COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Obama's high tech new jobs to show the World Yankee Know-how and technology.


“Change must come through the barrel of a gun” - Mao Tse Tung.


Obama's new plan to create jobs, save energy: Call it cash for caulkers?

At a Home Depot in Virginia, the president pushes his plan to offer cash incentives to consumers who install insulation and make other energy-efficient home improvements.

By Jim Puzzanghera LA Times
December 15, 2009 | 9:23 a.m.

Reporting from Washington - Declaring that insulation is "sexy," President Obama today pushed Congress to create a program giving homeowners cash incentives to improve their energy efficiency by replacing windows, caulking leaks and modernizing heaters and air conditioners.

He traveled to a Home Depot store in Alexandria, Va., to pitch a job-creation plan some have dubbed "cash for caulkers" -- government incentives given directly to consumers to spur economic activity, similar to the popular "cash for clunkers" rebates that spurred a surge in auto sales last summer. Obama also held a roundtable at the store that included the chief executive of insulation-maker Owens Corning and a 23-year-old local contractor.

"I know the idea may not be very glamorous, although I get really excited about it. We were at the roundtable and somebody said, 'Insulation's not sexy.' I disagree," Obama told an audience that included Home Depot Chief Executive Frank Blake and workers from the Laborers' International Union of North America. "Here's what's sexy about it: saving money."

He said homes built in the first half of the 20th century use about 50% more energy than those built today. Much of the energy is wasted through leaky roofs and windows. Making homes more energy efficient not only will help the environment, but also will help homeowners save money and boost the economy.

"If you saw 20-dollar bills just sort of floating through the window up into the atmosphere, you'd try to figure out how you were going to keep that," Obama said. "But that's exactly what's happening because of the lack of efficiency in our buildings.

"So what we want to do is create incentives that stimulate consumer spending, because folks buy materials from home-improvement stores like this one, which then buys them from manufacturers," he said. "It spurs hiring because local contractors and construction workers do the installation. It saves consumers money, perhaps hundreds of dollars off their utility bills each year. And it reduces our energy consumption in the process."

Such a program is among several "strategic surgical steps" Obama is pushing to help create jobs as the unemployment rate remains at 10% despite a return to economic growth after the deep recession. Obama sketched those ideas in a speech last week and added more detail to the "cash for caulkers" concept today.

Congress must create such a plan, as it did with "cash for clunkers." Obama said that Owens Corning has seen an increase in exports of insulation to Australia after that country created a weatherization incentive program.

Obama joked that his trip to Home Depot would allow him to do some holiday shopping, such as "a few million energy-efficient light bulbs" for Energy Secretary Steven Chu and "something that will prevent leaks" for White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. But it was insulation that he focused on, saying incentives for consumers to buy it and other home weatherization material would be a "win-win" for the economy and the environment.

"We are going to generate so much business for you, Frank," he told the Home Depot chief executive. "We are going to generate so much work for you guys, from LIUNA. We're going to create . . . so many business opportunities for contractors here that over the course of the next several years, people are going to see this, I think, as an extraordinary opportunity, and it's going to help America turn the corner when it comes to energy use.

"I'm excited about it. I hope you are, too," Obama concluded. "See, I told you insulation is sexy."



115 comments:

  1. Sounds like a harmless waste of another ten billion or so.

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  2. Gee - what a sense of humor your president has.

    Sounds imbecilic to me.

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  3. I noticed the apt. complex in CdAlene where my daughter is staying had a notice saying they were replacing all the kitchen windows and patio doors. So I checked them out. All vinyl windows and doors. Very tight and solid. They got to be getting some free money from somewhere or they wouldn't be doing this. Looked like a big waste to me.

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  4. Well, I gotta come down on the other side on this one. I think it's a good idea.

    Most of the money will stay local (of course, some will go to China, and Canada,) and most homeowners are "taxpayers," and vice versus.

    Our supplies of coal, and nat gas ARE "finite," and improvements to fuel efficiency WILL benefit everyone in lower utility costs.

    Hell, we bailed out the Wall St. assholes to the tune of a Trillion; 0.01 that much for the folks doesn't seem all that bad.

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  5. I wouldn't put too much stock in what the President thinks is sexy but I would sport that caulk gun pretty well, with my new riding boots, of course.

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  6. PECO, had a program a few years ago. The calls were random, I guess people with high energy bills, and the only reason I answered was because a friend was telling me about it. They came to my home and went over it with a fine tooth comb and told us where all our energy was going. They even pressure tested the house to see if there were any leaks. They gave us a list with every appliance and exactly how much energy it uses and then taught us how to save energy.

    It was pretty interesting. They insulated some things in the house and replaced my refrigerator.

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  7. My house is about as leaky as a bird's nest. Doesn't matter much most of the year though as it's usually warm around here, except for the winter months.

    One winter I was here by myself, turned the furnace off, holed up in my room with a space heater.

    Electric bill about 20 dollars a month.

    Avista finally called, to see if I was ok :)

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  8. I was surprised the pressure test was good for an old home.

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  9. Are you feeling any better, Bob?

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  10. Yeah, the drip, drip, drip has stopped, mostly, and I got some sleep last night. Not so achy. Not ready to run the 100 yard dash, though.

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  11. I'm all for it. Of course, I'd be all against it if not for the fact that I'm putting some money into winterizing my house.

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  12. A pragmatic approach.

    My lawyer used to say, always vote against the incumbent, or at least for somebody who might conceivably do you some good personally.

    I'm not sure how serious he was.

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  13. A lot of those pre-1950 houses aren't insulated very well, but were damned well-built, with very good lumber. A lot of them are as square as can be.

    Way the best money a person can spend is in plugging cracks, and leaks. I think I read where a 1/8" crack under the door is like having a 2"X 2" hole in the wall.

    Less energy usage on a National scale would mean lower utility bills for everyone (even those that hadn't weatherized.)

    Besides, a lot of the guys that will be doing the work are the same ones that we're paying unemployment to, now. Taxes will be collected. Money will be in motion. I vote, "yes."

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  14. My neighbor had that spray foam insulation put through his house last year. I guess you just spray it in the walls. I don't much about it. He seems to like it.

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  15. I had an old house in Moscow when I first got married where the insulation was---wood chips. Man, that baby would have burned bright in a fire. Those old dry wood chips from 70 years ago.

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  16. Used fuel oil in the furnace.

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  17. Melody reminded me that I need a new riding crop.

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  18. By the way, whatever happened to Obama's plan to have us all pump up our car tires, and save billions of gallons of fuel and become energy independent?

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  19. I'm glad I could help.

    I also have ass-less chaps to go with my new boots.

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  20. They make a fine combination. Now I just need something to ride.

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  21. Of course, being out west here, I know a stallion you could ride.

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  22. Homes that are "sealed" too tight can lead to indoor sicknesses...

    radon gases... decaying cat litter, skin, viruses et al

    I open the window up for fresh air all the time..

    it feels more healthy even if it's cold

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  23. I'm surprised it took so long for the Community Activist cum President to push this. It was, afterall, one of his primary campaign issues and an area of his expertise.

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  24. Unless, I missed something, that looks like a gelding to me, bob.

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  25. rufus, you say your "anti-zionism"

    who deserves their own country?

    what criteria goes to your standard to set as to who gets their own nation...

    to say your anti-zionist as you are anti-jihadist is repulsive...

    Israel is one nation, period and zionism is the belief that Jews should not be wards of any other people's state and be their own country in Israel

    Jihadism is the belief that the world must submit to allah via mohammed...

    you compare the two?

    that is insulting.

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  26. The woman's a woman though, make no mistake.

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  27. Bill Roggio says the Haqqani network is an asset of the Paki military. Roggio says the Pakis use the Haqqani as an asset against the Indian threat.

    Of course, the whole thing looks like a self-fulfilling Charley Foxtrot. The more that is said about withdrawal, the more the other side plans for the aftermath.

    The more I hear, the less inclined I am for us to stay.

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  28. I'm not one to go for celebrity jokes but I liked this one. Also, I'm usually the last one to hear, so you may have already heard it.

    What's the difference between Tiger woods and Santa?










    Santa stops at three Ho's.

    Bwahahahaha

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  29. I think some here have devolved to some serious and ugly Jew (and Christian) baiting.

    I am ready to bail on the old bar.

    I'll miss it like I miss my Gloria Cubanas but I am just about ready to take my name off the shingle.

    The day after day Bravo Sierra is out of control.

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  30. I'm sorry to hear that, Whit. I hope my harmless shenanigans didn't have a help in making that decision.

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  31. well, whit, the jews are baiting too with canards like 'zionism is just poor ole jews wanting their own country'.

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  32. I'm sure they didn't, Melody. It's not you, that's for sure. You've brightened the place up considerably.

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  33. No, MLD, I agree with Bob, you have been a breath of fresh air.

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  34. whit,

    If I have "Christian" baited, I do apologize; such was not my intention.

    Please, do stay.

    It was probably a mistake for me to return to the bar.

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  35. Ash said...
    well, whit, the jews are baiting too with canards like 'zionism is just poor ole jews wanting their own country'.



    This is the kind of response that gets old...

    Ash would be happy if the Jews of the world were just either 2nd class citizens or ash...

    How is it out of line to define "zionism" as the idea of a Nation called Israel in Israel and as a homeland for the Jews...

    Ash you're being dishonest when you do not admit that 20% of Israel's population aint even Jewish and by and large peaceful and happy to BE israelis.

    Whit, I have shared your feelings lately and that it's takes so much energy responding to out and out gross distortions from rat and ash I too have thought of leaving...

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  36. I am not looking for anyone to say, "please stay, blah, blah, blah."

    But I would like to see a little more civility. We can debate and disagree in a congenial way, but on some topics we have gotten quite nasty and personal. I'm tired of seeing it very day.

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  37. WiO,

    There are many days when I just keep my mouth shut. Some days, I don't. You had the right idea a few days ago when you wanted to ignore the provocation.

    You can see where the whirled is heading though, the anti-semites finding new allies on the left spells trouble.

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  38. whit:
    You can see where the whirled is heading though, the anti-semites finding new allies on the left spells trouble.


    The problem really is that the progressives (ANSWER) (ACORN) (REV RIGHT) have joined with the Ron Paulians and Skinheads, both of those share the view that Islam is not the problem, but the Jews are....

    Those that seek to destroy Israel have failed by open warfare are now switching to a new tact... Delegitimize Israel right to everything..

    According to the UN, rat and ash Israel commits war crimes on a daily basis...

    The Iranians, Nkor, Syrians, Sudanese and others are just misunderstood...

    very scary times ahead as the un-informed/mis-informed take up more and more vocal and violent stances.

    I DO predict that worse times are ahead...

    and I do agree that this bar should cut off rat from any discussion of jews, zionism and israel.

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  39. WiO,

    You very well know that Zionism refers to Israel occuping all of the biblical lands - Eretz Israel. It is disingenuous to suggest that the Zionist movement, say, would be happy with Israel being constrained to the 1967 borders.

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  40. I think you've made that point a number of times before, Ash.

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  41. LBJ, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimma Carter, Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, all leftists?

    Let's get real.

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  42. Y'all can make me den mother and when someone gets out of line, I could use Deuce's riding crop to whip them into shape.

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  43. Whit, I repeat only in response to WiO's constant suggestions to the contrary.

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  44. I was just reading an article about the UN yesterday. It's turned into such a farce, especially the UN Human Rights Commission.

    We had a guy here, Mr. Wassem of Wassem's Drugs, who died recently, he had a sign out decades ago, US out of UN and UN out of US. He was thought to be something of a right wing kook back in those days, but I have to say, as things have played out, he was something of a seer. And I think his sentiments have made a lot of headway.

    Melody, you can be severe with me anytime you like. Put the old spur in my side, so to speak.

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  45. As a gesture of goodwill, I'll quit banging on Ash so much.

    It was funny though, Ash, about two days after your lecture on the scientific peer review method, all those e-mails come out. :)

    But, that's the end of my Ash bashing---for now.

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  46. bob, as I tried to help you understand back then was that type of methodology does not conform to what is considered good science - you take an example where peer review is ignored, or done poorly, and use it as an example of how peer review is bad. That is just plain silly. It is like saying that because G.W Bush called himself a conservative but spent like a drunken liberal conservatism doesn't involve fiscal prudence.

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  47. use it as an example of how peer review is bad.

    No, I say peer review is good. But there wasn't any.

    It was basically a club with an agenda.

    I don't see how anything reasonable can be done now but start all over from scratch.

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  48. Did you watch that Jon Stewart video I linked from last night bob? Do you recognize yourself in there anywhere?

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  49. Start from scratch? You are being absurd, there has been a lot of science done regarding the climate and it would be silly (gee it's funny how that word keeps coming up when discussing your suggestions) to scrap it all because of some hacked emails between a small group of scientists.

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  50. Tiger's now up to #14.

    I'll go back and take a look Ash.

    He had a good video some days ago about the affair but I suppose that's not the one you are referring to.

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  51. Never mind that this particular group of scientists are front and center on the AGW debate. They comprise the largest research unit in the UK which is foremost among the alarmists. Never mind that one of the principle players in the email scandal; The Director of the Hadley CRU was also one of the chief authors of the IPCC reports.

    Never mind all that.

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  52. No, these guys were obscure, minor bit players.

    Yeah, right.

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  53. There is a huge body of work on climate Whit - don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

    The clip is "World of Warmcraft" from last night Daily show. You'll get a kick out his dissing all the limos needed for the folk there but you should also pay attention to his barbs thrown at the deniers.

    http://www.thedailyshow.com/

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  54. "please stay, blah, blah, blah."

    : )



    Honorable Mention to What Is for the supremely delightful phrase, "Dog-humping scum."

    Now I have to figure out a way to work it into conversation over the next week.

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  55. I really don't think the current state of science is up to the job anyway.

    You got to go back and start from scratch. First, separate the good data from the fudged and forged. Try to recreate the data that was destroyed. Get good data. And take a long time looking at the overall picture.

    I think it's in its infancy as a science. There may be whole factors that haven't even been considered yet, unthought of.

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  56. When Tiger was first caught the media pegged him as a sex addict. I thought, he cheated on wife with a couple of girls, I don't really think that warrants him a sex addict.

    Good Lord, the man is a pig. But do we really know if all of these women are telling the truth? I could come forward and say the same thing.

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  57. Well, I was minding my own business on the other thread when Allen came along and accused me of something I've never done, ie denigrate the Constitution of the U.S.

    Then, he managed to accuse me of anti-semitism. I informed him I am Not anti-semitic; I am only anti-Zionist. I relate Zionism to the aggressive act of continually attempting to settle more, and more of the Palestinian area of the West Bank. This serves to keep the conflict going, and, quite frankly, irritates the hell out of me.

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  58. Daughter disembarked for the last time yesterday in San Diego. She anticipated, as did they all, a very bittersweet walk down the gangway.

    But when the Dean unexpectedly played Neil Diamond's "They're Coming To America" over the PA, she positively sobbed.

    I get that. Boy, do I.

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  59. I quess it's the World of Warmcraft you want me to watch?

    For the life of me, I can't get it to play.

    I'll go to utube and see if it's there.

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  60. I've got to agree with Bob on this one. The whole thing is bolloxed.

    The atmospheric concentration is increasing by approx. 1.6 parts per Million/yr. That's, what, 1/2 of 1%? This of a gas that comprises less than 0.0004 parts of the atmosphere.

    Let's take a couple of years off, and study it. In the open, this time.

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  61. I heard or read, whether it's true or not I don't know, that the temperatures on some of the other planets--Mars--have been warming up a little. If true, what would cause this? While ours has what--stayed the same recently, even fallen a little?

    Nobody knows what's going on.

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  62. While there may be "something" going on, it is a grand leap to assume that the "something" is caused by man, or could be regulated by him.

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  63. DR wrote:

    "LBJ, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimma Carter, Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, all leftists?"

    Did they cut off military cooperation with Israel? Actions speak louder than words, as any fool knows.

    As to the territorial growth of Israel, that will depend on how the Muslims' behave - you play, you pay - as any fool knows.

    To repeat for the nth time (for the slow of wit), I do not think Israel should take a dime of aid from the U.S. Israel should sell its goods to the highest bidder...possibly those razzle-dazzle Chi-Coms...some real toys for the BIG boys.

    whit, it was an honor to join you in defense of the Constitution and the Founders. I suspect I took some flak that would have come your way were it not for a lack of guts.

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  64. I can't get it, World of Warmcraft, says a download error occurs. I'll try it on my wife's computer later.

    I'm gonna venture out to the Casino, Wampum Day today.

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  65. WEll, if you're such a supporter of the Constitution perhaps you can direct me to the part that lays the groundwork for The United States spending our Treasure on the foreign aggressions, and adventures of various religions.

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  66. An insider's opinion of your data, Ash...

    HARRY_READ_ME.txt

    Upon this rests the wealth of nations.

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  67. That was the "peer reviewed" insiders's club data of which you're so fond.



    Take your head out of your ass.

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  68. linear, even bob has come out and said peer review is, on balance, a good thing. In addition a foundation of science is transparency - the making available to anyone and everyone the original data and a clear statement of the methodology. This is good right? If folk don't do this they deserve to be criticized heartily. Have at it. I'm not defending bad science but rather supporting the scientific method as being a worthy endeavor.

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  69. Great joke, MLD I tweeted it on Twitter

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  70. Oh good, I've always wanted to be tweeted.

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  71. I'm not defending bad science but rather supporting the scientific method as being a worthy endeavor.

    You're sooooo provocative, Ash.

    Seems to me you said recently, perhaps in this very thread, that there's plenty of "good science," in spite of the Hadley CRUd, that supports the warmers.

    The point being made, counter to your position, is that the majority of that warming consensus opinion is based on faulty data and questionable data manipulation by the climate club insiders. There are not in fact plenty of untainted data and non-agenda driven conclusions underlying the IPCC Report and all the climate hysteria it's engendered.

    No one's challenging the scientific method or the validity of peer review when done legitimately. That's a red herring you've tossed into the argument, as is your style.

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  72. Yup.
    Whit and Linear right,
    Ash, wrong.

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  73. Healthcare Bill is the Real Disaster.

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  74. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  75. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  76. To the contrary Linear, it is our buddy Bob who laughed heartily at the concept of peer review, until today. I welcome scientific debate and you are welcome to present your evidence supporting your claim that "the majority of that warming consensus opinion is based on faulty data and questionable data manipulation" I challenge you to support such a claim.

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  77. For your reading enjoyment, Ash.

    Steve McIntyre, et al: http://climateaudit.org/

    Anthony Watts: http://www.wattsupwiththat.com/

    Lubos Motl: http://motls.blogspot.com/search/label/climate

    Roger Pielke Jr: http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/

    CO2 Science: http://www.co2science.org/

    Resolved: The IPCC global warming projections represent scientific fraud: http://markbahner.typepad.com/random_thoughts/2005/01/resolved_the_ip.html

    Be sure not to miss the various archives at the above listed links. I've more for ya when you've finished these.

    LT

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  78. and on that note I'll bid y'all good night. I'll try to sift through those links tomorrow.

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  79. Well, doug, "something" is going to pass, always was going to. The only question is what it was going to be, not that it would be passed.

    Dissipated the base on "Death Panels", now that the spin has taken US to "Insurance Reform", there is little juice in the batteries.

    Besides, why shouldn't I be able to opt into Medicare? Seems both affordable and good enough for you super seniors, why not us that are over 50, too?

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  80. Ol' Rufus:

    Well, I gotta come down on the other side on this one. I think it's a good idea.

    Why am I not surprised?

    How did Mississippi survive into the Twenty-first Century without a steady diet of Stimulus, I wonder?

    Must be the relatively mild climate and abundance of wildlife and fish.

    It's a sorry state we've come to when people have to suck up to the government teat to be encouraged to do a sensible thing like plugging the cracks and insulating their attics. I won't back this boondoggle until they make it retroactive to reward the folks who spent the extra hundred or two or six years ago to build and maintain a snug home, simply because it made good sense without some Grande in government sprinkling his holy water on the idea and doling out other people's money.

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  81. rufus,

    I am NOT an authority on/of the U.S. Constitution. Admittedly, I have read it.

    Presidents and willing Congresses have been subverting war powers provisions for decades. They have done so without my approval, but they and the courts argue that they possess the constitutional authority to act arbitrarily and capriciously. If you find that not to your liking you can work to change the system. Or...you could, in the words of DR Devoltion, leave it. Ash has plenty of room and the greatest health care system in the world, save for that of the UK. And Canada's energy policies are to die for.

    Of course, as you know, rufus, I do not support much of what passes for politics these days. As should be self-evident, much of what passes for military professionalism is farce. If you want to know what I think, try reading what I write rather than DR Devolutions' mind-meld synopses.

    As I recall, whit experienced the same revulsion with you on the matter of the Constitution and the Founders as I. Indeed, I recall his using the word "bigot". We could both be wrong...The moon could be made of green cheese...

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  82. I won eighty bucks, best I have done.

    To the contrary Linear, it is our buddy Bob who laughed heartily at the concept of peer review, until today.

    Nopey nope, Ash, questioned whether there was any peer review going on.

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  83. Wampum

    Being an eastern word, don't know how it came to be used out this way, but wampum has always been in our vocabulary--money.

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  84. Burris Pushes Back
    By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
    The backlash has begun.

    Senator Roland W. Burris, Democrat of Illinois, has vowed that he will not vote for a health care bill that does not include a government-run insurance plan, or public option.


    Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times

    Senator Roland W. Burris And on Monday, after Democrats indicated that they were prepared to meet the demands of Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, and strip the last vestige of a public option from their bill, Mr. Burris went to the Senate floor to warn that he had not committed to vote for the legislation.

    Mr. Burris, however, did calibrate his language: “I am committed to voting for a bill that achieves the goals of a public option: competition, cost savings and accountability,” he said. “I will not be able to vote for lesser legislation that ignores those fundamentals.”

    He added: “My colleagues may have forged a compromise bill that can achieve the 60 votes that will be needed for it to pass. But until this bill addresses cost, competition and accountability in a meaningful way, it will not win mine.”

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  85. One more for Ash's reading assignment:

    Medieval Warm Period Project

    Our Medieval Warm Period Project is an ongoing effort to document the magnitude and spatial and temporal extent of a significant period of warmth that occurred approximately one thousand years ago. Its goal is to ultimately provide sufficient real-world evidence to convince most rational people that the Medieval Warm Period was: (1) global in extent, (2) at least as warm as, but likely even warmer than, the Current Warm Period, and (3) of a duration significantly longer than that of the Current Warm Period to date.

    Why is it?
    The project's reason for being begins with the claim of many scientists - and essentially all of the world's radical environmentalists - that earth's near-surface air temperature over the last two decades of the 20th century (and continuing to the present) was higher than it has been during any similar period of the past millennium or more. This claim is of utmost importance to these climate alarmists; for it allows them to further claim there is something unnatural about recent and possibly ongoing warming, which allows them to claim that the warming has its origins in anthropogenic CO2 emissions, which allows them to claim that if humanity will abandon the burning of fossil fuels, we can slow and ultimately stop the warming of the modern era and thereby save the planet's fragile ecosystems from being destroyed by catastrophic climate changes that they claim will otherwise drive a goodly percentage of earth's plants and animals to extinction. Believing all of these claims to be false, we felt that disproving the first of them was the best way of refuting all the rest, or at least making them moot... RTWT


    Via the CO2 Science link noted above.

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  86. Wampum belts were used as a memory aid in Oral tradition, where the wampum was a token representing a memory.

    Interesting.

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  87. :) I read that some of the measurements were taken on Mauna Loa or Mauna Kea, disregarding the fact Kilauea was burping hot gases into the atmosphere not so very far away.

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  88. C2C tonight



    Consciousness
    Executive Director of the world renowned Monroe Institute, Paul Rademacher will discuss the Institute’s exploration of human consciousness, and various mystical experiences including OBEs, NDEs, and how dream states and intuition can maximize creativity.

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  89. LT, I'm not, originally, from Ms. However, I might point out that the Southern States contribute, disproportionately, to the ranks of our Armed Forces.

    I'd just as soon they stayed home, and caulked a few houses, at $30,000.00/yr, as wander around some God-forsaken rock farm, getting their asses shot off for $1,000,000.00/yr.

    Or, we could just pay them "Unemployment." Have you checked out the jobless numbers for young, non-college educated men?

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  90. There is substantial evidence of man-made global warming primarily caused by the Jews.

    Sorry Whit. Just trying to tie together the two main thoughts in this stream.

    T likes the blog to be organized.


    .

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  91. LT, I'm not, originally, from Ms. However, I might point out that the Southern States contribute, disproportionately, to the ranks of our Armed Forces.

    I meant no disparagement of Mississippi, the South, or of you, Rufus. If it reads that way, I apologize. I'm typing this from Arkansas, just across the river and a couple hundred miles west of you. Flyover country, unless you're a Wal*Mart employee, or part of the hordes of vendors that descend daily on the runways of Northwest Arkansas Regional airport. They have their own enclave just south of Bentonville, known locally as Vendor Village. Pretty posh digs.

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  92. Problem is none of those programs come remotely close to being economically possible beyond the first 5 rounds of the Ponzi Scheme 'Rat.
    ...Super Senior I am.
    On Medicare, I'm not
    The difference in paperwork I see @ the doctors is incredible. I have to fill out quite a bit just to decline it.

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  93. Not to mention the havoc it is wreaking on Doctors and Medical Professionals, all.
    The stuff they've written into this one will bankrupt the system entirely.

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  94. There is substantial evidence of man-made global warming primarily caused by the Jews.

    Careful there, Q. First thing ya know Ash'll come back at you with I challenge you to support such a claim, and we'll be off to the races.

    Unless you do the sensible thing, and ignore him. In which case you'll be branded as a coward, or worse.

    BTW, I wear my scarlet "C" with pride, considering the source.

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  95. No disparagement taken, LT. You just asked a reasonable question, and one answer to that (probably not the main answer,) I think is: a lot of the young men joined the Armed Forces.

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  96. Anyways, nite all.

    And, don't despair too greatly, Doug. If they manage to get anything passed it won't be very much. Not enough to lose any sleep over.

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  97. Well, doug, I've been reading about that Ponzi scheme, for goin' on forty years now.

    We're either in the midst of the disaster predicted, for the past forty years, or things will balance out on the new normal.

    Which will not be far from the old normal, based upon consumption patterns and hours worked to achieve the current level of material civilization.

    If we were to return to our mythical past, either Ozzie & Harriet or George & Martha, we'd be working far more hours to obtain those same goods. As rufus has pointed out, repeatedly.

    The dollar has been steadily devalued, for the past 50 years. Since JFK and the abandonment of US Silver Certificates.

    The control of US currency had been shared with private bankers since 1913, those bankers have had exclusive control, since 1962.

    There is no public call for a change in course and speed, the very idea that the Congress should have the ability to audit the Federal Reserve, almost revolutionary.

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  98. On Medicare, I'm not
    The difference in paperwork I see @ the doctors is incredible. I have to fill out quite a bit just to decline it
    .

    I'd gladly be in your company, Doug, except the fine print in my insurance policy says if I'm eligible for Medicare, and decline it, the damned insurance company will only pay that part they'd be hung with if I'd had Medicare. So, I'm paying Medicare premiums, insurance premiums (which aren't reduced because you're on Medicare), finding a lowering standard of care across the board, suspecting I have access to a reduced population of providers, having my prescriptions screened by federal and insurance bureaucrats, and dealing with more agencies, federal sub-contractors who've found a niche in the system doing monitoring, and the insurance company and their mail-order prescription plan. I can't keep up with it all.

    Meantime, Rufus, who's on VA medical benefits by virtue of the fact he enrolled before a magic cutoff date set by politicians, tells us we should rejoice and welcome the further expansion of the clusterfuck.

    I genuinely have pity on the physicians doing honest primary care services. Their administrative staff outnumber their medical staff from what I've observed, and it will only worsen.

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  99. Ash said...
    WiO,

    You very well know that Zionism refers to Israel occuping all of the biblical lands - Eretz Israel. It is disingenuous to suggest that the Zionist movement, say, would be happy with Israel being constrained to the 1967 borders.


    Israel has accepted the fact that there are others that dwell in historic Israel and that is why they said YES to nationhood in 1948 (the arabs said no)

    Israel, on her countries map do not show the river to the sea outline, but the palestinians sure do...

    Ash your warped idea of what "zionism" is, is sure to be the root of your problem...

    Might i suggest you study some Israeli government maps to see what they claim is Israel rather than reading what the ANSWER coalition puts together?

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  100. The number of workers to the number of recipients keeps goin down.

    You and Rufus act like you don't believe in basic arithmetic.
    Taking patient choice out of the equation inevitably leads to the ruin that all command economies exact on the plebes.

    Taking medical choices away from Doctors gaurantees poor quality medicine.

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  101. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP2p91dvm6M&feature=player_embedded

    try that

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  102. MLD:

    I wouldn't put too much stock in what the President thinks is sexy but I would sport that caulk gun pretty well, with my new riding boots, of course.

    It's a caulking gun, Sweetie, not a turkey baster

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  103. Lt Colonel West is running for Congress in South Florida, District 22

    I'm up with the crackers in District 2 where we always seems to send blue dog, lap dog Democrats to Washington. No matter how conservative they claim to be, when they get to D.C., they fall in line with the Dem leadership. The problem is Tallahassee with two universities and a large population of government workers.

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