Sunday, December 6, 2009

‘Tis the Season to Be Angry
   Political Correctness piece by Offsite (12/6/09)

One of the major things that really rings my chimes are the idiots who are offended by Christmas. Used to be, you would go into a store and during the holiday season, people would smile and wish each other a Merry Christmas. Not any more! You saw banners wishing shoppers a Merry Christmas. Not any more! Salvation Army Santas stood by their red kettles collecting what they could for the truly needy. Not any more! You could walk into just about any department store and see children lined up to sit on Santa’s lap with that gleam of hope for that special toy in their eyes. Not any more! Storefront windows would be decorated with magically moving figures and toys that would make kids drool down the front of their small coats! Not any more!

‘The EU Treaty of Lisbon Disaster Or Progress?‘
   Europe piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (12/6/09)

The 2004 EU Constitution failed to be ratified and the new “Treaty of Lisbon” was created to replace it.  It managed to get approved and is in the process of going into effect.

The Elusive MAGIX Xtreme Photo Designer 7
   Computers piece by Editor (12/6/09)

It seems MAGIX Xtreme Photo Designer 7 is alive and well and you may have it in your computer.

Record Misery Index Sends People Scrambling for Gold(1968)
   Economics piece by Offsite (12/6/09)

In case you want a handy way to keep tabs on how bad things get, Anthony Cherniawski of the Practical Investor reports that Money.CNN.com recently “reintroduced the concept of the ‘Misery Index’”, which is an interesting metric produced by combining the rate of inflation plus the rate of unemployment, which “was last heard of in the 1980’s” when both of the rates were soaring and people were miserable.

BC/BS: Reid Bill to Increase Premiums by 54 Percent
   Health Care piece by Offsite (12/6/09)

The Wall Street Journal reports on a study by the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association showing that under Harry Reid’s health care bill, insurance premiums for the average policyholder will rise far more dramatically than Congress claims:

Stop. Breathe. Do Over
   Global Warming piece by Guest: Donald Holtzinger (12/6/09)

Watching the panel discussion about Climategate on Fox News Sunday today I was dismayed by how the debate was framed. It was also apparent to me that those present were either willfully ignorant of known facts or were misinformed. These are reasonably intelligent people so if they are unclear about the significance of the entire “global warming” agenda, then certainly others are as well. So let’s recap and breakdown the subject into its component parts.

Global Cooperation, Not Global Responsibility
   Foreign Policy piece by James T. Moore (12/6/09)

There is something very terrible going on in our country today, and we, as concerned Americans, have the power and the duty to stop it as quickly as possible.

Muslim student accused of stabbing Jewish prof
   Crime piece by Offsite (12/6/09)

Saudi national entered office, attacked Mideast scholar - A Muslim anthropology graduate student is being charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of a Jewish professor at Binghamton University in Vestal, New York.

Essential Acts of Piracy
   ClimateGate piece by J.J. Jackson (12/6/09)

A lot of once revered members of Al Gore’s Cult of Man Made Global Warmingology are reeling.  After years of stonewalling and claiming privilege to protect their so-called “data” supposedly proving how real Global Warming caused by evil Homo sapiens is and shouting from the mountain tops that they were right, could prove it and all such nonsense, the world is finding out that lowly dissenters like myself were oh so very right about this wacko group all along.  Yes, after years which saw them call us every name in the book even as we produced actual data to show that there was no “global” warming trend caused by man, their reputation is, or at least should be, so tarnished that not even ACORN will associate with them.

Work-force training is vital
   Employment/Jobs piece by Offsite (12/6/09)

Of the $787 billion recovery act package, about $4 billion is being used by the Labor Department to help Americans who are out of work find and keep jobs and to support them while they’re unemployed. Of this, $3 billion is designated for work-force investment in local areas throughout the United States.

Justice thwarts Black Panther subpoenas
   Law piece by Offsite (12/6/09)

Could it be that President Obama’s legal team is imploding due to a voter intimidation case involving the New Black Panther Party? So many new developments regarding the Black Panther case occurred in the latter half of last week that it is hard keeping up with them all. But none of them look good for the Obama administration or for Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.‘s Justice Department.

Bring Back the ‘Off’ Switch
   Common Sense piece by Offsite (12/6/09)

The millisecond-scale operation of an analog on-off switch is an eternity to a computer. Does that tremulous signal mean a finger meant to push the button once or twice? Is the computer being misled by microvoltages created by electronic interference? Did a user really push the button at all?

Bloggers Mugged by Regulators
   Big Brother piece by Offsite (12/6/09)

The FTC wants to police book reviews on Twitter - Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission issued its “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising,“ last updated in 1980. These rules historically regulated what celebrity endorsers can say and how advertisers can use research claims.

Public Option Campus Revolt
   Socialism piece by Offsite (12/6/09)

There’s encouraging news on that other Washington effort to force Americans into a government-run system. The White House plan to drive private lenders out of the market for student loans is igniting a backlash on campus and Capitol Hill.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

CYA And Denial At The New York Times (Knee Jerk Times?)
   ClimateGate piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (12/5/09)

Read it and decide for yourself… Have a barf bag handy….

ClimateGate: Lettuce Get Real
   ClimateGate piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (12/5/09)

The “climate change” hoax/scam has finally been exposed.  What many have noted and revealed for months(if not years) has been finally debunked by the arrogance and stupidity of the perpetrators.

Democrats: “ClimateGate” Leak A Non-Scandal
   ClimateGate piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

If you’re a U.S. politician calling for expensive new laws relating to global warming, you know you’re in trouble when Jon Stewart lampoons the scientists whose embarrassing e-mail messages were disclosed in what’s being called “ClimateGate.“

Gordon Brown: climate-change sceptics are ‘flat-earthers’
   ClimateGate piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

People who doubt that human activity contributes to global warming are “flat-earthers” and “anti-science”, Gordon Brown has said. - The Prime Minister launched an outspoken attack on climate-change sceptics amid growing signs of public doubts about the scientific and political consensus on the environment.

‘Is Climate Gate just the beginning?‘
   ClimateGate piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

I should have spent some more time in this piece [on Fox News] and at least mentioned the third most relied on data in the IPCC report

‘What Are Global Warming Supporters Trying to Hide?‘
   ClimateGate piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

This is the age of computers and Web sites. If the institutions have the data sets available on their computers, they can easily be put up on a Web site for the world to see.

Think ‘Climate-Gate’ Is Nonevent? Think Again
   ClimateGate piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

The big question is whether universities have too much at stake, both ideologically and financially, to impartially investigate what has happened with Climate-gate - President Obama’s climate czar, Carol M. Browner, and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs might think that Climate-gate is a nonevent, but on Monday Pennsylvania State University announced that it was launching an investigation into the academic conduct of Michael Mann, the school’s Director of the Earth System Science Center.

A Day to Remember by Richard Todd OBE - 1919 - 2009 - RIP
   History piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

Mr Richard Todd has[d] very kindly sent me some material for this website and has[d] given me permission to quote from an article that was printed in the Grantham Journal.

U.N. Panel to Probe Climategate
   ClimateGate piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

(AFP) - A top U.N. panel is to probe claims that British scientists sought to suppress data backing climate change skeptics’ views, its head said ahead of the landmark Copenhagen summit.

Climategate Raises Hard Questions
   ClimateGate piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

As the fallout from the Climategate scandal continues to explode, the scientific community is putting itself under a microscope and beginning to ask some tough questions.

UK Climate Code May Be Scrapped
   ClimateGate piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

One of the first victims of the Climategate scandal may by the very computer code that is supposed to track global temperature records.

Climategate: A Willful Ignorance
   ClimateGate piece by Alan Caruba (12/5/09)

“Future generations will wonder in bemused amazement that the early 21st century’s developed world went into hysterical panic over a globally averaged temperature increase of a few tenths of a degree, and, on the basis of gross exaggerations of highly uncertain computer projections combined into implausible chains of inference, proceeded to contemplate a roll-back of the industrial age.“—MIT Professor Richard Lindzen, PhD, Atmospheric Science - “On such (climate) models we are supposed to wager trillions of dollars - and substantially diminished freedom.”—George F. Will, syndicated columnist, Washington Post

Analyst See RV Industry in Fast Lane to Growth
   Investments piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

(AP) - Shares of Winnebago Industries Inc. and Thor Industries Inc. rose Friday as an analyst said improving sales trends for the two recreational vehicle companies will continue through next year.

U.S. to Shine Light on Mysterious Dark Pools
   Investments piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

(Reuters) -Officials at two bank-run dark pools - the anonymous stock-trading venues that face sweeping rule changes - expect U.S. regulators to modify a proposal that would make it immediately clear where trading takes place.

The Copenhagen Hypocrite Conference
   GreeenIsm piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

The Copenhagen summit will bring together 16,500 people from 192 countries. People that say they are concerned about global warming caused by human activity.

Lawmakers Rally to Sailors’ Aid in Court Martial
   Political Correctness piece by Offsite (12/5/09)

WASHINGTON -(AP)- Lawmakers are seeking a reprieve for three Navy SEALs facing court martial because one allegedly punched a suspect in an ambush killing of U.S. contractors in Iraq.