FBI Busts Two Homegrown Jihadis In Raleigh

By William Teach March 21, 2014 – 10:12 am

Interestingly, the local paper, the Raleigh News and Observer, the paper for the state capital of North Carolina, has zero coverage of this story. I guess we don’t want to upset Muslim extremists

(WRAL) Planes linked to a company with FBI connections circled a north Raleigh neighborhood for weeks before a Wednesday raid that resulted in terrorism charges against two men.

Authorities said in court documents that Akbar Jihad Jordan and Avin Marsalis Brown planned to travel to Syria and Yemen to fight for Islam. Federal law prohibits conspiring to kill or maim people outside the U.S.

FBI agents seized several weapons, including an AK-47 rifle and a sword, along with ammunition from the apartment off Gresham Lake Road that Jordan, 21, shared with his mother. (snip)

Brown was arrested Wednesday at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and he told investigators that he planned to fly to Turkey and then travel to Syria, according to court records. He made his first court appearance Thursday morning. (snip)

Jordan even stated at one point that he slept on his kitchen floor with an AK-47 and a Quran to empathize with Muslims in Syria.

WRAL seems to focus more on the planes, rather than on these Muslim extremists who wanted to go fight in Syria.

One person in the comments notes that if they wanted to go fight and die in Syria, that’s what they should have been allowed to do. Makes sense, to a point. Instead, we’ll spend millions incarcerating and trying them.

Read: FBI Busts Two Homegrown Jihadis In Raleigh »

Posted in War On Terrorism | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

Warmist Phil Plait: You Can’t Just Sway People With Facts

By William Teach March 21, 2014 – 7:22 am

Warmists are very upset that so many people really do not care that much about Doing Something about “climate change”, despite the constant barrage of propaganda for almost 30 years. Despite the constant release of over-wrought, doom-mongering, scarathon reports. Despite failing to live their own lives according to their talking points…er, guess I wasn’t supposed to mention that one

(Slate) Climate change is real. The globe is warming. The data show it, the effects are already happening, and when you talk to scientists who study it, they all know it, too.

Well, yes, it is real. The climate has always changed, and there will be weather changes within climates. Long term weather averages creates climate. The current longer term trend right now is a weak warm period, with a shorter term trend being statistically insignificant warming to flatlined temps. The argument, though, is about causation. Phil trots out a graphic about “97%”, which has been debunked to the point that there’s no point offering any links.

Yet the public still seems to be confused over it, mostly due to the confusion sown by professional confusers. Polls asking the public what degree of consensus climate scientists have about global warming consistently underrate it; the truth is that 97 percent of climate scientists agree that the planet is heating up and that human activity is the cause.

Or, it could be your facts, Phil. It could be nature refusing to cooperate with your computer models. It could be your constant scary stories. It could be the nutballs proclaiming doom and gloom. And it could be that you Warmists are complete hypocrites when it comes to changing your own lives.

That’s why the American Association for the Advancement of Science—the world’s largest general science society—has put together a public information campaign called “What We Know.” The motivation behind it is not so much to be a compendium of facts, but instead to “present key messages for every American about climate change” as a way to hopefully show people the reality of what we’re doing to the Earth.

Facts? Who needs facts? We have more fables! It starts out with the 97% consensus as #1, so, they’ve already ditched science. And then they start with the scary stories.

I think the idea behind the campaign is a good one. The problem right now isn’t any scientific debate or controversy, for there isn’t one. Virtually all the doubt and arguing are being instigated by politically motivated groups and do not exist among actual climate scientists. Getting this across to the public is a crucial step in ousting head-in-the-sand politicians and marginalizing the denial groups that are massively overrepresented in the media.

Oh, contraire. Lots and lots of scientists disagree. Over 31,000 have signed the petition denying human induced climate change. Humans do play a small roll, but we are not the primary/sole cause. Furthermore, as stated, you Warmists have been trying for 30 years to get this info to the people. You’ve failed. The facts are not on your side. Notice that Phil wants to do what most Progressives (nice fascists) want to do: shut down debate.

The next thing to do is to put together videos and Web pages that have more humanity to them, more emotion. If you want to sway people, then you can’t just throw facts at them; those will reflect off them and fall away. We know this (for a fact, oddly enough). If the AAAS wants to change the public’s mind on this issue, it will have to connect with their hearts.

We’re still waiting for the incontrovertible proof that mankind’s release of CO2 (which Warmists un-scientifically call “carbon”) is the primary/sole cause of every weather event and a miniscule 1.4F increase in global temperatures since 1850. Facts are tough when you don’t have them. Facts are tough when they are apparently not strong enough to get Warmists to practice what they preach. Claiming consensus is not science. Scary stories are not facts. Blaming cold, snow, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, everything is proof of a cult, not science.

The rise of the Internet allowed people to get the real facts. Warmists really do not like that. So, facts? Ppfffft. They want more stories! This might work if Progressive policies hadn’t destroyed economies around the world. Alas, “climate change” is a 1st World Problem, and people really could care less when real world issues are affecting their lives right now. This is a real fact

Read: Warmist Phil Plait: You Can’t Just Sway People With Facts »

Posted in Climahypocrites, Collapsing Science, Global Warming | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

Obama Whines About Dems Being “Clobbered” In Mid-terms

By William Teach March 21, 2014 – 6:45 am

Here’s your whiner-in-chief trotting out the same old whines

(The Hill) President Obama complained Thursday that Democrats “get clobbered” in midterm elections, blaming a “toxic” atmosphere in Washington for suppressing key Democratic constituencies.

“The challenge is that our politics in Washington have become so toxic that people just lose faith,” Obama told a group of top Democratic donors gathered at the home of former Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning. “They say, ‘Y’know what, it doesn’t matter, I’m not that interested, I’m not gonna vote.’ And that’s especially true during the midterms.”

I didn’t hear him complaining when a Democrat partisan released that “47% video” regarding Romney, which was an attempt to “suppress the vote”. Or any of the smears against McCain, Romney, or other Republican candidates. As for a “toxic” atmosphere, he should look in the mirror.

Obama noted that young, female, black and Hispanic voters were more likely to vote in elections with a presidential contest.

If a Republican said that, they’d be called sexist, racist, and bigoted.

“Suddenly a more representative cross section of America gets out there, and we do pretty well in presidential elections,” Obama said.

“But in midterms, we get clobbered, either because we don’t think it’s important or because we get so discouraged about what’s happening in Washington that we think it’s not worth our while. And the reason today is so important, and the reason that I’m so appreciative for all of you being here is because we’re going to have to get over that. This is a top priority.”

Of course, we shouldn’t expect him to give the real reasons. In 2010 it was Obamacare, the failed and expensive Stimulus, and the crummy economy. In 2014, it is Obamacare, the stalled economy, stalled wages and jobs market, and a feckless and weak president who seems to be more interested in the fun parts of being president rather than doing the job.

Notice he’s providing these whines while doing the thing he does best: campaigning/fundraising. At the home of a 1%er, where the plates were $16k-$32K each.

And a funny part is that Obama rarely provides any of that cash to Democrat candidates. And lots of Democrats are running away from Obama, running away from Obamacare, or both.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Obama Whines About Dems Being “Clobbered” In Mid-terms »

Posted in Barry Obama | 5 Comments | Trackback URL

Good News: EPA’s “CIA” Employee Helped Write Regulations

By William Teach March 20, 2014 – 9:27 pm

I’ve been trying to remember this story all day, having messed up in saving it to Pocket. I had the wrong ID saved in Feedly. Fortunately, a perusal of Ace’s spot brings the memory back. Not quite the same article, close enough

(Daily Caller) A report by Senate Republicans contends that the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory “playbook” was written by known agency fraudster John Beale, who put into place major air quality regulations that set the stage for “the exponential growth of the agency’s power over the American economy.”

According to Republican senators, Beale used “Machiavellian” tactics to change the role of the EPA from protecting the environment to pushing an ideological political agenda aimed at expanding agency control over the economy.

Beale was sentenced last year to 32 months in prison for stealing nearly $900,000 from taxpayers after years of posing as a CIA operative and abusing his privileges as an EPA senior staff member. The incident has raised questions about the ability of the EPA to stop fraud, as well as the qualifications of agency employees.

A thief, a liar, a conman, hey, the perfect guy for today’s EPA.

Read: Good News: EPA’s “CIA” Employee Helped Write Regulations »

Posted in Government | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

Some States Psyched To Tax E-Cigarettes

By William Teach March 20, 2014 – 2:27 pm

As Ronald Reagan once said “Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” States are giving taxation and regulation a shot

(Fox News) While waiting for the debate on electronic cigarettes to heat up on Capitol Hill, several state and local governments are pressing ahead with their own agendas for taxing and regulating the popular battery-powered smoking alternatives.

Right now, there is no uniform national approach to regulating the vapor-based e-cigarettes. They are mostly free from federal rules and typically are subject only to state sales taxes.

But lawmakers in more than two dozen cash-strapped states are racing to regulate them as a new source of revenue. For some, this means tacking on an excise tax — which is a fee on a specific product, and often dubbed a “sin tax” when applied to socially shunned products like cigarettes.

Minnesota has a 95% tax on to the wholesale cost. Resellers can only purchase from state licensed vendors. So, only Government Approved, which restricts product.

In his 2015 budget proposal last month, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie pitched a plan to hike taxes on electronic cigarettes to match the rate of regular cigarettes — about $2.70 per pack.

Another shot against Christie.

But to some, like New Jersey Democratic Assemblyman Dan Benson, taxing e-cigarettes is not only a fiscal responsibility but also sends an important message to would-be smokers.

“If e-cigarettes are taxed less than regular cigarettes, we’re sending a message out there that they’re somehow safer, and I think the jury is out on that,” he recently told a New Jersey radio station.

So, since the jury is out, let’s tax the hell out of them instead of finding out first.

Utah, North Dakota and the District of Columbia have included e-cigarettes as part of their indoor-smoking bans, setting up the argument that the vapor sticks should be regulated like other tobacco products in the state. Wyoming, Tennessee, New York and Colorado are among nine other states that have already dumped e-cigarettes into the tobacco product category.

Certainly, use e-cigs is not as good as simply not smoking at all, but seems to be much better than smoking tobacco, and can certainly help some people quit, or at least cut down tremendously (I’m down to 5-6 real ones a day, having been a pack a day for a long time). Government sees something that is moving, so, they have to regulate the heck out of it and slap on big taxes. This harms small businesses. Not that Government cares. They’re addicted to revenue.

Read: Some States Psyched To Tax E-Cigarettes »

Posted in Government, Taxation | 9 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach March 20, 2014 – 1:00 pm

…is a horrible plastic bottle of water causing the atmosphere to boil, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Daley Gator, with a post on Putin eying Estonia.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Team Obama Launches “Climate Change” Website

By William Teach March 20, 2014 – 10:36 am

Because, really, what else can they do? Their foreign policy is a disaster, just like their economic policies. He’s nominating people that are so hard-core leftist that Senate Dems refuse to even vote on them. Obamacare is beyond a mess. Prices are rising. Wages are down. So now is the time to offer ideas to local governments on how to institute more rules and regulations

(The Blaze) Even with recent survey’s finding that climate change was not a top priority for Americans and many thinking that it’s actually exaggerated in the media, the Obama administration is pushing forward on its fight against global warming in a geeky fashion.

The White House on Wednesday announced an initiative to provide private companies and local governments better access to already public climate data, which it is displaying through maps and even gaming-type simulations.. The idea is that with that localized data they can help the public understand the risks they face, especially in coastal areas where flooding is a big issue.

The government also is working with several high-tech companies, such as Google, Microsoft and Intel, to come up with tools to make communities more resilient in dealing with weather extremes, such as flooding, heat waves and drought. They include computer simulations for people to use and see what would happen with rising seas and other warming scenarios. Companies will also hold brainstorming sessions with computer programmers aimed at designing new apps on disaster risk. The New York Times reported that companies such as these will be vital at making the majority of information on the site usable to the average person.

The website is at data.gov/climate. One of the data sets is on population, so Obama and his peeps must be buying into the notion pushed by many of the seriously hardcore climate cultists regarding population reduction. Here’s a great data set you won’t see on the website

And this one, regarding the models

Warmists keep making prediction, which turn out to be wrong. Hence their push to tell us what will happen at the end of the century, when no one will remember.

Read: Team Obama Launches “Climate Change” Website »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, AGW Scaremongering, Barry Obama, Global Warming | 9 Comments | Trackback URL

HHS Head Kathleen Sebelius Loves This March Madness Obamacare Push

By William Teach March 20, 2014 – 7:14 am

These people are shameless

Don’t Let a Sports Injury Keep You Out Of The Game, Get Covered Today

This week, as part of our final push to encourage as many Americans as possible to get covered ahead of the March 31st enrollment deadline, the Administration is launching an effort to reach college basketball fans young and old during March Madness – to remind them of the importance of having quality, affordable insurance.

As part of our effort, today, HHS, in partnership with our President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, is releasing new data looking at the economic costs of common sports injuries like sprains and fractures – costs that underscore the importance of having coverage to protect you financially if you suffer an unexpected injury, whether on the court, on the field, or in your everyday life. According to this new data, nearly 2 million individuals had sports-related injuries that were treated in emergency departments in 2012. The most common of these were ankle or knee sprains and leg fractures. Estimated rates of sports-related injuries were even higher among children and young adults under the age of 25. An estimated 12 million individuals between the ages of 5 and 22 years suffer a sports related injury annually, and about 20 percent of all injury-related emergency room visits are among children 6 to 19 years of age.

For those without health insurance, these injuries—which can happen to anyone, regardless of overall health status—can be very expensive. A sprained ankle, for example, can cost you $2,290, and charges for a broken arm, for example, average nearly $7,700. This can be a huge financial blow to young people and families alike.

The good news is that, at the Health Insurance Marketplace, it’s easy to find quality affordable coverage for those unexpected sports injuries—and for important preventive measures like regular check-ups, immunizations and other screenings.

The good news is that it will still cost your $2,290 for that sprained ankle (seriously? In what world?), and at least $5,081 for that broken arm. A study by HealthPocket Inc. in December found that the average individual deductible for Obamacare’s bronze plan was $5,081 a year, which is 42 percent higher than the average deductible of $3,589 for an individually purchased plan. And all those athletes involved in March Madness have their schools to take care of them.

But, hey, it is good to be covered. You might pull a hammy or whack yourself in the ankle playing yet another round of gold. Or get your mom jeans caught in the sprocket of your bike, causing a spill. Or maybe some whiplash from talking out of both sides of your mouth. Or struck by lightening from lying to the American people on a constant basis.

Read: HHS Head Kathleen Sebelius Loves This March Madness Obamacare Push »

Posted in Barking Moonbats, Democrats, Healthcare | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

Don Lemon Asks If A Black Hole Swallowed Flight 370

By William Teach March 20, 2014 – 6:47 am

Is it any wonder CNN’s ratings are in the tank? Personally, I’ve been flogging the “it was the aliens” meme in discussions (solely as a joke, though it would be amusing to see some faces if it turned out to be real), but this one is beyond stupid. This is the kind of stupid following the phrase “hey, y’all, watch this!”

(Mediaite) CNN’s Don Lemon has been entertaining all sorts of theories about the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, including the chance something “supernatural” happened, but on Wednesday night, he actually asked panelists about the possibility a black hole was involved.

Lemon brought this up along with other “conspiracy theories” people have been floating on Twitter, including people noting the eerie parallels to Lost and The Twilight Zone, and wondered, “is it preposterous” to consider a black hole as a possibility?

Yes, yes it is preposterous. Foolish, idiotic, beyond stupid. Find your own adjective. The other panelists did a good job of not performing a double facepalm and/or laughing in his face. Remember, this is the same fool who asked Bill Nye, a TV science guy, if global warming caused the near earth asteroid.

Anthony Watts: “Remember this the next time one of these idiots discusses the science of global warming.” We should, because Lemon brought up all sorts of crazy theories on the show besides the black hole. Which would have destroyed the Earth.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Don Lemon Asks If A Black Hole Swallowed Flight 370 »

Posted in Beyond Moonbat | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

NY Times: Let’s Beat Putin With Climate Change Action!

By William Teach March 19, 2014 – 5:29 pm

No, seriously, this is Thomas Freidman’s big idea

From Putin, a Blessing in Disguise

The Space Race and the technologies it produced weren’t purely an offshoot of the U.S.-Soviet missile competition, but they were certainly energized by that competition. Well, if we’re going to go at it again, this time I want an Earth Race. I want America to lead in developing an energy policy that will weaken the oil-and-gas-autocracy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and, as a byproduct, produce the technologies that will mitigate climate change, make America a global technology and moral leader and ensure that the next generation can thrive here on Earth.

photo 62971d4a_zps18828beb.gif

Tom does actually offer up a good idea from someone else

The key ingredients for a new U.S. energy strategy, argues Hal Harvey, the C.E.O. of Energy Innovation, is, first, “to optimize affordability, reliability and clean together, rather than one at the expense of the other.” Second to “take advantage of new technology, we finally have the capacity to build an energy system we can be proud of, and by choosing this future, we will stimulate even more technologies that deliver energy that is indeed affordable, reliable and clean.” And, third, to “ensure that our natural gas bonanza actually ushers in a truly clean future.”

I’d agree with that. Not for “climate change”, but for a cleaner environment. But we have to stop doing it in a) idiotic ways (wasteful, foolish investments, for instance), b) for political payback, c) where it is really expensive, d) where it jacks up consumer costs for other energy, and e) creates real environmental damage.

Still, I don’t think Tom’s idea will have Putin quaking in his boots.

Read: NY Times: Let’s Beat Putin With Climate Change Action! »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Barking Moonbats, Energy, Global Warming | Comments Off on NY Times: Let’s Beat Putin With Climate Change Action! | Trackback URL
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