tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post6038433877054586135..comments2024-03-28T03:47:46.544-04:00Comments on The Elephant Bar: March 18, 2011 - President Obama told a bipartisan group of members of Congress today that he expects the U.S. would be actively involved in any military action against Libya for "days, not weeks," after which he said the U.S. would take more of a supporting role, sources tell ABC News.Deuce ☂http://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-47744346973055912182014-05-22T12:41:23.318-04:002014-05-22T12:41:23.318-04:00Glad you put it back up. Thanks !Glad you put it back up. Thanks !Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-32864127634694364172014-05-22T06:16:26.871-04:002014-05-22T06:16:26.871-04:00Nice seeing you all..Nice seeing you all..Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-75407385208595103532014-05-22T06:15:44.943-04:002014-05-22T06:15:44.943-04:00I will be putting up a new post later today.I will be putting up a new post later today.Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-88503632143194380272014-05-22T03:34:57.757-04:002014-05-22T03:34:57.757-04:00.
A cloud rose in the north and crept across the ....<br /><br />A cloud rose in the north and crept across the land, a dark cloud, roiling and sulfurous, laced with firedamp explosions that lit the night. Initially born in Stygian darkness during the Carboniferous Period, precursor to the five great extinctions including The Great Dying of the Triassic, the cloud was the most recent incarnation of the chaos generated when the Titan Gondwana rolled across the South Pole and ravished the Goddess Aurora before moving on and leaving her to bear the three Graeae, Oil and Coal and Gas, eldritch and fey, sisters to the monstrous Gorgons.<br /><br />As the cloud moved it stilled the wind and blotted out the sun. In its wake, crops, corn and switch grass withered and died, just as in previous millennia brachiopods and trilobites and triceratops and fungi and countless other species shared the same fate.<br /><br />And as the storm drew near, a figure could be seen being born by the cloud, amorphous and inchoate, a dark eminence robed in black, it was the Quirkster come bearing the message of the Graeae. Through unmoving lips he proclaimed their wisdom:<br /><br /><i><b>“Nonsense. They are all dicks.”</b></i><br /><br />.<br />Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-86074572099108796312014-05-22T03:01:14.244-04:002014-05-22T03:01:14.244-04:00http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/05/israel_will...http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/05/israel_will_be_the_last_man_standing_in_the_middle_east.htmlBobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-12941167569321621552014-05-22T03:00:32.211-04:002014-05-22T03:00:32.211-04:00The size of each bar is the country’s population i...The size of each bar is the country’s population in millions. The blue part is the proportion fed from domestic production and the red part is the proportion kept alive with grain imports. Arguably Norman Borlaug and his green revolution allowed this situation to come about. World grain production outran population growth up to about a decade ago and grain became the cheapest it has been in history. Feeding these growing populations has been very cheap for regimes that subsidise bread to keep their populations quiescent. At the current price of wheat of $330 per metric ton and per capita consumption of 300 kg per annum, it only costs $0.27 per day in grain to keep someone alive. <br /><br />But grain yields in most countries have plateaued since 2000 and grain prices have started rising again. That effect will be accelerated by the solar-driven global cooling that has started. At some stage the cost of keeping everyone fed will overwhelm one of the MENA countries and it will collapse in mass starvation. There will then be a mad scramble around the world to stockpile grain, sending prices yet higher. In turn, that will set off a domino effect in the graph above. Using an animal model of population collapse (the snowshoe hare and lynx), populations might fall to 10% of carrying capacity -- back to levels last seen 200 years ago.<br /><br />Israel imports most of its grain requirements as do all its neighbours. The big difference is that Israel has a GDP per capita of $30,000-odd which is at least ten times that of its neighbours. Israel could afford a much higher grain price. That country also is the most efficient desalinator of seawater on the planet. With a cost of $0.52 per cubic metre, it is able to grow commercial crops using desalinated seawater. For Israel to survive from here, all it has to do is out-wait its neighbors. In the good old days, a large population meant a country could have a large army. These days it means the ongoing drag of having to feed a lot of unproductive people with every missed grain shipment a potential disaster. <br /><br />Hang in there Israel. Just a few more years and all your surrounding enemies will become semi-starved tribes with rifles and pickup trucks at best. <br /><br />David Archibald, a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C., is the author of Twilight of Abundance: Why Life in the 21st Century Will Be Nasty, Brutish, and Short (Regnery, 2014). Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-27553319383177775452014-05-22T02:59:46.279-04:002014-05-22T02:59:46.279-04:00The Power of Wheat -
May 22, 2014
Israel Will Be ...The Power of Wheat -<br /><br />May 22, 2014<br />Israel Will Be The Last Man Standing in the Middle East<br />5 tips to get the best mortgage rates (TopTipsNews)<br />By David Archibald<br />The Arab Spring, which started with the self-immolation of a Tunisian vegetable vendor at 11.30 am on 16th December, 2010, has resulted in two failed states in the region so far. Libya has become “Scumbag Woodstock” because of the number of terrorist organisations headquartered there. The French and English attempt at regime change created a terrorist haven with consequences as far afield as Mali and the 300 Christian girls kidnapped in Nigeria. Fortunately, Syria has become a meatgrinder for Islamic terrorists and for the moment has ceased being a net exporter of terrorism. In that conflict, the Obama Administration has chosen to support the side that does all the beheadings. Perhaps it is a brilliant plan -- a rational person would want the meatgrinder to keep grinding rather than have the Islamists defeated too quickly.<br /><br />The last time Syria attacked a civilised nation was the Yom Kippur War of 1973 in which it and Egypt launched a surprise attack on Israel. At the time, Syria had a population of seven million and Egypt 38 million. It was also about the last time that both countries could feed themselves from their own agricultural efforts. Their populations are now 22 million and 83 million respectively, with all the increase in population from 1973 fed with imported grain. This is true of the whole Middle East – North Africa (MENA) region. This is shown in the following graph going from Morocco in the west to Afghanistan in the east.<br /><br /><br /><br />Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-27974617846181060682014-05-21T23:43:19.078-04:002014-05-21T23:43:19.078-04:00Some Washington insiders expected President Obama ...Some Washington insiders expected President Obama to announce the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki after the two men met in the Oval Office this morning. Yet even with the VA hospitals scandal gathering momentum each day, Obama chose to keep Shinseki in place. Why?<br /><br />There are several reasons. First, Shinseki is a decorated veteran himself, a retired four-star general and former Army Chief of Staff who was seriously wounded in Vietnam. Members of Congress, and all Americans for that matter, view that record with respect. Second, heading the VA is a tough and unglamorous job, and finding a good candidate to replace Shinseki will not be easy; it's not something Obama wants to do if he doesn't have to. And third, even if a top-tier candidate agreed to take the job, cleaning up the VA mess will be a difficult task given >>>>>>>federal government personnel rules that make it virtually impossible for the secretary to fire workers involved in the scandal.<<<<<<<<<<br /><br /><br />But there's another reason Shinseki is hard for the president to dismiss. The retired general has for years been a particular hero to Obama's supporters on the left for his conflictwith the George W. Bush administration during the run-up to the war in Iraq.<br /><br />http://washingtonexaminer.com/amid-growing-va-scandal-why-eric-shinseki-is-hard-to-fire/article/2548717Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-68931392190819699472014-05-21T22:27:04.905-04:002014-05-21T22:27:04.905-04:00Deeply......deeply.....I peer into my dark crystal...Deeply......deeply.....I peer into my dark crystal ball.......what !!!!!.....what is this......some apparition from HELL perhaps........I see, I seeeeeee.......O, it is, it is.......The Quirkster approaching !Fjord Olesvensensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-11515222585881730842014-05-21T22:22:15.772-04:002014-05-21T22:22:15.772-04:00You could not imagine two systems more "syste...You could not imagine two systems more "systemically" opposed than Obamacare, and the VA System. To attempt to engage with someone unconscious to that fact is nuts. Take the pot.Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-57119396356865207692014-05-21T22:15:00.534-04:002014-05-21T22:15:00.534-04:00You have no fucking clue. You have no fucking clue. Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-27300628802064258882014-05-21T22:11:06.937-04:002014-05-21T22:11:06.937-04:00I hope she does well, and recovers fully.
bobboI hope she does well, and recovers fully.<br /><br />bobboBobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-6711067786727527652014-05-21T22:09:42.105-04:002014-05-21T22:09:42.105-04:00Looks like bobbo was right to me -
Americans who ...Looks like bobbo was right to me -<br /><br />Americans who watch this story play out and fail to make the clear and obvious connection to Obamacare will be guilty of willful ignorance. The systemic flaw is identical. It's just magnified on a massive scale. Rather than making a false promise to treat all of the ills of a relatively few sick and injured military veterans, Obamacare has put the federal government on the path to taking responsibility for the medical needs — and the attendant costs — of the entire U.S. population.<br /><br />http://www.cleveland.com/obrien/index.ssf/2014/05/where_va_has_taken_veterans_ob.html#incart_river<br /><br />The best we could do right now is give Vets vouchers so they can get health care where, when and from whom they choose.<br /><br />Fjord Olesvensensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-11704572788428395752014-05-21T21:53:47.770-04:002014-05-21T21:53:47.770-04:00The Affordable Care Act is, definitely, a Mega-Nig...The Affordable Care Act is, definitely, a Mega-Nightmare - for the Republicans. <br /><br />Over 13 Million Americans covered, probably hundreds of thousands receiving vital care, as we speak - as in my family, where one person is receiving life-saving chemotherapy, as we speak.Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-53355613950424472592014-05-21T21:35:36.863-04:002014-05-21T21:35:36.863-04:00Another, draft-dodging asshole that doesn't kn...Another, draft-dodging asshole that doesn't know the first thing about the VA.<br /><br />Thanks to Bush's War for Oil, appointment requests are up 50%, but the number of Doctors is only up 9%.<br /><br />The Republicans filibustered, and killed, a $26 billion VA Bill just a couple of months ago.Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-45963264848214106342014-05-21T21:34:33.545-04:002014-05-21T21:34:33.545-04:00Obama knows nothing, sees nothing, and hears nothi...Obama knows nothing, sees nothing, and hears nothing unless his lapdogs bark, then his ears perk up. Not exactly using a hunting dog to flush out the truth, is he? Kind of reminds me of that famous Will Rogers quote: “All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that’s an alibi for my ignorance.”<br /><br />The head of a government that has the most sophisticated spying apparatus ever created can monitor who we talk to, what we talk about, how many twinkies our kids eat and the calories we consume, where we travel, etc. etc., yet announces our President’s daily Intelligence report is actually prepared by Matt Drudge. Hmmm. Perhaps the NSA should take out ads in the sports section to assure the President reads his morning Intelligence briefing. <br /><br />Here’s a quick video of our Community Organizer-in-Chief explaining his lack of knowledge of the nation’s major scandals, using his favorite convenient excuse and perhaps also saying much about his management skills with a dysfunctional, disinterested staff. What do you think?<br /><br />http://townhall.com/video/montage-obama-discovers-every-scandal-through-the-media-n1840788Sarah Palinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-23174518104622837512014-05-21T21:29:51.176-04:002014-05-21T21:29:51.176-04:00Republican Governors that refuse to expand Medicai...Republican Governors that refuse to expand Medicaid are leaving <b>258,000 Veterans Uninsured.</b><br /><br />According to a report by Pew using analysis from the Urban Institute, approximately 258,600 of those veterans are living below the poverty line in states refusing to expand Medicaid. Without veteran's benefits — and with incomes too low to qualify for subsidies to use on the state exchanges — these veterans are left without affordable coverage options.<br /><br />Twenty states are staunchly refusing to expand the program, and a few are still . . . . . . . <br /><br /><a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/5/21/5738512/states-that-refuse-medicaid-are-leaving-over-250000-poor-veterans" rel="nofollow">Thanks, Assholes</a><br />Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-48014490759595247022014-05-21T21:25:06.690-04:002014-05-21T21:25:06.690-04:00ObamaCare is going to be a Mega-Nightmare.ObamaCare is going to be a Mega-Nightmare.Fjord Olesvensensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-595838445117964592014-05-21T21:23:53.333-04:002014-05-21T21:23:53.333-04:00you CAN'T fire these guv'mint workers....you CAN'T fire these guv'mint workers....Fjord Olesvensensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-81994898530180513962014-05-21T21:22:29.786-04:002014-05-21T21:22:29.786-04:00'The stinking, fucking Republicans' in the...'The stinking, fucking Republicans' in the House are introducing a bill allowing Shinseki, who should be fired himself, to fire somebody. You can fire these guv'mint workers. Big problem. It's not funding, there is plenty of funding, which increased under Bush. You can't fire these incompetents. All our government agencies are like this. Everyone is incompetent at the VA, except the doctors, and in all the government agencies. We are noticing this because people are dying because of it, and they aren't dying over at the Dept. of Agriculture, unless some ag agent should mis-fire his new .40 caliber submachine gun while playing with it.<br /><br />Fjord Olesvensensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-15778167439901570672014-05-21T20:43:12.446-04:002014-05-21T20:43:12.446-04:00I guess the stinking, fucking Republicans need to ...I guess the stinking, fucking Republicans need to quit filibustering the VA Funding requests.Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-68122824351973724432014-05-21T20:15:44.928-04:002014-05-21T20:15:44.928-04:00'Scared' Miami VA Whistleblower Exposes Dr...'Scared' Miami VA Whistleblower Exposes Drug Dealing, Theft, Abuse...<br /><br />Director of Phoenix Hospital Where Vets Died Received $8,500 Bonus in April...<br /><br />Even Dems Call for Secretary's Resignation.......Drudge<br /><br />..................<br /><br />With ObamaCare, the entire national medical system will be hauled back to the 19th Century.<br /><br />We'll be lucky to receive leeches for bloodletting.<br /><br />Fjord Olesensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-15251266791389370622014-05-21T20:06:55.434-04:002014-05-21T20:06:55.434-04:00Back five years ago, President newly elected Obama...Back five years ago, President newly elected Obama promised us to build a "21st Century VA system". I just saw the clip.<br /><br />Ha ha ha<br /><br />Instead, what we've done is slip back to the 19th Century model.<br /><br />Damn sad. <br /><br />What a total failure is Obama.<br /><br />Fjord Olesensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-40348004766045347912014-05-21T12:57:49.287-04:002014-05-21T12:57:49.287-04:00It was announced in March that Austin Energy would...<br />It was announced in March that Austin Energy would likely be buying electricity from a SunEdison solar power plant for less than 5¢/kWh under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA). If you’re not familiar with electricity prices, that’s really low. The final deal was just completed last week but with an unanticipated move – Austin Energy closed negotiations with Recurrent Energy. The Recurrent Energy press release explains that it received “an award from Austin Energy for 150 MW of solar capacity in West Texas. The power will be delivered to Austin Energy pursuant to a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement.”<br /><br />Recurrent Energy doesn’t mention what happened with SunEdison, of course, but it does pump up its status as a leading utility-scale solar power plant developer:<br /><br /><br />Recurrent Energy is redefining what it means to be a mainstream clean energy company, with a fleet of utility-scale solar plants that provide competitive clean electricity. The company has more than 2 GW of solar projects in development in North America.<br /><br />Larry Weis, Austin’s Energy General Manager, and Arno Harris, Recurrent Energy’s Chairman and CEO, further explain:<br /><br /><br />“With our largest utility scale solar award, we are <br /><br />Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/21/austin-energy-cheap-solar-5-cents-kwh-recurrent-energy/#uwT0UHw3IJ2imStv.99<br /><br /><a href="http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/21/austin-energy-cheap-solar-5-cents-kwh-recurrent-energy/" rel="nofollow">a nickel a kilowatt</a>Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-89524775384465312312014-05-21T12:14:31.265-04:002014-05-21T12:14:31.265-04:00Ahem, as I've been saying all along,
Federal ...<i>Ahem, as I've been saying all along,</i><br /><br /><b>Federal energy authorities have slashed by 96% the estimated amount of recoverable oil buried in California's vast Monterey Shale deposits, deflating its potential as a national "black gold mine" of petroleum.</b><br /><br />Just 600 million barrels of oil can be extracted with existing technology, far below the 13.7 billion barrels once thought recoverable from the jumbled layers of subterranean rock spread across much of Central California, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.<br /><br />The new estimate, expected to be . . . . . . .<br /><br /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-oil-20140521-story.html" rel="nofollow">Jumbled Mess</a><br />Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.com