If All You See…

…is a horrible asphalt road made with evil fossil fuels, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Vlad Tepes, with a post on “German vigilantism, media deception and deflection, Jihadis threatening Italians and more”

Read: If All You See… »

Say, Are Your Text Messages Bad For Global Warming?

This is a Big Question for National Democratic Radio, er, National Public Radio

How Much Do Your Text Messages Contribute To Global Warming?

A few days back, All Tech got a question from an NPR listener that got us curious.

Tim Callahan from Seattle wrote:

“A friend asked how texting – in all its forms (admittedly a squishy thing to corral) – is contributing to global warming? After saying, ‘minimally…’, I thought about how to answer that question. Putting aside the sunk contribution caused by the manufacture and transport of the device you text with, how much does the battery emit / generate while a person does a typical or somehow average text? … Can you help quantify?”

I tracked down someone who’d get us to the answer: greenhouse gas footprinting expert Mike Berners-Lee. Climate impact calculations are just the sort of thing he does for work at Small World Consulting at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. And estimating the impact of a text message is exactly the thing he did for his 2010 book How Bad Are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint Of Everything.

I’ll make it easy for you: the answer is that the carbon footprint of texting is very minimal

When we wrote this a few years ago, we estimated that the carbon footprint of all the world’s text messages to be 32,000 tons of CO2e per year. By now, it will have grown quite a bit, but 32,000 tons is still a tiny figure for all the world’s text messaging.

That’s the equivalent of the carbon footprint of around 1,700 US citizens, if we use the older figure of the average US citizen having a carbon footprint of 19 metric tons. Adding pictures increases the figure. And the world’s carbon footprint is 50 billion metric tons. So, a drop in the bucket.

What this does go to show is how insane the members of the Cult of Climastrology are, that they would even worry about whether their text messaging is Bad for global warming/climate change. They need to get a grip. Of course, this is what the constant drumbeat of future doom from tiny amounts of CO2 does to weak-minded and easily impressible Leftists creates.

Read: Say, Are Your Text Messages Bad For Global Warming? »

NY Times: Seriously, You People Need To Calm Down About All The Sexual Assault In Germany By Refugees

This op-ed by Anna Sauerbrey is definately in the running for the January most bat guano insane award, at least in terms of Big Credentialed Media.

Germany’s Post-Cologne Hysteria

As M asks in the comments “120 complaints of sexual assault is hysteria?”(actually more than that) Hello There writes “Ms. Sauerbrey is blaming Germany for not integrating the immigrants the same way that abused wives are often blamed for their husbands’ behavior.” NJ Voter: “Why should the women of Germany give up their freedoms (freedom of assembly, freedom of movement, freedom of expression and dress) in order to accommodate the needs of Middle Eastern refugees fleeing from problems in their own societies?” Carolyn: “In other words, blame the victim.”

Starting the article, though, I had to wonder if the headline was written by an editor, as they usually are, who didn’t actually read it

ON New Year’s Eve, hundreds of men gathered in the plaza at the main train station in Cologne, Germany, groping and robbing scores of women as they passed by. By the end of this week the police had received 170 complaints, including 120 related to sexual assault.

Despite the fact that the attacks occurred in the center of Germany’s fourth-largest city, it took days for the news to surface in the national media. Even stranger, the police seemed to know little about the attacks. No arrests were made, and authorities claimed that nearby surveillance cameras offered little help in identifying suspects. The Cologne police chief was forced from his job on Friday.

The police have since identified 31 suspects. They are a multinational lot, including Germans, a Serb and even one American. But 18 of them are asylum seekers from the Middle East and North Africa.

Let’s not forget that this occurred in multiple other German cities, as well as cities in other European nations to boot. This brought on a discussion from Anna about people jumping to conclusions “before the facts were all in”

Alice Schwarzer, a well-known German feminist, wrote on her blog on Tuesday that the events were a “product of misguided tolerance.” Frauke Petry, head of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party, said the events were a “result of uncontrolled migration.”

And Julia Klöckner, the top Christian Democratic candidate in the coming state election in Rhineland-Palatinate, called for an “open debate” on whether foreigners, including asylum seekers, could be kicked out for committing crimes — a proposal that even Chancellor Angela Merkel cautiously endorsed, though such laws already exist.

She notes that the Right was blaming, while the Left was deflecting blame. It all seems a ration discussion on the subject. Then it breaks down, and you realize that the headline matches the op-ed

In other words, precisely when the country needs a coolheaded conversation about the impact of Germany’s new refugee population, we’re playing musical chairs: Everybody runs for a seat to the left and to the right, afraid to remain in the middle, apparently undecided.

The irony is that the Cologne attacks, by highlighting the issue of refugees and their culture, raise an incredibly important question and at the same time make it almost impossible to have a reasonable conversation about it.

We’re supposed to have a rational conversation about mass sexual assault? Really? Here in the US, Leftists freak out over stolen kisses, guys looking at girls in a sexual manner, and catcalls. The deem this all as misogyny and sexual assault. In Europe, there was actually sexual assault in mass groups. Norway is holding classes for refugees which teach them “not to rape”.  There are rape gangs and sexual assault all over Europe in refugee camps. This isn’t even taking into account the way these refugees treat women overall, along with the crime of other stripes they bring along, compounded by their attitude that countries like Germany will give them whatever they want. I think a bit of hysteria is warranted.

Integration will fail if Germany cannot resolve the tension between its secular, liberal laws and culture and the patriarchal and religiously conservative worldviews that some refugees bring with them. We cannot avoid that question out of fear of feeding the far right. But integration will also fail if a full generation of refugees is demonized on arrival.

And that’s where the victim blaming comes into play. Should all Germany women, and women throughout Europe, put on a burka? Schools have told girls to cover up to avoid sexual assault from refugees. Cologne’s female mayor told women they should keep an “arms length” away from men, and no hugging or anything, because the refugees might get the wrong idea.

Assumptions have replaced observation, assertion has replaced assessment, and ideology has replaced evidence. With its vision thus distorted, Germany is speeding toward a multicultural society, chased by the mob on the Internet, without any idea of what that society should look like.

We need to regain our sense of balance — or it’s just a question of time until we hit a wall.

Obviously, you people who are concerned about rampant sexual assault from these refugees, comprised mostly of young men, are just a bit hysterical, and need to calm down. No assumptions, we have a multicultural society to form! SW writes “It sure would be nice if the politically correct would stop throwing women as a group under the bus in the name of trying to judge these mass atrocities as some kind of balancing test. Punish the offenders and keep anyone with the mindset that women are fair game to be raped out of the West, period.” Good point. Why is it that so many Leftists have decided that protecting Islamic refugees (and Islamists overall) comes before their belief that women should be treated with respect and not sexually assaulted?

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: NY Times: Seriously, You People Need To Calm Down About All The Sexual Assault In Germany By Refugees »

White House Will Shift A Few Paradigms In Order To Combat ISIS Propaganda

In case you missed it, there was an attack on a Philadelphia police officer today, with the shooter claiming he did it in the name of Islam, and has pledged allegiance to ISIS. Then we have this

(The Blaze) The White House released a statement Friday announcing a new plan for countering extremist propaganda from the Islamic State and other violent groups in the United States and abroad.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice are working to form a “Countering Violent Extremism Task Force” to “integrate and harmonize” domestic efforts to counter violent extremism, National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said.

The State Department will also establish a “Global Engagement Center” to collaborate with international partners in order to message against extremist propaganda and “shift away from direct messaging.”

This is where the rubber meets the road. They need everyone to buy in on these action items. This is core competency in action. They’re empowering themselves to pick off the low hanging fruit of the Jihadi movement. The need all hands on deck, and expect to circle back to harmonize the response. If they can move the needle, they can send in the tiger teams to reduce the burning platforms. They’ll focus like a laser beam while thinking outside the box.

Or, they could simply track the SOBs and whack them.

Read: White House Will Shift A Few Paradigms In Order To Combat ISIS Propaganda »

If All You See…

…is a Pacific island doomed from rising seas from people not buying locally, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Capitalism Is Freedom, with a post on new gun tech.

Read: If All You See… »

Soundbars Reviewed: Vizio SB4051 And Samsung 500 Series

Something a little different. For Christmas, the only thing I wanted was a soundbar, because, let’s face it, most TVs nowadays have terrible speakers. I’ve previously written about the Vizio TV I got last year, which I’m still thrilled with. I’ve been using computer speakers attached to the component audio output, and, while OK, I wanted sound that pops. The soundbar I had settled on was the Vizio SB4051-C0.

It’s listed as a 5.1-Channel Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer and Rear Satellite Speakers, available at lots of outlets. I bought mine at Best Buy. It has a soundbar, wireless subwoofer, and two satellite speakers attached to and powered by the subwoofer.

Starting with the soundbar itself, the sound is very good, especially for the price. One thing I really like is that it has 3 channels: left, right, and center, something very few soundbars have. Most are simply left and right, called 2 channels. The .1 you might see alludes to the subwoofer. Crisp sound, surround sound is excellent, depth of sound and projection are fantastic. If you are looking at other Vizio soundbars, they have the same characteristics. Most come at 38″ long. This one is 40″. They are also very loud. There is no rating for watts, but in decibels (102).

I find the subwoofer to provide just the right amount of bass. I was not looking for an earth shaker. I don’t like, except in a movie theater. Some complain it isn’t enough, I think it is.

It comes with all the necessary cables, including an optical cable, coaxial audio cable, and HDMI for use with ARC.

Here’s where it breaks down. The satellite speakers never worked, except during the test the system could send out. Nary a sound. Vizio suggested I exchange it. I did. The satellite speakers worked, except the sound was so low I couldn’t hear them beyond 2-3 inches away. I ran the cords multiple ways (from TV, cable box, and Bluray), and couldn’t get the sound increased, and, yes, at least the TV and Bluray were putting out at least 5.1 audio.

Sadly, there is a lot of confusion at Vizio regarding the 5.1. I’ve been told multiple times that the sound has to be true 5.1 for the satellite speakers to work, and multiple times that the system will mimic 5.1 using Truesound. Regardless, I was only going to play for so long with the second one before returning it.

I also had a problem with a slight audio sync problem between TV sound and soundbar, which meant could not turn TV sound on, or use my stereo system to augment, except when plugged into the component outputs. I may have found a solution for that. More later.

I spent some time talking to the folks at Best Buy, and listening to the sound. The best in the price range I was looking (no more than $350) is the Samsung 500 series (HW-J550/ZA), which is a best seller for a reason.

It is only 2.1 channels, meaning right and left on the soundbar, plus a subwoofer. The soundbar has a low profile, which is great for where I place it, being on the mantle over the fireplace. With the TV right behind it on the built in shelf over the gas fireplace, it doesn’t block signal to the TV. The sound is fantastic. One thing I really like is how the sound seems to be coming from around the TV, rather than from the bar sitting below it. Quite a few soundbars I tested did not provide this effect: you didn’t wonder where the sound was coming from, you could tell from the soundbar. The Samsung is expansive, which is a better experience. When you’re watching someone’s lips move on TV, you want to think the sound is coming from them, not speakers elsewhere, if you know what I mean.

The subwoofer is similar to the Vizio, so, just what I was looking for.

I’d definitely recommend the Samsung for anyone who just wants some great sound for a good price. And, yeah, I’ve had it cranked for movies and a Devils game, and it was fantastic. It is also very easy to connect Bluetooth to devices to stream sound, and is as easy as turning off the BT on the soundbar to disconnect, so you can save battery power.

Regarding audio sync, I had a lot of problems with the Vizio, and was having the same problems with the Samsung, though I only tried it with the optical cable. I tried adjust the sync on the TV and soundbar. If you run into this, try checking a setting on your TV, DVD player, and/or cable box, make sure it is in PCM, not bitstream (which is for true 5.1+ audio). I changed, and immediately synced correctly.

I do not remember whether I tried this with the Vizio. The Vizio is a great product, if you can get it to work. Not sure if it is worth it a full price of $349. On sale for $299? Maybe, if you can get the satellite speakers to work. You can also try the 38″ version. I picked up the Samsung on sale for $279, which is $100 off. Took the extra $20 and got a new memory card, which was on sale for $17.99, normally $69.99. One in my table has gone stupid, locked up.

Read: Soundbars Reviewed: Vizio SB4051 And Samsung 500 Series »

Two Questions You Should Totally Ask Yourself About Hotcoldwetdry

They’re doozies, from Slate, which is moving quickly towards the nutbaggary of Salon

The Two Questions You Should Ask Yourself About Climate Change

In March 2012, in a large-windowed conference hall on the snowy campus of the University of Calgary, I heard two simple questions. The man asking them was trying to help his audience get the most out of their day by giving them a clear understanding of where they, and others, stood when it came to action on climate change. To that end he asked them:

Do you believe the risks of climate change merit serious action aimed at lessening them?

Do you think that reducing an industrial economy’s carbon dioxide emissions to near zero is very hard?

The two questions posed that morning by Robert Socolow, a physicist from Princeton University, seem to me a particularly good way of defining your position on geoengineering. So take a moment to answer them, if you would.

After that we get lots of yammering, strawmen, and the inability to provide unimpeachable facts that Mankind’s release of CO2 is the primary/sole cause of the current warm period.

As to the first, I’ll ask, if your answer is “yes”, what are you doing in your own life to drastically reduce your own carbon footprint, even making it neutral?

For the second, are you willing to further give up your modern lifestyle, decrease your wages, increase your cost of living, and see future generations live lives more akin to those in 2nd and 3rd world nations?

Read: Two Questions You Should Totally Ask Yourself About Hotcoldwetdry »

Climate Change Comes In Dead Last On List Of Things That Will Finish Off Mankind

The UK Express has an article about how a super-volcano, specifically the one which comprises Yellowstone, could kill millions. Also, wondering if it is about to blow, which people have been wondering about for a long time. (via Climate Depot)

Instances of volcanic eruptions are their highest for 300 years and scientists fear a major one that could kill millions and devastate the planet is a real possibility.

Experts at the European Science Foundation said volcanoes – especially super-volcanoes like the one at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, which has a caldera measuring 34 by 45 miles (55 by 72 km) – pose more threat to Earth and the survival of humans than asteroids, earthquakes, nuclear war and global warming.

There are few real contingency plans in place to deal with the ticking time bomb, which they conclude is likely to go off within the next 80 years. (snip)

Experts at the European Science Foundation said volcanoes – especially super-volcanoes like the one at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, which has a caldera measuring 34 by 45 miles (55 by 72 km) – pose more threat to Earth and the survival of humans than asteroids, earthquakes, nuclear war and global warming.

Here’s what that looks like

Can we really consider “climate change” to be dead last when it gets zero percent, and shouldn’t even be included? From the article comments

  • Tax it and issue some anti-volcano regulations; maybe Obama could visit the park the day it explodes.
  • This is a very simple solution to this problem. Just have the Liberals become offended by this and the government will be forced to remove it. Problem solved.
  • We will just wait for our Feckless Leader to sign an Executive Order that doesn’t allow the eruption without a background check.

Heh.

Read: Climate Change Comes In Dead Last On List Of Things That Will Finish Off Mankind »

Man Surrounded By Lots Of Armed Security Says Gun Are Our Shared Responsibility

Obviously, after Obama’s little town hall thing on CNN, where Obama told a rape survivor that owning a gun could lead to a tragic accident….say, doesn’t that mean that Obama is in a lot of danger from all the guns surrounding him?…, there will be lots of opinion pieces from the Compliant Media. The NY Times gets the prize, as they publish one written with the byline Barack Obama

Barack Obama: Guns Are Our Shared Responsibility

THE epidemic of gun violence in our country is a crisis. Gun deaths and injuries constitute one of the greatest threats to public health and to the safety of the American people. Every year, more than 30,000 Americans have their lives cut short by guns. Suicides. Domestic violence. Gang shootouts. Accidents. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost brothers and sisters, or buried their own children. We’re the only advanced nation on earth that sees this kind of mass violence with this frequency.

He forgets that 20,000 are suicides, and a goodly chunk of the rest are from people who posses guns illegally, mostly in Democratic Party run areas, some with massive gun restrictions, like Chicago, Baltimore, and California. And gun free zones. Let’s not forget about those

A national crisis like this demands a national response. Reducing gun violence will be hard. It’s clear that common-sense gun reform won’t happen during this Congress. It won’t happen during my presidency. Still, there are steps we can take now to save lives. And all of us — at every level of government, in the private sector and as citizens — have to do our part.

I did. I bought a gun back in 2008, after the election. Anyhow, if “our part” means new gun restrictions on law abiding citizens, well, perhaps he can explain how that’s worked in Chicago? Perhaps he can explain why “gun violence” is so prevalent within Black communities as administered by the Democratic Party?

As Americans, we hold consumer goods to high standards to keep our families and communities safe. Cars have to meet safety and emissions requirements. Food has to be clean and safe. We will not end the cycle of gun violence until we demand that the gun industry take simple actions to make its products safer as well. If a child can’t open a bottle of aspirin, we should also make sure she can’t pull the trigger of a gun.

What’s that joke, based on reality, about kids being able to open what adults can’t? The only thing I can figure is that he wants “smart guns”. They make a few. If guns are so dangerous, the US Secret Service should be armed only with smart guns.

Yet today, the gun industry is almost entirely unaccountable. Thanks to the gun lobby’s decades of efforts, Congress has blocked our consumer products safety experts from being able to require that firearms have even the most basic safety measures. They’ve made it harder for the government’s public health experts to conduct research on gun violence. They’ve guaranteed that manufacturers enjoy virtual immunity from lawsuits, which means that they can sell lethal products and rarely face consequences. As parents, we wouldn’t put up with this if we were talking about faulty car seats. Why should we tolerate it for products — guns — that kill so many children each year?

A nice little strawman. A gun that fires is not faulty, unless it is going off with the safety or a trigger lock engaged. We don’t sue a car manufacturer if someone is killed by a drunk driver. We don’t sue makers of hammers and other “blunt weapons” when they kill someone. Or knife manufacturers. They aren’t faulty. The car seat referenced is.

All of us need to demand leaders brave enough to stand up to the gun lobby’s lies. All of us need to stand up and protect our fellow citizens. All of us need to demand that governors, mayors and our representatives in Congress do their part.

The majority of us approve of the “gun lobby”. Obama must, since he is surrounded by armed security. The citizens are the gun lobby. No one should be surprised in the least that Obama goes down Divisive Road in pitting citizen against citizen while Blamestorming the “gun lobby”. For a guy who was supposedly going to bring the country together, he sure loves to divide us.

Those moments represent American democracy, and the American people, at our best. Meeting this crisis of gun violence will require the same relentless focus, over many years, at every level. If we can meet this moment with that same audacity, we will achieve the change we seek. And we will leave a stronger, safer country to our children.

You know where it’s really safe? Where Obama has his home in Hyde Park, a section of Chicago, where crime is really, really low, and the University of Chicago Police Department patrols. They carry guns, there are lots of them, and they make sure undesirable elements stay out.

When will Obama hold a townhall on the threat from Islamist violence?

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Man Surrounded By Lots Of Armed Security Says Gun Are Our Shared Responsibility »

Suddenly, A Warm US Means Doom From ‘Climate Change’ Per Bored Grandma

When the US was experiencing massive cold waves, and cooler than average years, we were told that the US was only 2% of the world, and it was meaningless. Now…

I’m not sure what Hillary is worried about. The kind of prison she’ll be sent to typically have plenty of air conditioning. Let’s flip to that NOAA press release

The 2015 annual average U.S. temperature was 54.4°F, 2.4°F above the 20th century average, the second warmest year on record. Only 2012 was warmer for the U.S. with an average temperature of 55.3°F.

Interesting. Just a few years ago, the NOAA data showed 1998 as 55.08. Now it shows 54.23, almost a full degree less. Even the baseline is now changed. Back in 2013 it was 52.06. Now it is 52.02. How does the baseline change? How do the temperatures change?

Read: Suddenly, A Warm US Means Doom From ‘Climate Change’ Per Bored Grandma »

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