Obligatory Government Shutdown Post

There’s obviously a lot of he said/she said as to what occurred that caused the shutdown. Republicans blame Democrats

(Fox News) Republican leaders blamed their Democratic counterparts after the Senate failed to pass a spending bill by midnight Friday to avert a government shutdown.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the GOP needed 60 votes to pass a measure that would have kept the government running until mid-February, but not enough Democrats went along with the plan. The tally was 50-49, with five Democrats voting in favor of the measure and five Republicans voting against it.

“Most of the stuff we agree on. One reason we ended up here, the shoehorning of illegal immigration into this debate,” McConnell said after the vote failed, adding that the Senate would resume talks later Saturday to prevent a prolonged shutdown.

At the center of the soured negotiations was the Obama-era DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program, which has protected some young immigrants from deportation.

After the Senate adjourned for the evening, McConnell underscored that the shutdown was “avoidable,” while calling the Democrats’ decision to filibuster “irresponsible.”

And that’s it in a nutshell. Democrats were taking a hardline stance in putting people who came to the United States illegally over American citizens. They were demanding amnesty for them, and, they would want amnesty for the parents who committed the “sin” of bringing them. As someone noted in a reply to the Disney World CEO, if security caught parents and their kids who snuck into Disney, would they let them stay and get everything, all the rides, food, accommodations, for free? Or kick them all out?

A CNN poll had this to say

Overall, about half of Americans say they would blame either Trump (21%) or his Republican counterparts in Congress (26%) should Congress fail to fund the government by the midnight Friday deadline. About a third, 31%, say they would hold the Democrats in Congress responsible, and another 10% say they’d blame all three groups. Among Republicans, 62% would blame the Democrats in Congress, while 43% of Democrats would blame Republicans on Capitol Hill and 29% would blame Trump.

Still, 56% overall say approving a budget agreement to avoid a shutdown is more important than continuing the DACA program, while just 34% choose DACA over a shutdown. Democrats break narrowly in favor of DACA — 49% say it’s more important vs. 42% who say avoiding a shutdown is the priority — while majorities of both Republicans (75%) and independents (57%) say avoiding a shutdown is more important.

If this isn’t resolved quickly, Democrats should expect different language than they’ve seen in the past, what with Trump in office. He won’t sit around and take the blame, and he will be quick to make sure to blame Democrats. Many in the GOP will follow suit, rather than being meek like in the past.

Anyhow, remember the Barrycades Obama put up during his shutdown? What say we put some around Planned Parenthood? And, hey, how about the General Assembly building in Sacramento, California? If any elected Democrats want to fly home, let them pay for the ticket themselves.

Read: Obligatory Government Shutdown Post »

Global Warming Is Totally Part Of Southern Freezing Or Something

The Cult of Climastrology just keeps trying

Deep freeze in the deep South | Why global warming is part of the conversation

This year started off cold. Very cold. And for the past couple of days, metro Atlanta and North Georgia have been covered in snow and ice with temperatures in the teens.

This winter has been an average of 13 degrees colder than last winter. Last season we only saw a trace of snow at the Atlanta airport where we keep the official records. According to our 11Alive StormTrackers, Atlanta has picked up 4.6” of snow so far this season.

Even though we had an early snow in December, the month averaged 1.5 degrees above average. So far in January, we are 7.6 degrees below average.

At times during this snow storm, Atlanta was colder than Anchorage, Alaska. These are extreme temperatures for the South. When we posted that information on the 11Alive Facebook page, many comments were about global warming.

Here we go

But it’s those extreme temperatures that point to the reality of climate change. That’s the better term according to the director of the atmospheric science program at the University of Georgia Dr. Marshall Shepherd.

He said “climate change is a better term because it illustrates all of the changes that are happening, perhaps more intense hurricanes, even greater heat waves, more intense rain storms that lead to flooding. Those are all symptomatic of climate change, global warming is just one aspect of climate change in the same way that running a fever is one aspect of the flu, and that’s how we have to try to convey this.”

There’s a reason I call it Hotcoldwetdry and them the Cult of Climastrology.

Read: Global Warming Is Totally Part Of Southern Freezing Or Something »

If All You See…

…is a horrible, evil, meat covered carbon spewing pizza, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Political Clown Parade, with a post on a surveillance abuses memo.

Read: If All You See… »

New Study Refutes Total Doom From ‘Climate Change’

Investors Business Daily says that Doomsday just got cancelled. Mother Jones says it’s more accurate, less terrible. And the Washington Times says

Landmark study debunks UN’s worst-case global-warming scenarios

A groundbreaking British study throws cold water on the U.N.’s most extreme climate-change scenarios, finding little chance that the planet will heat up by 4 to 5 degrees over the next century.

The UN International Panel on Climate Change has predicted for 25 years that global temperatures are likely to increase between 1.5 and 4.5 degrees Celsius by 2100, but the latest research narrows the range to 2.2-3.4 degrees Celsius.

“Our study all but rules out very low and very high climate sensitivities, so we now know much better what we need to,” said University of Exeter professor Peter M. Cox, the lead author of the study, in a press release.

Of course, on the flip side, they are prognosticating a higher low end range, based on doubling of CO2 levels, which in itself is controversial, due to the greenhouse gas potential of CO2 being not as powerful as Warmists maintain when doubled. Furthermore, they are, of course, blaming this all on Mankind.

The research also has implications for the climate-change movement, said University of Colorado Boulder professor Roger A. Pielke Jr.

“If your climate advocacy is grounded in ‘[it’s] gonna be bad, really bad’ arguments, then new science (‘not as bad’) puts you in an awkward position,” he said on Twitter. “No doubt some catastrophists will today feel a need to diss the new study lest they give evil deniers due.”

Based on some of the other articles on this, the study authors are still saying that Government needs to Do Something to limit CO2 output. Too bad most of us won’t be around in 2100 to say “I told you this was all mule fritters!”

Read: New Study Refutes Total Doom From ‘Climate Change’ »

NY Times Blames Democrats On One Hand, Republicans On Other For Any Shutdown

The NY Times seems a bit confused. Here’s how the Editorial Board puts it

Here’s Another Fine Mess They’ve Gotten Us Into

One could almost — but not really — feel sorry for Republicans. This is a mess President Trump created, and Republicans are tiptoeing around him trying to fashion a temporary fix that he won’t demolish with a tantrum or a tweet.

In September Mr. Trump abruptly decided he’d be ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought illegally to this nation as children from deportation. The president has lately been demanding billions of dollars for a wasteful wall along the Mexican border — you know, the one Mexico was supposed to pay for — as a price for a measure that allows these young people, known as Dreamers, to remain here.

See? It’s Trump’s fault for ending an un-Constitutional program (hey, Obama called it that), causing Democrats to refuse to vote for any short term funding in their support for illegals.

Then you have this under the bigger story of the House passing a bill for short term funding, mostly along party lines (6 Dems said yes to it, 11 Republicans said no)

Senate Democrats Appear Ready to Block the Measure

The House approved a stopgap spending bill on Thursday night to keep the government open past Friday, but Senate Democrats — angered by President Trump’s vulgar aspersions and a lack of progress on a broader budget and immigration deal — appeared ready to block the measure. (snip)

In the Senate, at least about a dozen Democratic votes would be needed to approve the measure, and there was little chance that those would materialize. Democrats are intent on securing concessions that would, among other things, protect from deportation young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, increase domestic spending, aid Puerto Rico and bolster the government’s response to the opioid crisis.

All of those could be done in separate spending bills, but, really, the only thing Democrats care about is the illegal alien Dreamers, and they’re willing to shut the government down, potentially harming American citizens.

Read: NY Times Blames Democrats On One Hand, Republicans On Other For Any Shutdown »

California Promises To Prosecute Employers Who Work With Illegal Alien Sweeps

On Capital Hill, Democrats are promising to shut the government down over illegal alien Dreamers. In California, they’re going to prosecute citizens who follow federal law

(Sacramento Bee) The state’s top cop issued a warning to California employers Thursday that businesses face legal repercussions, including fines up to $10,000, if they assist federal immigration authorities with a potential widespread immigration crackdown.

“It’s important, given these rumors that are out there, to let people know – more specifically today, employers – that if they voluntarily start giving up information about their employees or access to their employees in ways that contradict our new California laws, they subject themselves to actions by my office,” state Attorney General Xavier Becerra said at a news conference. “We will prosecute those who violate the law.”

Becerra’s warning comes as fears spread of mass workplace raids following reports that immigration agents plan to target Northern California communities for deportations due in part to the state’s “sanctuary” law, which seeks to restrict local law enforcement agencies’ ability to cooperate with immigration authorities.

It’s amazing what lengths Democrats will go to protect illegal aliens. The (Illegal) Immigrant Worker Protection Act requires that employers demand a warrant from immigration officials before granting access to any worksite. No one can voluntarily share information on employees without a subpoena. Requires employers to notify their workers before a federal audit of employee records. And several other measures, all meant to protect illegal aliens.

Perhaps it’s time for federal officials to arrest politicians who are obstructing justice and protecting illegal aliens.

Read: California Promises To Prosecute Employers Who Work With Illegal Alien Sweeps »

Newsweek: Trumps Hair Loss Meds May Possibly Sorta We’re Not Sure Giving Him ED

Twenty years ago yesterday, the Drudge report stated that Newsweek was sitting on the Monica Lewinsky story. Today, Newsweek has no problem with ruminating on a subject they really have no facts on (via John Sexton)

TRUMP HEALTH EXAM: PRESIDENT STILL TAKING HAIR LOSS DRUG EVEN AFTER RESEARCH REVEALED LINK TO ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION AND DEPRESSION

President Trump’s heavily scrutinized recent health exam revealed that he’s continued to take the hair-loss drug finasteride, even after a succession of new studies showed that it is linked to side effects including chronic erectile dysfunction and depression.

We have to get all the way to the end where we see

Psychiatric medications required by past presidents have had to be prescribed in secret, according to POLITICO, but it’s not unusual for presidents to take various medications for various health conditions that aren’t stigmatized. Bill Clinton, for example, also took a drug to manage his cholesterol levels, according to the Times. As with most medication side effects, their manifestation and severity differs from person to person. There’s no guarantee that Trump is or isn’t experiencing finasteride’s side effects; just that they’re a possibility.

Yeah, pure and utter speculation. As Sexton writes

Let’s face it. The only reason to write this story is to get Trump’s name and “erectile dysfunction” in the same headline. This is the kind of material that used to be reserved for 2nd-rate progressive bloggers looking to amuse their readers. Now it’s being published at Newsweek as news.

But, things like and intern giving oral sex to a president needed to be sat on.

Read: Newsweek: Trumps Hair Loss Meds May Possibly Sorta We’re Not Sure Giving Him ED »

If All You See…

…is horrible heat snow from greenhouse gases, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Last Tradition, with a post on movie theater attendance.

Read: If All You See… »

Eyelash Freezing Cold Is Caused By ‘Climate Change’ Or Something

This is all because you drove a fossil fueled vehicle and used wood in your fireplace

Eyelash freezing -67C in Siberia: Climate change denial will mean slow death of planet earth

You may think it is cold in Delhi-NCR and laugh at people from Mumbai donning their woollens on a balmy, 25 degrees Celsius day. But for the people living in Oymyakon (the name ironically means “non-freezing water”, after a thermal spring) in Siberia, this weather is not just pleasant, it may just be warm.

At -67 degrees Celsius (yes, you read that right), this village in frigid and cruel Siberia (in Russia’s remote Yakutia region) has temperatures so that low people there find themselves with frozen eyelashes. According to a report in Daily Mail, the village that is home to around just about 500 people, faces issues we cannot even imagine. Their day-to-day problems, in this icy weather, include pen ink freezing, glasses freezing to people’s faces and batteries losing power.

According to the report, locals go so far as to leave their cars running all day for fear of not being able to restart them. In fact, just to bury coffins into the earth, bonfires are lit for a few hours to thaw the ground, following which hot coals are pushed to the side and a hole just a few inches deep is dug; and this process is repeated for several days until the hole is deep enough to bury the coffin.

Seems cold. Several pictures are included. Here’s the tweet for the above screed

Here we go

According to The Telegraph, while this Siberian village is nowhere close to the coldest place on the planet – the coldest temperature ever recorded on the planet was -94.7C, captured by a NASA satellite in east Antarctica in 2013 – this low temperature is definitely out of the ordinary for the folks at Oymyakon where the usual January temperature borders around -50 degrees Celsius.

This extreme temperature, sadly, should not come as a surprise to anyone. The effects of mass exploitation of the natural resources of this planet, coupled with unethical dumping of pollutants in air, water and land alike has long been flagged as a cause for serious climate change. And the effects are becoming more and more pronounced every day. A place as hot as the Sahara Desert recently experienced snowfall. America has been hit with something scientists are calling a “Bomb Cyclone”, and Australia has been the victim of extreme heat, something that is seriously harming the wildlife (particularly bats) in the island continent.

Unless drastic steps are taken to conserve what remains of this planet, it is only a matter of time before more and more parts of the world experience such climate anomalies. And by then, it may just be too late.

Read: Eyelash Freezing Cold Is Caused By ‘Climate Change’ Or Something »

Apple To Give Employees $2,500 Bonuses, Repatriate $250 Billion After GOP Tax Bill

Will Nancy Pelosi call this “crumbs”?

(Bloomberg) Apple Inc. told employees Wednesday that it’s issuing a bonus of $2,500 worth of restricted stock units, following the introduction of the new U.S. tax law, according to people familiar with the matter.

The iPhone maker will begin issuing stock grants to most employees worldwide in the coming months, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. The move comes on the same day Apple said it would bring back most of its cash from overseas and spend $30 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, funding an additional technical support campus, data centers and 20,000 new employees.

Apple confirmed the bonuses in response to a Bloomberg inquiry Wednesday. The Cupertino, California-based company joins a growing list of American businesses that have celebrated the introduction of corporate-friendly tax law with one-time bonuses for staff. AT&T Inc., Comcast Corp., JetBlue Airways Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. also said they were giving bonuses.

In an email to employees reviewed by Bloomberg, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said the move demonstrated his “confidence in Apple’s future” and that both full-time and part-time employees across all departments are elgible. Cook also said Apple would contribute twice the amount of each employee’s charitable donations, up to $10,000, through the end of the year.

$2500 may be crumbs to Pelosi, but it means something real to middle class folks, especially when that stock can grow in value.

Furthermore, everyone was initially reporting that Apple could be bringing back $38 billion. That’s actually just their tax payment

(CNBC) Apple just announced on Wednesday it will bring back hundreds of billions of dollars from overseas to fund investment in the U.S. and likely increase its capital returns.

“Apple, already the largest US taxpayer, anticipates repatriation tax payments of approximately $38 billion as required by recent changes to the tax law. A payment of that size would likely be the largest of its kind ever made,” the company said in the release.

Using the new 15.5 percent repatriation tax rate, the $38 billion tax payment disclosed by Apple means they are planning a $245 billion repatriation.

Crumbs? It’s funny how so many companies that are very much Democratic Party voting blocks really love this new tax law, eh?

Read: Apple To Give Employees $2,500 Bonuses, Repatriate $250 Billion After GOP Tax Bill »

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