If All You See…

…are plants that will die from carbon pollution, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Bizzy Blog, with a post on under reported stories.

Read: If All You See… »

It’s Personal For Hondurans In Traveling Mob Or Something

I have to wonder, do these stories actually help?

For Honduran migrants in caravan, the journey is personal

A deportee from the United States trying to get back to the life he spent more than a decade building. A woman whose soldier husband already is in the U.S. with their 4-year-old son. A teenager desperate to earn money to support his diabetic mother back home.

The caravan of Central American migrants traveling through southern Mexico — estimated at around 7,000 people, nearly all Hondurans — has attracted headlines in the United States less than two weeks before Nov. 6 midterm elections.

But most of those walking through blistering tropical temperatures, sleeping on the ground in town squares and relying on donated food from local residents are unaware of U.S. political concerns or even that there’s a vote coming up.

While they commonly cite the same core reasons for migrating — poverty, violence — their stories are deeply personal.

Personal!

David Polanco Lopez, 42, is a former anti-narcotics officer from Progreso, Honduras. He’s traveling north in the caravan with his daughter Jenifer, 19, and his 3-year-old granddaughter, Victoria, whom the adults take turns pushing in a stroller.

Polanco came to the United States 13 years ago and applied for asylum after he was threatened by drug traffickers over his police work. He was given a court date, but he acknowledges he never showed up — in part because he didn’t understand the court document’s instructions, which were in English.

Polanco put down roots in Arizona: He married, and got a home. He thought that as long as he stayed out of trouble, he’d be fine.

“If they catch me committing a felony, then go ahead and kick me out,” Polanco said. “But my record is clean.”

So, he came to the U.S. illegally, blew off his court date because he couldn’t be bothered to try and learn our language or find an interpreter, and was deported. Now he’s attempting to force his way back in. Not exactly a great role model.

Then there’s Alba Rosa Chinchilla Ortiz, a 23-year-old from Amapala in Honduras’ Valle department, whose husband took their child to the U.S. and is supposedly applying for asylum. Why didn’t she go with to start out? It’s about creating a sob story about her being separated from her 4 year old for 7 months. She’s the one in the picture above. Glad she could take time to shower, put on fresh clothes, as well as makeup, all for the media’s sad face picture after walking hundreds of miles.

We also have Marel Antonio Murillo Santos , who is attempting to force his way into the U.S. so he can make money to send back home for his sick mother. Doesn’t sound like someone escaping from dangerous conditions (why don’t we treat people escaping from Baltimore the same?). You know who it’s personal for? It’s personal for all of the Americans who will financially underwrite everyone of these people from the minute they start interacting at the border, or cross illegally and legal citizens will pay ICE, law enforcement, judges, lawyers, shelters, and that is just the beginning. Are we supposed to take in and support every person who has a sob story? Why not apply for asylum in Mexico, where they share a common culture and language? Or are they just looking for free stuff in America?

It would be helpful if Democrats, and a few squishy Republicans, would stop enticing people to come to the U.S. illegally.

Read: It’s Personal For Hondurans In Traveling Mob Or Something »

Seattle Times Comes Out Against State Carbon Tax Initiative

It is rather surprising that a very leftist paper in a very leftist city would do this, but, they have Reasons

From the editorial

Climate change is a crisis needing an aggressive, coordinated response, not expensive and unaccountable spending measures like Initiative 1631.

Voters concerned about the environment, the cost of living and the sustainability of Washington’s economy should reject this dubious approach.

Instead, Washington should coordinate its response with other states, to prevent cross-border job losses. It should also seek a national carbon tax. I-1631 could set that back, because it’s so porous, lacking accountability and larded with special-interest payouts.

The state should also strengthen regulations directly reducing pollution, and continue making strong investments in alternative energy, conservation and clean technologies.

Legislators repeatedly declined to impose carbon taxes proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee and voters soundly rejected one in 2016.

Now comes I-1631, repackaged as a carbon fee. In one key respect – accountability – it’s the worst of the bunch. It would collect more than $1 billion yearly. An un-elected board appointed by the governor would propose how to spend it. The initiative requires seats for powerful entities, such as labor and tribes, promising them large cuts.

They go on to note that the un-elected board is designed to be a political juggernaut, adding to the “expensive and unaccountable” bit. What makes them think that a national carbon tax would be anything different?

For gasoline, it’s equivalent to another gas tax, starting around 14 cents and increasing at least 2 cents yearly. Electricity prices would rise more than 2 percent and natural gas up to 8.5 percent, per the state model.

No, “big polluters” won’t bear these costs. Look at any utility or cable bill to see how taxes and fees are passed to consumers.

I-1631 also discriminates by geography. Away from Seattle’s abundant transit and moderate climate, in the rest of Washington where most live, it’s a largely inescapable, regressive tax especially on middle income families.

Everyone would pay more for housing, food and other goods, because higher energy prices increase their cost.

Which is what happens with every carbon tax scheme. We see this in California and Europe right now. The Seattle Times Editorial Board really wants a carbon tax, just not this one. They fail to tell us what scheme would actually work.

Read: Seattle Times Comes Out Against State Carbon Tax Initiative »

NY Times Tries Some Assassination Chic With Feature On Trump

Michelle Malkin came up with the term assassination chic (also called assassination fascination, and she has a whole chapter in her book Unhinged) during the Bush 43 years, when Democrats and some lefties around the world were bringing their fantasies of assassinating George Bush to the mainstream. Obviously, it made a return as soon as Trump was elected, but now we get the Paper Of Record playing with it

Back during the 2004 election, UK Guardian Charlie Brooker, at the time a television program reviewer, seemed to be calling for Bush to be assassinated if he won re-election. Now, we have the NY Times bringing together 5 spy and crime writers to

And Ms. Sharp writes in her bit of Leftist masturbatory fan fiction

When it was time, he went downstairs, took his place in the lobby before the entourage appeared. The hotel staff had been lined up to see their boss, the president, go by. A few of them applauded. Most did not.

The president didn’t seem to notice. He waved, in his desultory fashion. The Secret Service agents clustered around him, ushered him toward the armored limo idling outside at the curb.

The Russian waited until they were a few steps past before he drew the gun. He sighted on the center of the president’s back, and squeezed the trigger.

The Makarov misfired.

The Secret Service agent at the president’s shoulder heard the click, spun into a crouch. He registered the scene instantly, drawing his own weapon with razor-edge reflexes.

The Russian tasted failure. He closed his eyes and waited to pay the cost.

It did not come.

He opened his eyes. The Secret Service agent stood before him, presenting his Glock, butt first.

“Here,” the agent said politely. “Use mine. …”

Talk about poorly made, possibly fake, pipe bombs that did not go off all you want, Liberals are calling for Trump’s assassination, and it is now mainstream for them.

I wonder if Ms. Sharpe will complain publicly when the Secret Service pays her a visit?

Read: NY Times Tries Some Assassination Chic With Feature On Trump »

Not A Cult: Man To Live In “Jar” For 3 Days For ‘Climate Change’ Awareness

Definitely not a cult

From the link

A local science enthusiast is sealing himself inside a biodome of his own construction Tuesday at midnight to illustrate how Earth’s delicate atmospheric balance is increasingly threatened by human-made climate change.

Kurtis Baute, Vancouver’s self-proclaimed “whimsical scientist,” said that if all goes according to plan, he’ll safely spend three days living inside the isolated environment, with roughly 200 plants to keep him company and clean his air.

“Basically I’m trying to recreate a micro, nano, tiny version of Earth in a jar,” Baute said in an interview. “And to do that, I need to think a lot about, mostly, air.”

The so-called biodome is a 10-foot-by-10-foot-by-10-foot wood frame with a sheet of heavy-duty plastic wrapped around it “like a gift” and then sealed tight with tape and silicone. That 1,000 cubic feet of space — built on his brother’s property near Courtenay, B.C. — contains roughly 30,000 litres of air, which Baute estimates would normally sustain a human being for around three days.

“But, and that’s a big, crucial ‘but,’ the carbon dioxide levels would build up before that (time) to the point where it would probably be lethal,” he said.

The U.S. CDC has determined that a lethal level of CO2 is at 100,000ppm, though it can be lethal at 84,000ppm for 60 minutes. The current Earth atmosphere is just above 400ppm. This is never mentioned in the article

Carbon dioxide acts as an asphyxiant, and exposure to levels above 10 per cent in a given volume of air can cause convulsions, brain damage, coma and death, according to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information.

And would need to be much, much higher than 400ppm.

But the reward, said Baute, will hopefully outweigh the risk.

“The most important thing,” he said, “if anyone has any take-aways, is that we need to be doing something about the environment.”

No worries. Plants freaking love 400ppm of CO2.

But, hey, if he wants to live like this, go for it. But don’t try and force this down everyone else’s throat by government dictate.

Read: Not A Cult: Man To Live In “Jar” For 3 Days For ‘Climate Change’ Awareness »

If All You See…

…is a horrible old computer sucking vast amounts of electricity, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Don Surber, with a post on the NYT being appalled that Conservatives mock liberals.

Read: If All You See… »

Strange: President Trump’s Making It Easier For Employers To Pay Workers For Health Coverage

Wait, I thought Trump wanted to take health insurance away from everybody? No? Shockingly, this appeared on CNN, including the graphic

Trump makes it easier for employers to pay workers for health coverage

The Trump administration is expanding employers’ ability to give workers cash to buy heath care coverage elsewhere, including on the Obamacare exchanges, senior officials announced Monday.

The proposed regulation is aimed at broadening the use of health reimbursement arrangements, which are not very well-known. Employers use them to provide workers with tax-free funds to pay for health care costs, mainly deductibles and co-pays.

Prior to Obamacare, employers used Health Reimbursement Arrangements to reimburse workers for a wider array of expenses, including premiums. The Obama administration, however, barred the use of Health Reimbursement Arrangements to buy policies on the individual market.

The move is aimed at increasing health insurance coverage among those who work at smaller firms, many of which don’t provide benefits. It would also allow employers who do offer benefits to give each worker up to $1,800 a year in an Health Reimbursement Arrangement to pay for certain health care expenses or buy dental or vision coverage.

Most Democrat proposals, rules, and laws, including Obamacare, were all aimed at massive regulation and control of people and the private sector. The barring of HRAs made it tough for small businesses and those who work for them. This proposed regulation makes things easier and better, especially with the unemployment rate so low and businesses needing to use incentives to attract workers.

Unlike most of the administration’s other health care steps, this regulation could funnel more people into the Obamacare exchanges. Some 7 million more people could be insured through the individual market by the end of a decade, officials said. In total, an additional 10 million people at 800,000 employers could use Health Reimbursement Arrangements to buy coverage, including 1 million newly insured Americans.

Yeah, there is that. But, at this point, there isn’t much you can do about the exchanges. The time to really kill Ocare was the 2012 election. Now, the most the Republicans can really do is totally revamp the system. And there is a way to do that while increasing choice. That’s for another post.

Read: Strange: President Trump’s Making It Easier For Employers To Pay Workers For Health Coverage »

Surprise: NJ Solar Industry Set To Collapse Without Massive Subsidies

There’s a difference between tax breaks and subsidies. I’m not going to bother explaining it, the Internet is your friend, and people who constantly yammer about subsidies for oil companies are clueless fools. Especially when all these “alternative” and supposedly green industries just like solar receive both

NEW JERSEY SOLAR INDUSTRY AT RISK OF COLLAPSE AS SUBSIDIES BEGIN TO ROLL BACK

New Jersey’s solar industry is expected to plummet unless imminent action by regulators is taken, allowing subsidies to continue propping up solar installation sales.

The New Jersey solar market has grown steadily in recent years. With over 99,000 solar installations in place and around 7,000 employees currently working in the field, the state is ranked seventh in the U.S. for its solar development. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy hopes to see the industry grow even further and signed legislation in May that calls for the state’s renewable portfolio standard to reach 50 percent by 2030.

However, advocates warn the state’s solar industry is on track for total collapse.

“[W]e’re afraid that the market will crash again,” Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said in a statement on Oct. 17. “If we don’t move forward, we’ll lose more jobs and more opportunities for clean energy. We must work to become a leader once more in solar power.”

The concern comes as the subsidies that have helped propel solar installation sales in the state are due to wind down.

New Jersey’s Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) program currently incentivizes solar investment by giving panel owners credits for the electricity they produce. Like other solar incentives, however, this program has become controversial as it comes at a great cost to electricity consumers. The price of the credits — currently trading at around $200 — far surpass the cost of projects.

Sadly, instead of spending the People’s Money on research and development to create solar panels that are truly affordable for homeowners that would provide a whole heck of a lot more energy capture than today’s panels, along with viable and low cost storage methods, government is just throwing money towards companies that simply put up panels that aren’t all that much different in solar conversion as they were 50 years ago. And it really keeps everything in the hands of the companies, rather than the private home owners.

If solar is so great, why do we have to pay people to install it? Why do we have to pay companies to install it? Scam.

Read: Surprise: NJ Solar Industry Set To Collapse Without Massive Subsidies »

President Trump Trolls Pro-Illegal Supporters With Obama As Second Caravan Mob Forms

Here’s what Mr. Trump tweeted out Tuesday

(Mediaite) President Donald Trump tonight tweeted out a video of comments former President Barack Obama made about immigration back when he was a senator.

The video, which appears to come from 2005, features Obama saying the following:

“We are a generous and welcoming people here in the United States, but those who enter the country illegally and those who employ them disrespect the rule of law and they are showing disregard for those who are following the law. We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States, undetected, undocumented, unchecked and circumventing the line of people who are waiting patiently, diligently, and lawfully to become immigrants in this country.”

Obama was correct then and the video is correct now. Meanwhile, yet another mob is forming in Guatemala, comprised mostly of young men, with a small scattering of women and children

(Fox News) A second migrant caravan is forming at the Honduran border and is expected to follow the larger caravan of more than 7,000 from Central America towards the U.S.-Mexico border, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The remaining migrants in the first group are about 1,100 miles from the border town of Reynosa, which is across from McAllen, Texas, the paper reported.

Guatemalan authorities on Sunday estimated the new group — which gathered in a Guatemalan city near the border of Honduras — to be at 1,000. But the group appears to be growing. The Journal, citing estimates from church-run charities and activists, reported that the group is now made up of about 2,500. By Monday evening the group had entered the eastern Guatemalan town of Chiquimula.

These same people are carrying the flags of their countries, burning the American flag, making derogatory remarks towards America, and appear to want to force their way into a country they don’t like. Why not stop in Mexico? Tell you what: we can put them on buses straight to Canada. Kris Kobach notes

It is a stark contrast to the typical illegal immigration we have seen for decades – namely small groups of aliens sneaking across the border in the dead of night.  Now we have thousands of aliens marching to our southern border, in full daylight with the media in tow, demanding that they be admitted to the United States.  Meanwhile the American Left cheers them on.

But we shouldn’t be surprised.  For years, our country has rewarded illegal immigration with a permissive asylum system, lax interior enforcement, hundreds of sanctuary cities and counties, and generous welfare benefits in many states (including my own state of Kansas).  In total, the federal and state governments are giving illegal aliens more than $134 billion in taxpayer-provided benefits per year.  And the open-borders Left wants even more.

He ends by noting we need to stop rewarding illegal immigration. For some reason, Democrats and a few squishy Republicans have come to the opinion that we should just let these people who break our laws in. But they never seem to want to offer to take the illegals into their own homes.

Read: President Trump Trolls Pro-Illegal Supporters With Obama As Second Caravan Mob Forms »

Focusing On Plastics Is A “Dangerous Distraction From Climate Change” Or Something

Interesting. Plastic pollution is an actual real environmental problem. Regardless of whether you focus on it coming big time from India and China, there are lots of measures that we in the 1st world can do to reduce our own plastic pollution. Reusing bottles. Recycling them and other plastics. Not throwing them on the side of the road. We use a ton of plastics, and a lot of it is not good for the real environment. I’m usually not a big fan of Government, but, say, things like those plastic microbeads, I’m fine with banning them. Same with the plastic 6 pack holders for canned drinks. I reuse plastic bags. I could keep going on and on, because I am an environmentalist, and this is the kind of thing that makes me nuts about the Cult of Climastrology

Anti-plastic focus ‘dangerous distraction’ from climate change

The anti-plastic “fervour” sweeping across the UK is weakening the fight against climate change, the founder of an organic food company has said.

Guy Singh-Watson, a prominent green entrepreneur and campaigner, said more focus should be put on cutting carbon.

PM Theresa May has pledged to ban all avoidable plastic waste by 2042.

Environmental experts have said that the anti-plastic movement showed the public could be “mobilised” for action on green issues.

There has been growing awareness of the damage caused by single-use plastics after TV series Blue Planet II highlighted the issue last year.

But Mr Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford Organic Farmers, which supplies about 47,000 boxes of vegetables to homes in the UK each week, said demonising plastic could do more harm than good.

He said: “The fervour – the almost religious fervour – of some of our customers in (being) anti-plastic can actually create problems.

“Plastic is not in itself an evil material, it is the fact that we use so much of it.

“The biggest environmental challenge facing our planet is climate change – and anything that distracts attention from that is potentially dangerous.”

Nope. Hell nope. The envirornment doesn’t care about a meager 1.5F increase in global temperatures since 1850, regardless of causation. It does care when you trash it with actual pollution. These people need to piss off, and realize that they are, in fact, a cult.

Read: Focusing On Plastics Is A “Dangerous Distraction From Climate Change” Or Something »

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