Oops: Congress To Investigate RICO Letter Writers

By William Teach October 2, 2015 – 7:07 pm

The scientists who wrote a letter to Obama and the Attorney General, suggesting that those who fail to follow the Cult of Climastrology’s official line be prosecuted under RICO statues, are in a peck of a bit of trouble.

(Daily Caller) The 20 climate scientists and academics who sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to prosecute global warming skeptics may be in big trouble.

A congressional committee is now looking into the government-backed nonprofit that circulated the letter, demanding they turn over “all e-mail, electronic documents, and data created since January 1, 2009.” The group has one week to respond in writing to the committee’s request.

The Institute of Global Environment and Society (IGES) “appears to be almost fully funded by taxpayer money while simultaneously participating in partisan political activity by requesting a RICO investigation of companies and organizations that disagree with the Obama administration on climate change,” Texas Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the House science committee, wrote in a letter to IGES.

And it appears that those involved, particularly Jagadish Shukla, have been feeding at the taxpayer funded trough, hooking up family and friends, and producing almost no work for that roughly $63 million. Anthony Watts says this could be the biggest scientific scandal in US history.

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If All You See…

By William Teach October 2, 2015 – 1:00 pm

…is extreme rain from a hurricane made worse from climate change, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Daley Gator, with a post on Statists tackling “real” problems.

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Could Democrats Please Tell Us Their Plans To Reduce Gun Violence?

By William Teach October 2, 2015 – 11:43 am

Moments after yesterday’s horrific shooting at yet another gun free zone, in which a nutjob targeted Christians (from everything I’ve read, he’s not a Democrat or Republican, just a nutjob), Democrats were quick to politicize this tragic event, none more than Mr. Obama, as PJ Media’s Liz Sheld notes

Yesterday, a crazed-lunatic went to a community college in Oregon, killed nine people and wounded at least 20 before he was shot dead.  President Obama hustled to call a press conference, in one of the fastest responses I’ve ever seen from him, to turn this into political spectacle before we had much, if any, information about what happened.

“And what’s become routine, of course, is the response of those who oppose any kind of common-sense gun legislation,” said the President. The President went on to idealize Australia and England, both countries that virtually ban firearm ownership entirely, so I don’t think Obama really wants any kind of actual reform, I think he wants to ban guns.

“We know that other countries, in response to one mass shooting, have been able to craft laws that almost eliminate mass shootings. Friends of ours, allies of ours — Great Britain, Australia, countries like ours. So we know there are ways to prevent it,” said Obama.

Exactly what does he mean by that? We’ll get back to that in a minute. Ms. Sheld notes all the gun laws already on the books, especially in places with draconian laws, such as Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, etc. Places where gun-play regularly occurs. Strange, eh? What new laws, ones that mimic Chicago, for instance, would stop that? Chicago just had a big weekend of shootings. Baltimore has seen record numbers murdered by guns. Let’s shift to Charles C.W. Cook, who “debated” leftist Mark Halprin. Head to the link for the back and forth, watch the video, and remember how it ends

“I don’t think that’s enough. I completely agree with the president,” Halperin said. “People need to find solutions to this and not talk about what won’t work and that it’s so complicated. We can’t be the only country that’s like this.”

Cooke quickly replied, “Alright, well then with respect, what’s your plan?”

Halperin said there are “short-term solutions” like state and federal regulations, but “coming up with ideas” is also important.

“But which ideas, Mark?” Cooke pressed.

“We can talk about specific policy in a second, but just let me finish this second point,” Halperin replied, later criticizing his fellow reporter for his “tone” on the issue.

In other words, liberals really do not want to talk about their plans. They surely know that all the draconian laws do not work. Obama alluded to what they really want

Ideally, someone on that [Democratic] debate stage would emulate President Obama and say America needs something like Australia’s policy of nationwide gun confiscation. I think the Republican nominee would love for the 2016 election to be a referendum on whether private citizens should be permitted to own guns, or whether Americans support a nationwide house-to-house, room-to-room search of every residence in all fifty states.

The major problem with most gun laws proposed/implemented is that they target law abiding citizens, not the criminals who use guns. So, what say, Democrats? Up for pushing to repeal the 2nd Amendment, instituting gun confiscation? Back to Liz Sheld

We have many laws on the books that are related to gun crimes that are violated in the process of actually committing the crime. Murder? Illegal. Stealing guns to use in a crime, like the Sandy Hook shooter did?  Illegal. Do we need more laws on the books that will be ignored by people who, by definition, do not respect the law?

But let’s hear some details about this “common sense” legislation we need that would prevent insane maniacs and criminals from slaughtering people, assuming of course we aren’t really talking about a gun ban.

Yes, let’s hear it.

Someone saying gun play is worse in Red states than Blue states in 3….2…..1….

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Here We Go: Huffington Post Links Hurricane Joaquin With ‘Climate Change’

By William Teach October 2, 2015 – 7:58 am

Most news outlets have wisely stayed away from this proposition, something that is not based on science. Not Huffington Post’s Lydia O’Conner

How Climate Change Is Intensifying Hurricane Joaquin
Warmer oceans are making everything worse.

As the East Coast prepares for a possible Hurricane Joaquin landfall, experts warn that its intensity and potential for destruction are exacerbated by climate change.

Joaquin, which strengthened into a dangerous Category 4 hurricane on Thursday and battered sparsely populated Bahamian islands, will strengthen in the next 12 to 24 hours, the National Hurricane Center reported. Its current path has it nearing North Carolina and Virginia on Sunday or Monday, but mid-Atlantic and Northeast states will experience minor to moderate flooding over the weekend regardless of whether the hurricane makes landfall.

Joaquin’s quickly progressing strength can be tied to unprecedented sea surface temperatures in the hurricane’s vicinity, Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, told The Huffington Post.

“Joaquin has been traveling over a record-warm ocean surface and undoubtedly that has contributed to its rapid intensification,” he said. “In a very basic sense, warmer ocean surface temperatures mean there is more energy available to strengthen these storms. So we expect more intense hurricanes in general in a warmer world.”

Lydia goes on to use other “experts”, but fails to note that, despite the heat, there have been fewer hurricanes, and much fewer major hurricanes in the past few years. The US hasn’t experienced a category 3 or stronger in almost ten years, and, unless Joaquin takes a major turn to the west (it’s trending further and further east), the chance has become remote.

Hurricanes happen. Warmists, though, want to manufacture a condition where they are being created and/or made worse because Someone Else refused to make their lives carbon neutral.

Mann warned it’s likely we’ll be seeing more hurricanes of Joaquin’s strength.

“Based on our work, climate change is already leading to both more intense and larger hurricanes than before,” he said. “That translates to more frequent Sandy-like storm surges for New York and elsewhere.”

And we’re supposed to believe the computer models from the Cult of Climastrology

https://twitter.com/WilliamTeach/status/649735134497886208

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Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Beyond Moonbat, Global Warming | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

NY Times Admits Palestinians Are Mostly At Fault For Peace Failure

By William Teach October 2, 2015 – 7:29 am

Here’s something you’ll almost never see in the leftist NY Times: the Editorial Board telling the whole truth when it comes to Palestinian terrorism

Mahmoud Abbas Gives Up on Peace

The sad political reality behind Mahmoud Abbas’s “bombshell” declarationon Wednesday that the Palestinians no longer regard themselves as bound by the Oslo Peace Accords is that there was so little left to disown.

Worked out between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in secrecy, the Oslo Accords launched what has been known ever since as “the peace process,” a series of staged actions that were supposed to lead to a final peace settlement. When Yitzhak Rabin and Yasir Arafat shook hands on the White House lawn 22 years ago, it seemed that the way to an Israeli-Palestinian peace based on the existence of two states was finally open.

But it was not long before the optimistic timetable broke down amid suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism, intifadas, rocket barrages, unceasing expansion of settlements, military clashes and ever more bitter mutual recriminations. Repeated bouts of negotiations collapsed; the last American attempt at getting talks going fell apart in 2014.

Yes, a little bit of Israel blaming in the settlements part. Of course, Israel won that territory by winning wars in which they were attacked by other Middle Eastern nations. Israel wants peace. When they have their civilian population constantly attacked by terrorists, they will respond. And did respond. Virtually everything they’ve done, including the building of walls, has been in response to attacks out of the Palestinian areas.

Bombshell or not, it is not a speech to be lightly dismissed. Mr. Abbas is among the last of Mr. Arafat’s generation of leaders who led the Palestinians from brutal terrorism to recognition of the state of Israel, and the Oslo Accords represented enormous concessions both by them and by the tough Israeli pioneers Mr. Rabin so nobly represented. There is no point in playing the tedious and useless blame game; Mr. Abbas has certainly made his share of errors and many powerful Palestinian figures long ago turned from negotiation to violence against Israel and Israelis. But the failure of everyone — Palestinians, Israelis and Americans — to build on the promise of Oslo is a tragedy for all.

There can only be peace between two parties when both parties act in a peaceful manner. Other Middle Eastern players, most notably Iran and Syria, as well as Saddam era Iraq, have supported the terrorist attacks on Israel. A 2014 poll showed that 89% of Palestinians support terror attacks on Israel.

Terrorism from Palestine was institutionalized when Hamas became a recognized political party.

Yes, Israel is not entirely without fault. But, the basic fact is this: don’t attack Israel, and they won’t attack back. Until leaders step up in Palestine and work towards peace, rather than yammering about it, there won’t be.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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Posted in War On Terrorism | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Today’s “Joaquin Is All About Hotcoldwetdry”

By William Teach October 1, 2015 – 3:28 pm

I’m still rather surprised that there are not that many, but, then, I’ve noticed a significant decrease on Twitter of tweets mentioning “climate change” or #climatechange. Here’s a few choice ones

Read More »

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Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 5 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach October 1, 2015 – 1:00 pm

…is a wonderful liberal city being swamped by extreme weather flooding, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Flopping Aces, with a post on Obama’s America as a fertile ground for ISIS.

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Surprise: Hillary Ignored Mandatory Cyber-Security Training

By William Teach October 1, 2015 – 10:45 am

Here’s the lady who wants to be POTUS, in an era of cyber-warfare

(Daily Caller) Glaring shortcomings in cyber-security training throughout the State Department on former Secretary Hillary Clinton’s watch reflected a pervasive anti-security “culture” she encouraged there, according to multiple former intelligence and military officials.

Acting State Department Inspector General Harold W. Geisel issued six critical reports that charged top officials did not submit themselves to the department’s mandatory “security awareness training” during Clinton’s tenure. The training covers procedures for properly handling of sensitive and classified government documents and how to secure digital communications.

Senior officials from deputy assistant secretaries to chiefs of missions at U.S. embassies did not submit themselves to regular training sessions as required by the department and government-wide standards, according to Geisel.

Is anyone shocked by this in the least? Make sure to read all the material afterwards at the link, which ends with

Bergquist said that he understood that many in Secretary Clinton’s inner circle did not want to bother with training. “They said, ‘I don’t want to spend four hours going through this type of training. I’ve got more important things to do. That’s low on my priority list,” the general said.

Bergquist called it “hubris. That kind of attitude permeates down.”

If the Boss is refusing to follow the rules, and even flouting/breaking them herself, why would the lower levels think they had to follow the rules?

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Cult of Climastrology: ‘Climate Change’ Will Make Ocean Levels Swing Like A Seesaw

By William Teach October 1, 2015 – 8:46 am

It’s a day ending in a “Y”, so it must be time for yet another scaremongering prognostication

Climate Change and El Niño Will Make Ocean Levels Swing Like a Seesaw

The ups and downs experienced on a Seesaw may be fun for kids in the park, but it’s alarming when climate scientists start comparing our ocean levels to the child’s plaything in research.

But that’s exactly what oceanographers are predicting will happen, as our planet heats up and stronger El Niño events in the future trigger an even more extreme pendulum effect in sea levels.

“This is like climate change on steroids,” said Axel Timmermann, a climate researcher and oceanographer with the University of Hawaii, who along with other scientists analyzed these extreme swings in sea level.

Fortunately, according to the satellite data and land measurements outside of areas suffering from massive UHI/land use increases, there has been no warming/statistically insignificant warming for anywhere from 12-26 years, depending on the source.

A typical El Niño event induces changes in wind patterns and cause changes in ocean currents, which redistribute warm water and results in sea levels dropping as warm water flows east. That leaves sea levels in the western Pacific lower than normal.

And with global temperatures rising, scientists expect El Niño events to become more pronounced, and force sea levels to swing from one extreme to the other.

In other words, the Cult of Climastrology is telling us they’re going to blame all ocean height swings on ‘climate change’, even though they have always happened. They will say that the swings are much, much worse because Someone Else drove a fossil fueled vehicle, and they’ll attempt to prove this with anecdotal evidence gathered when they take long, long trips to exotic vacation spots.

The researchers conducted computer simulations for four years and published a report that predicts these extremes will happen much more frequently 50 to 100 years from now. And the changes in sea level, which ranges from 6 to 12 inches now, will escalate to 18 to 24 inches by 2100, they predict.

Prognosticating computer models?

Oh, and let’s not forget that if this doesn’t happen, they will blame ‘climate change’.

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Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Global Warming | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

Obama Admin. Says They Totally Won’t Be Bullied By Russia

By William Teach October 1, 2015 – 8:19 am

Too late for that

(Washington Post) Blindsided by the unexpected swiftness of Russia’s air attacks in Syria, the Obama administration scrambled Wednesday to retake the diplomatic and military initiatives, saying that it would not be bullied into supporting President Bashar al-Assad and that it was about to significantly expand its own Syrian air operations.

After spending much of the day together here behind closed doors, Secretary of State John F. Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, said in terse evening statements that U.S. and Russian military officials would meet, perhaps as soon as Thursday, to “deconflict” their operations in Syria.

Remember, early on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton referred to Assad as a “reformer”. Obama has had years to force Assad out. He established his “red lines”, then, when Assad crossed them, Obama retreated and attempted to shift control over to Congress. What, exactly, do they do now? Does this give Obama the out in escaping the Middle East, like he has seemed to want for a long time? Of course, this means a loss of influence in the ME for the U.S., with Iran and Russia increasing their influence.

What else is Obama to do? If he doesn’t support Assad (which, personally, I prefer he didn’t), does he throw his support behind the rebels, whom Russia is apparently bombing (instead of ISIS), which would bring US forces into conflict with Russia? Does he continue to (supposedly) bomb ISIS in Syria? Which could still bring US air forces into conflict with Russian forces? Does he wash his hands of the whole mess? Sadly, Obama has put the US in a position to be bullied by Putin/Russia. Whatever happened with that Crimea and Ukraine?

Fortunately, the Washington Post provides a little humor with the article, though it’s not apparent whether this is intentional or not, with a video of SecState John Kerry

Perhaps they should have started the video at a different spot. But, then, we all feel this facepalmy way about Obama’s foreign policies.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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Posted in Barry Obama, Current Affairs | 14 Comments | Trackback URL
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