Thursday, February 19, 2009

Oops. Half a million KM² of ice missing due to "sensor drift"


Marc points us to this hilarious report:

Oops. 500,000 square kilometers of ice goes missing! Arctic Ice Extent Understated Because of "Sensor Drift" – Feb. 19, 2009

"The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) has been at the forefront of predicting doom in the arctic as ice melts due to global warming. In May, 2008 they went so far as to predict that the North Pole would be ice-free during the 2008 'melt season,' leading to a lively Slashdot discussion.

Today, however, they say that they have been the victims of 'sensor drift' that led to an underestimation of Arctic ice extent by as much as 500,000 square kilometers. The problem was discovered after they received emails from puzzled readers, asking why obviously sea-ice-covered regions were showing up as ice free open ocean.

It turns out that the NSIDC relys on an older, less-reliable method of tracking sea ice extent called SSM/I that does not agree with a newer method called AMSR-E. So why doesn't NSIDC use the newer AMSR-E data? 'We do not use AMSR-E data in our analysis because it is not consistent with our historical data.'

Turns out that the AMSR-E data only goes back to 2002, which is probably not long enough for the NSIDC to make sweeping conclusions about melting.

Repeated calls to Al Gore and his elite squad of global warming grifters were not returned. Perhaps they're on Gore's monster houseboat searching for missing icebergs.



Larwyn's Link Kerplosion: "Nation of cowards"

Have a great link you'd like me to review? Drop me an email!

Why Obama backed Burris: he was Stimulus vote #60: Elia
Nanny State Health: You Cost Too Much To Live: STACLU
Doublespeak in Denver: PJM (Rosett)

Your tax dollars at work: ACORN's next housing crisis: Malkin
Free Bumper Sticker for Hard Times: Vanderleun
Porkulus-in-Chief: we must "live within our means": Gateway

The Jihad Next Door: Vienna
Missiles for Mullahs: TigerHawk
Islamic scholars meet to discuss merits of mass murder: LGF

Obama's stimulus: the Lobbyist Enrichment Act: Examiner
Financier Stanford spent $5M on lobbying since 2000: WSJ
Amateur-in-Chief: Anna's Clue Tank

More than 500 protest Obama: East Valley Tribf
Liberals have no rational arguments: Examiner
Obama threatens Keyes: L2L

Pope punks Pelosi pic: Anchoress
Speaker in Rome: Corner
Americans protest Porkulism: Atlas

Susan Collins: a spineless weasel: This ain't hell
Waxman wants Fairless Doctrine for web: NewsBusters
This is supposed to stimulate?: Missiles

'Tax Cuts' In Obama’s 'Stimulus' Have A Big, Fat Asterisk Next To Them: SAB
Holder: U.S. "a nation of cowards": NRO
1998 Video: Obama’s dream to repeal welfare reform: Breitbart

Cheering for Obama Stimulus Buys Into 1930s Myth: Amity Shlaes: Bloomberg
Syria responds to Democratic peace overtures with shiny new Chem Weapons factory: Mere Rhetoric
Media Bailout Picks Up Steam: More Reporters Hired by Democrats : JWF

Unboxing a Lamborghini: Halbot
FileMaker Resuscitates Database Market: Channel Insider
On a serious note: UCLA study: Brutally Honest:

A study conducted by UCLA's Department of Psychiatry has revealed that the kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending on where she is in her menstrual cycle.

For example: If she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and masculine features. However, if she is menstruating, or menopausal, she tends to be more attracted to a man with duct tape over his mouth and a spear lodged in his chest while he is on fire.

No further studies are expected.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

This is not a satire. This ad is real.


From Fausta.

It's not a satire. Seriously.


Hmmm.

You ever wonder what day things officially spun completely out of control?

Fairness Doctrine vs. Pelosi's House Fairness Rules


Word on the street this evening: Barack Obama is not in favor of reinstating the so-called "Fairness Doctrine". That said, the fascistic efforts to silence conservative opinion aren't over. Not by a long shot.

Liberal watchdog groups like the ill-named "FreePress" are funding astroturf websites. Examples include Stop Big Media and Reclaim the Media. These sites rally support for government oversight and control of "corporate media giants".

Aside from egregious violations of the First Amendment, these efforts are thinly veiled attempts to create local Politburos that would have the power to pick and choose media content.

Their intent, while disguised, is crystal clear: shut down conservative talk radio and silence dissent. Got Stalin?

Pelosi Dismantles Congressional Version of Fairness Doctrine


More amazing than this direct assault on the Constitution is the following little-publicized story. Just last month, Nancy Pelosi changed House rules so that Republicans can't propose bills.

That's right: Pelosi and her ultra-partisan hacks destroyed the Congressional version of the Fairness Doctrine ("Pelosi Erases Gingrich’s Long-Standing Fairness Rules"):

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to re-write House rules today to ensure that the Republican minority is unable to have any influence on legislation. Pelosi’s proposals are so draconian, and will so polarize the Capitol, that any thought President-elect Obama has of bipartisan cooperation will be rendered impossible before he even takes office...

The original House fairness rules were put in place under Republican control of the House, to ensure that the minority Democrats had a voice. The rules survived for 15 years. Now they're history.

See how it works?

It's easy to understand


When it silences conservative talk radio, Democrats favor the Fairness Doctrine.

And when it silences conservatives in Congress, Democrats oppose the Fairness rules.

What can one call it... but fascism?


Update: Hyper-partisan thug Waxman looks to extend "Fairness" to web.


Who is "The Great One"?


Mark Levin has the fastest growing talk show in the radio business. Put simply, if Air America had signed up a single Levin, they wouldn't have gone bankrupt. Instead they hired a series of intellectually bankrupt clowns who couldn't have a thoughtful debate if their livelihoods depended on it. Actually, their livelihoods did depend on it -- and they failed.


Who is Levin? He's a former Reagan administration Justice Department official; an expert on the Constitution and an accomplished author. I heard that his career started with some spurious calls to the Hannity show. He was so entertaining that he eventually got a one-hour local slot. Now he's syndicated with an audience approaching six million.

Best of all, Levin's podcasts are free.

For a Levin intro, check out this blog post, which was based upon Levin's January 6, 2009 broadcast.

Listen now. You won't be sorry.


Eh, dude: you're really _not_ having a bad day


Dave sent this one in.










Eye-catching ads


Papa B sent in some clever ads. The first three are for smoking cessation.





Larwyn's Link Kerplosion: Transparency of a broken promise

Have a great link you'd like me to review? Drop me an email!

Paging Barack Obama: Riehl
The Audacity of Irony: Hanson
Ask an expert: does huge spending boost the Economy?: Ace

Obama wrong for America's Economy: Mac
It's more about showmanship than sunlight: York
Rahm and the tip of the ethics iceberg: Morris

Most hated Congress. Ever: Surber
Dems play word games to cover their behinds: GraniteGrok
Pics from Stimulus protest in Denver: Driscoll

Obama's permanent campaign: Corner (Holmes)
How about a fairness doctrine for Pelosi's House?: Dollard
Daily Scoreboard: Surber

Michael Graham's Jihad: Crittenden
Pelosi's on the move: Fausta
Saint Bill of the Immaculate Murder: BofB

Israel takes on Iran: Surber
Mark Levin praises MRC's fight against 'Fairness Doctrine': NewsBusters
Bill Press: Fairness Doctrine only way I'll make money: LGF

Sunset Before Signing: The Transparency of Another Obama Broken Promise: Flopping Aces
Silver bullet for toxic mortgages?: BizWk
Stock market retches in Obama's face: Langbert

'Some People Have Doubts–But Now They’re All Dead': Driscoll
With Apologies to Margaret Bourke-White: IowaHawk
Funding a Democrat economy: CurSkep

ZR1 Nurburgring Official 7:26.4 Record Corvette Run: YouTube
Wieners vie for attention: Margo's Maid
UAW continues to thwart auto deal: Prairie

"The power under the Constitution will only belong to the people" --George Washington, 1787

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The 8 Most Terrifying Holes on Earth


Dave W. sent this one in.

Kimberley Big Hole - South Africa: Apparently the largest ever hand-dug excavation in the world, this 1097 meter deep mine yielded over 3 tons of diamonds before being closed in 1914.

Glory Hole - Monticello Dam, California: This is the 'Glory Hole' at Monticello dam, and it's the largest in the world of this type of spillway, its size enabling it to consume 14,400 cubic feet of water every second (note: a glory hole is used when a dam is at full capacity and water needs to be drained from the reservoir).

Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah: This is supposedly the largest man-made excavation on earth. Extraction began in 1863 and still continues today, the pit increasing in size constantly. In its current state the hole is 0.75 miles deep and 2.5 miles wide and covering 1,900 acres.

Great Blue Hole, Belize: This incredible geographical phenomenon known as a blue hole is situated 60 miles off the mainland of Belize. There are numerous blue holes around the world, but none as stunning as this one.

Mirny Diamond Mine, Serbia: I'm pretty sure most people have seen this one. It's an absolute beast and holds the title of largest open diamond mines in the world. At 525 meters deep, with a top diameter of 1200 meters, there's even a no-fly zone above the hole due to a few helicopters having been sucked in.

Diavik Mine, Canada: The mine is so huge and the area so remote that it has its own airport with a runway large enough to accommodate a Boeing 737. It looks equally cool when the surrounding water is frozen.

Sinkhole in Guatemala: These photos are of a sinkhole that occurred in Guatemala. The hole swallowed a dozen homes and killed at least three people.

The most terrifying hole of all: This is the famous 'Rat Hole' that you've read so much about lately. It is capable of swallowing trillions upon trillions of U.S. dollars from the real economy each and every year. Most of that money is never seen again.

Linked by: The Anchoress, SondraK, Tammy Bruce and Cheat Seeking Missiles. Thanks!

More great feedback from delighted readers


From: Usioumo
To: Doug Ross
Date: Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 6:59 AM

Ho Hum. I Ran across your blog for the first time (and last) this morning. Apparently, you're just another run of the mill brainless right-wing ██████████████ who's convinced the Republidolts have the one solution for everything ......tax cuts.

Usi Oumo

Thanks, Usi! Good argument!


How to tell Chuck Schumer is lying: his pie-hole is open


Last week Chuck Schumer took time from his busy schedule -- pontificating in front of various cameras -- to pillory Republicans for daring to question the bacon-wrapped, trillion dollar "stimulus" package. Otherwise known as the Bankrupt America Act of 2009. Let's listen in on Schucky's volley of lies (hat tip: Mark Levin's 2/13 broadcast, starting at the 15:00 mark).

• "The issue is plain and simple that they [Republicans] don't like investments."

• "They don't like the government to spend money on education and schools."

• "They don't like the federal government to spend money on helping people with their health care."

• "They don't like the government to spend money on transportation... helping rebuild our roads and bridges."

• "Or spend money on changing our energy policy so we're not dependent on foreign oil."

• "Oh, no. It's okay to spend money on the military."

• "It's okay to spend money on tax cuts for the very wealthy. But not to help the middle class!"

Let's review, shall we? And ask yourself, who's been controlling all this stuff for decade upon decade upon decade?

Education


"They don't like the government to spend money on education and schools.": Democrats have run the education system in this country for 50 years. Teachers unions like the NEA and the AFT are inseparable from the Democrat Party. Where does Schmucky Schumer draw the line? Are there any limits to how much we spend to fund the education bureaucracy?

The Democrats have fought competition in the schools since the idea was first proposed... be it school vouchers, charter schools, educational choice programs, you name it.

Here you have a man who believes in tyranny. Not one word from this man's mouth about which level of government is supposed to do what. Not one word about the Constitution. Not one word about individual responsiblity.

For decades under Democrat rule, we've been funding an educational monopoly that fails to do what it's supposed to do! It's irresponsible to continue to spend good money after bad, throwing money at the problem.

Health Care


"They don't like the federal government to spend money on helping people with their health care.": Didn't we just pass the revamped SCHIP program last week? It transfers money from taxpayers who make $40K a year to those who make $100K and have private insurance! That's right, it incents those with private health insurance to go on the government dole!

Let me explain something to you, Schmucky: it is nobody's responsibility to be subsidizing people's health care when they can afford their own health care!

The federal government already runs one third of all health care in this country already! So what does he mean we're against helping our fellow man? We're going broke helping out everyone from illegal aliens to people who don't work and don't save! Medicare is tens of billions in the hole!

So why is it that they want health care to stretch to cover everybody? Government-run, top-down health care... we already pay for Medicaid and Medicare, billions upon billions! We already open our hospitals to illegal immigrants... but it's never enough for Schmucky Schumer and the Democrats!

He's destroying the hospitals, he's destroying the medical profession, at some point it's going to have a catastrophic impact... and who's responsible for that? Egregious jerks like Schumer, that's who!

Transportation


"They don't like the government to spend money on transportation... helping rebuild our roads and bridges.": Did liberals not steal all of the money from the Transportation Trust Fund? The way they stole the Social Security funds? Isn't what liberals like Schmucky do? Spend us into bankruptcy? With interest and with this president, we will have spent by Congress almost 6 trillion dollars this week!

How much more of our livelihood do we have to surrender to bureaucrats like Chuck Schumer to "make things right"?

Energy Policy


"Or spend money on changing our energy policy so we're not dependent on foreign oil." - Energy policy? Their energy policy is simple! No cars, use bikes! They don't want to actually produce any more energy... they don't want to refine any more oil... they're against coal... they're against nuclear power. Ride a bike, dammit!

Schumer has a law degree and he wants to run the world!

The Marxist drivel spewing out of his poisonous mouth is despicable.

Where does Schmucky Schumer draw the line? Are there any limits to how much we spend?

Actually, don't answer that. It's rhetorical. There are no limits for the likes of Schmucky Schumer.

Just give up your liberty, folks! Schmucky Schumer knows how to run everything!


Based upon: Mark Levin's 2/13 broadcast.

Reparations bill: 600,000 dead was just the down payment


Economic crisis? What economic crisis?

On January 6, 2009 -- just three days into the term of the 111th Congress, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) introduced H.R. 40, otherwise known as "The Slavery Reparations Bill."

Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act

To acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies between 1619 and 1865 and to establish a commission to examine the institution of slavery, subsequently de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination against African-Americans, and the impact of these forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the Congress on appropriate remedies, and for other purposes... [to address] ...the following questions:

...Whether, in consideration of the Commission's findings, any form of compensation to the descendants of African slaves is warranted.

...If the Commission finds that such compensation is warranted, what should be the amount of compensation, what form of compensation should be awarded, and who should be eligible for such compensation.

Gee, another commission.

I guess the 600,000 Civil War dead represented just the down-payment.

Hat tip: Papa B.

Larwyn's Link Kerplosion: Hummerburgers... yum!

Have a great link you'd like me to review? Drop me an email!

Your stimulus dollars at work: Riehl
This Time It's Personal: NRO (Kahane)
Can Team Obama get a life?: Dr. Sanity

Maritime Monday: gCaptain
Hummerburgers... yum!: Fausta
Global Warming: Seriously Worse than Worse: AT (Anderson)

States challenging federal excesses: PFA
Another Democrat governor; another bankrupt state: Kansas
'Dear Mr. Obama, Please Make it Rain Candy!': JWF

Indonesians Protest "Terrorist" Hillary: Gateway
Man shall beat swords into plowshares: JO
Shocking Facts about Sea Level Rise: WCR

Nothing mobilizes conservatives like Fairness Doctrine: Provocateur
Return of the Hinchey-thing: LGF
Markos Moulitsas Can't Be Let Off Hook: Dave from Queens

The coming storm: Hanson
UNRWA story was a lie: Elder of Ziyon
The world must wake up: “Anti-Semitism now at Second World War high”: TTWL

Hillary blames DPRK on Bush; pitches Albright down memory hole: Gateway
Obama should stop sowing fear with Depression comparisons: WSJ (Schiller)
Least critical Stimulus projects: Stimulus Watch

We're All Fascists Now II: American Tyranny: PJM (Ledeen)
World War II-era photographs in color from Nazi Germany: Life
CPSIA kills libraries and charities: change!: Ace

Europe, Environmentalism and the Current Economic Crisis: A Contrarian View: Klaus:

The issue of Europe and of its future has stayed with me since the fall of communism in spite of other topical issues. It is not surprising. The undergoing weakening of democracy and of free markets on the European continent, connected with the European unification process, is a threatening phenomenon especially for someone who spent most of his life in a very authoritative and oppressive communist regime. I consider, therefore, the marching towards an ever-closer Europe (which is one of the crucial tenets of Europeism) a mistaken project. This ambition was the main building block of the European Constitution and it remains without substantial change in its new version, in the Lisbon Treaty.

The gradual shift from liberalizing and removing all kinds of barriers towards a massive introduction of regulation and harmonization from above, the ever-expanding, overgenerous welfare system, the innovative, and more sophisticated forms of protectionism, the continuously growing legal and regulatory burdens on business, the markets undermining quasicompetition policies, the Single Currency arrangements, are all very real. They weaken and restrain freedom, democracy and democratic accountability, not to speak about economic efficiency, entrepreneurship and competitiveness...

Monday, February 16, 2009

Star Trek: The Stimulus Doomsday Machine




A badly garbled distress call was just received.


Captain, computer scanning recognized the name United States... then we lost the signal...


Our sensors show this entire region has been destroyed.


Nothing left but rubble and asteroids.


That's incredible...


Nonetheless, Captain, sensors show nothing but debris where we charted a vibrant and healthy society just a few years ago.


Continue search pattern, Mr. Sulu.


Every solar system... blasted into rubble, sir.


Last time we were here, George W. Bush was in command. What could have happened to them?


Sir, I'm picking up a faint disaster beacon...


It's another starship... it appears heavily damaged...


On-screen -- it's the USS Republican...


...disabled by whatever destroyed the United States...


He was attacked! Red alert! Man your battle stations.


...


Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.


Its five-year mission to understand liberalism. Or progressivism. Or whatever it's called these days.


To seek out intelligence among the left.


To boldly go... where no sane person has gone before!


...


...Mr. Sulu...


Initiate a full scan of the area for any ships in the vicinity.


I can't raise anyone on the Rebublican.


Readings are difficult due to subspace interference, but the bridge has taken heavy damage and may be uninhabitable. The rest of the ship does seem capable of sustaining life.


All scanners show clear, Captain.


Sir... sensors indicate there is one person aboard... barely clinging to life...


Transporter room: beam him up... Dr. McCoy, meet him in the transporter room and be prepared for a trauma victim.


Sulu, stand down, let's go to yellow alert.


...


Jim, you better get down to sickbay... he's conscious, but still in shock.


On my way. See if you can find out what happened to the United States.


I'm a doctor, not a mind-reader... just get down here...


George W. Bush... what happened to the Republican? Where is the United States?


Jim? Jim Kirk?


George, it's me. What happened?


I... I...


Horrible... Dodd... Frank... Pelosi...


They say there's no devil, Jim... but there is...


Right out of hell... I saw it...


What? Dodd, Frank, Pelosi? They're imbeciles... they posed no threat to the United States the last time we came through...


New one... change... new one... change...


Snap out of it, George!! Tell me --


Jim, he's in shock!


If you'd seen it, you'd know... the whole thing's a weapon, designed to subvert entire societies... straight out of Marx...


It started with promises of "hope and change"... then a "stimulus"... largest spending increase in history... bankrupted the entire country...


Then it shut down all of our communications systems... radio... everything...


It destroys entire societies... chops it into rubble...


But what is it??


Captain! Bridge here! There's... there's...


On my way...


Captain... it's some kind of Marxist doomsday machine... spending as far as the eye can see... bankrupting entire countries with worthless programs that don't work...


It's opening hailing frequencies...


On screen.


USS Enterprise: embrace the hope and change. My name is Barack Obama.


Resistance is -- you guessed it -- futile.


I can destroy any society using the Alinsky playbook. Create class envy. Preach change and transparency. Pretend to embrace mainstream values.


And all the while, lie through your teeth. I read Alinsky.


Ah, a worthy adversary at last.


Unfortunately, Kirk, that sentence will be your last...


Captain! He's increased his spending to maximum... sucking us into his next "stimulus" bill...


To be continued...

Linked by: Ed Driscoll. Thanks!