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They keep saying this every year, and I keep saying what I say every year. First, what they say:
July was “a wild weather month,” setting a record as the warmest month ever for the contiguous United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday.
Temperatures last month averaged 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit as above-average warmth blanketed the U.S., and several locations in Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Montana saw all-time high temperature records since NOAA started keeping track in 1895.
Last month was 0.1 to 0.2 degrees warmer than July 1936 and July 2012, according to the agency. July also broke the record for the average low temperature, at 64.2 degrees, surpassing July 2022 by 0.7 degrees.
Notice how slippery this report is: several locations in Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Montana saw all-time high temperature records. So what about the State high temperature records for those locations? And this is where I say what I've been saying for like a decade or more:
You want to see a real heat wave? Look at July 1936. Eleven States set high temperature records that stand to this day. That Wikipedia page is a little shifty on this, trying to hide the decline in record temperatures. You'll see an asterisk next to South Dakota, which the Wiki page says means Also on earlier date or dates in that state. So what was that earlier date for South Dakota? July 1936.Everyone is shifty on climate data. So what gives? It's the old expression from Statistics: if you torture the data enough, it will confess to anything. Here's how they torture the data:
Oh, and three more States set high temperature records the next month, August 1936. That makes 14 out of the 50 States suffered record high temperatures in the summer of 1936. That's almost 30% of the States.
The reported warming trend appears to be driven mainly by rising nighttime low temperatures. Because climate “averages” combine daytime highs and nighttime lows, warmer nights can make the overall average look higher even when daytime high temperatures do not show the same increase.
...
NOAA adjusts older weather-station records to account for non-climate changes, such as stations moving, equipment changing, or observers recording temperatures at different times of day. Its Pairwise Homogenization Algorithm (PHA) compares a station with nearby stations to identify and correct apparent breaks in the record.
Remember, they adjust the measured ("raw") temperatures, but they don't adjust the record temperatures (because that would be way too shifty). So (as I've been posting for years), how much of the 20th Century's warming is from adjustments? It's 80%:
An interesting question is how much of the 20th Century's warming came from adjustments, rather than from raw data? A picture is worth a thousand words:And what Science®-denying Tea-Bagging place did I get that? From the Fed.Gov's weathermen, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).What you're looking at is the annual adjustment made to the raw temperature, for each year in the 20th Century. You'll notice that almost no adjustments are made to years up to 1960, and then a very interesting shape appears in the graph.
A hockey Stick.
So the data are fiddled to the point that over 80% of the reported warming cannot be found in the data as recorded. Its in the adjustments to the data after the fact.
And so we're left with three observations:
- The reported data are fiddled and are untrustworthy.
- The record data are not fiddled and are trustworthy.
- It's summer. It's hot, hot, hot ...
Hey, Bustah!
I took my Honda to the dealer today to get it serviced. It's a 2020 Odyssey with ~60K miles. It needed an oil change and a tire rotation. when the dealer finished and we were settling up, she told me that my vehicle has two safety recalls. One for the rearview camera and one for an air bag. The only problem is that they don't have the parts for the recall.
For one of the recalls (I forget which) they will order the part and it will be in by next Tuesday, when we'll do the recall work. Thor the other, the dealer can only order one (1) per day, and they have thousands of customers on that list.
I recently realized that I had lost the appointment for my primary care doc. I called the office, but that was a no-go, so while I was in town today, I went to the doc's office to check. It's next month. While I was there, I registered a complaint on behalf of Belle's brother who is in the hospital. It seems that the coms lines between the hospital and the primary care doc are inop. No message traffic. One hand has no clue what the other is doing. That is the nature of medical practice today.
Political promises of "free buses" in New York City are contributing to a spike in fare evasion that is costing the city’s mass transit system millions of dollars, transit officials warn.
In July, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman Janno Lieber blamed political rhetoric for fueling fare evasion, though he never mentioned Mayor Zohran Mamdani by name.
"There’s a trend that broke out," Lieber told reporters following a meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, according to the New York Post. "With malice towards none, I say all of the talk of free buses, it has an impact."
The MTA reported that paid bus ridership fell nearly 8% in June compared to the same month last year. During Mamdani’s first six months in office, bus fare revenue fell by $31 million compared to the first half of 2025. Agency estimates show nearly half of bus riders now skip the $3 fare.
If this was a program to help the poor, you might have an argument for it. But I am sure middle class New Yorkers are taking advantage of this as well. (I doubt the Park Avenue set is riding city buses.)
There is an argument that fare box recovery is such a small part of the total revenue that collecting and counting it is not worth the cost. Many years ago, I ran for Santa Monica City Council. In preparing to run, I looked over the financials for various city departments. I was startled to find that fares were a trivial part of the spending. Most of the costs was covered by federal and state revenues. The Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines cost $4.25/passenger mile. Fares were $0.25 for all but the rare out of zone trips, typically far outside the city. For that actual cost, it would be cheaper to provide free taxi service.
Still, there is a logical error here. Any service that is free to the user will be used with wild abandon: bus trips of two blocks; homeless people spending the day and night in a place that is warm and dry, and relatively safe. Buses will get very crowded.
The post Authentic Custom Tiger Stripe From Vietnam: Short-Shorts to Tuxedos first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.
Shorter slide, same full-size grip with 17+1 (Or 18+1 with new mags!) rounds ready for anything. Let's take a look at the 3.5" Prodigy!
I make my living teaching self-defense. Self-defense laws – when can you use force? – are pretty homogeneous nationwide. Gun laws are something else entirely –what can you have and where can you have it? – and no two states are exactly alike in that respect. The fifteen-round magazine in the Glock 19 I happen […]
This Week in History: On August 18, 1877, the Martian Moon Phobos was discovered. One of the two natural satellites of Mars, Phobos, was discovered by American astronomer Asaph Hall. Hall also discovered Deimos, the other Martian Moon. Named after the Greek God of fear, Phobos orbits only 3,700 miles from the surface of Mars. This makes it the Moon to orbit closest to its planet in the Solar System. Because of this odd orbit, Phobos completes each orbit around Mars in just 7 hours and 39 minutes. — August 19, 1895: American frontier murderer and outlaw John Wesley Hardin …
The post Preparedness Notes — August 18, 2026 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
When I have conversations with friends and neighbors about Artificial Intelligence (AI), some of them conclude that I’m an alarmist. I believe that this is because their experience has been limited to simplistic generative AI tools that crank out artwork in seconds, or that can create convincing term papers when given just a simple outline phrase. What they haven’t seen are agentic AIs that scheme, manipulate, and cheat to reach their programmed goals, and often go beyond those programmed goals. If a stated goal is open-ended, then these AIs often improvise in unexpected ways. Recently, for example, a test AI …
The post AI: The Machinist Will Become The Workpiece appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
Author’s Introductory Note: I am not a medical professional. This article does not constitute medical advice. It merely represents the observations and opinions of an average layperson. Please consult a medical professional about the best training, equipment, and supplies that you should obtain in order to be better prepared for possible emergencies. SurvivalBlog readers who are also medical professionals are strongly encouraged to contribute articles within their areas of expertise to SurvivalBlog. You may provide the vital public service of rescuing SurvivalBlog readers from the simplistic ideas of people like me). Many first-aid kits are really boo-boo kits. They are …
The post JaseAid Trauma Kit, by Thomas Christianson appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
Today’s graphic is a map that depicts the most valuable resource in each state. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail image below is click-expandable. — If any SurvivalBlog readers have personally taken or otherwise hold the copyright to a particularly nice landscape photo or other photo of particular interest to preppers that is in a wide horizontal format (to match our blog template) then please send it in as an e-mail attachment, and I will consider posting it as a Graphic of the Week, or as a Top Note photo. I can of course credit you by name — or …
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In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers. Today, a map showing the median household income of each US states relative to the overall US median household income (percentage points above or below.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) Economics & Investing Links of Interest Reader Andrew M. spotted this piece in the UK Telegraph by financial analyst Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: The ingredients are coming together for a US financial crisis. Andrew’s comment: “Bessent’s recent moves all scream desperation.” The Hill published this …
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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, predictions of demographic doom. The West’s Demographic Math No Longer Adds Up The left-of-center Politico reports: The West’s Demographic Math No Longer Adds Up. Here is a pericope: …
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Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — In The Los Angeles Times: How Colorado became the unlikely epicenter of American yak ranching. JWR’s Comments: In the 1990s, we raised ultra-wooly black Tibetan yaks at our ranch near Orofino, Idaho. In 1997, we brought them with us on our temporary move back to California, and the next year we sold …
The post SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
REDOUBT NEWS LINKS This weekly column features media from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. A couple of fun flying videos: Lower Loon Idaho C58 – Backcountry Airstrip landing / takeoff – Badlands Traveler Bushplane. And from the same pilot: Departing Johnson Creek and clearing the Ridge – Badlands Traveler bushplane 3U2. Spokane fire aftermath: Drone footage shows neighborhood in complete ruins after wildfire. JWR’s Comment: If a jury finds him guilty, I hope that the arsonist serves a very …
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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds …
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The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: i never use upper-case letters when i write about a.o.c. because she says that she hates capitalism Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks! Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.
The post JWR’s Meme Of The Week: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
“There’s risks that come from people misusing AI, and that’s most of the risks and all of the short-term risks. And then there’s risks that come from AI getting super smart and understanding it doesn’t need us.” – 2024 Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton
The post Editors’ Quote: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.
Barnett v. Raoul (7th Cir. 2026) citing "Knives and the Second Amendment". Alas not with the desired result.
BREAKING NEWS: Aero Precision, Ballistic Advantage, Stag Arms, and VG6 have been officially sold to a new private ownership group, ending White Wolf Capital’s ownership and the troubles that seemed to come with it. RECOIL has confirmed with internal company employees that this is real and not just wishful thinking. From internal sources, the new ownership is a private investor... moreBy Dave Workman “The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and the federal government should not permanently deprive Americans of a constitutional right without regard to whether they pose a danger to public safety.” That was the word Monday from Attorney General Todd Blanche, who finalized a federal regulation launching a new process for […]
The post AG Blanche Finalizes New Restoration-of-Rights Process appeared first on Liberty Park Press.
Seeing the house renovation unfold here over the last 15 years has been a pleasure, though I’m sure burglars will look through the front window, see all of the antiques, the sconces on the wall, no big flat-screen TV, and they’d probably walk away thinking a pair of 80-year-old luddites live here. Though the kitchen cabinets were completely rebuilt, the walls re-plastered and painted, it still looks like a 40s kitchen. The only newer decorative bits are my mom’s Swedish horses and a jar of marbles I found in my brother’s childhood bedroom, the ones we played with for years as children, crouched down like small gargoyles perched on the edge of the earth. My brother and I were quietly and fiercely competitive, and a game of marbles, like any game, was approached like an act of war, though not as intensely, with the only fire being friendly.
I waa watching When PIT Maneuvers Are Used With NO MERCY! I can half-understand why someone in one of the hopped-up up Chargers thinks they might outrun state police but a Toyota Camry or Corolla? Admittedly, many of these idiots have long criminal histories, so they are already among the mentally challenged.
The post Colt’s Vietnam Prototype AK/M16 Hybrid: the Model 703 first appeared on Forgotten Weapons.
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| Ruger P-85 Mark II (click to embiggen) It came with the Hogues. Not a fan. |
NEW from Benelli comes a freshly redesigned shotgun gas system on the M2 platform. How does it stand up to the other Benelli Tactical shotguns?
Cheers!
Upon further investigation, officers discovered the victim entered the business, and while inside, physically assaulted a male security guard.
The security guard shot the victim during the altercation.
Officers responded at about 10:15 p.m. to a reported armed robbery at Smokers Town on Woody Jones Boulevard, police said. While they were responding, they were told that Brantley had been shot by a store employee.
Brantley had fled the business after being shot and was later found lying in a grassy area behind it, according to police. The preliminary investigation indicates that he entered the business while wearing a mask and gloves and was armed with a gun.
I just got home from a two-week trip to Peru. In my many trips to South America in the last two decades I’ve learned a lot about crime and criminals. This knowledge can be summed up pretty easily. Everything you need to know about keeping safe comes down to recognizing toads and papaya. […] |
| Me 163B at National Museum of the USAF |
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| Me 163B1-a at Udvar Hazy |
Bangkok, public domain
On August 7, 2026, Reuters reported a 14-year-old Thai student killed his grandparents, obtained his grandfather's legal 9mm pistol, then went to his school and killed at least five people as well as wounding 15 more. It is difficult to stop a person who is willing to kill their grandparents in order to kill others. The incident in August is the latest in a series of mass murders committed with firearms in Thailand. In July of 2025, a mass murderer killed five people and then committed suicide at a Bangkok market.
Thailand had imposed even more restrictions on their already restrictive gun control measures in 2023. In 2023, a 14-year-old killed two and wounded five in a shopping center in Bangkok. In 2022, a former police officer killed 36 people, including his wife, his son, and 22 children. The former police officer used a gun and a knife. In 2020 a soldier killed 29 people in a mass murder with a gun in Nakhon Rtchassima.
Bangkok has very strict gun control laws. It was not always so. When Thailand became a constitutional republic in 1932, there were no comprehensive gun control laws. In 1947, mandatory registration, licensing and permits for civilian ownership was instituted. Licensing for self-defense is relatively common in rural areas.
Firearms in Thai Museum. Public domain.
Self defense is considered a legitimate reason to apply for a firearm permit. Carry permits for public areas are difficult to obtain, according to Grokipedia. About one in ten Thais own a firearm. Ammunition ownership is tightly regulated. Reloading ammunition is banned. Resistance to the strict laws is common. It is estimated as many as 40% of the 10.4 million firearms in Thailand are not legally registered. Thailand has an estimated total firearms related death rate of about 4 per 100K population. The homicide rate with firearms is about 1 per 100K and the total homicide rate is lower than the USA, about 2-2.4 per 100K. In the USA the total homicide rate dropped below 4.0 in 2025.
Total firearm ownership rates have little or no correlation to homicide rates. Mass murders committed with firearms occur in countries with strict firearms controls. Some of those countries experience mass murder rates with firearms greater than the USA, when the numbers are corrected for population. Mass murder can be accomplished with many different methods. Attacks with vehicles have become more common. An important way to prevent public mass murders is to not legitimize mass murder through mass media. This is difficult but can be done without censorship. There was considerable success when media companies cooperated to not publicize suicides of celebrities. Copy cat suicides were immediately and significantly reduced. The total death toll from mass public murders is low, but the media attention is high.
Mass murder with firearms is promulgated as a phenomena of media contagion. When people who commit mass murder are made into anti-heros. People with mental problems and suicide ideation see mass murder as a way to achieve fame and media immortality.
Thailand has much stricter gun control than exists in the United States.
Gun control does not stop mass murder, with or without firearms.
Analysis: People with guns can stop mass public murder, which was recently demonstrated in the attempted mass murder in Twin Falls, Idaho. An armed citizen engaged the mass murderer, as did an off duty state trooper. A former police officer engaged the killer, but was shot before he drew his handgun. These heroic individuals helped to lower the death toll. In the Twin Falls incident, a bystander picked up a handgun the killer had abandoned. It was jammed, and she was unable to make it functional, so she abandoned it as well.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
A 37-year-old man was shot and killed inside a Fort Pierce mobile home Wednesday night after he allegedly forced his way inside and punched the 22-year-old homeowner repeatedly in the stomach during a dispute between the two men, according to deputies. The homeowner has not been charged, and St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office investigators say the case is now being reviewed under Florida's self-defense laws.
- China's getting extra frisky with Taiwan and the Philippines, and meanwhile we're stripping our last carrier out of the Pacific to go plug holes in the Gulf. "Pivot to Asia" my ass.
- The deficit continues growing at a record pace, nearing $40 trillion.
- We live in a world of miracles and wonders.
