I went to the post office this afternoon, and as I was leaving, the news said we had four more hours until the polls closed for the election.
Election? Wasn't the primary election in February, when I was driving through Florida after our Caribbean cruise? I didn't even get the voter's sample ballot in the mail to warn me this one was coming up. Then the news said something about Propositions 98 & 99, which reminded me that see-dubya posted something about it last night (can't find it now) on Michelle Malkin's blog.
Prop 98 will outlaw eminent domain for private use, and Prop 99 is a stealth attempt to nullify Prop 98. Yes on 98. No on 99.
I drove to the Lutheran church where I always vote, but nobody was in the parking lot, and all the doors were closed. Oh, great.
On my way home from the church, I saw "Polling Place" signs pointing down another street, so I went there. It was on a cul-de-sac in somebody's garage. I asked when they moved to that spot, and they said it was their first time there. Last time, they were in the library. But they couldn't find my name on their list. And my address wasn't in their book. Apparently my side of the main road is in a different precinct from their side of the road.
They looked up the help number and called, and I could hear the digitized voice asking the man to punch one number after another to weave his way through their system. While he was waiting for an answer, he took me over to a map, which showed that my side of the road voted at an elementary school a mile away.
So I went there. Inside the door, the lady asked for my name, and she couldn't find me in her book. One of the other workers said I might be voting on the other side of the room. Two different precincts vote in the same room. It's very confusing.
Over on the other side, they looked me up, but I wasn't in that book either. I was starting to wonder if I had disappeared from the voting registry altogether.
When those people started looking for my address in their other book, the man from the first precinct came over to get me. They had found my name in the pink pages. I told them it's because I'm a girl.
They gave me a paper ballot (yay, paper!) and a black pen and sent me off to vote. There were a few choices to make, like my unopposed Congressman and some local positions I had no idea about. Then there were the two propositions. I voted for my Congressman (he's good) and the Yes and No on 98 and 99, and then I was done.
So much driving and rejection for three little votes, but those votes could be crucial. I wear my "I Voted" sticker proudly.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Eating Bugs to Save the Earth
This is just gross.
The Daily Mail (UK)--one of the tabloid-style news sites (Did you know Sarah Jessica Parker wore a designer dress that's been worn before???)--reported today that eating insects can help the environment and supply our bodies with nutrients. I'm not going to post a picture.
Crunching into crickets or snacking on grilled caterpillar is apparently a means to a nutrient-rich diet that also helps reduce pests and puts less strain on the planet than eating conventional meat.
Some insects in their dried form are said to have twice the protein of raw meat and fish, while others are rich in unsaturated fat and contain important vitamins and minerals.
Experts believe they could one day be marketed as a healthy alternative to fatty snacks.
The article mentions that bugs are eaten in many other countries, and I know that even John the Baptist ate locusts and honey. However, the Bible--properly--mentions it like its a strange thing to do. The experts seem to believe that bug eating is fine.
But Patrick Durst, of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, said that if consumers were to be tempted to broaden their culinary horizons the trick might be to make the bugs look more palatable.
'You need to get the food into a form where someone doesn't have to look the bug in the eye when they eat it,' he said.
Finally, someone's making a little sense. But not enough. To make complete sense, they'd need to scrap the whole idea of converting Europeans and Americans to entomophagy and concentrate on encouraging the people who do eat bugs to eat more.
The Daily Mail (UK)--one of the tabloid-style news sites (Did you know Sarah Jessica Parker wore a designer dress that's been worn before???)--reported today that eating insects can help the environment and supply our bodies with nutrients. I'm not going to post a picture.
Crunching into crickets or snacking on grilled caterpillar is apparently a means to a nutrient-rich diet that also helps reduce pests and puts less strain on the planet than eating conventional meat.
Some insects in their dried form are said to have twice the protein of raw meat and fish, while others are rich in unsaturated fat and contain important vitamins and minerals.
Experts believe they could one day be marketed as a healthy alternative to fatty snacks.
The article mentions that bugs are eaten in many other countries, and I know that even John the Baptist ate locusts and honey. However, the Bible--properly--mentions it like its a strange thing to do. The experts seem to believe that bug eating is fine.
But Patrick Durst, of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, said that if consumers were to be tempted to broaden their culinary horizons the trick might be to make the bugs look more palatable.
'You need to get the food into a form where someone doesn't have to look the bug in the eye when they eat it,' he said.
Finally, someone's making a little sense. But not enough. To make complete sense, they'd need to scrap the whole idea of converting Europeans and Americans to entomophagy and concentrate on encouraging the people who do eat bugs to eat more.
Iraqi Upturn
Following on the heels of good reports about Afghanistan, comes a good report about Iraq. The Washington Post published an editorial Sunday describing the latest on the Iraq War.
THERE'S BEEN a relative lull in news coverage and debate about Iraq in recent weeks -- which is odd, because May could turn out to have been one of the most important months of the war. While Washington's attention has been fixed elsewhere, military analysts have watched with astonishment as the Iraqi government and army have gained control for the first time of the port city of Basra and the sprawling Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, routing the Shiite militias that have ruled them for years and sending key militants scurrying to Iran. At the same time, Iraqi and U.S. forces have pushed forward with a long-promised offensive in Mosul, the last urban refuge of al-Qaeda. So many of its leaders have now been captured or killed that U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, renowned for his cautious assessments, said that the terrorists have "never been closer to defeat than they are now."
Considering that this is coming from the Washington Post, which leans left, and not the Washington Times, which leans right, the news from Iraq must really be good. The editorial ends with some advice for Senator Obama:
If the positive trends continue, proponents of withdrawing most U.S. troops, such as Mr. Obama, might be able to responsibly carry out further pullouts next year. Still, the likely Democratic nominee needs a plan for Iraq based on sustaining an improving situation, rather than abandoning a failed enterprise. That will mean tying withdrawals to the evolution of the Iraqi army and government, rather than an arbitrary timetable; Iraq's 2009 elections will be crucial. It also should mean providing enough troops and air power to continue backing up Iraqi army operations such as those in Basra and Sadr City. When Mr. Obama floated his strategy for Iraq last year, the United States appeared doomed to defeat. Now he needs a plan for success.
Exactly. But I don't know if he's capable of doing that.
THERE'S BEEN a relative lull in news coverage and debate about Iraq in recent weeks -- which is odd, because May could turn out to have been one of the most important months of the war. While Washington's attention has been fixed elsewhere, military analysts have watched with astonishment as the Iraqi government and army have gained control for the first time of the port city of Basra and the sprawling Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, routing the Shiite militias that have ruled them for years and sending key militants scurrying to Iran. At the same time, Iraqi and U.S. forces have pushed forward with a long-promised offensive in Mosul, the last urban refuge of al-Qaeda. So many of its leaders have now been captured or killed that U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, renowned for his cautious assessments, said that the terrorists have "never been closer to defeat than they are now."
Considering that this is coming from the Washington Post, which leans left, and not the Washington Times, which leans right, the news from Iraq must really be good. The editorial ends with some advice for Senator Obama:
If the positive trends continue, proponents of withdrawing most U.S. troops, such as Mr. Obama, might be able to responsibly carry out further pullouts next year. Still, the likely Democratic nominee needs a plan for Iraq based on sustaining an improving situation, rather than abandoning a failed enterprise. That will mean tying withdrawals to the evolution of the Iraqi army and government, rather than an arbitrary timetable; Iraq's 2009 elections will be crucial. It also should mean providing enough troops and air power to continue backing up Iraqi army operations such as those in Basra and Sadr City. When Mr. Obama floated his strategy for Iraq last year, the United States appeared doomed to defeat. Now he needs a plan for success.
Exactly. But I don't know if he's capable of doing that.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Afghanistan on the Brink
In a good way.
The Telegraph (UK) reported yesterday about the progress in Afghanistan.
Missions by special forces and air strikes by unmanned drones have "decapitated" the Taliban and brought the war in Afghanistan to a "tipping point", the commander of British forces has said.
The new "precise, surgical" tactics have killed scores of insurgent leaders and made it extremely difficult for Pakistan-based Taliban leaders to prosecute the campaign, according to Brig Mark Carleton-Smith.
In the past two years an estimated 7,000 Taliban have been killed, the majority in southern and eastern Afghanistan. But it is the "very effective targeted decapitation operations" that have removed "several echelons of commanders".
This in turn has left the insurgents on the brink of defeat, the head of Task Force Helmand said.
This is good news, but I have to wonder about Spin. Is this really an accurate assessment of the conditions on the ground, since other media outlets haven't reported it?Is the Telegraph only reporting this because it reflects well on the British troops? Maybe the US media could take some lessons.
The other stories I saw about Afghanistan were about individual incidents of exploding IEDs and a report by NPR about Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's surprise visit to Afghanistan in January.
It's hard to know the overall perspective on Afghanistan when the media is focused on the details. I'm hoping the Telegraph is right.
The Telegraph (UK) reported yesterday about the progress in Afghanistan.
Missions by special forces and air strikes by unmanned drones have "decapitated" the Taliban and brought the war in Afghanistan to a "tipping point", the commander of British forces has said.
The new "precise, surgical" tactics have killed scores of insurgent leaders and made it extremely difficult for Pakistan-based Taliban leaders to prosecute the campaign, according to Brig Mark Carleton-Smith.
In the past two years an estimated 7,000 Taliban have been killed, the majority in southern and eastern Afghanistan. But it is the "very effective targeted decapitation operations" that have removed "several echelons of commanders".
This in turn has left the insurgents on the brink of defeat, the head of Task Force Helmand said.
This is good news, but I have to wonder about Spin. Is this really an accurate assessment of the conditions on the ground, since other media outlets haven't reported it?Is the Telegraph only reporting this because it reflects well on the British troops? Maybe the US media could take some lessons.
The other stories I saw about Afghanistan were about individual incidents of exploding IEDs and a report by NPR about Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's surprise visit to Afghanistan in January.
It's hard to know the overall perspective on Afghanistan when the media is focused on the details. I'm hoping the Telegraph is right.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Nanny State, French Style
The Times Online (UK) reported yesterday on new regulations in France.
They are drawn by a love of American culture - although definitely not American politics - and a passion for line dancing, which enables them to swing but avoid all human contact.
Now country and western has become so big in France that the country's bureaucrats have decided to bring the craze under state control.
In a peculiarly Gallic approach to the phenomenon, French civil servants say line dancing should be submitted to the same rules as sports such as football and rugby. This means imposing training courses for line dancing teachers and a state-approved diploma for anyone who wants to give lessons or run clubs.
Amateur instructors will have to take 200 hours of training under the new rules. Professionals will get 600 hours, including such subjects as line dancing techniques, “the mechanics of the human body” and the English (or at least Texan) language. They will also learn how to teach line dancing to the elderly.
Wow. I've done some line dancing before, and a person could get hurt. Seriously. Good thing the French have seen the importance of state control over such a dangerous pasttime.
Now, if only we can get control of it here. Think of the lives that could be saved...
They are drawn by a love of American culture - although definitely not American politics - and a passion for line dancing, which enables them to swing but avoid all human contact.
Now country and western has become so big in France that the country's bureaucrats have decided to bring the craze under state control.
In a peculiarly Gallic approach to the phenomenon, French civil servants say line dancing should be submitted to the same rules as sports such as football and rugby. This means imposing training courses for line dancing teachers and a state-approved diploma for anyone who wants to give lessons or run clubs.
Amateur instructors will have to take 200 hours of training under the new rules. Professionals will get 600 hours, including such subjects as line dancing techniques, “the mechanics of the human body” and the English (or at least Texan) language. They will also learn how to teach line dancing to the elderly.
Wow. I've done some line dancing before, and a person could get hurt. Seriously. Good thing the French have seen the importance of state control over such a dangerous pasttime.
Now, if only we can get control of it here. Think of the lives that could be saved...
Friday, May 30, 2008
Niños de Baja News
I'm on the Missions Committee at my church, and one of the missions we've supported for a long time is Niños de Baja, located in the town of El Porvenir, outside Ensenada.
While I was going through that stack of papers, I came across the April, 2008, newsletter from Niños. This article was in there. It quotes a letter from an adoptive mother. She is a Mexican woman, not an American, and her letter was written in Spanish and translated into English for the newsletter.
ANDREA'S STORY
Abandoned in a park swing at 3 months, Andrea was one of our first babies [at the new orphanage]. Blonde and blue-eyed, she was a very serious baby who preferred to observe things from afar. Over the next year and a half, we watched as she slowly began to come out of her shell. Our director, Raquel, had a special relationship with her, and Andrea was a very bright student whose abilities far exceeded her age level. Andrea was adopted last September by a very loving couple who had adopted another girl earlier. The adoptive mother was so impressed by the level of care that Andrea had been given by Niños de Baja--such a contrast to what her first daughter experienced--that she sent us the following letter to express her gratitude:
"We adopted our first daughter, Anel, when she was 4 months old. When she came to us, she was extremely ill with the flu, bronchitis, and the chicken pox. She didn't want to eat and had symptoms of anorexia. At 5 months, she couldn't turn over or sit up, and her motor skills were very limited. She was a very small baby even though the discharge papers from the hospital said she had been born very healthy and had a good birth weight. I have friends who have also adopted, and after spending more than a year in the 'Albergue' (Mexico's home for children while they wait to be placed in an orphanage) their children also have arrived visibly uncared for, leading us to believe that they are not well attended there.
"We always said we would like to have two children, so when Anel turned 4 years old, we turned in our papers for another girl. Adopting Andrea was a completely different experience. Unlike Anel, she knew and missed the people who had cared for her, which made it difficult for everyone. When we went to get her in Ensenada, they first told us about her background, and then they gave us a letter from the orphanage. It told us what foods she liked and didn't, but more importantly, it said that the best way to approach Andrea was calmly and quietly (which was very difficult for us). When they brought Andrea in, our eyes filled with tears. We decided that I would hold her first, so they gave her directly to me. She didn't cry once, but I'll never forget how serious and how very tense she was. On the way back to Tijuana we talked to her but she only would shake her head yes or no. Once we arrived home, her expression changed when she saw the toys and our dog, which in that moment, became her pet. She began to relax when she saw Anel, her new sister. Since I had held her first, she attached herself to me so much that she wouldn't let me out of her sight, or she would cry with such anguish that it still hurts us. The adjustment was a bit slow, but we believe that she has now adapted to our family and friends, and she enjoys being with everyone.
"All of us were very surprised at how advanced Andrea was. Her overall abilities, especially her very large vocabulary, her knowledge and understanding of things that generally children her age haven't mastered--all of which she could only have learned with a lot of time and dedication. This told us she had been very well cared for in the orphanage.
"We can't thank enough all the people that fed her, cared for her, bathed her, taught her, and above all, gave her love and supplied her emotional needs that we were not able to do at that time. From the day we were told that Andrea would come to us, we asked God for her to be in a place that could meet all her needs--that she would be a healthy child who was loved and cared for. Now that we have had telephone contact with the orphanage, we realize that it's not at all like the Albergue, where children just pass through; that at the orphanage they worry about the children, truly care for them and that the caregivers suffer too when they are adopted, even though they know it's best for the child.
"Thank you for taking care of our baby when she needed it the most. Thank you for all! May God bless all of you!"
This is what it's all about: making the world better one child at a time, one family at a time.
While I was going through that stack of papers, I came across the April, 2008, newsletter from Niños. This article was in there. It quotes a letter from an adoptive mother. She is a Mexican woman, not an American, and her letter was written in Spanish and translated into English for the newsletter.
ANDREA'S STORY
Abandoned in a park swing at 3 months, Andrea was one of our first babies [at the new orphanage]. Blonde and blue-eyed, she was a very serious baby who preferred to observe things from afar. Over the next year and a half, we watched as she slowly began to come out of her shell. Our director, Raquel, had a special relationship with her, and Andrea was a very bright student whose abilities far exceeded her age level. Andrea was adopted last September by a very loving couple who had adopted another girl earlier. The adoptive mother was so impressed by the level of care that Andrea had been given by Niños de Baja--such a contrast to what her first daughter experienced--that she sent us the following letter to express her gratitude:
"We adopted our first daughter, Anel, when she was 4 months old. When she came to us, she was extremely ill with the flu, bronchitis, and the chicken pox. She didn't want to eat and had symptoms of anorexia. At 5 months, she couldn't turn over or sit up, and her motor skills were very limited. She was a very small baby even though the discharge papers from the hospital said she had been born very healthy and had a good birth weight. I have friends who have also adopted, and after spending more than a year in the 'Albergue' (Mexico's home for children while they wait to be placed in an orphanage) their children also have arrived visibly uncared for, leading us to believe that they are not well attended there.
"We always said we would like to have two children, so when Anel turned 4 years old, we turned in our papers for another girl. Adopting Andrea was a completely different experience. Unlike Anel, she knew and missed the people who had cared for her, which made it difficult for everyone. When we went to get her in Ensenada, they first told us about her background, and then they gave us a letter from the orphanage. It told us what foods she liked and didn't, but more importantly, it said that the best way to approach Andrea was calmly and quietly (which was very difficult for us). When they brought Andrea in, our eyes filled with tears. We decided that I would hold her first, so they gave her directly to me. She didn't cry once, but I'll never forget how serious and how very tense she was. On the way back to Tijuana we talked to her but she only would shake her head yes or no. Once we arrived home, her expression changed when she saw the toys and our dog, which in that moment, became her pet. She began to relax when she saw Anel, her new sister. Since I had held her first, she attached herself to me so much that she wouldn't let me out of her sight, or she would cry with such anguish that it still hurts us. The adjustment was a bit slow, but we believe that she has now adapted to our family and friends, and she enjoys being with everyone.
"All of us were very surprised at how advanced Andrea was. Her overall abilities, especially her very large vocabulary, her knowledge and understanding of things that generally children her age haven't mastered--all of which she could only have learned with a lot of time and dedication. This told us she had been very well cared for in the orphanage.
"We can't thank enough all the people that fed her, cared for her, bathed her, taught her, and above all, gave her love and supplied her emotional needs that we were not able to do at that time. From the day we were told that Andrea would come to us, we asked God for her to be in a place that could meet all her needs--that she would be a healthy child who was loved and cared for. Now that we have had telephone contact with the orphanage, we realize that it's not at all like the Albergue, where children just pass through; that at the orphanage they worry about the children, truly care for them and that the caregivers suffer too when they are adopted, even though they know it's best for the child.
"Thank you for taking care of our baby when she needed it the most. Thank you for all! May God bless all of you!"
This is what it's all about: making the world better one child at a time, one family at a time.
Golf Quotes
I can't remember what book I found these in. It must have been one of those motivational books. I was going through a pile of papers, and I came across a couple Starbuck's napkins with these quotes written on them.
Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill designed for that purpose.
--Winston Churchill
On success:
Hit the ball hard. Go find it. Hit it again.
--Arnold Palmer
This one wasn't on a napkin:
Golf is the kind of game where the worse you are, the more practice you get.
--SkyePuppy
Back when I played, I got lots of practice.
Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill designed for that purpose.
--Winston Churchill
On success:
Hit the ball hard. Go find it. Hit it again.
--Arnold Palmer
This one wasn't on a napkin:
Golf is the kind of game where the worse you are, the more practice you get.
--SkyePuppy
Back when I played, I got lots of practice.
Photos from Reuters
Yesterday I was reading an article in Reuters and, as I tend to do, I stopped to look through their top photos of the past 24 hours. Several of them caught my eye, some serious, some less so.
Zimbabwe opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai prays during the funeral of Sherperd Jani, MDC treasurer for Mashonaland East province, in Murehwa, about 80km (50 miles) east of Harare, May 28, 2008. Jani, a senatorial candidate for the Murehwa area in the recent elections, was abducted last Wednesday by suspected war veterans and members of the ruling party militia and his body was found on Saturday, according to local media.
REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo
I've written about the aftermath of the March presidential elections in Zimbabwe, as well as the alleged delivery of Chinese weapons to Mugabe.
Morgan Tsvangirai is a brave man. To stand in opposition to Robert Mugabe is to risk assassination. Even if he survives until then, I doubt he will have enough supporters remaining in Zimbabwe when the runoff election comes at the end of June.
Parents cry over the picture of their child who died during the May 12 earthquake at a funeral home in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province May 28, 2008.
REUTERS/Stringer
Hugh Hewitt has another heartbreaking picture from China here.
I can't imagine losing a child, but to lose your only child has to be a thousand times worse. And each one of these parents has lost their only child. The only good news is that China has lifted its one-child policy for parents who lost their children in the earthquake.
Now for a lighter note:
Army Specialist Robert Carpenter (L) kisses his girlfriend Jenna Kitzmiller after proposing to her under a U.S. flag at the Utah national Guard airport in Salt Lake City, Utah, May 28, 2008 after he returned from a year's service in Iraq with the Utah's 145th National Guard Unit.
REUTERS/George Frey
That one needs no extra comment.
An anti-riot policeman takes a photo of himself before the first leg semi-final Copa Libertadores soccer match between Argentina's Boca Juniors and Brazil's Fluminense on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 28, 2008.
REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian
Maybe I'm technologically inept, but it seems to me the caption has it wrong. Isn't this policeman taking a picture of someone else? On my cell phone, the camera is mounted on the back, not the push-button side.
Finally, there's this:
Spanish matador Jose Tomas is tackled by a bull during a bullfight at Los Califas bullring in Cordoba May 28, 2008.
REUTERS/Javier Barbancho
VERY lucky man!
Zimbabwe opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai prays during the funeral of Sherperd Jani, MDC treasurer for Mashonaland East province, in Murehwa, about 80km (50 miles) east of Harare, May 28, 2008. Jani, a senatorial candidate for the Murehwa area in the recent elections, was abducted last Wednesday by suspected war veterans and members of the ruling party militia and his body was found on Saturday, according to local media.
REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo
I've written about the aftermath of the March presidential elections in Zimbabwe, as well as the alleged delivery of Chinese weapons to Mugabe.
Morgan Tsvangirai is a brave man. To stand in opposition to Robert Mugabe is to risk assassination. Even if he survives until then, I doubt he will have enough supporters remaining in Zimbabwe when the runoff election comes at the end of June.
Parents cry over the picture of their child who died during the May 12 earthquake at a funeral home in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province May 28, 2008.
REUTERS/Stringer
Hugh Hewitt has another heartbreaking picture from China here.
I can't imagine losing a child, but to lose your only child has to be a thousand times worse. And each one of these parents has lost their only child. The only good news is that China has lifted its one-child policy for parents who lost their children in the earthquake.
Now for a lighter note:
Army Specialist Robert Carpenter (L) kisses his girlfriend Jenna Kitzmiller after proposing to her under a U.S. flag at the Utah national Guard airport in Salt Lake City, Utah, May 28, 2008 after he returned from a year's service in Iraq with the Utah's 145th National Guard Unit.
REUTERS/George Frey
That one needs no extra comment.
An anti-riot policeman takes a photo of himself before the first leg semi-final Copa Libertadores soccer match between Argentina's Boca Juniors and Brazil's Fluminense on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 28, 2008.
REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian
Maybe I'm technologically inept, but it seems to me the caption has it wrong. Isn't this policeman taking a picture of someone else? On my cell phone, the camera is mounted on the back, not the push-button side.
Finally, there's this:
Spanish matador Jose Tomas is tackled by a bull during a bullfight at Los Califas bullring in Cordoba May 28, 2008.
REUTERS/Javier Barbancho
VERY lucky man!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Growing Old
I'm not the one growing old. Not yet, anyway.
When I was getting my Bachelor's degree in Psychology, my professor for Adulthood and Aging showed us a study (I couldn't find it online) that had been done on college football players (presumably in the off-season). They took these in-shape guys and subjected them to three weeks of bedrest, during which time their vital functions and other medical things were examined.
By the end of three weeks, these guys had aged (as I recall) over ten years. They experienced bone loss, nasal congestion, blood pooling on the bottom-side of their bodies, aching joints, and some muscle atrophy. But the result that surprised me most was that their insulin levels went haywire, and they showed signs of pre-diabetes.
There were other results that I don't remember, but the net result was that these in-shape football players had the symptoms we normally associate with old age. And my professor's point in showing us this study was that the "ravages of old age" are really the ravages of inactivity. We improve our chances of having a healthy retirement by getting off our rear ends now and staying off them.
One of the prime examples of this is a lady I know from my church. She's a sweetheart who I met several years ago when I led a GriefShare group not long after my friend's husband died while we were all on vacation together. This lady had lost her husband about the same time.
She's now coming up on her 83rd birthday, and she keeps busy. She goes to ukelele class at the senior center and has recently learned to tap dance.
For her 80th birthday, she went skydiving. (Better her than me!) And she plans to celebrate her 83rd birthday by taking trapeze lessons. Yes, the circus kind of trapeze.
By comparison, I'm the old lady, and she's not.
So let that be a lesson. Growing old is a state of mind--and a stillness of body.
When I was getting my Bachelor's degree in Psychology, my professor for Adulthood and Aging showed us a study (I couldn't find it online) that had been done on college football players (presumably in the off-season). They took these in-shape guys and subjected them to three weeks of bedrest, during which time their vital functions and other medical things were examined.
By the end of three weeks, these guys had aged (as I recall) over ten years. They experienced bone loss, nasal congestion, blood pooling on the bottom-side of their bodies, aching joints, and some muscle atrophy. But the result that surprised me most was that their insulin levels went haywire, and they showed signs of pre-diabetes.
There were other results that I don't remember, but the net result was that these in-shape football players had the symptoms we normally associate with old age. And my professor's point in showing us this study was that the "ravages of old age" are really the ravages of inactivity. We improve our chances of having a healthy retirement by getting off our rear ends now and staying off them.
One of the prime examples of this is a lady I know from my church. She's a sweetheart who I met several years ago when I led a GriefShare group not long after my friend's husband died while we were all on vacation together. This lady had lost her husband about the same time.
She's now coming up on her 83rd birthday, and she keeps busy. She goes to ukelele class at the senior center and has recently learned to tap dance.
For her 80th birthday, she went skydiving. (Better her than me!) And she plans to celebrate her 83rd birthday by taking trapeze lessons. Yes, the circus kind of trapeze.
By comparison, I'm the old lady, and she's not.
So let that be a lesson. Growing old is a state of mind--and a stillness of body.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Obama's Memorial Day Mistakes
Senator Barack Obama made two classic blunders yesterday, both of which were highlighted by Michelle Malkin.
For starters, Obama--in a breach of long-standing policy--was the first government official ever to confirm that zombification is indeed real, and it has been used on our war veterans. Here is the video (in the first 10 seconds):
The other mistake is confirmation of another kind.
He has no clue.
Ace of Spades HQ posted today about this one, and many of the commenters dove into the details.
Barack Obama has no uncles who would have fought as part of the American military during WWII. The uncles on his father's side are Kenyan, not American. His mother is an only child, so she couldn't supply Barry with uncles. But there was a great-uncle who served in the American Army in WWII, and considering that I called my great-great-aunt, "Aunt Agnes," I'll give him the "uncle" name for a great-uncle.
But Auschwitz? Come on!
The Soviets liberated Auschwitz and all the other death camps that were still operating in Poland in 1945. The Americans fought the Germans in Western Europe and never got east of Germany (for the geographically challenged, Poland is east of Germany, so our troops didn't get there).
According to CrankyProf (comment #134), the Americans liberated Buchenwald, Dachau, Dora Mittlebau, Flossenburg, and Mauthausen. It's hard to mix those up with Auschwitz. Unless the person doesn't know his history or geography and thinks that nobody else does either.
One of the commenters had read Obama's book that said his uncle came back from WWII, never having seen combat. But in Obama's Memorial Day Q & A, he mentioned the PTSD his uncle suffered that forced Uncle Auschwitz into the family attic for six months. That uncle must have had an extremely low tolerance for stress.
But wait! There's an update already. Barack Obama has clarified his misstatement about his uncle.
As suspected, it was his great-uncle he had in mind, not his uncle, and the camp wasn’t Auschwitz but one of the ones Patton’s army liberated, namely, the Ohrdruf subcamp at Buchenwald. Look at the photos at Wikipedia and you’ll understand why he might have needed six months in the attic.
This still doesn't add up. Obama's grandfather was in Patton's army. If Uncle Auschwitz was also in Patton's army for the liberation of Ohrdruf of Buchenwald, then how did he qualify as "non-combat"? Too many different stories about the same man.
Too many mistakes by Obama about things a presidential hopeful should know.
Maybe Obama was zombificated. That would explain the poor brain functioning...
For starters, Obama--in a breach of long-standing policy--was the first government official ever to confirm that zombification is indeed real, and it has been used on our war veterans. Here is the video (in the first 10 seconds):
The other mistake is confirmation of another kind.
He has no clue.
Ace of Spades HQ posted today about this one, and many of the commenters dove into the details.
Barack Obama has no uncles who would have fought as part of the American military during WWII. The uncles on his father's side are Kenyan, not American. His mother is an only child, so she couldn't supply Barry with uncles. But there was a great-uncle who served in the American Army in WWII, and considering that I called my great-great-aunt, "Aunt Agnes," I'll give him the "uncle" name for a great-uncle.
But Auschwitz? Come on!
The Soviets liberated Auschwitz and all the other death camps that were still operating in Poland in 1945. The Americans fought the Germans in Western Europe and never got east of Germany (for the geographically challenged, Poland is east of Germany, so our troops didn't get there).
According to CrankyProf (comment #134), the Americans liberated Buchenwald, Dachau, Dora Mittlebau, Flossenburg, and Mauthausen. It's hard to mix those up with Auschwitz. Unless the person doesn't know his history or geography and thinks that nobody else does either.
One of the commenters had read Obama's book that said his uncle came back from WWII, never having seen combat. But in Obama's Memorial Day Q & A, he mentioned the PTSD his uncle suffered that forced Uncle Auschwitz into the family attic for six months. That uncle must have had an extremely low tolerance for stress.
But wait! There's an update already. Barack Obama has clarified his misstatement about his uncle.
As suspected, it was his great-uncle he had in mind, not his uncle, and the camp wasn’t Auschwitz but one of the ones Patton’s army liberated, namely, the Ohrdruf subcamp at Buchenwald. Look at the photos at Wikipedia and you’ll understand why he might have needed six months in the attic.
This still doesn't add up. Obama's grandfather was in Patton's army. If Uncle Auschwitz was also in Patton's army for the liberation of Ohrdruf of Buchenwald, then how did he qualify as "non-combat"? Too many different stories about the same man.
Too many mistakes by Obama about things a presidential hopeful should know.
Maybe Obama was zombificated. That would explain the poor brain functioning...
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day Tributes
The AP reported today on President Bush's tribute to the troops at Arlington National Cemetery.
"On this Memorial Day, I stand before you as the commander in chief and try to tell you how proud I am," Bush told an audience of military figures, veterans and their families at Arlington National Cemetery. Of the men and women buried in the hallowed cemetery, he said, "They're an awesome bunch of people and the United States is blessed to have such citizens."
"From faraway lands, they were returned to cemeteries like this one where broken hearts received their broken bodies," Bush said. "They found peace beneath the white headstones in the land they fought to defend. It is a solemn reminder of the cost of freedom that the number of headstones in a place such as this grows with every new Memorial Day."
He eulogized all U.S. troops who have died in service to the nation, but particularly those who lost their lives this past year.
He singled out Army Spc. Ronald Tucker of Fountain, Colo., who died less than a month ago in Iraq in a bomb attack that occurred as he returned from helping build a soccer field for Iraqi children. The president also spoke of two Navy SEALs, Nathan Hardy of Durham, N.H., and Michael Koch of State College, Pa., who often headed into battle wearing American flags on their chests under their uniforms. The two died Feb. 4 in Iraq and are buried side-by-side at Arlington.
"I am humbled by those who have made the ultimate sacrifice that allow a free civilization to endure and flourish," Bush said. "It only remains for us, the heirs of their legacy, to have the courage and the character to follow their lead and to preserve America as the greatest nation on Earth and the last, best hope for mankind."
Other tributes:
A roundup, posted by Mrs. Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette (HT: Hugh Hewitt).
Michelle Malkin's post, Remembrance, gratitude, fortitude.
The list of Medal of Honor winners. It's sorted by war or campaign (HT: The Hedgehog Blog).
And this beautiful video by Wordsmith from Nantucket at Sparks from the Anvil:
"On this Memorial Day, I stand before you as the commander in chief and try to tell you how proud I am," Bush told an audience of military figures, veterans and their families at Arlington National Cemetery. Of the men and women buried in the hallowed cemetery, he said, "They're an awesome bunch of people and the United States is blessed to have such citizens."
"From faraway lands, they were returned to cemeteries like this one where broken hearts received their broken bodies," Bush said. "They found peace beneath the white headstones in the land they fought to defend. It is a solemn reminder of the cost of freedom that the number of headstones in a place such as this grows with every new Memorial Day."
He eulogized all U.S. troops who have died in service to the nation, but particularly those who lost their lives this past year.
He singled out Army Spc. Ronald Tucker of Fountain, Colo., who died less than a month ago in Iraq in a bomb attack that occurred as he returned from helping build a soccer field for Iraqi children. The president also spoke of two Navy SEALs, Nathan Hardy of Durham, N.H., and Michael Koch of State College, Pa., who often headed into battle wearing American flags on their chests under their uniforms. The two died Feb. 4 in Iraq and are buried side-by-side at Arlington.
"I am humbled by those who have made the ultimate sacrifice that allow a free civilization to endure and flourish," Bush said. "It only remains for us, the heirs of their legacy, to have the courage and the character to follow their lead and to preserve America as the greatest nation on Earth and the last, best hope for mankind."
Other tributes:
A roundup, posted by Mrs. Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette (HT: Hugh Hewitt).
Michelle Malkin's post, Remembrance, gratitude, fortitude.
The list of Medal of Honor winners. It's sorted by war or campaign (HT: The Hedgehog Blog).
And this beautiful video by Wordsmith from Nantucket at Sparks from the Anvil:
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Noises in my House
As I was having breakfast, I heard some unusual thumping noises coming from another part of the house. My mind went on instant alert until it identified the sounds.
That's right. My daughter moved back in with me last night. I couldn't be happier.
Let the noises continue!
That's right. My daughter moved back in with me last night. I couldn't be happier.
Let the noises continue!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Something is Wrong
I live in Southern California. It's the second half of the month of May. And it's raining.
I heard the rain coming about 30 seconds before it started landing on the sidewalk outside the window. It's the kind of rain that falls without wind, big drops that leave space between them at first then fill in the gaps in short order.
It's the kind of rain that doesn't belong in Southern California in May. But it's here.
It's welcome, but it's just not right.
I heard the rain coming about 30 seconds before it started landing on the sidewalk outside the window. It's the kind of rain that falls without wind, big drops that leave space between them at first then fill in the gaps in short order.
It's the kind of rain that doesn't belong in Southern California in May. But it's here.
It's welcome, but it's just not right.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Balancing the Federal Budget
I heard a blurb on the radio news when I was listening to Hugh Hewitt's radio show. They said there's a new online game where you try to balance the federal budget. The game is here (warning: it makes noise).
I haven't played the game yet, but it reminds me of something I heard many years ago. They (the "they" that says things) said that somebody-or-other got together quite a few different groups of randomly ordinary citizens and put them to work on the federal budget. Each time, the citizens did the hard work of trimming excess from the budget. They attacked Social Security and all the big, bloated Departments of Wasteful Spending that Congress hasn't been able to bring themselves totouch reduce in decades. They did things to the budget that Everyone In The Know is certain the public wouldn't allow. And the organizers of the project were amazed at how beautiful the results were. Every single time.
So the questions that remain are:
Do we want a balanced federal budget? Do we want to see waste cut from the budget in a big way? Do we want an end to unconscionable earmarks for pointless projects whose only purpose is to get spoiled Congressmen and Senators re-elected?
If so, the answer is to put the budgeting process into the hands of random citizens who serve on a one-time basis. The President can tell the group what his proposals are, and the House and Senate Republicans and Democrats can make their cases as well. Then the group can go to work and present the results to Congress--and the press--for approval.
How we're supposed to get the system changed to this new method, though, is beyond me.
I haven't played the game yet, but it reminds me of something I heard many years ago. They (the "they" that says things) said that somebody-or-other got together quite a few different groups of randomly ordinary citizens and put them to work on the federal budget. Each time, the citizens did the hard work of trimming excess from the budget. They attacked Social Security and all the big, bloated Departments of Wasteful Spending that Congress hasn't been able to bring themselves to
So the questions that remain are:
Do we want a balanced federal budget? Do we want to see waste cut from the budget in a big way? Do we want an end to unconscionable earmarks for pointless projects whose only purpose is to get spoiled Congressmen and Senators re-elected?
If so, the answer is to put the budgeting process into the hands of random citizens who serve on a one-time basis. The President can tell the group what his proposals are, and the House and Senate Republicans and Democrats can make their cases as well. Then the group can go to work and present the results to Congress--and the press--for approval.
How we're supposed to get the system changed to this new method, though, is beyond me.
Teach Your Parrots Well
Photo credit: AP
The AP reported today about finding a lost parrot in Japan.
When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught — recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help.
Police rescued the African grey parrot two weeks ago from a neighbor's roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital while police searched for clues, local policeman Shinjiro Uemura said.
He kept mum with the cops, but began chatting after a few days with the vet.
"I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura," the bird told the veterinarian, according to Uemura. The parrot also provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the hospital staff by singing songs.
"We checked the address, and what do you know, a Nakamura family really lived there. So we told them we've found Yosuke," Uemura said.
The Nakamura family told police they had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years.
If you have pets that can talk, teach them their name and address.
Oh, and teach your kids, too.
Thomas Sowell's Summer Reading List
Thomas Sowell's syndicated column yesterday provided a summer reading list.
Some parents who are concerned about their children receiving a steady diet of liberal-left indoctrination in schools and colleges regard the summer vacation as a time to show these young people a different way of looking at things, with readings presenting viewpoints that are unlikely to be heard in classrooms that have become indoctrination centers.
Fortunately, there is a growing body of literature— both books and articles— presenting a very different viewpoint in readable language.
Here are the books he recommends:
Best-Laid Plans, by Randal O'Toole, "gives a richly documented account of government actions and their consequences."
Liberal Fascism, by Jonah Goldberg, reveals "that the original fascism was in fact a doctrine having far more in common with the left than with conservatism."
A Bound Man, by Shelby Steele, "gives both facts and insights [about Barack Obama] that will take the reader far deeper than most media accounts."
Basic Economics, by Thomas Sowell. "Apparently many people find it easier to understand than most economics books"
Economic Facts and Fallacies, by Thomas Sowell, "looks in-depth at fallacies about such things as housing, income, race, sex discrimination, the economics of academia and the Third World."
Of course, you don't need to be a student to benefit from these books.
Let the summer begin...
Some parents who are concerned about their children receiving a steady diet of liberal-left indoctrination in schools and colleges regard the summer vacation as a time to show these young people a different way of looking at things, with readings presenting viewpoints that are unlikely to be heard in classrooms that have become indoctrination centers.
Fortunately, there is a growing body of literature— both books and articles— presenting a very different viewpoint in readable language.
Here are the books he recommends:
Best-Laid Plans, by Randal O'Toole, "gives a richly documented account of government actions and their consequences."
Liberal Fascism, by Jonah Goldberg, reveals "that the original fascism was in fact a doctrine having far more in common with the left than with conservatism."
A Bound Man, by Shelby Steele, "gives both facts and insights [about Barack Obama] that will take the reader far deeper than most media accounts."
Basic Economics, by Thomas Sowell. "Apparently many people find it easier to understand than most economics books"
Economic Facts and Fallacies, by Thomas Sowell, "looks in-depth at fallacies about such things as housing, income, race, sex discrimination, the economics of academia and the Third World."
Of course, you don't need to be a student to benefit from these books.
Let the summer begin...
Zimbabwe Gets Arms Shipment
Darn! Double darn!!
The Age (Australia) reported yesterday that the shipment of Chinese arms reached Zimbabwe.
ZIMBABWE'S regime appears to have been strengthened before a presidential election with a shipment of arms from China.
Reports said the weapons, including 3 million bullets, mortar bombs and rocket-propelled grenades, had been unloaded from the Chinese vessel, the An Yue Jiang, at the Angolan port of Lobito and flown to Harare.
The ship had been the focus of international condemnation when it sailed towards South Africa last month. It was refused docking rights and remained off the coast for weeks before the Chinese Foreign Ministry recalled it.
However, Zimbabwe's Deputy Information Minister, Bright Matonga, was quoted by South African newspaper The Weekender as saying the regime had the weapons. Two Zimbabwean ministers and senior army officers visited Luanda three weeks ago to negotiate the docking and unloading of the ship.
Presidential spokesman George Chiramba said in state-controlled newspaper The Herald that "the arms will be delivered to Zimbabwe, one way or the other".
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said confirmation of the delivery was "groundless rumour".
It's hard to know who to believe, the tyrannical-dictator liars or the other tyrannical-dictator liars. I'm disposed to believe that Robert Mugabe's regime received the weapons, because he really wanted them, and China really wanted him to get them.
Not that Mugabe needed them, considering how much damage he's done to the opposition party, driving many to flee the country--those who weren't beaten or killed first.
The reports [of the arms delivery] came days after the election commission in Zimbabwe announced that the delayed presidential run-off would take place on June 27. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change — whose leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, delayed his return to Zimbabwe at the weekend due to "credible" reports of an assassination attempt — said it feared the shipment would be used against those "whose only crime is rejecting dictatorship and voting for change".
The US ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, warned that violence was making a fair second-round, run-off vote impossible. He said he had evidence that security forces had been involved in "pure, unadulterated violence designed to intimidate people from voting".
Tyrannical-dictator liars don't give up power without a serious fight, and damn the consequences.
The Age (Australia) reported yesterday that the shipment of Chinese arms reached Zimbabwe.
ZIMBABWE'S regime appears to have been strengthened before a presidential election with a shipment of arms from China.
Reports said the weapons, including 3 million bullets, mortar bombs and rocket-propelled grenades, had been unloaded from the Chinese vessel, the An Yue Jiang, at the Angolan port of Lobito and flown to Harare.
The ship had been the focus of international condemnation when it sailed towards South Africa last month. It was refused docking rights and remained off the coast for weeks before the Chinese Foreign Ministry recalled it.
However, Zimbabwe's Deputy Information Minister, Bright Matonga, was quoted by South African newspaper The Weekender as saying the regime had the weapons. Two Zimbabwean ministers and senior army officers visited Luanda three weeks ago to negotiate the docking and unloading of the ship.
Presidential spokesman George Chiramba said in state-controlled newspaper The Herald that "the arms will be delivered to Zimbabwe, one way or the other".
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said confirmation of the delivery was "groundless rumour".
It's hard to know who to believe, the tyrannical-dictator liars or the other tyrannical-dictator liars. I'm disposed to believe that Robert Mugabe's regime received the weapons, because he really wanted them, and China really wanted him to get them.
Not that Mugabe needed them, considering how much damage he's done to the opposition party, driving many to flee the country--those who weren't beaten or killed first.
The reports [of the arms delivery] came days after the election commission in Zimbabwe announced that the delayed presidential run-off would take place on June 27. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change — whose leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, delayed his return to Zimbabwe at the weekend due to "credible" reports of an assassination attempt — said it feared the shipment would be used against those "whose only crime is rejecting dictatorship and voting for change".
The US ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, warned that violence was making a fair second-round, run-off vote impossible. He said he had evidence that security forces had been involved in "pure, unadulterated violence designed to intimidate people from voting".
Tyrannical-dictator liars don't give up power without a serious fight, and damn the consequences.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Global Warming Confusion
Two stories are in the news today, and together they reflect the two sides of the global warming debate.
WorldNetDaily reported yesterday on scientists rejecting the global warming mantra.
More than 31,000 scientists across the U.S. – including more than 9,000 Ph.D.s in fields such as atmospheric science, climatology, Earth science, environment and dozens of other specialties – have signed a petition rejecting "global warming," the assumption that the human production of greenhouse gases is damaging Earth's climate.
"There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate," the petition states. "Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth."
The Petition Project actually was launched nearly 10 years ago, when the first few thousand signatures were assembled. Then, between 1999 and 2007, the list of signatures grew gradually without any special effort or campaign.
But now, a new effort has been conducted because of an "escalation of the claims of 'consensus,' release of the movie 'An Inconvenient Truth' by Mr. Al Gore, and related events," according to officials with the project.
In terms of Ph.D. scientists alone, it already has 15 times more scientists than are seriously involved in the U.N.'s campaign to "vilify hydrocarbons," officials told WND.
"The very large number of petition signers demonstrates that, if there is a consensus among American scientists, it is in opposition to the human-caused global warming hypothesis rather than in favor of it," the organization noted.
On the other hand, there's a disturbed scientist in Australia who is on the verge of an apoplectic fit over global warming. The Age (Australia) reported the story today.
SCIENTIST Tim Flannery has proposed a radical solution to climate change which may change the colour of the sky.
But he said it may be necessary, as the "last barrier to climate collapse".
Professor Flannery said climate change was happening so quickly that mankind might need to pump sulphur into the atmosphere to survive. Australia's best-known expert on global warming has updated his climate forecast for the world, and it's much worse than he thought just three years ago.
He has called for a range of radical emergency measures.
The gas sulphur could be inserted into the earth's stratosphere to keep out the sun's rays and slow global warming, a process called global dimming.
"It would change the colour of the sky," Professor Flannery said. "It's the last resort that we have, it's the last barrier to a climate collapse.
"We need to be ready to start doing it in perhaps five years' time if we fail to achieve what we're trying to achieve."
The 2007 Australian of the Year said the sulphur could be dispersed above the earth's surface by adding it to jet fuel.
He conceded there were risks to global dimming via sulphur: "The consequences of doing that are unknown."
Unknown??? Can you say, "sulfuric acid rain"? That's like shooting somebody to cure him of his head cold.
But then again, Flannery doesn't believe global warming is the earthly equivalent of a cold.
Professor Flannery, who spoke at a business and sustainability conference yesterday in Parliament House, Canberra, said new science showed the world was much more susceptible to greenhouse gas emissions than had been thought eight years ago.
Regardless of what happened to future emissions, there was already far too much greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, he said.
Cutting emissions was not enough. Mankind now had to take greenhouse gases out of the air. "The current burden of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is in fact more than sufficient to cause catastrophic climate change," Professor Flannery said.
"Everything's going in the wrong direction at the moment; timelines are getting shorter, the amount of pollution in the atmosphere is growing. It's extremely urgent."
As well as the global dimming plan, Professor Flannery said carbon should be taken out of the air and converted into charcoal, then ploughed into farmers' fields.
Wealthy people should pay poor farmers in tropical zones to plant forests, possibly through a direct-purchase scheme like the eBay website.
And all conventional coal-fired power stations that did not have "clean coal" technology should be closed by 2030.
Capturing carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations and storing them underground was a good idea, Professor Flannery said.
That's one who is very much on the side of catastrophic global warming. Plus Al Gore, who isn't a scientist. Plus the UN, which wants to run the world. And 31,000 who say it's not catastrophic and certainly not worth destroying the economy of the world because of it.
Whose side do you want to be on?
WorldNetDaily reported yesterday on scientists rejecting the global warming mantra.
More than 31,000 scientists across the U.S. – including more than 9,000 Ph.D.s in fields such as atmospheric science, climatology, Earth science, environment and dozens of other specialties – have signed a petition rejecting "global warming," the assumption that the human production of greenhouse gases is damaging Earth's climate.
"There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate," the petition states. "Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth."
The Petition Project actually was launched nearly 10 years ago, when the first few thousand signatures were assembled. Then, between 1999 and 2007, the list of signatures grew gradually without any special effort or campaign.
But now, a new effort has been conducted because of an "escalation of the claims of 'consensus,' release of the movie 'An Inconvenient Truth' by Mr. Al Gore, and related events," according to officials with the project.
In terms of Ph.D. scientists alone, it already has 15 times more scientists than are seriously involved in the U.N.'s campaign to "vilify hydrocarbons," officials told WND.
"The very large number of petition signers demonstrates that, if there is a consensus among American scientists, it is in opposition to the human-caused global warming hypothesis rather than in favor of it," the organization noted.
On the other hand, there's a disturbed scientist in Australia who is on the verge of an apoplectic fit over global warming. The Age (Australia) reported the story today.
SCIENTIST Tim Flannery has proposed a radical solution to climate change which may change the colour of the sky.
But he said it may be necessary, as the "last barrier to climate collapse".
Professor Flannery said climate change was happening so quickly that mankind might need to pump sulphur into the atmosphere to survive. Australia's best-known expert on global warming has updated his climate forecast for the world, and it's much worse than he thought just three years ago.
He has called for a range of radical emergency measures.
The gas sulphur could be inserted into the earth's stratosphere to keep out the sun's rays and slow global warming, a process called global dimming.
"It would change the colour of the sky," Professor Flannery said. "It's the last resort that we have, it's the last barrier to a climate collapse.
"We need to be ready to start doing it in perhaps five years' time if we fail to achieve what we're trying to achieve."
The 2007 Australian of the Year said the sulphur could be dispersed above the earth's surface by adding it to jet fuel.
He conceded there were risks to global dimming via sulphur: "The consequences of doing that are unknown."
Unknown??? Can you say, "sulfuric acid rain"? That's like shooting somebody to cure him of his head cold.
But then again, Flannery doesn't believe global warming is the earthly equivalent of a cold.
Professor Flannery, who spoke at a business and sustainability conference yesterday in Parliament House, Canberra, said new science showed the world was much more susceptible to greenhouse gas emissions than had been thought eight years ago.
Regardless of what happened to future emissions, there was already far too much greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, he said.
Cutting emissions was not enough. Mankind now had to take greenhouse gases out of the air. "The current burden of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is in fact more than sufficient to cause catastrophic climate change," Professor Flannery said.
"Everything's going in the wrong direction at the moment; timelines are getting shorter, the amount of pollution in the atmosphere is growing. It's extremely urgent."
As well as the global dimming plan, Professor Flannery said carbon should be taken out of the air and converted into charcoal, then ploughed into farmers' fields.
Wealthy people should pay poor farmers in tropical zones to plant forests, possibly through a direct-purchase scheme like the eBay website.
And all conventional coal-fired power stations that did not have "clean coal" technology should be closed by 2030.
Capturing carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations and storing them underground was a good idea, Professor Flannery said.
That's one who is very much on the side of catastrophic global warming. Plus Al Gore, who isn't a scientist. Plus the UN, which wants to run the world. And 31,000 who say it's not catastrophic and certainly not worth destroying the economy of the world because of it.
Whose side do you want to be on?
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Home Run Helpers
My Sunday School teacher read us this AP story in class today from the May 1, 2008, local paper. I googled it and found this YouTube video. Grab a hanky first.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Obama and Shop Class
There are times when a really clever thought passes through my mind, I recognize the brilliance of it, and then I get distracted by something, and the thought is gone. I had one of those the other day, after President Bush spoke before Israel's Knesset and Sen. Barack Obama responded defensively (HT: Sparks from the Anvil).
Here is the pertinent portion of President Bush's speech:
Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: ‘Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.’ We have an obligation to call this what it is – the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.
And Obama's reaction:
The Illinois senator interpreted the remark as a slam against him but the White House denied that Bush's words were in any way directed at Obama, who has said as president he would be willing to personally meet with Iran's leaders and those of other regimes the United States has deemed rogue.
"It is sad that President Bush would use a speech to the Knesset on the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence to launch a false political attack," Obama said in the statement his aides distributed. "George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists, and the president's extraordinary politicization of foreign policy and the politics of fear do nothing to secure the American people or our stalwart ally Israel."
My brilliant thought was a memory from my childhood. My mom had Bill Cosby's album, Why Is There Air? and I remembered the punchline from the track, Shop. And then I forgot it before I had a chance to blog.
But See-Dubya, at Michelle Malkin's blog, remembered long enough to to post this. Brilliant!
Here is the pertinent portion of President Bush's speech:
Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: ‘Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.’ We have an obligation to call this what it is – the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.
And Obama's reaction:
The Illinois senator interpreted the remark as a slam against him but the White House denied that Bush's words were in any way directed at Obama, who has said as president he would be willing to personally meet with Iran's leaders and those of other regimes the United States has deemed rogue.
"It is sad that President Bush would use a speech to the Knesset on the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence to launch a false political attack," Obama said in the statement his aides distributed. "George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists, and the president's extraordinary politicization of foreign policy and the politics of fear do nothing to secure the American people or our stalwart ally Israel."
My brilliant thought was a memory from my childhood. My mom had Bill Cosby's album, Why Is There Air? and I remembered the punchline from the track, Shop. And then I forgot it before I had a chance to blog.
But See-Dubya, at Michelle Malkin's blog, remembered long enough to to post this. Brilliant!
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