We’re Saved: Climate Change Warrior To Take Long Fossil Fueled Trip To Climb Himalayan Mountain

By William Teach December 2, 2017 – 5:28 pm

Nothing says “anthropogenic climate change is real” like drastically increasing your carbon footprint, right?

(The Himalayan) The European Space Agency’s Climate Change Initiative has announced that Swedish mountaineer Carina Ahlqvist would attempt to climb Mt Makalu, the world’s fifth highest peak, in the next spring season to raise awareness of climate change from the high Himalayas.

Announcing their collaboration today, the ESA CCI and Climate Change Explorer as well as Expedition Project Manager, Carina, said in a joint statement that Carina was partnering with ESA to highlight how measurements of Essential Climate Variables, such as those tackled in the Climate Change Initiative programme, are vital for measuring climate change.

“Carina, one of the most experienced 8,000 meters mountain climbers in Sweden, will be the first Swedish woman to attempt to summit the 8481 metre-peak,” it said, adding that she would take part in a number of experiments, including taking ground truth measurements that will complement data from satellites. Whilst Carina is not a scientist, she has collaborated with NASA, as well as leading universities in the US and in Europe, collecting snow samples to contribute to research in climate change, the statement added.

“For me, the purpose is higher than the summit. I appreciate the collaboration with ESA CCI that enables me to climb Mt Makalu to inspire individuals to greater respect our planet”, Carina, who has experience from four 8,000-meter expeditions; twice to Mt Manaslu (8,167 meters) in Nepal, Mt Cho Oyu (8,201 meters) and Mount Shishapangma (8,027 meters) in Tibet, said.

Read: We’re Saved: Climate Change Warrior To Take Long Fossil Fueled Trip To Climb Himalayan Mountain »

Posted in Climahypocrites, Global Warming | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach December 2, 2017 – 1:00 pm

…is carbon pollution caused snow, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Political Clown Parade, with a post on what the really big story was.

Read: If All You See… »

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About That General Flynn Thing…

By William Teach December 2, 2017 – 10:37 am

According to ABC News’ Brian Ross, doom was coming down on Trump. Um, but

As Allahpundit notes

So “candidate” Trump asked his top natsec guy to rethink U.S. foreign policy towards Russia, and president-elect Trump reached out to make it happen. This is ABC’s big scoop.

Keep trying, guys, keep trying. After over a year of this Russia Russia Russia schtick, there’s still nothing.

https://twitter.com/compliancecamp/status/936871791720402944

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Posted in Current Affairs, Journalistic Malpractice, Unhinged Tools | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

Could Kate Steinle Verdict Affect Any DACA Deal?

By William Teach December 2, 2017 – 7:39 am

The Mercury News’ Tatiana Sanchez asks a good question. The original headline wonders if it could affect. At some point it was changed to

Could Kate Steinle verdict torpedo Congress’ DACA deal?

A San Francisco jury shocked the nation Thursday when it found an undocumented immigrant not guilty of murder and involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Kate Steinle.

Now, with Congress’ deadline to salvage a program protecting young undocumented immigrants from deportation fast approaching, “Dreamers” and immigration advocates are left to wonder how the political tensions from such a polarizing case — one that quickly reignited a decadeslong national debate on illegal immigration — will affect the program’s chances of survival.

Political analysts said the explosive verdict will probably make it more difficult for Congress to pass the long-proposed Dream Act, but they disagreed on whether it will be a fatal blow.

Sanchez offers various opinions from people on both sides, who all agree this might make it more difficult to pass.

Like Valenciano, other Dreamers and many legal analysts on Friday said that while the verdict will surely intensify opposition to illegal immigration among conservatives, it won’t deter Congress from passing Dreamer legislation, particularly given that young undocumented immigrants have garnered significant bipartisan support. However, they acknowledge that it will now be a tougher fight.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s going to impact legislation as a whole in terms of whether or not Congress chooses to pass a Dream Act,” said Luisa Tembo, a DACA recipient from Oakland. “But I do think it will have more of an influence on people’s perspective on undocumented immigrants in this country.”

We don’t know what will happen yet, but, you can bet that one outcome is that the illegal alien Dreamers and their supporters will not get the clean bill they have been demanding. There will surely be lots of enforcement measures within an DACA bill, and possibly measures to crack down on sanctuary cities. And, if they’re smart, they will crack down on chain migration. As it stands, their parents should already be forced to leave the country, since, per illegal alien supporter talking points, they were the “sinners”. You know that won’t happen. But, if Dreamers are given some sort of legal status, they should not be allowed to bring others in. Ever.

“As we move into the 2018 (political) season, I think this could make it more difficult for some Republicans — especially those up for re-election — to be willing to compromise on DACA,” Jackson said. “They don’t want to appear to be soft on crime or to be compromising too much with Democrats.

“This is clearly going to put the focus back on border security and making sure that immigrants who have committed crimes are held accountable for those crimes,” she added. “Unfortunately, if I were a Dreamer, I would be very worried right now about what this means for my future.”

We’ll see what happens. Especially if Democrats try to scuttle any budget deal over DACA. It won’t play well if they refuse to fund the government in support of illegal aliens who kill Americans.

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Senate Passes Major Tax Reform

By William Teach December 2, 2017 – 7:15 am

Let’s see how this played in the biggest D.C. local “journalism” outlet

(Washington Post) Senate Republicans passed a $1.5 trillion tax bill early Saturday morning that bestows massive benefits on corporate America and the wealthy while delivering mixed blessings to everybody else.

After a frantic round of negotiations, Republicans came together in near unanimity behind the landmark legislation. The final vote was 51 to 49, with Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) the lone GOP holdout. No Democrats voted for the bill.

The measure still has to be reconciled with an earlier House-passed version before being sent to President Trump. Yet in getting the bill through the Senate, Republicans succeeded where they failed earlier this year, when their efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act collapsed in mortifying fashion.

Woof! Regardless, it passed.

The most recent review of the bill by the Joint Committee on Taxation, Congress’s nonpartisan tax analysts, found that only 44 percent of taxpayers would see their burden reduced by more than $500 in 2019 but that high earners would fare much better than the poor under the bill.

Yeah, but over 38% do not even pay any net federal taxes, so, kinda hard to actually give them a tax break.

And the bill makes other changes that reach far beyond the tax code itself. It repeals the individual mandate from the Affordable Care Act, a major change that was added in recent weeks as part of a broader GOP effort to dismantle the Obama-era law. The individual mandate creates penalties for many Americans who don’t have health insurance, but the repeal would leave 13 million more people uninsured. It authorizes oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. And by curtailing deductions for state and local taxes, it will put pressure on some state and local spending on education, transportation and public health programs.

First, no one should be forced to purchase health insurance. Of course, no one should be forced to provide medical service to people who will never pay, either. If 13 million choose to opt-out, that’s not leaving them without: that’s a personal choice. Second, we should have been drilling in ANWAR years ago. And it is a tiny, tiny area that’s in play. Third, Democrats are always saying how people should pay more taxes, and that they love the notion of paying more taxes, well, now’s their chance.

Now, though, the Senate must reconcile with the House. There were a lot of concessions made, such as for squishy Susan Collins. Will those stick around in the final bill?

Of course, Excitable Nancy Pelosi (who had been protecting sexual predators in the House) chimed in

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also responded, calling the legislation a “betrayal of the American middle class.”

“The GOP tax scam is a product of haste, carelessness and cruelty,” Pelosi wrote. “It was written on Republicans’ trickle-down delusions, not analysis or facts.  It was written first and foremost for the wealthiest one percent, not middle class families trying to get ahead.”

Because her ideas when she was in charge of the House worked so well, right? Spend trillions on programs that were temporary and didn’t do much to help the economy, while saddling future generations with massive debt. Oh, and lose the House in a historic fashion in 2010.

At the end of the day, I do not care how much money “The Rich” (like Nancy and the Washington Post) keep: it’s their money. I care how it effects me. If it makes it easier to file taxes and means I keep more of my money, great! Why are some people so offended that other people might have lower tax rates? Why is it their business? Oh, right, because they are invested in class warfare (while taking direction and supporting those very same rich people and companies who run the Democratic Party) and think that Other People’s money is actually the governments.

BTW, Nancy, the Washington Post, and the other complainers can refuse to pay the lower tax rates and stroke checks to Los Federales.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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U.S. Companies Ignore Trump On ‘Climate Change’ Or Something

By William Teach December 1, 2017 – 3:25 pm

Interestingly, Trump doesn’t care. Have you ever heard him complain about cities, states, U.S. companies, or citizens practicing Hotcoldwetdry measures within their own “lives”? He only really cares that the U.S. government not burden its citizens with Hotcoldwetdry legislation, taxes/fees, and regulations

(UK Guardian) Since taking office, Donald Trump has pulled the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, rolled back numerous protections against environmental pollution and espoused coal as the fuel of the future, all in the name of job creation and ending what he sees as the “theft of American prosperity”.

Yet the big businesses he claims to champion are increasingly choosing to ignore the US president’s sceptical stance on climate change and press ahead towards their own environmental goals without him.

Several of the country’s corporate giants, including Walmart, General Motors, Ford and Mars, appeared this week at the second annual Companies v Climate Change conference in Miami to showcase their progress and reinforce their belief that sustainability and other green targets can be achieved irrespective of the policies and purpose of the White House.

He never asked them to stop. But, hey, how about GM and Ford give up producing fossil fueled vehicles? If they really care, you know. And WalMart can stop bringing in products from overseas that come on fossil fueled ships and transported by fossil fueled 18 wheelers? If they want to (pretend) to care about the climate scam, they’re welcome to do it. This is what’s called “free choice.”

For Jason Youner, chief executive and founder of Companies v Climate Change, it is further proof that green-thinking American businesses are filling the environmental void created by the Trump administration’s cynicism.

“The corporate sector is not paying heed to the president’s agenda. They’re making all kinds of commitments and they’re putting all kinds of policies in place and changing the way they operate and do business and making a lot of improvements,” he said.

Actually, they are. The agenda is that if people and private entities want to Do Something on their own, go for it. These same companies would pitch a fit if the Government forced them to Do Something.

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If All You See…

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

…is heat snow due to your neighbors not being charged carbon taxes, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Other McCain, with a post on a Fat Activist Bisexual Queer finding men exhausting.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

Power Of Director Of CFPB “Really Should Frighten People”

By William Teach December 1, 2017 – 10:53 am

Nothing like giving unelected bureaucrats massive power that is unchecked by the duly elected lawmakers

(The Hill) White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney said Thursday that the authority wielded by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) chief “should frighten people” days after he assumed the role of acting director.

Mulvaney, who also serves as the director of Office of Management and Budget, said on Fox Business Network’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight” that the structure of the CFPB is “fundamentally flawed” and that his directive as its administrator would be to “limit” the agency’s effect on capitalism.

“The structure of the CFPB is just fundamentally flawed. Authority that I have now as the acting director really should frighten people,” Mulvaney said.

“You can sit down in a room with three or four people, and say, well, let’s go off and do this, and there is no accountability to Congress. I could set the budget pretty much without any input from Congress, in fact, without any input from Congress,” he added.

And the Democrats who designed this intentionally made it so. Remember, only two Republicans, Collins and Brown, voted for Dodd-Frank in the Senate. No Democrats voted against. In the House, 3 Republicans said yea, only 19 Democrats said no. So this was pretty much an utterly partisan piece of legislation. Of course, Democrats love the notion of another massive federal government agency which has virtually no controls placed upon it by anyone, especially those stupid citizens. Well, right up to it bones them personally.

It would be funny as hell if Trump and Mulvaney used to power of the CFPB to go full bore after Democrat party supporting companies, wouldn’t it? Teach them a lesson in “things can backfire badly”? From a hypothetical point of view, though.

Read: Power Of Director Of CFPB “Really Should Frighten People” »

Posted in Government | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

Earthquake Hits Delaware: You Know What This Means, Right?

By William Teach December 1, 2017 – 7:11 am

So this happened Thursday afternoon

There’s been some confusion in terms of actual power. It was originally reported as a 5.1, then seemed to be downgraded to 4.4, then the USGS makes it a 4.1. Regardless doesn’t matter, because it’s your fault for driving a fossil fueled vehicle, using a hair dryer, and not growing your own food while giving up meat

https://twitter.com/_shybree/status/936380196051185664

Read More »

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Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

Journalism: Trump Tells Confidants That Government Shutdown Would Be Good For Him Or Something

By William Teach December 1, 2017 – 6:45 am

Every day there seems to be a negative story on President Trump that offers nothing but unknown, unnamed, anonymous sources. In an age where the media is part and parcel of the #Resistance, where they are even more unhinged and opposed to a sitting Republican president, how can we take the media seriously? How can we possibly trust this?

Trump tells confidants that a government shutdown might be good for him

President Trump has told confidants that a government shutdown could be good for him politically and is focusing on his hard-line immigration stance as a way to win back supporters unhappy with his outreach to Democrats this fall, according to people who have spoken with him recently.

Over the past 10 days, the president has also told advisers that it is important that he is seen as tough on immigration and getting money for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to two people who have spoken with him. He has asked friends about how a shutdown would affect him politically and has told several people he would put the blame on Democrats. (snip)

But the more Trump talked to advisers, read polls and watched developments on Capitol Hill, the more he became frustrated that he was “looking like the chump in the deal,” according to one person who spoke to him about the issue, who along with others insisted on anonymity to speak candidly. This time, Trump wants his political base to see him as winning the contest, two advisers said.

The article veers into this and that and the other, but, the basic substance is about Trump thinking that a shutdown would help him out, yet offers zero evidence. In fact, we get evidence to the contrary

White House Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short and other aides said the president did not want a shutdown.

“He’s not advocating for a shutdown in any way. We want to make sure our military is funded. We want to make sure our priorities are funded. That’s why we invited [Democrats] over to have a conversation about a deal,” Short told reporters at the U.S. Capitol late Thursday.

So, the only person on the record refutes the entire premise of the story. This is the worst of click-bait journalism.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Journalism: Trump Tells Confidants That Government Shutdown Would Be Good For Him Or Something »

Posted in Donald Trump, Journalistic Malpractice | 2 Comments | Trackback URL
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