Oops: $2.3 Million Wind Turbine For VA Sits Idle

By William Teach March 22, 2014 – 1:36 pm

At one time I was a big supporter of wind power. I thought it was absurd that Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and others were blocking the Cape Wind Project. Then the reality of these projects started coming out. Expensive, low return on investment, low return on power, they only work during certain times, and, hey, many just do not work

(Watchdog.org) A $2.3 million federal stimulus project at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Cloud is giving green energy initiatives a bad name.

A 600-kilowatt wind turbine — some 245 foot tall — stands on the wintry VA grounds, frozen in time and temperature, essentially inoperable for the past 1 1/2 years. No one is working to fix it, though many attempts were made to repair the turbine, once billed as a model green energy project. (snip)

Unlike some wind farms in Minnesota, temperature extremes do not appear to be a factor in the turbine’s problems. Name just about anything else, however, and it’s gone wrong at some point since the completion of construction in April 2011, officials say.

The VA’s lengthy fix-it list includes the hydraulic system, electrical system, the main gear box and number other parts over the past three years. A Massachusetts-based contractor installed and has overseen maintenance on the turbine, which was made in India.

Constructed in 2011, it stopped working in 2012, and hasn’t worked since.

Studies done before construction suggested St. Cloud’s winds could produce up to 16 percent of the VA hospital’s electrical needs, potentially saving about $100,000 on the government’s annual utility bill. The facility consumes 1.3 million kilowatt hours of power, at a cost of $1.1 million per year.

Yet, it would take 23 years to recoup the cost, excluding all the maintenance costs. Which would leave 7 years for operation, since he average lifespan of a wind turbine is 30 years. Then it’s just a rusting hulk on a massive concrete (concrete is Bad for “climate change”, BTW) platform. Looks like they skipped all those years and it’s a rusting hulk now.

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Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Government | 5 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach March 22, 2014 – 1:00 pm

…is a wonderful city which allows everyone to (forcibly) take mass transit and use bike-sharing, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Other McCain, with another post in the continued series about feminism and the Duke porn star.

I rarely add any commentary to these posts, but let me note something. I have received tweets and emails complaining that these posts are sexist. Are they? That’s in the eye of the beholder. At one time, I dropped a post daily feature 20 or more photos of something that interested me. Sometimes it featured beautiful women. That got tiring, as they took a long time to put together. So I started doing the IAYS posts. Meant to be a bit silly, with the “climate change” focus, while showing what men like best: women. But, some call that sexist, derogatory, a symptom of the patriarchy. Yet, apparently, feminists think a woman doing pornography is an awesome display of feminism. But not a picture of a beautiful woman.

I’ll stop here, before this becomes a long post. You get the idea.

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Bummer: Winter Has Been Tough On Maple Syrup Production

By William Teach March 22, 2014 – 10:08 am

Warmists told us that “climate change” would cause lots of problems with the production of maple syrup. Since they now blame cold on greenhouse gases, I guess they’re right!

(Chatham Daily News) This has not only been a tough winter for all of us, but it has been the same for our maple syrup producers. The maple syrup season is about 2-3 weeks behind normal and the maple trees are frozen to the core and need time to thaw out. Besides that, heavy snowfall is causing issues for the producers to get to the bushes. But the maple syrup season will come.

Maple syrup is truly a Canadian product, as we produce 70% of the total world’s supply. Quebec produces nearly 90% of this, Ontario 10%, while Nova Scotia and New Brunswick produce the remainder.

I blame you for daring to drive a fossil fueled vehicle and taking a shower longer than two minutes.

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OFA Hijacks Gadsen Flag For Obamacare

By William Teach March 22, 2014 – 7:11 am

The Gadsen Flag was a symbol of freedom, standing against tyranny. An “American guesser“, who many believe to be Benjamin Franklin, wrote of the rattlesnake, a uniquely American animal, which was nowhere else in the world

“She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. … she never wounds ’till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her.”

The flag is rooted in the War Of Independence from the overbearing hand of England. Here’s what the OFA trolls are doing

(Daily Caller) Annoyed by Americans who resist the massive, corporation-backed push for a governmental takeover of healthcare, Organizing for Action sent out a Friday email blast touting a new bumper sticker mocking the tea party, titled “Don’t Tread on My Obamacare.”

“Show the world you’re proud of health care reform,” OFA’s site headline reads. The sticker is shown below in a series of photos: stuck onto the back of a green smart car, slapped onto the front of a recycled cardboard journal and covering the Apple logo on a laptop at a rakish angle, clearly meant to convey the supporter’s snarky yet compassionate political views.

“This is for everyone who’s tired of hearing the other side talk smack about the health care reform that is helping millions of Americans get affordable, quality care,” executive director Jon Carson said in OFA’s email release. “They’ve spent hundreds of millions to tear it down. We’ve worked hard to make sure they didn’t succeed. If you’re like me, you’re pretty proud of that. Wanna brag about it? Simply connect with OFA on Facebook today and tell us where to send your sticker.”

The point of the Gadsen flag is to tell people, and, in particular, government “don’t tread on my rights. Stop your tyranny. Leave me alone.” It’s to peaceably fight back against an over-bearing government. Now it’s being used to prop up an over-bearing government.

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Posted in Healthcare, Unhinged Tools | 16 Comments | Trackback URL

Washington Post Really Wants Hillary To Stress Sexism If She Runs

By William Teach March 22, 2014 – 6:53 am

OK, OK, writer Nia-Malikia Henderson is pushing that she should stress gender, but, really, what she means is that Hillary should call any attack on herself to be sexist

Hillary Clinton notably downplayed the historic part of her 2008 presidential run until the very end, stressing instead her record in the Senate and as first lady. Well, as she considers if and how to run for president in 2016,  she might want to take a look at a new Gallup poll.

In short, the biggest selling point for a Clinton candidacy isn’t her foreign policy chops, or having Bill Clinton back in the White House — it’s by far her gender. No other reason even comes close — foreign policy only nets 9 percent.

Let’s take a look at that poll

Two points: if the best part or most positive thing anyone can say about a Hillary presidency is that she’s a woman, rather than any substantive policies, well, it doesn’t say much about her qualifications. But, then, consider that all anyone could say about Obama was “he’s half-black! It’s historic! Sure, he has zero experience in anything other than community agitation, and his campaign is based on nothing more than hope and change, but he’s half-black!” How’s that working out for America?

Second, Nia-Malika has misread the poll, because the best or most positive thing that ranks the highest is “nothing”. Being the first female president might be super fantastic if the position was ceremonial, however, there is a lot of power in that position. This is not like voting for Homecoming Queen. The position has a huge affect on not just American citizens, but people and countries around the world.

The super PACs, like Ready For Hillary, know this very well. And even though they still don’t have a candidate, they are busy crafting a storyline for Clinton that would emphasize her background. At a recent event, the group featured a video montage of Clinton photos backed by Katy Perry’s “Roar.”  Lyrics:  “I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire / ‘Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar. Louder, louder than a lion / ‘Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar!”  (Sure sounds like the modern-day remix or at least a play on Helen Reddy’s 1971  feminist call-to-arms “I Am Woman,” and a certain generation is sure to hear it that way.)

What can Hillary offer? Her time as a Senator included such important legislation as, um, ah, well, nothing. Her time as Secretary of State was, at best, a big nothingburger. It’s not sexist to mention this, but this is what Leftist Hillary supporters are positioning. If any attack on her policies is proclaimed to be sexist, the narrative can shift. This is what they’ve tried with Obama, that any attack on his policies is racist.

Only 3% find her capable/competent/qualified. Attack that, and you’re a sexist.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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How To Make Your Girlfriend/Wife Hate You

By William Teach March 21, 2014 – 8:27 pm

I know this isn’t exactly new, but I love her expression.

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Seattle Greenies Kill Trees For Surveillance Cameras

By William Teach March 21, 2014 – 1:57 pm

It’s a touch choice for Warmists/enviroweenies: trees and Big Brother? Since W/EWs are mostly progressives, ie “nice fascist”, they go for big brother

(Victory Girls Blog) Seattle may be one of the most ‘green’ cities in the country, both literally and figuratively.  Unfortunately, it’s also known for two more things: excessive force by the police, and mind-numbing liberalism.  To the second point, yesterday it was announced that 500 Douglas firs will be chopped down along Interstate 5 to make room for…more surveillance cameras!  Because saving the trees is really important, unless you have the chance to get all up in people’s business.  Then you can just chop down whatever you like.  Surveillance trumps green, you know.

photo facepalm-gif-50_zps5f644bda.gif

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Posted in Enviroweenies, Global Warming, Liberal World | 5 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach March 21, 2014 – 1:00 pm

…are evil flip flops which include evil fossil fuels in their manufacturing process, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Nice Deb, with a post on Obamacare tax confusion.

Read: If All You See… »

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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.

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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
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