mandates: An American Homecoming — “United We Stand, in Peace We March.” — January 23, 2022 in Washington, DC
Defeat the Mandates: An American Homecoming — “United We Stand, in Peace We March.” — January 23, 2022 in Washington, DC About: We want to be…free. Free to work. Free to travel. Free to learn. Free to question. Free to speak. Free to pray. Free to say no. The mandates are un-American. Stop the The post Defeat the Mandates: An American Homecoming — “United We Stand, in Peace We March.” — January 23, 2022 in Washington, DC appeared first on Truth Comes to Light. read more
NYT 1979 : No Questioning MWP Or LIA
TimesMachine: February 16, 1979 – NYTimes.com read more
Demise Of The Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake lost six feet of water between 1894 and 1902. From 1850 to 1950 it lost half of its volume. 06 Aug 1902, 1 – The Idaho Statesman at Newspapers.com 29 Sep 1951 – “HERALD” SATURDAY MAGAZINE … Continue reading → read more
Komando.com5 hours ago
Why your groceries will be more expensive in 2022
Expect prices to go up soon as supply chain issues continue into the new year. read more
The Goodness of the Universe
[image: The Goodness of the Universe] *The end of one year and the beginning of the next seems like a good time to back out to the big picture. The really big picture, where cosmology interacts with metaphysics. Thus today’s discussion of evolution and development in a cosmic context. John Smart wrote me after the recent death of Russian astronomer Alexander Zaitsev, having been with Sasha at the 2010 conference I discussed in my remembrance of Zaitsev. We also turned out to connect through the work of Clément Vidal, whose book The Beginning and the End tackles meaning from the cos... read more
War News Updates3 hours ago
Iran's President Says The U.S. Is Getting Weaker Day By Day
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi (Photo by president.ir) *Newsweek: **Iran Says U.S. 'Growing Weaker' Daily Amid Nuclear Tensions* Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has dismissed the U.S. as a power "in decline," as negotiators from both nations try to find a way to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal at talks in Vienna. Speaking with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega by phone on Wednesday, Raisi urged his counterpart to resist U.S. sanctions in the same way Tehran has done since May 2018, when former President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA and emba... read more
Science Matters3 hours ago
Escape from Covid in 2022
With the end of 2021 many are wondering if there is light at the end of this tunnel, or do we face an oncoming train. This post takes up the issue in three parts: How Did We Get Here? What is keeping us here? What is the Way Out? How Did We Get Here? The […] read more
War News Updates3 hours ago
Can You Spot What's Wrong With This Picture Of President Biden?
*WNU Editor:* The GF spotted it before I did. And yeah .... this is a staged photo-op. The answer is here .... *Can You Spot What's Wrong With This Picture of Joe Biden? *(PJ Media). read more
The U.S. Air Force's KC-46 Pegasus Tanker Has Serious Deficiencies
*Sebastien Roblin* *U.S. Air Force, * The Pegasus was originally scheduled for operational deployment in 2017 but has a long history of technical problems and cost delays—though in a rare win for taxpayers, Boeing has had to assume over $3 billion of those overruns at its own expense because it accepted a fixed-price contract. *Here's What You Need to Remember: *Unfortunately, defects in the camera reportedly make it harder for boom operators to get a good sense of the boom’s exact position. Furthermore, the automated system is reportedly “jerking” violently at the end of fuel d... read more
Naval Aviators Warn of Training Deficit to Prepare for War with China
*David Axe* *U.S. Navy, United States* The Navy’s pilots aren’t ready to do battle with a high-tech foe such as China, according to a 2019 panel of young aviators. *Here's What You Need to Remember*: China’s rise as an economic and military power, and Russia’s own military resurgence, ended the calm -- and revealed that U.S. naval aviation was unprepared for major warfare. A panel of young aviators voiced a harsh warning to the audience at the U.S. Navy’s annual Tailhook aviation convention in Nevada in September 2019. The Navy’s pilots aren’t ready to do battle with a high-tech ... read more
War News Updates4 hours ago
Watch U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris Give A Bizarre Answer To The Inflation Question
Kamala’s response to questions about inflation really highlights that constant complaint from her staffers that she “refuses to wade into briefing materials.” pic.twitter.com/EE8sGMBqYG — Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) December 30, 2021 *Twitchy:* *WOOF, this was painful: Kamala Harris’s response when asked about inflation is a hot dumpster of CRINGE (watch) * Kamala really really really REALLY needs to start doing some sort of prep for these questions. Wow. You would think she’d at least be ready for questions on COVID, and inflation, but nope. Not at all. And she knows i... read more
The Last Refuge4 hours ago
A New Year Awaits
… “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” ~ Robert Frost 2021 has again been a tumultuous year for most of us. As the eve winds down, we are given to considering everything that has taken place. Perhaps we have […] The post A New Year Awaits appeared first on The Last Refuge. read more
War News Updates4 hours ago
Israel Signs Deal For US Heavy Choppers And Refueling Planes
The deal is part of an upgrade of Israel's air force capabilities and includes an option to buy six additional choppers An undated photograph of a Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy transport helicopter, which Israel signed an agreement to purchase from the United States on December 30, 2021. (Lockheed Martin) *Times of Israel:* *With Iran in mind, Israel signs deal with US for heavy choppers, refueling planes* Weapons sale to cost $3.1 billion, with the funds coming from military aid Washington provides to Jerusalem Israel on Thursday signed a long-awaited agreement to purch... read more
AFTER DISAPPEARING, RON DeSANTIS DIDN'T MENTION HIS WIFE'S CANCER UNTIL HE COULD USE IT TO OWN THE LIBS
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has disappeared from public view, and there's been a great deal of speculation about why. Gov. Ron DeSantis has been missing in action as Covid cases in the state have spiked to new heights, Florida Democratic officials charge. "Counties are overwhelmed w/ lines that stretch for miles," state Sen. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat, tweeted Thursday. "It's every man/woman for themselves, because leadership is MIA," he added. DeSantis, a Republican and outspoken opponent of vaccine and mask mandates, last held a Covid press briefing on Dec. 17. Covid cases have ... read more
How Much Should NATO Spend on Defense?
*Marcus Hellyer* *Security, Russia Aggression, Europe* How much should NATO’s European members spend? *Here's What to Remember: *If the overriding goal of NATO continues to be deterring a Russian attack on its members, 2% of its European members’ GDP should be adequate, and in fact more than adequate. If the main task is to defeat terrorism at its source, 2% is probably enough to develop and deploy light expeditionary forces for peacekeeping, stability operations and counterterrorism. But 2% may not be enough to do both. With President Donald Trump having returned from his dump... read more
Let’s Prevent History From Repeating Itself
As we leave 2021 and enter 2022, let’s never lose sight of the step-by-step othering of individuals that has occurred in times past. When you hear a politician or a member of the media or a celebrity or a stranger or a friend or a family member start talking about “us and them” and why… Continue reading → read more
Happy New Year From the Trenches!
The post Happy New Year From the Trenches! appeared first on From the Trenches World Report. read more
Happy New Year 2022!
Happy New Year, folks! See you on the other side! read more
Musical Interlude: Josh Groban, "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)"
*Full screen recommended.* *Josh Groban, "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)"* read more
PrairiePundit5 hours ago
The Chicom propaganda machine
*Washington Examiner:* *SBA investigating PPP loan to Virginia radio company paid millions to broadcast CCP propaganda* PPP is short for the Paycheck Protection Program funded by the US government. The loan was then forgiven. There is apparently an investigation of the station's use of this funding. read more

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