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Snowstorm squelches climate change protest

Judy Fahys

The Salt Lake Tribune

Updated: 12/30/2009 06:36:58 PM MST

A downtown protest of the climate change talks in Copenhagen became a victim of Wednesday’s snowstorm.

“Not many people showed up because of the blizzard conditions,” said organizer Clea Major, an international studies student at the University of Utah.

The irony of it all is so sweet, one must see the hand of God in all this. This other Article make things even more problematic:

No Rise of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Fraction in Past 160 Years, New Research Finds

ScienceDaily (Dec. 31, 2009) — Most of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activity does not remain in the atmosphere, but is instead absorbed by the oceans and terrestrial ecosystems. In fact, only about 45 percent of emitted carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere.

So if the CO2 level is not changing, why is the climate changing?  Inquiring minds want to know.  Inquiring minds want to also know how rich is Al Gore getting off his snake oil salesman routine.  Inquiring minds want to know if the watermelons who are running the AGW scam will ever have to face charges for inflicting this fraud on the people of the world.

Twas the night before New Year and all through the house,
I was playing grab-ass with Honey; after all, she is my spouse.
The champaign was chilling outside in the night air
Waiting for toasting, which would be the fare.

The kids are all grown and out on their own,
Leaving Honey and me to relax quite alone.
I asked, “What should we have-it is almost dinner”
The reply I did receive, “Something lite.  I want to be thinner”.

When under the deck there arose such a clatter,
Tis the possum, I thought, but what could be the matter?
I ran to the slider with Killer in tow
Though I might be seen, Rat-Dog profiled low.

The blue moon was up and the evening air cold,
Yet Killer was alert and running ever so bold.
She flew down the stairs and onto the ground
Towards an object that moved without making a sound.

My eyes started to focus on what was in sight,
“Tis an alien” I murmured with a bit of a fright.
Then as the image became incredibly clear
I realized my good fortune was ever so near.

It was a sea monster of enormous proportions.
I was in ecstacy-making all manner of contortions!
I yelled up to Mama “Our meal has been solved
For I’ll boil this thing up and it will evolve

Into a feast of a meal with trimmings and such.
I fear that it just may be a bit too much!”
I headed for the kitchen with dinner in hand,
Making sure his claw wore a large rubber band.

Tis a delight I will cook which I do once a year
To eat and then chill-just filled with good cheer.
So now I must prepare and without further ado
I say Happy Birthday to me and Happy New Year to you!

An editorial in the Washington Times by Alan Tonelson, Is Obama’s manufacturing fix too late?, focuses on our diminishing manufacturing capacity. Tonelson is “a research fellow at the U.S. Business and Industry Council, a national business organization whose nearly 1,900 members are mainly small- and medium-sized domestic manufacturers.” Naturally, he is concerned about our manufacturing capacity.

However, we are transitioning away from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy, and that is not so bad a thing. Many years ago, we moved from an agricultural economy to a manufacturing economy. That transition was painful for many, as most transitions are. But in general, it was a good thing.

Let us take a look at a mythical village, as its economy evolves. First, basic needs must be met. Food, water, and shelter. So, we locate our village where there is water, building materials, and cropland. We plant our crops, build our houses and barns, and dig our wells. Well, clothing would certainly be nice, so the women spin yarn and thread from the lambs’ wool, weave cloth, and sew clothes. Perhaps they make jackets and shoes of leather. Some are better at spinning than sewing, or better at knitting than weaving. Division of labor arises, as does trade between the women. The same occurs with the farmers. Some cropland is better for corn, some for wheat, and some for vegetables. So the farmers grow what they best can and trade for what others do better.

Things are going so well with this division of labor that not everyone is needed to grow food. But this prosperity has a downside. Farmers are going out of business because there is too much food. Some whine and complain, others become full-time manufacturers — cobblers, coopers, smiths, carpenters, etc. Still others become merchants — the middlemen between the farmers and manufacturers. This last group is the start of what Adam Smith called “unproductive labor.” He did not mean this in any pejorative sense, only that they did not produce anything. What they do is free up those who do produce so that they can produce more instead of spending their time trading what they produce for what they need or want.

Still others go into the service business. They cut your hair, give you a shave, shine your shoes, etc. There may not be any time-savings involved, but a pedicure sure is nice sometimes.

As our village increases productivity and population, more and more stuff is produced. The village produces plenty of food. Our villagers are getting obese! The general store (run by Sam Walton, of course), carries everything we need or want. Our village has grown to a town, but because of increased productivity, our one cobbler can still produce all the shoes we need, and our one blacksmith can still provide all of the horseshoes our horses need. So what will their children do for work? Some will invent more stuff that we decidee we need. Some will build and maintain storage for our stuff. But the majority will earn their living as servants.

This is not a bad thing, any more than it was bad for farmers to become manufacturers. Many people would rather have that pedicure every month, or have their house cleaned by someone else, than have more stuff.

We need only produce enough food to feed us, and stuff to satisfy our desires. Tonelson is focused on the stuff aspect of wealth, not the comfort aspect. It is a comfort not to have to clean one’s own house. So if one person in ten produces all the food we need, and a second all the stuff we need, what’s the problem with the other eight of us serving one another?

Barack Obama has been the best thing that could have happened to the Republican Party in general.

Now, it seems, he has been the one thing that could propel Sarah Palin into the role as a credible candidate for president.

But then a funny thing happened: In November, Mrs. Palin debuted her memoir “Going Rogue” with great sales, which was not a surprise, but also with a luminous and successful press tour, which was. The interviews she gave in promotion for her book (at least the ones that I saw) were much improved from those given during the 2008 presidential campaign. Palin seemed to speak about both herself and national issues with greater verve and confidence.

Other stars are aligning for Palin:

Several of her potential rivals for the 2012 Republican nomination find themselves suddenly, perhaps fatally, compromised by recent events.

Read it all.

Certainly the whole issue of “not ready for prime time” will have been eliminated by next year as it becomes painfully clear to the entire world that we just had a president who was not even ready for daytime soap commercials or Saturday morning cartoons.

Sarah does not have a very high bar to climb. From all appearances, she is exceeding the bar by a long shot.

One of the most interesting articles I’ve read recently on terrorism. What is obvious is that those that rule cannot deal with the obvious, but they can put in place rules that will do nothing to prevent bad things from happening. Preventing terror would be a lot easier if precautions were clear and logical. While there are some people that are terrorists that are not part of the Muslim world, and not all Muslims are terrorists, it seems that if you were interested in truly identifying terrorists with a limited amount of expense, then you would profile the most likely candidates and use those profiles for extra scrutiny, not make travel for all individuals more difficult and more restrictive.

The same is true for dealing with gun crimes. The idea that imposing gun restrictions will reduce violent crimes just doesn’t seem to make sense. Even in England, where guns are essentially outlawed, and have been for years now, violence has not decreased but increased. In places where gun control was loosened, there was not an increase in violence and crime, but a decrease. Yet the cry for more gun control, which will be ignored by criminals, is always raised when a high-profile crime occurs.

The real problem is that the sheep have no teeth. For some reason, people think that if the sheep have no teeth, they will be safe. It just isn’t true. With real sheep, the predators know that they will be able to take at least some of the sheep, but the sheep herd in order to make it harder to single one out (like fish in schools) and so that when one falls, the rest can get away. Not unlike the two men in the woods that see a bear and it starts to charge … one stops and quickly puts on running shoes, the other says: “That’s foolish … bears can out run you even if you wear running shoes.” The first replies: “I don’t have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you.” We are acting like sheep. Instead of running away and hoping we can outrun the bad guy we should get some teeth.

Instead of acting like sheep, we ought to act like men. First, by acknowledging that bad people are in the world. The world is not full of wonderful people that are just turned a little wrong. The world has truly evil people in it that might not accomplish as much evil as Hitler, are the moral equal to him. And second, we need to be able to defend ourselves. That means not relying on others to defend us, but being ready to drive off those that would attack. And it even means we should expect everyone to be able to defend themselves (with perhaps the exception of the elderly and infirm). If we were a nation of warriors, we would be expected to step into the gap when someone does evil and threatens the lives of the innocent around them. Terrorists can “win” only if we allow them to instill terror instead of resolve and determination to stop them.

When evil strikes, it does not do so in front of the police officer (as fine as he might be, he cannot be everywhere). When evil strikes, we might be there, and the only way to stop evil from winning is to have those that are there stop the evil.

Best wishes to all of our NVTH friends for Christmas and the new year.

We need a “meaning of Christmas” post and I have one in the works, but it will have to wait for later in the week; but for now let me just say I am grateful for all of you who frequent this place. We are very fortunate to have such wise and articulate commentors. Thank you for the gifts you give us all year long.

One of the few people in Loudoun County who I suspect might be to the “right” of me on public policy issues has announced support for Candace Strother for chairperson of the Loudoun County Republican Committee.

Here is Greg Stone’s message of endorsement of Candace Strother.

Merry Christmas all :

I hope the Holiday Season finds you well.

As many of you know our current Chairman Glenn Caroline, has chosen not to seek re-election. Glen has decided to concentrate more of his time to family, his career and his passion, youth baseball. Although, I am disappointed we will be without Glenn’s leadership, Glenn spending his time on Family, The Cause of Freedom and Youth Sports, is a pretty good set of priorities if you ask me. Glenn was a terrific Chairman of the LCRC. His leadership and laser like focus came at a crucial time in this committees history. His shoes will be hard to fill.

You may also be aware that Candace Strother has stepped up and decided to throw her hat in the ring to be our next Chair. Candace has a broad range of support from LCRC members, Republican Elected Officials to include our current Chairman and much of the LCRC leadership team. I as a member of the committee and in my capacity as the Potomac District Chairman , I wholeheartedly support Candace Strother as our next LCRC Chair. Going back a few years, I have gotten to know and admire Candace Strother. Her intellect, conservative principles and leadership skills equip her well for the task at hand. One only needs to examine Candace’s resume to discover the wide range of experience she brings to the table. It is this experience at the highest levels of past Republican administrations and her work at the Heritage Foundation that will enable her to be principled and disciplined leader.

We live in very uncertain times. A very left of center Democrat party has taken over Washington, negatively effected the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as drive the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors off a cliff. Our County, State and Federal Governments are broke, yet some continue on a reckless path of spending and Government expansion. It is we Conservatives, we Republicans, who must begin to make the needed corrections at all levels of government. That work having already begun with our election victories in November, must continue. In order to sustain and build on that success, we must have effective and focused leadership. That leadership begins here in Loudoun County with Candace Strothers.

I ask you you to join me in supporting Candace Strother as our next LCRC Chair. Please take time to examine Candace’s biography and resume on her new website candace4chair.

I further ask you to reach out to Candace via this site with messages of endorsement or questions pertaining to her take on issues, or her vision for the LCRC moving forward. I promise you will be impressed.

Again, Merry Christmas.

–
Greg Stone
Potomac District Chairman
Loudoun County Republican Committee

Dear Sears,

Last night I was Christmas shopping in your Dulles Town Center store. While shopping in your store, on two different occasions I was “helped” by store employees that spoke very little, if any English. As it would appear that I am no longer a member of your targeted demographic, I chose to take my business elsewhere, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

During difficult economic times, with many Americans out of work, I find it very difficult to believe you are unable to adequately staff your stores.

Goodbye, and I really will miss your Craftsman tools.

Wikipedia, the favorite site of liberals when they seek a source to provide support for their assertions, has been reported to have also fallen into the Climategate abyss :

One person in the nine-member Realclimate.org team — U.K. scientist and Green Party activist William Connolley — would take on particularly crucial duties. Connolley took control of all things climate in the most used information source the world has ever known -Wikipedia. Starting in February 2003, just when opposition to the claims of the band members were beginning to gel, Connolley set to work on the Wikipedia site. He rewrote Wikipedia’s articles on global warming, on the greenhouse effect, on the instrumental temperature record, on the urban heat island, on climate models, on global cooling. On Feb. 14, he began to erase the Little Ice Age; on Aug. 11, the Medieval Warm Period. In October, he turned his attention to the hockey stick graph. He rewrote articles on the politics of global warming and on the scientists who were skeptical of the band. Richard Lindzen and Fred Singer, two of the world’s most distinguished climate scientists, were among his early targets, followed by others that the band especially hated, such as Willie Soon and Sallie Baliunas of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, authorities on the Medieval Warm Period.

All told, Connolley created or rewrote 5,428 unique Wikipedia articles…When Connolley didn’t like the subject of a certain article, he removed it — more than 500 articles of various descriptions disappeared at his hand.

Read Story at the National Post

A rational person would think that if the “science is settled”, none of this would be necessary. The one thing that appears to be settled is the bastardization of historical scientific data to support a religious dogma for some within the paleoclimatology community.

The latest from the Anglican Church: Shoplifting is OK

When a nominally Christian church contravenes the clear meaning of the Bible on homosexual activity, why should anyone be surprised when a priest from that church also says that stealing is OK?

The Bible says, “Thou shalt not steal.” (Exodus 20:15) There are no provisos, exemptions, or caveats. Even if one steals from a rich man who would never notice the loss, and even if one is starving, or one’s children are starving, God allows no exemptions. Stealing is not just a crime against the victim, it is a crime against God. Stealing under those circumstances is telling God, “I do not trust You.”

I suspect adultery is next. Some Anglican priest will tell us it’s OK to cheat on your wife if she’s become old, ugly, or fat. Or if you’ve decided you’re really a homosexual. Oh, wait, that was a BISHOP.

This is the face of the true enemy of freedom in this country.

The Democrats have decided that any semblance of debate regarding the facts of any topic is too much trouble. Instead rank name calling is the order of the day. There was a time when this sort of thing was done by activists in order to rabble rouse. Now the party is cutting out the middleman, and Democrat Senators are engaging in empty, banal, name calling — on the floor of the senate.

If you are against the government take over of 1/6th of the economy, you are a racist. Really? If you are against a 2000 page bill getting voted on w/o anyone taking the time to understand what is involved, you are a member of the Aryans? The second worst thing that can happen to the Democrats is failure to pass this bill. The worst thing is them succeeding in this kleptocratic effort.  This mess is that bad.

The bill is unconstitutional. The federal government does not have the power to force people to buy a product. The 14th amendment demands that federal laws apply equally to all individuals. That means the amendment to the H.C .bill where Nebraska is exempt from paying in perpetuity its share of the Federal Health care is unconstitutional on its face. Noting the blatant illegality of this bill, and the fraud it is perpetrating on the American people will no doubt be called racist, homophobic, bigoted, fattening and will cause the polar ice caps to melt.  The correct answer to this level of debate is, “I know you are, but what am I?!”

The best part of this is that we now have it in the congressional record that the Democrats have crafted a bill to kill the insurance industry.  They denied it at first, and wrapped their rhetoric in business model talk — cost savings, consumer choice etc.  Lying through their teeth they claimed this is a market based  solution.  How can that be if you are killing the market?  Oh!  Is that question racist?

Candace L. Strother

Shortly after Glen Caroline announced he was stepping down as LCRC chair, almost two weeks ago, news came that several people whose opinion I respect were supporting Candace Strother to take the helm next. A few of these were people I agree with on many things, and one was a guy I agree with on everything – but this was not a clique and I learned of each separately.

Put in touch with Candace last week, I asked her several questions regarding her priorities and tenets, and what I should expect when I rejoin the committee. Here are her answers, which I think should make it evident why I am supporting her to lead the LCRC.

[Below the fold is her very impressive bio - another major reason for my endorsement - along with further reasoning from me, such as it is, and my take on Mark Sells' candidacy for the position.]

The Task at Hand:
 
On November 3, 2009, as a result of the hard work and dedication of hundreds of wonderful volunteers in Loudoun County and countless more across all the counties of Virginia, the political calculus in our Commonwealth changed.  On that night our conservative candidates regained control of the Statehouse and the House of Delegates. This great victory brings us in Loudoun County both enormous opportunity and great responsibility.  We Republicans must now work with state and national party officials to build on this momentum by setting the tone and vision for our party, while effectively managing our party process to implement winning grassroots strategies for our candidates in Loudoun in 2010 and 2011. There is so much at stake in those two elections for our County, for our Commonwealth and for our Nation. The LCRC needs a Chair with the experience, the skills, the strength and vision to bring together the teams, the resources and the ideas necessary to develop the current momentum for victory in those elections. 
 
My Beliefs:
 
I am running for LCRC Chair because I believe it is imperative to keep the momentum going from our tremendous wins statewide and the gains we made here in Loudoun County.  I believe that holding to our core values and promoting the central conservative issues of fiscal responsibility, limited government and lower taxes is the winning model, as it was for the McDonnell, Bolling, and Cuccinelli ticket. I believe there is still much to do to grow that model at the County level.  I believe I have the experience and the leadership necessary to deliver this strategy and most importantly, expand the grassroots organization and unified team effort put in place by our outgoing Chair, Glen Caroline.  I will assemble a team of seasoned and new leaders that will build and expand the party in 2010, laying the groundwork for a strong win in our 10th District Congressional race.  Strengthening the party in 2010 will position us to keep fiscally responsible Republicans in the winning column in the myriad of local Loudoun races in 2011. With strong wins in 2010 and 2011, we will position Loudoun to enter the 2012 Presidential election cycle unified, organized and mobilized.   I am confident I can bring the Party together, focused on these goals and motivated as a winning team. I believe I am the seasoned leader who can be the catalyst for this vision.
 
My Promise:
 
As LCRC Chair I will work with our local party members and elected officials, state and national party officials, be a leader that sets the tone and vision for the local party, reach out to like minded constituent groups, improve fundraising and effectively manage the process and procedure of local party business. I will use the McDonnell, Bolling, Cuccinelli model to unify the party and implement winning grassroots strategies in order to ensure future victory for our candidates in Loudoun in 2010 and 2011 AND 2012.  

More below the fold.

continue reading…

Loudon Insider is playing that same ol’ cracked banjo, again. The only difference is now instead of Ken Cuccinelli it’s Mark Sell. He has not learned a damned thing. To top it off, the irony of his own post escapes him.  He talks about the need for inclusion, by running an attack ad?  A sign of intelligence is the ability to learn. LI should think about that.

Ken, with his integrity and intelligence threw so much dirt on all of LI’s BS, he buried it 6′ down.  In the tradition of Reagan, he looked past his critics and spoke a conservative message straight to the people.   We could have left all that bilge buried. But it appears that LI does not work that way.  LI carries a visceral dislike of social conservatives. It colors his judgment, it should be beneath him.  Such unthinking bias at an entire group is bigotry, nothing more.

LI crowed from the top of every steeple that Ken was not qualified, Ken is a loon, and, would get killed in the primary, and then, in the general election.  Loudoun Insider is batting 0.000 here, a trip back to T ball league may be warranted.  Think about it LI, you are doing it again with Mark.  Win or loose both candidates are worthy of our respect, not scorn.  Stop demonizing, it serves no good purpose.

Instead of leaving it be, and telling us he is for one candidate, LI resurrects the old infighting and proudly brays … “I carry a grudge for a long time” the symbol of the Democrats, brays.  Let your hate go, or grow long ears.  It is never too late to grow up.

Having more than one candidate for the position of the chair of the LCRC  is a sign of health.  I know Mark Sell, I intend to get to know Candace Strother better.    Everyone has the right to run. Mark is stand up guy, a smart buy, and has been in several positions on the committee in the past.Your trying to blame him for the infighting in our own party is crap.  If anything,  you were up to your neck in it, far more so than Mark.  Passing the buck is the modus operendi of liberals and Democrats.  It should be beneath you.

According to you, Ken was the pits and would lose — please note  your street cred in the realm of who is qualified is hurting. Being for Strother is fine, but do you know how to support a candidate without throwing rocks at their opponents? You seam to indulge in this with your fellow Republicans more so than with Democrats.

To top it off, you try to give your attack on Mark here at NVTH a veneer of nobility, by describing it as a defense of your friends for something that happened years ago.  This is crap, and nothing more. Again, grow up.

Republicans did well in the last election. Lo. Co. posted a better lead for our statewide candidates than the rest of the commonwealth. Credit goes to the entire party, this is something we should be proud of. The eastern part and western parts of the county both did well.  We spent our time focused on beating the drooling Obama moonbats with a conservative message. Poisson, and the rest of that motley crew in the state house from Lo. Co.  are now gone.  Now, we need to get ready for 2010 and 2011.  Wolf is safe, but we cannot take anything for granted.  In 2011, Stevens Miller, MickeyG, and the rest of the rest of the loons on the BOS need to go.  We cannot do that by throwing rocks at our fellow party activists — division in our ranks only helps the socialists.  Grow up LI.

Put in a notice to Jim Webb and Mark Warner not to vote for cloture on this Health Care Reform bill. I doubt they care anymore, but it’s worth a shot.

Controversy is not too strong a word for the fact there is now an official race for chairmanship of the Loudoun County Republican Committee.

Candace Strother, who announced her desire to take the helm over a week ago, has the support of a large segment of committee members who were instrumental in the LCRC’s rebirth during the last election cycle. After getting largely pounded in the 2007 and 2008 elections, as well as riven with internal conflict, the committee under the leadership of Glen Caroline rebounded this past November with an across the board clobbering of Democrat candidates in Loudoun County.

Now that Mark Sell has announced he is also running for LCRC chair, there should be an interesting debate. Mark is a great conservative whom I have spent a little time in the trenches with over the years, while Candace is someone I do not know at all (but hope to eventually). However, I think what allowed local Republicans to create such an overwhelmingly positive turn was unity and an end to internal division. With all that is facing our country right now, conservatives need to form a solid front and there is no other place to do that than within the Republican Party.

As a part-time worker but not being even a member of the LCRC I realize my opinion matters little for what will ultimately happen, but my preference is to continue the positive example that Glen Caroline set – getting people who are in agreement on 80% of the issues to agree to disagree on the 20% opinions they don’t share.

I am all for keeping everyone honest, and Mark more than anyone has earned the right to contest the chairmanship position. But let’s be sure the final result is complete unity.

My leaning, based on an appraisal of the variety of people who have already announced their support for Candace Strother, is to support Candace Strother, for the simple reason that we have to win in November 2010 and November 2011 and November 2012 – because this pack of idiots, these drooling-moron Democrats who currently occupy so many elected positions from Leesburg to Washington, DC, need to be rode out of town on a rail. They need to be not merely defeated but humiliated and disgraced, sent home packing under such an aura of failure that their party never wins another major election again. Their name itself – the “Democrat party” – needs to become a term of opprobrium, a linguistic flourish akin to “pinko” that, when wielded, will evoke howls of indignation.

The only way all this comes to pass is for conservatives who are 80% in agreement to join forces.

I heard of a recent local event at which a rousing speech by perhaps the most important newly elected official in our state was followed by an ice-water-bath speech highlighting internal divisions within the Republican party. That, my friends, is what we need to put a stop to, pronto, and I will make it my mission in life for the next two years to discredit anyone who persists in that sort of asininity. Our country is at stake. Democrats need to be thrown out of every office they currently hold, period. I am looking solely for the most efficient way to make that happen.