Cracks in the "consensus"

You know the Global Warming hoax is on its last legs when the New York Times Science page jumps ship.

You’re in for very bad weather. In 2008, your television will bring you image after frightening image of natural havoc linked to global warming. You will be told that such bizarre weather must be a sign of dangerous climate change — and that these images are a mere preview of what’s in store unless we act quickly to cool the planet.

Unfortunately, I can’t be more specific. I don’t know if disaster will come by flood or drought, hurricane or blizzard, fire or ice. Nor do I have any idea how much the planet will warm this year or what that means for your local forecast. Long-term climate models cannot explain short-term weather.

But there’s bound to be some weird weather somewhere, and we will react like the sailors in the Book of Jonah. When a storm hit their ship, they didn’t ascribe it to a seasonal weather pattern. They quickly identified the cause (Jonah’s sinfulness) and agreed to an appropriate policy response (throw Jonah overboard).

Today’s interpreters of the weather are what social scientists call availability entrepreneurs: the activists, journalists and publicity-savvy scientists who selectively monitor the globe looking for newsworthy evidence of a new form of sinfulness, burning fossil fuels.

Writer John Tierney goes on to add this zinger.

“In the last few months,” Mr. Gore said, “it has been harder and harder to misinterpret the signs that our world is spinning out of kilter.” But he was being too modest. Thanks to availability entrepreneurs like him, misinterpreting the weather is getting easier and easier.

OMG! I wish I had said that first. Thank you, Mr, Tierney, for having the stones to buck the "consensus" and speak the truth.

KD is 50!

My friend Kelley turned 50 today. I usually don't have a problem remembering her birthday - it's exactly 6 months before mine.

It just doesn't see possible that she is so, well.............old. I'll have to ask her what it's like to be 50, since I don't know yet. :)

Best wishes, KD. I hope it was a happy and eventful day for you.

Wiener of the Week

This week's Wiener of the Week is ESPN - TV, Radio, and The Magazine.

There was a time when ESPN was IT - the preeminent source for all things sports. But that was a L-O-N-G time ago, BD (Before Disney). Now ESPN is, well, crap.

Steve Czaban actually beat me to the punch on this one. This is how he describes the steaming pile that is now ESPN.

It seems like ESPN has devolved into making show after show after show based on “manufactured debate.” By this, I mean there is no real nuance to arguments. There is not much agreement on certain points (hey, conflict is ratings, people!) and things are never allowed to be left open ended at the end of a discussion about a topic.

In other words, it’s nothing like REAL sports debates you would have with buddies over a beer.

Call them McDebates about McOpinions on sports.

And some of them are simply laughable, they are so stupid.

Amen, Czabe! Apparently some Disney suit decided that what American sports fans want is insipid arguments about every little sports nit that can possibly be picked, so every show - both TV and radio, including the once-great SportsCenter - consists of little more than arguing. It's like the Fox News prime-time lineup, only without the missing blond chicks.

For their nose-first landing into the realm of argument-for-argument's-sake, ESPN is my Wiener of the Week.

CRIME WAVE!!!!

Crime has come to my little commuter suburb community! Late Tuesday night, someone broke the passenger side window of Tyler's car and stole his wallet. His was one of about a dozen vehicles in the community that were hit. Tyler got a REAL life-lesson from this - NEVER, NEVER, NEVER leave your wallet in the car overnight. He had to cancel his credit and debit cards, get a new license, and get a new wallet. Fortunately, the insurance will take care of the broken window at no charge.

Those of us who live in sheltered bedroom commuter suburb communities never expect crime to touch us. We're always shocked when it does. I don't know how people live in high-crime areas where this sort of thing is the norm. I just don't know.

Fox News - another cog in the wheel

For those of you who insist that Fox News is "ultra-conservative" (this includes, sadly, many conservatives), feast your eyes on this little tidbit (courtesy of the Ron Paul 2008 website).

According to the New Hampshire State Republican Party and an Associated Press report, Republican presidential candidate and Texas Congressman Ron Paul will be excluded from an upcoming forum of Republican candidates to be broadcast by Fox News on January 6, 2008.

“Given Ron Paul’s support in New Hampshire and his recent historic fundraising success, it is outrageous that Dr. Paul would be excluded,” said Ron Paul 2008 campaign chairman Kent Snyder. “Dr. Paul has consistently polled higher in New Hampshire than some of the other candidates who have been invited.”

Snyder continued, “Paul supporters should know that we are continuing to make inquiries with Fox News as to why they have apparently excluded Dr. Paul from this event.”

Fox lamely claims that the reason that Paul and conservative Duncan Hunter (the only TRUE conservatives running, I might add) were excluded was because of "lack of space in the makeshift studio". I call BS. Other arrangements could be made if Fox were truly serious about promoting a REAL review of the issues by the candidates. Instead, what Fox is REALLY doing is setting up a forum for the candidates acceptable to the ruling elite - in other words, the most liberal of the Republican candidates.

I gave up on Fox News a long time ago. They're slightly more conservative than CNN, to be sure, but only if you like your news to be slanted toward the NeoCon agenda. I suggest you vote with your remote and let Fox News know exactly how much you don't appreciate their "deciding" who the candidates for president are.

*** Wiener of the Year - 2007 ***

It's time for my very first Wiener of the Year! Yea me!

This was H-A-R-D.

There were so many worthy candidates. There was the dunce tandem of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, who brought shrill anti-Americanism to new lows in their position as Majority leaders. You're utterly bankrupt as political party leaders when your whole national strategy is to hope that America loses, falters, or is in some way embarrassed. Way to go, asshats!

There was President Bush, who, if I were to award a Wiener of the Decade, would be the hands-down leader. I cannot forgive him for his cynical betrayal of conservative principals. And, though his efforts to pass "scamnasty" were certainly worthy of consideration for Wiener of the Year, the complicity of Congress in the scam somewhat negate his standing as the only traitor. Plus, his surge in Iraq DID have SOME positive effect. So he only gets second place this go-around. Give him time - there's still 2008.

But the hands-down winner is Mike Nifong, former Durham County (N.C.) prosecutor, who successfully reaped in 2007 what he sowed in 2006. Normally, the Wiener of the Year would be awarded for actions occurring during the calendar year. But Nifong's comeuppance is just too good to pass on.

Nifong's crime was the cynical misuse of his office to curry votes from the Black community for his re-election run in 2006 by throwing three white Duke University students under the bus. His suppression of key exculpatory evidence is quite easily the most egregious example of prosecutorial malfeasance of this young century. Duke's lacrosse coach lost his job, and three students were subjected to the worst kind of lynch mob persecution by Duke's PC faculty and student body, their young lives ruined. All so Nifong could be re-elected!

In 2007, Nifong got everything he deserved. He lost his position as county prosecutor. He was disbarred. He was convicted of Criminal Contempt; however, the lowlife only served one day behind bars. Too bad. He would have made a great bitch for some gang-banger.

For getting almost everything he deserved as a first-class putz, Mike Nifong is the Wiener of the Year.