Good Grief: Guardian Attempts To Blame Titanic Sinking On “Climate Change”

Perhaps, instead of referring to climate change believers as being part of a cult, we should consider them to be like drug addicts. They have this need, like crack addicts jones for crack, to blame everything on “climate change”. Case in point, here’s Kate Ravilious at the UK Guardian (via Watts Up With That?)

But in fact the catastrophe may have been set in motion by a warm, wet year over Greenland in 1908, resulting in greater snow accumulation. Writing in the journal Weather, Grant Bigg and David Wilton of Sheffield University explain how the snow soaked through cracks in the ice sheet, encouraging excess iceberg calving over the following few years. Soberingly, global warming has increased iceberg hazard greatly in recent decades, making years like 1912 more the norm than the exception.

Kate’s point is not to note that warming happens, just like during the multiple warm periods during the Holocene. Oh, no. Her point is to Blame Mankind and gin up fear. But, there’s a wee bit of a problem, as Watts points out from this Accuweather article, noting that 1912 was, in fact, an average iceberg year. 1912 was also one of the coldest winters on record. Warmists have this need, this compulsion, this craving to link everything to “climate change”.

Read: Good Grief: Guardian Attempts To Blame Titanic Sinking On “Climate Change” »

DHS Head Jeh Johnson Wants Immigration To Respect Sanctity Of Family

When I mention that it is not the immigration system that is broken, but the politicians, this is what I’m referring to

(CNS News) Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, asked by President Obama to review U.S. deportation policy in the face of congressional inaction, says he is “looking for ways to more effectively enforce and administer our immigration laws.”

“Immigration laws or any other law needs to comport with American values. One of those American values is respect for human dignity. I also believe one of those American values is respect for the sanctity of the family unit,” Johnson said in an interview that aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

“None of what I can do, however, is a substitute for action by Congress. We have an immigration system in this country that is not working. Comprehensive immigration reform would fix it. This is something we need to do. I’m confident that it will happen.”

It is the job of Obama and Johnson to simply enforce existing law. Period. What they mean by “more effectively enforce and administer” is to pick and choose who gets deported. All should be deported. Period. People made a choice to come to America illegally or overstay their visas. A main American value is being a Nation Of Law, not a Nation Of Men, meaning follow the law, not your feelings and whims

One of the founding principles of the US is that it is to be a nation of laws, not men. The flaws of the European history of power emanating from royalty and then passing down to the nobility and, via personal preferment, to court courtiers was all too real to the founders. (it’s a good essay in full, even though kinda whiny about Bush and Republicans)

Parents who are illegals made the choice to bring their kids and/or birth them in the U.S., creating anchor babies. They are welcome to bring them back to their home countries. These illegals don’t seem to care about our American values. They so often refuse to attempt to be a part of America. So many do not speak English, and demand that we speak their language, particularly Spanish. They steal social security numbers, causing hardship to Americans. They demand we educate them, provide them with social services, gum up our emergency rooms, even causing ERs to close. They jam up our prison system with their crimes. They put our citizens in danger with their gangs. So many tell us they do not like America, and then they demand that we give them stuff, including citizenship. Illegals have no one but themselves to blame.

As far as Obama and Johnson go, follow the law. Period. You are not royalty, nobility, nor courtiers.

Read: DHS Head Jeh Johnson Wants Immigration To Respect Sanctity Of Family »

Dionne: You Gun Owners Are Supremacists

Climate change believers (who are typically hypocrites, but that’s a separate story) refer to non-believers as “deniers”, in an attempt to equate non-belief in climate change to denial of the Holocaust (interestingly, so many of these same climate change believers hate Israel). Along comes E.J. Dionne, referring to gun owners as gun supremacists, in what could be an attempt to make people thing of white supremacists, racists, etc

E.J. Dionne: The gun supremacists’ folly

Have we gone stark raving mad?

The question is brought to mind by the gun law signed last week in Georgia by Gov. Nathan Deal. You might have thought that since the United States couldn’t possibly have more permissive firearms laws than it does now, nothing more could be done to coddle the gun lobby and tip the balance of our statutes away from law enforcement. Alas, you would be wrong.

On one hand, I’ll agree that the Georgia law might go a bit too far. I would have liked to see it coupled with a training requirement to reinforce proper usage, existing law, and responsibility. That said, I’m not sure what Dionne means by “permissive”. He and his ilk have done all they can to muddy the waters for law abiding citizens. Want to express your open carry right, in states and cities that allow it? Good luck with that. The rules and laws are so intricate that it makes it difficult to open carry. Same with concealed carry. There are so many places that they cannot be possessed that gun owners have to plan a trip across town with exacting detail, otherwise they are in violation of the law.

You might not have thought that the inability of people to pack while praying was a big problem. Georgia’s political leaders think otherwise, so the new law allows people to carry guns in their houses of worship. True, congregations can set their own rules, but some pastors wonder about the confusion this provision will create, and those who would keep their sanctuaries gun-free may worry about being branded as liberal elitists. Maybe the Georgia legislature will help them by requiring a rewrite of the Scriptures. “Blessed are the peacemakers” can become “Blessed are the gun owners.”

You will also be able to tote weapons into bars and their parking facilities if the bar grants you permission. I can’t wait to see the next beer ad depicting a gunfight over who pays for the next round.

The vast majority of gun owners, particularly those who carry, take their responsibility seriously. The government restrictions were put in to lawfully restrict the ability to carry, which didn’t affect the criminals who would carry regardless. I suspect lots of businesses will restrict gun possession, which is fine. Their choice. I wouldn’t hold it against them.

Oh yes, and while conservatives claim to hate the centralization of power, this law wipes out a series of local gun regulations. The gun supremacists just don’t trust those pesky local elected officials.

Nice strawman. Of course, it’s the centralized power of the federal government in violation of the 9th and 10th Amendments, much less the designated powers outlined in the Constitution, that we are concerned with. And when hyper-liberal municipalities enact laws that make it difficult to impossible to express our 2nd Amendment Rights, the 1st Amendment allows citizens to petition for redress of grievance. Besides, according to Federalism, States have supremacy over municipalities.

Nothing better reveals the utter irrationality of our politics for the whole world to see than this madness about guns — and no issue better demonstrates how deeply divided our nation is by region, ideology and party.

Know what? Stay in your liberal states. You Lefties destroy your own states in multiple ways, including leaving your own citizens unarmed while coddling criminals who do not care about gun laws. Stay there. Deal with it. Don’t bring your Big Government gun hating culture to our states and cities. You broke it, you stay and deal with it.

The program for the NRA’s annual convention, held over the weekend in Indianapolis, listed sessions on “Survival Mindset: Are You Prepared?”; “Creating a Constitutionally Centered Estate Plan”; and “Refuse to be a Victim.”

How dare you “refuse to be a victim”!!!!!!

Party on, guys. I can’t wait for you to figure out the ways in which even Georgia’s law is too restrictive. In the meantime, the nation’s unarmed majority might ponder how badly we have failed in asserting our own rights.

If you want to assert your own rights, go ahead and try to change the 2nd Amendment. You have no right to force law abiding citizens to disarm. I guess, though, that the unarmed majority think it’s their right to be victims. Funny how so much crime occurs in areas with heavy gun restrictions and in “gun free zones”, wouldn’t you say?

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Dionne: You Gun Owners Are Supremacists »

We’re Saved: Dozens Protest Climate Change In Helena

So, out of a population of a shade of 29,000 within the city, and a county of over 63k citizens, literally dozens are Concerned

(Helena Independent Record) Dozens of Helenans gathered on the Capitol steps Saturday as part of a statewide movement urging state and federal officials to take action against climate change.

Rallies supporting Montanans for Climate Solutions took place in 13 communities across the state Saturday in an effort to raise awareness about and discuss solutions for the global climate crisis.

“It’s sort of a grassroots, organic coming together of citizens,” said Andres Haladay, a Helena city commissioner and master of ceremonies for the Helena rally.

A number of state and community advocacy groups were present at the event, including Montana Environmental Information Center, a main sponsor; Solar Montana; and the Sleeping Giant Citizens Council.

Shiloh Hernandez, chair of the Sleeping Giant Citizens Council, said he helped organize the Helena rally and saw the event as an important opportunity to spread the word about the solutions to climate change, not just the problems associated with it.

Whew, look at all those Concerned Citizens. I wonder if they all walked instead of taking fossil fueled vehicles?

(Photo by Tom Bridge of HIR)

Read: We’re Saved: Dozens Protest Climate Change In Helena »

If All You See…

…is the majesty of nature that really, really needs some wind turbines and solar panels, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is House Of Eratosthenes, with a post on the liberal equivalent of climate change denial.

Read: If All You See… »

Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

Happy Sunday! Another gorgeous day in the Once and Future Nation of America. This pinup is by Rolf Armstrong, with a wee bit of help.

What is happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15

  1. Raised On Hoecakes features another idiot CNN correspondent
  2. Yid With Lid features a different idiot, and anti-Israel biased, CNN correspondent
  3. Public Secrets weeps for our hashtag foreign policy
  4. The Daley Gator highlights facts that escape “free-speech lovin'” liberals
  5. The Last Refuge highlights Obama’s latest embarrassing selfie
  6. The Last Tradition isn’t happy with establishment Cathy McMorris-Rogers
  7. The Other McCain features the feminist war against nature
  8. Independent Sentinel covers more government land grabs
  9. Capitalism is Freedom notes that Dartmouth has banned white people from saying “fiesta”
  10. Bookwork Room covers Sotomayor’s racism
  11. Director Blue notes the planetary emergency requiring Sierra Club VIPs to drive in gas guzzlers
  12. Fausta notes more #ObamaWin in Ecuador
  13. Fire Andrea Mitchell features Obama’s comments on Democrat donor Donald Sterling
  14. Jammie Wearing Fools highlights that the NAACP had been about to honor Donald Sterling
  15. And last, but not least, Maggie’s Farm has a must read essay on “you didn’t build that”
  16. One to grow on: American Power digs deep into Democrat donor Donald Sterling
  17. And a double dog dare: Nice Deb notes a #ShutdownTheater lawsuit being filed

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

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 »

Joe Biden Using Office To Burnish His Foreign Policy Cred Ahead Of Possible 2016 Run Or Something

Is this an Important Story Of The Day? Is it Vital Information? Trending? Nope. What it is is an article that made me laugh first thing in the morning due to the absurdity, which did not go over well since I have a chest cold. That said, there is relevance to this Fox News article

Biden takes advantage of his office to burnish foreign policy creds, ahead of possible 2016 run

As Vice President Biden ponders a 2016 presidential run, he continues to use the benefits of his office to make high-profile trips to Ukraine and other diplomatic hotspots — burnishing the foreign policy credentials he would need to win the Democratic nomination over Hillary Clinton.

Biden already has solid credentials, having served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as either chairman or ranking member for about 10 years, from roughly 1997 to 2007.

However, should Biden decide to run, he would face a big challenge in convincing Americans that he would be a better choice than Clinton in responding to an international crisis. (snip to the end)

Biden’s diplomatic reach goes well beyond Ukraine and includes relationships with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, whom Biden said he met more than four decades ago, and China’s President Xi Jinping, whom he first met in 2011 during an overseas trip.

The article even mentions Hillary’s 3am political ad, used, I think we can say, to no effect against Obama during the 2008 primaries, as Obama won.

Still, foreign policy is rarely the major issue that decides a presidential election, with voters also focused on so-called “pocketbook issues” like jobs and the economy.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the 2016 election cycle will be one where foreign policy is not that important. That said, let’s not forget that Biden was brought on the Obama ticket in order to give the Obama foreign policy cred. Much like it can be ask of Hillary Clinton “can you name any foreign policy successes?”, the same can be asked of Biden, obviously since they both work for the same boss. Think Progress ran an article back in 2011 naming Obama’s foreign policy successes, which one would think would reflect on Biden and Hillary. In those, we get

  • Killing Bin Laden (obviously). Hillary said she backed the strike, and that Biden did not (Obama dithered, but, this is not an article about Obama, so I’ll stop there)
  • Mobilized some sort of international coalition to protect Libyan civilians. How’s that worked out? Libya is a mess
  • Ordered the complete withdrawal of forces from Iraq. Yeah, he followed the Bush plan, and managed to mess it up
  • Isolated and weakened Iran. Oh, really?
  • Supported Democratic transition in Egypt. Yeah, that was a mess, too, and Egypt is looking to Russia for support and arms now
  • Killed Anwar Al Awlaki. I give him this one as a win, hands down. In all seriousness, good job. I’ve said again and again that I fully approve of Obama/Biden using drones and special forces to whack jihadis. And, let’s not forget, in honesty, Biden wanted to use more drones and special forces in Afghanistan, rather than a “surge”.
  • Strengthened US-Israel relationship. Seriously? No, Seriously? Our relationship was pretty damned good under Bush 43, and has gone down under Obama/Biden/Clinton/Kerry.

That’s all they can mention. Though, to be fair, it was just 2011. Flash forward to 2014, and White House Dossier offers up some pithy thoughts

Let’s take a short trip around the world to see if we can find any foreign policy successes.

  • Mexico: The country continues to deteriorate into a narcostate, and what’s more Mexicans are none too happy with us for fueling the problem with intentionally sent weapons.
  • South America: Leftism has been in the march throughout the continent during Obama’s presidency. No reversals to speak of. Venezuela remains in ruins, but people there may finally be taking matters into their own hands.
  • Cuba: Cuba still no libre.
  • Canada: Obama has actually created tensions in what is normally our most harmonious relationship by bowing to political influence and taking years to decide on the Keystone pipeline.
  • Europe: Obama does not seems to have developed friendships with any European leaders – the type of relationships that are needed for allies to operate seamlessly. Rather, there seems to be a kind of frostiness and some mistrust.

It does not end there. It continues on and on and on. The part about Obama not having developed friendships with European leaders is spot on. Really, any world leaders. He has no political friendships internationally. Say what you want about Bush, he did a good job of charming the leaders of friendly nations, regardless of any political leanings.

Much like with Hillary Clinton, where was Biden in all of this? He was brought in due to his supposed vast foreign policy experience. Are relationships with typical allies are a mess. They made a hash of our relationship with adversaries, such as Russia. Remember, they tried the silly “reset” schtick, while ticking off Poland by dumping the missile shield, and look where we are now. Our relationship with our #1 ally, Great Britain, is, at best, tepid. What has Biden done? Many countries which used to look to the United States are now turning towards China and Russia. What role has Biden played? If he was your financial adviser, your offensive coordinator, your assistant coach, he’d be fired. A few wins here and there do not cover for the massive losses.

Read: Joe Biden Using Office To Burnish His Foreign Policy Cred Ahead Of Possible 2016 Run Or Something »

Fiction Prepares Us For Climate Change Or Something

Like, totally!

(Red Orbit) There is a new genre of science fiction called cli-fi, or climate fiction. It falls under the heading of “normal” science fiction, as well as dystopian fiction. According to Conservation Magazine, the term “cli-fi” was coined by Dan Bloom in 2007, and has since reached “marketable status,” with both novels and movies paying homage to the genre.

A new study from the University of Copenhagen reveals how climate fiction can serve as a mental laboratory, allowing us to simulate the consequences of climate change in our minds and imagine living under other, harsher, conditions.

According to Dr. Gregers Andersen, “Global warming is much more than scientific data on changes in the atmosphere; it is also a cultural phenomenon in which meaning is being shaped by the books we read and the films we see. And there are so many of them now that we can speak of a completely new genre, cli-fi.” Andersen has just defended his thesis, “Climate-Changed Existence and its Worlds; Global Warming in Fiction and Philosophy,” at the University of Copenhagen.

Perfect: fictional writing for a fictional issue.

It’s interesting that the article and study mention Michael Crichton’s “State Of Fear” , as the book beats the living hell out of extreme environmentalism and “climate change” alarmism.

Read: Fiction Prepares Us For Climate Change Or Something »

If All You See…

…is an ocean that will rise up and swallow the Statue Of Liberty, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Not A Lot Of People Know That, with a post on countering the 97% consensus meme.

Read: If All You See… »

Wisconsin Sheriff Would Add 7 Words To 2nd Amendment

What are they?

(The Blaze) Sheriff David Clarke Jr. may not be a household name…yet. But he’s well on his way after his rousing speech at the 2014 NRA convention. Consider the standing ovation he received after revealing the seven words he would add to the Second Amendment: “Keep your hands off our guns, dammit.”

Clarke, the outspoken gun proponent who heads the sheriff’s office in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, was easily one of the most popular speakers during the convention’s leadership forum. His comments about amending the Constitution were aimed at former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who said in his recent book that he would change the Second Amendment by adding five words in the middle: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms when serving in the militia shall not be infringed.”

“My reaction was, ‘What!’” Clarke said, adding, ”Just what part of ‘shall not be infringed’ does Justice Stevens not understand?”

Full video, via The Right Scoop

Read: Wisconsin Sheriff Would Add 7 Words To 2nd Amendment »

Pirate's Cove