Just going to leave this here
https://twitter.com/jason_howerton/status/1108438658657464322
Seriously, the girl (did I just assume gender?) in blue is a faith healer for horses.
Something good for you under the fold
Just going to leave this here
https://twitter.com/jason_howerton/status/1108438658657464322
Seriously, the girl (did I just assume gender?) in blue is a faith healer for horses.
Something good for you under the fold
And taking away private property, along with turning law abiding citizens into criminals, punishing people who had nothing to do with the attack
New Zealand Banning Weapons Like Those Used In Mosque Attacks In Christchurch
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Thursday that the government will ban “military-style semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles,” in an attempt to head-off “the kind of horror and attack that we saw on Friday.” She said the outlawed weapons will be listed on a website and are the type that were used in the attack on two mosques in Christchurch last week.
Ardern urged all New Zealanders who possess the guns that will be outlawed to begin immediately to fill out forms on the website and make arrangements to hand-in the weapons to police – and even if they are not able to access the online form, not to arrive unannounced at police stations with the guns.
She said the government will create a buy-back program to pay owners “fair and reasonable compensation,” which she estimated could cost the country between $100 million and $200 million. She said the guns will eventually be destroyed.
She said no one will be prosecuted over any weapons they turn in. “Amnesty applies,” she said. “We just want the guns back.”
So, the question is, how far does this go? The shooter used semi-automatic handguns: will they be banned? What will they consider to be an “assault rifle”? Further
Ardern said further restrictions will be established by law on large magazines and guns that are altered to increase weapons’ killing power.
Banning “large magazines” will essentially make lots of handguns worthless, and possibly illegal if they are designed to use a magazine with more than whatever arbitrary number the NZ government considers to be “safe.” Of course, there is no right to a firearm in New Zealand, so, they can deem lawfully purchased firearms illegal, and they are considering a database to keep track of all weapons. And
According to a fact sheet distributed to reporters in New Zealand and reprinted by the Guardian, the ban only covers military-style weapons and does not cover two general classes of firearms “commonly used for hunting, pest control, stock management on farms, and duck shooting:
“Semi-automatic .22 calibre rimfire firearms with a magazine which holds no more than ten rounds.
“Semi-automatic and pump action shotguns with a non-detachable tubular magazine which holds no more than five rounds.â€
This seems to be saying that virtually every rifle above a .22 would be banned. That bottom rifle in the graphic above, a Pioneer Vespa, fires the .223/5.56 cartridge, and would seemingly be verboten. Notice in the fact sheet (page 2 of the link) that there is nothing in there about keeping handguns legal.
Here in the U.S., we are already seeing
This is what real action to stop gun violence looks like. We must follow New Zealand's lead, take on the NRA and ban the sale and distribution of assault weapons in the United States. https://t.co/lSAisDG9Ur
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 21, 2019
And, of course, you have AOC and so many other Democrats (many of whom are protected by people carrying assault rifles, including those which are fully automatic, have large capacity magazines, etc) saying similar stuff.
Read: Democrats Are Super Excited That New Zealand Is Banning Scary Looking Guns »
…is a wonderful low carbon bike, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Geller Report, with a post on Gillibrand wanting Social Security for illegal aliens.
Read: If All You See… »
Supporting illegal immigration and being a sanctuary jurisdiction is all fun and games right up to the point where it comes back and bites them with a real world atrocity
Immigration debate intensifies in San Jose
The debate on sanctuary city policies intensified at a City Council meeting this week after an update on activities of a government office — implemented to help and protect undocumented immigrants — sparked controversy.
The debate, spurred by the recent death of a San Jose woman who was allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant, highlights the concern some residents have over the safety and security of their neighborhoods as they grow more diverse with immigrants.
In a statement following the death of the slain woman Bambi Larson, Mayor Sam Liccardo said it’s “long overdue for the County to reconsider its current policy of ignoring ICE hold requests for predatory felons.â€
That’s a rather sanitized way of saying that she was murdered by an illegal alien. “Death”?
Liccardo has maintained his position for the past four years that the county should reconsider its stance on sanctuary policies after the murder of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco stating that “elected officials should be able to distinguish between a violent, predatory felon and more than the 99 percent of members of our immigrant communities who would never commit such crimes.â€
“They would simply need to pick up the phone and call the authorities when those individuals would be released into the community,†added Liccardo.
Implemented in 2015, the city’s Office of Immigrant Affairs provides immigrants with a wide set of resources to help create pathways to citizenship, protect against deportations, and integrate the immigrant community in civic engagement.
The office has been criticized for providing immigrants with safety networks through its Rapid Response Hotline — a community defense project intended to help those in the event that Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity takes place.
But, they ultimately will end up not changing their sanctuary policy. Many on the council are equating legal with illegal immigration, and even have an Office of Immigration Affairs, meant to protect illegal aliens.
Someone in D.C. should find out what kind of fossil fueled vehicle the judge drives
U.S. judge blocks oil, gas drilling over climate change
A judge has blocked oil and gas drilling on almost 500 square miles in Wyoming and says the government must consider the cumulative climate change impact of leasing broad swaths of U.S. public lands for oil and gas exploration.
The order marks the latest in a string of court rulings over the past decade — including one last month in Montana — that have faulted the U.S. for inadequate consideration of greenhouse gas emissions when issuing leases and permits for oil, gas or coal production.
But U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington, D.C., appeared to go a step further than judges have previously in his order issued late Tuesday.
Previous rulings focused on individual lease sales or permits. But Contreras said that when the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) auctions public lands for oil and gas leasing, officials must consider emissions from past, present and foreseeable future oil and gas leases nationwide.
“Given the national, cumulative nature of climate change, considering each individual drilling project in a vacuum deprives the agency and the public of the context necessary to evaluate oil and gas drilling on federal land,” Contreras wrote.
I’ve scrolled through many, many, many articles on the subject (unfortunately, a goodly chunk are just the AP story above), and the rational seems to be included in the Reuters article
The lawsuit by WildEarth and Physicians for Social Responsibility alleged that the government, under former President Barack Obama, failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to account for emissions generated by oil and gas development when it leased parcels in the Western states of Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.
NEPA is a Nixon-era statute that requires officials to weigh the environmental effects of proposed projects and is widely regarded as a bedrock federal environmental policy.
But, NEPA never included greenhouse gases in terms of ‘climate change’, especially since people were worried about a coming ice age when Nixon signed it. This ruling seems to be resting upon a bedrock made of sand, it is really, really weak. The ruling seems a major stretch by the judge, and you can bet that it will be appealed. As we go back to the AP article
The case was brought by two advocacy groups, WildEarth Guardians and Physicians for Social Responsibility.
WildEarth Guardians climate program director Jeremy Nichols predicted the ruling would have much bigger implications than a halt to drilling in some areas of Wyoming — assuming the government does what Contreras has asked.
“This is the Holy Grail ruling we’ve been after, especially with oil and gas,” said Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians climate program director. “It calls into question the legality of oil and gas leasing that’s happening everywhere.”
They, like the rest of the Warmists, want to destroy oil production and cause energy costs to skyrocket, which means the cost of living will skyrocket. I guess they’d prefer we have to rely on Middle Eastern or Russian oil. Now, when will all Warmists give up their own use of fossil fuels?
Read: Cult of Climastrology Judge Blocks Oil Drilling In Montana Over ‘Climate Change’ »
Strange, one would think that if President Donald Trump had something to hide, he’d want the Mueller witch hunt report kept secret. Though I’m sure some of the Conspiracy Dems are saying that it is a psych-out, that he’s saying this so that the opposite happens
‘Let them see it’: Trump just nixed a major argument against releasing the Mueller report
President Trump said Wednesday for the first time that he would be okay with making the Mueller report public. And in doing so, he nixed a major argument against its release.
But that doesn’t quite mean it will be available for all to see.
Ever since now-Attorney General William P. Barr testified at his confirmation hearing earlier this year that he would be constrained in releasing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s findings in the Russia investigation, the conventional wisdom has shifted. While many expected to see a Starr Report-style public document detailing everything Mueller found, it quickly became clear that probably would not happen — at least initially. Mueller is operating under a different statute than Kenneth Starr was during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, and Justice Department guidelines prohibit revealing information about people who are not being indicted and that is obtained via grand jury.
But the reason that information generally is not released is to protect the people involved. And the most high-ranking person involved — Trump — just gave it the green light.
“I don’t mind,†he said when asked whether the report should be public. “I mean, frankly, I told the House if you want, let them see it.â€
However, interestingly, Aaron Blake, who wrote the Washington Post analysis article above, continues
As I wrote during Barr’s confirmation period, DOJ guidelines combined with Trump’s status as the sitting president created something of a Catch-22 for the Mueller report:
Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6 says that, unless and until details are revealed by court order as part of an indictment or other proceeding, they must be kept secret. This is to guard against the government releasing derogatory things about people for political purposes.
Lots more to that, but it breaks down to the notion that it kinda must be kept secret, unless there is an indictment or other proceedings. And they sure do not seem to have anything on Trump, and, based on the non-leaks these past years, there is nothing, despite all the Russia Russia Russia conspiracy idiocy.
And don’t forget that Trump himself last week suggested that fellow Republicans at least profess to be all in favor of transparency with the Mueller report. “Makes us all look good and doesn’t matter,†he assured.
“Play along with the game!†he added.
Perhaps Trump has been advised he might as well do the same — and that statements of support for the report’s public release ultimately will not matter.
I hadn’t gotten beyond the first half of the article when I wrote about Trump’s statement being a psych-out for the conspiracy minded. I didn’t expect the Washington Post to go there so fast.
Read: Trump Shoots Down Major Argument Against Releasing Mueller Report »
If you’ll hearken back to a UK Guardian article about selfie madness in national parks, about how people taking selfies are ruining the parks and ruining the experience for others. And, no matter how far left the UK Guardian is, they are exactly correct. Too many are going to beautiful places not to enjoy them, but simply to get a selfie saying they were there. It included the quotes “People don’t come here for solitude. They are looking for the iconic photo†and “Most visitors just don’t know how to behave in a wild place.†Again, it is well worth reading the entire very long article. And now we have
#Superbloom or #poppynightmare? Selfie chaos forces canyon closure
This weekend thousands of tourists frolicked through fields of poppies in southern California, posting photos tagged #superbloom. But for the town of Lake Elsinore, the influx of visitors quickly became a #poppynightmare.
Nestled in the hills of western Riverside county, Lake Elsinore ground to a halt when at least 50,000 people flocked to the area, trampling flowers and creating hours-long traffic snarls on Interstate 15 and city streets around the trailhead. Things got so bad that the town was forced on Sunday to bar access to Walker Canyon, one of the most popular sites for poppy seekers.
“This weekend has been unbearable in Lake Elsinore,†the city wrote on its Facebook and Instagram pages, adding the hashtag #poppynightmare. “We know it has been miserable and has caused unnecessary hardships for our entire community.â€
Social media is being partly blamed for the super bloom bonanza, with thousands of photos pouring on to Instagram over the weekend. Some of the most popular posts soon drew critical comments: “Trampling the flowers for a photo? Now they shut it down,†wrote one user. “Not worth it for a pic.â€
Meanwhile Lake Elsinore’s mayor, Steve Manos, has been on a social media blitz of his own, posting regular Facebook video updates on what he dubbed “poppy-paloozaâ€. They show bumper-to-bumper traffic and cars illegally parked on the highway, as well as offering advice for how visitors can avoid the crush.
It looked gorgeous
So hard to focus on dissertation writing with SoCal #SuperBloom in full glory! #naturemagic #flowerpeeping pic.twitter.com/71uUJqyIoQ
— Dr. Joan Dudney (@dudney_joan) March 18, 2019
Wow, right? And

And throughout Twitter there are people post their photos of themselves, and surely on Instagram and Facebook. Did they even enjoy it?
Read: Selfie Chaos Forces California Canyon To Close Over Poppy Blooms »
…is a wonderful low carbon bike that immigrants can use to get to the border wall, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Diogenes’ Middle Finger, with a post on baristas telling Beto to get off the counter.
Read: If All You See… »
Over at the NY Times, David Leonhardt has some interesting questions for Democrats on illegal immigration, such as
They are good questions, which today’s Democrat officials and activists, including the media, do not want to truly answer, because they are for open borders. They yammer about not wanting protect criminal illegal aliens, yet, they do protect them from ICE and deportation. SCOTUS just made it easier to detain these illegals
Supreme Court hands Trump administration a victory in immigration battle
The Supreme Court on Tuesday handed the Trump administration a victory in its battle to clamp down on illegal immigration by making it easier to detain immigrants with criminal records.
The ruling that federal immigration authorities can detain immigrants awaiting deportation anytime after they have been released from prison on criminal charges represents a victory for President Trump.
In the case before the justices, a group of mostly green card holders argued that unless immigrants were picked up immediately after finishing their prison sentence, they should get a hearing to argue for their release while deportation proceedings go forward. But in the 5-4 decision on Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled against them, deciding that federal immigration officials can detain noncitizens at any time after their release from local or state custody. The court also ruled the government maintains broad discretion to decide who would represent a danger to the community in deciding who to release or detain.
Switching to Reuters, which seems upset about the decision
But Alito wrote that it is not the court’s job to impose a time limit for when immigrants can be detained after serving a prison sentence. Alito noted that the court has previously said that “an official’s crucial duties are better carried out late than never.†Alito said the challengers’ assertion that immigrants had to be detained within 24 hours of ending a prison sentence is “especially hard to swallow.â€
There should be no time limit. Whether they were here illegally or legally (and now being kicked out for breaking the rules), immigration authorities should have the ability to get them, detain them so they do not disappear again), and deport them. Might it apply to something like this?
Yermin Alexander Diaz-Chavarria, an El Salvadorian national was arrested on by the U.S. Border Patrol on Aug. 23, 2015, at Hidalgo, Texas, for entering the country illegally, according to a release by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (catch and release under Obama)
In 2017, El Salvador issued a warrant for Diaz-Chavarria’s arrest for aggravated murder and affiliation with criminal organizations, ICE said.
After he didn’t show up for his Feb. 13, 2018 immigration court hearing in Newark, an immigration judge ordered him to be deported to El Salvador, the release stated.
Diaz-Chavarria was eventually caught on Feb. 11 in Newark by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers and on March 8, he was deported was turned over to Salvadorian authorities, officials said.
He didn’t show for his hearing? Shocking!
Read: SCOTUS Ruling Makes It Easier To Detain Non-Citizens Released From Jail »
If that’s what carbon taxes are, then they have also been shot down in much the same way, because virtually every carbon tax proposal in the U.S. has been shot down. Here you have Steven Rattner, who served as counselor to the Treasury secretary in the Obama administration (which had such awesome economic policies, eh?) making the argument to tax the ever loving hell out of the middle and lower classes, because Warmists never give up on a good taxation scheme
Carbon Taxes Are the Original Green New Deal
Yes, of course, we need a Green New Deal to address the world’s most urgent crisis, global warming.
Just, please, not the one that a flotilla of liberal politicians, including seven of the top Democratic presidential hopefuls currently in the Senate, are signing up for in droves, like children following the pied piper in the old legend.
Our modern-day pied piper, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is trying to lure us into a set of policies that might help save the planet but at the cost of severely damaging the global economy.
To be sure, by the time the resolution was introduced into Congress, some of its most ludicrous provisions (like the deadline of 2030 for a full transition to renewable energy and the immediate halt to any investment in fossil fuels) had been eliminated or watered down.
But as important as continuing to prune the absurd or damaging provisions would be to add what is the most effective way to attack climate change: using taxes and market forces rather than government controls to reduce harmful emissions.
Interesting. First he portrays AOC as the moron she is (Dems are really getting sick of her), and second attempts to portray government implemented and run taxes as not governmental control. Kinda like how the Idiot Republican members of the Cult of Climastrology call these same taxes “free market.”
Fortunately, there is a better way to address the climate problem at far lower cost to the economy: a tax on greenhouse gas emissions. That can be imposed in any number of ways. The 18.4 cent federal gasoline tax, for example, hasn’t been increased since 1993 even as most other developed countries impose far higher levies.
A particularly thoughtful proposal has come from the Climate Leadership Council, a bipartisan organization that counts more than 3,300 economists among its signatories. Elegant in its simplicity, the key provision would be the imposition of an escalating tax on carbon. At an initial rate of $43 per ton, the levy would be roughly equivalent to 38.2 cents per gallon of gasoline.
Who gets hurt by this? The middle and lower classes, of course, so
The entire proceeds from the tax would be rebated to consumers. The council suggests an equal amount for each American; my view would be to exclude the wealthy (who hardly need the estimated $2,000 a year in payments) and disproportionately favor those closer to the bottom.
First, the full cost of living never gets rebated. Second, this type of carbon tax scheme was invented several years ago to attempt to not only make it look palatable to voters, but to further make them dependent on government. If government is acting like your parents giving you an allowance, even if they are the ones that caused the spike in your cost of living, you are now dependent on getting that money.
Remember this?
But the AP survey also showed that Americans don’t want to pay very much to fight climate change. A $1 per month fee was favored by 57 percent of those surveyed. However, if the monthly charge increased to $10 a month, just 28 percent would be supportive, while 68 percent would be opposed.
That was January. Does anyone think people are going to want to see their costs go up $166 a month, based on the $2,000 rebate number from Rattner above? Because the real number will surely be more. You could easily be paying $5 a gallon for gas. With my Accord (yes, I now have an Accord Sport, got rid of the Jeep Liberty) it would mean about $100 a month instead of $50. Cost of vehicles will go up, which means auto insurance will go up. Cost of goods will go up as the transportation costs go up. Cost of homes will go up. Cost of energy for your domicile will go up. Want to take a vacation or visit the parents? Increased airfare, increased hotel rates, increased food rates. Food at restaurants will go up. Clothes will go up. Shipping rates for your Internet orders will go up. Altogether, think it will be more than $166 a month? Even if it is just, say, $100, are you up for that? Remember, that is just the starting figure as the cost of carbon is artificially raised by government.
Read: NY Times: Carbon Taxes Are The Original Green New Deal Or Something »