Apparently, a small-scale nuclear war could cause 'unprecendented' global cooling, causing floods and famine. But I thought global warming was going to cause floods and famine?
Two conclusions:
- We need not worry about any climate change because we can clearly affect it in either direction
- We humans aren't really affecting things as much as we think
I totally agree with the science behind much of this...various chemicals and elements being able to warm and cool faster in various environments. I am very sceptical however that human activity is even close to warming/cooling elements that the earth itself is responsible for.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Quote
"Thinking that printing money will help the economy is like thinking that a thermometer will make it hotter outside." -Radio Commercial
Thursday, February 24, 2011
A Bargain
I have to comment on the protests coming out of the public sector unions in Ohio and Wisconsin. To me this is very shameful, and I wish weren't even in this position. Which side am I on?
Comments from leaders in the public unions have criticized the republican governors and state representatives in these states for trying to take away the rights of the hard working teachers, firefighters, policemen, and all public workers. They couldn't be more wrong.
When these public unions are "negotiating" their wages and benefits, they are not squeezing every penny they can out of evil politicians, they are taking ME to the cleaners. Public sector unions are bargaining against every private sector worker in their county, city, state and country...their neighbors.
Don't let these protesters fool you into thinking that the state leaders are the ones to blame, we are all paying their way, and they need to stop and look at the reality around them.
I have zero sympathy for public sector workers who think they "deserve" anything...zero, zilch, nadda. I'm probably offending friends and family here, but I work hard and maintain my job on the merits and quality of my work.
The union rules for my local school district are ridiculous:
- guaranteed wage increases
- greater than 90% health benefits covered
- guaranteed pension benefits
It's pretty interesting looking at the salary database here for Ohio. The thought that those in unions are fighting against me for more pay and benefits makes me gag a little bit. My $3000 county property tax bill hard at work...protesting at the statehouse.
Comments from leaders in the public unions have criticized the republican governors and state representatives in these states for trying to take away the rights of the hard working teachers, firefighters, policemen, and all public workers. They couldn't be more wrong.
When these public unions are "negotiating" their wages and benefits, they are not squeezing every penny they can out of evil politicians, they are taking ME to the cleaners. Public sector unions are bargaining against every private sector worker in their county, city, state and country...their neighbors.
Don't let these protesters fool you into thinking that the state leaders are the ones to blame, we are all paying their way, and they need to stop and look at the reality around them.
I have zero sympathy for public sector workers who think they "deserve" anything...zero, zilch, nadda. I'm probably offending friends and family here, but I work hard and maintain my job on the merits and quality of my work.
The union rules for my local school district are ridiculous:
- guaranteed wage increases
- greater than 90% health benefits covered
- guaranteed pension benefits
It's pretty interesting looking at the salary database here for Ohio. The thought that those in unions are fighting against me for more pay and benefits makes me gag a little bit. My $3000 county property tax bill hard at work...protesting at the statehouse.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Who Said It?
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
This quote is from 2006 when our national debt was just over $7 trillion.
...... March 20, 2006 - Senator Obama.
Go figure.
This quote is from 2006 when our national debt was just over $7 trillion.
...... March 20, 2006 - Senator Obama.
Go figure.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Is it really Science?
..."Even Phil Jones, the CRU director at the centre of last year's 'Climategate' leaked email scandal, was forced to admit in a littlenoticed BBC online interview that there has been 'no statistically significant warming' since 1995.
One of those leaked emails, dated October 2009, was from Kevin Trenberth, head of climate analysis at the US government's National Centre for Atmospheric Research and the IPCC's lead author on climate change science in its monumental 2002 and 2007 reports.
He wrote: 'The fact is that we can't account for the lack of warming at the moment, and it is a travesty that we can't.'
After the leak, Trenberth claimed he still believed the world was warming because of CO2, and that the 'travesty' was not the 'pause' but science's failure to explain it.
The question now emerging for climate scientists and policymakers alike is very simple. Just how long does a pause have to be before the thesis that the world is getting hotter because of human activity starts to collapse?"
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1335798/Global-warming-halted-Thats-happened-warmest-year-record.html#ixzz17M33HTgN
One of those leaked emails, dated October 2009, was from Kevin Trenberth, head of climate analysis at the US government's National Centre for Atmospheric Research and the IPCC's lead author on climate change science in its monumental 2002 and 2007 reports.
He wrote: 'The fact is that we can't account for the lack of warming at the moment, and it is a travesty that we can't.'
After the leak, Trenberth claimed he still believed the world was warming because of CO2, and that the 'travesty' was not the 'pause' but science's failure to explain it.
The question now emerging for climate scientists and policymakers alike is very simple. Just how long does a pause have to be before the thesis that the world is getting hotter because of human activity starts to collapse?"
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1335798/Global-warming-halted-Thats-happened-warmest-year-record.html#ixzz17M33HTgN
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Fiscal Fix: Discussion
NPR is reporting that much of the meaningful cuts in the "Fiscal Fix" that were released a few weeks ago are not popular among a majority of voters and many lawmakers. I wanted to comment on ONE of the items in the report that I think is exactly what we need, although potentially hard to swallow.
One of the recommendations by the commission was reducing tax rates for every into 3 brackets ranging from about 12% - 24% (from what I remember) and in turn eliminating the mortgage tax break for homeowners. I think this is great.
For one this option removes the government incentives to borrow money, especially for housing. Even without directly addressing the problems with Freddie and Fannie lending, this would move governmental influence away from the mortgage market, eliminating the false incentive that writing off the interest on our loans is doing us a bit favor.
Also, lowering the overall tax rates for EVERYONE, and getting rid of tax breaks further eliminates governmental influence in the markets. Everything becomes much more simple. We pay our taxes, and we don't have to jump through hoops and spend all our resources looking for breaks and loopholes....although I still think a "fair tax" might be the way to go.
The fiscal commission does fall short in some areas, but the tax changes seem positive to me. The Healthcare legislation (Obamacare) will surely need to be removed to also save money. We must get the bearacracy out of the way, if we really want to save money. When people are spending money that is not theirs, they will not be nearly as careful with it as we would ourselves.
One of the recommendations by the commission was reducing tax rates for every into 3 brackets ranging from about 12% - 24% (from what I remember) and in turn eliminating the mortgage tax break for homeowners. I think this is great.
For one this option removes the government incentives to borrow money, especially for housing. Even without directly addressing the problems with Freddie and Fannie lending, this would move governmental influence away from the mortgage market, eliminating the false incentive that writing off the interest on our loans is doing us a bit favor.
Also, lowering the overall tax rates for EVERYONE, and getting rid of tax breaks further eliminates governmental influence in the markets. Everything becomes much more simple. We pay our taxes, and we don't have to jump through hoops and spend all our resources looking for breaks and loopholes....although I still think a "fair tax" might be the way to go.
The fiscal commission does fall short in some areas, but the tax changes seem positive to me. The Healthcare legislation (Obamacare) will surely need to be removed to also save money. We must get the bearacracy out of the way, if we really want to save money. When people are spending money that is not theirs, they will not be nearly as careful with it as we would ourselves.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)