Poor Finances, Needed Repairs, And Fear Of Immigration Raids Closes Detroit Church, But Mostly Finance And Repairs

By William Teach January 2, 2018 – 10:30 am

Here’s one of the top tier media Narratives that you will see, as CBS News tries to blame-scare on illegal immigration without saying “illegal immigration”

Fear of immigration raids partially to blame for 100-year-old church’s closure

After more than 100 years, a Roman Catholic church in Detroit is closing, partly because Hispanics who worship there fear immigration agents. The final Mass at All Saints Church will be celebrated Sunday on Detroit’s southwest side.

The congregation of 300 families will be encouraged to attend St. Gabriel, a nearby church.

If they are legally present, why would they be fearful?

The pastor at St. Gabriel, the Rev. Marc Gawronski, said there are many reasons for the closing of All Saints. The church has weak finances, needs repairs and has been losing members. A construction project on Interstate 75 has hurt attendance.

Gawronski said there has been an increase in raids and enforcement by federal immigration agents in the community.

Immigration agents wouldn’t be coming for legally authorized immigrants, except for a few issues like criminal behavior.

Immigration agents have an “informal agreement that they have affirmed that they will not go into churches and not hassle people going to church,” he said. Nonetheless, “people are even nervous about being able to get up in the morning and go to church.”

Why would they be nervous if they are just immigrants, rather than illegal aliens? We can see that the closure has more to do with the weak finances, needed repairs, and the construction project.

Illegal alien related, adding this tweet on

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‘Climate Change’ Could Mean 50 Feet Of Snow Or Something

By William Teach January 2, 2018 – 7:11 am

From the department of

comes this bit of unhinged climate (scam) alarmism

50 feet of snow? POSSIBLE! Thank Climate Change

(starts out blabbering about weather events, linking them to Hotcoldwetdry)

Generally speaking, Illinois is warmer than it was a century ago by a yearly average of more than 1 degree. (Early projections indicate 2017’s average will be 2 degrees above normal for the year.) And, more importantly, Illinois is wetter than it used to be a century ago, by a yearly average of 4 inches of precipitation.

That happens during a typical Holocene warm period.

Worse is water. Compared to 100 years ago, Illinois now gets roughly an extra month’s precipitation annually, 40 inches vs. 36 inches. But rain doesn’t fall evenly.

“It’s extreme,” Angel said. “It’s not that every rain event is 10 to 15 percent more. We’re getting more of the heavy rain events.”

Wait, I thought the world was turning to desert? No?

So the state is now preparing to chart “once-in-a-hundred year” storms, those with 7 to 8 inches of precipitation. Such storms are coming to Illinois a lot more than once a century. Still, we are indeed a little bit lucky. (snip)

What if a monster storm hit during winter? Angel is more about preparing for bad weather than prognosticating it. But an inch of rain can be 10-12 inches of snow. Fifty feet of snow is not a pretty picture. The average temperature here may be warming, but there’s no guarantee for any given January.

“We can still have things that go against the grain. We can still have cold winters with lots of snow. They will just be fewer. That doesn’t mean there’s no climate change,” Angel said. “You kind of take the long view with climate change.”

The article seriously considered what would happen if a storm like Hurricane Harvey hit Illinois. Right. OK. Sure thing, cupcake.

Remember, these are the same people who were proclaiming the end of snow, but, when that didn’t happen, they decided to find ways to link their cult to the heavy snow and cold.

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Washington Post Decides Supporting Trump On Iran Protests Is A Good Idea

By William Teach January 2, 2018 – 6:51 am

The NY Times’ Philip Gordon argued the other day that Trump should stay out of the Iran protests. Obama luminaries such as John Kerry, Ben Rhodes, Susan Rice, and Samantha Power have taken shots at Trump and/or said to stay out. The Washington Post’s Michael Singh recommends support for the protesters from Washington. And then there’s the Editorial Board: can you guess why they support Trump and what they want him to do? Let’s check in

The West should support the protesters in Iran

FIVE DAYS of street protests in cities across Iran have underlined the fundamental weakness of a regime sometimes portrayed in Washington as a regional juggernaut. Despite the lifting of most Western economic sanctions after 2015, the Islamic republic has been unable to satisfy the expectations of everyday Iranians, who see the country’s resources squandered on corruption and foreign military adventures by clerics who deny basic freedoms. Protests that began in one city over rising food prices quickly mushroomed into a nationwide uprising directed squarely at the rule of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Wait, so the regime isn’t using all that cash they got from Obama and from the ending of many sanctions, especially those from European countries? I wonder what they could be using the money for.

The popular demand for change is justified and deserves international support. President Trump has been right to tweet his backing for the demonstrators; European leaders, who have been far more cautious, should speak up. At the same time, it’s important to mind the lessons of history, which suggest that the odds that the protesters will trigger a revolution are long. The Khamenei regime has proved ruthlessly adept at putting down previous opposition movements, most recently in 2009, and still has abundant repressive resources at its disposal.

Previously, the Iranian dictators knew that support wasn’t coming from the U.S., and Europe followed Obama’s hands-off policy. But, it’s good to see the WP taking a cue from Trump, and wanting to push Europe to support the protesters. And here we go

At the same time, Mr. Trump should avoid acts that would undercut the protests and empower the regime’s hard-liners. Foremost among these would be a renunciation of the 2015 nuclear accord. That would divide the United States from European governments when they should be coordinating their response to the uprising, and it would give the regime an external threat against which to rally. Reform of the nuclear accord can wait. Now is the time for Mr. Trump to focus on supporting the people of Iran.

Anything to support Obama’s terrible no-good Iran deal, eh? One which will allow Iran to restart their nuclear weapons program in less than 10 years.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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Surprise: Climate Movies Flopped In 2017

By William Teach January 1, 2018 – 3:49 pm

Which, for the most part, has happened in most years, but, they really pimped it this year

Hollywood tries to save the Earth, but moviegoers aren’t buying eco-messages anymore

Climate change got its close-up in 2017. A gaggle of films either name-checked Al Gore’s biggest fear or built their narratives around it.

The timing, in theory, couldn’t be better for Hollywood bean counters: Three major hurricanes. Massive fires in the West. Record-setting chills. Media reports routinely connected the disasters with a warming planet.

Yet audiences stayed away from films influenced by eco-concerns. Far, far away.

Think “Blade Runner 2049,” “Geostorm,” “Downsizing,” “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” and “mother!” They all flopped, some in spectacular fashion.

Of them all, Blade Runner 2049 did the best, but still under-performed. I actually saw this yesterday, and, it was meh. Started out strong, but, the ending was lame. It tried to recapture what happened at the end of the original, but, couldn’t pull it off, and the story line as to what was being looked for was weak. Despite what the weenies who made it were saying, it didn’t really yammer about ‘climate change.” The rest? Bombs. mother! was so bad that Jennifer Lawrence decided to take a break from movies.

Justin Haskins, executive editor at the right-leaning, free-market Heartland Institute, said Hollywood insiders remain fixated on saving the planet.

“They believe climate change will bring people to the movies,” Mr. Haskins said. “That’s wildly out of touch with how moviegoers feel about the issue.”

A Pew Research survey this year found that “the environment” does not rank among the top 10 public policy concerns of most Americans, trailing behind “terrorism,” “the economy,” “education” and “jobs,” among others.

And most people don’t care to be lectured to when they’ve spent $20+ per person dollars on a ticket, popcorn, and a drink for an afternoon showing. They want to be entertained.

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If All You See…

By William Teach January 1, 2018 – 1:00 pm

…is a treeline receding from too much carbon pollution, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day Adrienne’s Corner, with a post on New Year’s 2018.

It was tempting to do something with cold weather, by, let’s think warm thoughts and girls in denim.

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Trump May Possibly Maybe Start Deporting “Dreamers” In 2018!

By William Teach January 1, 2018 – 11:36 am

Newsweek is quickly becoming a clickbait hive of insanity, along the lines of Slate and Salon. Or the Democratic Underground. And they’re totally not above a bit of fear-mongering

WILL TRUMP START DEPORTING DREAMERS IF NO DEAL IS REACHED IN 2018?

Per orders from President Donald Trump, the Deferred Action and Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, will expire on March 5 barring Congressional action. The program gave 800,000 immigrants—colloquially known as ‘Dreamers’—the chance to apply for two-year school and work permits that allowed them to live in the country without fear of deportation.

But as the deadline draws nearer, many immigration advocates worry that mass deportations of Dreamers will begin shortly after March 5, considering Trump has given federal immigration agencies the green light to arrest anyone, anywhere, including a 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy straight out of emergency surgery.

Trump quelled some of those fears earlier this week by saying he’s willing to reinstate DACA protections for Dreamers—if Democrats are willing to support his border wall. But immigrant rights advocates and many of their allies in the Democratic Party have signaled that they won’t’ concede further “militarizing” the border in exchange for DACA protections.

OK, fine, if the Democrats do not want to deal, if they think they can demand some sort of permanent legal status for these illegal alien Dreamers (which would also include legal status for parents and relatives) with nothing given back in the bargain, then start deporting them.

As reported by the Arizona Daily Sun, Democrat Rep. Raul Grijalva, a staunch immigrant rights advocate, called Trump’s negotiation posture “extortion,” adding that Democrats should ignore the rhetoric and work toward a permanent solution like the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for the Dreamers.

So far, there have been reports that immigration forces have already detained Dreamers with expired DACA permits and are possibly slated to be deported soon.

If they let their permit expire, which many do because they do not take the time and most are not educated or in the work force and can’t afford the permit, so be it. Bye! Go back to your own country and take the rest of your illegal alien family with you. If you like it here, apply for citizenship under the law.

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To Save Us From An Over-heated Planet, California Mostly Bans Incandescent Light Bulbs

By William Teach January 1, 2018 – 8:08 am

It’s the same argument as when the federal law was passed in 2007: it’s not an actual ban, but, by putting in place such strong requirements, the law effectively banned incandescent light bulbs. California is two years ahead of the federal law

Goodbye to the incandescent light. Climate change means you have to go, but you’ll be missed

This week marks not just the start of a new year, but a bright new day for energy conservation. Or maybe it’s the tragic end of an era, with a beloved product now wiped out of existence by a government forcing its environmental agenda on the rest of us. Which view you take depends on how strongly you feel about interior lighting.

The catalyst for this change was the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, a law signed by President George W. Bush with the worthy goal of reducing energy usage and weaning the U.S. off foreign oil. Among other things, the sweeping law set phased-in efficiency standards for most light bulbs, starting in 2012.

In California, those standards culminate this year in a requirement that bulbs must use about 65% less energy to cast the same amount of light, a standard too high for incandescent technology to reach. It’s too bad, because other than the fact that they burn way too much electricity, incandescent bulbs are the perfect light source. They make everyone one look good; they dim smoothly and have done so for more than 130 years. Incandescents have had an incredible run, but, regrettably, there’s no room for such energy-sucking lamps in the modern world.

Alas, there is room, since both the federal law and California law have exceptions. Such as so many of the high powered lights used on television sets and movie sets. Halogens would also be effectively banned.

Stores may sell the incandescent bulbs they have in stock but are not allowed to replace them. Online stores aren’t supposed to ship them to California addresses, though there’s no law to stop anyone from driving across state lines and filling the trunk with 60-watt multi-packs. At least, they can do so until 2020, when the standards kick in for the rest of the country.

But, they can probably sell marijuana, which is now legal in California. But not light bulbs. Probably go to jail for that.

An expert at UC Davis said that 70% to 90% of Californians still rely on incandescent bulbs to light their homes.

So, wait, all these ‘climate change’ believers, and they can’t even take a minor step to replace them? Heck, the only bulbs I have inside that aren’t CFL or LED (I have Philips Hue* lights in some lamps) are those in a ceiling fan and a chandelier. I’ve long used CFLs for the money savings, and I only buy good ones

Perhaps it is not terribly surprising that so many people have clung to the warm, comforting glow they are used to. The cheap, spiral fluorescent bulbs that conservationists and utilities have pushed on consumers in recent years as money-saving replacements are shoddy imitations that cast a sick glow on faces and homes, and they sometimes flicker or hum. Given that, it’s entirely understandable that people might now fear that the new efficiency standards will doom us to a future of harsh glare and eye strain caused by mercury-filled bulbs that are deemed so toxic you can’t even toss them in the regular trash. What’s the point of saving a few bucks on your electric bill or cutting your energy usage when you’ve lost the will to live?

So, wait, now they tell us CFLs are not the best, and so many are completely shoddy?

The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that the upcoming light bulb switch will reduce carbon emissions by tens of millions of tons every year.

Apparently, the only way to do this is to force Warmists to practice what they preach. And once you write “carbon emission” you are no longer talking science, but a political cult.

*BTW, if you haven’t checked out Philips Hue, do so. It’s awesome. I have the white ambiance lights, which can mimic daylight. I have them linked to the Amazon Echo Dot, and turn on and off with voice. I can turn them on and off from work. I have one outside set on a timer, so I do not need to leave on all day.

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Posted in Climahypocrites, Global Warming | 7 Comments | Trackback URL

High Tax Democrat States Looking For Ways To Blunt Tax Law Or Something

By William Teach January 1, 2018 – 7:43 am

Democrats have lots of ideas: none of them really seem to revolve around lowering the tax rate for their citizens, nor anything else that has caused these Blue states, like NJ and NY, to lose residents, leading to a loss of federal Representatives

Democrats in High-Tax States Plot to Blunt Impact of New Tax Law

Democrats in high-cost, high-tax states are plotting ways to do what their states’ representatives in Congress could not: blunt the impact of the newly passed Republican tax overhaul.

Governors and legislative leaders in New York, California and other states are considering legal challenges to elements of the law that they say unfairly single out parts of the country. They are looking at ways of raising revenue that aren’t penalized by the new law. And they are considering changing their state tax codes to allow residents to take advantage of other federal tax breaks — in effect, restoring deductions that the tax law scaled back.

One proposal would replace state income taxes, which are no longer fully deductible under the new law, with payroll taxes on employers, which are deductible. Another idea would be to allow residents to replace their state income tax payments with tax-deductible charitable contributions to their state governments.

That last one is a doozy … and discussed way more in the article … since Democrats have been informed time ad nauseum that they are able to write checks to the IRS, since they love high taxes so much, yet, they don’t. So, that “charitable contribution” would be mandatory.

State leaders are still figuring out their response to the new law, and few have yet endorsed specific proposals. But they are moving quickly. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, a Democrat, recently said he expected to provide a more detailed plan when he presented his state budget in mid-January.

“They want to target us for certain provisions?” Mr. Cuomo asked at a recent news conference. “Well, let’s see if we can redesign our tax code to get out of the federal trap that they set.”

Suddenly, Democrats realize that perhaps Washington having so much darned power is not a good thing. Suddenly, they realize that Los Federales picking winners and losers is not a good thing. But, what they do not seem to realize is that they can, get this, lower their state tax rates. They can do things to reduce the tax burden on citizens, and do things which can reduce the overall cost of living. Lowering the tax rate isn’t even considered in this article. Surprise?

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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Niagra Falls Freezes Over: Guess What’s To Blame?

By William Teach December 31, 2017 – 4:51 pm

It’s not the first time Niagra Falls has frozen over: in fact, there’s a picture going all the way back to 1890. And, in all fairness, those who are claiming there hasn’t been any global warming are incorrect. It’s the question of causation. Regardless, this is the garbage we get from the Cult of Climastrology

https://twitter.com/SonnyinScotland/status/947386533723738112

Read More »

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If All You See…

By William Teach December 31, 2017 – 1:00 pm

…is a world covered in water from Other People using hair dryers, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The H2, with a post on a Happy New Year meme.

Doubleshot below the fold, with a second blog of the day, Proof Positive, with a post on 2018 predictions.

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