Snow in Bethlehem, Egypt, First in 112 Years

Mideast Storm Dumps Snow on Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah - Bloomberg:

There seems to be some colder weather in the Mideast as well. As one of the Jerusalem folks said:

 “Jerusalem has never seen anything like this,” Ya’alon said on a visit to the regional Home Front Command center. 

Again, as I would say if it was record heat that has "never been seen", never is a very very long time ... Jerusalem has been BOTH much hotter and much colder than this event! 

Lots of great pictures here http://news.yahoo.com/photos/snowstorms-in-syria-slideshow/

This is the first snow in Egypt in 112 years. I'm absolutely certain that if this was a 112 year heat record somewhere it would NOT be covered as "global warming". Right?



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Attacked by Average Person of Indeterminate Sex and Race

Racial Profiling Comes to Minnesota | Power Line:

Seems that many of the crimes around the U of M are allegedly being carried out by what are no doubt erroneously described as "young black males". Oh for shame. That supposedly educated people in a supposedly advanced progressive state like MN would be so biased as to describe a perpetrator in such an obvious racist and sexist manner!

I'm thinking that in the tradition of George Zimmerman, "White Hispanic", many of these perpetrators are likely "Black Hispanics", or "Black Whites", or ideally "Average Persons of Indeterminate Sex and Race"!

I believe that the universal description ought to be "Average Person of Indeterminate Sex and Race" ... for Shaquille O'Neil, Danny Devito, Michelle Obama or Laura Bush. We are all really the same when one thinks about it ... at least in a modern "progressive" sort of way.

We live in a country where "equality of result" is possibly our last remaining value, let's celebrate it!

I can hear the nightly news now "Police are looking for an Average Person of Indeterminate Sex and Race who raped and killed another Average Person of Indeterminate Sex and Race in the U of M DinkyTown area last evening. If you have information about this crime, pleased contact police."

Eventually, we will all be "just people" in a race free, gender free and sexual orientation free world. (no doubt ageist, spiecist, sizeist, etc will be conquered as well) So it will be plainly and simply "One person raped and killed another person last night".

At that point, we can all feel really good about ourselves ... well, maybe except for the dead person and those that care about them, but on balance it will be a far more just world, so we can all feel just a bit smug about that!
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Hard Facts of Soft Landing

Chinese spacecraft lands on moon - CNN.com:

So China takes another step on achieving what those of us young in the 60's were almost universally enamored with, the race to put a man on the moon.

Unlike the US in those days however, China has a plan for the moon. They seek to "exploit" it for energy, manufacturing and possibly military purposes.

"Exploit" ... I might have just went with "use", but I purposely put in the "dirty word". It isn't a dirty word, it is the essence of humanities march up from the muck. Our large brains allow us to "exploit" our situation to greater advantage than others. Alas, they also allow us to chew our cud and contemplate our navels.

I still believe that China's big weakness is lack of freedom, **BUT**, I realize that is totally a "hope and belief" vs some supposed guarantee of history. I BELIEVE that freedom will defeat tyranny, and that that faith in God will defeat faith in Man (government, government systems), but even very solid historical evidence gives no guarantee for the future. Sadly there is no time limit ... it may be true, but it may be a thousand years in coming again once the light of America is fully snuffed.

China has used technology to "lengthen the leash" on their people. If one thinks of the old USSR as an actual prison with walls, guards and locks (the Berlin Wall makes that analogy pretty easy), China is more like a bunch of folks running around with ankle monitors.

The USSR was not able to control radio and the onslaught of Internet technology, so the people in their prison became too aware that they were in a prison. China is a different culture, more prone to following central authority, AND more interested in the idea of being "the greatest on earth" ... "Chinese Exceptionalism". Not BO American Exceptionalism

 "I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism. "

The Chinese are on to the  OLD kind of American Exceptionalism ... the TJR, JFK, Reagan sort. The kind that took us to the moon and defeated the USSR. Can that work with a modified Communist framework of greater economic freedom but still centralized planners holding the keys to the "ankle monitors"? I guess we are going to sit back and see. 

Why is China doing this? I'd argue that there is a natural part of human nature that seeks to expand, grow, learn, become, lead ... "be exceptional". However, it needs to be NURTURED ... there needs to be training to see what is uniquely special about your family, community, culture and nation. 

The US used to have that in spades. God, Family, Community, Country. We were a Christian Nation, "Under God", proud of our heritage, liberty, personal responsibility and self-reliance. 

No more. We sold the soul of America for "security". We sold the desire to grow and expand for "sustainability". We sold our spirit to "multiculturalism" and "pluralism". 

So we see one more sign that the world has a new leading nation. A new nation that will set the model for mankind going forward. BO has won another victory in achieving the dreams that he received from his father. The dream of seeing the "colonial powers" (including America) brought down to or below the level of his tribe and country (Luo and Kenya). 

I strongly suspect that our landing will not be soft, and the depths to which we fall will defy even my rather dark imagination. 

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Appalling Error of Thought on "Poor"

The Appalling Stance of Rand Paul - NYTimes.com:

Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, said Sunday on Fox News: “I do support unemployment benefits for the 26 weeks that they’re paid for. If you extend it beyond that, you do a disservice to these workers.” 

This statement strikes at the heart — were a heart to exist — of the divide between conservatives and liberals about whether the social safety net provides temporary help for those who hit hard times or functions as a kind of glue to keep them stuck there.

The whole column is covered right there ... although it drones on.

The error is that Rand Paul is commenting on ALL HUMANS ... himself, Charles Blow, me, you, EVERYONE ... NOT on "the poor".  Conservatives have met the poor and they is us (to paraphrase Pogo)  ... we are ALL poor in one or more ways. Poor in spirit, poor in intelligence, poor in knowledge, poor in motivation, poor in wisdom ... the list is endless.

The world we live in provides us various motivations, some of them relatively gentle, some of them very harsh. A moment of inattention on the wrong road in the wrong conditions can be fatal ... without a 26 week recovery period, nor any chance for a do-over. Many things can impact our lives which make our road infinitely harder ... Charles Krauthammer is paralyzed and in a wheelchair, yet he is independent because while he is "poor in physical capability", he is strong in mind and motivation.

Blow (author of column) compounds his error of thought by name calling. Conservatives can have no heart if they disagree on the best methods for the motivation of ALL.

Humans ALL need the threat of the "lump of coal" to provide us with motivational assist from time to time, lest we become a "poor nation" as opposed to a "nation with some poor".




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Would You Die for a Couple Million?

Why Most Rich 1 Percenters Would Give Anything To Be Among The 99% - Forbes:

Modern man has a lot of trouble with the obvious. The 99% would rarely be willing to change position with the vast majority of the 1%, but the vast majority of the 1% would exchange places with the 99% in a heartbeat.

Why? The 1% are mostly at advanced age, and most of the 99% are young.

What is youth worth? As for all of history, far far more than the young will realize until it is FAR too late for them as well!

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The Passive Agressive Presidency

Charles Krauthammer: Obama the oblivious - The Washington Post:

Good one by Charles. BO is only oblivious to things that are not about HIM!

He gets VERY excited whenever he "pivots" to a new running "squirrel" (new topic), just like your family pet. Then the squirrel runs up a tree, or like Garfield, he delegates catching the squirrel to "Odie" ... then forgets all about it.

He will return later to blame others for things not coming out as everyone wanted them to, or as he promised them to ... but of course that will not be HIS fault in the least!

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W Disses Mandela

He Didn’t Bow!! | Power Line:

Please just consider for a second or two W taking a laughing smiling  "selfie" with a blonde at Mandela's funeral. (never mind she is the leader of Denmark, this was NOT a "state action"!)

First it is is a great disservice to a solid President and decent man to even SUGGEST the idea of W behaving like BO! It would NEVER happen!!

In an alternative universe where something like that did happen with W, the media would be completely APOCALYPTIC!!! Oh, the embarrassment to the nation! Oh the RACISM! Oh the horror of our "appointed president" showing his incompetence, immaturity, selfishness, lack of respect, lack of decorum ..." and the list would go on.

In a lot of other situations I would cut a president some slack ... out at a sporting or other event, on the golf course, etc, but this was a STATE FUNERAL for God's sake. How could he POSSIBLY think that was appropriate behavior. But of course, we know ... he is a narcissist, and what he wants to do is what counts!

Naturally, the next time such a thing happens in a supposedly completely off-camera setting and is captured by the MSM, it will be a significant news story. Because as Cronkite used to say "and that's the way it is".

Now that you have your imagination warmed up, just think of what China, North Korea, Putin, Arab leaders ... and on and on think when they see this. The international stage, like nature, abhors a vacuum!! China is landing on the moon and flexing it's muscles over the contested islands. We have just handed the Ukraine to Putin. We have just capitulation in Syria and Iran. This is the greatest opportunity for our enemies to give us a large and unpleasant surprise, and the leaders of the formerly great powers,  the UK and the US are behaving like poorly raised teenagers!! What a Christmas present to the bad guys!

Seeing something like that is so unbelievable that in makes me wonder if I'm really still sane or just imagining it!

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The Big Lie, Benghazi Edition

FITTON: A closer look at the Benghazi lie - Washington Times:

You can read through it if you want the sordid details, but the punchline is there is a lot of stuff they are STILL withholding. Keeping a nation apathetic is an important factor on the road to serfdom, so BO and the MSM do their best, and in a nation mostly bent on personal gratification, it isn't all that hard.

"The Big Lie" has been useful Statist Propaganda forever, but it is especially rich that the specific definition is from that Poster Child for Statists , Adolf himself!

One of the many uses of this technique is the BO "The most transparent administration in history". Which along with many of his other statements was never even remotely intended. ("If you like your health insurance you can keep it.")

So the photos that have been wrested from the State Department plainly show what we all know, BO and Hilly-Billy were completely lying about the "mobs all excited by YouTube". The maker of that film never the less remains incarcerated. Welcome to the Gulag.



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Barry Sleeps on the Couch

Barack's 'Selfie' At The Mandela Funeral Makes Michelle The Angriest You've Ever Seen | Independent Journal Review:

Michelle may be liberal on SOME issues!

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Coldest In 18 Years

Earliest Subzero Temps Since ’95; More Bitter Cold And Snow Coming « CBS Chicago:

As I'll say over and over, 18 years isn't "Climate", neither is 40 or 50. One certainly has to be over 100 years to talk about Climate vs weather and weather patterns. It was cold (and hot, it was very extreme) in the 1930s. The 60's and 70's were pretty cold winters at least in the upper midwest ... the snowmobile craze really took off and we had some of our deepest snows and coldest winters.

In WI, the coldest temperature recorded was -55 in Feb in '96. This link shows the coldest temperatures recorded by state.

Historically, "the weather" was the safest most non-controversial topic one could talk about. It is a strong sign of the politicization and coarseness of our culture that even the weather has now become a controversial political topic that various media outlets will align their reporting of hot temps or cold temps around!

Enjoy the cold! Go ahead and mention that it is cold and say Merry Christmas! Our society needs to ratchet it's Political Correctness fussiness down a WHOLE BUNCH of notches!

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Coldest In 18 Years

Earliest Subzero Temps Since ’95; More Bitter Cold And Snow Coming « CBS Chicago:

As I'll say over and over, 18 years isn't "Climate", neither is 40 or 50. One certainly has to be over 100 years to talk about Climate vs weather and weather patterns. It was cold (and hot, it was very extreme) in the 1930s. The 60's and 70's were pretty cold winters at least in the upper midwest ... the snowmobile craze really took off and we had some of our deepest snows and coldest winters.

In WI, the coldest temperature recorded was -55 in Feb in '96. This link shows the coldest temperatures recorded by state.

Historically, "the weather" was the safest most non-controversial topic one could talk about. It is a strong sign of the politicization and coarseness of our culture that even the weather has now become a controversial political topic that various media outlets will align their reporting of hot temps or cold temps around!

Enjoy the cold! Go ahead and mention that it is cold and say Merry Christmas! Our society needs to ratchet it's Political Correctness fussiness down a WHOLE BUNCH of notches!

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God Loves BOcare

In Government We Trust: The Progressive Religion - Derek Hunter - Page 1:

Nothing new here to longer term MooseTracks readers, just a new case of the same old "Liberalism as Religion".

Ed Schultz and Chris "Kneepad" Mathews channeling God and "morality" on BOcare is especially rich. Suddenly the man upstairs has decided to embrace Democrats, turn a blink eye to 10's of millions of aborted babies crying out in pain, to wholly embrace the outsource of human care and charity to Big Government. I'm sure God was and is equally thrilled with the Godless USSR, Nazi Germany, China, Cuba, etc.

Pretty decent article, a teaser:

In nearly every way government has replaced religion in the progressive sphere. It is the grantor of rights, the arbiter of morality, the moderator of justice, the compass of true north. Government is the religion, and the agenda is God.

Any act done in service to the agenda is justified; the end is what matters, the means are irrelevant. That’s how you rationalize selling big lies, known lies, to a public wanting to believe your snake oil is the cure for what ails them.

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Amazing Helicopter Pilot!

This Helicopter Pilot Is Masterful At His Job - Digg:

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Coldest Temperature Ever Recorded

Coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth in Antarctica: -94.7C (-135.8F) | World news | theguardian.com:

135F ... enough to make one say Brrrrrr!

Does it mean that the planet is cooling, warming, or staying the same?

None of the above, it is DATA, data is how we LEARN ... provided that our minds aren't so clouded by some belief. ("Settled Science" is NEVER science, and always belief)

Those with the belief of Global Warming however will try to minimize the fact of this data while they have and will heavily publicize every warm temperature recorded to the maximum extent they can.

Ignoring one set of data and focusing on another is propaganda, and when it creeps into what was formerly science, it is a good "Canary in the Coal Mine" warning of the road to tyranny. (See Lysenko, Mengele)

Those names should justifiably make you feel even colder, as should the very idea of Science being used in the service of propaganda.


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The Myth of the Independent Press

America's economic mobility myth - Dec. 9, 2013:

One of the things that was formerly unique about America was that we had an independent press. When a Republican is in the WH we still do! But clearly not with BO, so much like Pravda in the days of the old USSR, when our "Dear Leader" decides to "pivot" to "income inequality", our lapdog MSM tries to help him as much as they can.

So CNN proudly tells us that US mobility is a "Myth". Meanwhile, the NYTs says "Location Matters" 

The Times article gives one a lot more ability to do some figuring on your own. A few elements seem to jump out ... the deep south is worse for mobility, some parts of the US are just as good or better than even the supposed leader ... Denmark. In looking at the map and areas like North Dakota, it seems that exploiting natural resources is very helpful ... which likely goes a long way to explaining Canada.

One can quickly figure out it is quite complicated if the US and Britain share poor numbers, since Britain is more socialist than the US, yet their numbers are WORSE!  Broken homes, certainly are a factor, but how about "once great nations in decline"? Britain and the US certainly fit that, Denmark never was great. France probably BELIEVES they are still both "great and exceptional", but .41 isn't really much better than the US and England.

So CNN does the BO "public service" by declaring mobility a "myth", but look a little closer at the NYTs article. They set the bar REALLY high ... from the BOTTOM 5th to the TOP 5th! That truly is the old Horatio Alger "Rags to Riches" story ... an AMAZING 35% chance to clear that HIGH bar if you happen to come from Williston or Dickinson ND!!

We really have no clue where CNN's "class mobility" is at. Bottom 5th to top would certainly cover that, but I'd think that just moving out of the bottom 5th would as well.

A look at the map in the NYTs article gives the lie to the CNN basic assertion that "a lot more redistribution, especially to education will fix this". I'm certain BO and his patron teachers union whole heartedly agree, but does anyone really believe that schools in Williston or Dickinson ND are THAT much better? Let alone that ND has the kind a redistributive tax policy that makes this kind of success happen????

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