EPA propaganda revealed in government memo

  If you're a radio addict, you might have heard this ad, over and over and over, with a sweet little kid gasping for air, complaining about having to go to the "hosbibble" because of asthma.
  Now we have documentation that these ads, which have run repeatedly, sometimes twice in a row and certainly many times per hour to the point of insanity, are government propaganda.
  Powerhouse WJR in Detroit has especially guilty of running frequent government propaganda, particularly since it changed management.
  Anyway we now know officially that ads like this are an intentional attempt by the government, specifically the EPA, to increase Americans' "personal worries" by emphasizing that the pet cause of climate change will directly affect their lives, since concern about the fake dead polar bear scare isn't working.
  No depth is too long to sink to tug on the heart strings and ultimately pocket books of Americans, the Daily Caller reveals in the EPA memo, discovered by Chris Horner, detailing the plan:

The EPA memo even says to use people’s children as a way to build up support for their efforts to fight global warming and ramp up clean air and water regulations.

“This justifies our work at the most base level. By revitalizing our own Children’s Health Office, leading the global charge on this issue, and highlighting the children’s health dimension to all of our major initiatives — we will also make this issue real for many Americans who otherwise would oppose many of our regulatory actions,” the memo reads

  The people plotting this are the same ones who are so concerned about climate change that they flew their private jets to Davos to discuss their concern about the environment.
  One in particular filmed an anti-oil film as he flew over the country while he spewed 6.7 gallons of jet fuel per mile into the atmosphere, costing the taxpayers $220,000 an hour to operate.
  They're the same ones who want 90 trillion dollars to get rid of all cars in all cities. 
  They're the ones who say that Africans can't have air conditioning or cars like we do because the planet will "boil over."
  These people want to get rid of fossil fuels, but have no workable efficient alternative, and won't argue the matter with opponents but claim the "science has spoken."
  These are the people--the truly religious among us--who are calling for the "beheading" of "climate deniers."
  And the ones who claim they want taxpayers to fund alternative forms of energy, just not in my backyard, as we can see by the canceled Cape Cod wind farms which even Warren Buffett claimed were only good for tax writeoffs.
  They're also the same ones who want "zero carbon emissions" by 2070. Um. Zero. That would mean no more humans, though they've tried to explain that away as short term and long term emissions.
  This is the modus operandi.
  Scare people.
  Then they haul out the little kids, first to threaten them in school so that long term they'll be more compliant to the religion of climate change and then to prop them up in sadistic ads like the one above.
  We are indeed becoming cynical when we see those little kids' rear ends being hauled out again to promote the Leftist agenda.

Rubio Gets It Wrong Again

How many issues can Marco Rubio be wrong on? Maybe one could overlook his signing off on "comprehensive immigration reform" as a rookie error. He followed up that lapse in what he would have everyone believe are his core principles by cosponsoring the Campus Accountability and Safety Act that  incentivizes the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights to to bring charges against innocent students by allowing the agency to keep any fines it may extract form the colleges and universities.
Rubio's latest folly is his call to permanently extend NSA mass surveillance. He wrote in a editorial for Fox News, "This year, a new Republican majority in both houses of Congress will have to extend current authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and I urge my colleagues to consider a permanent extension of the counterterrorism tools our intelligence community relies on to keep the American people safe"

Extension of the Patriot Act and the odious provision that allows the NSA to collect phone meta data on virtually all Americans may be one of the more contentious issues this congress will address. Rubio has parted company with Ted Cruz and Rand Paul together with sizeable portion of the GOP. Even Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, not exactly a libertarian firebrand, thinks it time to let the bill sunset.
"I voted for the Patriot Act, but also believed it was very important that there was the expiration of the Patriot Act and the provisions that would ensure that we as members of Congress could analyze it a few years down the road.. Is this not just what we intended, but is this working effectively?"
Rep Justin Amash was less restrained.

Disqualified. RT @nationaljournal: Marco Rubio wants to permanently extend NSA mass surveillance http://t.co/vDfHuK5Jpb
— Justin Amash (@repjustinamash) January 27, 2015

Democratic Congressman Jared Polis of Colorado out did Amash. He opined that Rubio should be placed under 24 hour surveillance by the intelligence community.
“If Senator Rubio believes that millions of innocent Americans should be subject to intrusive and unconstitutional government surveillance, surely he would have no objections to the government monitoring his own actions and conversations,” said Rep. Polis. “Senator Rubio is asking for American technology companies to ‘cooperate with authorities,’ so I believe he will have no objection to authorities being given access to his electronic correspondence and metadata.  Maybe after his 2016 strategy documents are accidentally caught up in a government data grab, he’ll rethink the use of mass surveillance.”
He followed that up with a call for Rubio to voluntarily to release his own phone meta data. Rubio shouldn't have any shame in revealing everyone he calls (or who calls him), everyone he emails and every website he visits. Right? Who needs privacy?

Three cheers for Michelle!

As much as it pains me I have to say three cheers for Michelle O. The First Lady defiantly refused to cover he hair when she she met the royal entourage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. One can argue that it was a breach of protocol and it may well be but it is refreshing to see someone in the first family fight back the impulse to grovel before the Muslim world. In an administration obsessed with gender identity and political correctness Michelle's cussed orneriness contrasts with Barack's ass- kissing propensity. Like the President, Michelle has been mistaken for a man more than once but yesterday she was no weak sister.

Obama refers to self 118 times in 30 minutes

  Many bloggers have noted that the White House's favored way of celebrating any event: a picture of Obama sitting in Rosa Parks's seat, Obama looking at the sky when an astronaut died, Obama in front of the Lincoln statue on Lincoln's birthday, "honoring" JFK's assassination, Nelson Mandela's death, passover, El Capitan climbers' success, himself on Presidents' Day. Of course, Obama has inserted himself in history like no other individual.
  This has been a pattern of behavior since the Exalted One took office, as recently as Martin Luther King's birthday this year.
  Now flip over here to PJ Media to read how Obama 1) compares poverty in America with poverty in India (!)  2) tells India climate change is going to ruin their country  AND 3) refer to himself 118 times in 30 minutes .
  Why does he do these things?
  Because, you know, Obama.
 

Obamacare lie number three

Obama told the American three lies about Obamacare. It became clear as ACA was implemented that no, you really cannot keep your doctor. That was scored as the lie of the year by the Washington Post's Politifact. Then there was the matter of $2500 the typical American family would save on health insurance premiums in a calendar year. Instead premiums went up for about every demographic and more than doubled for an unfortunate few. Deductibles of $12,000 for a family of four became common place as insurance carriers sought to minimize the increases in premiums.
Yesterday the Congressional Budget Office shot down Obama's false claim that Obamacare "would not add one dime to the deficit." It will add more than a dime and the cost will unsustainable. As the CBO sees it, it will cost the US taxpayer $50,000 for every person insured under Obamacare. View Table B-1 in the report. From 2015 to 2025 expenditures for Obamacare will total $2.026 trillion but revenue from the new taxes associated with Obamacare will total only $634 billion or about $50,000 per new insuree.
Under the best of circumstances 24 to 27 million will get insurance from Obamacare from when the law took effect in 2012 to 2025 but that will still leave over 30 million without insurance.



There is not doubt that Obamacare will be repealed. The question is will it happen before or after the country goes bankrupt.

Leftist cultists went BONKERS this week!

  Oi, what a week for exposing the pixie lands in which Leftists reside.
  We started it with the faux and completely fantastical "state" of the union speech with both Republicans and Democrats sucking up to the prancing poseur of the White House. 
  As always, the "queen of the aisle hogs" (who also has the distinction of being the stupidest person in D.C.) had planted her large derriere in a seat early to be able to kiss Obama as he entered the chamber, but not as early as the simpering Engel who seated himself 12 hours before the event. (Do they wear diapers?)
  His people expect him to be on camera, he explained.
  Across the auditorium, Democrats seated themselves beside a a parade of frauds and criminals, including 

• an illegal alien
• a Colombia student who, when her allegations of rape were proven false, hauled around her mattress on campus for a year
• A ditzy blonde (think Julia and Pajama Boy) who "wrote" Obama a "letter" about how much his policies have helped her, without mentioning that she was an operative who had long been in the belly of the Democrat Beast. 
• Democrat toadies intent on currying favor with FLOTUS's creepy and intrusive health initiatives.

  Mostly, though, I loved the content of the prancing poseur's speech: condescension rolled down his nose like a 4 year old on a slide. 
  Like the aging harpy he has become, he scolded (again!), stomped his feet and complained that if you don't want to give away your hard earned money to differently abled young and healthy non-workers, you're just not American as he defines it anyway.
  He is The One. Bow down. Just don't let the unicorn's horn poke you in the butt while you're down there. 
  Besides, Santa Barack is going to give away billions of dollars to every one of his constituents but NOT YOU if you think he's irresponsible with money, even if he has spent more than all the previous presidents combined.
  So there!
  But there was more to this week than soaring speechifying and lectures about who we are by a community activist Rocky.
  Follow up interviews were conducted by hard hitting Fruit Loop journalists, whose IQs reflect the Fruit Loop IQs in the Obama administration, pushed him hard on policy.
  Just kidding. I have long contended Obama has appointed obviously inferior individuals in his administration to make himself look better by contrast. I mean, who WOULDN'T look better than Dumbo? This is obviously true with his choices in interviewers.
  Personally I wouldn't have been so disgusted with the lame ass and exceedingly awful Fruit Loop interviews if Obama subjected himself to real interviews by real journalists, like maybe people who actually have the cajones to question him about issues that matter.
  I mean, what super power doesn't Obama want? Besides, it's insulting. We already know he is the epitome of super powers.
  Moving on, this week we had 1700 personal jets flying into Davos to complain about global warming and how people like me--you know, we retired folks who waste energy blogging on laptops they keep plugged in and who drive SUVs--need to cut back on energy usage because WE polluting the planet.
  The liar politician AlGore who has made millions and millions on his flawed erroneous AGW computer models has made the very practical proposal that we "spend" ninety trillion dollars redesigning all the cities in the world to rid ourselves of the plague of automobiles and the like. This plan was supported by former Mexican President Calderone, who is known for cleaning up a country frought with crime and poverty.
  Another billionaire eagerly jumped in to claim that y'all need to lower your expectations about what to expect from life, notwithstanding the two nannies he flew in on a private jet to watch his kiddies so he could chide retirees for having their tvs and radios on all day. He owns lots of mansions; frankly, I lost track after two.
  Now if you're a retiree lying on the couch, looking at your laptop while eating Cheetos, you should know that these ideas have been promulgated not just by ANYBODY but by "the 40 heads of state and 2,500 billionaires, businessmen, CEOs, rock stars, assorted royals and politicians." 
  Thus, you should be impressed that they have nothing but your best interests at heart.
  IBD notes that it ain't cheap to fly to and stay in Davos:

It's pretty obvious that people who can pay $40,000 to attend Davos and fork over $43 for a hot dog, $47 for a burger or $55 for a Caesar salad — all actual prices at this year's World Economic Forum — would seem to be in a poor position to lecture the rest of us.

  I don't know about you, but I buy the best hot dogs Churchills has to offer. They run about a dollar apiece and I feel guilty paying that. $43? Not gonna happen, even if I'm a millionaire. They couldn't have settled for lunchmeats from the frig on their personal jets?
   In fact, even liberals got into Davos bashing. Sure. You're off the reservation, Jon Stewart. Not.
  Back at the ranch, Leftists are concerned that Megyn Kelly is making headway with even the "MainStream"Media as a star so the knives have come out. 
  Why? 
  Because she attacks both blacks and whites for their bad behavior, especially when it is anti-social. 
  And, see, those New Black Panthers who attempted to block voters are no threat to anyone, right? Because they haven't stirred up trouble in Ferguson, right? Or been caught endangering lives?
  See, they're no threat because Eric Holder's "Justice" Department dismissed charges against them in the voting intimidation case?
  The attention paid to the New Black Panthers is all BOGUS, George Soros's stooges squeal, like little piggies who've got caught in the gate.
  What's the big deal that the NBP had a plot to murder the Ferguson Police Chief AND its DA, a Democrat who was trying to do his job?
  Because Senator Obama, who marched with the New Black Panthers, that's why. So they must be ok.
  Inciting riots? No problem. 
  Megyn Kelly is a racist for pointing it out and FNC is obsessed for reporting on it. 
  After all, the fact that yet another racist, anti-law, murderous cultist mob is on the loose should be ignored, just as the rest of media ignores racist, anti-law, murderous cultist mobs as long as they're Leftist and not elderly Tea Partiers who undoubtedly want to ransack the town and steal your savings.
  Oh, wait.
  Let's not forget this week's shock and horror that Boehner invited the Israeli leader to speak to Congress without telling the Obama White House, because the Obama White House is all about following protocol and not offending people, eh?
  Oh, and the offense of referring to the "no-go" zones in France and England and Fox's slobbering groveling apologies?
  Huh? Before I went to France last summer, I was warned about the no-go zones. 
  I even looked them up on the internet.
  Now the media is all about gushing that they don't exist. That it's a lie and besides, you're making too big a deal out of the insignificant problem of mobs of racist, anti-law, murderous cultist mobs roaming the streets?
  Then why do people say some areas in England and Germany are patrolled by Sharia police?
  Because they are.
  To justify saying this is no biggie, Leftists view actual evidence of these patrols, the burning of cars and Paris suburbs, the crime areas that are labeled "sensitive urban zones" as "phenomena."   
  These "phenomena" include actual "sharia courts,"  actual "vigilante sharia squads" and the, um, actual "sensitive urban zones."
  Yes, the loonie bins are getting fuller and fuller these days.
  And this week was an exceptional one. YEAH!

Money can't buy you love

One thing that money can't buy - loyalty. Rebel Tea Party congressmen who voted against John Boehner for Speaker did not have any qualms about biting the hand that feeds them. Given more time they may have chewed it off at the elbow. Of the 25 congressmen who voted against Boehner 19 had taken campaign funds from the Speaker's super pac, Freedom Project.

If it's BS, it must be the SOTU

  So I did my duty, rushing home from a meeting to listen to yet another SOTU speech. (I hope there are no state of the union speeches in Heaven.)
  Regardless the party and maybe because of my advanced age, I have to say the whole thing sure is a farce.
  Of course, this year I watched it with Glenn Beck MST3k style. (If you don't know what MST3k is then, well, you've been deprived and you're probably a teenager which means you're not reading this blog anyway so.)
  Watching it became almost tolerable with the 3 jokesters screaming their objections to the lies being told last night.
  For example, a favorite Obama word is "fair." 
  After launching into another diatribe about fairness, Obama started listing all the new things he wants to give away. 
  That's fair, right? 
  That I should have worked hard all my life, paid for 2 degrees for myself and 3 degrees for other family members, saved for my twilight years and then am compelled to give free child care, free college and put millions of able young people on government handouts, reminds me there is nothing "fair" about a byzantine tax system that punishes those who work hard, play "fair" and are successful.
  That, regardless the last election, around 500 pampered elites in Washington, D.C. should determine the direction for the 316 million people of this country is galling, and reminds me of the situation faced by Americans during the runup to the American Revolution, so well depicted in the Broadway musical "1776."
  In it, Caesar Rodney, representative from Delaware, is depicted dying of cancer, impatient with the typical theatrics which accompany politics, even in those most distressing days. He must return to sign the Declaration, making it complete. Arguments ensue, and Rodney collapses, saying this:

Caesar Rodney: [a brawl has broken out] Stop it! Stop it! This is the Congress! Stop it I say! The enemy's out there!
John Dickinson: No, Mr Rodney, the enemy is here!
Caesar Rodney: No! I say he's out there! England! England closing in, cutting off our air! There's no time!
[suddenly very weak]
Caesar Rodney: No air...

  Though the writers here took artistic license (Rodney did not die until 1784), this scene has recurred in my mind time after time.
  It is not England this time that is closing in, cutting off our air.
  It is Islamic terrorism that is closing in and it is our own decadent government that is cutting off our air, regulation by regulation, law by law, tax by tax.
  Obama is a mean spirited, dangerously delusional man who can't resist consistently jabbing anyone who disagrees with him, such as the smallness he displayed last night when he cocked his head, narrowed his eyes, and disdainfully "reminded" Republicans that he won both presidential elections.
  Some of us have doubts about the accuracy of many of those votes, though considering much of the American electorate are more concerned with watching cat videos and updating their Facebook statuses than taking the time to learn that there are three branches of government in this country, many of the electorate still see Obama as something he is not.
  As usual, Obama's focus is to reward the underachievers, the angry activists and the aggrieved. Ultimately what he's done is reward the top 1 percenters in this country.
  Let's be honest.
  A favorite Leftist meme is that the poor need more, more, more. 
  It isn't "fair" that the top one percent have so much money and stuff, while the cat video people have less.
  Yet according to the Tax Foundation, the top 1 percent--often the most productive in our society-- pay far more than they ever have:

The top 1 percent of taxpayers pay more in federal income taxes than the bottom 90 percent. As you can see in the chart below, this is a stark change from the 1980s and early 1990s. But since the early 1980s, the share of taxes paid by the bottom 90 percent has steadily declined.

In 1980, the bottom 90 percent of taxpayers paid 50.72 percent of income taxes. In 2011 (the most recent year the data is available), the bottom 90 percent paid 31.74 percent of taxes. On the flip side, the top 1 percent paid 19.05 percent of taxes in 1980 and now pay 35.06 percent of taxes. 

  So who's paying their "fair share" of taxes? It sure isn't the "bottom" 90 percent.
  Ironically, while millions of middle class workers dropped OUT of the work force, the one percenters have profited more than anyone under Obama's policies.
  Daily Caller:

The nation’s top one percent of income-earners took in 95 percent of the income gains since the Great Recession.

Despite President Obama’s highly-touted stimulus and other economic policies advertised as economic restorations, the administration has emboldened the very target of Obama’s most recent State of the Union speech: inequality.

  Obama claims the state of the union is strong, that we have reached a "turning point" and the "shadow of crisis" has passed, which apparently means that the economy is good, all those people who are out of the work force really aren't and that there's no threat to the homeland from terrorism.
  More lies will be outed from this year's SOTU today.
  That pretty much sums up the state of our union.
  It's built on lies.

Joni Ernst is no Sarah Palin

The kindest thing I can say for Sen. Joni Ernst's rebuttal to Obama's state of the union sermon is that   it was shorter and slightly less tedious. Rather than offer an alternative to Obama's failed policies and broken promises, Joni recalled riding the school bus with bread wrappers over her shoes.
We are thrilled beyond words to know you drove a tractor and worked at Hardee's. All that is fine for the campaign but your a big girl now, Senator, for chris sake put some meat on the table. And we are ecstatic you'll be working to balance the budget but god dammit we want to see the blue prints of a budget that balances this year not some go to hell Paul Ryan pipe dream the gets there in 10 years.
Ernst began by thanking Obama for sharing his ideas and then stated rather than responding to a speech she would like to talk about our priorities and then proceeded to talk about the GOP's priorities. She condemned Washington's penchant for talking points instead of real solutions and droned on the next 7 minutes with the same shopworn GOP talking points we have endured for the last 6 months. Jesus! Get a speech writer, lady!
What would have liked to have heard is that it is within the Republicans' power to repeal Obamacare. It was passed with 51 votes as part of the budget reconciliation process and can be repealed with 51 votes as part of budget reconciliation. The easiest way to rein in out of control bureaucracies is to eliminate them. There is no reason to fund the EPA of the NLRB if they insist on being an extension of the Democratic Party.
Give us Sarah Palin!

Should the Tea Party be green gouging the public?

To update my How Green is my Tea Party! post it appears that our heroine,  Debby Dooley,  is either a party to or a victim of one of  "one of the great corporate welfare scams of modern times" according to Stephen Moore at the Daily Signal.
Moore make the point, as I did, that  laws requiring utilities to purchase solar generated power results in other ratepayers actually footing the bill.
"A sunny day with below-normal energy demand may lead to a surplus of electric power. The homeowners can sell this unneeded solar power at a tidy profit to an unwilling buyer at full retail cost — a level often four times the wholesale rate."
But it does not stop there. Solar companies are being sued in both Louisiana and California for deceptive sales practices and congress is looking into the scam as well. Rep. Paul Gosar has written the FTC asking if the booming solar leasing market — a “new industry with a limited track record and little regulatory oversight — poses a “considerable risk” to homeowners.
The good news is the 30% tax credit expires in 2016 so this scam is probably short lived. Typically the solar firms install the solar panels with no up front cost to the homeowner and take the tax credit themselves.
Readers are urged to read the Daily Signal post and Tea Party members should ask Tea Party Patriots why it allows one of its national coordinators to shill for these fly-by-night entrepreneurs.

How Green Is My Tea Party!

Sauls become Pauls with remarkable frequency. I quit attending my local Tea Party group when an old line environmentalist began attending and eventually dominating the meetings. The Tea Party, as any dynamic movement does, attracts a few "true believers". That is the term the longshoreman philosopher, Eric Hoffer used to describe compulsive adherents to mass movements in his 1951 classic, The True Believer: Thoughts On The Nature Of Mass Movements. It's one of the most insightful books one could read. According to Hoffer the zealot perceives his life to be controlled by an external villain such as a government, a religion, or an economic structure. The cause is secondary to the movement as the adherent feeds off the movement to obtain "self-renunciation". His loyalty is suspect as causes seem almost interchangeable. He is, in Hoffer's words "a guilt ridden hitchhiker who thumbs a ride on every cause from Christianity to Communism.
Atlanta Tea Party cofounder Debby Dooley seems to fit the Hoffer model. she has partnered with the Sierra Club to form the Green Tea Party coalition. This group's latest project is the repeal of a Florida law that prevents solar companies from installing leased solar panels on residential rooftops.
“This is about energy freedom. Energy choice!” explains Dooley. “We want to allow green energy companies to compete in the market. Let the market decide what’s best. It’s pro-consumer!”
Actually Dooley is asking the government, not the market, to do what's best for SolarCity and the residents who sign up for this fleece the ratepayer scheme and the public be damned. Under the plan SolarCity or a competitor would lease and install solar panels on private homes. The home owner could then sell the power through a meter plan back to the utility, pay SolarCity its cut and live happily ever after.
“People are hypocritical when they say, “Ooooh, Solyndra. Look at the subsidies solar receives!’” says Dooley. “But they’re silent on the subsidies coal and nuclear have received since the 1940s.”
What subsidies has coal received since the 1940"s?
So Dooley sees herself as a green Joan of Arc. She inveighs against the monopoly power of utilities ignoring the fact that the concept of a natural monopoly was argued before the Supreme Court the century before last. The court reasoned that the public was ill served by competing power companies stringing redundant wiring throughout the community and building redundant power plants. No one argues that this is best of all possible worlds but no one has come up with a better scheme either.
So what would Dooley do? Force the utilities to allow her and her followers to use their lines. And who would pay for the maintenance and tree trimming on the lines. The utility and ultimately the ratepayers. This is a free market?
Solar power is literally a fair weather friend. "Oh we don't want to compete all the time", she would argue, "just when it's advantageous to us. We'll be there during peak demand when the utility could sell the most electricity and bug out after sundown". In the event of a hurricane will the solar home crowd be recruiting the hundreds of out of state workers to repair the grid? Don't be silly.
This queen of solar power and friend of the Sierra Club is also National Coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots who have refused to take a position on the matter. They are one of the two national organizations that was too busy to help Dave Brat roll Eric Cantor. Maybe they will want to merge with the Sierra Club.

John Kerry, hard at work embarrassing this country again

  OMG.
  I'm so embarrassed.
  And worried.
  Why?
  John Kerry's performance today in Paris.
  Omgosh.
  Instead of showing solidarity by actually being in Paris during the whole touchy-feely unity rally (and why should they? They don't BELIEVE that Islamic terrorists are wrong and responsible for their behavior.), John Kerry showed up, speaking French, with James Taylor singing "You've got a friend."
  See, the joke is on Europe, who mocked Bush and wanted someone in charge of the most powerful country on the planet more like them.
  Well, they HAVE someone more like them, only worse.
  The joke is also on US, because we have to live with the consequences of people like John Kerry representing our country, holding hands, singing and acting like a prancy reindeer closing his eyes as JAmes Taylor sang "people will take your soul if you'll let them, " all after people were murdered in Paris.
  The idea that anyone would fear or even respect a great power like this country is long gone.
  Dear God.
  John Kerry closes his eyes while James Taylor sings, " When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand and nothing, whoa, nothing is going right. Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there to brighten up even your darkest nights."
  After acknowledging that he "wanted to express to [Paris] personally the sheer horror and revulsion that all Americans felt for the cowardly and despicable act, the assault on innocent lives and on fundamental values,"  yeah, Kerry acknowledged that the whole Paris massacre was a bummer but, hey, France has to know You've Got a Friend.
  If you can watch, here it is.

Perrysburg City website hacked by Syrian rebels

  One wonders why the little old City of Perrysburg's website was worthy of being hacked, but there it is.
  From 13ABC:

For at least thirty minutes the site displayed a graphic video of what appeared to be a wounded child being tended to by medical workers.
A user named Dr. Sha6h claimed responsibility for the hack and also displayed a message that read "This is a message. Free Syrian People."

  Here's the image:

 From The Blade:

The flag shown is that of the Syrian Republic (1932—1958) and the Syrian Arab Republic (1961—1963).

  And Toledo News Now:

The writing continued: "This security breach is not to make damage, it is only to deliver a specific message to the world."The page also linked to Twitter and Facebook pages of a person or group named 'Dr. SHA6H'. This account tweeted Thursday morning that they had "#Hacked the official website of the City of Perrysburg in #USA Only to deliver a message #FreeSyria People"

Soros funded groups stop traffic AGAIN

  Though Leftists think they are gaining traction by protesting around the country, I think the opposite is happening.
  Today in Boston (and planned around the country) "Black Lives Matter" protesters have dumped themselves in huge 1200 lb cans onto I-93, their arms chained inside the barrels. Sadly, one of the protesters appears to have hurt his chin, needing on the spot treatment.
  Meanwhile thousands of people are stuck in traffic while the "End White Supremacy" banners fly over the smug white protesters, their barrels and their angry victims.
  It is obvious from the footage that this has been carefully planned to last hours.
  So certain people's lives matter, but all black lives? 
  What about the black people who need medical treatment today? The ambulances that can't get through to hospitals?
  So only certain black lives matter? And white lives do not?
  How is this creating fans for social change?
  Most emotionally balanced people do not respond well to this kind of bullying, which is typical of the social activist types, as we have seen in the highest reaches of our government.
  And did you think these people were doing this out of the kindness of their hearts?
  Think again, because today we learn how many millions of dollars George Soros has poured into intentionally disrupting the day to day operations of the United States. His goal is social disruption.
  These "disrupters" are being paid by Soros, $33 million last year alone. In all, his contributions to destroying American daily life are enormous:

Mr. Soros‘ two largest foundations manage almost $3 billion in assets per year, according to their most recent respective tax returns. The Foundation to Promote Open Society managed $2.2 billion in assets in 2011, and his Open Society Institute managed $685.9 million in 2012.

In comparison, David and Charles Koch, the billionaire brothers whom liberals often call a threat to democracy — and worse — for their conservative influence, had $308 million tied up in their foundation and institute in 2011.

  Some of Soros's goals include removing American's sovereignty, environmental extremism and manipulating currencies, which is where he's made his fortunes. Malaysai, Thailand and England's currencies have all suffering the devastating effects of Soros's manipulation.

  He also fancies himself a "messianic figure."

  He considers his time among the Nazis as the "happiest time of his life," because he saw others around him suffering but he himself "seemed" immune. In fact, Soros felt "exhilarated" at the "power" he felt by turning in fellow Jews because of a sense of "power."

  This man is a Democrat icon, an Obama supporter and foundational sponsor.

  Not everyone agrees on Soros's goals concerning goals for his Open Society, democracies and government operations.

  Still.

  Blocking ambulances?

  Wow. This will not make friends.
UPDATE: 29 people arrested.

Michelle Obama-Let's regulate farts!

  Methane, to be precise, which is what is emitted every time a human flatuence, aka, farts.
  Announced today:

The Obama administration said it will issue rules to cut leaks of climate-warming methane, a step the oil and gas industry warned could choke the U.S. energy renaissance fueled by hydraulic fracturing.

The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday it will propose rules this year targeting new oil-and-gas equipment, the centerpiece of an initiative to reduce methane emissions as much as 45 percent by 2025. The EPA also plans to expand voluntary programs with states and industry on equipment already in use, a move that falls short of the new mandates environmentalists sought.

  Obama, who likes to keep his office hot and thus has warned Africans that the "planet will boil over if"..."young Africans get air conditioning", said before he took office that he planned to "skyrocket" the price of energy (electricity, specifically, in the video) though his wars on coal and gas have accelerated greatly in the last two years. 
  This sense of balance is part of Obama's psyche, as he has also said that he wants to raise capital gains taxes--not to raise revenue but--for "purposes of fairness." Indeed, the rise in those taxes will cause revenue to go DOWN but still, fairness. Punish the rich.
  So today his administration announced that, in spite of the fact that much of the economy's resurgence (that which it is) is due to fracking, oil and gas production and in spite of the fact that such emissions have been reduced considerably without government intervention, he's going for the gold regarding methane gas. Washington Times:

...methane … is a potent greenhouse gas with 25 times the heat-trapping potential of carbon dioxide.”

Even though methane emissions are down 16 percent since 1990, the White House says they might rise over the next 10 years unless dramatic actions are taken. Under the plan laid out by the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday, the oil-and-gas sector must reduce methane emissions by 40 to 45 percent by 2025.

  Now, if you're a vegetarian or vegan, you've been pushing others to stop or limit their beef consumption...to save the planet....
  Why?
  Because cows fart methane gas.
  The White House has already started pushing farmers to quit birthin' those little baby cows because of all their farts, as per The Daily Caller:

The White House has proposed cutting methane emissions from the dairy industry by 25 percent by 2020. Although U.S. agriculture only accounts for about 9 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, it makes up a sizeable portion of methane emissions — which is a very potent greenhouse gas.

Some of these methane emissions come from cow flatulence, exhaling and belching — other livestock animals release methane as well.

  Being entrepreneurial capitalists, businesses sniff an opportunity to make some bucks:  

 Oil and gas companies, for example, have been looking for ways to increasingly capture methane leaked from drilling operations which they can then sell.

  Alas, it is not enough. 
  So let's organize our thoughts here. 
  Michelle Obama, whose favorite meal is steak and arugula, has been enforcing the "less meat" rule in schools, but now it looks like she's comin' for the hamburgers of the masses.
  She's not alone in believing this "treehugger"'s claims that eating less beef is "crucial to [the] climate fight."
  Indeed, the USDA is already smelling success by advising people to eat healthier by avoiding beef.

That appears to take at least partial aim at the beef industry. A study by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last year said raising beef for the American dinner table is more harmful to the environment than other meat industries such as pork and chicken.

The study said that compared with other popular animal proteins, beef produces more heat-trapping gases per calorie, puts out more water-polluting nitrogen, takes more water for irrigation and uses more land.

  So there ya go.
  She's had it with your farts, you knaves, even though she and The Prince do love them some hamburgers.
  That's because her farts don't stink, unlike yours. 

Colleges waste money, charge more

  I am always surprised that few people in this country are willing to talk about why costs of a college education are rising and how much money we pay so-called academics. 
  We seldom talk how little students learn in these college environments that are so oppressive with regard to alternate viewpoints like conservatism, Christianity, Israel or the beliefs of pro-life students.
  While the average student who attends a state school has accumulated debts around $30,000, (which I find hard to believe), overall Americans have accumulated $1.2 trillion in student debt.
   Those who attend fancy pants schools, remarkably, graduate with less debt because of the numerous grants and endowments available for these privileged one percenters.
  I find this hard to believe, as I mentioned, because I know many young people who have accumulated far more than $30,000 in student loans. Years ago, I too had accumulated thousands of dollars in loans, which I paid by working in a department store while looking for a "real" job.
  I paid cash for my master's degree, working full time as I took classes.
  These huge debts have changed young people's patterns of behavior, graduates putting off marriage, purchasing a home (maybe NEVER) and moving forward with their lives.
  Some people blame athletics for rising costs, yet athletics actually bring in money as opposed to the humanities, which are often stocked full of radicals, communists and activists.
  Economist Stephen Moore says costs for health care and tuition are the fastest rising expenditures in the United States. 
  Why? Moore from The Daily Signal:

What do these two industries – medical care and education – have in common? The answer is: government. The public sector basically runs these two sectors of the economy. Our health care system is about 52 percent public and 48 percent private. In education, about 70 percent of the dollars flow to public schools.

It’s no secret why these industries are such failures at curtailing costs. The answer is the people who get the service don’t pay for it. This is called the third-party payment problem, and it’s systemic in medicine and education.

   Even Robert Reich contends that, for many students, college is a "colossal waste of money."
  Here are some other reasons from the Post Gazette:

Another source of increased expense is administration. Since 1980, the number of administrators per student at colleges has about doubled; on most campuses their numbers now match the number of faculty. Here are some of their titles: senior specialist of assessment; director for learning communities; assistant dean of students for substance education; director of knowledge access services.

Needless to say, these officials claim that they offer needed services. Who can be opposed to ensuring access and assessment? But let's not forget that tuition pays for all these deans and directors; having more of them means higher bills for students.

Added tuition revenue has also gone to raise faculty salaries. Yale's full-time faculty members now average $129,400, up 64 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars from what they made in 1980. (Pay in other sectors of the U.S. economy rose only about 5 [percent in this period.) Stanford's tenured and tenure-track professors are doing even better, averaging $153,900, an 83 percent increase over 1980.

  Colleges waste many dollars in other ways, including purchasing "branding" accoutrements, entertainment,  luxurious pools, wellness centers and dorms and "perks wars."
  Though we may cite these online resources for research, where is the outrage or frank discussion in the MSM and this administration?
  Well, there is little outrage because those well paid college administrators--and many so-called academics (who are often also grievance mongers) are among the strongest supporters of Leftist politics.
  An excellent read by Megan McArdle suggests it's the elites in America who are pushing the notion that all students most go on to college, even when many jobs go without applicants, much less qualified personnel.

"Construction, electrical, any kind of trade that you can think of, which traditionally has had maybe an older workforce, those groups are actually trying to recruit younger workers," she said.
Haavind also says a number of available jobs are in the healthcare and clean energy fields.

  The notion that Obama needs to pour more "free" money into community colleges is foolish and ill conceived.

Teeny weeny Obama takes it on the chin

  When the Paris attacks took place last week, I couldn't stop watching the live updates. I flipped around to FNC, BBC News and even a couple of those other news stations.
  I guess it's like any other nightmare terrorist scenario; as humans, we are inexorably pulled into the drama, though to be truthful, I'm one of those drivers who refuses to gawk at roadside accidents, partly out of pride and partly out of sympathy. I'm not sure which emotion is stronger.
  So I've been glued to the info, checking updates, watching every interview. Especially compelling to me was the Parisian marches--the uprising of so many Frenchmen and women of all religions, the mourning and subsequent jubilation of the marchers which energized (deteriorated?) into an almost carnival atmosphere.
  The live interviews with the protesters were insightful, partly because the Left wing media were so caught up in the moment that they forgot to censor some of the more candid responses and partly because there was something so refreshing about hearing people in France espouse the principles of democracy and free speech, something that has been under attack around the world, and particularly in American universities, for many years.
  Most stunning was the moment, shown live and then repeatedly, of the world leaders arm in arm walking together, mostly because there was no representative from America--the last best hope-- walking with them.
  By now, anyone reading this blog knows what's happened, given our rather, ahem, modest readership.
  The only American representative--the estimable Eric -let's imprison General Petraeus--Holder was too busy appearing on four American television news shows.
  The others were undoubtedly involved in something really important, like watching football. 
  Obviously the big wigs were ordered to stay away from the rally, because, you know, it might look like Obama was being critical of Islam, or something.
  So now the excuses--as usual have begun, from both the administration and their allies.
  This attack on the kosher market was not about anti-Semitism. CNN.
  Obama only had 36 hours to prepare. How could he get there as fast as he did for Mandela's funeral? I mean, they'd been planning on his dying for years! Of course, he didn't even ask the Secret Service about going.
  Obama didn't know about it.
  It would have inconvenienced millions of people because of Obama's entourage. Just forget about the dinner trips to LA, the New York traffic jams, the hundreds of people put out by Obama's frequent vacationing in exotic places. 
  There were too many people there.Netanyahu could be there in the vipers' nest but the implication was that OBAMA was too important to be there.  
  It was a waste of time anyway. Beckel.
  Besides Obama just got back from vacation. Why would he want to go there? Carter.
  Anyway, regardless the excuses, it's pretty remarkable watching all these Leftists wig out that Obama missed out on some big unity rally.
  Apparently they really don't know what a callow man- child is president. You know, the whole coldness factor.
  Watching him and his people make so many excuses for Islamist terrorism is reducing his profile both in the world and the country.
  Huh. It's about time.

You can't keep a good man down!

The real life story of Coreco Pearson Jr. might confuse some into thinking it's a script from Family Ties. Imagine, if you will, two black parents living the good life in the suburbs of Augusta, Georgia. Despite being Democrats they must be exceptional parents because they are raising an exceptional son. There is but one thing wrong. When the press shows up at their door  it's not them they want to see. They want to speak to their 12 year old conservative son.

Probably they anticipated when he reached this age they would, like other parents, be under constant time pressure to chauffeur him to his activities but while other parents drive their kids to Pony League or soccer practice they have to haul their wunderkind about to make campaign speeches for the likes of then Republican Senate candidate David Perdue. It could be the kid is just manipulating Perdue. He has his own political agenda. He wants to be the youngest person to ever be elected to the Georgia state legislature but aside from the personal challenges he faces there is also a seemingly unconquerable constitutional barrier. Only 14 states  allow teenagers to hold state office and Georgia is not one of them. When other kids his age are free to play ball or just hang out at the mall CJ must put in a 40 hour work week to amend the Georgia constitution. Things have slowed up since the election when he worked in four Republican campaigns doing the things volunteers usually do such as making phone call, ringing doorbells, and making speeches and it is beginning to pay off. The proposed amendment has attracted 7 cosponsors.
CJ first became interested in politics in 2008 when he heard the story of Sen. John Mc Cain's days as a pow. Unlike many very prominent black Republicans CJ was not interested in Obama's race. “I didn’t look at it as a race thing,” he said. “For me, it was more about who really cared about your country.”

He probably learned about duty and honor from his father who is a retired army sergeant major but he didn't learn about healthy eating habits from Michelle Obama and her school lunch mandates. "Don’t feed ’em, just teach ’em how to eat better", he says
It should go without saying that he is the president of his middle school class. To read more about this remarkable young man go here.

.

Paperwork filed by Nexus for huge Ohio pipeline

Initial paperwork has been filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by Houston based Nexus Gas Transmission LLC for construction of a 42 inch natural gas pipeline that will be capable of moving 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day. The cost of the project will be $2 billion. The 250 mile pipeline will begin in Columbiana County in eastern Ohio cross the state to Defiance in northwest Ohio and then head north into Michigan and into Ontario to connect with existing pipelines. It will traverse 11 counties in Ohio and 3 in Michigan. Ultimately it will connect to the Union Gas Limited Dawn Hub in Ontario. Four new gas turbine compressor stations will be constructed in Columbiana, Medina, Erie, and Lucas Counties.
From an economic point of view this is tantamount to scattering $2 billion along a 250 mile corridor for the bulk of the expenditures will be in wages paid to construction workers and to 3479 landowners to purchase a 50 foot right of way across their properties. While there is some opposition among property owners the misery of being exploited by big energy companies may pale in comparison to the misery of not being exploited. Consider:

Using data from the Marcellus one finds that compensation to property owners has run from $5 to $25 and above per linear foot. A large project such as this would certainly be in the higher end of that range if not beyond.
In addition to the permanent right away pipeline companies must lease a temporary, additional construction easement which is more compensation.
Frequently signing bonuses are paid to induce rapid acceptance of the agreements.
The landowner is paid for loss of the use of his land during the construction phase.
If the right of way runs through woodland the pipeline company may simply purchase timber rights to the land.
The money derived from the sale of the permanent easement is treated as capital gains for tax purposes meaning that the property owner only pays tax on 50% of that part of the compensation.

All said, a person could find himself pretty well off just for getting out of bed in the morning.
According to Nexus work on the pipeline will begin in January 2017 with the pipeline going into service in November 2017.

If you liked the Bridge to Nowhere Sen. Corker has a deal for you

I wonder if Sen. Bob Corker has any idea of the contempt many of us in the Tea Party movement harbor for him. Now that driver are beginning to see some relief from high gasoline prices the senator thinks the federal government should claim its share of the windfall. Corker, who never had any trouble working across the aisle to aggrandize federal largess has co-sponsored with Sen. Chris Murphy a bill to shore up the nearly depleted Highway Trust Fund. The bill would supposedly raise $164 billion over the next 10 years by increasing the gasoline tax from 18.4 cents to 30.4 cents.
It would be bad enough if the senator would simply concede that it would break the GOP's pledge of no new taxes but subterfuge seems to be the first, last, and only refuge of weasels like Corker. It would be offset by reducing taxes in other areas. According to Corker, the bill could increase the research and development tax credit,  a tax gimmick that supposedly encourages small businesses to buy business equipment. Wow! Gee Senator, you empathy for Americans who have seen their standard of living decline for nearly a decade is boundless.
The Highway Trust Fund could more fittingly be called the Highway Slush Fund. The tax is paid entirely by motorists who have every right to expect that their roads and bridges be kept in good repair but the distribution side of the HTF is quite a bit more democratic. The HTF has been looted to fund parochial projects such as streetcars, buses, bicycle and nature paths, and landscaping but the largest diversion is "mass transit" which is mainly concentrated in just six metro areas, Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. The subway riders do not contribute one dime to the fund yet they receive 17% of the of the outlays notwithstanding that they are but 1% of the population. This is not merely for capital spending such as new construction or updating the rolling stock but also for operating budgets. Motorist nationwide offset local spending in these 6 Democratically controlled metros.
What Sen. Corker wants is not a solution to the funding problem but rather the perpetuation of a dismal breech of trust that produced the Bridge to Nowhere. Motorists are expected to pay more for a system that does not work.

Obama tries to hand out more free stuff--like college

  Well, now that Obama has the assurance that no huge expenditures he proposes will be approved by the new Congress, I suppose this is just the beginning of the new candy bags Obama will be handing out.
  Drudge is highlighting Obama's idea to give every C student (shooting for excellence, that Obama) a free two years of community college, as long as they, um, show up for class.
  My guess is that there will be many more items offered like this before the next election and before we are through with him.
  I'm also guessing that he will propose paying off student loans in some additional way.
  These are obvious ploys to get young people to vote for a Democrat in the next election. The enticement will be too much for our hapless, silly young people who do not seem to understand that there is not an endless pool of money, no matter what the Fed directors think.
  They also do not seem to understand or care that they are mortgaging their futures and their children's futures.
  In fact, incredibly, many students do not appear to even realize they have borrowed thousands and thousands of dollars to get drunk for four (or more) years at the college of their choice.
  CBS reports a Brookings study that reveals the poor addlepated youngsters don't realize they have bargained away their futures for a few classes on puppetry and feminist studies only to find there are no good paying jobs for puppet masters or ardent feminists outside the Ivory Tower anyway:

A surprisingly high number of students don't know how much they are borrowing to attend college, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution. Some students aren't even aware that they've borrowed any money at all.

In nationally representative data on student loans, more than half of freshmen who were surveyed seriously underestimated what they owed. What's more, less than one in three first-year students came up with a debt amount within a reasonable margin of error. The students did poorly even though they were asked for debt estimates within large ranges such as $5,000 to $9,999.

Twenty-eight percent of students didn't realize that they had taken out federal student loans, and 14 percent erroneously thought that they had no debt.

"The problem with the lack of financial savvy among enrolled college students," the report noted, "is that the consequences of their decisions come as a surprise to them once it's too late."

  Well, it's a relief to know that our educational establishments are doing their jobs with the little numnuts!
  Obama's already started with the student "loan relief" along with the other debt free mortgages and "free" healthcare which is only now beginning to reveal its ugly head.
  Wait til we all get our tax returns for 2014. Daily Mail has an eye opener on that issue in an article entitled:

Wondering how Obamacare affects your tax return? Relax: You just need to know your NABPP and SLCSP from your SRP, MEC and ECN – and follow the IRS's 21 PAGE guide

  These are the beginning salvos of the 2016 elections.

Obama and the coldness factor

  Living in this century seems odd at times.
  You live in your own little world of cozy cups of tea and family dinners, while watching the large glowing blue screens in your home spew all kinds of "life" at you. "Life" that includes the contrary images of murder and mayhem, funny cats and luxurious vacations.
  And "life" that includes many, many lies.
  Not unlike Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 where the population sits enthralled with the "parlor walls" (tv screens) in their living rooms, our lives are invaded with immediate "news," much of which is meant to indoctrinate.
  Like most interested Americans, I've been horrified and shocked at the Paris murders. Shocked, but not surprised because incidents like these are all too frequent these days.
  What is most disturbing to me, however, is the denial in which Leftists exist. Instead of questioning the humanity of the murderers, Leftists have 
1) focused on conservatives' reaction to the murders  
2) wailed and moaned that Islam is a religion of peace, not murder, in spite of countless murders 
3) accused horrified onlookers of being Islamophobic  
4)  blamed the US and allies for trying to root out the Islamic terrorists  
5) reacted so coldly one wonders at their type of insular spirituality.
6) celebrated the murders.
  Yet the reactions of two prominent American citizens stand out in my mind. 
  Not Howard Dean, who is apparently now an Islamic cleric, claimed the murderers are not Islamic. 
  Not CNN's administrators who demanded none of the offending cartoons be shown on their network.
  Not even the insane Media Matters, who immediately sought to capitalize on the murders by complaining that Fox News was capitalizing on the news of the murders for ratings. 
  Not even the execrable Shep Smith, who claimed it was "waaaaay out there" to blame Islamists too soon.
  No, there was the pompous John Kerry, who appears to have confused or at least dramatized his history in claiming that "France gave birth to democracy itself." 
  He gave a speech, concluding it by speaking in tortured French, peering down at the world from shadowed cavernous eyes, and I felt instant embarrassment for him and for our country. 
  Why? I think because suddenly the official governmental statement to France because about him. " I've had a privileged upbringing, and I speak fluent French, you see, and so I can identify with the French people in a way most Americans cannot," he seemed to say. 
  Perhaps this is a character flaw on my part because I cannot see John Kerry in any way that behefits him. It just seems that every chance John Kerry gets to flaunt his credentials about ____, he does it, condescendingly.
  The other person whose reaction to the Paris bombing was so disturbing was President Barack Obama's.
  Honestly.
  Does the man ever feel anything for anyone other than himself and his grievances?
  He is so bloodless, so unfeeling, so dull when it comes to these horrific incidents that one has to wonder where his sympathies lie.
  Remember the "shout out" to the Native American soldier before he discussed the Fort Hood shootings? I wrote about it at the time. 
  Mr. Obama's reaction is similar each time something horrific happens.
  Remember Obama's mysterious absence during the Benghazi murders, his perfunctory statement and subsequent--apparently unfazed--fundraising trip the day following the murders?
  Remember Obama's absence during the first hours of the Christmas Day bomber and his lack of availability for questions?
  Oh, he's excited when he's on the campaign trail, alright, with his worshipers bowing down to him, screaming his name, fainting, as long as the equivalent of Greek columns are in the background.
  But when it comes to showing leadership, to showing real human concern over tragedies (particularly involving murder by terrorism), Obama seems completely void of anything resembling compassion for free people.
   He mugs solemnly for the cameras when the moment seems appropriate, then runs to the golf course or starts laughing as the mask slips.
  I was reading something yesterday that I believe explains Obama's behavior, notwithstanding his narcissism or the "coolness factor" that Leftists laud.
  Obama simply performs his perfunctory presidential duty as he perceives it, does not disrupt his schedule and goes on with his golf game, fundraiser, concert or speech while earnestly lodging some new complaint that  "_________ is not who we are."
  As if he knows who we are.
  We know he can behave in a concerned way for some Americans because he exemplifies that concern every time he rushes to the cameras to offer a statement regarding race issues in our country.
  But I think I've read something that explains perfectly to me Obama's behavior regarding America. Yes, I've seen the movies and, yes, I believe they are accurate in depicting the way Obama was raised.
  But in this article over at PJ Media, a former Islamist explains the indoctrination he underwent and how deeply rooted hatred for the West is in Islamic countries.
  This explains how a president--a prominent American--can allow (if not encourage) his daughter to admire a despicable rap group that spends a great many hours hating on everything that is America.
  It also explains why the Obamas were comfortable attending a church with a hater for a pastor for many years:

“Mr. President,” Brother Rachid continued, “I grew up in Morocco, supposedly a moderate country. Yet I still learned at a young age to hate the enemies of Allah, especially Jews and Christians. These are represented today by Israel and the West, especially the Great Satan, America.” He said, “We have been brainwashed to hate all of you in our sacred texts, in our prayers, in our Friday sermons, in our educational systems. We were ready to join any group that one day would fight you and destroy you and make Islam the religion of the whole world, as the Koran says.”

  Again and again, Obama has exhibited this behavior--brainwashed and repelled by American society. Add to that the indoctrination early on by self-avowed Communists and it's easy to see who he is.  
  The communists did their job well.
  So it would seem to me that Mr. Obama ought to change his familiar trope that such and such is not who we are.
  Instead, he should "it's not who I am."
  Because it has become clear time after time that compassionate, freedom loving, warm or concerned is not who Obama is.
  Bloodless, yes.
  Compassionate, no.
  They say perception is reality. It's not the truth that's important.
  It's the way the truth is spun, and the perception that  is created by the spin.
  It becomes pretty clear at this juncture, that who Obama is is not "cool" but rather cold, unfeeling and unconcerned about the destruction that follows his path.
  That's just who he is.

Could oil go to $14 per barrel?

How about $14 per barrel oil? That is a possibility according to Abigail Doolittle founder of Peak Theories Research on-line research firm dedicated to providing investors with a technically-inclined view on the financial markets and the economy. She is a contributor to CNBC meaning that she has some credibility. She is a market technician which means her analysis is confined to past chart behavior not the fundamentals of the oil market. A compelling case can be made that given enough time a technician can find a chart to fit about any circumstance and the circumstances in the oil market are becoming more unique by the day. Still, Doolittle cannot be dismissed out of hand albeit her super bearish prediction is an outlier. A barrel of oil contains 42 gallons meaning that the per gallon price of crude would be 33 cents meaning after refining and distribution costs plus federal and state taxes gasoline would still be below $1 per gallon. Parenthetically a barrel's refined products include about 20 gallons of gasoline, 12 gallons of diesel and 4 gallons of jet fuel and other products like liquefied petroleum gases and asphalt but the outputs can be changed to meet market requirements such as the need to produce more heating oil in the winter months.

Assuming that Saudi Arabia continues to run pedal to the metal all bets are off. Storage and refining capacities are finite. The law of supply and demand does not always function in the short term. People may drive more when gas is cheap but there are only so many hours per day one can drive. Oil producers have debt to service and are reluctant to lay off key personnel so holding out for a higher price is not an option. Many nations such as Venezuela and Russia fund their government from oil revenues and must accept the price whatever the level. From a partisan point of view falling oil prices positively demolish the argument for alternative fuels. It will be pleasant to watch the Department of Energy crash and burn along with Iran and Russia.

Rep. Roby files the Prevention of Executive Amnesty Act of 2015

Rep. Martha Roby of Alabama has filed the first stand alone bill, entitled the "Prevention of Executive Amnesty Act of 2015," aimed at rolling back Obama's executive amnesty. The bill would bar any spending whether it be fees, funds, or appropriated monies from being spent to implement DHS's amnesty program. It is straight forward and concise, only 3 pages in length, and would if passed stop amnesty in its tracks. The trouble is it would be vetoed by Obama. Roby knows that but she also know that if the bill is attached as an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security's spending bill Obama will have no choice but to sign it or shut down the entire department which would mean laying off not just ICE but also TSA, FEMA, the Secret Service and a myriad of other security agencies.
My own thinking is when the IRS spending bill is passed it should contain an amendment requiring Obama to appoint and have confirmed by the senate a special prosecutor before any money could be spent. Vetoing that bill would entail shutting down the entire Department of the Treasury which means no new T-bills could be issued.

Not too settled science!

“I want to stress that Lake Carriers’ Association and our members’ customers deeply appreciate the efforts of the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards this past ice season,” said James H.I. Weakley, President of the trade association representing U.S.-flag vessel operators on the Great Lakes. “They are the only reason we were able to move nearly 10 million tons of cargo under such challenging conditions. Still, it is clear that the ice conditions that prevailed last winter call for a reassessment of both nations’ icebreaking fleets. At a minimum, Congress must authorize construction of a twin to the MACKINAW so we can have two high-powered American icebreakers on the Lakes.
Who is going to tell Obama that he must take money from a budget that is already strained by the fight against global warming to build more icebreakers?
More.

Come on, Joni, make 'em squeal

Joni Ernst arrived in Washington at just the right time. No federal department has strayed from its mission further than the Department of Agriculture. It has become the premier welfare agency boasting of such programs as WIC and EBT and even foreign aid vis a vis International Development (USAID) and worse yet it is frequently antagonistic to farmers,  the constituency it is was created to serve. It expects to spend $146 billion in fiscal 2014 with $123 billion of the total mandated. It would be nice to know why the department needs a $23 billion discretionary account. The USDA's latest sally into hardcore irrelevance is its proposed war on beef. Probably the department reasons that if it can only drive the price of beef high enough everyone will need an EBT card to afford it. It's worth noting that only commodity price that has not fallen in recent months is beef but that's not entirely USDA's fault and readers should disregard the White House's ostentatious consumption of $100 per pound Kobe beef. Fasting is for little people.
One does not have to be a card carrying devotee of Ron Paul to reason that what one eats it none of the government's goddam business. Yes, one supposes it would be helpful if the government could provide a a minimum of advice on nutrition, if asked, but other times just keep its perpetual propensity to advocate for green leafy vegetables to itself. The USDA has moved beyond what is good for the individual to what is good for the planet and has been shanghaied into saving the planet in the event that future generations would actually want to live in a dreary world of vegan diets, cold water showers and liberal Democrats.
The trouble with beef cattle is that they produce methane and use too much water. Remember all the lush greenery on Cliven Bundy's ranch? The scarce water- don't flush if you only pee- is pure hokum. Outside of Utah and the southwest there is no shortage of water nor indication of any future shortage and besides that most farmer water their livestock with farm ponds that catch rain water.
An advisory panel has been discussing the idea of sustainability in public meetings, indicating that its recommendations, expected early this year, may address the environment. A draft recommendation circulated last month said a sustainable diet helps ensure food access for both the current population and future generations. According to PBS, A study by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last year said raising beef for the American dinner table is more harmful to the environment than other meat industries such as pork and chicken.
The study said that compared with other popular animal proteins, beef produces more heat-trapping gases per calorie, puts out more water-polluting nitrogen, takes more water for irrigation and uses more land. How, pray tell, do beef cattle manufacture the element nitrogen and who the hell tries to grow feed corn on irrigated land? The most conspicuous use of irrigation are vegetable farms in California many of which had to be sacrificed to save the delta smelt or some such pest. Does fertilizer used on veggies produce nitrogen?
Farmers and those of us who like what they grow have been ill served by Washington. PETA, The National Wildlife Fund, and The Center for Biological Diversity and its stupid Take Extinction Off Your Plate campaign, the organizations whose opinions the USDA values, will not be happy until we are overrun by rabid raccoons and mangy coyotes. It's time for Joni to make them squeal.

Gift for Sen. Ernst from @GrahamBlog - livestock castration device. pic.twitter.com/tCbdInXzHn
— Joseph Morton (@MortonOWH) January 6, 2015

Boehner could lose this election

By God we might win this one! The Daily Caller reports that angry Republican voters have jammed the congressional switchboard to voice their opposition to Speaker Boehner. As it stands 29 Republicans will have to vote for someone other than Boehner to block his election to as Speaker. As of now only 9 Republicans have said they would not support Boehner but overnight pressure may change that. It is not necessary the either of the two announced candidates, Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas and Ted Yoho of Florida, should win.
If Boehner fails to garner 218 votes the second ballot is apt to draw more House members into the race each with their own supporters. Gohmert and Yoho don't expect to be elected. They are the linemen ready to run interference for say Jim Jordan, or Jeb Hensarling. Hensarling has an advantage as he could probably count on a large majority of Texas' 24 man delegation. Trey Gowdy would be a formidable candidate but he so far has declined to run.
A poll conducted by former Jimmy Carter pollster and Fox News contributor, Pat Caddell shows 60% of Republicans want someone other than Boehner. They have had enough of his feckless efforts to block Obama's amnesty. If Boehner loses he, like former Majority Leader Eric Cantor, can chalk it up to a cavalier attitude about illegal immigration.