Shout First, Ask Questions Later

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Daily Round-Up 02-03

My prayers are with Captain Phil and his family. 'Deadliest Catch' Ship Captain Suffers Stroke

Freedom comes before equality The effect of some equality legislation has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities

Oh to be in England - UK man's castle won't be his home, court says AND Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka says England is 'cesspit' of extremism (OUCH)

One year on, China stays silent on missing lawyer

I'm married to a British guy so this subject is important in our house - The World's Strongest Beers
VodkaPundit - Book’im, Dan-o

Daily Gut: Celebs Go Cuckoo For Hugo AND In Venezuela, Rage Against Chavez’s Marxist Machine, While Movie Stars Sport Che’s Icon

Making Poverty History: A Short History Always a good idea.

Gotta love that socialist nanny-state - Cheese's twilight rattles France's sense of self The article blames America (of course), globalization (of course), callow youth (of course) but not a single mention of the EU regulations that are the true deathblow to artisanal products in Europe.

Email accounts at risk from not-so-secret questions

Las Vegas To President Obama: Pretend We Don't Exist

I don't care what the other kids say, I LIKED the US space program. Sulk. Pout. Pulling the Plug on Space Travel: One Small Step for Obama's Budgetary Math.

PJTV Video (Trifecta) - Moonstruck: Will The Private Sector Eclipse NASA?

X Prize CEO Thinks Obama's 2010 NASA Budget Good for Space

Other than Hitchens making the utterly predictable and wrong assumption that totalitarianism equals right (its a left thing), this article is very interesting - A Nation of Racist Dwarfs. Kim Jong-il's regime is even weirder and more despicable than you thought.

Revenge on the Taliban, from 10,000 feet

The Continued Failure of U.S. Iran Policy

Realism and Regime Change in Iran

Berlin Risks Spat with Switzerland over Tax Evaders

GENERAL CORRUPTION

No. Free Speech, Baby! - Should Towns Regulate How Americans Show Support for Our Troops? AND Yellow Ribbon Fight in Connecticut Town

Huckabee: Obama Wrong to Pressure Israel

AG: I made decision to charge terror suspect

Terrorist attempt 'certain' in months. Intelligence leaders warn Senate panel I thought it had been pretty much "certain" since Jan. 20th 2009.

Obama’s Unilateral Disarmament

Haiti Needs to Be Built, Not Rebuilt. Calls for a 'Marshall Plan' are misguided

Liberals Huddle Over Tim Tebow Ad

Undocumented Pyrotechnician

Border Fence Plagued by Glitches, Long Delays

A New Abortion Scandal

FIGHTING CORRUPTION

Egypt Christians Call for Right to Build Churches

The People of Massachusetts Are Taking Back Their Seats

Why I'm speaking at Tea Party convention

Texas Governor's Race: Tea Party Candidate Rises

Mr. Wilson Goes to Columbus!

Sen.- Elect Brown to be Seated Thursday AND Sen. Kirk Must Step Down; Brown Election To Be Certified Thursday

The Daily Caller interview with CNBC’s Rick Santelli, ‘father’ of the tea party movement

'Kill Tennessee Revenue Traffic Cameras'

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Global Warming: End of Part I?

(Originally posted by my husband on NRO-The Corner)

Back in December, science writer Fred Pearce wrote about the effect of Climategate on the global-warming movement. He quoted an anonymous PR professional for a aleading environmental group:
The e-mails represented a seminal moment in the climate debate of the last five years, and it was a moment that broke decisively against us. I think the CRU leak is nothing less than catastrophic.
That assessment has been validated quite spectacularly in the past few days.

First, there was the revelation that the U.K.'s information commissioner considered that a crime had been committed by climate scientists at the University of East Anglia in their evasions of the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.

Next, the leading British left-wing newspaper, the Guardian, and that same Fred Pearce confirmed that the e-mails did indeed include evidence of attempts to hide problems in the science:
A Guardian investigation of thousands of emails and documents apparently hacked from the University of East Anglia's climatic research unit has found evidence that a series of measurements from Chinese weather stations were seriously flawed and that documents relating to them could not be produced. . . .

Today the Guardian reveals how Jones withheld the information requested under freedom of information laws. Subsequently a senior colleague told him he feared that Jones's collaborator, Wei-Chyung Wang of the University at Albany, had "screwed up".
On top of all the other revelations about the IPCC, the business dealings of its chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, and the problems with the Stern Report, the public credibility of the global-warming movement has taken a terrible beating. The inevitable consequences are now being played out in the political sphere. Three examples should suffice.

First, Walter Russell Mead pronounces that "the global warming movement as we know it is dead." He concludes:
The death of global warming (the movement, not the phenomenon) has some important political and cultural consequences in the United States that I’ll be blogging on down the road. Basically, Sarah Palin 1, Al Gore zip. The global warming meltdown confirms all the populist suspicions out there about an arrogantly clueless establishment invoking faked ’science’ to impose cockamamie social mandates on the long-suffering American people, backed by a mainstream media that is totally in the tank.
On the other side of the aisle, George Monbiot himself calls for heads to roll (as well he should):
The vast body of climate science still shows that manmade climate change is real and that it presents a massive challenge to human survival. But those of us who seek to explain its implications and call for action must demand the highest possible standards from the people whose work we promote, and condemn any failures to release data or admit and rectify mistakes. We do no one any favours – least of all ourselves – by wasting our time promoting false claims.
And the upshot of all this is that even President Obama now recognizes that cap-and-trade is dead, as summarized over at Talking Points Memo:
The remarks represent the first time the President has acknowledged that the Senate may not be willing to adopt a cap and trade system: the central feature of the climate change initiative that Obama ran on during the 2008 campaign.

Obama's tacit acceptance of the move to drop emissions pricing from climate and energy policy appears to make that result only more likely—and will likely raise the ire of environmentalists, who see an emissions market as key to addressing the dangers of climate change.
This leaves the EPA and its sledgehammer (see Marlo Lewis's assessment of the proposed regulations here and here) as the only hope left for the global warming alarmists. Given that many people assume that the EPA introduced its unwieldy rule in an attempt to pressure the Senate to act to prevent the EPA rule from taking effect, one has to wonder how much political capital will be put behind the EPA's regulation now.

One final question: Has anyone seen Al Gore in all of this?

My Better Half

(Originally posted by my loving husband on NRO-The Corner.)

Belated public congratulations to my wife; her blog, Shout First, Ask Questions Later, was named Blog of the Week in PJTV's The Week in Blogs feature, presented by the inestimable VodkaPundit.

Getting Schooled 02-02

Down but Not Out in Catholic Suburbia. Inner-city parochial schools are not the only ones struggling.

Education Spending Increases and Broken Promises

Taxpayers Fund Abortions But Not School Vouchers

Government Itself Needs an Education

No Surprises

An Overlooked Lesson from the Off-Year Elections

General Corruption 02-02

Holder should GO - GOP presses Holder on Justice's terrorism policies AND New Yorkers unite against hosting 9/11 trials

Democracy and Elections — A Challenge to Brian Katulis Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, appears to believe that democracy can exist without elections.

Fate of Obama’s aunt to be fought behind closed doors

That explains it! - Why Obama Bowed To Tampa Mayor: She Proclaimed A Day In Honor of CAIR in 2008... So is bowing to other muslims gonna be Obama's "thing" now?

Tampa Mayor Dismisses Flap Over Obama Bow, Calls President 'Gracious'

U.S. Attorney Steps Down From O’Keefe Case

WaPo - Abstinence May Be All That Works. Too bad they cut funding for programs that work.

A Tale of Two Terrorists. The Justice Department defended the lengthy interrogation of one terror suspect days before the Christmas bomber was hastily Mirandized.

PJTV Video (AlfonZo Rachel) - Not Just Our Hard-Earned Pay: Democrats Are Taxing Our Patience, Too

Fighting Corruption 02-02

Bill to Require English Language License Examinations Introduced in Tennessee

The ‘Shareholder Rights’ Canard AND Corporate free speech is not un-American

Will My Army of Davids Beat Boardroom Goliaths?

Women Speak Out, Southern Tour Days 2-3

'Tea Party Nation' Prepares Convention, But Partiers Balk at For-Profit Event

Tea Party Convention’s Keynote and Other Events Will Be Televised

Substantive Solutions LINKS!

A New Contract With America

Pope Criticizes Special Laws for Gays

'No' means 'no' The Supreme Court returns to Founders' wisdom on free speech

Media Bias 02-02

BWAHAHAHAHA! Scream all you want, Olberman. You are miles from anyone and no one can hear you! - The Fat Lady Sings for Keith Olbermann Lots and lots of links.

Change of Climate

Well, the MSM does seem to be filled with dopes - Andrew Breitbart, master of the rope-a-dope

O’Keefe: The Persecution of an American Patriot

The O’Keefe Affair: Obviously a Media Malfunction

James O’Keefe ‘Hannity’ Interview

Once Again, James O’Keefe Strips Away the MSM’s Mask of Neutrality, Revealing the Bias Below

U.S. Attorney Steps Down From O’Keefe Case AND U.S. Attorney Recuses Himself from O’Keefe Case; Updated with Video of O’Keefe on Hannity

The Only Good Conservative Dept

CNN Screws The Pooch, Again

Eye (Don’t) Witness News – The Lech Walesa Story AND Eye (Don’t) Witness News – The Lech Walesa Story

Wow

ACORN/Big Union/Leftie Groups 02-02

So that's what your Union dues goes for - Labor union money linked to anti-Tea Party Web site

Tebow's Super Bowl ad isn't intolerant; its critics are

About those 300 Terrorists We've Convicted, Or Was It 195 ... Or, Make That 39 ...

Teen Pregnancy Hype

ACLU Loses Big on a War-Fighting Decision

ACTION ITEM: Block Card Check By Fiat

Junk Science 02-02

Negative Energy from Mother Jones

Leaked climate change emails scientist 'hid' data flaws

COPENHAGEN KEEPS ON GIVING

HORDES REPELLED

A post on NRO-The Corner by my husband. He's a funny one, isn't he.

Re: A Movie for All Time]
I hear that Punxsutawney Phil has been officially cited by the IPCC as evidence of a worsening climate.

Change of Climate, Not

Strange case of moving weather posts and a scientist under siege. In the first part of a major investigation of the so-called 'climategate' emails, one of Britain's top science writers reveals how researchers tried to hide flaws in a key study

Climate Researchers Manipulated and Hid Data

The UN's enviro-activist in-chief

Another EPA Power Grab in the Offing

In Economic Woes 02-02

US consumer spending is weaker than expected in December

Senate Dem Blasts Obama Budget AND Conrad skeptical of Obama deficit plan

PJTV Video (AlfonZo Rachel) - Not Just Our Hard-Earned Pay: Democrats Are Taxing Our Patience, Too

Obama budget: Record spending, record deficit

Rising FHA default rate foreshadows a crush of foreclosures

Construction spending drops sharply in December

TARP Funds Aren't Obama's 'Piggy Bank'

Obama Ignores Skyrocketing Deficit

Bipartisanship and the Budget FY2011

Obama Budget Seeks $1.1 Trillion in Tax Hikes

Obama Adds $2 Trillion in Spending and Deficits to Last Year’s Budget

Government Jobs Expanding - On Your Dime

Obama's "Jobs" Plan

Unemployment Rises in Most Metro Areas

Bipartisan Support for Jobs Credit

Obama’s deficits: Quite the rosy scenario

Obama’s deficit reduction a major hypothetical

Your Tax Dollars NOT at work - Stimulating Success Story

$1 Trillion Obama Will Never See

Obama budget: Record spending, record deficit

What Every American Should Know About the National Debt

Thomas Sowell - Politicians in Wonderland

Nearly Half of NYS Voters Think Economy Is Worsening

Obama Pitches Aid for Struggling Small Businesses

John is a co-worker of my husband and a very nice guy - Obama can aid small businesses by providing regulatory relief

Obama to unveil $30B in bailout funds for community banks

U.S. Bank Regulator Warns Against Rigid Rules

A Scoop of Double-Dip. Credit isn't easing and taxes are going up. Formula for growth?

Backdoor taxes to hit middle class

Budget Contains Middle Class Tax Increase

Tax Cuts to Expire for Top Earners

Why Obama Is an Even Bigger Spender Than Bush

At Issue: Counting the Jobs Created

Largest-ever federal payroll to hit 2.15 million

Debt, Deficits, and Taxes

The Missing $6.3 Trillion AND Speaking of Fannie and Freddie...

I'll believe it when I see it - Obama budget includes funds to help states jail illegal immigrants

Aka Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid/Welfare/etc., etc. - Ponzi scheme on the Potomac

But Wait, There's More - Gates Pitches $768.2B Defense Budget to Congress

Obey: Military Budget on Chopping Block (HA!)

Estate Tax Repeal Creates Boom for Lawyers

Peyton Manning Skills Needed to Avert Tax Fumble

In a Weak Economy: Tax Hikes as Far as the Eye Can See

The President's Priorities. One of the greatest spend-while-you-can documents in American history.

Obama team draws sharp Hill questions on budget

"Socially Redeeming" jobs. AND Socially Redeeming, Feugh!

Big bang gives way to busted budget

Deficits May Alter U.S. Politics and Global Power

Prez Quixote. Bam's fiscal-restraint fantasies

. . . And Millions More for Racial, Ethnic, and Gender 'Goals' and 'Timetables'

Five Decades of Federal Spending

Obamacare Daily Round-Up 02-02

Virginia Senate bills say no to requiring health insurance

Obama Peddles Fear in Effort to Sell Health Care Plan

If ObamaCare Passes, Will You Ever Be Able to Trust Your Doctor?

O'Donnell: Reform is dead

Is it or isn't it? Healthcare reform not dead, says Van Hollen; Boehner says fight continues

Socialized Medicine: A Look At The Daily Mail (UK) Today Shows You Exactly Why We Don't Want It Hat Tip: Weasel Zippers

It's why the Canadians come here too - Danny Williams going to U.S. for heart surgery AND Williams travels to U.S. for heart surgery AND N.L. Premier Williams set to have heart surgery in U.S AND Canadian Premier Comes to U.S. For Health Care

Blanche Lincoln's Approval Rating Now at 27 Percent Obamacare seems to be the main reason why.

Bad Politicians Bad 02-02

RealClearPolitics Poll Averages

Obama's Home State Holds First Primary Election of 2010. Tuesday Vote in Illinois Tests Whether Voter Unrest Extends to President's Backyard

Obama: 'I Don't Think I Said That.' In Exactly Those Words. In That Particular Speech.

Kerry backs changing Constitution to deal with Supreme Court decision

PJTV Video (Afterburner with Bill Whittle) - Super Bowl Democracy: One of Us Is Better Than Most of Them

Why Obama Is an Even Bigger Spender Than Bush

Obama's Secret Slush Fund. President Obama and Budget Director Peter Orszag have thrown transparency out the window and created a black box for taxes and spending on climate change hidden inside the administration's 2011 budget.

The political and judicial incompetence on display here is breath-taking - Move terrorist trials back to military courts

Mukasey: 'Amateur Night' at Justice Department Over Terror Trial Confusion

‘Amateur Night’ at the Justice Department

Why Do Democrats Promote Campaign Finance Reform?

Nice Parady - If Music Be the Food of Love, Maestro Obama, Play On

DoD re-writes Congressional Travel Rules. Mostly because of Pelosi.

Blanche Lincoln's Approval Rating Now at 27 Percent

PJTV Video (The Hicks File) - Living In The Past: Obama’s Losing The GOP Blame Game

Rahm Apologizes for Privately Calling Liberal Activists "Retarded" It's nice to see those folks in this oh-so-liberal administration acting with such open-mindedness and class. AND Are You Capable of Decency, Rahm Emanuel?

Nope. Has Obama Moved Center on Nuclear Power?

Liberties oversight panel gets short shrift. Seats on board left unfilled by Obama

If not NYC, where else could Obama's administration possibly try the Guantanamo Bay prisoners?

Obama seeks money for nuclear weapons work

Seven Huge Flaws in the Way Liberals Think

City still waiting for reimbursement from Obama's 2008 visit

Why Do Democrats Promote Campaign Finance Reform?

The Weight Around the Democrats' Ankles: Barack Obama

The Obamunism Bikini

Daily Round-Up 02-02

An Unprecedented Interview Appears in a Leading Egyptian Newspaper

PJTV Video (Hair of the Dog) - Ailes Sets Huffington Straight and Scott Brown Wants to Freeze Government Spending Now

Chuck Norris - God Save the US and Our Courts

President Obama renominated pro-abortion activist and former NARAL attorney Dawn Johnsen to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel. Johnsen has come under fire for calling women "fetal containers," labeling pregnant women "losers in the contraceptive lottery" and comparing pregnancy to slavery and pro-lifers to the Ku Klux Klan.

New Infographic Visualizes the Space Debris Cloud Surrounding Earth

PJTV Video (InstaVision With Glenn Reynolds) - Tech, Lies, & Videotape: Will Neuroscience Become Our Judge, Jury, & Executioner?

‘The Red Chapel’ documents the inhumanity of the North Korean regime

But won't this cause a sand shortage? Spray-on liquid glass is about to revolutionize almost everything

Abstract Thoughts? The Body Takes Them Literally

Cat predicts 50 deaths in RI nursing home. A cat with an uncanny ability to detect when nursing home patients are about to die has proven itself in around 50 cases by curling up with them in their final hours, according to a new book

Cameron Cocks It Up - Change of Climate, Not

Early draft of the Constitution found in Phila. I know what it doesn't say.

Heists Targeting Truckers On Rise. Robberies Are "Wreaking Havoc" on U.S. Highways, Endangering Consumers

Our school's heater is broken so they won't let me dump my kids there. ARGH!

It is rather difficult for a stay-at-home mom to get things done when the two reasons why she's a stay-at-home mom are running around the house demanding attention.

As a subscriber of the W.C. Fields School Of Parenting ("Get away from me kid, ya bother me."), this makes my job of keeping them alive until their father gets home so much harder.

I will get the round-ups done today but it may take a moment. Sorry.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Media Bias 02-01

Times-Picayune Originally Reported that O’Keefe Was Charged with Wiretapping, Then Stealth-Corrected the Error

Candidates, campaigns and New Coke

Leftwing blog repeats ‘big lie’ about Breitbart UPDATE: Breitbart punches back at critics

Todd and NBC in the Bag for Obama

‘If the Times didn’t think the Acorn story was worth covering, why does it now find Mr. O’Keefe – and other campus conservatives — worthy of so much ink?’

L.A. Criminal’s Bogus Video Fools Local Fox Affiliate

The state of the media’s crush on Obama: Still swooning

U.S. Media Silent as Climate Scandals Continue AND From InstaPundit

CLIMATEGATE COVERUP? London Times: Climate chief was told of false glacier claims before Copenhagen. “Rajendra Pachauri was told that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment that the glaciers would disappear by 2035 was wrong, but he waited two months to correct it. He failed to act despite learning that the claim had been refuted by several leading glaciologists. The IPCC’s report underpinned the proposals at Copenhagen for drastic cuts in global emissions. . . . Dr Pacharui has also been accused of using the error to win grants worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

Hollywood’s Leftist Standard on Biographies

The Times coverage of this has been terrific, which is more than you can say for pretty much any mainstream American media outlet, most of which are still trying to pretend there’s no story here. It’s — again — a complete abnegation of journalistic responsibility