July 9, 2009
Two Arabs Discuss the Worth of the Arab Civilization
by Maggie at Maggie’s Notebook
This is a conversation you are likely never to hear again. Two Arab men discuss the worth of the Arab civilization.
Anwar Malek is the second man to speak. He is the Algerian author of “A Flood of Corruption and the Advance of bin Laden in Algeria. The book has been confiscated and disappeared from reality. His first mistake: using an Arab publisher. No…maybe his first mistake was not getting to safety before making the remarks you will hear in this video.
For just a taste of what’s to come: The first interviewer says 73% of our viewers believe that Arabs constitute a great power and have the power to be influential, and so on. Malek responds that those viewers are afflicted with “fantasies and obsolete bravado.” False and empty bravado. The Arabs invented or discovered the zero - but what did they do with it? Today the Arabs constitute nothing but thousands of zeros to the left….there is nothing to suggest that the Arabs can be relied upon to produce anything. It just gets better from there.
Thanks to Always On Watch who has some good commentary and additional sources.
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Posted by Maggie Thornton in History, Islam, Islamicfascism, News, Video at 5:03 pm | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0) |
Iran Protests Revived: Iran’s Anniversary of 1999 Tehran University Murders
by Maggie at Maggie’s Notebook
Today on the anniversary of the 1999 Iranian protests of the murders of Iranian students at Tehran University, renewed protests of the June 12 election are revived on the streets of Iran. After warnings from the government that any uprising prompted by the 1999 anniversary would be met with “crushing response,” Iranians took to the streets anyway.
Tehran University(photo from December 2007 protest)
After 11 days of agitated calm, thousands of protesters massed in central Tehran at about 5 p.m. on Thursday evening, Tehran time. Police used batons and tear gas against the protesters. While the protest started peacefully:
…the effort to halt the protest quickly turned violent. A middle-age woman ran through the crowd, her coat covered with blood stains. Trash fires burned, cloaking the streets in black smoke, as protesters lobbed rocks at security forces. Two men held a huge floral arrangement of yellow and purple flowers on green leaves aloft through the smoke in commemoration of those killed in the last month and 1999, a witness said.
“Tell the world what is happening here,” one 26-year old engineering student demonstrator said. “This is our revolution. We will not give up.”
Asked what he wanted, he said: “We want democracy.”
For the most part, all journalism and communication has been shut down:
Cellphone messaging was down Thursday for a third straight day, apparently to prevent communication between protesters, while the government closed universities and declared an official holiday Tuesday and Wednesday, ostensibly because Tehran has been shrouded in a heavy dust and pollution cloud, The A.P. said.
Atlas Shrugs has insight about today’s uprising and its connections to the 1999 uprising. See how the return of a former prisoner is making a difference in Iran today. Read it here.
What are we to think of the past 11 days of agitated calm? Via Hot Air, Michael Ladeen reports on July 8th, a day before today’s protests:
Meanwhile, horribly maimed bodies have been showing up all over the country. Some of the gouging of the bodies seems to have been done to remove all evidence of bullet holes, but whatever the “explanation,” the bloody savagery is well documented.
If you want some detail about the horrors inside Iranian hospitals, have a look at Le Figaro’s account.
Over the objections of medical staff, bodies from the demonstrations were quickly moved elsewhere. “We believe they were transferred to the Baqiatollah military hospital or some other undisclosed location”, notes the doctor. Then, under the pretext of “organ donation”, all traces of bullets were removed from the bodies. “The parents were forced to accept this if they wanted to retrieve the body for burial”.
Ladeen talks about the days of quiet:
And yet, the protest goes on. For the past three days, a general strike has been in effect, with significant results. Indeed, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei preemptively admitted defeat when government offices and factories were shut down in the name of a religious observance. But the strikers only expanded the range of their actions, notably by shutting down electrical grids in several cities, including parts of Tehran. Great swathes of the nation were plunged into darkness. This sort of thing is likely to continue, whatever happens on the 9th.
And on the free world and supporting tyrants:
…the so-called Western world, which apparently cannot even bring itself to punish the regime for violating all rules of civilized behavior. Obama, following his familiar pattern of allying himself with the tyrants rather than the democrats, doesn’t want new sanctions. I suppose he’s still hoping that the tyranny will prevail, and then he can make a wonderful deal with Khamenei pere. Or fils, as the case may be.
Read Ladeen’s post for sharp insight and see how London’s confiscation of $1 billion+ of Iranian money has affected the core of the murderous regime.
The following video is not the best quality but it certainly gives the spirit of the protest.
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Posted by Maggie Thornton in Barack Obama, Fascism, Gov.Censorship, Government ethics/corruption, Government tyranny, Iran, Islamicfascism, Middle East, News, Totalitarianism, Video at 4:59 pm | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |
July 8, 2009
Hoyer: Few Would Vote for the Health Care Bill If They Actually Had to Read It
Oops! The truth slipped out!
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Tuesday that the health-care reform bill now pending in Congress would garner very few votes if lawmakers actually had to read the entire bill before voting on it.
“If every member pledged to not vote for it if they hadn’t read it in its entirety, I think we would have very few votes,” Hoyer told CNSNews.com at his regular weekly news conference.Hoyer was responding to a question from CNSNews.com on whether he supported a pledge that asks members of the Congress to read the entire bill before voting on it and also make the full text of the bill available to the public for 72 hours before a vote.
In fact, Hoyer found the idea of the pledge humorous, laughing as he responded to the question. “I’m laughing because a) I don’t know how long this bill is going to be, but it’s going to be a very long bill,” he said.
Hmmm…so according to Hoyer, we should not expect those we vote to represent us to actually know what they are voting for. We should just blindly vote for what the said intention is and trust no fine print pork or crap is in there. In other words, we should expect our politicians to be empty suits, and careless ones at that. If its too complex and time consuming a bill to know what you are voting for, you probably shouldn’t vote for it.
A good rule of thumb: if a Representative or a Senator can’t be expected to read it, it shouldn’t pass into law. Apply this standard, and watch how that stops the growth of government and the stupidities of the law.
Yes, what are we thinking? We don’t pay these clowns enough to actually do their jobs!
I’m sorry, but how much do we pay members of Congress? Oh yes, a base of $174,000 per year for rank-and-file back-benchers. In his role as House Majority leader the American people pay Steny Hoyer to the tune of $193,400 per year. And that doesn’t include book sales, eventual kickbacks received from securing pork, and the other benefits received by our suppsoed representatives. I’m thinking members of Congress can take the time to read proposed legislation at that salary level. It’s not like they’re volunteering their time.
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Posted by Jay in Healthcare, Liberal World, News at 9:36 pm | Comments (4) | Trackbacks (0) |
Thats Great, Now Fix the Economy
A little Urdu poetry for your Wednessday night humor!
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| That’s Great Now Fix the Economy | ||||
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Posted by Jay in Humor, News at 8:29 pm | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |
DeMint Challenges Administration Nominee on Honduras
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Posted by Jay in Barack Obama, Foreign Policy, Government ethics/corruption, News, Video at 2:53 pm | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0) |
Chairman Zero Discovers Reverence
Some consider the Community Activist-in-Chief to be a punk, incapable of showing respect. This notion took firm root when he wouldn’t put his hand on his heart for the National Anthem, back in the days when he sneeringly refused to wear a flag pin:
But it turns out BHO can show respect after all. Here he is in Moscow, at the tomb of the unknown communist soldier:
Maybe it’s not his communist roots and backing that have him all reverent for a change. Maybe it’s just that his uncle served in the Red Army. He would have had to, since Comrade Obama says he helped liberate Auschwitz.
Hat tip: Munz’s Place, on a tip from hiram. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.
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Posted by Van Helsing in Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Hypocrisy/Situational Ethics, News, Presidential Gaffes/Blunders at 1:09 pm | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |
Alcee Hastings’ Amendment Prevents ‘Hate Groups’ in Armed Services, But Who Determines ‘Hate’?
-By Warner Todd Huston
Representative Alcee Hastings (D, Fla.) is touting his amendment to H.R.2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. Section 524 stipulates a “prohibition on recruitment, enlistment, or retention of persons associated or affiliated with groups or associated with hate-related violence against groups or persons of the United States government.”
As Hastings congratulates himself on a job well done — you know, cuz no one else will — one has to wonder, exactly who is it, that will determine what a “hate” group is in order to keep the armed forces free of “hate-related violence”? It turns out Hastings has given this power to the office of the Attorney General of the United States. That would be Eric Holder, the guy that wants to release Guantanamo terrorists into the interior of the country.
It is also a bit frightening to imagine that the government that issued that now infamous report calling anyone that votes Republican and has an appreciation for the Constitution, a dangerous terrorist threat, is also being given the power to determine who is and who isn’t a member of a “hate” group. There is something perversely ironic about giving the government, that determined that our military veterans are prone to terrorist activities and the lure of extremist hate groups, the power to keep haters from joining the military.
Hastings admits that the armed forces already have numerous regulations governing what sort of recruit is allowed to enter service. So, why do we need this further law?
“The Armed Forces already have a great many regulations in place regarding the prohibition on extremist activities by military personnel. But the problem is that in many instances recruiters and commanding officers are looking the other way.
So, because Hastings has spoken through the force of law, now all those hatemongers will disappear from our military. We are saved!
Of course, as I mentioned above, the key is just who or what is a “hate group”? How far does this determination go? Can we expect that who ever happens to sit in the Attorney General’s office is free and clear to make his own determination? This year Tea Party goers are persona non gratta, but if the GOP takes over should we assume that members of Moveon.org will become anathema for military service? On second thought, that might not work. No one at Moveon.org would deign to serve their country in the first place, they so “loath the military.”
In any case, we are on shaky grounds with this amendment. A “hate” group is such an amorphous term, isn’t it? And isn’t such a vague concept ripe for political gamesmanship?
The full language of Section 524:
SEC. 524. PROHIBITION ON RECRUITMENT, ENLISTMENT, OR RETENTION OF PERSONS ASSOCIATED OR AFFILIATED WITH GROUPS ASSOCIATED WITH HATE-RELATED VIOLENCE AGAINST GROUPS OR PERSONS OR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
Section 504 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘(c) Persons Associated or Affiliated With Hate Groups-
‘(1) PROHIBITION- A person associated or affiliated with a group associated with hate-related violence against groups or persons or the United States Government, as determined by the Attorney General, may not be recruited, enlisted, or retained in the armed forces.
‘(2) DEFINITION OF HATE GROUP- In this subsection, the terms ‘group associated with hate-related violence’ or ‘hate group’ mean the following:
‘(A) Groups or organizations that espouse or engage in acts of violence against other groups or minorities based on ideals of hate, ethnic supremacies, white supremacies, racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, or other bigotry ideologies.
‘(B) Groups or organizations engaged in criminal gang activity including drug and weapons trafficking and smuggling.
‘(C) Groups or organizations that espouse an intention or expectation of armed revolutionary activity against the United States Government, or the violent overthrow of the United States Government.
‘(D) Groups or organizations that espouse an intention or expectation of armed activity in a ‘race war’.
‘(E) Groups or organizations that encourage members to join the armed forces in order to obtain military training to be used for acts of violence against minorities, other groups, or the United States Government.
‘(F) Groups or organizations that espouse violence based on race, creed, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
‘(G) Other groups or organizations that are determined by the Attorney General to be of a violent, extremist nature.
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Posted by Warner Todd Huston in "Hate-crimes" Bill, 1st Amendment, 2nd Amendment, Anti-Americanism, Congress, Conservatism, Conservatives, Constitution, Delusional Dupes and DUmmies, Democrats, Domestic Enemies, Government ethics/corruption, Liberal World, News, Where's the ACLU, liberalism, military at 11:17 am | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0) |
One Reason Our Healthcare System is in a Mess: Trial Lawyers
-By Warner Todd Huston
OK, my headline is admittedly too simplistic. In fact, the whole medical malpractice milieu is sorely in need of a fix. We have unnecessarily large awards to aggrieved patients, crushing insurance costs to doctors to cover malpractice, a situation where defensive medicine drives up costs, and an entire industry of lawyers whose job it is, apparently, to rape the system and cause it to be burdensome for all of us. On top of that, we have a national party in the Democrats assisting these very destructive lawyers to do just that. This is a part of our medical system that truly needs reform.
We can start by getting Democrats to stop doing everything they can to bend over backwards for the John Edwards’ of this world — ambulance chasers extraordinaire. Democrats are the reason this has gotten so bad. And imagine, we are trusting Democrats to “fix” what they, themselves broke with the greedy assistance of the trial lawyers.
Last month, I wondered aloud if Obama was going to cut these medical vultures off at the knees? I asked if Obamacare would mean that medical malpractice law will take a hit?
Currently doctors pay outrageous premiums for malpractice insurance. A CBS report from 2004, for instance, revealed that some OB-GYNs then paid as much as $90,000 a year for malpractice insurance. Today it is likely closer to $200,000. These outrageous premiums mean that a doctor must take in something like $400,000 a year to be able to afford the insurance premiums and still make a living worth going through the decades of training and schooling required to become a doctor.
Others are also wondering about Obama’s plans for medical malpractice reform. But it doesn’t look like Obama is really much interested in telling his trial lawyer backers to tone it down. There won’t be any “shared sacrifice” for trial lawyers if Obama has any say in the matter.
Richard Epstein also tackled this topic in The Wall Street Journal on June 30. Epstein compared our medical malpractice arena to that of other countries and the results prove that our trial lawyers and their Democratic Party patrons have created a mess for US in comparison.
Litigation in the U.S. has at least four distinctive procedural features that drive up malpractice costs. The first is jury trials, which can veer out of control and in any case introduce significant uncertainty. The second is the contingency-fee system, which allows well-heeled lawyers to self-finance litigation. The third is the rule that makes each side bear its own costs. This induces riskier lawsuits than are undertaken in most other countries, such as Canada, England and most of Europe, where the loser pays the legal costs of the winner. The fourth is extensive pretrial discovery outside the direct supervision of judges, which occurs far more readily here than elsewhere.
Epstein identifies several other problems with our legal practices re medical malpractice and ends up finding that we burden ourselves with waste and abuse beyond measure.
A study led by David Studdert published in the 2006 New England Journal of Medicine concluded that the administrative expenses of the malpractice system were “exorbitant.” And worse, it found errors in jury verdicts in about a quarter of the litigated cases. Juries denied compensation properly due in 16% of the cases, and awarded it about 10% of the time when it was unwarranted. These error rates don’t include damage awards set at improper levels.
And here is one where Canada does do a far better job than we do. Epstein tells us that according to a 1992 study by Donald Dewees and Michael Trebilcock in the Osgood Hall Law Journal, Canada’s medical malpractice caseload was about the same as that of the U.S., but they incur about 10% of the total cost of ours. This is a travesty.
Epstein has several suggested correctives to our system, but he is reticent, it seems, to put the blame where it belongs: the Democrat Party. It is they who’ve passed laws that coddle trial lawyers looking for big payoffs and get rich quick schemes. And, as I said, we are unfortunate enough that it is they that folks are looking to for a healthcare fix.
For Democrats, with the trial lawyer backers in tow, there will be no fix of medical malpractice unless voters force the issue. If Barack Obama truly wanted reform, a major part of his healthcare policies would revolve around fixing the medical malpractice system we are currently suffering under.
Unfortunately, Barack Obama is not interested in reform. He only wants power.
Cross posted at HealthcareHorseRace.com.
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Posted by Warner Todd Huston in Anti-Americanism, Anti-Capitalism, Barack Obama, Delusional Dupes and DUmmies, Democrats, Economy, Government ethics/corruption, Healthcare, Liberal World, News, Politics As Usual, liberalism at 11:15 am | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |
Honduras Outraged by Obama-Chavez Alliance
(The sign says: “Honduras is an example to the world: we do not have oil or dollars. But we have balls”)
I continue to receive messages from Honduran citizens upset at the international media for their distorted coverage of the situation in the Central American country. The people support the ouster of Manuel “Mel” Zelaya, who is considered a puppet of Venezuelan Communist ruler Hugo Chavez. They are mystified that an American president would want to return this Chavez puppet to power in Honduras.
One Honduran wrote: “The recent action taken by our Congress is highly supported by several organizations in support of peace and democracy: the State General Attorney, the Supreme Court, the Armed Forces, the private organizations and especially many young people. Mr. Zelaya broke the law on several occasions even after the Supreme Court stated that it was illegal. He had no respect for our laws and our Constitution.
“It’s not a new fact to the international media what are Chavez intentions over Central and South America. And we in Honduras don’t want that. We don’t want to go back to socialism or communism. We still believe very strongly in our democracy and very strongly in our freedom…We should be an example to Central American countries as well as South American countries who have not yet been influenced by Chavez.
“May God bless our small but courageous country. And I hope the international media investigate very deeply. Send your people here and interview people from Congress and Supreme Court. Thank you again for reading our side of the story. We want a democracy, peace, freedom, and a president who doesn’t believe he is above the law.
“Many people don’t know where Honduras is, but after this, they shall remember that Honduras said no to socialism and communism.
More HERE
Note: “Huevos” in the sign literally means eggs but I gather it is a euphemism
Posted by John Ray. For a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM. To keep up with attacks on free speech see TONGUE-TIED. Also, don’t forget your daily roundup of pro-environment but anti-Greenie news and commentary at GREENIE WATCH . Email me (John Ray) here
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Posted by JonJayRay in 1st Amendment, Barack Obama, Communism, Constitution, Fascism, Government ethics/corruption, Government tyranny, Journalistic Malpractice, Liberal Media/Bias, MSM Censorship, News, Socialism, Supreme Court, liberalism at 9:14 am | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |
Obama Manages To Annoy His Russian Hosts
Apparently, Putin and Medvedev just aren’t considered the kinds of dictators, brutal leaders, or far left enough for Obama to kiss their butts. Perhaps the two should have stressed a little more that they have lots of nuclear weapons and the actual means to deliver them? Or Putin could have regaled Obama with some of the things he did while part of the KGB? Anyhow
If Paris is for lovers, it looks like Moscow is for families.
After passing on dinner with the French president to go on a date in the City of Light with his wife last month, President Obama took leave of his Russian hosts on Tuesday night to seclude himself in his Moscow hotel with his wife, Michelle, and their daughters.
The first family enjoyed a relaxed evening at the O2 Lounge, the super-chic, super-pricey rooftop club at the new Ritz-Carlton, although no doubt the Secret Service first cleared the place of most if not all of the swaggering tycoons and leggy models who flock to such Moscow venues.
Hmmm, so while Obama tells Americans to tighten their belts, and prepares to slap massive tax increases on us all, he dines like a celebrity. BTW, who paid for the meal? Did the taxpayers pick up the tab?
The decision to brush off the Russians on one of his two nights here miffed some in the Moscow government who did not understand why he would not devote the scarce time to his hosts. Mr. Obama had dinner with President Dmitri A. Medvedev on Monday and lunch with him on Tuesday. But with the second dinner slot unavailable, he ended up having breakfast Tuesday with Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin, a known night owl not given to American-style early morning business meals.
Resetting a relationship is not always a positive thing. So, by my count, he has annoyed the British, the British press, Gordon Brown, Sarkozy, Andrea Merkel, the Israeli’s, the people who were protesting in Iran, Afghan President Karzai (twice), and the legitimate government of Hondurus. Who am I missing?
P.S.
Mr. Obama has seemed tired here, several times fumbling the pronunciation of Mr. Medvedev’s name and Mr. Putin’s title. Beginning a speech here, he mistakenly said he first met his wife in school instead of at the law firm where they actually met. And he misstated his younger daughter’s age.
Maybe Obama should get some rest instead of being the rock star president.
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Posted by William Teach in Barack Obama, Narcissist In Chief, News, Presidential Gaffes/Blunders at 8:08 am | Comments (7) | Trackback (1) |
- Bloodthirsty Liberal » Which Button is He Pressing Again? pinged this post.
Lights! Camera! P0rn On Grey Lady’s Front Page
This is what the New York Times thinks is part of all the news that is fit to print
The actress known as Savanna Samson once relished preparing for a role. “I couldn’t wait to get my next script,” she said.
There’s no reason to look at them anymore, she said, because her movies now call almost exclusively for action. Specifically, sex.
The p0rnographic movie industry has long had only a casual interest in plot and dialogue. But moviemakers are focusing even less on narrative arcs these days. Instead, they are filming more short scenes that can be easily uploaded to Web sites and sold in several-minute chunks.
“On the Internet, the average attention span is three to five minutes,” said Steven Hirsch, co-chairman of Vivid Entertainment. “We have to cater to that.”
Oooooooo-K. And let’s look all the way down at the bottom of the Internet version
A version of this article appeared in print on July 8, 2009, on page A1 of the New York edition.
Maybe the Times could use some of that deep investigative ability and determine exactly how much the President’s agenda will cost Americans and reduce their personal liberty. Oh, and how badly Porkulus has failed.
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Posted by William Teach in Journalistic Prostitution, Journalistic incompetence, News at 7:54 am | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) |
July 7, 2009
Tropics are on the move (?)
Below is an article summarizing a non-peer-reviewed and unpublished paper which was primarily written by a woman employed by an Australian university Department devoted to climate change (full details of that below). Despite its undistinguished origins, however, it has made the news so I think a few comments are in order.
For a start, she could well be right that the tropical climate zone expanded in recent years. That it might shrink again is her unexamined assumption, however. There WAS global warming in the ’80s and ’90s and that has more or less plateaued since then, though in the last two years we have seen what seem to be the first signs of a corrective downswing in temperature.
That really is all one needs to say, but a couple of minor points just for fun: She characterizes the sub-tropical zone as dry. I live in that zone in Australia, so I wonder if she would like to explain the rain falling outside my window at the moment in what is normally the driest time of the year here (winter)? She seems not to consider that global warming might increase precipitation in ALL areas of the globe — as it should in theory do (more warmth means more evaporation off the sea and hence more rainfall).
She also concedes that a tropical climate is best for biodiversity — but seems to imply that that is a bad thing — an unusual stance for a Greenie!
She also says that disease patterns of the tropics will spread more widely — completely ignoring that cold weather is a lot more fatal than warm weather and that an expansion of the warm zone should therefore SAVE lives.
She also says that warming will cause more extreme rainfall events in the tropics, with the implication that that is a bad thing. I have news for her. I was born and bred in the middle of an area that CONSTANTLY had extreme rainfall events (Tully to Babinda) and we did quite well there. With around 7 yards of rain a year the crops certainly grew like mad.
I could go on but what is the point in arguing with a religion? — JR
A review of scientific literature released today by James Cook University shows that the Earth’s tropical zone is expanding and with it the subtropical dry zone is extending into what have been humid temperate climate zones. The authors of the review concluded that the effects of a poleward expansion of the tropical and subtropical zones were immense, resulting in a variety of social, political, economic and environmental implications.
Conducted by Dr Joanne Isaac, Post-Doctoral Fellow at JCU’s Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, with Professor Steve Turton, from JCU’s School of Earth and Environment Sciences, the review looked at scientific findings from long-term satellite measurements, weather balloon data, climate models and sea surface temperature studies.
Professor Turton said that the review - Expansion of the Tropics: Evidence and Implications - encompassed about 70 peer-reviewed scientific papers and reports from scientists and institutions right around the world. The review found that of particular concern were regions which border the subtropics and currently experience a temperate Mediterranean climate. “Such areas include heavily populated regions of southern Australia, southern Africa, the southern Europe-Mediterranean-Middle East region, the south-western United States, northern Mexico, and southern South America – all of which are predicted to experience severe drying.
“If the dry subtropics expand into these regions, the consequences could be devastating for water resources, natural ecosystems and agriculture, with potentially cascading environmental, social and health implications.”
The survey reveals that scientific data suggests while these areas could experience an increased frequency of droughts, the expansion of the tropical zone could result in extreme rainfall events and floods to regions which have not previously been exposed to such conditions, and a poleward shift in the paths of extra-tropical and possibly tropical cyclones in the next 100 years.
“A further implication of the expansion of the tropical zone is the possible expansion of tropical associated diseases and pests.” The review looked at scientific findings in relation to dengue among other tropical diseases and reports that some models predict the greatest increase in the annual epidemic potential of dengue will be into the subtropical regions, including the southern United States, China and northern Africa in the northern hemisphere, and south America, southern Africa, and most of Australia in the southern hemisphere.
The tropical zone is commonly defined geometrically as the portion of the Earth’s surface that lies between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn at 23.5 degrees latitude north and south respectively.
Evidence accumulating: “In general, atmospheric scientists estimate the climatic boundaries of the tropics extend further from the equator to around 30 degrees latitude north and south,” the review reports. “In recent years a variety of independent studies, employing different methodologies have found evidence for the widening of the topical region, as defined by climate scientists.
“However, while evidence is accumulating for the widening of the tropical belt and shifts in other climatic events, there is still much uncertainty regarding the degree of the expansion and the mechanisms which are driving it. “For example, across the studies reviewed the estimates of the increase in the tropics vary from 2.0 to more than 5 degrees of latitude approximately every 25 years. That makes the minimum agreed expansion of the Topics zone equivalent to around 300 kilometres. “This variation of estimates makes predicting future shifts difficult. Estimates for the expansion of the tropical zone in next 25 years (assuming the rate of movement is the same as the past 25 years) range from approximately 222 kilometres to more than 533 kilometres depending on which estimate is used.”
The tropics currently occupy approximately 40 per cent of the Earth’s land surface and are home to almost half of the world’s human population and account for more than 80 per cent of the Earth’s biodiversity. The majority of the world’s endemic animals and plants, which are found nowhere else on earth, are found in the tropics and are adapted to the specific climatic conditions found there.
“Thus, the implications of a poleward expansion of the tropical and subtropical zones are immense and the effects could result in a variety of social, political, economic and environmental implications,” the review said.
(For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, DISSECTING LEFTISM, GREENIE WATCH, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH, GUN WATCH, EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, IMMIGRATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC, SOCIALIZED MEDICINE, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS, EYE ON BRITAIN and Paralipomena . List of backup or “mirror” sites here or here — for readers in China or for everyone when blogspot is “down” or failing to update. My Home Pages are here or here or here. Email me (John Ray) here.)
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Posted by JonJayRay in Agenda based science, Global Warming, News, Science/pseudo-science, environmentalism at 9:04 pm | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0) |
How Much Does It Cost To Control The Press?
Quite a bit, and, I’m suspecting the Credentialed Media, no matter how left leaning they are, will not appreciate this report. If there is one thing they truly hate, it is being played
Barack Obama’s White House is spending more than $80,000 a week to staff its old and new media offices. Add the price of speechwriters and the White House communications tab reaches nearly $100,000 a week, or nearly $5 million a year-and that is for salaries alone.
Based on the coverage the President has garnered so far, it is money well spent.
Accuracy In Media gathered the data from the White House’s annual salary report to Congress, which was released last week. AIM identified a total of 66 staffers with some connection to Obama’s messaging machine-press secretaries and assistants, communications directors, new media specialists, speechwriters, and the staff of the new Office of Public Engagement.
I just have to wonder, is this really necessary? Well, of course, if the message actually made sense, well, no. If the message is something like “hey, we really need Stimulus, but, um, well, er, yeah, unemployment continues to skyrocket,” yup, massive spin is needed.
Oh, and good news, you the taxpayer are pretty much paying for it all.
H/t Rightwing Sparkle at her site and Right Wing News. She writes
It’s all very Pavlovian. Fascinating, really, how easily President Obama manipulates the minions. Of course, in this case, there’s a desire to be manipulated not unlike a Magician’s participant desiring to be hypnotized. It’s much easier for the Magician to do his work when the volunteer is willing. The press is willing.
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Posted by William Teach in 1st Amendment, Barack Obama, Journalistic Prostitution, Liberal Media/Bias, MSM Deathwatch, News, Propaganda at 6:59 pm | Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0) |
Obama Tanks In Ohio
Time for Rham to take away Barry’s shoe laces and belt, the President’s poll numbers have come in under 50% in Ohio.
In the latest Quinnipiac poll, Obama is clinging to a 49% approval rating in the Buckeye state and carrying a 44% disapproval rate. Perhaps it is a matter of Ohio’s dismal unemployment numbers - 10.8%.
While Congress passes more job eliminating legislation, Ohioans understand that the policies of Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and T-Shirt Ted are failures for their families.
This Ohioian is firmly entrenched in that 44%. If Obama were to somehow all of a sudden raise his magical hands and create Utopia, I would still be in that number that disapproves. Because he is a short-cutting charlatan. The problem is, Ohio, and America as a whole, are just now finding that out.
I can’t wait for his national numbers to follow Ohio’s into the tank. Because they will.
Hat Tip: Commentary Magazine
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Posted by Gribbit in Barack Obama, Democrats, Economy, News, Polls, Socialism, State Polls, Unemployment, liberalism at 4:43 pm | Comments (0) | Trackback (1) |
- The Obama Limbo! How Low Can It Go… BHO’s Approval Rating Has Dropped Another 3 Points to -8 « Frugal Café Blog Zone pinged this post.
Banana Coffins
For anyone who doubts that the environmental movement is completely bananas:
Casket makers catering to natural burials have offered biodegradable coffins made of such materials as recycled newspapers or cardboard. Ecoffins USA, based in Montrose, Colo., is selling caskets made of banana sheaves.
They take six months to two years to biodegrade.
Marketing director Joanna Passarelli says the company sold $40,000 worth of banana-sheaf or bamboo coffins to funeral homes last year. …
Passarelli contends the bamboo and banana coffins, made in Asia, are better for the environment than the cremation process.
Her interest in ecofriendly coffins grew after her son’s school showed the movie “An Inconvenient Truth” in which Al Gore warns of climate change. Her son came home wondering why he should bother with homework if the world would be destroyed.
“I said if everybody did one little thing it would have a snowball effect,” she said.
Here we have the environmental craze in a nutshell: morbid, delusional, smugly self-righteous, and extravagantly wacky. I wonder if the Chicoms snicker while they build us our banana sheaf ecoffins.
Hat tip: The Blogprof. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.
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Posted by Van Helsing in Agenda based science, Delusional Dupes and DUmmies, Global Warming, Indoctrination, News, Propaganda, Science/pseudo-science, Social Engineering, Stupidity, environmentalism at 12:52 pm | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0) |
