Sunday - July 15, 2007

CNN vs Michael Moore - Last Man Standing Match

Howdy all, it’s your neighborhood wife/mom/Sagittarian/Dragon/metalhead/occasional smarta** known (and beloved) as Severa, coming to you with my first BMEWS post, jumping into the fire.

When I’m not at our townhome community pool with my two sons (don’t smack me - it gets them out of the house, it wears them out and it’s FREE) or tending to house and family, I’m on the computer. For years I’ve been a Net and news junkie.  My main news sites are BMEWS, FoxNews, FreeRepublic (yes Rats, I’m one of those dreaded FREEPERS you trash talk soooo much) and CNN. Yes I know CNN’s cable news bites (at least it did when I watched it back in the day and from what I’ve heard it hasn’t gotten any better) but their website can occasionally be good for a laugh…

No seriously. I fell across this link on the site today:

CNN’s Response to Michael Moore

Apparently, Michael Moore wrote this big letter on his website about how CNN reported on his movie ‘Sicko’ . CNN has has now posted on their site a response to Moore’s letter. There’s an opening statement, then they go through the main points that Moore addressed in his letter.

Now I can’t post the whole thing here (it’s LOOOOONG) but there’s some GREAT unintentional comedy in here (my responses are in italics):

From the opening statement:
“We have zero vested interest in shading the numbers to tell a certain story. Suggesting otherwise, of Dr. Gupta or of CNN, just doesn’t hold water,”
(*begins to snicker a bit, but then coughs* Oh sorry about that...)

From Point #1
Moore appears to be creating an issue where none exists.
(Takes one to know one...or pot calling the kettle black...?)

From Point #6:
One of Gupta’s overall critiques of the film is that Moore leaves viewers with an impression, as he does on his Web site, that universal health care comes without cost. In fact, substantial taxes are required to pay for such programs around the world.
(Leaving viewers with an impression...you mean how like CNN almost never reports ANYTHING GOOD ABOUT THE WAR IN IRAQ? Oops my CAPS LOCK slipped. My bad...)

From Point #8
CNN: “But no matter how much Moore fudged the facts, and he did fudge some facts...”

“The Truth” (from Michael Moore’s Web site):

This is libel. There is not a single fact that is “fudged” in the film. No one has proven a single fact in the film wrong. We expect CNN to correct their mistakes on the air and to apologize to their viewers.

(I’m not quite sure on the definition for libel, but saying someone fudged some facts isn’t really life shattering libel to me...)

From Point #9:
To reiterate, we believe numbers should be compared apples to apples, oranges to oranges.
(Yeah I’ll believe that...the second you start reporting on Democrat corruption through the years...No I won’t hold my breath, don’t worry...)

From Point #10:
Again, Moore seems to be creating controversy where there is none.
(Again, I await the day that CNN starts reporting GOOD NEWS ON IRAQ...*punches CAPS LOCK button repeatedly*)

From the Conclusion:
We have laid out the facts, plain and simple.
(Riiiiight. Maybe on THIS issue....but on others...)

Like I said before, I don’t watch CNN (I do NOT put on the news until after my sons go to bed. When I do watch news, it’s FoxNews or the local NBC affiliate). I sure as heck don’t listen to Michael Moore.  I think it’s funny as hell that CNN actually bit the bullet and responded to his griping. Can’t wait to see more on THIS story....

Posted by Severa     on 07/15/2007 at 09:04 PM   
Filed Under: • Politics •  
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Polarization

\Po’lar*i*az"tion\, n. [Cf. F. polarisation][1913 Webster] 1. The act of polarizing; the state of being polarized, or of having polarity.

Selections from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward:

Polarization: anteposition, confrontation, disparity, division, hostility, mutual repulsion.

(Thanks to the Hypertext Webster Gateway at http://www.bennetyee.org/)

- - -

I think the Thesaurus’ words were more what I was thinking of. Angles of reflection of light aren’t really what this post is all about.

Rather, it has to do with the (mostly) childish attitudes that come from the various camps when it comes to the issues of the day. It can range from “Nuke ‘em ‘til they glow” to “Can’t we all just get along?” to what it means to have single-tiered health care in Canada to what exactly is going on with our environment.

Children with asthma are now commonplace. It wasn’t like that when I was a kid. We seem to bump into people with life-threatening nut allergies on a more regular basis. It wasn’t like that when I was a kid either. So tell me, are we just getting better at diagnosing these ailments, or is there really an increase? If there is, have we brought it upon ourselves?

Quite frankly, I don’t know.

The reason I don’t know is because you can’t get a bloody straight answer out of anyone.

Environmentalists would have us believe that the cause is and has been our presence on this fragile planet. Anti-environmentalists (is there a better word?) would counter that we have more trees today than in any time in history.

Good God - are trees toxic after all?

Nobody seems willing to come forward and say things like “it’s not such a good idea to dump raw sewage in the river, but on the other hand, spraying for bugs ain’t such a bad idea”.

And that’s what’s missing. Middle-ground.

I’m not talking about feel-good crap like “carbon credits” either (quite easily the biggest scam since $60/bbl oil).

No, I’m talking about the rational discourse that is and will be required in order to solve any of the environmental problems we might have. This discourse does not involve one side or the other jumping up and down screeching “I told you so!” each time another (possibly pseudo-) scientific report hits the stands.

2005 was one of the worst Atlantic hurricane seasons on record. Lives lost - billions in repairs. But uh-oh, here comes 2006. The “experts” get trotted out claiming *this* season will be the worst ever. Um, nope. It was one of the lightest. Looks like ‘07 is going to be closer to ‘06 than ‘05 too. No worries. Let’s stage a putzch at the weather service. Can’t have contradictory ideas, can we?

But why is it different? Why is it we can experience such a dramatic lessening of the environmental conditions that cause hurricanes from one year to the next? Why that quickly? Isn’t weather supposed to be long-term? What happened?

Well, the truth is - are you ready for it? - the truth is WE DON’T KNOW.

There. I said it. An admission of meteorological ignorance from a lay person. About as rare as hen’s teeth, if you ask me, but an admission anyway. Funny part, it wasn’t that hard to say (or type).

We live in a world where weather pontification rules. It’s either “yer fer us, or you’re agin us”.

And it’s crap.

Anybody and his dog can use one-sided trumped-up statistics to support his claim, and they do. And they’re trotted out on the evening news for their 60 seconds of fame and, assuming they can get in a word edgewise with the politically-motivated show host, a five-second sound bite.

This problem isn’t about sound bites. It’s about a) Is there really a problem?, b) If so, how big is it?, and c) If it’s threatening us, what do we do about it?

I’m going to admit ignorance again, and say I don’t have the answers to “a”, “b”, or “c”. I do, however, know what the answer *isn’t*:

Ask me “weather” I’m dreaming. (Or having a nightmare, for those that might have seen the holographic Al Gore).

Posted by Somnambulist57     on 07/15/2007 at 02:32 PM   
Filed Under: • Environment •  
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Imagine My Surprise

I got an email from Christian asking for Recon members to post on this blog. Now, I haven’t been around for awhile. Learning of the Skipper’s death came as a surprise. Considering what has happened I can understand what Christian has gone through. So I sent him a reply saying that I would be happy to post at BMEWS.

So I come here, look around, then go to see about posting at Recon. I figured, it would take Christian a day or two to authorize my posting at BMEWS, if he did okay posting priveleges. Much to my surprise, on the posting page I saw two options as to where I could post. That is why you’re seeing this on BMEWS instead of Recon.

Consider this as an introduction of sorts. I belong to no political party, or to any religion. I’m a self-professed Discordian because it fits my sense of humor. I support those who are in the right, and oppose those who would oppress Humanity. I’m for honesty, honest dealings, and treating people with the basic respect all deserve unless and until they prove to me that such respect is unwarranted. You wish to engage me in respectful discourse, then let us converse. If not, then I can only consider you a disappointment.

Here is a short list of what I find to be true (if any word or phrase is unfamiliar to you, go ahead and do a : Gigablast on it): Our climate is changing, and we’re a contributory factor. We are a heavily modified cnidarian worm, we may even me a heavily modified slime mold. We are doing the right thing in Iraq. We are at war with Iran and Syria. You have the right to your own opinion, you do not have the right to your own facts. No government can long succeed that ignores the voice of its citizens. The quickest road to tyranny is by treating people as though they needed constant protecting from the hazards of the world. Cats are understandable, but you have to accept what they’re telling you.

There’s more, but that should keep you cogitating for awhile.

I don’t expect you to agree with me on everything. I do ask that you express your disagreement with courtesy and respect. Especially if you’re convinced I’m a hateful loon with a crush on Satan. As my mother once told me, “It’s easier to catch flies with honey instead of vinegar.” When I asked her why would I want to catch flies she replied, “Makes them easier to kill in great numbers.”

I’m off to have a quick look around the blogosphere, then to the beach to find some bottles and cans for extra cash. Might be another post today, on what I have no idea. One thing you can be sure of, it’ll be something on the Rights of Man and the value of respecting the essential dignity of Mankind.

Posted by mythusmage     on 07/15/2007 at 02:42 PM   
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •  
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New Wind

Wow.

That is all I can say.  When I posted ”Ponderances” on Friday, my honest expectation was that there would be three or four comments says something like: “Yeah, we understsand, it hasn’t been the same since the Skipper died. Probably best to just let it go.”

I never expected that the little bit I was doing made even a little difference.  I am overwhelmed by your kind words.

In light of your excellent advice, I have just sent an email to all the BMEWS RECON team, inviting them, if they wish, to begin posting on the main site.  These are folks you all know and who Allan trusted with the keys to part of the kingdom.  I expect a few of them will respond in the affirmative.

If there are others of you who would like a shot, send me a sample post.  Write it just like you would if it were going to be live.  My crack staff of editors (OK, probably just me and Christopher) will pour over it and determine its overall quality.  Should it pass, you will be granted access for a trial period.  I ask that those who would like to be considered commit to at least one post per week.

I will limit the number of posters, simply to keep down the confusion, but for now am taking all applications.

Thank you again, I feel rejuvinated in the effort to combat the tinfoil-hatted, nutrooted moobats out there.  And its all because of you, the fine readers and participants in this small corner of the intarw3bs.

Posted by Mr. Christian     on 07/15/2007 at 12:30 PM   
Filed Under: • Blog Stuff • Personal •  
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   Saturday - July 14, 2007

RINO is still clueless

Mr. Christian is needing some assistance. That’s how I interpret his last post. I’ll do what I can. Let’s see how this goes over…

The Dayton Daily Democrat...er...News conducted an email interview with ex-Senator Mike DeWine (RINO-OH) The results show that DeWine still doesn’t understand why he lost last November.

Yes, I held my nose and voted for this clueless jerk. But I did NOT support him with either money or time. He was one of the ‘gang of seven’ Republicans who held up Bush’s court nominees.

DDN. From your experience, what do think people don’t understand about Congress that they would be interested in knowing? That is, what’s the main misunderstanding?

DeWine. Many times all the public sees is the partisan bickering. While there is way too much of that, what is missed is that on any given day (while) the headlines may be of partisan squabbling on one issue, on that very day there are dozens of cases of Democrats and Republicans working together. Virtually every bill and amendment I got passed in the Senate was done by working very closely with a Democrat partner.

You know, I vote Republican for a reason. I’m a partisan. I expect partisan ‘bickering’. I want partisan ‘bickering’. The problem, Mr. DeWine, is not that there was too much ‘partisan’ bickering. The problem was that there was too much ‘partisan’ caving on the Republican side. Mainly by RINOs like you, Mr. DeWine. Next question:

DDN. Who are two people you particularly admire? One D and one R.

DeWine I admire a number of senators of both parties. You don’t need to agree with a person on everything to admire them. Here are just a few:

I admire Joe Lieberman (independent Democrat from Connecticut) because he is a man of principle with a lot of common sense and guts. I admire Chris Dodd, D-Conn., as an effective fighter for kids and because he cares deeply about an area we ignore: South America and Central America.

Mitch McConnell (the Republican leader, from Kentucky) is a tough and effective legislator who knows how to get legislation through. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., also has a passion for kids’ health and has a big heart.

This is so wrong on so many levels…

Lieberman is good on one thing and one thing only: National defense. Otherwise Lieberman is as much an enemy of the Constitution as DeWine. Case in point: DeWine’s comments on Chris Dodd. an effective fighter for kids and because he cares deeply about an area we ignore: South America and Central America. Under Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution, I cannot find anything about ‘kids’ or ‘South America and Central America’ being the business of the Congress. Not Yours!

You probably get my drift by now. Just one more cut from this sorry excuse for a Republican…

DDN Do you sense any change in the political times that’s going on now? I mean, do you expect the politics of the next decade or so to be different in some particular way than, say, the last decade?

DeWine Thirty years ago, few of us would have predicted the rise of the radio talk-show hosts or the power of the single-issue groups. Nor would many 10 years ago (have been able to) understand how the Internet would be used in politics or ever hear of the term blogs! So it is very difficult to predict the future.

We can predict that the methods of communicating with voters will continue to evolve.

Further — and this may be wishful thinking — I believe the voters will demand less partisanship and more results. I heard time and time again last year “stop the partisan bickering and get things done.”

A case of a RINO listening to Democrats. No Republican that I know has EVER told me that the ‘partisan bickering’ should stop. I don’t want ‘results’. I want Constitutional ‘results’: on illegal aliens, healthcare, education, etc. Note that the Constitution gives Congress oversight on illegal aliens, not over healthcare or education. NOT YOURS!

Unless the Democrats cave ...

As a result of last November, and the RINO’s that ran my state (like Gov. Taft), Ken Blackwell, a man I did vote for and will again if he runs, lost. Gov. Taft was a criminal. Found so by the courts. Now I have a Democrat Governor by the name of Ted Strickland. A scary man, he’s a psychologist who doesn’t believe in God or sexual preference. One of his first acts was apparently to allow interns to have sensitive data on their laptop computers. Predictably, one of these was ‘stolen’. (Yeah. Right. Stolen. By the DNC.)

So today in the mail I received this notice:

The State of Ohio has confirmed that your name and social security number was contained on a computer back-up device (this is false, or the news is false, it was a laptop – Christopher) that was stolen... I won’t bore you with the rest as it is two pages long. Bad as Taft was, Strickland the Shrink, is already worse.

A Democrat Governor can’t protect private info in his State, how can we expect a Democrat to protect the Nation?

Posted by Christopher     on 07/14/2007 at 09:56 PM   
Filed Under: • Republicans •  
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   Friday - July 13, 2007

Ponderances

Folks,

As you’ve noticed, I have not posted for a couple of days.  I have been keeping up with the comments and reading the fine posts at the Member Blog, but to be honest, I’m in a funk.  I used to get jazzed about a good political fight. I would enjoy going head-to-head with a pinko, liberal, betwetting, birkenstock-wearing, lice-infested socialist as much as the next guy.

But that has changed.

Maybe its fatigue.  It might be that I’m so tired of waging this uphill battle that I’m just worn out and defeated.

Where is the conservative leadership?  Where are those whove sworn to uphold the constitution and defend it from every enemy, foreign and domestic?  I fear we have reached the tipping point where the politicians no longer fear the people they serve and have given enough booty to the victim class that there is no turning back.  Government has become the 800lb gorilla and there is little we can do to stop it now.

Allan started this Blog out of frustration with the political climate and in response to the attacks of 9/11/2001.  He was a great thinker and a great writer. 

I’m neither.

I struggle to come up with content for you all to chew on.  It’s not that I don’t see plenty out there, but rather, it is all someone else’s.  I could put up 100 links per day to great commentary and analysis, stories of heroism and folly, but it would be jsut that: links to places elsewhere.  As I’ve said before, Allan and I used to joke a lot that he was the thinker and I was the linker.  A blog that just links to other blogs is pretty useless.

So, I’m taking a break to really ponder if it is worth keeping this thing running any longer.  I know there is a community of good people that visit here to talk about life and politics, but even that has dwindled to a trickle. 

I think you deserve better. 

So let me take this weekend and think through what I think is best. 

I’ll be back in a few days, either revitalized, or ready to close up shop.

Posted by Mr. Christian     on 07/13/2007 at 10:50 AM   
Filed Under: • Blog Stuff • Personal •  
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   Wednesday - July 11, 2007

Taking Tehran by September

A friend sent me an email this morning that I found very interesting.  He has put together some various news stories that lead him to believe we will attack Iran before the end of the summer.

Here Bush asks Congress to wait till September before debating an Iraqi pullback.

WASHINGTON: Fearful of a Republican rebellion over Iraq that his own aides believe could force him to change course, President George W. Bush said Tuesday that the United States would be able to pull back troops “in a while,” but called on Congress to wait until September to debate the future military presence there.

And here we have a possible 3rd carrier headed to the gulf (best time to attack is when “swapping” carriers as all three are on station).

MANAMA (Reuters) - A U.S. aircraft carrier is heading to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet area of operations, which includes the Gulf, but the Pentagon said on Tuesday there had been no decision to increase naval power in the region.

U.S. defence officials said the deployment of the USS Enterprise was a routine measure to replace one of two U.S. Navy carriers now in the Fifth Fleet area.

And here we have Israeli intelligence stating that time is just about out for a strike on Iran.

Predicting that sanctions will ultimately fail to stop Teheran’s nuclear program, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, former head of Military Intelligence’s Research Division, told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that time to launch an effective military strike against Iran’s nuclear installations was running out.

And perhaps (just perhaps) we’ll use a summer terrorist attack as the justification to attack Iran.

WASHINGTON - U.S. counterterror officials are warning of an increased risk of an attack this summer, given al-Qaida’s apparent interest in summertime strikes and increased al-Qaida training in the Afghan-Pakistani border region.

On Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told the editorial board of The Chicago Tribune that he had a “gut feeling” about a new period of increased risk.

What say you?

Posted by Mr. Christian     on 07/11/2007 at 07:58 AM   
Filed Under: • Iran • Middle-East • Terrorists •  
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   Tuesday - July 10, 2007

You Have a Story

You are an interesting person.  Do you believe that?  As boring and mundane you think your life is, it is interesting.  Maybe not to you, but to your grandkids, and great grandkids, who may never have the chance to speak to you in person, the story of how they got to be where they are is directly tied to who you are now.

Kim DuToit, who most of you know as a great writer already, has launched a new business dedicated to applying those skills to your life’s story.

www.mybiographer.com

If you, like me, have found details of your ancestor’s lives sketchy, or totally missing, then do your heirs a great service and have Kim document what is important and interesting about you and your life.

Posted by Mr. Christian     on 07/10/2007 at 10:36 AM   
Filed Under: • Literature • Personal •  
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Mad Wrecking Ball is Finally Stopped

I always get angry when I see stories that blame a gun for a crime. “Gun Kills Man” is the headline. No, a person used a gun to kill a man, but the gun was just a tool.  So when I saw this headline, I figured it was the same thing...I was wrong.

Wrecking Ball Runs Amok In Pa. Town

MEADVILLE, Pa.—A wrecking ball wreaked havoc on a small college town in northwest Pennsylvania on Monday.

The 1,500-pound, 3-foot-wide ball broke loose from a crane cable and rolled nearly a mile downhill.

It smashed more than a dozen vehicles and injured three people as it bounced from curb to curb.

The ball slammed into the back of a car stopped at an intersection. The force caused a chain reaction with two other cars at the traffic light.

The driver, an Allegheny College junior, said he thought a car had hit him when his back windshield exploded.

The ball came to rest in the trunk of a car and pushed it nearly 20 feet.

Workers had been using the wrecking ball to demolish part of a library at Allegheny College when the cable snapped.

I bet it looked like that cannonball in “The Patriot”.

Posted by Mr. Christian     on 07/10/2007 at 05:45 AM   
Filed Under: • Odd-Strange •  
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Goose Egg

The USA Today/Gallup poll was released yesterday.  You Paulites better get organized man.

Republicans

Giuliani has the support of 30% of “Republicans and Republican leaners,” vs. 28% a month ago; Thompson comes in with 20%, vs. 19% in June; McCain has 16%, vs. 18% a month earlier.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney remains in fourth, at 9% vs. 7% in June.

The current numbers for the rest of the Republicans included in the survey: Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, 6%; former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, 2%; Rep. Duncan Hunter, 2%; Rep. Tom Tancredo, 2%; Sen. Sam Brownback, 1%; Sen. Chuck Hagel, 1%; former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, 1%. Neither former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore nor Rep. Ron Paul registered any support.

A guy who’s not even running scores 20% and Ron Paul doesn’t even register.  Man, that has to sting.

Before you get your panties in a knot, remember, I’m just the humble messenger.  Maybe you guys ought to actually answer the pollsters questions when they call and your guy would show up in the numbers. 

Posted by Mr. Christian     on 07/10/2007 at 05:38 AM   
Filed Under: • Politics •  
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   Monday - July 09, 2007

Measuring Glowball Warming

I told you before about the work of one Anthony Watts.  He is a former weather dude who is on a mission to make sure the government is measuring tempurature properly.  You see, they have monitoring stations all over the country, with very specific criteria for placement so as to minimize the impact of machines, blacktop and other man-made things on the measurements.

He has been documenting poorly placed monitoring stations for months now, but today’s takes the cake.

In traveling around California and Nevada to look at NOAA USHCN climate monitoring weather stations I’ve seen some odd things. I’ve seen temperature sensors near asphalt and concrete, sensors placed within feet of buildings and cars, sensors placed near air conditioner exhausts, and sensors that had barbeque grills in the vicinity.

Last Friday June 6th, I traveled to Santa Rosa, CA to the Press Democrat Newspaper, a wholly owned subsidiary of the New York Times, which according to NOAA, has the climate station of record for Santa Rosa.

I figured it would be a fairly straightforward survey, and that I’d probably find the temperature sensor near the back of the building by the parking lot, as I’ve found many others placed. I figured it would look a lot like our local newspaper, the Chico Enterprise Record, weather station. It is in the rear, in a bit of disrepair, missing some slats and part of its roof assembly, but otherwise ok.

But nothing prepared me for what I was about to find at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

This is why the whackos can claim “irrefutable evidence” of climbing tempuratures.

Posted by Mr. Christian     on 07/09/2007 at 02:32 PM   
Filed Under: • Climate-Weather • Insanity •  
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Katrina is like a Lynching

Indeed, that’s what NAALCP (National Association for the Advancement of Liberal Colored People) chairman, Julian Bond, thinks.  You see, nothing can happen to people of color without it being a concerted effort by the man to put them down.

Bond called present-day inequality and racial disparities cumulative and the result of racial advantages compounded over time.

“Many Americans maintain ... that racial discrimination has become an ancient artifact,” he said. “At the NAACP, we know none of this is true, and that’s why we are dedicated to an aggressive campaign of social justice, fighting racial discrimination.”

He noted that the Supreme Court, which includes two justices nominated by Bush, upheld rulings saying school systems could not voluntarily use race in assigning students to schools.

That’s right kids, the eeeeevvviiiiilll bushhitler supreme court (including that uncle tom Clarence Thomas) ruled that racial disparity cannot be fixed with more racial disparity.  Damn them.

“The Bush court removed black children from the law’s protection,” Bond said.

Do you mean to say, Mr. Bond, that children of color cannot compete on equal footing with other children?

And the possibility that New Orleans’ heavily black Lower Ninth Ward, ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, will never be rebuilt is comparable to a “lynching” because the work of generations was wiped out in a single day and black landholders are being dispossessed, Bond said.

It still amazes me how Bush can be both the stupidest chimp president in history and the evil mastermind, able to control the weather so that poor black folk can be put out.

You don’t think this Bond fellow has an anti-white agenda, do you?

Here’s another interesting thing I learned while researching this story.  I looked for other references to it in other papers and found the same quote above in most of them.  It was verbatim, which makes sense since this was an AP news feed.  Then I came upon this one:

Bond said the possibility that New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward, ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, will never be rebuilt is comparable to a “lynching.”

“It can be said that Katrina, like lynching, not only destroyed the work of generations in a single day, but is resulting in a deliberate effort to dispossess black landholders.”

It looks like this paper (Michigan Live) decided to re-write it a little, for impact don’t you know.  No agenda here. Move along.  We’re completely bias-free.

Posted by Mr. Christian     on 07/09/2007 at 07:03 AM   
Filed Under: • Racism •  
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Dead Earth Flop

The BBC was predicting massive viewership.  Two years ago, when LIVE8 ran, 10 million tuned in.  Not so with the Tour de Gore.

Live Earth branded a foul-mouthed flop

Organisers of the global music concert - punctuated by swearing from presenters and performers - had predicted massive viewing figures.

But BBC’s live afternoon television coverage attracted an average British audience of just 900,000.

In the evening, when coverage switched from BBC2 to BBC1, the figure rose to just 2.7million.

And the peak audience, which came when Madonna sang at Wembley, was a dismal 4.5million. Three times as many viewers saw the Princess Diana tribute on the same channel six days before.

The BBC blamed the poor figures on Saturday’s good weather and said its Wimbledon tennis coverage had drawn away afternoon viewers.

Critics said however that the public had simply snubbed what they saw as a hypocritical event.

Emphasis mine.  They figured the sheeple are stupid enough to not realize the hypocracy of these do-gooders flying all over the globe, consuming truck loads of carbon offsets, jsut to tell them they need to conserve.  Guess that plan is backfiring.  Ijits.

Posted by Mr. Christian     on 07/09/2007 at 06:47 AM   
Filed Under: • Celebrities • Music • Politics •  
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   Friday - July 06, 2007

Fat People Are Killing The Polar Bears

Indeed.

Two recent gems from New Scientist magazine…

First up, Climate Change Sceptics Criticise Polar Bear Science, a story about some bad scientists, funded by bad money, who have apparently published some bad science in what is presumably a bad science journal, for bad reasons.

As the poster child for the climate change generation polar bears have come to symbolise the need to tackle climate change. But their popularity has attracted the attention of global warming sceptics funded by the oil industry, who have started to attack polar bear science.

Willie Soon’s paper, which appears in the journal Ecological Complexity, questions ‘whether polar bear populations really are declining and if sea ice, on which the animals hunt, will actually disappear as quickly as climate models predict.’ But that’s all New Scientist has to say about the science.

No need to really put science in a science journal when there are so many good feelings and opinions out there, is there?

Even more absurd is Say No to Global Guzzling - How the Obesity Epidemic is Aggravating Global Warming by Ian Roberts of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who appears to be offering an epidemiological perspective on global warming.

We tend to think of obesity only as a public-health problem, but many of its causes overlap with those of global warming. Car dependence and labour-saving devices have cut the energy people expend as they go about their lives, at the same time increasing the amount of fossil fuel they burn. It’s no coincidence that obesity is most prevalent in the US, where per capita carbon emissions exceed those of any other major nation, and it is becoming clear that obese people are having a direct impact on the climate.

Roberts speciously reasons that obese people, who (allegedly) consume 40% more calories than non obese people, (allegedly) use their cars more because they are too fat to move properly, and (allegedly) eat the kind of things which are more CO2 intensive, contribute disproportionately to global warming than their thin counterparts.

The one quote in the commnets is precious:

Posted by Mr. Christian     on 07/06/2007 at 03:24 PM   
Filed Under: • Animals • Climate-Weather •  
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