Uncle Sam's Cabin

Climategate: Lawyer up!

2009-11-24T18:54:00.001-05:00

In another chapter of the Scientists behaving Badly saga the rumblings of lawsuits and congressional probes over the information in leaked emails and files from CRU have begun (via Instapundit).

Competitive Enterprise Institute Sues NASA in Wake of Climategate Scandal

Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute filed three Notices of Intent to File Suit against NASA and its Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), for those bodies’ refusal — for nearly three years — to provide documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act.

The information sought is directly relevant to the exploding “Climategate” scandal revealing document destruction, coordinated efforts in the U.S. and UK to avoid complying with both countries’ freedom of information laws, and apparent and widespread intent to defraud at the highest levels of international climate science bodies. Numerous informed commenters had alleged such behavior for years, all of which appears to be affirmed by leaked emails, computer code, and other data from the Climatic Research Unit of the UK’s East Anglia University.

Congress May Probe Leaked Global Warming E-Mails
Te first and last paragraphs:

A few days after leaked e-mail messages appeared on the Internet, the U.S. Congress may probe whether prominent scientists who are advocates of global warming theories misrepresented the truth about climate change.

The irony of this situation is that most of us expect science to be conducted in the open, without unpublished secret data, hidden agendas, and computer programs of dubious reliability. East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit might have avoided this snafu by publicly disclosing as much as possible at every step of the way.

Gee, yeah think?

Tim Blair also has these revealing tidbits:

Greeno supremo George Monbiot concedes:
It’s no use pretending this isn’t a major blow. The emails extracted by a hacker from the climatic research unit at the University of East Anglia could scarcely be more damaging. I am now convinced that they are genuine, and I’m dismayed and deeply shaken by them.

Yes, the messages were obtained illegally. Yes, all of us say things in emails that would be excruciating if made public. Yes, some of the comments have been taken out of context. But there are some messages that require no spin to make them look bad. There appears to be evidence here of attempts to prevent scientific data from being released, and even to destroy material that was subject to a freedom of information request.
Worse still, some of the emails suggest efforts to prevent the publication of work by climate sceptics, or to keep it out of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. I believe that the head of the unit, Phil Jones, should now resign.

And,

The WSJ attempts to interview the CRU:
Some of those mentioned in the emails have responded to our requests for comment by saying they must first chat with their lawyers. Others have offered legal threats and personal invective. Still others have said nothing at all …
Yet all of these nonresponses manage to underscore what may be the most revealing truth: That these scientists feel the public doesn’t have a right to know the basis for their climate-change predictions, even as their governments prepare staggeringly expensive legislation in response to them.

Whatever you want to believe about man-made global warming scientists playing around with their data to get the story they want rather than to shed light on what is true and then refusing to disclose their data (because they mucked around with it and any examination of their data would reveal their tampering) is indefensible. Trying to dictate the functioning of the entire world based on data that you know is corrupted is self centered egotistical madness.

They're Calling It Climategate Now

2009-11-23T22:14:00.000-05:00

I like Scientists Behaving Badly much better than Climategate. We don't really need another X-gate. Although this "gate" is more like the original than some of the other "gates" that have been christened as such. Anyway, here's a round up of facts and opinion on the revelations in the hacked emails and data from University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit (CRU). Most of these I picked up from Instapundit.

Climate cuttings 33, summaries of some of what's in those hacked CRU files.

Climategate, Coal Mine Deaths, Air Pollution and Coals assault on human health. I'm not sure I would agree with everything this blogger concludes about coal but this is certainly true, "The over reaching on the science and over aggressive tactics are now blowing up in face of the pro-global warming side."

This from the comments section regarding claims about climate conditions in the earth's past also rings true, "How can you trust that these conditions even existed? Ice cores? Tree ring data? We now have no reason to believe any paleo climate data. Some 40 or 50 'scientists' have been cooking the books with the collusion of influential journalists. Until all that data has been independently audited, all those assertions are out the window for all but the most faithful."

Viscount Monckton on Climategate: ‘They Are Criminals’
This is what they did — these climate “scientists” on whose unsupported word the world’s classe politique proposes to set up an unelected global government this December in Copenhagen, with vast and unprecedented powers to control all formerly free markets, to tax wealthy nations and all of their financial transactions, to regulate the economic and environmental affairs of all nations, and to confiscate and extinguish all patent and intellectual property rights.

The tiny, close-knit clique of climate scientists who invented and now drive the “global warming” fraud — for fraud is what we now know it to be — tampered with temperature data so assiduously that, on the recent admission of one of them, land temperatures since 1980 have risen twice as fast as ocean temperatures. One of the thousands of emails recently circulated by a whistleblower at the University of East Anglia, where one of the world’s four global-temperature datasets is compiled, reveals that data were altered so as to prevent a recent decline in temperature from showing in the record. In fact, there has been no statistically significant “global warming” for 15 years — and there has been rapid and significant cooling for nine years.

Climategate: When Scientists Become Politicians
Over thousands of years, at each step, the response of the scientists was to continually adjust and refine their theories to conform to the data, not the other way around. This is how science is done and how we developed the knowledge that has given us such tremendous and accelerating scientific and technological breakthroughs in the past century. It is occasionally reasonable to throw out a bad data point if it is in defiance of an otherwise satisfactory model fit, as long as everyone knows that you’ve done so and the rationale, but a deliberate and unrevealed fudging of results in an attempt to make the real world fit one’s preconceptions is beyond the scientific pale. Journal articles have been thrown out for it; PhD candidates have lost their degrees for it.
Many in the climate change community have condemned what they call “skeptics,” often to the point of declaring them de facto criminals and assigning them to the same category as Holocaust deniers. They tell us that “the science is settled” and that we should shut up. But every scientist worthy of the name should be a skeptic. Every theory should be subject to challenge on a scientific basis. Every claim of a model’s validity should be accompanied by the complete model and data set that supposedly validated it, so that it can be replicated. That is how science works. It is how it advances. And when the science is supposedly “settled” and they refuse to do so, it’s not unreasonable to wonder why.

Well, now we know.

NYT Policy on Illegally Acquired Documents, "Hasn’t the Grey Lady published illegally obtained documents on national security and other matters in the past?" I must confess that I find the New York Times' reluctance to publish any of the leaked/hacked/whatever information snort worthy for exactly that reason.

More on the NYT's selective squeamishness about handling leaked information, All The News That’s Fit To Bury

Copenhagen will fail – and quite right too: Even if the science was reliable (which it isn’t), we should not force the world’s poorest countries to cut carbon emissions
Astonishingly, what appears, at least at first blush, to have emerged is that (a) the scientists have been manipulating the raw temperature figures to show a relentlessly rising global warming trend; (b) they have consistently refused outsiders access to the raw data; (c) the scientists have been trying to avoid freedom of information requests; and (d) they have been discussing ways to prevent papers by dissenting scientists being published in learned journals.

And the wheels of capitalism keep turning, WEAR THE DECLINE! Lots of links and updates with this one.

Althouse on Today's Obamacare Vote

2009-11-21T21:48:00.003-05:00

"Democrats Clinch Vote on Health Debate."

In case you want to talk about it. I'll just be over here in a corner curled up in a little ball.

This is made all the more amusing to me, in a grim gallows humor kind of way, by the fact that she voted for President Obama. Lets see how much tighter we can cinch up those belts folks!

Scientists Behaving Badly

2009-11-20T18:54:00.001-05:00

Apparently some place called University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit got hacked. Their emails and data on ~~global warming~~ climate change are all over the internet. There was initial caution that the data and emails might have been fakes but they have since been confirmed to be the real deal. Why should anyone care about information hacked from the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit? Well only because they've apparently been massaging their data to get the desired results with regard to ~~global warming~~ climate change. The desired result being that the planet is warming and that the warming is the fault of mankind. So much for the integrity of the scientific process.

There's a post full of updates here, the most amusing of which so far is, "UPDATE VI. The BBC declines to cover this story, preferring a piece on mammoth dung."

Reactions from our part of the globe can be found here. Both posts provide access to the leaked information for you to evaluate for yourself.

Dare one hope that this could bring about the death of cap and trade and other schemes designed to manipulate global climate in an attempt to halt ~~global warming~~ climate change? Now that's some hope and change that I could believe in.

Ghetto Tory

2009-11-19T16:03:00.000-05:00

This is an attention getting essay from Loanna Morrison a black Conservative party candidate in the UK. (Via Booker Rising.)I was struck by her firey and unapologetic defense of her political views. I think much of what she says is also applicable to the current American political scene. Below I've provided a list of American political/cultural discourse equivalents as best I could for those unfamiliar with the Queen's English and British politics.

Loanna Morrison: This "ghetto Tory" doesn't care about the social background of the politicians caricatured as "Tory toffs"

I am angered by the constant taunts from the Left that Conservatives are "toffs". Some may be upper class – Eton and all that - but so what? Is it a crime to benefit from a privileged background and a brilliant education as a result of an accident of birth?

I am not a toff so perhaps voters would prefer a “ghetto Tory” running the country? If so, give me space – I'm coming. I am black, a single mother who lived in a council house and with no Oxford University degree to my name. I am also a Tory.

[Conservative Party leader] David Cameron does not need a qualification in poverty to understand the economic challenges facing Britain. Under Labour, the fat cats keep getting fatter and the required tasks for the future of our country are deferred and obfuscated while the chosen few cling to office and quango [quasi non-profit] jobs.

If qualifications are needed, Gordon Brown is singularly unqualified. He has never held a job outside politics. No wonder he and his equally unqualified Cabinet have made such a spectacularly bad job of looking after the poor. Their idea of social mobility is to help only the favoured few climb the greasy pole. The rest of us can go hang. How many Labour ministers send their children to private schools, have private health insurance and take pride in their kids' courage on the field of battle in Afghanistan?

The first thing Tony Blair abolished was the Assisted Places Scheme. Thank goodness I have already used it. We all want our children to be given the best education, to become 'toffs' in the best sense of the term – well-dressed, educated and able to take their place as responsible members of society. It is clear from unchallenged statistics that Labour is not capable of delivering.

The Tories were hounded out of office under John Major for having affairs, not for stealing taxpayers' money. We cannot shift Gordo and his crew, even though their administration is mired in sleaze and corruption. How many Tories have had to resign twice or had more than half their cabinet resign for financial wrongdoing? A politician having a leg over doesn't affect anyone's way of life, nor their pocket."

Labour want you to think they are the party of the poor. Deep down they know Socialism is a flawed ideology which doesn't know how to generate money, only to spend it. The capitalists who are invariably conservative generate cash. Labour have been ousted as closet capitalists marching behind a phoney slogan and a tattered red flag.

I am not into gender or identity politics. I joined the Conservatives because they want what I want and say what I say. If the Tories are the party of privilege, they will know how to give us some of it.

They will create policies for the nation not divide us into interest groups and throw us preferential crumbs. That is why a ghetto Tory like me was selected as a Conservative Parliamentary candidate.

Ghetto Tory= Black (or other group that isn't supposed to identify with conservative types)Conservative
Toffs= privileged rich people, usually presumed to be white
Tory= Conservative/Republican/Right of center types
Council House= The Projects
Labour= Liberals/Democrats/Left of center types
Quango= quasi non-profit

Our Great Wizard of Oz

2009-11-19T14:26:00.002-05:00

When I first heard the murmurs and rumblings about the reporting errors at Recovery.gov claiming jobs created in districts that don't exist and what not I just rolled my eyes. Typical government ineptitude right? Reading our President's response to the criticism of the errors got me thinking a little more about my initial assumption that this was just more run of the mill government ineptitude. (Via Wizbang.)

Obama Calls Stimulus Data Errors 'Side Issue,' Says Focus Is on Job Growth
President Obama brushed off criticism over his administration's inaccurate reporting on job creation Wednesday, telling Fox News the accounting is an "inexact science" and that any errors are a "side issue" when compared with the goal of turning the economy around. He said job growth is his No.1 responsibility.

Emphasis added.

First thoughts, I wonder if the IRS will buy that accounting line come April 15? Well Mr. IRS Agent sir, you know the President did say that accounting is an inexact science. I can't see that going well for anyone who tries it. These errors in reporting are a very big deal if they are being held up as evidence that the goal of turning the economy around is being reached. Don't you? If there are such obvious errors at Recovery.gov what confidence is there that anything else the administration has to say about the economy has any resemblance to reality?

The president was responding to criticism from Republicans, as well as Democratic Rep. David Obey, who drew attention to embarrassing errors on the Recovery.gov Web site that tracks stimulus funding. The site is under fire for claiming a number of jobs were created from the stimulus in congressional districts that don't exist and accepting unrealistic and inflated jobs data from various sources.

Second thoughts, I'm getting a vision of the Wizard of Oz here. I bet you can guess which scene I'm thinking of. The one where Toto pulls the current back in the great wizard's chamber to reveal the little man behind the curtain who's pulling levers and pushing buttons to make the great wizard perform. He desperately claims, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" Despite the great wizard's admonitions Dorothy and her crew do pay attention to the little man behind the curtain. Not only that, they confront him and take him to task for deceiving them and putting them in danger.

"I think this is an inexact science. We're talking about a multitrillion-dollar economy that went through the worst economic crisis since 1933. The first measure of success of the economic recovery is, did we pull ourselves back from the brink? We did," Obama said. "The question now is, can we make sure we're accelerating job growth? That's my No. 1 job. Nobody's been more disappointed than I have to see how high the unemployment rate has gotten. And I spend every waking hour, when I'm talking to my economic team, about how we are going to put people back to work."

I'm still getting that Wizard of Oz vibe how about you? The little man behind the curtain had the chance to redeem himself by coming clean about who and what he was. He stopped trying to impress people and be greater than what he was. He realistically did what he could with what he had and for the most part things ended well for him. Just a thought y'all.

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-19T07:36:00.003-05:00

Today I am thankful for/that:

Friends I agree with.

Friends I disagree with.

Family, even those who occasionally inspire fantasies of doing them bodily or psychological harm.

Patience.

Second chances.

Laughter.

Good food.

Everyone who still has a job.

What are you thankful for?

Vassals

2009-11-16T10:31:00.001-05:00

This picture sparked a lot of thoughts in my head. My first thoughts were, oh come one not again! Particularly after reading this post's title, Is There a Foregin Potentate Obama Will Not Bow Before? My second thoughts, before looking at the picture, were, it can't really be that bad can it? My third thoughts, after looking at the picture, were, when did we decide to become vassals of the Emperor of Japan? I don't think even the Emperor's own son bows that low to him. My fourth thoughts were, we'll survive this little snafu same as the others. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?

While we're all moaning and groaning and picking sides in the dust up over this display of ignorance about the significance of bows in Japanese culture has our leader made up his mind yet about how/if he is going to fight the war on terror?

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-11T13:40:00.004-05:00

Today I am thankful for/that:

The men and women who sacrifice life and limb so the rest of us can live free.

The families of those men and women who must soldier on in their absence.

The neighbour who, on a day when I'm trying to muster the energy to get off the couch and do something, turns up and my doorstep and asks, "Can I help you clean now?"

I got my new glasses. I can see clearly again.

My physical therapist.

What are you thankful for?

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-05T19:13:00.002-05:00

Today I am thankful for/that:

Central heating!

Laughter.

The quiet that descends once all of the kids fall asleep.

Freedom.

Having just enough.

The prayers of righteous men and women.

Honesty.

What are you thankful for?

Thankful Thursday

2009-10-29T18:25:00.001-04:00

Today I am thankful for/that:

All of that rain wasn't snow. I'm not quite ready to be buried up to my knees in snow just yet.

Cuddling on the couch with the kids.

Bedtime peace and quiet.

Baby antics.

What are you thankful for?

Thankful Thursday

2009-10-22T19:11:00.002-04:00

Today I am thankful for/that:

Friends with whom I can disagree without having my sanity or salvation called into question.

The fall colour is ON this year. The yellows are more yellow, the reds redder, the golds more golden, the burgandys richer, the oranges more orange, the bronze and copper brighter and stronger. I love it!

Good neighbors, in the biblical and worldly sense.

Prayer.

Jobs for those who still have them or have just gotten new ones.

Patience (not that I have as much as I would like but I'm a work in progress).

Self control (see above).

Fear and Loathing of Vaccines

2009-10-21T16:44:00.001-04:00

Kids have already died because people are afraid to vaccinate their children. A lot more are going to have to die before people put aside their paranoia about childhood vaccinations.

An Epidemic of Fear: How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endangers Us All
Consider: In certain parts of the US, vaccination rates have dropped so low that occurrences of some children’s diseases are approaching pre-vaccine levels for the first time ever. And the number of people who choose not to vaccinate their children (so-called philosophical exemptions are available in about 20 states, including Pennsylvania, Texas, and much of the West) continues to rise. In states where such opting out is allowed, 2.6 percent of parents did so last year, up from 1 percent in 1991, according to the CDC. In some communities, like California’s affluent Marin County, just north of San Francisco, non-vaccination rates are approaching 6 percent (counterintuitively, higher rates of non-vaccination often correspond with higher levels of education and wealth).

That may not sound like much, but a recent study by the Los Angeles Times indicates that the impact can be devastating. The Times found that even though only about 2 percent of California’s kindergartners are unvaccinated (10,000 kids, or about twice the number as in 1997), they tend to be clustered, disproportionately increasing the risk of an outbreak of such largely eradicated diseases as measles, mumps, and pertussis (whooping cough). The clustering means almost 10 percent of elementary schools statewide may already be at risk.

In May, The New England Journal of Medicine laid the blame for clusters of disease outbreaks throughout the US squarely at the feet of declining vaccination rates, while nonprofit health care provider Kaiser Permanente reported that unvaccinated children were 23 times more likely to get pertussis, a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes violent coughing and is potentially lethal to infants. In the June issue of the journal Pediatrics, Jason Glanz, an epidemiologist at Kaiser’s Institute for Health Research, revealed that the number of reported pertussis cases jumped from 1,000 in 1976 to 26,000 in 2004. A disease that vaccines made rare, in other words, is making a comeback. “This study helps dispel one of the commonly held beliefs among vaccine-refusing parents: that their children are not at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases,” Glanz says.

This is an issue that keeps me away from most "autism" groups. I put autism in quotes because too often those groups are actually about the evils of vaccines and how to fix the damage claimed to have been done by those vaccines. What use is any of that to me who does not fear or loathe vaccines and does not have "vaccine injured" children? I'm certainly not interested in the latest outrageously priced "cure" or "treatment" that "they" don't want you to know about. Every time I hear about some supposed autism advocacy group protesting about vaccines I want to scream that these people do not speak for me. But I get tired of having to repeat myself. This is a problem that they don't seem to have as they repeat their fear and loathing of vaccines every chance they get.

Please note that I received no compensation for this post but if someone from Big Pharma wants to turn me into a pharma shill by paying me for not being afraid of vaccines I will happily take a check. (Will this get me into trouble with new FTC rules?)

Lots of things are hard on children

2009-10-17T11:32:00.000-04:00

A justice of the peace in Louisiana refused to marry an interracial couple because he thought life would be too difficult for any children they may have.

Interracial couple denied marriage license in La.
A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have.

Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.

Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.

"I don't do interracial marriages because I don't want to put children in a situation they didn't bring on themselves," Bardwell said. "In my heart, I feel the children will later suffer."

Lets set aside this gentleman's trust in his pre-cognizance about the futures of interracial marriages and individuals for a moment. First I find it highly amusing that this particular incident comes out of Louisiana where there is a history of an affluent and influential class of interracial individuals. Most know them as the Creoles.

There are plenty of factors that could make life difficult for the offspring of any given couple. Poverty can make life difficult for children so why not oppose the marriages of poor people for the sake of the children? Affluence can make life difficult for children so why not oppose the marriages of affluent people for the sake of the children? Living in a different culture is difficult for children so why not oppose the marriages of people who plan to travel abroad for the sake of the children? Being adopted can be difficult for children so why not oppose adoption and the marriages for those who plan to adopt for the sake of the children? Having parents serving in the military can be difficult for children so why not oppose the marriages of people in the military?

For that matter marriage has the potential to be difficult for children should the marriage end in divorce so why not oppose marriage all together? Interracial couples are easy targets because the perceived difference between the two individuals of different races or ethnic backgrounds is so easy for us to see. We assume that difference is all there is. We assume the difference is insurmountable. But the excuse that interracial marriages shouldn't happen for the sake of the children is a lousy excuse. It assumes that the one proffering this lame excuse knows how a family will raise its children. It presumes to know the character of people who do not yet exist. It presumes that the value of a life not yet conceived is not enough to allow it to be conceived within the protective confines of a marriage.

It is ironic that those opposed to interracial marriage for the sake of the children are opposed to the very thing that holds the greatest potential for a good life for interracial children, the marriage of their parents.

Thankful Thursday

2009-10-15T17:09:00.002-04:00

I've got two weeks worth of thankfulness saved up. So today I am thankful for/that:

I had all of my sisters with me.

Fall foliage.

The sun came out in time for Little Big Girl's birthday party at the park.

One little kid smile and you suddenly feel like a super hero.

The message of salvation really is simple enough for a child to understand.

Girl talk.

Sunshine.

All of the men who invented labor saving devices for the sake of their women folk.

All of the women folk who inspired the fore mentioned men.

Nap time!

Even better, bed time! It has been going swimmingly the last couple of weeks.

The freedom to speak my mind.

The often put upon defenders of freedom, the ones who regularly get shot at and those who don't.

One person, one vote.

Central heating.

My shop vac. Wish I'd gotten one sooner.

What are you thankful for?

Thankful Thursday

2009-10-01T12:28:00.003-04:00

Today I am thankful for/that:

Forgiveness.

Starting over.

Joyful music.

Good food.

Good friends.

Sincere compliments from friends who don't know just how much they mean.

Patience. Someday I will have enough.

The kids reading to each other (after a whole year of drama over reading for homework).

What are you thankful for?

New Meets Old

2009-09-30T10:24:00.000-04:00

Putting aside my issues with the usual portrayals of "The Left" and "The Right" the footage of Barbra Boxer in this video is supremely cringe worthy. Racism Revival: How to Be A 21st Century Bigot Really ma'am? Oh sorry, senator. She worked so hard for her position so I guess I better use her title rather than the universally recognized honorific ma'am.

Back to matters of substance though. Boxer's dismissive attitude of the gentleman attempting to converse with her was appalling. I'm not not even angry about. Boxer clearly doesn't know any better. She seems to be operating on the principle that there is an "official" Black View that is handed down to the little people by "official" Black Groups like the NAACP. the dear woman seems thoroughly confused when presented with someone with a view that is different from what she thinks the official one should be. Racist? I don't know. Foolish? You betcha.

Hat tip Instapundit.

Thankful Thursday

2009-09-24T10:09:00.002-04:00

Today I am thankful for/that:

We haven't had to turn the heat on yet. Although I was tempted once or twice.

Birthdays! (See I didn't forget.)

A walk in the woods, even though certain enthusiastic individuals came close to getting us lost.

The tantalizing beginning of autumn colour.

Honest and thoughtful biblical exegesis .

A good toe tapping song.

Amusing friends.

What are you thankful for?

Crying Wolf Racism

2009-09-17T11:30:00.002-04:00

Anne Althouse commenting about former President Carter's remarks about the supposedly racist nature of objections to current President Obama's plans:

Lots of people who voted for Obama believed that his election would reflect the extent to which Americans had moved beyond racism. That was part of why some people voted for him. Little did we realize that it would turn every criticism of the President into an occasion to make an accusation of racism. Racism is revolting, but so is the notion that we aren't allowed to criticize a President!

Emphasis added.

Among the many reasons that I did not vote for Obama one was that I didn't think voting for a black man for president to prove how not racist America is was a stupid reason to cast a vote for someone. Stupid and naive. It was clear that the charge of racist was just too good a cudgel for some people to pass up. It should have been obvious that the potential existed for the situation in which we now find ourselves where any criticism of Obama is dismissed as racism. One can only be surprised by the current turn of events if one had decided to ignore all of the chatter about exactly this during the campaign.

Those who want to ignore the substance of criticisms against President Obama and his agenda in favour of crying racism best beware. That tactic is fast losing its ability to silence those who would previously have recoiled in horror at being called a racist:

All Purpose Cudgel

I would say that those who hurl the racism epithet toward critics of President Obama don’t expect the charge to make sense. Sense isn’t necessary due to the fact that the racist label has become such an effective destroyer of careers and reputations in the last thirty-five years, the accusers expect the charge to have the same power that it has had over that time period. It’s the Tar Baby of tar babies, ironically enough, and woe to the white human being who is unfortunate enough to be stuck to it.
For the sycophants of President Obama specifically, crying racism has become an easy way to avoid addressing his long-articulated leftism, his incipient fascism, his lawlessness, his mendaciousness and his general executive incompetence his studied indifference toward adhering to proven executive practices, even his own stated methods.

But what happens when the weapon is used too much? What happens when every single criticism of the first ever POTUS of African descent is chalked up to racism and the criticism is never adequately addressed or even addressed at all?

People start ignoring the epithet, begin to lose the fear of being smeared and continue to stand against an administration who seeks to change this country for the worse.

So when y'all are done hyperventilating about how racist Obama's critics are the substance of the criticism will still need to be addressed.

Thankful Thursday

2009-09-16T23:06:00.000-04:00

Today I am thankful for/that:

Our family doctor. He always takes the time to chat with us about our concerns and is always patient with Bubba J's anxiety at being in the office. Last check up he let Bubba J sit in a regular chair and hold the stethoscope so he wouldn't be as scared.

Modern medicine.

Friends.

Patience.

A good home cooked meal.

What are you thankful for?

The New Magnificent Seven

2009-09-16T10:41:00.000-04:00

The Senate dealt a blow to ACORN Monday evening, voting to deny the Department of Housing and Urban Development from granting funds to the community organization.

Sen. Mike Johanns’s (R-Neb.) amendment to the appropriations bill providing funding to the department passed in a bipartisan, 83-7 vote.

It’s the latest in a series of recent setbacks for ACORN, which has come under increasing fire from conservative activists and lawmakers. Over the last several weeks, the organization has seen employees in Florida arrested for allegedly taking part in voter registration fraud and has watched as the Census Bureau decide to sever its ties with the group.

And in an embarrassing turn of events, Acorn employees were caught on hidden camera divulging advice to actors portraying a prostitute and her pimp on how to file tax forms.

Note that ACORN employees have been caught on tape doing this FOUR times now. The makers of these apes claim to have even more.

But about those seven who voted against the amendment to deny ACORN more HUD funding. Democrats everyone and some notorious ones at that.

Illinois Sen. Roland Burris
Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders
Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse

One would think that out of a desire to preserve their political lives these senators wouldn't want to be seen as being supportive of a group caught on tape giving advice that would enable illegal activity. I was surprised that while New York Sen. Schumer had the political acumen to vote for this amendment Hillary Clinton's replacement Kirsten Gillibrand voted against it. So what would possess these seven to attach themselves to ACORN's sinking ship?

Favorite Photo From The Tea Party

2009-09-14T22:49:00.000-04:00

This is one of my fave signs from the 9/12 protest. Find it and more here.

Monday Minutes

2009-09-14T12:11:00.000-04:00

Interesting how the President chose to be elsewhere as so many Americans turned up on his door step to protest his plans (or lack there of) for health care reform. Attempts to sabotage and minimize the tea party protest seem to have fallen flat.

Cool time lapse of aerial photos.

This quote from the first article suggests that somebody is a) not doing their job or b) lying through their teeth, "The White House on Friday claimed it was unaware of the planned rally. 'I don't know who the group is,' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters with a shrug."

ACORN has been caught, on tape, not once, not twice, but THRICE, trying to help people posing as a prostitute and her pimp set up a brothel (for underage girls no less) and evade the law. How many tapes have they got and when is ACORN going to be raided by the feds?

This headline gets it a little bit wrong (from my perspective anyway), China: U.S. tire tariff sends "wrong signal" to world. Forget the world, it sends the wrong signal to Americans. My first thoughts upon hearing this were, is this what our President was up to while we were busy with somber remembrances? The decision was made in the evening on 9/11/09. My seconds thoughts were, any American who needs to buy tires just got jacked. My third thoughts were, any American businesses that have ties to tire manufacturing in China just got jacked. My fourth thoughts were, I hope it was worth it to the unions who supported this move that takes more money out of the pockets of Americans. My fifth thoughts, how does this help people who have lost their jobs?
According to a Los Angeles Times report Saturday, within 15 days, the U.S. would add a duty of 35 percent in the first year, 30 percent in the second and 25 percent in the third on passenger vehicle and light-truck tires from China.

Four U.S. companies have businesses in tire production in China and they account for two thirds of exports to the U.S., and the tariffs will have a direct impact on these companies, the MOC said.

The increased tariffs would also raise tire prices for U.S. consumers, which would further weaken the government efforts to revitalize the auto industry. Some consumers may even consider postponing replacing old tires, creating concern for safety, according to the MOC.

Dude this is not how you want to get your 15 minutes of fame. Viacom is rather draconian in their pursuit of copyright infringement so who knows how long that will be good for. If you don't know by now West interrupted Taylor Swift before she could give her acceptance speech to declare that Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. Just crass.

Kanye "Bush Doesn't Care About Black People" West needs to take a seat at the back of the class and write 100 times, "I will not open my big mouth and subject people to my self centered foolishness." Beyonce's classy response of foregoing an acceptance speech so Taylor could complete hers has earned her quite a bit of respect everywhere.

I sure wish the Pres would stop giving press conferences and speeches (he's on television as I type) and, you know, maybe write some legislation or nominate some people to fill the vacant positions in his administration or something.

Tea Party in Washington DC

2009-09-12T17:45:00.002-04:00

Thousands Pack Downtown D.C. To Protest Spending. While the story is pretty straight forward and doesn't go in for much editorializing the comments are predictably brainless and awash with stereotyping. Here's another story about the protests. The AARP adds that popped up with it were amusing.

With thousands of American coming to his home to speak their minds the President nonetheless contrives to find himself half way across the country once again making claims that those who oppose his vision for health ~~care~~ insurance reform want the "status quo".

Mr. President you say you are not going to back down on health ~~care~~ insurance reform but you should be aware that the American people aren't going to back down either. Not after the stimulus. Not after the bailouts. Not after the government take over of private companies. Not after TARP. The "bickering" will continue in grand American fashion. Seriously, are the American people expected to just roll over and go along with your plan because you tell us to? I'm mighty tired of anecdotes and empty assurances about how good this current health ~~care~~ insurance reform plan is (if one could call the convoluted monstrosities currently in consideration a "plan"). I can't speak for anyone else but I would dearly love to see a detailed explanation of how the thing is supposed to work. And by detailed explanation I mean something along the lines of, "Section X of bill Y will result in outcome Z because of A, B, and C". And so on and so on until you have gained our trust.

One last thing, work to get health care reform RIGHT not RIGHT NOW.

Note to Self

2009-09-11T10:39:00.002-04:00

My sister shared this with a friend who thankfully did not lose her life on this day eight years ago.

Psalm 91 (English Standard Version)

My Refuge and My Fortress
1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

9Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
10no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

11For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation."