Feeling His Oats

Has anyone noticed how frisky Joe Biden has become of late?  Not only is he grabbing the headlines day after day … for instance assuring the new Ukraine Prime Minister that we got his back … see: Politico Story. (Why isn’t President Obama sending such an important message?)  But it is also rather obvious that “Plugs” has had another round of nip and tuck on his mug.

The question then becomes … why is Ole Joe so newly motivated?  Perhaps he knows something we don’t know about Hillary … whether she may be too infirmed to engage in the next presidential campaign …  see: Daily Caller Story?

This certainly would explain why lately he seems to be feeling his oats.

Whip Our Teens into Shape

Isn’t it wonderful that the U.S. taxpayers support Planned Parenthood to the tune of over half a billion dollars a year … see: Fox News Story?  And where does all this money go?  Answer: mostly toward women’s reproductive services (aka abortions).  Planned Parenthood has performed something like one million abortions over the last three years … see: Heritage Foundation Story.  Perhaps we should call this non-profit organization "Planned Unparenthood?"

Planned Parenthood also spends a pretty penny on funding the elections of those politicians who will keep this taxpayer money-faucet open … something like $15 million per pop … see: Newsmax Story.  Basically all taxpayers are being made to pony up to elect Democrats.

Ah, but now Planned Parenthood is branching out … it is now decided that it needs to proselytize our teenagers about the pleasures of bondage and sadomasochistic sex … see: Life News Story. What in God’s name do handcuffs, whips and gag balls have to do with planning one’s parenthood?  And why do we, the U.S. taxpayers, need to fund such dreck?

Don’t answer … we all know we are in the vise grip of the Liberal vortex …

reddit Gallery CXXXIV -- Wayward

Another excursion into the world of reddit pictures.  See reddit Pics for sources.  Click on pictures to enlarge them.  Enjoy!

Olympiads

Snow White

Brazil Race Car Crew

Vietnamese Woman

Little Cindy Lou

Unlikely to Happen

- My winning the Powerball lottery

- The New York Times endorsing a Republican for President

- A gay marriage in a Mosque

- Harry Reid bringing a Republican bill up for a Senate vote

- Rush Limbaugh admitting that he is a blowhard

- Eric Holder charging a black man with a hate crime

- U.N. staffers staying in one-star European hotels

- Obama approving the XL pipeline before the 2014 midterms

- Russia's Putin proposing self-determination for Ukrainian voters

- The ACLU defending the display of a creche on public property

- Gabby Giffords propounding Second-Amendment gun rights

- Iran endorsing Israel's right to exist

- Bill Clinton coming out of the closet

- Hell freezing over ... but ... then again ... maybe not

The Cost of Knowledge

If you are queasy about fratricide and  dislike to be jerked into unsavory stories, then click on your back arrow above and return to your Internet social networking or whatever,  But if you feel that you should understand how base we humans can become, then read further. It seems that the Boko Haram army in Nigeria has brutally murdered 59 boys in Nigeria for the sin of seeking an education ... see the details on the: Powerline Blog.

Now, I know that the Christian religion has had its spasms of brutality in the past, but I am perplexed by how much savagery the Muslim religion always seems to tolerate ... if not encourage. I am not only grossed out by these events ... and by the fact that such stories never make the nightly news in this country ... nor are they commented on by our distracted leaders.

Shame on us!

reddit Gallery CXXXIII

Another excursion into the world of reddit pictures. See reddit Pics  for sources.  Click on pictures to enlarge them.  Enjoy!

Arizona Dawn

 Very Large Liger

Forest Carving

Inversion

Mark Twain Pith

Missed Far-Left

In keeping with the current trend of censoring free speech, the National Football League (NFL) now intends to instituted a 15-yard penalty for a player’s on-field use of the n-word … see: NY Daily News Story. Now as ludicrous as such a penalty sounds, I still anticipate numerous other issues with implementing this expected rule-book entry.  They are:

-        Is this the only taunting that will incur a yardage walk-off? What about “honkie,” or “Nancy,” or “cracker,” or “gringo,” or “Tonto,” or even “you one-percenter you?”

-        How will this penalty be indicated to the stands?  Will the referee make a hand signal like an “N” in American Sign Language?

-        Will the referee then call out the offending player’s number and make the “shame on you” finger swipe pointing to him?

-        Already many black players have indicated that this word is part of their everyday vernacular and they refuse to be silenced.  Are then only the white players to be penalized for this utterance?

-        What if a player literally calls another player a “you n-word you?” Is this just a 5-yard penalty?

I think the NFL, albeit with noble intentions, may have kicked the football far left on this scoring attempt …

I Told You So

Climate scientists are beginning to behave like scientists … and are now looking at other factors that contribute to global warming and global cooling (aka, climate change).  Now, volcano emissions are suspected in the contribution to the 15-year hiatus in global warming … see: Wattsupwiththat Blog.  This is not just progress; it is the scales falling from the eyes of climate researchers. This should have happened years ago as we were being led by the nose into believing Al Gore’s global-warming manifesto.  Here are two important quotes in this article from real climate researchers:

“This is the most comprehensive observational evaluation of the role of volcanic activity on climate in the early part of the 21st century,” says co-author Susan Solomon, the Ellen Swallow Richards Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Science at MIT. “We assess the contributions of volcanoes on temperatures in the troposphere — the lowest layer of the atmosphere — and find they’ve certainly played some role in keeping the Earth cooler. There are many components of the Earth’s climate system that can increase or decrease the temperature of the globe. For example, while greenhouse gases cause warming, some types of small particles, known as aerosols, cause cooling. When volcanoes erupt explosively enough, they enhance these aerosols — a phenomenon referred to as “volcanic forcing.”

and:

Alan Robock, a professor of environmental sciences at Rutgers University and a leading expert on the impacts of volcanic eruptions on climate, says these findings are an important part of the larger climate picture. “This paper reminds us that there are multiple causes of climate change, both natural and anthropogenic, and that we need to consider all of them when interpreting past climate and predicting future climate.”

Both emphases I have added ... as this is the point I have been making for many years.  (Apparently as often stated, there is not really a scientific consensus on carbon dioxide being the bete noire of global warming ) Way back in 2006 I said the following in one of my blogs:

[T]he world has gone through many natural warming and cooling cycles. These cycles have apparently been caused by one or more of the following events (roughly in order of potential effect): 

1) Changes (wiggles) in the amount of the orthogonal offset in the Earth’s rotational axis relative to the plane of its orbit around the sun. (This offset is what causes our world’s seasons.)
2) The periodic cycle of sunspot activity (and other solar dynamics) causing a change in the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth.
3) Enormous emissions of Earth’s gasses and particulates naturally and during cataclysmic geological events like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
4) The Earth’s on-going global chemistry which creates and destroys massive amounts of inorganic compounds.
5) The periodic small perturbations of the Earth in its orbit … closer to and further from the sun
6) The evolving structure of the Earth’s upper atmosphere (magnetic, chemical, and electrical) which filter out or permit in the ethers of space.
7) Shifts in the Earth’s ocean currents caused by intercontinental plate tectonic movements and other poorly-understood factors.
8) The effect of the Earth’s biomass and mankind on the composition and proportions of our atmospheric gasses (carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, etc. -- e.g., early plants converted enormous amount of naturally occurring carbon dioxide into oxygen … which then enabled the evolution of animals … who then reciprocated by converting oxygen back into carbon dioxide). By the by, methane has 20 times the atmospheric warming effect as carbon dioxide … and is mainly produced by nature, not by man.

The notion of a change (caused by the burning of fossil fuels) in the relatively small proportion of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere (from 310 to 370 parts per million during the last 40 years) is responsible for our current warming cycle seems to me to be the essence of human species egocentricity. If one truly comprehends the scope of the above-outlined possible reasons for global warming, then one has to conclude that politics must the driving force behind our current environmental hysteria. I think that any “scientist’ who lays global warming totally at the feet of the increase in carbon dioxide must first quantify the effects (positive and/or negative) of all the above possible causes. 

To see this quote in its original situ, please go to: Junkier Science.

I hate to gloat, but in this one case I will … I told you so.

Afterward: Global-warming zealots are trying to gag Charles Krauthammer. They want the Washington Post to stop publishing his columns because of his open-minded attitude toward global-warming "science" ... see: Fox News Story. Since I am also exhibiting an equivalent skepticism with apparent impunity, should I be insulted?

Time Travel

Almost three years!  That is a very long time for a deteriorating old man (me) … and for a rapidly disintegrating country (the USA) to endure. President Obama has almost three more years of malignant mischief-making in which to vex many of us with his folksy haughtiness, his managerial inattention, his foreign-policy screw-ups, his self-righteous preaching, his corrupt posse, and his profligate spending. I think Ann Coulter hit the nail on the head when she said, “If Obama was trying to destroy this country, what would he be doing any differently?”

But in a very strange way what President Obama is now bulldozing may end up being beneficial for us.  His reign of destruction (aka, "hope and change") may be similar to the early twentieth-century Dadaist art movement and its raucous nihilism ... which fostered some of the most innovative art in centuries.  His attempted razing of many of the pillars upon which this country was founded and prospered has caused many of us to rethink our purpose and rededicate our lives.  The Tea-Party movement is symptomatic of the grass-roots resurrection of what was once great in America. There is, I believe a creative cleansing to take place among the rubble of what Obama is now working.  

Many in the current establishment and media can't or won't sense this resurrection ... but our younger generations will soon compare what we have become to what we once were ... and re-learn those things to be cherished. I firmly believe it's in our DNA. Just as Abraham Lincoln talked about a “new birth of freedom,” I judge that we will be, once our Fearless Leader leaves office, ready to rid Washington of much of the political pollution that persists there.  Of course all may not be repaired, but I pray that enough will be fixed that our country might have another few hundred years of freedom-loving and innovative time travel ... which isn't, I think, what Obama had in mind.

Afterward: If what I am herein predicting does indeed come about, I suspect that some historians of a liberal bent ... of which there are many ... will say that this was what Obama was about all along. Note to any future readers ... don't believe it!  

reddit Gallery CXXXII

Another excursion into the world of reddit pictures. See reddit Pics  for sources.  Click on pictures to enlarge them.  Enjoy!

Biscuit Starfish

Bonsai Wisteria

Australian Wave Rock

Florida Storm Drain

Maple Bonsai

reddit Gallery CXXXI

Another excursion into the world of reddit pictures. See reddit Pics  for sources.  Click on pictures to enlarge them.  Enjoy!

Amsterdam

Cruise Ship in Port

Isolated Thunderstorm

Is nothing Sacred?

Peaceful Morning

When They Were Young #4

The following early-life pictures come to you courtesy of reddit/Pics. Enjoy!

Helen Mirren

Hillary (Lower Right)

James Earl Jones

Sophia Loren

Madonna

Media Nazis

The Soup Nazi

I realize that the use of the term “Nazi” is a sure loser … unless of course you are Jerry Seinfeld. But I do believe that it is quite appropriate in this case. The Obama administration's FCC now wants to monitor news outlets (I assume this includes the Internet) to insure that they are following what Big Brother considers important media stories ,,, its term for these priorities is  Critical Information Needs (CINs) … see: PJ Media Story. Our Gestapo in Washington wants to make sure that its eight topics are getting adequate on-air coverage. 

So far these CIN topics are somewhat nebulous but one can assume that they will include: climate change, income inequality, women’s reproductive rights, voter suppression, homophobia, and food deserts … and won’t include the Benghazi killings, NSA’s snooping, IRS targeting of the Tea Party, true unemployment rates, Fast and Furious, the al-Qaeda resurgence, and excessive Presidential golfing.  Here are the questions that will be asked during these proposed First Amendment violations:

Station Owners, Managers or HR
• What is the news philosophy of the station?
• Who is your target audience?
• How do you define critical information that the community needs?
• How do you ensure the community gets this critical information?
• How much does community input influence news coverage decisions?
• What are the demographics of the news management staff (HR)?
• What are the demographics of the on air staff (HR)?
• What are the demographics of the news production staff (HR)?

Corporate, General Managers, News Directors, Editors, etc
• What is the news philosophy of the station?
• Who else in your market provides news?
• Who are your main competitors?
• How much news does your station (stations) air every day?
• Is the news produced in-house or is it provided by an outside source?
• Do you employ news people?
• How many reporters and editors do you employ?
• Do you have any reporters or editors assigned to topic “beats”? If so how many and what are the beats?
• Who decides which stories are covered?
• How much influence do reporters and anchors have in deciding which stories to cover?
• How much does community input influence news coverage decisions?
• How do you define critical information that the community needs?
• How do you ensure the community gets this critical information? 

On-Air Staff (Reporters, Anchors)
• What is the news philosophy of the station?
• How much news does your station air every day?
• Who decides which stories are covered?
• How much influence do you have in deciding which stories to cover?
• Have you ever suggested coverage of what you consider a story with critical information for your customers (viewers, listeners, readers) that was rejected by management?
o If so, can you give an example?
o What was the reason given for the decision?
o Why do you disagree?

So far my upstairs spare bedroom (where I write these blogs) has not been invaded by these jack-boots … but I do have an upturned wastepaper basket upon which they can sit and watch me compose my pap … if they are willing to show up at 3 AM ... and are not offended by flatus.

Afterward: Adweek Magazine reports that the FCC may be backing off this intrusion into our First Amendment rights ... see: Adweek Story.  Was this just a canard to piss us off and get our attention off of Obamacare, the Ukraine, etc.

After Afterward: The Wall Street Journal, through a FCC commissioner, has some interesting points to make about this cause celebre ... see: WSJ Story.

reddit Gallery CXXX

Another excursion into the world of reddit pictures. See reddit Pics  for sources.  Click on pictures to enlarge them.  Enjoy!

Bucolic Beauty

Wisteria

Atop a Pyramid

Chimera Cat

Potential Energy

Riots

In Kiev, Ukraine

The streets of the world are alive with protesters … Ukraine, Venezuela, Thailand, Turkey, Brazil, and even Syria … if you consider a revolution to be a form of protesting. To see comments on the whys and wherefores of the first three insurrections see: CNN Update. And one can easily add to these current uprisings … past riots in Egypt, Iran, Libya, etc. … all within the past five years.

In Caracas, Venezuela

What do many of these mass altercations have in common?  Mostly they are protesting the autocratic and corrupt nature of their current governments; involve large numbers of young people; are spread through the widespread use of cell phones and social media; and have mostly been conveniently ignored by the Obama administration (except for the initial riots in Egypt when we came out in support of the Muslim Brotherhood.)

This U.S. foreign policy posture toward these uprisings … mostly one of respecting the existing government … is possibly the most egregious failing of our State Department over the last century. Had we, during Obama’s reign, assumed a foreign policy position that it was in our national interest to see the movement of other nations’ governments away from tyranny, radicalism and theocracy … toward moderation, modernity, and secularism … we could have easily taken sides in these conflagrations and used our moral suasion to influence outcomes. 

And, I’m reasonably sure that the world would be a lot better off today.

Afterward: For more on the mess in Venezuela see: The Diplomad's learned comments

The Enigma

Governor Chris Christie is an enigma to me.  He probably is as thuggish as President Obama or the Clinton's … he is from New Jersey after all.  As an example, I do suspect he purposely zinged Mitt Romney right before the last presidential election with his bear hug of Obama  … possibly as retribution for not being picked as Mitt's Vice Presidential running mate. And this had a lot to do with Romney losing the election. I also think that he is more involved in the bridge-gate dust-up than he lets on.  And moreover I believe that, when he was being vetted him for the Vice Presidential slot, Romney’s people found more skeletons in Christie’s closet.  These are bound to eventually come out.

But then again, the man thinks mostly good conservative thoughts and communicates these thoughts well.  He recently spoke to an Economic Club of Chicago gathering in which he convincingly debunked the recent Democrats’ gnashing of teeth over "income inequality." Quoting from the New York Times he said:

The problem is that Americans do not want income equality, suggesting that it is antithetical to the country’s abiding belief in “income opportunity” that rewards hard work and merit. “You want income equality? That is mediocrity,” he said. “Everybody can have an equal, mediocre salary.”

You can see the previous quote in the following Times article, but you need to slog through a number of brickbats first … see: NY Times Article.  (Funny how quickly the Times turned on Christie once Hillary was the presumptive Democrat nominee in 2016.)  I did see Christie deliver these ideas on television and he was quite convincing … dead on … something that the far left needs to worry about if they are going to continue flexing their Socialist muscles over this issue.

There will be a lot of back and forth with this Christie fellow over the next three years.  I don’t think he has a chance of being President … but, if he wanted to, he could serve an enormously useful function in the upcoming election.  He could be the Republicans’ junk-yard dog … popping all of the left’s pomposities as they raise their poll-tested syrupy heads … kind-of like the James Carville of the right.  Then maybe, if the Republicans can regain the White House, he might be rewarded with some useful administrative post … say Chief of Staff or Congressional Liaison?

He, like he has done in New Jersey, could help fix things.

Happiness is a Good Belt

No, I don’t mean of single-malt scotch.  I mean that thing that holds up your pants.  Time after time I buy a “leather” belt only to have it disintegrate after a few months.  What happens is that many of today’s waist cinches are made of two layers of cheap leather … or look-a-likes … that come apart, usually around the buckle holes. Another frequent failing is the buckle itself … getting out of alignment or just coming apart.  Even supposedly quality manufacturers like Eddie Bauer have stiffed me with such inferior goods (good inferiors?)

About six months ago I got desperate and went on the Internet to find a real, single-layer cowhide belt.  I finally found one (I think it was from China) and ordered it on my credit card … only to realize too late that nowhere on the shopping site had  it specified what size this belt would be.  It took me a few weeks to unwind this merchandise miscue.

Finally, this past Christmas my daughter ask me what present I wanted from her.  I simply replied, “a belt … a good-quality, single-layer, real cowhide belt.”  Now my daughter is dogged … I don’t know where or how she found it, but she did   … and I’ve been wearing it ever since … with not a single problem.  Thank you! Thank you, Rebecca!  (And when you all eventually cremate me, please first remove and save this great belt for some other deserving soul.)

And, as I reach my dotage, it is not big things that I seek.  As it turns out, happiness is a good belt!

Clown Shortage

There is a growing dearth of clowns in the United States according to the Clowns of America International’s President Glen Kohiberger … dropping by about a third since 2004 … see:  New York Daily News Story. Apparently there have been problems recruiting enthusiastic younger people into this Pagliacci profession to replace the older ones who are dying off.

I think we all know the perfect place for this organization to place their next recruitment ads … Washington, DC.

Afterward: Apparently Powerline had the same idea ... see: Powerline Blog.

reddit Gallery CXXIX

Another excursion into the world of reddit pictures. See reddit Pics  for sources.  Click on pictures to enlarge them.  Enjoy!

Early Chinese World Map

Aztec Dancer

City Hall Subway Station, NYC

Gulliver's Travels Park -- Japan

Sun's Different Wavelengths

Presidents' Day

Today in the United States we celebrate the birthdays of our two greatest presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, by observing a holiday titled "Presidents' Day."  How downright humiliating to the memories of these great men to be dropped into a generic holiday bin.

Perhaps we now might consider the equivalent treatment for our many religious leaders ... say Christ, Buddha, Mohammad, Martin Luther King Jr., and Halloween (All Saints Day) by creating a holiday called Religious Peoples' Day?  Or perhaps melding the Easter Bunny, Punxsutawney Phil, and Tom Turkey into a holiday called Animals' Day?  Or, combining the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Flag Day and Labor Day into something called Summer Vacation Day?

Slip slidin' away ...

Afterward: See also ... Breitbart Comments.