Feedly, The Best Feedreader

By William Teach March 11, 2014 – 10:21 am

With the demise of Google Reader, people, including myself, scrambled for new feedreaders. First, a quick explanation of what a feedreader does, for those unaware.

A good chunk of websites have what is called RSS, Really Simply Syndication/Rich Site Summery. There are various types of RSS feeds, RSS, RSS2, Atom, and others. They can syndicated content and even comments. I have multiple types embedded in the Header code. It is a quick way to have all your sites in one place allowing quick reading of content, seeing what’s new, etc, without going from website to website. It’s actually been around a long time, going back to Netscape (which seems like 8 Track tape music nowadays).

Anyhow, I’ve tried many, many readers in an attempt to replace Google Reader. The closest is The Old Reader. However, they’ve been trying to get people to upgrade to a paid platform. Hey, that’s their right. But, I get annoyed be the message “You are currently using 187 of the 100 subscriptions available for your plan. You should consider an upgrade to premium“. And it can be a bit slow in updating. One nice feature is the ability to copy headlines within TOR, which makes writing the Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup posts easier and quicker (they typically take 1 1/2 to write, even with all the pre-formatting.)

I’ve also previously used, and went back to using, Bloglines. This works well, though sometimes can be slow, and can be a bit behind in updating.

One annoying issue with those two, and so many others I tried, was that when you added a link it didn’t automatically alphabetize. You had to slowly drag it to the right place. Yeah, minor, but annoying.

Then there’s Feedly. Feedly has a very nice layout, it is very customizable, and, better yet, there is an Android app. I would assume there is an Apple app, as well. The problem originally was that the lists were formatted by newest, not alphabetically. And there was no way to change to alphabetical. However, Feedly has recently gone to alphabetizing the links, and when you add one it automatically is put in the right place. Yes, there is a way to see the newest articles: you simply click on the top level which provides all the articles, rather than clicking on an individual site.

I’ve used Feedly for my last 3 Sunday pinup posts, and it increased the speed of creation. The only thing I cannot grab are the headlines, but, doesn’t slow me down much. The site is fast, and the way I have it formatted gives me the info I needs quickly. This helps a lot when it comes to sites that make heavy use of videos. With Bloglines, TOR, and others, this can really, really, really slow loading down. For instance, Nice Deb and American Power: both would typically take several minutes to load in most feedreaders, yet took about a second in Feedly, because it doesn’t initially load all the videos. Until you click on the individual post, you simply see a brief excerpt.

Back to the Android app, this is a huge benefit for mobile users. Rather than constantly loading web pages again and again, I can see what is going on quickly at sites I have saved. If I want to read the whole thing, I can. I can even comment. I can open in a full web browser if I like. This also saves lots of bandwidth. And time.

So, if you use a feedreader, or are interested in using one, check out Feedly. There are an enormous amount of ways to customize and use it, and it is fast.

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Dems Stayed Up All Night For “Climate Change” And Gave Us The Lorax

By William Teach March 11, 2014 – 9:33 am

So, as we all know, Senate Democrats had a sleepover to yammer on about “climate change” Monday night, which was mostly about fundraising and exciting the base, since they had no legislation to offer, and Democrats control the Senate. The biggest thing to come out of the sleepover? The Lorax

(The Hill) Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) borrowed from the GOP during a climate change talkathon and quoted a Dr. Seuss book on the Senate floor.

Markey was the first to cite the Dr. Seuss classic, “The Lorax,” during a more than 12-hour talkathon on Monday night.

“‘Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not,'” Markey read before thanking the others who “care a whole awful lot.”

Blumenthal echoed Markey’s sentiments and also quoted the book, saying perhaps “our children know more” about climate change than adults because of books such as “The Lorax.”

The Lonely Conservative has a longer excerpt from the sleepover

“Recently, the books of Massachusetts author and national treasure, Dr. Seuss, have been popular and read on the senate floor. I wish I had time to read the entirety of his environmental classic “The Lorax.” But since there are so many senators who want to talk about the impacts of climate change and the benefits addressing it will bring our country, I will just have to close with this short portion. Here’s what it says. “But now, says the Wunsler, now that you’re here, the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. it’s not.” So to my colleagues here in the Senate, and everyone watching and following tonight. Thank you for caring a whole awful lot. It’s not for us it’s for all the subsequent generations in this country and this planet that will look into this chamber for the leadership. And we are going to make things better from tonight onward. This is the moment. The science is clear. The economics is clear. And now the politics is clear. We’re gonna have a big fight about this in 2014, because future generations are going to look back and know that this Senate stood up and we had a debate on the most important issue of this planet.”

Oh, good, a debate. But no legislation?

Unsurprisingly, none of the Dems involved are willing to give up their own fossil fueled usage

https://twitter.com/WilliamTeach/status/443094962847350784

I do give kudos to Senator Booker for responding with that and multiple tweets: few elected representatives, D or R, respond. Though most of his responses were simply talking points in 140 characters or less. And all about “hey, we all need to Do Something”.

There was also lots of whining about Republican “dark money” and Citizens United, and just plain Republicans for refusing to go along with the Democrat march to more government control of our lives.

For the most part, media sources haven’t bothered with post-sleepover articles. The most you find are tiny blurbs on back pages. Joe Romm’s Climate Progress hasn’t bothered. Nor has Grist or Treehugger, nor most of the Warmist sites I frequent. No op-eds on the aftermath. It happened and everyone has moved on, despite being a sleepy Tuesday. So the best that comes out is reading and mentioning a children’s indoctrination book.

Read: Dems Stayed Up All Night For “Climate Change” And Gave Us The Lorax »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Climahypocrites, Democrats, Global Warming | 14 Comments | Trackback URL

Hooray, Obamacare Slightly Reducing Uninsured Rate

By William Teach March 11, 2014 – 9:14 am

This is one of two stories the media is crowing about, the other being CNN’s poll about approval for Ocare “rebounding”

(IBT) The uninsured rate among all major demographic groups in the U.S. is going down, but Hispanics are still among the least insured in the country, a new survey found.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which measures so-called well-being, released its findings on Monday, showing that 15.9 percent of Americans are uninsured thus far in 2014. That’s down from the last quarter of 2013, when 17.1 percent of Americans had no health insurance.

A possible reason for the decline is one most congressional Republicans probably don’t want to hear, since they recently voted a 50th time to try to dismantle it: the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. According to researchers, more than 3 million people have signed up for insurance through Obamacare exchanges.

Say, what happened during the 4th quarter of 2013? That’s right, millions upon millions of Americans saw their health insurance plans cancelled, due to Obamacare. The rate was actually 14.4 during the last quarter of 2008, and rose heavily during Obama’s years in office. A big drop was in low income and Blacks, the former being shuffled into Medicare, going from 6.6% to 7.4% between the 4th quarter of 2013 the end of February 2014.

Fewer people are getting their insurance through their employers, with a drop of 2.2% between the 4th quarter of 2013 and the end of February 2014.

Let’s also consider that people really do not have a choice: they can purchase health insurance or be taxed/fined/Individual Shared Responsibility Paymented. An increase in the insured is a good thing. The way Obamacare operates overall is not. And this still leaves 49 million uninsured. Remember, CBO estimates are for 31 million Americans to remain without insurance.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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Good Grief: Food Nannies Now Pushing “Climate Change” In Dietary Guidelines

By William Teach March 10, 2014 – 7:27 pm

No one is surprised in the least, right? (via Anthony Watts)

(National Center) At a closed-door meeting to take place March 14, the Obama Administration’s Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services plan to update the nation’s “dietary guidelines” — a document with significant repercussions for food stamps, military and school meals programs — to include anti-global warming activism.

In an article, “Obama administration pollutes guidelines for healthy eating with unhealthy ideologies,” published Sunday by the Washington Examiner, National Center Senior Fellow and Risk Analysis Division Director Jeff Stier says environmental activists within the U.S. government plan to change the nation’s dietary guidelines to promote foods that they believe have “a smaller carbon footprint.”

In the past, says Stier, the federal government’s dietary guidelines were intended exclusively to “promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases.”

No more, says Stier: “For the first time in the history of the guidelines, ‘sustainability’ is part of the agenda. Actual items on their Dietary Guidelines working group agenda include ‘immigration,’ ‘global climate change’ and ‘agriculture/aquaculture sustainability.'”

What’s more, says Stier, these new guidelines will cost the public money: “By favoring foods which activists think have a smaller carbon footprint, the new guidelines will increase the prices you pay for your food. It will also increase the cost to all taxpayers, since the Dietary Guidelines are used to set policy for food stamps (SNAP) and military diets,” he says.

From the Washington Examiner article

But now, committee members appointed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius are hijacking the guidelines to advance a range of ideological agendas having nothing to do with healthy eating.

For the first time, “sustainability” is part of the agenda in drafting the guidelines. Other agenda items include “immigration,” “global climate change” and “agriculture/aquaculture sustainability.”

PS: Make sure to read both articles for full facepalmage.

PPS: Kinda gives more credence to the notion that Hotcoldwetdry is more about and control than any sort of “environmental” issues, eh?

Read: Good Grief: Food Nannies Now Pushing “Climate Change” In Dietary Guidelines »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

NC Democrat Party Finances Rather Anaemic

By William Teach March 10, 2014 – 4:12 pm

By “anaemic” I mean on life support

(WRAL) State Democratic Party leaders attending a meeting in Greensboro on Sunday were told the party might move out of its iconic Raleigh headquarters, the Goodwin House, due to anemic fundraising.

An Executive Council member who attended the meeting said embattled party Chairman Randy Voller told members the party is “broke,” with only $60,000 in the bank.

Obviously, other Dems tried to spin that away. Surprisingly, they didn’t blame the GOP, racism, or Bush.

Voller also pledged $5,000 to the party’s operating fund, despite owing more than $225,000 to the federal government for several years of unpaid taxes.

Harris said the two aren’t at odds.

“This pledge excited the party, and people stepped up to the challenge,” Harris said. “The chairman has paid off his debt to the State of North Carolina and is continuing to pay off his federal tax debt in a prompt manner. All of his other taxes are paid. He takes these matters seriously and intends to pay them off.”

Oh, well, it.excited the party, so, it’s OK then that he has failed yo pay his fair share.

Read: NC Democrat Party Finances Rather Anaemic »

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Oh, Noes, More Than 150 Records Broken In Australia

By William Teach March 10, 2014 – 2:25 pm

Remember, weather is not climate. Except when Warmists attempt to use it to prop up their dying, non-science cult

(ABC Australia) Australia has endured another summer of searing temperatures, with more than 150 weather records broken, a new report shows.

The Climate Council’s latest Angry Summer report analyses climate data from across the country for the 2013-2014 summer.

The report says Adelaide experienced 13 days above 40 degrees Celsius, including five days in a row above 42C.

And, of course,

Ms Hughes, a Macquarie University professor, says the weather patterns are clearly due to climate change and governments need to address it as an issue.

And

“It’s consistent with the predictions of what happens as the globe warms up.

“Climate change is making the whole weather system different to what it used to be and along with that is an increase in extreme events.”

And

Professor Tim Flannery from the council says more heatwaves and other extreme weather are on the cards.

“The job now is to limit the damage to make sure we’re not seeing half the summer over 35 degrees as the scientists are projecting and make sure that we can adapt to the changes that have happened so far,” he said.

Australia is just 5% of the Earth’s surface. When it’s cold weather and snow, we’re told that it is just a tiny percentage covered, so no big deal. When it is hot, well, doom. And if you search Google or other news, you’ll see this story about the records is being pimped all over the place. But, when it’s snow, no biggie. There have been lots of March cold weather/snow records broken. We’ve seen lots of winter weather/snow records set for the 2013-2014 season, for January, for February, along with lots being in the top 10 or higher for cold and snow this winter. We also saw this last year, especially for the spring. Across much of the Northern Hemisphere nations had no spring last year. Just a never-ending winter, with spring-like temps during the summer, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. There was snow in Cairo this winter, for goodness sakes. And more than usual in much of the Middle East.

None of this proves that the Earth is heading into a cool period. It could. There might be a return to the cool type periods that have occurred throughout the Holocene. It might be the beginning of a cooling similar to the 1940’s through late 1970’s. Or, a continuation of the statistically insignificant rise since 1997. Or zero change. Or, warming might start again, as it has off and on throughout the Modern Warm Period. We do not know. But, whatever happens, it is mostly/solely not anthropogenic. And that is the crux of the debate, whether or not climatic changes are anthropogenic. The cold and snow, which has been coming back to much of the world over the past 6 winters (and springs), along with the Pause has blown out the computer models and talking points Warmists use. Hence their change to blaming snow and cold on “climate change” and/or making up other excuses, such as the deep ocean eating their warming (without proof).

Read: Oh, Noes, More Than 150 Records Broken In Australia »

Posted in Collapsing Science, Global Warming | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach March 10, 2014 – 1:00 pm

…is an evil fossil fuels dispensing machine, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Director Blue, with a post on the wages of stupidity in Chicago.

Read: If All You See… »

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Union: Obamacare Will Cause More Income Inequality

By William Teach March 10, 2014 – 7:18 am

This is not the first time Unite Here, a prominent  union that supports those in the the hotel, food service, laundry, warehouse, and casino gaming industries, with major links to SEIU and other far left unions, has slammed Obamacare (though they were a big supporter of it initially, and certainly got out the vote for Obama and Democrats). They’re learning that there are consequences for their support

(Fox News) Although it defends the intent behind the Affordable Care Act, the report, entitled “The Irony of ObamaCare: Making inequality worse,” concludes that the law will transfer a billion dollars in wealth to insurance companies, uneven the playing field in the market, force employers to cut back on hours and result in pay decreases, Ralston Reports said.

“The promise of Obamacare was the right one and the hope for extending healthcare coverage to the un-and under-insured a step in the right direction,” the report says. “Yet the unintended consequences will hit the average, hard-working American where it hurts: in the wallet.”

The report says it’s “ironic” that the Obama administration is publicly discussing income inequality though it has yet to make the changes to ObamaCare that Unite Here believes are necessary to avoid exacerbating income disparity.

There do not seem to be many parts of the U.S. economy that Obamacare is helping, are there. Of course, what Unite Here wants are “fixes”. If only there was something that could have been done prior to this horrendous bill being passed, like, reading it. Really, it’s not like anyone said this would damage our economy prior to passage, right? Right? From Ralston Reports

The paper argues that the Affordable Care Act will transfer a billion dollars in wealth to insurance companies, create an unlevel playing field in the market, force employers to cut back hours and result in pay decreases. It lays it out in detail, with examples of union workers affected by Obamacare.

Didn’t Harry Reid, along with the in-sync media, say that no one was being harmed by Obamacare? From the report itself

Ironically, the Administration’s own signature healthcare victory poses one of the most immediate challenges to redressing inequality. Yes, the Affordable Care Act will help many more Americans gain some health insurance coverage, a significant step forward for equality. At the same time, without smart fixes, the ACA threatens the middle class with higher premiums, loss of hours, and a shift to part-time work and less comprehensive coverage.

Crazy right wingers. According to Open Secrets, Unite Here has spent almost $600k for the 2014 cycle, all going to Democrats and left wing groups. And almost $8.7 million during the 2012 period, all of which went to Democrats and left leaning groups.

Read: Union: Obamacare Will Cause More Income Inequality »

Posted in Healthcare, Liberal World | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

DHS Has Advice For Border Agents: Run Away

By William Teach March 10, 2014 – 6:55 am

I suppose this is the kinder, gentler version of keeping our border secure and stop those crossing our border

(Daily Caller) Top administration officials have directed 21,000 border patrol officers to retreat whenever illegal immigrants throw rocks at them, and to avoid getting in front of foreign drug-smugglers’ vehicles as they head north with their drug shipments.

“Agents shall not discharge firearms in response to thrown or hurled projectiles… agents should obtain a tactical advantage in these situations, such as seeking cover or distancing themselves,” said the instructions, issued Mar. 7, under the signature of Michael Fisher, chief of U.S. Border Patrol.

Agents were also directed to keep their weapons holstered when drug smugglers drive by.

I wonder if they are allowed to use harsh language?

The new instructions do allow agents to use guns to defend themselves from vehicles that drive at them. “Agents shall not discharge their firearms at a moving vehicle unless the agent has a reasonable belief that… deadly force is being used against an agent,” the new instructions say.

However, the instructions also suggest that officers be penalized if they don’t step back. Agents “should not place themselves in the path of a motor vehicle or use their body to block a vehicles’s path,” according to new instructions.

These same smugglers could be bringing in more illegal aliens and guns, not just drugs. We won’t know what they’re smuggling if the Border Patrol doesn’t actually, you know, stop them.

Unsurprisingly, these new rules are being praised by all sorts of illegal alien support groups and Democrat Party elected officials. One has to wonder who these Democrats think they are elected to help: U.S. citizens or illegals?

The commissioned report (which came from a far left illegal alien supporting group) was challenged by mid-level DHS officials, who argued that the rules barring self-defense from rock-throwers “could create a more dangerous environment [especially for agents operating] in rural or desolate areas, often alone, where concealment, cover and egress is not an option,” according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

Illegal alien supporters apparently perceive that smugglers are now “undocumented immigrants” now.

Elsewhere

(Al Jazeera) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed that at least 550 detainees at the Northwest Detention Center in Washington state have launched a hunger strike.

The detainees, who have been refusing to eat since Friday, are demanding better food, safer working conditions and for President Barack Obama to sign an executive order ending deportations, according to Maru Mora Villalpando, founder of Latino Advocacy.

The hunger strikers, Villalpando said, are part of a growing, nationwide campaign against the U.S. immigration policy. Villalpando put the number of hunger strikers at 1,200, more than twice what ICE reported to Al Jazeera.

In a sane world we would simply deport these illegals immediately.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: DHS Has Advice For Border Agents: Run Away »

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John Kerry Wants US Envoys To Make “Climate Change” Their Priority

By William Teach March 9, 2014 – 4:48 pm

Our high fossil fuels flying Secretary of State apparently has nothing better to do, having solved all the world’s issues

(Yahoo News) US Secretary of State John Kerry has called on American ambassadors around the world to make the fight against climate change a top priority ahead of new UN talks next year.

In his first department-wide policy guidance statement since taking office a year ago, he told his 70,000 staff: “The environment has been one of the central causes of my life.”

“Protecting our environment and meeting the challenge of global climate change is a critical mission for me as our country’s top diplomat,” Kerry said in the letter issued on Friday to all 275 US embassies and across the State Department.

This is a guy who’s flying all over the world, owns multiple fossil fueled vehicles, along with multiple energy sucking, CO2 producing McMansions. He generated 12 tons of “carbon” during his February trip to the Far East to discuss “climate change”. The average American’s carbon footprint is 19.6 metric tons per year.

“We’re talking about the future of our earth and of humanity. We need to elevate the environment in everything we do,” he said.

It was, he said “our call to conscience as citizens of this fragile planet we inhabit.”

The environment will be fine. CO2 levels have been higher for most of the Earth’s history. I love this comment from Linda Loo

Make it the priority and then what? They can’t fix problems that are actually fixable. Our country is still reeling from the catastrophe caused by crooked business and banks. Though things are slowly improving there is still a lot of unemployment. Heaven forbid if they raise minimum wage. And what about the fact our educational system has fallen to the bottom of the list? But, hey, by all means make “climate change” a priority. No matter that there isn’t a blessed thing they can do about it if it is really happening. All the wind turbines and expensive hybrid cars and regulating companies to have less pollutants will not keep the climate from changing but it sure will make a lot of money the people with all their contraptions (a.k.a. snake oil) to prevent it from happening.

Boom! And since Kerry, as Sec Of State, ie “The Boss”, made this pronouncement, the people working for him will surely understand that this is a directive, and further ignore the real world issues to focus on this phony, far left political issue.

Read: John Kerry Wants US Envoys To Make “Climate Change” Their Priority »

Posted in Climahypocrites, Global Warming, Kerry | 19 Comments | Trackback URL
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