Hark, the sound of consensus?

Everybody “knows” that when it comes to the “fact” that man is causing Global Warming / Climate Change / Extreme Weather, “the debate is over.” “There is a consensus!” the warmenistas cry, as though facts of science were decided by SMS vote a la American Idol.

Earlier this week there was an interesting public exchange between Greg Holland, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and Christopher Landsea, a NOAA scientist.

While Holland sees a connection between global warming and increased hurricanes, Landsea believes storms only seem to be getting bigger because people are paying closer attention. Big storms that would have gone unnoticed in past decades are now carefully tracked by satellites and airplanes, even if they pose no threat to land.

This exchange, captured by National Public Radio, illustrates how emotional the global warming debate has become for hurricane experts.

“Can you answer the question?” Landsea demanded.

“I’m not going to answer the question because it’s a stupid question,” Holland shot back.

“OK, let’s move on,” a moderator intervened.

Allow me to translate. “I’m not going to answer the question because it’s a stupid question” = “The scientific fact you have mentioned does not jibe with the theory that man is causing global warming which is causing more and more “extreme weather events” such as intense hurricanes. Therefore, I will now stick my fingers in my ears and go ‘la la la la!’”

I think this is a good time to put a plug in for one of my favourite pieces on the politicisation of science, a lecture Michael Crichton gave at the California Institute of Technology back on January 17, 2003: Aliens Cause Global Warming — An historical approach detailing how over the last thirty years scientists have begun to intermingle scientific and political claims. It covers several different cases where science pretty much gets forgotten in all of the hype, as well as cases where “the consensus” was just plain wrong. A good read.

(h/t JLF/Triangle)

United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon

Via Jonah Goldberg at NRO’s The Corner.

When I was in hight school, JROTC Precision Drill Team was a varsity sport. The year I lettered in Precision Drill I was one of only a couple of sophomores to do it, so I can tell you that this routine took just tons and tons of planning and practice.

I love the crowd’s reaction, and have to admit I got a bit choked up watching this.

Hate Group Masquerading as “Church” to Picket Heath Ledger’s Funeral (Update: The Chaser vs. Westboro)

A radical Baptist church in Kansas known for picketing the funerals of soldiers who perished in Iraq said it intends to protest Heath Ledger’s memorial service with signs claiming the actor died and is in Hell because he played a gay character in “Brokeback Mountain.”

Shirley Phelps-Roper of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka said that she and other members will picket Ledger’s United States memorial services, but not those held in his native Australia [Yeah, just try pulling that crap here in Western Australia and see how far you’ll get, you hate-mongers.]

A press release circulated by the church references Leviticus 18:22 in the Bible, which states that “thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

“Heath Ledger is now in Hell, and has begun serving his eternal sentence there,” the Westboro Baptist announcement says.

Started 1955, the Topeka, Kan.-based church has conducted over 34,000 demonstrations opposing the homosexual lifestyle, according to their Web site, GodHatesFags.com.

The organization runs various Web sites, including GodHatesAmerica.com (which today has the banner headline “Thank God Heath Ledger is Dead!”), GodHatesFags.com and others that condemn lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Muslims, Roman Catholics and Jews as well as certain nationalities.

The small Kansas church claims to be Baptist, though it has no known affiliation with any formal Baptist institution. Since they claim to do the work of God, I would like to take the time to remind them of His Ten Commandments (simplified version):

• I am the Lord your God
• You shall have no other gods before me
• You shall not make for yourself an idol
• You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God
• Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
• Honour your Father and Mother
• You shall not murder/kill
• You shall not commit adultery
• You shall not steal
• You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
• You shall not covet your neighbor’s house
• You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife

While homosexuality doesn’t even make God’s Top Ten List, “You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God” does. The disciples of hate at the Westboro Baptist Church might like to think about that as they pass judgment, while clearly ignoring another of Christianity’s prime directives, “Love thy neighbor.”

Is 10 commandments too hard for you, Fred Phelps & Co? How about just trying to stick to this bumper-sticker version for starters:

As a Christian I am very upset that this “Church” uses the funerals of American servicemen and now an actor to push their agenda. They’re perfectly within their rights to believe homosexuality is wrong, but preaching their gospel of hate and using funerals to get their message across is just plain wrong, in my opinion.

I feel sad that Heath’s grieving friends and family have to put up with this, and I feel angry that this group does such hateful things in the name of Christianity. They don’t speak for me, or for any of the Christians that I know.

And that’s spot_the_dog’s rant of the day.

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UPDATE: Some light relief, via nilk the rightwingdeathbogan.  The Chaser vs. Westboro:

Victimhood 101

Subtitle: A Short Course in How To Obtain and Nurture It In Today’s World.

Guess who wins the award for primetime victimhood?

There’s no taking sides…Contrary to what many readers think, I am not endorsing Clinton or Obama for president — and have spared neither candidate my criticism..

 

Reuters images: Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.

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Jan. 24, 2008 | While I rarely respond in my column to complaining letters, the latest barrage from disgruntled readers seems to require an answer. Many of those correspondents asked thoughtful questions about my comments on the Democratic primary. A surprising number seem unable to tolerate so much as a skeptical word about Barack Obama:

 

“Why don’t you perform a few hit pieces on Hillary, too? Just to balance thing out … Shame on the editors of Salon to allow Conason to continue his blatantly biased pro-Billary rants … You have surely pissed away your reputation as a journalist with this hideous anti-Obama garbage … I’m so angry that this filth is in my highly esteemed Salon … What is going on with Joe Conason? … I really used to respect you, but seriously, how many of these pro-Hillary, anti-everyone else articles are we going to see?”

One just has to love it, when the Left starts frothing at the mouth..

Salon

We Post…You Comment…

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US willing to send troops to Pakistan

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer 11 minutes ago

WASHINGTON – The Bush administration is willing to send a small number of U.S. combat troops to Pakistan to help fight the insurgency there if Pakistani authorities ask for such help, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.

“We remain ready, willing and able to assist the Pakistanis and to partner with them to provide additional training, to conduct joint operations, should they desire to do so,” Gates told a news conference.

Gates said the Pakistani government has not requested any additional assistance in the weeks since al-Qaida and affiliated extremists have intensified their fighting inside Pakistan. And he stressed that the United States would respect the Pakistanis’ judgment on the utility of American military assistance.

“We’re not aware of any proposals that the Pakistanis have made to us at this point,” he said. “This is clearly an evolving issue. And what we have tried to communicate to the Pakistanis and essentially what we are saying here is we are prepared to look at a range of cooperation with them in a number of different areas, but at this point it’s their nickel, and we await proposals or suggestions from them.”

Yahoo/AP

Pope urges ‘more ethical’ media

Well..Ya’ finally did it Media. Ya’ done pissed off, the Pope.

The pontiff praised the media but said it also posed dangers

Pope Benedict XVI has called on the media to underpin its work with ethical considerations and do more to promote the “dignity of the human being”.

He continued: “While claiming to represent reality, it can tend to legitimise or impose distorted models of personal, family or social life.

“Moreover, in order to attract listeners and increase the size of audiences, it does not hesitate at times to have recourse to vulgarity and violence, and to overstep the mark.”

BBC

Giants vs. Patriots….Keys To The Matchup.

The Onion Sports Network

*Britney Fix……Adnan Ghalib and Britney Spears Collide With Motorcycle!

“Adnan and Britney are indeed still together, and after dining at Tony Taverna’s Greek & Eats in Malibu, stopped by Pinkberry in Brentwood for some dessert. The two then head towards the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, but along the way are struck by a wayward motorcyclist who reportedly was driving too close to Britney’s Benz in an attempt to gain a close sighting of the star.L.A. drivers of all types are living up to their reputation as being somewhat dodgy drivers in rainy weather today! Be careful out there … you might run into Britney, bitch!”
(YouTube Added: January 22, 2008)

Gosh, wonder what ‘they’ were going to do at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills?

OH wasn’t this the same kind of car, Princess Di was riding in? GEEZ, similar kind of person driving said vehicle, too.

*HEY, some people like shit like this..:).

Tentative Deal Reached on Stimulus Plan

Do these people look happy or what?

 

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. and Representative John A. Boehner, the Republican leader, announcing a tentative deal on an economic stimulus package.

WASHINGTON — House leaders and the White House on Thursday announced a tentative agreement on an economic stimulus package of roughly $150 billion that would pay stipends of $300 to $1,200 per family, and more for families with children, plus provide tax incentives for businesses to encourage spending.

NYT

When Your Wife Has Been Kidnapped….

The Last Of The Few (aka Theo)

UPDATE 1-US jobless claims drop to lowest in four months….

WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) – The number of U.S. workers applying for jobless benefits fell unexpectedly last week to the lowest level in four months, government data showed on Thursday, indicating the pace of layoffs has not picked up despite a sharp slowdown in economic growth.

First-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell to a seasonally adjusted 301,000 in the week ended Jan. 19, from a slightly revised 302,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said. It was the lowest level since September and the fourth straight weekly decline.

“The jobless claims has just been bizarre here the last three weeks,” said Robert Macintosh, chief economist for Eaton Vance Corp in Boston.
____________________

Somehow, praying for rain during a deluge, is equally “bizarre”, at least I think it is.

 But wait, there is a ray of sunshine for these rain dancers, in the midst of a deluge.

____________________

“Despite the large drop, analysts said the number of longer-term unemployed was still a worry.”

Reuters

In Honor of the Three Little Pigs Controversy: Bin Laden Pig

This is just far too hilarious:

Via one of my personal favorite blogs, The Jawa Report.

Can’t. stop. laughing.

Pregnant Marine Murder Suspect Indicted; Prosecutors Won’t Seek Death Penalty

 “JACKSONVILLE, N.C. —  A grand jury indicted a Marine corporal Thursday on a first-degree murder charge in the death of a pregnant colleague, but a prosecutor said he wouldn’t seek the death penalty if the man is arrested in Mexico.

Authorities believe Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean has fled to his native Mexico, which refuses to send anyone back to the United States unless provided assurances they won’t face the death penalty. “This agreement to not seek the death penalty applies only if he is arrested in and extradited from Mexico,” said Onslow County District Attorney Dewey Hudson.The remains of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, 20, were found with those of her fetus earlier this month in a fire pit in Laurean’s back yard.

But because authorities have determined that Lauterbach’s child had not been born at the time of her death, Hudson said, prosecutors could only charge Laurean with one count of murder.”

Fox News

“Mexico shares the opinion that capital punishment is a violation of human rights,” [Presidente]Fox said. “Today, the death penalty has been abolished.” (circa 2005)

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OK, let’s see….This asshole enlists in the U.S. Marines, as did his now dead wife and “child” that “had not been born at the time of her death” (ummmm, DUH! SO?) to protect and defend, with his life, I believe, the U.S.A.

Now he escapes to Mexico (his native country) instead of facing the death penalty in the State of North Carolina (which seems to have declared a moratorium) so the taxpayers of North Carolina can house and feed this murdering coward.

Do I have that right?

Guess that is the choice you made, North Carolina. Hopefully some of the murderers with “class” in your prisons, will kill him for you. What do they have to lose? Nothing! Since you seem to have declared a moratorium.

Three Pigs Story Judged ‘Offensive to Muslims’ AND Builders….

“A children’s story based on the tale of the Three Little Pigs was rejected for an award after judges became concerned that it would offend Muslims.The animated virtual book for primary school children, The Three Little Cowboy Builders, was also criticised for its potential to offend builders.

The row centred on the Bett awards, which were supported by Becta, the Government’s technology agency for schools. The judges’ remarks, reported on the education technology website Merlin John Online, included: “Is it true that all builders are cowboys, builders get their work blown down, and builders are like pigs?”

The Times Online UK
via

Fox News

Someone please tell me…THIS IS A JOKE…Please.

Gore, Bozo, Excusa BONO Talk Poverty, Warming at Davos

God of Carbon, speaketh. But when The God speaketh he, exhales Carbon into the air, correct?…ClipSyndicate