Odds ‘n Sods:

Recently posted by the great video blogger Wranglerstar: Home-made Hydraulic Ram Pump

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There are just two days left in Camping Survival’s sale on Wise brand storage foods, with deep discounts. The sale ends on June 18, 2013.

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Census: Rural US loses population for first time

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The folks at Directive 21 mentioned that they have received more than 1,000 copies of the book Making the Best of Basics, and they have them sale priced at just $24.95 with free shipping. That is about half of what they cost at Amazon.

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Yet another ill-advised foreign intervention: US To Arm Syrian Rebels. Has anyone noticed how many radical Muslim groups our government has backed, ever since the Clinton Administration? These forays rarely end well. Just look at the newly-installed governments and their policies, post facto. OBTW, fellow blogger Tamara of the witty View From The Porch had some pointed observations about the United States arming the Al Qaeda proxy jihadists in Syria. My own observations: Here in Oceania it is easy to get confused about who the enemy du jour is. Are we fighting Eastasia or Eurasia this year? Let me try to get this straight: Is Al Qaeda our ally enemy ally? In the 1980s, while Russia was busily carpet bombing Afghanistan, our CIA cowboys were copiously funding and arming Al Qaeda. But then, after 9/11/2001 Bin Laden’s buckaroos were declared the absolute persona non grata bad boys of the planet and thence became multiple JDAM award winners. But, wait! Fast forward 12 years… and now we are about to arm Al Qaeda in Syria. (But not invade Syria, because that might be considered undiplomatically rude and might enrage the Muslims.) Pardon me for being confused. I suppose that I need to re-read Eric Blair’s textbook again, catch up on the updates to Newspeak and get back in the BHO-approved Ministry of Peace Groupthink. (I’d hate to unwittingly commit a thoughtcrime.)