Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

By William Teach August 12, 2012 – 8:59 am

Happy Sunday! I considered giving everyone a nice Christmas pinup, since the pick of Paul Ryan was a nice gift for Conservatives, but, na, I’ll save those. I have not a clue who did this one, which has an addition. Nice, though, eh?

What’s happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15 (it would be entirely too easy to go for Paul Ryan posts, so, I shan’t)

  1. Teresamerica wonders if Obama is hostile to all religions, or just Christianity
  2. Raised On Hoecakes has some interesting thoughts on the US women’s soccer jerseys
  3. The First Street Journal is really hoping that this is satire
  4. The Lonely Conservative points out what Obama forgot to mention
  5. Wizbang has the climate battle round 2
  6. Ice Age Now wonders if a super volcano is awakening
  7. At Twitchy, we learn that the latest target of the Left is Papa John’s
  8. American Power features the Kos going bat guano
  9. Conservative Commune discusses firearms murders
  10. OK, one Paul Ryan post, and DaTechGuy has a great one to read
  11. Doug Ross discusses what Democrats believe
  12. Fausta discusses teddy bears and freedom
  13. Jammie Wearing Fool highlights this weekends Chicago values
  14. Nice Deb explains that Obama did gut welfare
  15. And last, but not least Political Realities discusses the hypocrisy of Obama

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

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.

The posts do take a long time, so, if you want to send me your links for Rule 5 babeage or links, use ye olde email in the header bar (remove the NOSPAM part). Preferably, create the html link so I can copy and paste how you want it to read.

Read: Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup »

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Newest Way To Push Gun Control: Treating It Like A Disease

By William Teach August 12, 2012 – 8:21 am

Of course, gun control, like most things in Liberal World, only applies to someone else. Liberals have no problem carrying guns themselves if they choose, because the gun is for their protection. Hollywood liberals who hate guns love to use them in TV shows and movies. Heck, Nanny Bloomberg’s NY police officers shot a man wielding a knife. Couldn’t they have used a tazer or a baton, or just told the crazy man to just stop? Well, gun control advocates are doing all they can to take your gun away

(USA Today) Is a gun like a virus, a car, tobacco or alcohol? Yes say public health experts, who in the wake of recent mass shootings are calling for a fresh look at gun violence as a social disease.

What we need, they say, is a public health approach to the problem, like the highway safety measures, product changes and driving laws that slashed deaths from car crashes decades ago, even as the number of vehicles on the road rose. (snip)

“What I’m struggling with is, is this the new social norm? This is what we’re going to have to live with if we have more personal access to firearms,” said Hargarten, emergency medicine chief at Froedtert Hospital and director of the Injury Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “We have a public health issue to discuss. Do we wait for the next outbreak or is there something we can do to prevent it?”

The article reports that mass shootings are not on the rise, per the FBI, and that gun haters have tried this tactic before. What this newer thought looks at is a few factors

  • “Host” factors: What makes someone more likely to shoot, or someone more likely to be a victim.
  • Product features: Which firearms are most dangerous and why.
  • “Environmental” risk factors: What conditions allow or contribute to shootings.

So, gun control (on other people) advocates can position gun ownership as a public health issue, thereby slapping more regulations and restrictions on guns and people in order to restrict who can own a gun and what type of gun, all in the name of health standards.

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.

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Natural Resources Conservation Service Has One Fossil Fueled Vehicle For Every 1.2 Employees

By William Teach August 11, 2012 – 2:28 pm

What’s the big deal? Well…..

(CNS News) The Natural Resources Conservation Service, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, operates 9,516 vehicles even though it only has 11,605 employees. That works out to one vehicle for every 1.2 employees.

The service promotes itself, in part, as a component of the federal government’s effort to deal with climate change.

“Our goal is not just a sustainable, nutritious, abundant food supply, but also thriving ecosystems that support a diversity of life,” the conservation service says on its website. “In the next century, NRCS will not only continue to tackle familiar challenges like ensuring clean water and healthy soil, but will also rise to meet new issues, such as clean air, clean energy, climate change, and new technology.”

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) describes the mission of the NRCS as ensuring “private lands are conserved, restored, and more resilient to environmental challenges, like climate change,” and the NRCS argues on its website that human activity is producing greenhouse gases (GHG) that lead to climate change and that farmers can help solve the problem by reducing emissions.

Of those 9,516 vehicles, the vast majority are some type of truck or van, which we can all assume run on fossil fuels. But, remember, fighting climate change is something to other people/groups should be forced to do.

Read: Natural Resources Conservation Service Has One Fossil Fueled Vehicle For Every 1.2 Employees »

Posted in Climahypocrites, Global Warming | 5 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach August 11, 2012 – 1:00 pm

….is the flag of the evil carbon polluting USA, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Bunkerville, with a post on Obama welcoming illegal aliens.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

OK, So Now Geothermal Energy Is Verbotan By Climate Weenies

By William Teach August 11, 2012 – 11:47 am

Remember how they wanted every alternative type of energy? Well, they block transmission lines for the “clean energy” projects, block solar and wind projects, don’t like hydrothermal because of a raft of reasons, and now, geothermal is evil

(Global Warming Policy Foundation) The most promising renewable energy of all is making pro-renewable Greens frightened and angry. It’s geothermal energy, which taps into the natural warmth below Earth’s surface, providing an abundant heat source. The problem? New geothermal techniques requires hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and environmental crusaders have convinced themselves that fracking is evil.

Geothermal exploitation used to be about finding and retrieving hot water – but new technology allows water to be sent into deep fissures several thousand feet down, where it meets hot dry rock, and comes out piping hot.

The problem? New geothermal techniques requires hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and environmental crusaders have convinced themselves that fracking is evil. Thanks to misleading propaganda such as the movie Gasland, campaigners fear contamination of the water table and apocalyptic earthquakes. (For some Greens, the world is a disaster movie set to loop.)

And because of fracking, at least one project, AltaRock in Oregon, has been cancelled. Warmists are for alternative energy in principle, but not practice.

Fortunately, Warmists are forcing coal fired plants (again, not my favorite type of energy) to shut down with nothing to replace them. I suggest we put tons of wind turbines throughout liberal suburban neighborhoods to make up for the lost power.

Read: OK, So Now Geothermal Energy Is Verbotan By Climate Weenies »

Posted in Collapsing Science, Energy, Global Warming | 5 Comments | Trackback URL

Washington Post Attempts To Dispell 5 Myths About Stimulus

By William Teach August 11, 2012 – 7:34 am

The Washington Post’s Michael Grunwald is spinning hard within the opinion section to tell us that Obama’s outsourced Stimulus program, which wasted $787 billion dollars for no real gain, and will certainly top a trillion dollars with the interest, was super awesome! These are the supposed myths

1. The stimulus didn’t create jobs. A year after Obama signed the bill, the percentage of the public that believed it had created jobs was lower than the percentage that believed Elvis was alive. But at its peak, the Recovery Act directly employed more than 700,000 Americans on construction projects, research grants and other contracts. That number doesn’t include the jobs saved or created through its unemployment benefits, food stamps and other aid to struggling families likely to spend it; its fiscal relief for cash-strapped state governments; or its tax cuts for more than 95 percent of workers. Top economic forecasters estimate that the stimulus produced about 2.5 million jobs and added between 2.1 percent and 3.8 percent to our gross domestic product.

OK, I’ll agree it saved/created jobs. Of course, a good chunk of them were temporary positions, gone when the money dried up. It also kept public sector workers on the job, and then when the money ran out, those jobs were in danger, because the economies in quite a few of the states are pitiful, just like the economy. Michael does accede that it didn’t keep unemployment under 8%, but provides some spin, and says it “stopped the free fall”, which is why we’re still above 8% for 41 straight months.

2. The stimulus was full of waste, pork and fraud. Most of the Recovery Act consisted of straightforward aid to states and to the vulnerable, infrastructure spending, and tax cuts. Critics may call it “porkulus,” but the stimulus was also the first modern spending bill with no official legislative earmarks, the usual definition of “pork.” And after experts warned that 5 to 7 percent of the money could be lost to fraud, investigators documented only $7.2 million in losses through 2011, about 0.001 percent.

$7.2 million? Seriously? The US taxpayer lost more than that on Solyndra alone. How about $3 million for silly science projects, like the shrimp on a treadmill research? How about $10 million wasted on a turtle tunnel? Oh, wait, Michael plays a game by mentioning only 2011. How about almost $5 billion in waste, as mentioned by Tom Coburn, for the worst 102? The report didn’t even mention many projects that so many people thought were waste.

Two other myths are worthless, but it also mentions some myth that I’ve never heard that the Stimulus, unlike the New Deal, will leave no legacy

The stimulus was the biggest and most transformative energy bill in history, pouring an astonishing $90 billion into record expansions of every imaginable form of clean energy, from renewables to electric vehicles. It included $27 billion to computerize health care. Its Race to the Top was a landmark in education reform. Its high-speed rail program was the most ambitious transportation initiative since the interstates. It extended high-speed Internet to underserved communities, a modern twist on the New Deal’s rural electrification, and modernized the New Deal-era unemployment insurance system. And much more.

Michael is right, it will leave a legacy. Lots of painted bridges, re-paved roads that didn’t need paving, videos of shrimp on treadmills, high speed rail trains that have yet to be built with accompanying videos, oh, and a massive environmental cleanup at Solyndra. Among others. Oh, and let’s not forget the massive debt left to America’s grandchildren!

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.

Read: Washington Post Attempts To Dispell 5 Myths About Stimulus »

Posted in Barking Moonbats, Barry Obama, Economy, Liberal World | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

Everyone Pretty Much Saying Mitt’s VP Pick Will Be Paul Ryan -Confirmed

By William Teach August 11, 2012 – 6:52 am

Hmm, I thought I would be the first to know by downloading the smartphone app. Of course, there is no official confirmation of the pick, and supposedly Mitt will make the announcement today. Oh, well. ABC News says Ryan is a high risk high reward pick (if he’s the actual pick)

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, who Republicn sources tell ABC News has been selected as Mitt Romney’s running mate, is young and politically tested.

Just 42 years old, he’s already been elected to represent Wisconsin’s 1st District seven times. Within the Republican Party, he’s regarded as a rising star, and conservatives would be delighted if he was added to the ticket. It’s no secret that the more hardcore factions of the GOP have had their doubts about Romney (see: Rick Santorum’s longevity in the primaries). Having Ryan riding alongside the candidate would ease the bulk of their concerns.

On the flip side, Paul Ryan is young, politically tested, and arguably more popular inside the Republican Party than Romney. Here’s a challenge: Name another vice presidential nominee with similar credentials whose ticket won the general election? Exactly.

Um, that seems more like a win win, not a on one side and on the other. ABC provides a few of the “negatives”, which includes

Against – He’s specific about how he would do it. However one feels about the “Roadmap” proposal, and people tend to feel rather strongly, there’s no doubt about what it would entail. The top tax rates would be cut to 25 percent from 35 percent; all taxes on capital gains, interest, and stock dividends would be eliminated; and, most controversially, the Ryan plan would privatize Social Security and Medicare.

So, it’s bad to have a specific plan to deal with the exploding federal budget? Did we enter an alternate universe while I slept?

Against – Ryan’s ability to raise money is tied to his reputation as the party’s foremost deficit hawk. But as a vice presidential nominee, he would be required to compromise some of his fiscal purity. Every running mate has to give a little up for the good of the ticket. The question for Ryan is whether giving up tailoring his brand to fit the current GOP platform will cancel out his initial appeal.

If Mitt is picking him, I seriously doubt that Mitt wanted Ryan to moderate, but, instead, bring real conservative cred to the ticket.

I guess we’ll see today if the AP, ABC, Washington Post, Fox News, et all are correct.

More: I suppose updating to note that Mitt’s pick is Paul Ryan would be in order. Received the official notification at 8am or so.

PS: it’s interesting to see all the liberal blogs, interest groups, and news sites already had their hit pieces tee’d up and ready to go. Can’t link the specific Memeorandum thread using Droid, but my goodness, the Barking Moonbats are out in force.

Read: Everyone Pretty Much Saying Mitt’s VP Pick Will Be Paul Ryan -Confirmed »

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Lefties Petition Berenstain Bears To Pull Out From Chick-fil-a

By William Teach August 10, 2012 – 4:27 pm

It’s not enough for Lefties to simply refuse to eat at Chick-fil-a, because, let’s face it, they are hyper-partisan and intolerant of anything that diverges from their rigid dogma. No, now they are going wacky with their petitions

(WSJ) The publisher of the Berenstain Bears children’s books is being urged to cut ties with Chick-fil-A because of its president’s statements opposing gay marriage.

Three organizations said Wednesday they delivered petitions with 80,000 signatures to HarperCollins. The petitions demand the New York-based publishing house end the Berenstain Bears’ affiliation with the national fast-food chain and say the beloved bears teach the importance of standing against bigotry.

The petitions urge HarperCollins to follow the lead of the Jim Henson Co., which pulled its Muppet toys from Chick-fil-A kids’ meals. A similar campaign with Berenstain Bears is slated for this month.

Now, why would anyone suggest that Lefties are anti-free speech and anti-business?

Read: Lefties Petition Berenstain Bears To Pull Out From Chick-fil-a »

Posted in Current Affairs, Liberal World, Unhinged Tools | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

Solar #Fail Today: Chu, Tax Credits, Selling To Themselves

By William Teach August 10, 2012 – 1:58 pm

Don’t worry, the Solydra loan was a good bet

(Business Week) U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu told President Barack Obama in mid-2011 that loans in the department’s clean-energy program were sound, two months before the bankruptcy of recipient Solyndra LLC.

A draft prepared by Energy Department officials for Chu to brief Obama on June 27, 2011, also pushed to continue the program, slated to expire three months later, according to documents released today by the Republican-led House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

How’d that work out? Gotta love how the Smartest Administration Evah! was so utterly clueless to the economics of the situation.

(Business Week) A tax break passed by lawmakers four years ago to spur investment in solar energy has become a more costly deal for the state than expected, siphoning millions of dollars from Louisiana’s coffers above what had been estimated.

When lawmakers passed the Wind and Solar Energy Systems Tax Credit in 2007, fiscal analysts said they expected lost state tax income to be less than $500,000 a year.

But in four years of the tax break, the state has shelled out $37 million for the tax credit — more than 18 times the maximum estimate, according to data provided to The Associated Press by the Department of Revenue.

I’m shocked that a government program ended up being over 18 times more expensive than originally estimated. Aren’t you shocked?

(Washington Examiner) President Obama, as part of his “we can’t wait” for congressional approval initiative, announced that the Office of Management and Budget will expedite approval of a Nevada project owned by a solar company with a history of using taxpayer subsidies to sell products to itself.

First Solar’s “Silver State South Solar Energy project is a solar energy generation plant proposed on 13,043 acres of public land,” the White House said in an announcement of the initiative. “If approved, it would produce an estimated 350 MW of clean energy utilizing photovoltaic technology– enough to power approximately 105,000 homes – and help the State of Nevada meet its renewable energy goals.”

This is a company that, as The Washington Examiner’s Tim Carney reported, relies on taxpayer subsidies while selling products to itself.

Remember, First Solar recently laid off 2,200 employees

Oh, and there’s more which I’m adding after writing the above and saving the draft. Not solar related, but, related to Obama’s green energy fiasco

Reuters:

U.S. battery maker A123 Systems, which got a $249 million green technology grant from the U.S. government three years ago, said on Wednesday that a Chinese auto parts maker is looking to take an 80 percent stake in the faltering company.

So, after wasting all that taxpayer money, China will take most of it over. Great.

Read: Solar #Fail Today: Chu, Tax Credits, Selling To Themselves »

Posted in Energy | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach August 10, 2012 – 1:00 pm

…is a wall needed to keep the rising seas out, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Troglopundit, who provides a post about retirement not looking too good.

Read: If All You See… »

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