Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Global cooling in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in my lifetime
Mean average temperature 1892-1956: 48.2 degrees F
Mean average temperature 1956-2015: 48.0 degrees F
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Monday, June 6, 2016
Dilbert creator Scott Adams uncovers the bloodthirst causing Hillary Clinton's chronic cough
Here:
This past week we saw Clinton pair the idea of President Trump with nuclear disaster, racism, Hitler, the Holocaust, and whatever else makes you tremble in fear. ... [O]nce you define Trump as Hitler, you also give citizens moral permission to kill him. And obviously it would be okay to kill anyone who actively supports a genocidal dictator, including anyone who wrote about his persuasion skills in positive terms. (I’m called an “apologist” on Twitter, or sometimes just Joseph Goebbels).
Sunday, June 5, 2016
The current very strong El Nino now extends to 14 months, averaging 1.5 on the index
We now have three back to back periods of 1.9, 1.6 and 1.1 on the index, indicating the El Nino is winding down rapidly from its high point in November-December-January at 2.3.
Year over year, abnormally dry conditions and worse have been reduced by El Nino rains from 50.73% of the country at the end of May 2015 to 31.82% of the country now, an improvement of just over 37%. Central and southern California remains hard hit.
Grand Rapids, MI, reported temperature anomaly for May 2016 was +1.7 degrees F
Temperature averaged 60.4 degrees F, according to the preliminary monthly climate data for May 2016 in Grand Rapids, MI. The cumulative reported total anomaly year to date rises 1.7 from +7.3 last month to +9.0 degrees F in May. Using the full NOW data set going back to 1892, however, the cumulative temperature anomaly for the first five months of 2016 is +15.9 degrees F.
Snowfall was only a trace in May, still totaling 61.1 inches to date, but now 4.9 inches below the long term mean average of 66 inches, with one month left in the measuring period.
Heating degree days (HDD) in May at 206 were 18.25% below the long term normal for the month. The long term mean expected HDD to date would be 6663. Actual HDD to date were 5596, 16% below normal, thanks to the El Nino, with one month left in the measuring period.
It is notable that neither this El Nino nor any other since 1950 has come close to producing the warm winter Grand Rapids experienced in 2011-2012 when the heating degree day measurement hit an all time record low of 5253. Placeholders two and three for warmest winters by HDD after 2011-12 were 1920-21 at 5520 and 1931-32 at 5619. 2015-2016 looks set to join the list, however, of the top five warmest winters by HDD.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Friday, June 3, 2016
Paul Ryan mistakenly thinks Donald Trump exists to serve Congress' agenda when it's the other way around
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Big spending establishment Speaker Paul Ryan voted for Cromnibus |
Here:
House Republicans are helping shape that Republican vision by offering a bold policy agenda, by offering a better way ahead. Donald Trump can help us make it a reality.
If Americans wanted Congress' agenda the Congress would have a higher approval rating than 18%.
Trump's rating by contrast is 33% in May.
San Jose's mayor Sam Liccardo projects a safer city for Democrats only, not for Donald Trump and his supporters
An angry mob pelted eggs, tomatoes, and bottles at the [Trump] spectators—as well as the police, who tried (and failed) to maintain some semblance of order. Other Trump supporters were set upon and punched. One was left with blood streaming down his face. ... "At some point Donald Trump needs to take responsibility for the irresponsible behavior of his campaign," the [Clinton Democrat] mayor said.
More here.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Recycling the story from March, presidential candidate Gary Johnson doubles down on libertarianism being of the left not of the right
Former Republican Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson, running as the Libertarian Party candidate for president, quoted here:
"[L]ibertarians agree with socialism as long as it’s voluntary”.
Libertarian Koch brothers funded American Action Forum finds cost of deportation to be $67,000 per, ICE only $12,500
What a shock.
Ed Rubenstein, here:
One AAF report put the total cost of removing all 11.3 million illegals living in the U.S. at between $420 billion and $619 billion. That is based on the assumption that 20% of the aliens would leave voluntarily [The Budgetary and Economic Costs of Addressing Unauthorized Immigration: Alternative Strategies, By Ben Gitis and Laura Collins, March 6, 2015].
But let’s do the math. Deducting those who would self-deport we are left with 8.96 million illegals that the U.S. government would have to forcibly deport. Dividing AAF’s low and high cost estimates by these involuntary deportees, we arrive at a per deportee cost ranging from $45,000 to $67,000. By comparison, ICE—the government agency in charge of deportations, estimates that it costs $12,500 to deport an illegal alien. [ ICE reveals cost for deporting each illegal immigrant, By Mizanur Rahman, San Francisco Chronicle, January 27, 2011]. ...
To understand why AAF inflates its deportation cost estimates, just follow the money. Not the Federal tax money: the donor money. The Koch brothers [have] given millions to the forum as part of the now-familiar quid pro quo: our money for your “research” supporting open borders [The newest dark money power player: American Action Network, By Zachary Roth, MSNBC, March 18, 2014]. The Kochs see illegal aliens as a profit center rather than a problem.
Labels:
Ed Rubenstein,
ICE,
Immigration 2016,
Koch Brothers,
libertarian 2016,
Nancy Pelosi,
VDARE
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Despicable Paul Ryan, Congress and Obama stiff-arm Puerto Rico bondholders who will end up fronting the inevitable taxpayer bailout
Paul Ryan is the establishment all the way. And he hasn't changed since 2008. He is not Tea Party, he is not Freedom Caucus, he is not for the taxpayer, period.
From the story here:
In essence, the bondholders will front the money for the bailout while taxpayers would have to pay them back for this cash advance.
This is something that Speaker Ryan and his allies, including the Obama Administration, don't want you to know.
Labels:
Barack Obama 2016,
House Freedom Caucus,
Paul Ryan,
Puerto Rico,
TARP,
Tea Party
Monday, May 30, 2016
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Bob Dole recommends Newt Gingrich for VP
From the remarks here, after the eight minute mark:
"My view is that Donald Trump needs someone who understands Congress, who can help him work with Congress, who understands foreign policy, domestic policy, economic policy," Dole said Saturday. "You know someone like Newt Gingrich. You know none of us are perfect, but Newt Gingrich is a good fit for Trump, because he can help him in all of those areas and Trump has to listen."
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
Libertarian Charles Murray warns the world he's writing a book agreeing with Trumpism, but Trump's still not fit to be president
The response to Murray's article at National Review tells the true state of libertarianism today, and everyday.
With 3842 comments as of this moment, the top comment gets 44 up-votes, indicating an agreement rate of 1.1%.
Libertarians can't agree about their own movement let alone about the country. Meanwhile 11.5 million Republican primary voters agree with Donald Trump.
Here's Murray:
We Establishmentarians, therefore, should all go on the record about our view of Donald Trump. That includes me. I have done so in 140-character tweets, but it’s time to elaborate. Apart from that, I have a specific need to go on the record: While I am already on record with my sympathy for the grievances that energize many of Trump’s supporters, I am thinking about writing a book that is even more explicitly sympathetic with those grievances. I want to forestall any suspicion — especially if Trump is elected — that writing in sympathy with some of the content of Trumpism indicates any form of sucking up to Trump the man.
Chicom People's Liberation Army: Just waitin' for the order to Kill, Kill, Kill
Seen here:
China in recent years has turned to animated short films, rock bands and rap music to promote the Communist Party, government policies and the military. An armed forces recruiting video released earlier this month features a rap-rock soundtrack with lyrics such as "just waiting for the order to kill, kill, kill" over a frantic music-video style montage of aircraft, tanks and guns.
The video is here, at the end of which the message couldn't be clearer. An effort is also underway to make Karl Marx cool to the millennial generation of China, which has lost interest (story here).
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Unbound delegates pledge support for Trump, giving him 1,238 and securing the nomination
The Associated Press had the story, here:
Trump was put over the top in the Associated Press delegate count by a small number of the party's unbound delegates who told the AP they would support him at the national convention in July. Among them is Oklahoma GOP chairwoman Pam Pollard.
Purple Strategies online poll is pure propaganda, calls people making between $30,000 and $75,000 "working class", says they'll vote for Hillary
Aside from online polls being a joke, this one from Purple Strategies for Bloomberg saying people making between $30,000 and $75,000 are "working class" is as phony as they get:
“If he [Trump] can’t improve his performance among these working-class voters, he may need to build a more conventional Republican coalition to win,” said pollster Doug Usher.
Those are middle class people, not working class, and numbered about 54 million in 2014.
Working class people with whom Trump is wildly popular make up to $30,000 and numbered about 81 million in 2014.
This "poll" is trying to shape perceptions, not measure them.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Monday, May 23, 2016
Lawyers on strike over new taxes in Greece push backlog of cases to the year 2032
Reported here:
Athens lawyer Thanos Koussoulos says self-employed professionals like him will feel the most pain, as the new measures will increase monthly pension contributions, taxable income, and levies on services. "An average lawyer will lose half his income and won't be able to survive," he said, speaking in an empty courtroom. "Every part of society has been affected by these measures, including groups once considered to be privileged. I think it's a good thing they are demonstrating." ... Ironically, the lawyers' strike has added pressure on the government to seek a quick way to raise revenue, as tax cases challenged in court have been held up.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Goodbye libertarian moment, we hardly knew thee: "Man has a proclivity for safety, not liberty"
James E. Miller at Takimag, here:
Man has a proclivity for safety, not liberty. Human history is littered with war after war, conflict after conflict. Whatever liberty we eke out of our constant warring state is always in danger of being lost. As philosopher John Gray noted, “To think of humans as freedom-loving, you must be ready to view nearly all of history as a mistake.”
As the ancients maintained but we never seem to remember, even when we study them:
WAR IS THE FATHER OF EVERYTHING.
Labels:
James E. Miller,
John Gray,
libertarian 2016,
Takimag,
The UK Spectator
Rasmussen: Trump 42% to Clinton 37%
Here:
Trump earns 42% support to Clinton’s 37% when Likely U.S. Voters are asked whom they would vote for if the presidential election were held today. ...
Rasmussen Reports will update the Clinton-Trump White House Watch matchup numbers every Thursday morning from now until Election Day in November.
States so far where Trump was bested by McCain in 2008 and Romney in 2012
McCain beat Trump in:
Idaho
Kentucky
Oregon
Vermont
DC
Arizona
Romney beat Trump in:
Vermont
DC
North Carolina
Nebraska
Kentucky
Texas
Utah
McCain's total vote in 2008 was 9.9 million.
Romney's total vote in 2012 was 9.8 million.
With six contests remaining in 2016 Trump is already pushing 11.2 million.
Yesterday Rush Limbaugh said Hillary's momentum was "plundering", or something like that
Evidently conflating "plunging" and "floundering".
But the transcript here has been cleaned up, indicating Rush said "plummeting" when that's not what he said.
For once his transcriptionist is covering for him.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
The perverse Kevin Williamson says presidents aren't in charge of the economy after Hillary says she'll put Bill in charge
Here.
Which of course means he has to discredit Reagan's economic achievement (by never mentioning it), which came because Reagan reduced the top bracket from 70% to 50% and for a brief shining moment to 28%.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of Mao's Cultural Revolution
From the story here:
Millions of people were persecuted, publicly humiliated, beaten or killed during the upheaval, as zealous factionalism metastasized countrywide, tearing apart Chinese society at a most basic level. ... The Cultural Revolution is considered to have begun May 16, 1966, when the Communist Party's Politburo purged a number of leading officials. Over the following decade, Mao deposed two heirs apparent, his "Little Red Book" of sayings was elevated to the level of holy scripture, and millions were imprisoned, sent to labor camps or exiled from the cities.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
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