Catastrophic Winter Coming?

FRIDAY 8-29-08…You’ve probably heard the commercials which end with the announcer saying “The war on global warming has just begun.” The latest issue of the Farmer’s Almanac is indicating the war on global warming is an effort in futility. In fact, the almanac’s winter forecast is even at odds with the national weather service. It’ll really be interesting to see how all this plays out.

The almanac is calling for one heck of a cold winter everywhere. The national weather service is calling for a much warmer winter than normal. But what’s really interesting in all this isn’t necessarily the opposing viewpoints, it’s the admission by the chief of the operations branch at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.

Chief Ed O’Lenic says it’s generally impossible to come up with accurate forecasts more than a week in advance. He says “It is possible to prepare a forecast with any lead time you like. Whether or not that forecast has any accuracy or usable skill is another question.”

That creates the obvious question: How is it then, that global warming alarmists (like Al Gore who is neither a scientist nor expert) can predict the planet is going to heat up to the point where the ocean will swallow up coast lines, and islands? If weather can’t be accurately predicted in excess of one week, why are people swallowing the global warming concept that predicts what’ll be happening five years, ten years, twenty years down the road?

Victor Manuel Velasco Herrera, researcher at the Institute of Geophysics in Mexico says that in about ten years, the Earth will enter a “little ice age” which will last from sixty to eighty years, caused by the decrease in solar activity. Interestingly, he points out our star (the Sun) has never been seen as a cooling agent…only a warming agent…but it has two roles….warming AND cooling. Why isn’t anyone believing HIM when he predicts something ten years down the road, yet they’re awfully quick to believe Al Gore?

The Farmer’s Almanac is basing its prediction of a catastrophic winter on –among other things–solar activity, or lack of it. It boasts eighty five percent accuracy. Can NOAA or National Weather Service say the same?

New Victim Class

THURSDAY 8-28-08…I actually get quite a kick outta’ people who claim to be “offended” by something or other. It seems to work quite well though as various entities fall all over themselves caving in to such people. I’ve already told you about the gal in Georgia who was offended by roadwork signs reading “Men at Work”.

Officials in Atlanta fell all over themselves hurriedly changing the signs, and buying new ones reading “People at Work.” The “offendee”…puffed up with her success says she’s taking it statewide.

Closer to home, a free movie shown on Saturday night’s in a Sacramento County Park was supposed to be the Oscar-winning film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” The 1961 classic starred Audrey Hepburn. Some in the Asian community were offended saying Mickey Rooney’s character perpetuates negative Asian stereotypes. The showing of that film was cancelled and substituted by Ratatouille. It’s an animated film featuring rats in the kitchen of a French restaurant.

(The substitution was made quickly without giving animal rights wackos a chance to become offended.)

It’s not something that’s unique in the USA. In Britain, some senior citizens are offended about signs warning motorists of elderly pedestrians. The signs have been used for the past 27 years, but now that being “offended” has become in vogue, there are demands the signs be changed or removed. The signs, depicting a hunched figure hobbling on a walking cane was the winning entry in a children’s competition in 1981.

Today, its considered condescending and out of date. No word on what will replace the signs. Probably a sign depicting an old lady with blue hair, holding a bloody Mary, complete with olive and celery stick, sitting at a slot machine.

I Was Sorta’ Wonderin’

WEDNESDAY 8-27-08…I was sorta’ wonderin’ about the Democrat party’s newly developed a sense of morality. John Edwards, former presidential candidate had been scheduled to make a speech at this week’s democrat convention…but, following the revelation of his affair with a woman not his wife, then lying about it, he has been banned.

In his place, Bill Clinton will be speaking. Scratch the newly developed sense of morality.

And I was sorta’ wonderin’ why it is that our kids can’t read a Bible in school, but they can in prison. Why do I have to swear on the Bible in Court when the ten Commandments can’t be displayed outside?

And I was sorta’ wonderin’ why environmentalists are asking why the U.S. Forest Service has been sending crews in to battle backcountry blazes that pose no obvious threat to lives or property. I was sorta’ wonderin’ why they’re willing to let trees burn to the ground, but refuse to allow logging of those same trees. Let ‘em burn….but by God, no logging allowed.

And finally, I was sorta’ wonderin’ why there’s been no public outcry over the most recent survey results from the Center For Disease Control. According to the Chico News and Review, every two years, the CDC surveys teens in grades 9 through 12 to determine which activities they’re taking part in that could shorten their lifespan.

While the survey results show nearly forty eight percent of teens have had sex, it also reveals 89 percent of teens had ever been taught about AIDS or HIV. I was sorta’ wonderin’ just why that is. Seems to me contracting AIDS would certainly shorten a teens lifespan. Why is it being ignored in our school system? I was just sorta’ wonderin’.

Constitution Trumpt!

TUESDAY 8-26-08…Freedom of speech and freedom of religion have been taking a beating of late, and in effect, both our state and federal Constitutions have been bloodied. Who’s doing the dirty work? The State Supreme Court and the homosexual agenda.

Two doctors at the North Coast Women’s Care Medical Group in San Diego County say they declined for religious reasons to artificially inseminate a lesbian, and pointed to their rights to free speech and free exercise of religion to protect them from being compelled by government to do so. One would think the issue would end there. Not so!

The California Supreme Court has ruled that a doctor may not refuse to artificially inseminate a lesbian because it violates the doctor’s religious principles even if the two doctors referred the “patient” to other doctors who would do the job. The Justices said the two doctors are compelled by California law to artificially inseminate lesbians if requested.

This ruling means that doctors can exercise their religious freedom only as long as there is no conflict with homosexual or bisexual “rights.” The state supreme court has ruled the homosexual agenda and the Unruh civil rights act TRUMPS religious freedom.

What happened to the second part of both the state and federal Constitution’s “Congress shall make no law establishing a religion…NOR PREVENTING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF?

Article 1, Section 4 of this state’s Constitution clearly states “Free exercise and enjoyment of religion, without discrimination or preference are guaranteed. This liberty of conscience does not excuse acts that are licentious or inconsistent with the peace or safety of the State.”

Folks, the “peace and safety of the state” were not at risk, and yet, the state Supreme Court has ruled the Unruh Civil Rights Act more important, and valid, than the State Constitution.

Politically Expedient!

MONDAY 8-25-08…The members of the Chico City Council really surprised me last week when it came time to vote on a resolution to impeach President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Since the city council is well-known for it’s left wing liberal bent, I figured the vote would turn out to be a slam dunk.

I’ve watched the liberal city councilors of Chico make asses of themselves as far back as 1985 but that’s no surprise since the mascot and logo of democrats is the donkey, otherwise referred to as an “ass.” Makes sense to me.

A handful of likeminded asses gathered in the council chambers at last Tuesday night’s meeting imploring the council to vote in favor of a resolution urging Congress to begin the process of impeachment. To my surprise, the liberal council members showed astuteness and maturity, for once. Oh, don’t get me wrong here…..they DID want to do it…but there’s an election coming up in November…so…

Mayor Andy Holcombe said he supported the idea of impeachment but that he had to weigh his personal beliefs against his responsibility as an elected official. Councilor Tom Nickell said he needed to represent every one of the 86,000 people in Chico and focus on the city’s issues and problems. Of course the two conservative councilors, Larry Wahl and Steve Bartagna made it perfectly clear they didn’t even want to hear the issue since it wasn’t within the council’s jurisdiction anyway.

So the resolution failed on a four to one vote. (Two of the other liberal council members had more pressing business elsewhere.) The vote in support of the resolution came from Councilor Scott Gruendl who sorta’ straddled the fence after the vote by saying it wasn’t a question of whether he supported impeachment or not…..he was just doing what some citizens asked him to do. He says he takes seriously requests for his help.

So, that gives me a great idea. Let’s get a handful of Chico citizens together and come up with a resolution forbidding the city council from ever getting involved in political or foreign affairs. Take the resolution to Gruendl, and ask him for help in putting it on the council agenda for a vote. If passed, it would go a long way in preventing the liberal City Council from ever embarrassing the city of Chico again.

5 Million Bucks Flushed Down Toilet

FRIDAY 8-08-08…Alright….we’ve made it to a Friday…..and we always try to keep Friday’s Tidbits positive and uplifting as we head into the weekend. In the search for positive and uplifting Tidbits, I came across one that underscores that ol saying “The best laid plans of mice and men.” Usually, it has to do with liberal-think which DOESN’T think new ideas through to obvious conclusions.

Such is the case for Seattle’s automatic toilets. Seattle is a hotbed of liberals who think they have the answer to everything, only to find out they have answers to nothing. You may recall the attempt to pass a ten-cent-a-cup tax on coffee. The idea was to amass a bunch o’ money which would allegedly — be used to subsidize child day care. It went down to defeat at the polls.

Then, the powers that be decided to spend five million bucks of taxpayer money to buy five automated public toilets. The fancy toilets would be placed in neighborhoods where drug users, transients, prostitutes, and homosexuals congregate. They weren’t “pay to operate” either. They were free of charge. A “gift” to the destitute from the city. It made city officials “feel good”. At least, at first.

Problems began showing up almost immediately. Those who DID use the facilities left so much trash around, the automatic floor scrubbers wouldn’t work. Prostitutes, druggies and homosexuals found immediate use for the privacy behind the locked doors. It got so bad that even the most destitute refused to use the facilities, which became a definite health hazard.

The city council decided the idea wasn’t such a good idea after all. So, now, the question becomes…what to do with the five automated toilets? Answer—sell ‘em on eBay. Each of the toilets cost a million bucks, but the starting bid on eBay? A mere $89,000. Taxpayers can kiss that five million goodbye. They’re probably wishing they could kiss the city council goodbye, too.

They Didn’t Ask-He Didn’t Tell. Now It’s Too Late!

THURSDAY 8-07-08…John Thomas Matthew Lee is a Navy Lieutenant Commander, and a Roman Catholic Navy chaplain. He’s also a homosexual….and he is HIV positive. He has AIDS!

Commander Lee will be spending the next two years in the brig for sexual misconduct with several men, including an enlisted Marine, an Air Force officer and two naval Academy midshipmen. According to Navy Times, Commander Lee pleaded guilty to two counts of sodomy, one count of aggravated assault, three counts of conduct unbecoming an officer, two counts of failure to obey lawful orders, and three lesser charges.

If you’re a veteran, you may be aghast that he only received two years prison-time. It was all part of a plea bargain. You see, prosecutors traded the relatively light sentence for information that only Commander Lee could provide regarding the identity of other people he infected so they could be notified of their exposure.

What makes this story even more interesting is that presidential candidate Barack Obama says he wants to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. In an interview with Military Times newspaper, he was asked how he would deal with opposition from within the Pentagon. He smiled and said “Well, I’m a pretty persuasive guy.”

At the same time, a hearing was underway before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on the subject of allowing gays to serve openly in the military.

Elaine Donnelly is the chief of the Center for Military Preparedness. She says “if homosexuals are allowed to serve openly in the military, it’ll result in forced cohabitation with homosexuals 24/7 in all military communities, including Army and Marine infantry battalions, Special Ops forces, Navy Seals, and all ships at sea, including submarines. It would be tantamount to forcing female soldiers to cohabitate with men in intimate quarters, with no recourse but to leave or avoid the military altogether.”

It would also produce many, many, more Commander John Thomas Matthew Lee types, spreading AIDS among like-minded individuals in the military. Let’s hope saner heads prevail.

 

Judicial Bottleneck To Energy Independence

WEDNESDAY 8-06-08…The drumbeat for drilling our oil continues, and it’s getting louder. It even has House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid hinting at compromise. That’s because they know there are those in their own Democrat party who’re joining the drumbeat.

It could also be because Pelosi and Reid know their environmental wacko kooks will stand in the way, by shopping for liberal activist judges. Let me give you a couple recent cases in point.

In Michigan, a federal judge has overturned a decision by the U.S. Forest Service to allow oil and gas drilling in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula. Judge David Lawson ruled the agency acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” by giving Savoy Energy Co. a permit to drill an exploratory well near the south branch of the Au Sable River.

The judge said the Forest Service didn’t consider how it might harm tourism and that the agency did a “woefully inadequate” job of evaluating how such drilling might affect an endangered songbird that nests in the area. The Sierra Club filed the suit.

Plans for a 300-megawatt power plant are now off the table. The Long Beach, California company hoping to build the $200 million plant has withdrawn its applications; tried to sell the land, but got no takers.

Officials of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said at a public hearing, proposed new power lines would only be used to transmit renewable energy from the high desert. That’s why the project was called “Green Path North.” You can have all the windmills and turbines, and even solar panels in the world, but if there are no transmission line to take the energy where it needs to go….the windmills, turbines, and solar panels are useless.

That meeting with High Desert residents quickly turned hostile….saying the project would threaten pristine desert habitat. I don’t know about you, but it seems me those enviros seem hell-bent on making the USA a third world country, with all of us having to live in caves, and eating sticks, twigs and bugs. In other words….bringing us all down to their level!

 

 

Required Reading Before Voting?

TUESDAY 8-05-08…I have a fascinating idea! It’ll never happen, but it’s still a fascinating idea. I believe– prior to every presidential political campaign, all registered voters of all political parties should be required to read, and sign that they have read and understand the following memo:

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men’s initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could–and should–do for themselves.

Now, if every voter in every political party were to read, understand–and BELIEVE– in those statements, they would be able to quickly survive the politics of presidential campaigns. They would be able to compare every political promise being made by candidates who nowadays, will say anything and promise everything, just to win an election.

The “memo” that I’ve given you, is really not a memo at all. The words are part of history, and were written by Abraham Lincoln. But they could still be very helpful in today’s political climate. Look at each sentence, and compare it with the promises being made by today’s presidential candidates.

If you can find a single candidate that meets the ethics described above, let me know who that candidate is. I’d like to vote in the upcoming election in November.

Flipper or Flopper for Prez?

MONDAY 8-04-08…It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with the two presidential candidates and the promises they make. For example, John McCain told Latino elected officials….and I quote…”overhauling the country’s broken immigration system, not just securing its borders, will be my top priority.” McCain has made it clear from the beginning that he supports a path to citizenship for illegal aliens. But now, appearing on the Hannity show, he’s “seen the light” and doesn’t!

Obama on the other hand, promised to rescind all of President Bush’s tax cuts during the early stages of his campaign when he was fishing for votes among the fringe-kook segment of the Democrat party. Today, though….that’s all changed. He’s only gonna rescind some of ‘em….but increase the taxes on rich people.

McCain promised “no new taxes” when trolling for votes among conservatives. But now, that’s changed. His shift has caught Republicans by surprise. He was being interviewed on the ABC program “This Week” and was responding to a question about payroll tax increases. He replied–and again I quote –“There is nothing that’s off the table. I have my positions, and I’ll articulate them. I don’t want tax increases, but that doesn’t mean that anything is off the table.”

Obama promised that he would not support the Electronic Surveillance Bill. When it came time for the vote, he voted in favor of it.

So, what’s a voter to do, since neither candidate exhibits bold, principled leadership, and both candidates are flip-flopping like two fish outta’ water flopping around on the pier? What do they really believe? What will they really do if elected? Unfortunately, the answers won’t become clear until after one of ‘em is elected.

It’s like buying an unlabeled can of something you’ve been told contains vegetables. You get home….open the can, and find it contains dog food! At least, you can throw that out with the rest of the trash. When it comes to the presidency, it’s not that easy.