ORCHESTRATING THE OIL SPILL

Yesterday, federal judge Martin L.C. Feldman struck down the moratorium on offshore drilling that was imposed on Louisiana by the Obama administration.   The 22 page ruling commented on the lack of proof that a blanket ban was required, as well as the burden it would place on the citizens of the state.   The people of Louisiana are really hurting.  The ban would send the oil rigs, and thus even more local jobs, to places like Brazil and Africa. 

At the inquisition Congressional hearings last week, oil company executives testified that a six-month blanket ban on drilling would force them to move their drills to other countries, as an idle drill can cost upwards of $1 million per day.  That seems to be the sum total of the information we managed to get out of them at the hearings - how much did that congressional circus cost the taxpayers again? Considering the damage to the other major industries of the state - fishing, shrimping and tourism - they cannot afford to have another industry shut down for no reason (via the New York Times): 

“The blanket moratorium, with no parameters, seems to assume that because one rig failed and although no one yet fully knows why, all companies and rigs drilling new wells over 500 feet also universally present an imminent danger,” wrote Judge Feldman

The most interesting remarks in the injunction were on the report presented to the judge by the Interior Department.  This report included the much touted peer review by experts assembled by the National Academy of Engineering - a review the administration had insisted backed the ban.  The judge noted that the findings of the experts were "misstated".  In reality, the findings by the experts that a moratorium was the way to go were complete fabrications.  This act of deception on the part of Salazar and the administration to manipulate the situation is shameful in the extreme, not to mention flat-out fraudulent.  Where are the calls for Salazar's resignation?

The real story is that the report was signed off on by the experts, but the paragraphs recommending a moratorium were added after the fact.  The experts have been vocal in their opposition to the shenanigans regarding the report - opposition that the administration attempted to shrug off, but the judge's findings leave little room for doubt about their authenticity.  In response to his ruling, the left is in full attack mode, of course.  Secretary of the Interior Salazar is going to attempt a new moratorium, this time more specific and targeted, insisting a deepwater ban in necessary.  Maybe this time they will get a more sympathetic judge to see things their way.  For the sake of Louisianans, let's hope not. 

On another front in the 'war' on the oil spill, the feds have halted dredging for sand berms.  They feel the area that is being dredged is environmentally detrimental and want to move the operation two miles further out into the gulf.  All dredging is to be halted until the move is complete - seven precious days.  In a letter to Obama, Plaquemines Parish President Billly Nungesser pleads for compromise: 

"Once again, our government resource agencies, which are intended to protect us, are now leaving us vulnerable to the destruction of our coastline and marshes by the impending oil," Nungesser wrote to Obama.

Nungesser requested that the dredging be allowed to continue for the next seven days as they move dredging equipment in an effort to placate the U.S. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.  No doubt dredging is damaging to the environment, but could it really be worse than what the oil spill will do?  It's high time  federal agencies like Fish and Wildlife and the Department of the Interior look at the bigger picture here. 

It's beginning to seem like this is no longer a question of incompetence - it is now moving into the realm of active interference.  But for what reason?  Considering how adamant (and blatant) the administration is about passing Cap and Trade legislation on the back of this tragedy, it's not too hard to figure out.  It's hard to believe our government is willing to allow such damage to the country in order to pass their agenda.  It seems far-fetched, because our government should have our best interests at heart, but it is getting harder and harder to believe they do these days.  Their continued insistence on passing wildly unpopular legislation raises questions about their motives.  The recent revelations that Obama has stated there will be no securing the borders until amnesty comprehensive immigration reform is passed illustrates how willing this administration is to hold the American public hostage in order to obtain the desired results.  Let's not forget that, according to the patron saint of Progressives, Saul Alinsky, the ends justify the means (numbers 1, 3 and 10 in particular).

At best, this is a perfect illustration of Ronald Reagan's nine scariest words in the english language - "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".  At worst, our government is allowing a major catastrophe to become even worse so that they can pass their dream agenda.  An agenda that will further cripple us with massive taxes and skyrocketing energy prices. 

Talk about orchestrating chaos....

TENNESSEE SUPPORT

The floodwaters are receding, leaving devastation in it's wake.  A total of 30 people have died in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi from the storms and flooding of the past week.  The attention of the country, however, has been focused on the Gulf oil spill and the Times Square terror plot.  It's past time to turn our attention to fellow countrymen in need.  Now that the waters are receding, the cleanup is starting, and these people need help.  FEMA is in crisis mode right now, but, unfortunately, the crisis is internal.   Hard to believe there is a government entity right now that is short on funds, but such is the case with FEMA. 

So now it's time for We the People to do what we do so well.  Help.  We are the most generous, compassionate country in the world, and now it's time to step up and show our  fellow citizens just how big our hearts are.  Times are tough, it's true, but money isn't the only thing that you can donate.

Help the people of Tennessee, if you can.  Their spirit is impressive (via CNN):

"We have no choice but to solve this problem, and we're going to solve it with enthusiasm and try to have fun doing it. We have some hurdles to cross, but we've already gotten across quite a few," Nashville resident Russ Hazelton told CNN. "We'll see what the next few days bring."

Here's how you can give:

The American Red Cross

The Salvation Army

Nashville Humane Society

Please give what you can, whether it be cash, clothing, food or donating blood.   I put in a link to the Humane Society because, as we learned from Katrina, disasters like this don't just affect humans, they affect our furry family members, too. 

There are plenty of local groups that are taking donations as well:

News Channel 9 has a donation hotline set up.

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has a donation center as well.

Please give what you can.

CLIMATE FALLOUT

I just found a great video about the ClimateGate scandal.

Check it out.

The wheels are really falling off the bus.

The fallout is reaching incredible proportions now.  There is a new report about IPCC claims of African crops decreasing 50% being completely false.   Claims of increased storm intensity is unsupportable.  Now that scientists aren't afraid of being blackballed for skeptical results, there are more and more of them out there checking the IPCC/CRU data and finding it wanting.  It seems that every day there is a new report of errors and fallacies in the Nobel Prize winning 2007 IPCC report on climate change.

The level of BS involved in the report is simply staggering. 

The African crop projections were based on theories that directly contradicted the information gathered.  Whole areas of the report were based on non-scientific magazine articles and unpublished student theses.   More and more true scientists, who propose a theory and then attempt to prove or disprove it scientifically, are testing the CRU's and IPCC's theories on AGW and finding major holes in the 'science'.

Finally, disgraced 'scientist' Phil Jones of the CRU came out this weekend and admitted that there hasn't been any measurable global warming for the past 15 years.  In addition, he admitted that temperatures during the Medieval Warming Period were higher than what we are experiencing now.  What's more, those temperatures remained high for a period of about 500 years, from about 800 AD to about 1300 AD.  The MWP ended with the Little Ice Age, a period of unusual cold that lasted until the early 1800's.

The MWP was a time of global prosperity.  It was so warm that wine was grown in England and Iceland.  The world's population exploded due to increased harvests of cereal grains, which are intolerant to cold, and warmer winters, which meant less illness and disease.  Trade flourished throughout Europe and the Mediterranean and into Asia.  The Vikings explored the ice-free Atlantic ocean in their longboats and discovered Greenland (which really was green then, thus the name), Nova Scotia and quite possibly northeastern America. 

Times were easier in the MWP because of the added warmth.  With full bellies and full purses, people were able to turn their attention from subsistence to leisure.  There was an explosion of scientific discovery and artisitic achievement.

AGW alarmists tried to hide the MWP, to pretend that it didn't exist, because it's mere existence put the lie to man-made global warming.  There were no cars or factories spewing CO2 into the atmosphere back then, and yet it was warmer than it is today.  The MWP was a huge threat to AGW, and so they tried to revise history yet again and pretend that the MWP never happened.  By the way, the Little Ice Age was possibly caused by the 'Maunder Minimum', a period of extremely low sunspot activity.  We are possibly going through another period of extremely low sunspot activity right now.  Coincidence?  Well, what do you think the odds are that less activity from the giant superhot ball of gas in the center of the solar system might cause temperature changes in our atmosphere?  I'd have to say the sun would have more effect on our climate than our exhalations and flatulent cows, but what do I know?

The MWP proves the theory of Climate Change, but not AGW, which is a very different thing.  Climate Change is a natural, cyclical phenomenon that has very little to do with the activities of man.  AGW, in contrast, blames man for everything.  Humans are the plague of the Earth, bent on it's destruction, in the minds of AGW alarmists.

Yes, the climate is changing.  It has always changed - the climate we have now is nothing like the climate of 10 million years ago, 10,000 years ago, or even a mere 1,000 years ago - a drop in the climate bucket.  We may be in the midst of a warming period that may or may not be over - in about 100 years or so we will be able to look back over this newest cycle and have a clearer picture what was happening. 

The AGW hysterics scream 'there's a difference between climate and weather, you know!'  Yes, I do know.  Do you? 

The people who are claiming a few blizzards and some broken records doesn't mean it is getting colder are the very same people who jump all over a summer heat wave and claim that it proves global warming - see, it's hotter outside!  They are also the people who touted the lack of snow a few winters ago in DC proved global warming as well.  Now they are saying the cooler temps and major snowstorms are proof of global warming.  To prove this theory, they have come up with a tortured, circuitous explaination involving the increased temps causing increased water vapor in the air resulting in more precipitation, but because it is happening in winter with colder temps, the precipitation shows itself as snow.  Basically saying it is colder and snowier because the temperature is rising.  They seem to have taken to heart the little adage "If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with bullshit".

Even Donald Trump is calling AGW a hoax, and has called for Al Gore to be stripped of his Nobel Prize.  Considering he got it in conjunction with the fatally flawed 2007 IPCC report, they should all be stripped.  While they are at it, how about the Oscar, too?

Even liberal Penn State, home of Michael Mann, a leading climate scientist and crony of the CRU's Phil Jones and author of many of the incriminating emails released in December, has students that are demanding answers.  The Young America's Foundation protested the bogus internal 'investigation' of Michael Mann, claiming it is biased.  They are demanding the investigation be conducted by a neutral, unaffiliated, external group and that the findings be released to the public.  Right now the review is being conducted by three Penn State employees and the findings will only be released to donors.  By the way, Michael Mann just recieved $2.4 million in stimulus funds for his climate research - even in the midst of an investigation. 

Our federal masters are refusing to waver from their AGW stance, and have even talked about reviving Cap and Trade.  Tone deaf and crazy, right?  No, more like politically expedient.  The liberals seem to think that saying something often enough makes it true, so they are clinging on to their hysterical ranting about climate catastrophe.  Let's face it - they have a lot at stake, and they'll be damned if they are going to give it up without a fight.  Cap and Trade is a masterpiece of political money laundering.  They will use it to pillage literally trillions of dollars from corporations, small businesses and taxpayers.  They can put that money into a nice little slush fund and claim they are using it for carbon credit offsets and other such untraceable schemes.  They have created such an illusion of major catastrophes that when they don't occur they can claim that their Cap and Trade scheme was a success and saved us from annihilation.

But now it's all falling apart. 

As is usually the case with liberals, they pushed too hard, and their rhetoric just couldn't stand up to the facts.  They tried to silence their critics, but that only works for so long.  They have now resorted to name calling and claiming that any change in weather whatsoever is proof of their theory.  Those are desperate tactics and are being seen as such by a rapidly growing majority.

There is no doubt whatsoever that the climate is changing.  There is a great deal of doubt, however, that man is the cause.  Our AGW Icaruses have flown too close to the sun and are now paying the price.

Better them than us.

GIVE IF YOU CAN

I know that times are tough, but thrre is a lot going on that requires our time and money.  The devastation in Haiti calls for immediate help for anyone who can give.  In more mundane events, there is a great candidate in a surprisingly tight race who could use your help, too.  If you can spare some time or money, check these out (even $5 helps).

The American Red Cross.  This link will take you to a page that details the different funds you can contribute to.  The Haiti disaster Relief fund is the second button.  Please help, if you can.  The situation is dire.  Donating to the Red Cross ensures that your money goes to desperately needed medical supplies, as well as food and potable water, NOT to the Haitian government.

If you are able to donate blood, I urge you to please do so.  Consider donating platelets or plasma instead of whole blood (I do).  To donate in Florida, please contact the Florida Blood Centers.  Nationwide, check out the American Red Cross.  The link helps you find a donation center near you.  Please give, if you can. 

If you live in the South, the next time you need to go to the store, choose your local Publix.  They are currently taking donations for the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund at the checkout registers.  Just tell your cashier how much you want to donate and they will add it to your grocery bill.

Musician Wyclef Jean's charity, Yele Haiti, is collecting donations as well.  You can either link to the site and donate there, or you can text YELE to 501501 to donate $5, which will be charged on your phone bill.

Please be cautious about monetary donations, because, unfortunately, there are a lot of scams out there already.  But, please don't let that put you off from giving to a safe, reputable group.  Anything you can afford to give will be a tremendous help. 

Now, if you're looking to sock it to "The Man", please donate to Scott Brown's election campaign.   This site will enable you to donate money or time.  This race is gaining momentum, and we have a real chance to send a message to Washington and Obama.  I don't know about you, but I'm just loving seeing Coakley and her democrat/union/lobbyist cronies panicking over a possible loss of 'Teddy's seat' in bluer-than-blue Massachusetts.  Help Scott Brown (and Massachusetts voters) send a wake-up call to Washington!

Please dig deep and give what you can.