June 28, 2009

The Full Scope of the Tragedy Has Finally Been Revealed

Deepak Chopra informs: Michael Jackson was working on a song about climate change in the days before his death.

Posted by Charles Austin at 09:34 AM | Comments (1)

June 27, 2009

Entrenched Agent of the Status Quo

The heat is on (at least until Waxman-Markey takes effect):

Hours after the House passed landmark legislation meant to curb greenhouse gas emissions and create an energy-efficient economy, President Barack Obama on Saturday urged senators to show courage and follow suit. The sharply debated bill's fate is unclear in the Senate, and Obama used his weekly radio and Internet address to ratchet up pressure on the 100-seat chamber. "My call to every senator, as well as to every American, is this," he said. "We cannot be afraid of the future. And we must not be prisoners of the past. Don't believe the misinformation out there that suggests there is somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth."

Rarely has so much dishonesty been packed into so few words. The man truly has a gift. Anyone opposed to his power grab and tax increases is afraid of the future and spreading disinformation by virtue of not accepting the ever growing empty promises of this increasingly empty suit. I will admit that I am afraid of his proposed future.

Obama said the bill would create jobs, make renewable energy profitable and decrease America's dependence on foreign oil.

This from a man who has never created a job or turned a profit. Of course one way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil is to force everyone to stop using oil altogether, regardless of the consequences. It's not the unintended consequences of this legislation I'm worried about as much as the intended consequences.

"It will spur the development of low-carbon sources of energy — everything from wind, solar and geothermal power to safer nuclear energy and cleaner coal," he said.

Really. We already have safer nuclear energy and could implement it without this legislation. Just curious, but any idea when any more of it might be coming on line? Or is this just a McGuffin to hide the true intent.

House Democratic leaders said the bill helped accomplish one of Obama's campaign promises and would make the U.S. a leader in international efforts to address climate change when negotiations take place in Copenhagen later this year.

A yes, another progressive solution in search of a problem. I've used Matt Stone's and Trey Parker's line about hating Republicans but really f%^ing hating Democrats many times. But when it comes to Progressives I'm resorting to Jules Winnfield, "Well, I'm a mushroom-cloud-layin' mo&^%$*&^%er, mo&^%$*&^%er!

As for this international leader nonsense, well, do you really think anyone is going to follow the United States lead once they see how this cripples our economy and drives down our standard of living -- for no appreciable "climate change" benefit since China and India aren't playing? Funny how the Left in this country insists on everyone playing by our labor and workplace rules in the interest of fariness so long as it disadvantages American consumers, but no so much when it comes to environmental rules that disadvantage foreign manufacturers. So much for not exporting jobs, eh? And speaking of climate change, or what we euphemistically used to call "the weather," I think they know the PR game is just about up after they abandoned the term Anthropomorphic Global Warming (AGW) as the evidence continues to mount that whatever warming there may be isn't being caused by mankind or increases in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, but I digress.

"We passed transformational legislation, which will take us into the future," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., after the 219-212 vote. "For some it was a very difficult vote because the entrenched agents of the status quo were out there full force, jamming the lines in their districts and here, and they withstood that," Pelosi said.

Entrenched agent of the status quo, i.e., a conservative. I think I'll wear that sobriquet proudly in opposition to just about everything Madame Speaker stands for and advocates.

Success will be tougher in the Senate. Majority Leader Harry Reid says he wants to take up the legislation by the fall.

Well, at least the Senators will have a chance to read the legislation before voting on it. If Majority Leader Reid is going to wait until the fall to bring this up I wonder if he really wants to see this fail. Clearly the House rushed this through to avoid the hue and cry that is going to be inevitable once the public finds out what is in this monstrosity. Hmm..., what kind of game is Dingy Harry playing?

In the Republicans' weekly radio and Internet address, House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio said, "By imposing a tax on every American who drives a car or flips on a light switch, this plan will drive up the prices for food, gasoline and electricity." But Obama said the measure would cost the average American about the price of a postage stamp per day.

Remember this lie in years to come. Engrave it in stone to as a warning to future generations of this postmodern Ozymandias.

In California alone, Obama said, 3,000 people will be employed to build a new solar plant that will create 1,000 permanent jobs.

And let the rent seeking begin.

Posted by Charles Austin at 11:38 AM | Comments (3)

The Will to Power

Do you think anyone in Iran's government in Tehran right now is saying, “You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste; it’s an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid.” Or is it possible the mullahs wouldn't sink as low morally and politically as Rahm Emanuel?

DOWNDATE: Quick! Somebody tell Rahm: Honduras Lurches Toward Crisis Over Election

Posted by Charles Austin at 10:31 AM | Comments (0)

June 26, 2009

SAT Question

Multiple choice entries in the comments below.

Smoot-Hawley is to Waxman-Markey as ...

Posted by Charles Austin at 09:15 PM | Comments (40)

Separated at Birth?

waxman.bmp PhantomFace.jpg

Posted by Charles Austin at 08:54 PM | Comments (0)

Worst. Congress. Ever.

House passes climate-change prosperity destroying power grab bill

There, fixed that for you.

Every member of Congress that voted for this bill without reading it needs to lose their job -- on principle alone. I have no firm opinion on whether the tarring and feathering should happen before or after their sorry asses are thrown out of Congress.

The vote was extremely close – 219-212, with eight Republicans voting yes and 44 Democrats voting no.

Republicans, my ass. Hope you are enjoying your last term in office.

Posted by Charles Austin at 07:52 PM | Comments (0)

Does This Say More About the Mental Health of Our Culture or Just the Mental Health of Big Media?

CBS News breathlessly asks:

Will Obama Make A Statement On Jackson?

Does your world revolve around waiting on a statement from President Obama (or seemingly anyone, for that matter) on the death of Michael Jackson (or seemingly anything, for that matter) before knowing what to think or feel? I guess some pathetic souls must know what the party line is before they can stick to it.

George Orwell was without a doubt the leading prophet of the 20th century. But I digress.

Posted by Charles Austin at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2009

Now I Understand What They Mean by Green Cars

I recently saw this, which looked interesting:

Tesla delivers 500th Roadster to New Jersey man

Kind of cool for a fast little battery powered car. Then today I saw this:

The Energy Department is lending money to the Ford Motor Co. and two other automakers from a $25 billion fund to develop fuel-efficient vehicles, congressional officials say. [...snip...] Nissan has applied for an undisclosed amount of assistance, while Tesla has sought $450 million.

Really? $450M? And they have delivered 500 vehicles to date. At roughly $100,000 per unit, that's a grand total of $50M in revenue. Not income, but revenue. Makes me wonder if they are in the business of making green cars or seeking green from the federal government as their core business. Wouldn't you like to see the business plan that shows how this money is ever going to be paid back? I can imagine the looks I'd get down at the bank if I asked for $9 in loans for every $1 in revenue I'd taken in over the last three years.

Seriously, if it were that good of an idea and Tesla had a business plan that showed a reasonable expectation of a profit, don't you think they could find $450M in private capital, for a product that gets such positive press? But hey, why bother when being green can generate so much green? Even if it is all deficit spending that will probably never be paid back.

Posted by Charles Austin at 01:38 PM | Comments (1)

June 18, 2009

Freedom is Slavery

White House: Firing AmeriCorps IG an act of "political courage"

Kind of begs the question what they think an act of political cowardice might look like. Alberto Gonzalez could not be reached for comment.

Is there anything these little Masters of the Universe think they can't get away with?

Posted by Charles Austin at 02:41 PM | Comments (0)

Not That They Weren't Petty Enough Already

PETA becomes PETI:

Norfolk-based group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants the flyswatter-in-chief to try taking a more humane attitude the next time he's bedeviled by a fly in the White House.

PETA is sending President Barack Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a device that allows users to trap a house fly and then release it outside.

"We support compassion even for the most curious, smallest and least sympathetic animals," PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich said Wednesday. "We believe that people, where they can be compassionate, should be, for all animals."

Insects are people animals too!

Posted by Charles Austin at 02:39 PM | Comments (1)

June 16, 2009

Makes You Wonder Why He Wanted the Job, Doesn't It?

Sometime, I'd really like someone to ask President Obama if there is any part of the private, free market America he can bring himself to say something good about:

"If we do not fix our healthcare system, America may go the way of GM; paying more, getting less, and going broke," Obama said, likening the healthcare system to struggling carmaker General Motors, which has filed for bankruptcy protection.

Fortunately, our healthcare system isn't a monolithic system that will all go broke at once.

Yet.

Posted by Charles Austin at 06:26 PM | Comments (1)

This Is Not the Change You're Looking For

Obama Says U.S. Jobless Rate to Reach 10% This Year

What now? Double down on the debt bet and spend another $1,600,000,000,000 we don't have!

Senate health overhaul costs top $1.6T

And that's only to solve an estimatedone-third of the uninsured problem!

I can't wait for the next release of the Heritage Foundation chart with the Obama debt projections.

Posted by Charles Austin at 06:20 PM | Comments (0)

The Most Transparent Administration Transparency Ever

Obama blocks list of visitors to White House

Posted by Charles Austin at 01:14 PM | Comments (0)

The Alinsky Broadcasting Company

ABC TURNS PROGRAMMING OVER TO OBAMA; NEWS TO BE ANCHORED FROM INSIDE WHITE HOUSE

Posted by Charles Austin at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)

What Does It Say That This Must Be Said?

CIA: Panetta doesn't believe Cheney rooting for terrorist attack

Posted by Charles Austin at 01:05 PM | Comments (1)

June 03, 2009

Captain Obvious Strikes Again

Aside from all the good specific arguments about why Government Motors is a bad idea, and there are many, fundamentally the problem is that it puts the government explicitly in the position of picking winners -- and the government's criteria for picking winners is usually much worse than the marketplace's and much, much more prone to corruption.

Posted by Charles Austin at 06:56 PM | Comments (3)

June 02, 2009

A Waist Is A Terrible Thing To Mind

I turn fifty in five months. I plan to lose thirty pounds between now and then. The reasons are several and varied, some obvious, some somewhat less so. But now that I've stated it for the Google bots to keep in an archive forever, I can't easily back down.

I start at 220.

Wish me luck.

Posted by Charles Austin at 05:29 PM | Comments (2)