Now Thats Dramatic

Global Warming and Hurricanes

I just posted a comment over at Scott Maxwell's blog concerning Dr. William Grey's hurricane predictions for this year, so I thought I post an after thought here.

The point of Scott's blog post is to take a lighthearted approach to these predictions because, quite frankly, Dr. Grey was way off last year. Of course that had to do with the unexpected rise a el Niño, but it exactly illustrates the point I made in my post. We simply do not know enough about our atmosphere to make concrete predictions of what the future holds. Of course this fly's in the face of global warming advocates who say the evidence is unequivocal that man is the cause of global warming, and if you believe otherwise your an idiot, period.

To illustrate the point that we are just beginning to understand our planet and how it interacts with our surrounding solar system, scientists have now discovered that Neptune in experiencing some warming as well:

Neptune is the planet farthest from the Sun (Pluto is now considered only a dwarf planet), Neptune is the planet farthest from the Earth, and to our knowledge, there has been absolutely no industrialization out at Neptune in recent centuries. There has been no recent build-up of greenhouse gases there, no deforestation, no rapid urbanization, no increase in contrails from jet airplanes, and no increase in ozone in the low atmosphere; recent changes at Neptune could never be blamed on any human influence. Incredibly, an article has appeared in a recent issue of Geophysical Research Letters showing a stunning relationship between the solar output, Neptune’s brightness, and heaven forbid, the temperature of the Earth. With its obvious implications to the greenhouse debate, we are certain you have never heard of the work and never will outside World Climate Report.

The article goes on to include charts showing the correlation between the rise in temperature on Neptune, and Earth, as it relates to increased solar output from the sun. And this follows in the footsteps of similar results being reported on Mars.

My point is a simple one: We're a very small and still very ignorant creature when it comes to our understanding of our own planet, Earth. As soon as we think we've figured one thing out, it raises new questions and forces us to reevaluate what we believed to be true before.

It is for this very reason that it's hard for me to take the global warming alarmists seriously. They may be right, they may be wrong, but the more they insist that theirs is the only real truth, the less I believe them.

Dems Finally Back Down

It was inevitable, and finally the Democrats have backed down on their demands for surrender deadlines in funding for the war. They were never in a position to get any such Bill passed, but they wanted to make their statement and attempt to appease their rabid base. (You know, playing politics while our military forces are in the field and all that. But they support the troops!) Of course that won't work, because nothing short of immediate and complete withdrawal from the battlefield will make the KosKidz happy.

Their response has been kind of tame (at Kos anyway), with Kos counseling patience. However, this part of his post caught my eye:

We face a multiple-front war -- against conservatives, against an out-of-touch and corrupt beltway consultant class, against corporatist Democrats, or Democrats that long ago lost the fire in their belly, and against a compromised punditry elite.

That pretty much sums it up for the anti-war crowd. The only enemy they recognize and are willing the go to "war" against are their political enemies. I know it's a lot to ask, but just once I'd like to see the left get worked up about defeating our real enemies. But, like I said, that would be asking a lot.

Another part of the post that caught my eye was this bit:

Buck up. We still haven't completely lost this Iraq supplemental battle. And if we do, instead of crying and taking your ball home, resolve to fight even harder. We owe it to our troops in Iraq, to our families, to our neighbors, to ourselves.

Funny, I read quite a few MilBlogs and have read a lot about what the soldiers actually fighting the war want, and I don't recall ever reading about them asking to be rescued from the war. Is that what Kos thinks we "owe" them?

Do they want to come home? Of course, who wouldn't. But most of what I read is they simply want to finish the job they've started. All they ask is to be given the time, resources, and support to complete the mission. While the KosKidz love to keep a bodycount, everyone of those killed will have been lost in vain if the left gets it's way. That's not supporting the troops in my book, and it certainly isn't what we "owe" them.

Worst President Ever?

When you actually are the worst president in modern history, it's usually not a good idea to draw attention to yourself by claiming sombody else should have your title.

He's now backtracking by saying he was "careless" and his comments were "misinterpreted." Right.

America's national embarassement known as Jimmy Carter continues to this day more than 25 years after his presidency ended. Quite a feat, even for somebody as naive and incompetent as Carter.

Now They Tell Us

To borrow a line from James Taranto, What Would We Do Without Experts? This from CNN:

No safe way for U.S. to leave Iraq, experts warn
(CNN) -- Pulling U.S. forces from Iraq could trigger catastrophe, CNN analysts and other observers warn, affecting not just Iraq but its neighbors in the Middle East, with far-reaching global implications.

Well, duh! The most glaring omission from the MSMs coverage of the Democrats surrender bill has been what will the consequences be?

I guess now that all the political theater by the Democrats is over, for the time being, CNN had no choice but to finally ask, "Hey, what happens after we surrender?" It is a subject that seriously needs to be debated and one that will expose the Democrats strategy for surrender as nothing short of disastrous.

Reuters: Terrorist Death = Bad News

Only Reuters could report the unofficial death of the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq as bad news:

If true, the death of Abu Ayyub al-Masri would signal a deepening split at a time when the Shi'ite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is trying to woo some insurgent groups into the political process.

Excuse me? A deepening split with who? Could Reuters not know that the exact opposite is true? The Iraqi government and coalition forces have been trying to convince the shieks in the Anbar province to evict al Qaeda from their territory and join the governement in working towards reconciliation. That's exactly what's happening the Reuters reports it as bad news.

I know I shouldn't be surprised with Reuters because this is the news agency where one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, but they've actually reported this story from the perspective of al Qaeda.

This is what happen's when you start to play the moral equivalency game, I call it the "Bridge of River Kwai Syndrome." You spend so much time trying to prove your superior morality to your enemy that you forget who's side you're on.

UPDATE: The Confederate Yankee has a good analysis of how this news may portend a shift of momentum on the ground. It's very true that the war will be won by the Iraqi's themselves and it appears that under the new leadership of General Petraeus that may be occuring. The Confederate Yankee's keen insight into the complexities of the war stands in stark contrast as to how the KosKidz see things. To them, it's all about the body count.

Car Chases? Hell Yeah!

Here's a great post at Les Jones dot com. It's a poll for "What's the greatest car chase in movie history?" Not only is there a vote, but the post includes video of the contestants! The nominees are: Bullitt, The French Connection, The Seven-Ups, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, The Blues Brothers, The Road Warrior, To Live and Die in L.A., Ronin, the Bourne Identity.

My personal favorite is Bullitt. It was the original and still holds up very well after all these years. I'd give Ronin the nod for second. It had some incredible driving and on those tiny European streets it makes for great film. (via Ace)

Tony's Back! Huff's Closed.

As a fan of Tony Snow, it was good to hear he's back on the job after his latest surgery while he continues his battle with cancer.

Over at the Huffington Post, they've greeted this story in their usual fashion -- they've closed their comments section. The comments at the Huff when relating to the health of any Administration official (Vice President Cheney most notably) have traditionally been so vile that the Huff has discontinued comments for any such story.

This is a leading web site for The Left and Democrats in general. It tells you a lot about how infected the Democrat base has become with BDS when they cannot even be trusted to comment on the health of a fellow human being simply because he has an "R" after his name.

Cleaning House

Boy, when those Democrats promised to clean house and end the "culture of corruption," they weren't kidding. The punishment handed down the William "Cold Cash" Jefferson? Nothing:

House Democratic leaders are not expected to pressure embattled Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) to forfeit his lone remaining committee assignment, even as two Republican lawmakers who similarly face intense FBI scrutiny have relinquished their posts in recent days.

I'm shocked!

God Bless The Irish

I love the Irish, maybe that's why I married one. When flooding strikes the Ireland countryside, what do the Irish do? Why, find a pub, that's what. (via The Corner.)

Shields Up

This is pretty cool:

Deflector shields made of ionized gas are under development by British scientists. These Star Trek-style shields could be turned off or on depending on solar activity or other requirements.

Astronauts who spend time in low earth orbit are mostly protected from radiation by the magnetosphere, Earth's powerful magnetic field. However, travelers to other planets will run the risk of exposure to cancer-causing radiation from the sun and other sources outside our solar system.

I can't wait until the commander of one of these future space vessels says, "Make it so."

I Am Livid!

In this post at Hot Air Senator Harry Reid says he won't believe anything General Petreaus has to say when he reports to Congress. This is, of course, after he disgraced himself by declaring the war lost which followed up on his statement that the war will allow democrats to pick up more seats in the Senate next election. In the same clip he tries to manipulate General Petreaus' words from "there is no military solution" in Iraq to telling the soldiers they're fighting for a lost cause. News flash for Harry Reid: Our soldiers aren't that dumb and neither are we.

Harry Reid is a digrace to the Senate and his country. This man is openly working for his own country's defeat in order to further his political agenda. Disgusting.

Free Speech For Me, But Not For Thee

The College Republicans at Rhode Island University decided to advertise a satrical "scholarship" for white, heterosexual, American males. The Student Senate demanded an apology. The College Republicans refused. So what's the solution the Student Senate came up with? Well, they decided to derecognize the College Republicans, that's what.

FIRE has taken up their cause, and after some wrangling the College Republicans will be recognized again. Darn that First Amendment! Here are the details.

Constitution? What Constitution?

The battle between Congress and the President over funding for the Iraq War will soon be coming to a head. Congress insist on managing the war as 535 field generals, while the President stands by his threat to veto any bill which infringes on his constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief. How this battle is viewed by the left is perfectly illustrated by this post by Kagro X of the Daily Kos. After citing a poll in which the public expresses more confidence in the Democrats in Congress than the President in handling the war, Kagro X sums it up nicely with this conclusion:

Americans know what's happening with the Iraq occupation. They know the position of Bush and his apologists is for endless war. They know they screwed the troops, and they know everything Bush touches turns to crap.

It's time to turn over the keys, Mr. Pretzeldent. It's over.

So there you have it. Disregarding the childish "Mr. Pretzeldent" (a trademark of the KosKids), the left has declared the American people have spoken and therefore the President must relinquish Commander-in-Chief authority to Congress.

The arrogance combined with the ignorance of the crazy KosKids is amazing. They really believe in mob rule, and the Constitution is only a thing to be followed when it's convienent to their cause.

The Congress has a constitutional role in the conduct of war, and that is the power of the purse. If they really believe this is an unwinnable war and not worthy of one more sacrifice, then they should defund the war. Any action short of this is pure politics at it's most cynical. What a disgrace.

Baseball IS Fun To Watch

One of these day's I'll learn to embed video from YouTube so I don't just link to it, but in the meantime here is a funny video from the Angels vs. Red Sox game the other day.

A pop-up goes to the edge of left field where a couple of fans try to catch the ball. As a result they spill beer all over each other, but then a piece of pizza comes flying in from nowhere. Turns out the guy trying to catch the foul ball and the guy that threw the pizza were jawing at each other earlier in the game. Over what, I have no idea. But in the end, the pizza thrower was ejected.

Overall the incident is pretty damn funny and the commentators had a good time with it.

Illogical Left

I read this post from Matt Stoller of MyDD yesterday and pretty much ignored it because it seemed pretty silly to me. In it, Stoller talks of how proud he is to pay his taxes because he loves America. On the other side of this, he says conservatives hate America because they hate taxes. Money quote:

The right-wing likes to pretend as if taxes are a burden instead of the price of democracy. And I suppose, if you hate democracy, as the right-wing does, then taxes are the price for paying for something you really don't want.

You can see why I ignored it, because it's a pretty dumb conclusion. Conservatives don't rail against all taxes, they argue against excessive tax rates which place an unneccessary burden on the American people which in turn retards economic opportunity and growth for everybody as a whole.

Anyway, I'm posting on it now because Stoller again regales us with his wisdom after his post made for rounds. Here he is again with the same twisted logic:

When you point out that a hatred of taxes, which is hatred of money paid for the upkeep of America, thus equates to a hatred of America, they can't deal with it.

There, got it? "Hatred" of taxes equals "hatred of America." And this is one of the leading voices on the port side of the blogosphere.

Hold On To Your Guns

In the wake of the Virginia Tech mass murder, the calls for stricter gun control laws are coming in fast and furious. Without getting into the weeds discussing the 2nd Amendment, my only question for the gun control crowd is: how would stricter gun control laws have prevented this mass murder? It is against the law to possess a firearm on the campus of Virginia Tech, yet that didn't stop this mad man from going on a killing spree.

It seems pretty clear to me that "gun free zones" merely create a shooting gallery of known, unarmed targets. No amount of gun laws can prevent a criminal from getting what he wants and using it in the commission of a crime. Gun laws only make it harder for law abiding citizens to defend themselves when necessary.

I have yet to read a story about a licensed, armed citizen going on a killing spree. However, there are pleny of stories of licensed, armed citizens stoping crimes in progress because they had the means to do so. However, none of this will stop the gun control crowd, because to them guns are the problem, not the maniacs who use them.

al-Sadr Makes Last(?) Move

The news today that Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered his ministers to resign from the Iraqi government is being reported as a setback. The AP reports:

BAGHDAD (AP) - Cabinet ministers loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr resigned on Monday to protest the prime minister's refusal to set a timetable for an American withdrawal, raising the prospect that the Mahdi Army militia could return to the streets of Baghdad.
...
The departure of the six ministers, while unlikely to topple Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government, deals a significant blow to the U.S.-backed leader, who relied on support from the Sadrists to gain office.

I couldn't disagree more. al-Sadr has been the fly in the ointment for a long time and the compromise Maliki agreed to was necessary at the time. Since then, al-Sadr's involvment within the govenment has been a large factor in Sunni's reluctance to back Maliki.

Now that the surge is taking place with the complete backing of Maliki, including the very important broadened rules of engagment, the conditions on the ground have turned against al-Sadr. He has fleed to Iran costing him street cred with his brothers as well as a splintering of his militia. His protest organized last week in Najaf was a complete dud (despite the MSMs best attempt to paint it as another huge rally against the occupation.) Now, al-Sadr seems to be playing his last card: attempting to bring down the Maliki governement. But as even the AP concludes, that's not likely. With al-Sadr out of the way, the Iraqi goverment may now be able to start making progress with Sunni's more inclined to come aboard.

I also don't understand why the return of the Mahdi Army to the streets of Bahgdad would be a bad thing. Their strategy up to this point has been to lay low, awaiting the eventual surrender of the Democrats. Wouldn't their return to the streets give us the opportunity to rid them of the community once and for all? Of course it would, so don't expect the APs prediction of the much vaunted Mahdi Army to return to the battle any time soon, they're not that stupid.

One other note of interest are the demands of al-Sadr for the Maliki governement to set deadlines for the withdrawl of American forces. It seems al-Sadr and the Democrats have the same goal: the defeat of American forces in Iraq. The only difference is al-Sadr isn't afraid to come right out a say it.

Conspiracy Crackpots

Bill Whittle of Eject! Eject! Eject! lays it on the conspriacy theorists, especially the Truthers and Rosie O'Donnell. He discusses the Lunar Landing, JFK assassination, airliner contrails, and last but not least the Truthers. I really liked this line about Rosie:

Rosie O’ Donnell making such a claim on a major network is a national disgrace. The fact that much of the audience cheered and applauded is nothing less than a national catastrophe.

To her, and to her audience, it is taken as granted that the government is capable of such things. As if “the government” was operated by cyborgs grown in Haliburton vats, rather than by well-meaning and patriotic people that love this country.

"This is the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel," she said. This is a statement of such pristine and perfect idiocy that it surely must be emblazoned in stone across the entrance to the Physics Imbecile wing of the Moron Museum of Natural History. But mastery of physics and engineering requires some intelligence, some perseverance and some discipline: none of which are in evidence in this buffoon. Everything is a conspiracy to a mind this far gone. The 15 British sailors kidnapped at sea? All a plan by our evil (but incompetent!) government to get the next war it so desperately needs. “Gulf of Tonkin! Google It, people!” she said on national TV.

And I will, Rosie. I promise. As soon as I finish googling MAD COW DISEASE.

Physics Imbecile wing of the Moron Museum of Natural History? I love it. (via Michelle Malkin.)

They Know The Real Enemy

Here's a pretty good piece of satire from Transterrestrial Musings (via the Instapundit.) My favorite part:

Speaker Pelosi agreed. "It's one thing to meet with a peace-loving world leader like Bashar al-Assad, or President Ahmadinejad," she said. "It's another to meet with a theocratic warmonger like George Bush. If we dignify his illegitimate regime with a negotiation, how will we ever build international pressure against him, and end his imperialistic ambitions?"

Tee-hee. It been said many times, if the Democrats put as much energy into defeating our real enemies abroad as they do into defeating Bush here at home, the war would have already been won.