March 2006

Global Warming – a Hot Topic

Global Warming is always a hot topic since the left often uses the phenomenon to try and leverage their obstructive agenda. They generally attempt to blame the industry of mankind in general, and the United States in particular, for the “horrible” consequences of global warming.

The left embraces the Kyoto Accord, an international treaty whereby countries agree to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases by imposing restrictive laws and higher taxes. The United States is not signatory to the treaty, largely because it is based on the faulty premise that greenhouse gasses emitted by industry is the major contributing factor to global warming; in fact, chaotic solar activity has more to do with the climate on our planet than any other factors. Why should we sign up for a useless effort and penalize our industry and economy?

Volcanoes, range and forest fires and infrequent caldera activity have had temporary effects, but are not comparable to the major contributor, the Sun. And these terrestrial occurrences are much more consequential than anything our emissions can contribute (short of global thermonuclear war).

Thinking that the minor contribution of industrial emissions can compare with the influence of solar magnetic flux, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), x-ray flares, solar wind and other solar phenomena is like thinking that a mouse can single-handedly whip a herd of pachyderms. Complete nonsense.

Now, it seems that Old Sol is busily fusing hydrogen into helium, recharging his batteries, and resting up for yet another period of intense activity that is certain to result in a major assault on our planet’s climate. From Science Blog

Scientists Gaze Inside Sun, Predict the Next Solar Cycle

The next solar activity cycle will be 30 to 50 percent stronger than the previous one, and up to a year late in arriving . . .

[ . . . ]

The sun goes through a roughly 11-year cycle of activity, from stormy to quiet and back again. Predicting the sun’s cycles accurately years in advance will help societies plan for active bouts of solar storms, which can disrupt satellite orbits and electronics, interfere with radio communication, and damage power systems. The forecast is important for NASA’s long-term Vision for Space Exploration plans, since solar storms can be hazardous to unprotected astronauts as well.

[ . . . ]

We are currently back in the quiet period for the current cycle (cycle 23). The next cycle will begin with a rise in solar activity in late 2007 or early 2008, according to the team, and there will be 30 to 50 percent more sunspots, flares, and CMEs in cycle 24. This is about one year later than the prediction using previous methods, which rely on statistics, like the strength of the large-scale solar magnetic field and the number of sunspots, to make estimates for the next cycle.

[Read the whole story]

Images credit SOHO

Uh oh! The gulf coast and other hurricane-prone areas had better start building the Mother of All Levees.

For additional reading, see our entire collection of global warming articles.

Larry Elder’s Interview with Saddam’s General Sada

General Georges Sada, former top Iraqi Air Force figure, tells Larry Elder what happened to WMDs in the days leading up to the invasion.

From Larry Elder’s syndicated article in the South Bay Daily Breeze:

Iraqi general: Intelligence was correct

Elder: General, as you know, the president has been accused of lying about the intelligence, fabricating it, cherry-picking it, that he wanted to go to war, he really didn’t believe that Saddam had WMD. It was all a big smokescreen. When you hear people accuse the president of lying about WMD, of misleading the country and the world, your reaction, Gen. Georges Sada, is what? Photo: Larry Elder (LarryElder.com)

Sada: Let me tell you. I am really surprised how people are speaking like this and their soldiers are still in the battle. You see, a soldier when he is in battle, he wants to feel that all his nation are backing him and they are with him. And now I tell you I feel very sorry when I see some people in this country, their soldiers are in the battle, and they are discussing political things making that soldier to feel that he is there in the wrong place. That’s one. Second, if there was something right had been done in this country, it was the best decision taken in the proper time, to go and liberate Iraq from an evil dictatorship who only God knows what he was going to do in the region, and maybe even to America, because that man was possessing the weapons of mass destruction and then he was with very evil intentions towards all the West, especially America.

Photo of General Sada – Google.

[Read the rest of the article.]

Why doesn’t the Administration capitalize on this important information?

A Yellow Icelandic Poppy

I found out an interesting fact: Icelandic Poppies are native to the U.S.A. So why do they call it an Icelandic Poppy? Maybe it’s because it tolerates the colder weather so well. Although this has not been a particularly cold winter here in California, these thrive nonetheless in our garden. I snapped this shot today under cloudy skies to show the subtle beauty of this bloom in subdued light.

For more information on “Papaver nudicaule” see this page at Dave’s Garden:

PlantFiles: Detailed information on Iceland poppy, Arctic Poppy (Papaver nudicaule)

Family: Papaveraceae (puh-pav-er-AY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Papaver (puh-PAY-ver) (Info)
Species: nudicaule (new-dee-KAW-lee) (Info)

[more]

The Grand Narcissathon

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has degenerated into a politically-charged dynamo of progressive bulls**t ever since Bob Hope retired as Master of Ceremonies at the annual award presentations. Motion pictures like “Syriana” and “Buttf**k Brokeback Mountain” are in contention to win big, but, sadly, neither can be considered entertainment as much as attempts at public indoctrination to far-left political ideology.

And the ceremony itself is mostly a gathering of exhibitionists and narcissistic Celebridiots® seeking only to parade themselves as though they are the essence of the world. Moreover, the preparations leading up to the ceremonies takes their toll on the community. Streets are blocked off in the area about a week before the event which disrupts traffic for miles around. We’re fortunate that we don’t have to go through that area during the week leading up to the awards.

I refer to the pomp and circumstances of the Academy Awards where the Celebridiots® gather as the “Grand Narcissathon” – in which exhibitionists and self-important Star Whores parade their vanity before their groupies.

UPDATE: Crash won best picture much to everyone’s surprise. IMDB‘s preview poll had Crash in a distant second place to Brokeback Mountain, 46% to 25%. Given the total surprise to everyone, one might wonder if the Academy may have manipulated the results based upon negative vibes they were getting from middle America with regard to a gay cowboy flick.

Damsel’s Danish Style Stuffed Potatoes

Today’s special meal included this great recipe for stuffed potatoes (twice baked). What was really cool is that we substituted Danish Havarti cheese for the French Gruyere originally called out. We’re supporting Denmark in the wake of the insane Islamic reaction to the Danish Muhammad cartoons. And, we’ve been avoiding French stuff ever since their attitude about operation Iraqi Freedom turned out to be connected to oil-for-food scams. And there was no sacrifice to the end product since the Havarti was excellent!!

Damsel’s Danish Style Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 medium to large baking potatoes, like russets, washed

Filling:
1 shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 strips bacon chopped into small pieces
4 oz. Danish Havarti cheese, shredded, about 1 cup
1/2 cup evaporated milk
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only, chopped to about 2 tablespoons
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potato skins with the tines of a fork. Wrap individually in aluminum foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

About 20 minutes before the potatoes are done, heat a skillet and add the bacon pieces. Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Add chopped shallots and garlic and saute in bacon renderings for 2 to 3 minutes or until bits are just tender. Set aside.

When done, cool potatoes for 5 minutes and remove foil. Slice the potatoes 1/2 inch from a side. Scrape the potato flesh from the removed side into a mixing bowl. Discard the side skin. Being careful to keep at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the skins, remove most of the remaining potato flesh and place into the mixing bowl. Set hollowed out potatoes aside on a non-stick baking sheet or in a lightly oiled baking pan.

To the cooked potato in the mixing bowl, add shallots and garlic, bacon, grated cheese, evaporated milk, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Mash mixture with a potato masher or dinner fork until mixture is combined, but not entirely lump-free.

Scoop mixture in even amounts into hollowed potatoes and bake for 15 to 20 more minutes, or until lightly browned.

Serving suggestion – Stuffed potatoes, grilled bone-in rib eye steaks with fresh blanched asparagus.

Phalaenopsis

Known as the “moth orchid” due to its resemblance to some tropical moths, the phalaenopsis is native to the Asiatic tropics, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. This lovely and delicate plant is now a welcome adornment to our kitchen counter under the skylight.

I Want My Country Back!

Every once in a while, I read something in the blogosphere that is worth giving special mention here, even though it’s on other blogs. Today, while surfing around the ‘sphere I ran across an interesting and inspiring piece from Rick Roberts, a conservative radio personality. You can read it in it’s entirety on Rick’s blog on the KFMB website at I Want My Country Back.

This is an excerpt from Rick’s article:

“I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK!”- By Rick Roberts

And I want America to be America. All of those opportunities, all of those things that made her great, I want those returned to the forefront. If you want to come to this country we welcome you with open arms. We simply ask that you abide by our laws. I don’t want you to snub your nose at our laws, then take advantage of our opportunities, and then cling to the constitution most of which you can’t even read because you don’t speak the language.

Picture credit: KFMB/Rick Roberts

[read it all]

Via Big Dog’s Weblog