Surprise: Zika Virus Linked To ‘Climate Change’

By William Teach February 2, 2016 – 10:15 am

You just had to know that this was inevitable, right?

Zika, Vaccines and Climate Change: Convergence of Right and Left Extremism

The GOP has evolved (ironically, a process they would deny) to be the proud political party of anti-intellectualism, harking back to the Dark Ages with a never-ending campaign against evolution, tired rants denying the reality of climate change, and a medieval understanding of human reproduction.

That last part is surely about opposition to abortion on demand.

But sadly this anti-science bent is not restricted to right wing ideologues, but instead has also infected the far left. While manifesting itself with symptoms in different areas of science, the underlying disease is the same on both extreme left and right: ignorance of the scientific method and the reliance on faith over fact.

That part is about the anti-vaccination bend of people on the Left. I will say, it is a laugh-riot to see anyone who believes in anthropogenic climate change dare mention the use of the scientific method, something rarely used for AGW, and putting faith over fact. Anyhow, the whiny start of the screed is amusing, though almost immaterial to this

Why Zika now? As with the emergence of West Nile in the United States, we are witnessing the inevitable march north of tropical diseases as a direct result of a warming planet. The number of diseases coming our way, or already here, is as frightening as it is real. That climate change would impact the transmission of infectious and tropical diseases has long been predicted from the very first reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Those predictions are now our new reality.

Got that? Zika is linked, and, just to be clear, Jeff Schweitzer writes

Climate change is real and caused by human activity; consequently tropical maladies are moving north.

It sure seems as if someone is putting faith above fact, at least in terms of causation.

The rest is a continuous assault on people for not believing in AGW and those who are anti-vaxxers. Gotta say, he’s almost on the mark for these lefties (and some on the right and in the middle) who are against vaccination. As for ‘climate change’? You have to prove it with the scientific method and with hard and unchangeable facts and data. And stop taking on faith that everything is caused by or linked to ‘climate change’.

Now, I actually wrote this post back on January 28th, and thought I had posted it. Negative. Since that time, there have lots and lots of Warmists linking Zika to Hotcoldwetdry. Then there’s this

Concerns have been raised scientists could be to blame for the Zika virus outbreak after genetically modified insects were released into Brazil three years ago.

Didcot-based biotechnology company Oxitec worked on the same type of mosquito that carries the virus in 2012, engineering them to have offspring that die out before they can breed, reducing the population of disease-carrying bugs.

Some scientists questioned the wisdom of the plan at the time and it has led to critics claiming the modification could have sparked the current outbreak.

Huh. So maybe it really wasn’t ‘climate change’. Fortunately, scientists are looking to genetically modify more mosquitos to fight Zika.

Read: Surprise: Zika Virus Linked To ‘Climate Change’ »

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Texas Asks DHS Why They’re Planning To Reduce Border Patrols

By William Teach February 2, 2016 – 7:13 am

Over the past few years, there has been an unprecedented number of “unaccompanied” children illegally crossing the southern border, along with quite a few others. So, what does DHS have planned?

(Texas Tribune) Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat, pressed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday to explain why the agency plans to reduce its aerial surveillance on the Texas-Mexico border.

In a letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, the lawmakers said the cut to a requested 3,850 hours of aerial detection and monitoring in 2016 amounts to 50 percent less coverage than recent years.

“Given the recent surge of migrants from Central America and Cuba along the southern border, we believe DHS should request more surveillance and security resources, not fewer,” Abbott and Cuellar wrote in a letter.

Even if you are in favor of illegal immigration, this should disturb you, as it means less chance to see the illegals coming in to the nation, which means more illegals, many of them children, crossing into areas where they end up collapsing from the heat, lack of water, and lack of food.

Who ordered this reduction? DHS would not say. Would it be off-base to think that this originated somewhere from within Obama’s main team or Obama himself?

Oh, hey, did you know that there are now lots of Cubans coming?

During the 2015 fiscal year, about 28,400 Cubans entered Texas through U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Laredo field office, which extends from Del Rio to Brownsville. That’s compared to about 15,600 in 2014.

The surge came after the Obama administration announced in 2014 its plans to re-establish ties with Cuba, leaving many Cubans fearing they will lose a special designation that allows them to apply for legal residency status, or a “green card,” after living in the country for a year. Cuellar and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, have called for the repeal of that designation.

The article makes no mention as to whether these are legals or illegals. Either way, there is a huge influx of people who share different values, and are often low on education, skills, and money. Which means that the taxpayers of the USA will have to subsidize the lives of these immigrants, legal or otherwise, rather than taking care of our own.

Read: Texas Asks DHS Why They’re Planning To Reduce Border Patrols »

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Cruz Win Iowa, Hillary Barely Ahead Of Sanders

By William Teach February 2, 2016 – 6:56 am

Here we go

(Fox News) Iowa’s Democratic Party said early Tuesday that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had gained an insurmountable lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the state’s caucuses, but stopped short of officially declaring her the winner — while Texas Sen. Ted Cruz scored a decisive win over Donald Trump in the Republican caucuses, with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio a close third. (snip)

In at least three precincts, the Democratic outcome was so close that party officials ordered a coin toss to determine which candidate should receive an extra county convention delegate, a longstanding tiebreaking method. The Des Moines Register reported that Clinton won all three coin flips at precincts in Des Moines, Davenport, and Ames.

Despite his apparent defeat, the result reflected a strong showing for Sanders, who had trailed Clinton by nearly 30 points over the summer. Sanders said the results sent a “profound message” to the media and political establishment. (snip)

With all but one precinct reporting, Cruz had 28 percent, Trump had 24 percent and Rubio had 23 percent. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson placed a distant fourth in the race with 9 percent, while Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul placed fifth with 5 percent.

Remember when Hillary was the overall presumptive nominee? Yet, an ancient White guy who happens to be a self-avowed Socialist almost beat her. It is essentially tied. As for the Republican side, it was a big win for Cruz, and, despite what some are saying that the 2nd place finish by Trump is bad for him, this was a very respectable showing for Trump, and means a long slog to the end. Which is the way it should be when picking a presidential candidate.

Rubio is also a big winner, having shown quite a bit of momentum. How about the losers?

Ben Carson held his 10 percent base, but his candidacy is short lived and beyond Iowa has minimal support.

The biggest losers are Bush, Christie and Huckabee. Bush spent the most money and dropped like a rock.

The big question, do any of those drop out? Huckabee, along with a defeated Martin O’Malley (who had just 1%), suspended their campaigns yesterday. Bush has never gained traction. Will he stick around through New Hampshire? How about Christie and Ben Carson? Another no one is mentioning is John Kasich. Yes, the same one the New York Times endorsed just a few days ago. He received a whopping 2%. Paul had 4%, Fiorina had 2%, and Santorum with 1%. Full breakdown on delegates and percents here.

(Bloomberg) Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ strong showing almost certainly denies Clinton a glide path to the nomination and prolongs the contest deeper into the calendar than Clinton hoped, by likely giving her opponent an infusion of cash and momentum.

It’s also sure to resurrect the questions that have long surrounded Clinton and nagged at Democrats, about why she can’t close the deal, why many voters remain cool to her and whether she truly is capable of knocking out a Republican in the fall.

One has to wonder how much Hillary’s server issues have affected her. We keep finding more and more bad news for her, no matter how much she and her Democratic Party supporters want to say otherwise. The latest has her “outing” actual intelligence agents. Remember when we had a special prosecutor for the Valerie Plame affair? And, she’s just not likable, as poll after poll shows, along with untrustworthy. Will this mean another old white guy by the name of Joe Biden decides to jump back in?

My big winner of the whole Hawkeye cauci is Marco Rubio. It was a big showing for him, and I think this will mean quite a bit of donor cash coming his way, along with support from many big Republicans, especially Establishment folks. My preferred candidate is Cruz, but, I’ll predict that Rubio will be the last guy standing, especially if he does well in New Hampshire.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Cruz Win Iowa, Hillary Barely Ahead Of Sanders »

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Bummer: Only 9% Of Americans Are Worried About ‘Climate Change’

By William Teach February 1, 2016 – 3:00 pm

There was a recent poll, one which has made many UK news sites very upset, with headlines such as

British people as unconcerned about climate change as Americans and Saudis

The UK is ranked 15th among all the countries surveyed when it comes to Hotcoldwetdry, out of 17 countries. Among the various issues for the survey, the question revolved around which one the individual surveyed considered the most serious. We know Saudi Arabia was one of the ones with less concern than the UK. I’m sure you can guess which country ranked lower than the UK

(Daily Caller)  A YouGov poll of 18,000 people in 17 countries found only 9.2 percent of Americans rank global warming as their biggest concern. Only Saudi Arabians were less concerned about global warming at 5.7 percent. The biggest concern for Americans was global terrorism — 28 percent of Americans polled listed this as their top issue.

Despite a big PR push by President Barack Obama to tout his administration’s global warming agenda, most Americans have been unconvinced it’s the country’s most pressing issue. A Fox News poll from November found only 3 percent of Americans list global warming as their top concern.

90.8%, to be exact, picked something other than Hotcoldwetdry.

On the bright side for Warmists, ‘climate change’ didn’t end up last or dead last like normal. It came in 3rd when all 17 countries were put together. But, another point made is, women are slightly less concerned about Hotcoldwetdry than men, which is interesting considering how the Cult of Climastology has been pandering to women and telling them that AGW is going to cause them a lot of problems. Perhaps women don’t care that much, or, at least, think other issues are way more important than a tiny increase in global temps. Oh, and, if you hadn’t noticed, women are world class BS detectors. Think they can’t figure out when someone is trying to pull a fast one? Sure, not every time, but, quite often.

Read: Bummer: Only 9% Of Americans Are Worried About ‘Climate Change’ »

Posted in Collapsing Science, Global Warming | 8 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach February 1, 2016 – 1:00 pm

…is an evil vampire electric sucking device, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is House of Eratosthenes, with a post thinking about shoes.

Read: If All You See… »

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Good Grief: College Kids Receive 5 Step List On How To Kiss

By William Teach February 1, 2016 – 11:26 am

Remember when Leftists used to say that government should stay out of the bedroom? Yeah, about that

From the article

The old adage “a kiss is just a kiss” may not stand up to scrutiny anymore.

On Thursday, the University of Southern California’s student government hosted a “Consent Carnival” that aimed to teach students how to properly hook-up under the “yes means yes” state law that requires so-called affirmative consent throughout any sexual encounter.

The list included

  • Affirmative: We’re really excited to share this kiss with you and we’re letting you know!
  • Coherent: We’re present and able to recognize exactly what’s happening when we give this kiss to you.
  • Willing: We made the decision to give you this kiss ourselves, without pressure or manipulation from you or anybody else.
  • Ongoing: Should you come back for another kiss, check in to see if we’d still like to give you one.
  • Mutual: Sure, we offered you a kiss, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept it. Coming over to our table doesn’t forfeit your right to say no.

And, remember, under California law, stealing a kiss without full and total consent will most likely result in having your life ruined by a kangaroo college court, where you cannot defend yourself with legal representation, not too mention possible criminal charges.

Why is there such a problem on college campuses run by and for liberals?

Read: Good Grief: College Kids Receive 5 Step List On How To Kiss »

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EJ Dionne Writes On The “Long, Painful Road To Iowa”

By William Teach February 1, 2016 – 8:13 am

There’s obviously been quite a bit written on the road to Iowa, which starts off primary voting to pick the Democratic and Republican party contenders for president. Jeb! is trying to stay relevant. Hillary is supposedly going to go after Trump. Trump is supposedly winning over Latinos (well, yeah, he’s for amnesty). Rubio supposedly has the most cash. Bernie has massive crowds, while Hillary doesn’t.

Then we get to this E.J. Dionne opinion piece, which states that the political upheaval goes all the way back to September 11, 2001

Americans made the best sense they could of these events as they came along. The 9/11 tragedy called forth a spirit of national unity, but it quickly gave way to renewed partisan acrimony after President George W. Bush launched the invasion of Iraq. Divisions worsened as the war bogged down. The Great Recession deepened the backlash against Bush and paved the way to President Obama’s victory in 2008.

Of course, even before the Iraq War started, Democrats were already attacking Bush. Let’s not forget that a goodly chunk of them were 9/11 Truthers, believe Bush either let 9/11 happen or made it happen. Many thought it was an inside job. There were lots and lots of conspiracy theories. Let’s also not forget that the majority of Democrats voted for Resolution 1441, which authorized war against Iraq if Saddam did not cooperate with weapons inspectors. And, it was Democrats who quickly turned against Operation Iraqi Freedom for political purposes. Bush never responded to the smears, lies, and attacks from Democrats.

Dionne goes on to whine that the 2007 financial meltdown, which was really a worldwide meltdown (arguing causation is not my intent), happened so quick and Obama became president so fast (Hoover was president for 3 years prior to FDR taking over), that Obama was handicapped. Of course, he fails to mention that Obama campaigned for the job, saying he would Fix Everything and Everyone Would Have A Unicorn, leading to this belly-slapper

Obama’s policies and those of Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, brought us back from the brink. But they took time to work. And the new president was so determined to live up to his promise to end the divide between red and blue that he was slow in taking on his GOP foes.

Remember when Obama told John McCain “I won”? How he essentially said the same to all Congressional Republicans, and got his Democratic Party buddies, who controlled Congress lock, stock, and barrel, to pass his failed Stimulus plan? And then a bunch of other smaller stimulus plans? Which spent gobs of money on projects that weren’t, as Obama laughed about, “not shovel ready”? I’d love to know when Obama has attempted to end the divide, as the man has attacked everyone who disagrees with him, and, has mostly refused to work with Republicans, at least on the big issues. Unless Republicans are giving him what he wants. Heck, the man has been known to negotiate in good faith, then spike the deals.

Republicans did not return the favor. They obstructed his policies and made a Congress led by Democrats look feckless. The 2010 elections brought not ratification of the new Obama alignment but its reversal. Many of the young voters who played such an important role in making Obama president stayed home.

Got that? It’s the GOP’s fault that Democrats pretty much blew off the economic pain of the American citizens in favor of spending a lot of time passing Obamacare, which the people did not want. We finally get to Iowa

And so here we are. Trump and Cruz appeal to different parts of the “take our country back” crowd, now a large proportion of the Republican primary and caucus electorate. The Trumpian dispensation is almost perfectly matched to the anxious restlessness of a wing of conservatism that cares little about programs or ideology. Instead, its loyalists are determined to strike, hard, at a diverse array of enemies they see as having brought the nation to a place they do not like at all.

I may not be a Trump supporter (I do not trust him), but, he has a point about the direction of the country: it’s going the wrong way. The citizens agree. The latest poll has 63% saying the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Bernie Sanders draws in Democratic voters, especially the young, still looking for the transformational politics that was the flip side of Obama’s 2008 appeal. Sanders proposes to resolve the contradictions of Obamaism: Forget the part about bringing us together; just organize a progressive majority for real.

Obama never attempted to bring the whole together. It was simply All About Obama. His way or the highway. It was his policies, narcissism, and foolishness that brought us to this point.

In the meantime, Hillary Clinton’s campaign might be summarized by the words of the old civil rights song: “Keep your hand on the plow, hold on.” She insists that painstaking, practical effort will, over time, get us to where Obama promised to go.

Obviously, Dionne is pulling for Hillary. She’s apparently selling “heroic realism”. No mention of her putting American national security at risk with her home-brew server.

What happens after tonight? Regardless of who wins, it is still a long process. Tonight’s winners may not be the eventual General Election candidate. Trump will probably win, with Cruz coming in second and Rubio third. Things could change in New Hampshire. On the Dem side, will it be Sanders or Clinton? A Sanders win would be massive, and could make Hillary supporters, especially the money class, very jittery. Could this be a boon for O’Malley? Time will tell.

Read: EJ Dionne Writes On The “Long, Painful Road To Iowa” »

Posted in Barking Moonbats, Elections | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

Shockingly, Insurance Companies Are Struggling Financially Under Obamacare

By William Teach February 1, 2016 – 7:29 am

If only someone had predicted that this would happen. Oh, wait, most opposed to Ocare did predict this. Heck, the Democrats who wrote this with their insurance company buddies predicted it, too, having included the notion of “risk corridors” in the massive bill. Risk corridors is the notion where it was expected that some providers would lose their shirts, and could be reimbursed via the money coming from those who did well.

(WRAL) “Nine out of 10 people who have enrolled in health care coverage here in North Carolina have actually gotten help with the cost of that health insurance,” said Jennifer Simmons, with N.C. Navigator Consortium.

Simmons believes customers buying plans under the Affordable Care Act walk away with peace of mind.

Of course, the problem here is that while they have obtained health insurance, many of them were forced to do it because their policy that they liked was cancelled due to Ocare, forcing them into the Ocare system.

Second, it does bring peace of mind, but, when these same folks cannot afford the deductibles, what is the point of insurance? One of the major problems with Ocare is that it tries to control upfront costs, rather than reducing the cost to actually use the insurance. Do you have a car loan? Did you notice that the loan companies require that you have comprehensive and collision with deductibles no more than $500? That’s because they are concerned that people will not fix those cars if the deductible is higher than $500. The average deductible for Ocare is over $5000. If someone needs a subsidy for their health insurance plan, can they afford thousands of dollars for the deductible, along with other fees to actually obtain health care?

With car loans, those providers make sure that the cost to use the insurance are at an affordable level. Ocare just tries to keep things low on the front end with almost no concern for the back end.

Here’s the supposed point of the article, though

Health insurance companies, on the other hand, are now saying they could use a little help. The Affordable Care Act is hurting them financially, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield, because of customers buying plans under the act.

Last year, the company reported a $50 million net loss. This year, Blue Cross Blue Shield is cutting commissions for insurance agents. United Healthcare and Coventry also made changes to commissions.

I do have to wonder, is this about insurance companies who offer ACA insurance, ones who don’t, or both losing money? It was rather light on details, sadly. The headline was about “insurance companies struggling financially as ACA deadline arrives.” Which ones? We certainly know that those who offer Ocare coverage are struggling. BCBS, United, and Coventry all offer plans in various states as Ocare providers. All three offer in North Carolina, with Coventry being through Aetna. All three are struggling. But, it was not mentioned in the article.

Is the ACA causing non-ACA companies to struggle? Is it causing the aforementioned providers to struggle financially in their operations that aren’t a part of the ACA?

Of course, the few named have voluntarily offered to provide coverage through the ACA. These same insurance companies were cheerleaders for the passage of Ocare and cheered heavily when it passed in the dead of night using parliamentary shenanigans. They thought they would make some cash. Now, many are losing money. Well, that’s their problem. They made their bed, and they can lie in it. They should not receive a dime from the government to cover those losses. No bailouts. In fact, many of those “risk corridors” have been blocked by Congress.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Shockingly, Insurance Companies Are Struggling Financially Under Obamacare »

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If All You See…

By William Teach January 31, 2016 – 1:00 pm

…is the need to wear glasses because climate change is destroying our eyes, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is 90Ninety Miles From Tyranny, with a post on why capitalism is great.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

By William Teach January 31, 2016 – 9:15 am

Patriotic Pinup Gil Elvgren

Happy Sunday! Another gorgeous day in America. The sun is shining, the birds are signing, and we’re one week away from the Super Bowl. This pinup is by Gil Elvgren, with a wee bit of help.

What is happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15

  1. Legal Insurrection notes delusion by EU leaders over the Cologne sex attacks
  2. The First Street Journal covers the racism of feminism
  3. C3 Headlines has a legitimate question regarding how much warming is fabricated
  4. No Frakking Consensus notes that carbon taxes are regressive and hurt the poor
  5. Independent Sentinel covers Obama off to support religious freedom…for radical Muslims
  6. Weasel Zippers covers Hillary’s “standing room only” crowd
  7. The People’s Cube covers government regulation your farts
  8. The Lonely Conservative shows how low Trump’s favorability is
  9. The Last Tradition highlights joke justice with a “refugee”
  10. Shot In The Dark wonders “what if?”, regarding Trump
  11. protein wisdom notes Democrats want control of your iPhones
  12. Patterico’s Pontifications is not happy with emojis
  13. Pam Geller covers civil war in Sweden
  14. Neo-neocon wonders who Trump supporters are and what they want
  15. And last, but not least, Moonbattery covers the root cause of Colognization

As always, the full set of pinups can be seen in the Patriotic Pinup category, or over at my Gallery page. While we are on pinups, since it is that time of year, have you gotten your “Pinups for Vets” calendar yet? And don’t forget to check out what I declare to be our War on Women Rule 5 and linky luv posts and things that interest me

Don’t forget to check out all the other great material all the linked blogs have!

Anyone else have a link or hotty-fest going on? Let me know so I can add you to the list. (BTW, since someone asked, the reason I leave links for the previous week up (or you might see a *) is because they are place holders for later in the day or for next weeks. Easier than rewriting all the time. Also, the listing order has to do with how they are added over time, not how good a post is. I just copy and paste from the previous week, then edit. If you see one of the *’s, go ahead and check out the blog anyhow, see if there is an update. I cannot update with my Android during the day.

Read: Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup »

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