AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster

2014 john McCain : Obama Is ‘Near Delusional In Thinking The Cold War Was Over’

2008 John McCain : “The Cold War is over, the Soviet empire is gone and neither one is missed,”

2014 John McCain : ‘Obama’s foreign policy “feckless” “We have a weak and indecisive president that invites aggression.”

1980’s John McCain: The fundamental question is: What is the United States’ interest in Lebanon? It is said we are there to keep the peace. I ask, what peace? It is said we are there to aid the government. I ask, what government? It is said we are there to stabilize the region. I ask, how can the U.S. presence stabilize the region?… The longer we stay in Lebanon, the harder it will be for us to leave. We will be trapped by the case we make for having our troops there in the first place.

2012 John McCain : “the most serious crisis we have faced - outside of the entire war on terror - since the end of the Cold War.” “Nuclear capability in Iran is unacceptable,”

2014 John McCain : “Maybe the President thinks the Cold War is over,” he added, “but Vladimir Putin doesn’t and that’s what this is all about.”

Just observing, or sharing my opinion, that the man who jails or assassinates his political opponents, equips and bankrolls rogue states and terrorist armies, cuts off Eastern Europe’s gas in a harsh winter if they don’t pay unfavourable prices, killed Poland’s leaders, blackmailed Belarus and annexed north Georgia - just what we know of that springs to mind - again has the world clucking about something that was months in the making, in broad daylight, and which is now over. They think it is brinksmanship. He knows Crimea is his. America and Europe look like a bunch of weak idiots. I think that is what they are. He has been doing this for years and long after Obama, Merkel, Cameron et al have moved on Russia will still be growing its Federation with the finesse of a sledgehammer, with impunity.

They can say what they like now. Putin has done it again. The apathy was breathtaking.

Ireland is wet. 32,595 square miles of island surrounded by 41.08 million square miles of the very wet North Atlantic Ocean. And what happens to be a very warm and wet North Atlantic Ocean.

Heat and Water mean mild climates. Ireland’s climate , despite the misnomer of a damp cold temperament, is the definition of ‘mild’.

Winters, compared to say, balmy, southern Georgia, in the summer it is t shirts without the burn, and winters are jackets without the need for snowsuits.

This equates to more than a lack of snow plows and hurricane shutters: verdant fertile agricultural lands; a quiver full fishing industry; robust sporting community; lower incidents of natural, meteorological based, disasters; and a secure, dynamic environment.

So what happens if Ireland gets wetter…

it is official, winter 2013/2014 was the wettest on record .

and not only that :

This was the station’s wettest winter day since 2008.

and:

A marine record was also broken in February when a new maximum wave of 25 metres was reported at Kinsale Energy Gas Platform on February 12th.

So Ireland is wet, and getting wetter by the year, and this has global significance. Let’s explore some of the causes and consequences…..

the processes, proofs, and problems :

Climate models suggest that lake-effect snowfalls are likely to increase over the next few decades. In the longer term, lake-effect snows are likely to decrease as temperatures continue to rise, with the precipitation then falling as rain

‘Lake Effect’ works for oceans as much for ‘Great Lakes’

most climate models predict that the atmospheric circulation slows down and the overturn of the atmosphere doesn’t occur as quickly, and thus what you end up with is a more wet but stagnant atmosphere.

A ‘stagnant’ climate is the opposite of Ireland’s “warm, wet, and dynamic climate” and ultimately ‘static climate systems’ are negative.

- The last decade (2002-2011) was the warmest on record with land temperature 1.3° C warmer than the pre-industrial average.

- Ireland could be 2.5-4° C warmer in the later part of the 21st Century, compared to the 1961-1990 average.

- While rainfall is decreasing in southern regions, it is increasing in northern Europe.

- Climate change is projected to increase river flooding, particularly in northern Europe, as higher temperatures intensify the water cycle.

- The Arctic is warming faster than other regions. Record low sea ice was observed in the Arctic in 2007, 2011 and 2012, falling to roughly half the minimum extent seen in the 1980s.

- Melting of the Greenland ice sheet has doubled since the 1990s, losing an average of 250 billion tonnes of mass every year between 2005 and 2009.

- Glaciers in the Alps have lost approximately two thirds of their volume since 1850 and these trends are projected to continue.

- Sea levels are rising, raising the risk of coastal flooding during storm events

and

Met Éireann co-ordinated a major international study looking specifically at how climate change would alter the picture here. It draws on its own data sets collected over decades but also on expertise available from Ireland and abroad.
The results were used to deliver a detailed report, Irish Climate: The Road Ahead. It provides assessments of changes to mean air temperatures, wind and wave heights, but also the likely impact on river systems and the risk of flooding.
Some of the changes include warmer summer daytime temperatures, up by two degrees compared to the current mean, but also higher night-time winter temperatures, which will be two to three degrees higher than the current mean.

if you are a conservative - you will love this part:

The generally warmer climate will provide some benefits, the authors say. For example, it should help to reduce the health burden, particularly amongst the elderly, which sees numbers entering hospitals over the winter months soar.

It should also mean less expenditure on wintertime heating, the authors add.

and if you are sane - this should alarm you:

But this warm air carries a price. Warm air summer or winter holds more moisture and this will fall as precipitation, mainly rain. While summers will typically be up to 20 per cent drier compared to today’s normal, winters will see 14 per cent more precipitation.
The net result is more water filling the main river systems that, when overloaded, will trigger widespread flooding. Add to this an increased risk of exceptionally heavy downpours, and the chance of flooding soars.

because - a tiny, damp. island, in the middle of a large wet ocean cannot afford to get wetter, is exactly why it should be a bellwether for “Wake the fuck up” finally not allowing politics to blind us to science.

Video

The irony is thick here:

How corrupt is the media machine? AP writes this story of national significance. Taken off wire for political reasons http://t.co/EzpGHncGz7

— James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) February 26, 2014

What would O’Keefe know about corruption and media practices? Oh wait, lying, creepy behavior, engaging in a range of criminal activities including illegally entering a US Senator’s office under false pretenses, voter fraud, and misleading videos resulting in 6-figure settlements over his smears.

So, what’s the setup here? Well, he claims to have caught Democratic group Battleground Texas in violation of state election law. He purports to have video showing the violations. And that the AP ran a story, but hasn’t run it nationally.

His argument is that since Democrats have decided to make Wendy Davis the focus that the media should be reporting on the investigation, and O’Keefe’s video is proof of election law violations that should be run nationally. Instead, he claims the AP is covering for Democrats.

It was video by his group that led to complaints being filed with state officials, who’ve thus far passed the buck by recusing themselves because they’re also on the ballot:

Pierce said the initial complaints were filed after a conservative activist group produced a video that purports to show a Battleground organizer talking about transcribing phone numbers off of voter registration cards. James O’Keefe, whose group Project Veritas made the video, alleges that transcribing the phone numbers off the registration cards is illegal.

Project Veritas uses hidden cameras to film Democratic Party and liberal politicians and activists. The videos are heavily edited and some in the past have misrepresented the actions of the people in them.

Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said he believed there was enough evidence for a criminal prosecution.

“It appears that representatives of Battleground Texas were either official registrars who misused personal voter information, or they unlawfully posed as official voter registrars to trick people into handing over personal information,” Dewhurst said in a statement. “The seriousness of this issue merits immediate referral to the Attorney General’s office.”

Gee, why would AP be reluctant to move on this? Probably because there’s a nothingburger there — because O’Keefe’s been proven to produce fraudulent videos that are heavily edited to create a predetermined outcome for his purposes.

Given his history, it’s quite possible that the unedited video would show the exact opposite of what he’s claiming. It’d therefore be interesting to see the unedited video to know whether there’s anything there.

Now, if the unedited video does show the violations of Texas election law, then the Battleground Texas group should be investigated and held accountable.

So far, no one has released copies of the complaint filed against the group, so we don’t know exactly what’s going on here. Moreover, Battleground Texas says that the central assertion against them doesn’t violate state law.

On its face, it appears to be another smear job courtesy of O’Keefe.

@HGTomato provided me with links to some further insight/video. This video deconstructs the 3 hours of raw footage.

The video shows just how O’Keefe’s group has been stretching credulity with clever video editing.

Well as most of us know, Republicans make a clear effort to inject religion into their policy making as much as possible. I guess I should clarify that because it’s not entirely accurate: when it comes to social policies, Republicans try to inject religion as much as possible. When it comes to economic policies then they suddenly forget that Jesus Christ spoke out against greed and focused on the responsibility a society has to its poor, needy, sick and elderly.

And it’s clear to anyone who follows me that I don’t consider most conservatives actual Christians. I believe they follow what I call “Republicanity.” It’s what reality shows me. It’s a mix of political ideologies tossed in with a handful of passages from the Bible. Because let’s be honest — when it comes to the Bible, everyone (who’s Christian anyway) picks and chooses which passages they want to follow and which they don’t.

That being said, I thought it might be fun to write the “Republican Ten Commandments” based on what the GOP seems to stand for. Sure, there are many really kind, caring conservative voters out there - but they still vote for a party that’s anything but. It just baffles me how so many Americans vote against their own interests.

So, based on what the GOP stands for, I present to you the Republican Ten Commandments:

1. Thou shalt worship no other Americans but Ronald Reagan.

2. Thou shalt pay no attention to the fact that tax rates have nothing to do with capitalism. Remember, we were in fact a nation based on socialism before 1980 when our savior was elected.

3. To speak ill of Ronald Reagan means you are not a real conservative.

4. Thou shalt honor Ayn Rand’s economic ideologies, but ignore the fact that she was an atheist who thought religious people were fools.

5. Thou shalt respect your mother and father by ensuring that we privatize Social Security and Medicare so that private corporations can profit from these programs.

6. Guns are the only means of salvation. Thou shalt live in fear every moment that someone is out to get you.

7. Though adultery and divorce are acceptable and frequent occurrences (especially in “strongly conservative” states), it is same-sex marriage that will ultimately destroy the traditional family and ruin the sanctity of marriage.

8. Women are to be treated as subservient to men. Their rights will be determined by panels consisting entirely of males as it is clear men know more, and are better suited to determine female equality and how to handle women’s health.

9. The poor are but leeches on society seeking a handout from everybody else. The rich suffer the greatest burden of all and it is your responsibility to ensure that the rich are properly taken care of, for they are the job creators.

10. Thou shalt remember that greed is good, the poor are lazy, gays are bad, women are wicked, Rush Limbaugh is a respectable citizen, Sarah Palin is intelligent and George W. Bush was a great president.

More: The Republican Ten Commandments - Forward Progressives

Climate change denial amongst those in those in power, isn’t just a problem in the US. The UK also has climate change deniers in positions of authority undermining attempts to solve the problem there as well.

Government efforts to combat climate change are being undermined by some Conservatives, Liberal Democrat cabinet minister Ed Davey is to claim.

The energy secretary will say attempts to discredit the scientific evidence of climate change threaten a breakdown of the political consensus on the issue.

He will say some Tories are combining with the UK Independence Party to create a “diabolical cocktail”.

But David Cameron says he is committed to reducing carbon emissions.

In a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research think-tank, Mr Davey will accuse critics of government policy of a “wilfully ignorant, head in the sand, nimby-ist conservatism”.

He will say that such attitudes combined with the Euroscepticism of some Conservatives could undermine efforts to achieve international agreement.

Read more at The BBC

The US Treasury has warned Congress that the debt ceiling raising time again, and as before, the Republicans are dancing around trying to tie the debt ceiling to one or another of their pet causes.

Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew says the day of destiny this time is Feb. 27.

The last debt ceiling showdown hurt economic output, employment, and America’s standing among global investors, experts say.

Flirting with default comes with costs, even if the government never misses a single payment, experts said. A new study from the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a research group based in Washington, suggested that the cost of last year’s fiscal standoffs lopped roughly a percentage point, or $150 billion, off economic output and cost 750,000 jobs.

Around the world, the perception of Treasury debt as being absolutely safe has shifted, said Adam S. Posen, president of the Peterson Institute and a former central banker at the Bank of England. Managers of sovereign-wealth funds in countries like Norway and Singapore are rethinking their exposure to the dollar, he said.

“The dumb money says, ‘Every time I reacted to a debt deliberation in the United States, I overreacted and lost money,’ ” he said. “But the smart money knows the market has been changed by this uncertainty.”

>snip

I alternate between fury and utter contempt for this chowderheaded ratbag, who is at it again:

Ted Nugent has blasted President Barack Obama once again, labeling the leader of the free world a “subhman mongrel” and “gangster” who was allowed to “weasel his way into the top office of authority in the United States of America.”

Read More: Ted Nugent Calls President Obama a ‘Subhuman Mongrel’ | ultimateclassicrock.com

There’s more, of course. I don’t have the intestinal fortitude (nor the desire) to befoul my browser with a link to the original piece.

(And Charles, if you think it’s best to simply not give space to this shit on your blog, I would gladly defer to your [far] better judgment in such a case.)