Journalism: Washington Post Actually Contacts Random Guys Parents Over Tweet

By William Teach March 26, 2020 – 10:30 am

No, seriously

https://twitter.com/mffisher/status/1242957612204916739

This is the state of journalism these days. Yesterday, Sissy Willis responded to this

To which I wrote

Is this trust inspiring?

(Washington Post) Scott McMillan had had it with being cooped up, with the whole country being closed, with the collapsing market and the isolation, the constant worry and the politicians who didn’t take the coronavirus seriously when they could have.

On Sunday night, McMillan, a 56-year-old lawyer in La Mesa, Calif., near San Diego, saw President Trump’s tweet about how “WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF.” The lawyer took to Twitter to add his own two cents:

“The fundamental problem is whether we are going to tank the entire economy to save 2.5% of the population which is (1) generally expensive to maintain, and (2) not productive.”

And then he trended or something, so

Scott’s father, Jim McMillan, is alive. He is 78. Scott’s mother, Gloria, is 75. They are well. They are, by Scott’s measure, not productive. Jim is a retired lawyer. Gloria is a retired high school English teacher.

They have been especially not productive since Feb. 23, which is the last time they left their house in San Diego, when Gloria and her friends went to see the Los Angeles Opera perform “Eurydice.” Well, the last time except for 10 days ago, when Jim said he was going to Home Depot to get a light switch to replace the one that went on the fritz. Gloria gave him permission to run that errand, if he gloved up and put on a mask and used the sanitizer.

Fisher actually tracked them down and interviewed them. There are many, many more paragraphs to the story, and many on the parents. And the media wonders why they are less trustworthy than Congress?

Read: Journalism: Washington Post Actually Contacts Random Guys Parents Over Tweet »

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Social Distancing Did The Hard Part For The “Climate Crisis” Or Something

By William Teach March 26, 2020 – 7:06 am

Person who’s still working and getting paid has Thoughts

Social distancing accidentally did the hard part for the climate crisis – now it’s up to us to keep going

Social distancing is totally at odds with human behaviour and the construction of global capitalism. Our entire world is on pause, and yet there are still not enough TV series and podcasts in existence to entertain us. We are working in our bedrooms and doing far too much living in our living rooms but still, boredom is woven into the fabric of our being.

Those of us who once had normal jobs miss the mindless patter of work colleagues at lunch. Those of us who work from home anyway are already bored of the hourly Whatsapp updates from this latest batch of home-workers. All of us are worried about our mental health, the NHS, and the impact quarantining will have on our intimate relationships.

But one unexpected benefit to this otherwise phantasmagorical series of global events is the positive impact global self-isolation and social distancing is having on the environment. Economic activity and global pollution are directly correlated, and so, this period of human hibernation is protecting not only our health, but the health of our planet. For now.

So, except for that whole “people are losing their jobs, small businesses are closing, food is hard to find, almost no one is going anywhere, people won’t be able to pay their bills, etc.” thing. everything is great, right? Of course, this lowered pollution has zero to do with climate change. The canals in Venice being clear, mentioned by Warmist Georgina Lawton, are clear because without all the gondola traffic there is no sediment being stirred up. She forgot to mention that.

Restricting the movement of people in the UK is necessary to halt the spread of this virus, and we’ve got a long road ahead of us. But as our streets go ghostly-quiet and human activity moves indoors, greenhouse emissions will also drop significantly, as they have done around the world. In China, recent measures to control coronavirus have heralded a reduction in industrial output across many sectors: coal consumption at power plants dropped by 36 per cent, satellites have shown that nitrogen oxide levels were 37 per cent lower than this time last year, and emissions overall are down by a quarter.

Because people aren’t working, people are sick, and people are dying. Climate cultists are rather ghoulish, eh?

Millions of us have been forced into lockdown in the UK, and the very fabric of our society has shifted as a result. We have more time than ever to pause and reflect about our own futures, and the role each of us might play in protecting the planet when this is all over. An increased amount of time indoors will push up energy bills and limit movement, and so, somewhat perversely, there’s never been a better time to reassess our individual impact.

Small changes, like switching to eco-friendly kettles that keep your water hotter for longer and LED light bulbs, can make a big difference: studies show boiling double the water you need each time you fancy a coffee produces 71g of CO2 emissions. …..

This is what climate cultists care about, not that those some people will soon not be able to pay the electric bill, much less have coffee. Nor watch Netflix and the power it uses, which she whines about further, because can’t afford Internet. If the power is still on. I kinda doubt most people are reflecting on a tiny increase in “carbon pollution” and the earth’s temperature. They might reflect on the notion that this is what a world with all those climate policies enacted looks like, and that climate cultists are nutjobs, and they want nothing to do with the climate cult anymore

We’re more conscious than ever about tracking human activity to save lives and contain the spread of coronavirus. If the only benefit to this mess is that our greenhouse emissions are lowered and it makes us think more responsibly about the environmental consequences of our actions, then I guess we will have to roll with it. Whether or not these changes stick depends on what we each learn from our time in isolation.

Seriously, this climate cultist thinks there is a benefit to this crazy worldwide shutdown, which is completely overblown. At least she’s not going Extinction Rebellion

https://twitter.com/UsagikoNat/status/1242793631901028353

Read: Social Distancing Did The Hard Part For The “Climate Crisis” Or Something »

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Senate Passes $2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill

By William Teach March 26, 2020 – 6:48 am

On one hand, great. On another, wait, what?

Senate unanimously passes $2T coronavirus stimulus package

The Senate unanimously passed an approximately $2.2 trillion stimulus package late Wednesday night in an effort to jumpstart an economy decimated by the coronavirus pandemic.

The bill provides aid for workers, small business and industries impacted in recent weeks by the virus.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) compared the efforts by Congress to combat the coronavirus to being on a “war-time footing.”

“This is not even a stimulus package. It is emergency relief. Emergency relief. That’s what this is,” McConnell said Wednesday afternoon ahead of the vote. (snip)

The wide-reaching bill includes a $1,200 one-time check for individuals who make up to $75,000. That amount would scale down until it reached an annual income threshold of $99,000, where it would phase out altogether.

It also provides $377 billion in small business aid, would defer federal student loan payments through Sept. 30, 2020, and would prevent money given under the bill to the Pentagon to be transferred to the border wall.

Americans are being encouraged to “social distance” and some states have enacted wide-ranging orders to try to prevent the spread of the disease. To help address those changes, the bill also provides $100 billion for hospitals and $200 billion for other “domestic priorities,” including child care and assistance for seniors. (snip)

The unemployment provision wasn’t the only issue still being ironed out on Wednesday. Appropriators disclosed on Wednesday afternoon that they had agreed to include more than $15 billion in new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, which was a huge priority for House Democrats.

Negotiators also worked through the night Tuesday to finalize the language on the hundreds of billions in aid for impacted industries. The 700-plus page bill includes a $500 corporate liquidity fund to corporations; $25 billion would be set aside for U.S. airlines, $4 billion for air cargo carriers and $17 billion for other distressed companies related to critical national security.

As far as deferring student loans, how will they pay them in September, when no one is working and making money? Heck, how do people pay their mortgages and car payments?

The bill now heads to the House, where lawmakers will try to pass the bill on Friday. Leadership wants to pass the bill without having to bring all members back to Washington, D.C., meaning they could either pass it by consent or a voice vote.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced on Wednesday night that they would try to pass it by voice vote on Friday.

On the plus side, it will be hard for the House to add all sorts of Modern Socialist pork if they are doing this with quite a few if not most not actually in the House chambers. Anyhow, who qualifies for the check?

(Fox News) People who file their taxes as individuals are eligible for payments up to $1,200, but that decreases for people who earn more than $75,000 a year. The bill says that the payment is reduced by five percent of every dollar above that mark, or $50 for every $1,000 above $75,000. (snip)

Payments, according to the bill, will be made “as rapidly as possible” and no later than Dec. 31, 2020. They will be made via direct deposit to an account that the person has authorized for tax refunds or federal payments on or after Jan. 1, 2018.

Notice will be sent to the person’s last known address within 15 days of payment informing them of the method and amount of payment. A phone number will also be provided so people can call the IRS in the event they did not receive it.

What of the people who have not provided an account? A goodly chunk in my business end up owing, because of several factors. The IRS doesn’t have my bank account. So, now what? And people may not get this money till December 31? It’s not even April yet. People are hurting.

None of this will matter if people aren’t working. And $1200 will last a couple weeks, tops.

Read: Senate Passes $2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill »

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Democrat Wake County Sheriff Joins Others In Suspending New Pistol And Concealed Carry Permits

By William Teach March 25, 2020 – 2:54 pm

Of course, the sheriff has Reasons

Wake County sheriff suspends pistol, concealed-carry permit applications as demand surges

The Wake County Sheriff’s Office will suspend pistol and concealed-carry permit applications until April 30 as demand surges amid the coronavirus outbreak, Sheriff Gerald Baker announced Tuesday.

Applications that have already been submitted will continue to be processed, Baker said during a press briefing.

Pistol permit applications last week averaged 290 per day, or more than three times the roughly 90 applications per day during the same time period a year ago, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Baker said his office needs time to manage the backlog.

“This decision does not limit anyone’s right to purchase a handgun,” he said in a news release.

Except, they can’t purchase if their permits won’t be processed. Democrat Baker, who already refuses to cooperate with ICE and protect citizens from illegal alien criminals, joins a number of mostly Democrat areas that are closing gun stores and refusing to process permits.

Legislative critics immediately called the sheriff’s action reckless.

In a statement, Sens. Warren Daniel, a Burke County Republican, and Danny Britt, a Robeson County Republican, called on Baker to cancel his order.

“State law requires sheriffs to approve or reject a pistol permit within 14 days,” they wrote.

“Sheriff Baker must immediately rescind his illegal decision to halt sale of pistols in Wake County,” they wrote.

If Baker doesn’t, Daniel and Britt said they would call on their fellow lawmakers to force him to do so.

I’m betting Baker will not comply, as he knows that the Democratic Party governor will not sign any legislation. But, hey, maybe he’ll back down like the L.A. County sheriff did, especially in the face of lawyers and threats of lawsuits.

Read: Democrat Wake County Sheriff Joins Others In Suspending New Pistol And Concealed Carry Permits »

Posted in 2nd Amendment, NC News | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach March 25, 2020 – 1:00 pm

…are horrible carbon pollution clouds, you migth just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is This ain’t Hell…, with a post on some feel good stories.

Keeps her fingers like that and going get, at best, a great burn.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 20 Comments | Trackback URL

You Too Can Invest Without Committing A “Climate Crime” Or Something

By William Teach March 25, 2020 – 10:30 am

This is a new one, or at least taking the whining about certain investments and turning the amp up to about an 8

How to invest without committing ‘climate crime’

Companies unprepared for a low-carbon society are taking unacceptable risks, Paul Brownsey​ of Pathfinder Asset Management tells ROB STOCK.

Q. Pathfinder’s CareSaver is the only KiwiSaver scheme to measure its funds’ carbon footprints. Really? In this day and age?

A. Unless we have missed the news, we are the only KiwiSaver to report the carbon footprint of their KiwiSaver, and measure how the companies we invest in will adapt to a low-carbon economy. This is a critical piece of risk management that is dangerous to ignore.

If an investment manager is investing without thinking about how companies heavily reliant on fossil fuels will survive and thrive in the low-carbon world we are clearly heading toward, then they are being reckless with your money.

Obviously, lots of whining about investing in fossil fuels companies. But

Is it hypocritical to drive a car, and still invest in a fossil-fuel free KiwiSaver fund?

I think it is important to be realistic. We still live in a society that is stuck in a dependency on fossil fuels. For instance, due to poor planning at local and national government level, many people just don’t have reasonable access to public transport.

People shouldn’t beat themselves up because they can’t make big changes. Just make the changes you can. Be conscious when you spend or invest money. Businesses and governments will respond to economic pressure.

Yet, they still want to force Other People to give up their fossil fueled lifestyles.

Meanwhile

Coronavirus Is a Stress Test for Future Climate Shocks

Risk modelers are looking at the global response to Covid-19 as a test case for how climate shocks could roil markets and push governments to respond to existential threats.

The 2° Investing Initiative, a European think tank that works with large financial firms and regulators to plan for climate risks, tried its hand at mapping out Coronavirus scenarios this week. “There are some similarities to climate risk in terms of the speed and scale with which the crisis is materializing and because this is also an exogenous risk that’s not part of the normal business cycle,” said Jakob Thomä, a managing director in Berlin.

The virus is a completely different economic scenario, however: while long-term climate risks are felt by an entire region in terms of unemployment and economic activity, Covid-19 has a bigger impact on older age groups. Swift national shutdowns and the expectation that the virus has an end date will also have a dissimilar impact on the economy. But the current crisis highlights something risk modelers do want to spend more time on: the social consequences of climate change.

Blah Blah Blah.

Read: You Too Can Invest Without Committing A “Climate Crime” Or Something »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

Climate Cultists Plan Big Earth Day Livestream

By William Teach March 25, 2020 – 8:30 am

On one hand, this is great, since it means Warmists won’t be taking fossil fueled trips to demonstrations and leave their garbage all over the place, which is the norm with leftist gatherings. But, consider that all this livestreaming uses a lot of energy, and there has been a push by Warmists over streaming shows, binge watching, and Internet usage overall (I really hope Warmists have turned the TV off while sitting at home, doing their part)

US climate activists to livestream Earth Day due to virus

As the coronavirus causes shut-downs across the U.S., a coalition of youth-led organizations that had planned massive marches for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day next month are now planning a three-day livestream event instead, organizers said Tuesday.

“Earth Day Live” will happen April 22-24 and will include speakers, voter registration, protests against financial institutions that support the fossil fuel industry, and entertainment. The event will be accessible on computers and mobile devices in the hopes that it will encourage engagement and action among people who are secluded at home and who may have planned to march in Washington and other places.

“It’s a time to really rethink our strategy,” said Katie Eder, the 20-year-old executive director of the Future Coalition, one of nine youth-led organizations that are coordinating the event. “We are really looking at this as a way to reimagine what a social movement can look like in a digital age.”

Yeah, but the minute things start getting back to normal these young Warmists will be out and about taking sexy selfies for Instagram and such, traveling, consuming, and so forth.

Of course

On April 22, 1970, a trio of radical dreamers established the first Earth Day, an event designed to assault capitalism, free-markets and mankind.

The initial concept was conceived by Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WS). Nelson was Congress’ leading environmentalist activist, a sort of pre-incarnate Senator Barbara Boxer in drag. He was also the mastermind behind those ridiculous teach-ins which were vogue in the Sixties and early Seventies. During the teach-ins, mutinous school instructors would scrap the day’s assigned curriculum, pressure their students to sit cross-legged on the floor, and “rap” about how America was an imperialist nation, and converse about why communism really wasn’t such a bad form of government—it just needed to be implemented properly.

And, the Cult of Climastrology has hijacked the good parts of the Earth Day movement (clean air, land, and water), and made it all about Doom from a tiny increase in the Earth’s average temperature, something which is entirely normal during pretty much every epoch.

Read: Climate Cultists Plan Big Earth Day Livestream »

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White House, Senate Agree On $2 Trillion Bipartisan Compensation Bill

By William Teach March 25, 2020 – 8:04 am

Will the Senate Democrats scuttle this one after agreeing to it?

White House, Senate strike deal on historic $2T coronavirus relief bill, but House support remains uncertain

White House and Senate leaders reached a historic deal shortly after midnight Wednesday on a massive $2 trillion coronavirus relief package for workers and businesses, although support in the House of Representatives remained uncertain as one member openly criticized the plan.

The bipartisan breakthrough in the Senate capped days of heated negotiations that had nearly been derailed by last-minute demands from House Democrats.

“Ladies and gentleman, we are done,” White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland announced as he left the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., near midnight. “We have a deal.”

Ueland told reporters that “much of the work on bill text has been completed, and I’m hopeful over the next few hours we’ll finish what’s left and we will circulate it early in the morning.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the bill amounts to “unemployment compensation on steroids,” and that every American who is laid off will have their missed salary remunerated. That provision will enable companies to stay afloat and immediately bring back those employees when things are safe‬, Schumer said.

The unprecedented economic rescue package would give direct payments to most Americans, expand unemployment benefits and provide a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home.

So, basically not much different than the previous one they negotiated. Will Democrats allow the procedural vote to begin debate, unlike last time, then go for a vote for passage?

In a letter to his colleagues, Schumer remarked, “Democrats are ready to give our unanimous consent to speed up the consideration of the bill and get the job done.“ That means that if there are no objections from Republicans, the Senate could clear the bill without a formal roll call vote. Parliamentarily, that is the fastest way to move something on the floor.

They’re looking to have a vote on it sometime today, which then begs the question “how long till the relief comes?”

Another massive question is, what happens in the House? Does Nancy Pelosi put aside her progressive wish-list which is mostly about unrelated issues and have the House vote for it? Or will she scuttle it? If she takes it up, does she dicker around with it or bring it right to the House floor for a vote? Does she discuss and allow resolutions from her fellow leftists, adding all sorts of things which would mean it would crash during the second Senate vote?

Meanwhile, one of the leading Democrat voices, the NY Times editorial board (and the rest of the paper), which has whined about Trump being an authoritarian wants Trump to be authoritarian

Coronavirus Is Advancing. All Americans Need to Shelter in Place.

President Trump needs to call for a two-week shelter-in-place order, now, as part of a coherent national strategy for the coronavirus to protect Americans and their livelihoods.

Once he does, and governors follow his request, there will be time to debate how soon some controls might be lifted, or how soon certain people, like those under a particular age, might be free to resume something like normal life. (snip)

We are not suggesting that Mr. Trump has the authority to order a national lockdown, much less advocating that he attempt to enforce one. Instead, we are urging him to use the bully pulpit to put pressure on, and provide political cover for, governors to take the hard steps that are needed.

LOL. Nice cop out. Anyhow, maybe it’s time for people to go back to work. We didn’t have this problem with SARS, when more people died, and people need to work.

BTW, two tricks: first, if you need bread, go to a Walmart supercenter or a store that bakes and check the fresh baked area. You have to eat it in a few days, otherwise it gets moldy, because it doesn’t have all the preservatives. Second, check the area with all the tiny things you buy for vacations, and look for baby wipes. You can get little packs, and, if they’re good enough for baby’s butts, they can kill off anything.

Read: White House, Senate Agree On $2 Trillion Bipartisan Compensation Bill »

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Good News: St. Greta Of Stockholm Brought Coronavirus Back To Sweden

By William Teach March 24, 2020 – 3:29 pm

Hey, that seems to be the case that she made

Greta Thunberg says she ‘likely’ had new coronavirus

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg said Tuesday that it was “extremely likely” that she had contracted the new coronavirus, after experiencing several symptoms following a trip to central Europe.

“Around ten days ago I started feeling some symptoms… I was feeling tired, had shivers, a sore throat and coughed,” the teenage climate champion said in an Instagram post.

Thunberg said the symptoms emerged after she returned from a trip around central Europe, and that she and her father had isolated themselves as a precaution.

As of Tuesday, Sweden had reported 2,272 confirmed cases, but only those with severe symptoms in need of hospital care and staff working with at risk groups are tested.

Coronavirus Greta? OK, snarkiness over, one has to wonder if this was real or a 15 minutes of fame thing, like we’re seeing with lots of other celebs. But, I will give her this

Now I’ve basically recovered, but – AND THIS IS THE BOTTOM LINE: I almost didn’t feel ill. My last cold was much worse than this! Had it not been for someone else having the virus simultainously I might not even have suspected anything. Then I would just have thought I was feeling unusually tired with a bit of a cough.

And this it what makes it so much more dangerous. Many (especially young people) might not notice any symptoms at all, or very mild symptoms. Then they don’t know they have the virus and can pass it on to people in risk groups.

We who don’t belong to a risk group have an enormous responsibility, our actions can be the difference between life and death for many others.

Please keep that in mind, follow the advice from experts and your local authorities and #StayAtHome to slow the spread of the virus. And remember to always take care of each other and help those in need.

Credit where credit is due, she has a lot of stature and influence among youngsters. Hopefully they listen.

Read: Good News: St. Greta Of Stockholm Brought Coronavirus Back To Sweden »

Posted in Global Warming | 20 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach March 24, 2020 – 1:00 pm

…is an inland area flooded from extreme weather, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Flopping Aces, with a post on Democrats caring more about their agenda than grandma dying from Coronavirus.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 25 Comments | Trackback URL
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