Reardon wrote on Feb 26, 2008 10:33 PM:While it would be a mistake to take one data-point as a trend, January was the 63rd warmest January (land and water combined) in history, and "history" began in 1880. If that becomes a trend, we could be looking at -- well, at least a severe diminution of Global Warming, possibly even (gasp!) Global Cooling? Everything old is new again! (1974) Hard to believe, because we certainly are not seeing a diminution of CO2 or any other potential pollutant. Hmmmm. I wonder if both cooling and warming might just be...dare I say it, natural and unpredictable?

Nature Lover wrote on Feb 26, 2008 10:43 PM:I just love how nature left us those vast deposits of Beautiful Black Oil as hidden treasure for those who find it and for those who unlock it’s wonders and uses it to bring prosperity, and security to our country.

DD Wiz wrote on Feb 26, 2008 10:44 PM: The published letter from Kenneth K. Ebmeier not only shows complete lack of originality, virtually plagiarizing other recent writers (are they all sending in photocopies of the same letter), but repeats the same ignorance of science as his predecessors.
His statements about icecaps and glaciers are directly opposite the facts.
His statements about the precipitous decline of polar bears is absolutely perverse.
His statements about weather in China are not only not accurate, but show the same failure as others to understand the difference between weather (local, short term) and climate (broad range, long-term).
The reference to global cooling shows a complete ignorance of how the fluctuating extremes of higher highs and lower lows initially generated confusion in the preliminary early hypothoses of the scientific community, but as further research and data were examined and understood, scientific consensus about the long-range warming trend congealed.
I suppose Ebmeier still uses the same computer, drives the same car, and uses the same household conveniences he used 30 years ago -- ooops, there were no personal computers back then!
But Ebmeier does use the new computers, the new technology, and if he gets sick, I'm sure he won't reject the PEER-REVIEWED treatments and cures that didn't exist 30 years, but come out of the same scientific protocols he is so quick to ridicule.
To science: you've come a long way, baby.

Snowbird-2 wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:38 PM:There was an Associated Press article in many papers including the Californian and most likely the NC Times on Feb 21 about a problem with neighbors with trees versus Solar panels, you know, “the over-hyped heavily subsidized solar panels that make no power at night or when covered by dark clouds, heavy rain, snow, leaves or bird droppings and which do not do well in the shade of big beautiful trees, and are not practical in much of our country."
Two neighbors in Sunnyvale, California, near San Jose, have been at odds for six years in court. One of them installed solar panels for $70,000 in 2001. His neighbors planted six redwood trees before that, and two since. Redwood trees are slow growing, but are now putting some shade on the solar panels. The judge found there is a 30 some year old California law called the Solar Shade Control Act. It says a homeowners trees and shrubs must not block more that ten percent of the neighbors solar panels between 10 AM and 2 PM when the sun is strongest. There are some rules like the panels must be installed with certain set back requirements, and whether the trees were planted before or after the solar panels were installed. In this article the homeowner had to cut down two of the trees but is left with six trees of the eight.
Solar Panels make a great hobby for those interested but thank goodness for the CHEAP RELIABLE CENTRAL POWER PLANTS AND TRANSMISSION LINES.

SOLON … wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:51 PM: … I must vouch for sdraoul’s post of 1:08 AM (26feb). The first thing I heard on NPR early this morning, even before I got out of bed, was the new study from the Public Policy Institute debunking the myth of immigrant criminality. A great deal has been said and written about each, reinforcing age-old popular stereotypes about immigration and crime (a Google search for "immigration +crime" immediately returns 57.2 million hits). But rarely are carefully researched connections made between the two, based on rigorous evidence.
Immigrants are far less likely than the average US-born citizen to commit crime in California, the most populous state in the United States, according to this new report.
People born outside the United States make up about 35% of California's adult population but account for about 17% of the adult prison population, the report showed.
According to the report's authors the findings suggest that long-standing fears of immigration as a threat to public safety are unjustified. The report also noted that US-born adult men are incarcerated at a rate more than 2 1/2 times greater than that of foreign-born men.
The Mexican-origin population dwarfs all others in both the first and second generations; it already accounts for 27 percent of the country's total immigrant-stock population. The first generation of Mexican immigrants now totals more than 10 million persons — much larger than the next sizable immigrant groups (the Filipinos, Chinese, Indians, and Vietnamese, with more than 1 million each, followed by Cubans, Koreans, Salvadorans and Dominicans, with less than 1 million each).
The number of adults incarcerated in federal or state prisons or local jails in the United States skyrocketed from just over 500,000 in 1980 to 2.2 million in 2005, according to the Department of Justice. Two-thirds of those are in federal or state prisons and one-third in local jails; the vast majority are young men between 18 and 39. An estimated 80 percent of them either violated drug or alcohol laws, were high at the time they committed their crimes, stole property to buy drugs, or had a history of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction — or some combination of those characteristics. Adding those on parole or probation to the incarcerated population, nearly 7 million adults are currently under correctional supervision, 3.2 percent of all US adults 18 or older.
By racial categories (there were 4,834 black male prisoners per 100,000 black males in the United States, compared to 1,778 Hispanic males per 100,000, and 681 white males per 100,000, and by level of education those incarcerated are overwhelmingly high school dropouts.
Submitted 4:15pm-26feb Re-submitted 11:50pm

ORACLE = wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:01 AM: = “Stimulus plan is as ridiculous as Bush” wrote Robert Martinez, letter today. A common definition of insanity is the act of repeating the same activity while expecting a different result. Bernanke is now repeating the same mistakes made by Greenspan, yet he and almost everyone on Wall Street expect a different result. The stock market bubble of the 1990s resulted from interest rates being too low, which sent false signals to businesses, causing them to over-invest in information technology, telecom, and dot coms. When that bubble burst, rather than allowing the corrective recession to run its course, the Fed responded by slashing interest rates. The result was an even larger bubble in real estate; causing consumers too borrow far too much money to buy houses and other goodies.
Now that the housing bubble has burst, the Fed is once again slashing interest rates to postpone the pain. However, in order to correct for years of extravagant borrowing and spending, the country is in desperate need of a period of saving and economizing. But by rewarding debtors and punishing savers, lower interest rates actually encourage the opposite behavior. Given how much harm this strategy has already done in the past why should we assume it will work any better now?

Snowbird-2 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:09 AM:California needs a lot of new power plants right away, as many as 15 full sized compound cycle gas fired plants. The compound cycle is made possible by fairly recent improvements in gas turbine blades that survive running the gas through at a much higher temperature. That gas turbine runs a generator. The exhaust gas is still so hot it is used to heat steam to then run through a traditional steam turbine that turns a second generator. Usually there are two gas turbines for each steam turbine. California needs about 15 of them to be built and used while they continuing to argue about building or not building several new nuclear plants. This will provide security in the event the Columbia River and Colorado River hydroelectric power plants have to reduce output during seasons or years of drought, and to replace older plants that are wearing out and make worse pollution than the new plants would make. This will buy time while California lets the new transmission lines be built to bring in renewable power from the wind farms and the new central power plants using focused solar power to make steam to run conventional steam turbines turning generators, and to implement other renewable projects that will take years. I fear these California regulators and the state legislature are speeding down the road to force a new energy shortage that will make the terrible fiasco of a few years ago look like child’s play. Wind farms are great and more of them should be built, but sometimes there is not enough wind, especially in extremely hot weather so the BACK UP capacity is essential. All the public does is rail about global warming, and then proceed to block everything that needs to be done to provide us with adequate economical power. They object to the looks of power plants, wind farms, nuclear plants, and transmission lines. Others object because some bugs and animals may have to be moved out of the way. We must have REDUNTANT SOURCES to provide extra capacity to provide for equipment maintenance and breakdowns, especially during heat waves and natural disasters. It's OK to encourage conservation and energy efficient appliances but that must not be used as a mantra to excuse not building the NECESSARY CAPACITY PLUS ADEQUATE RESERVES. With just a minimum of equipment and capacity for normal use after everyone is painfully conserving there is NO ABILITY to provide extra for storms, heat waves, national emergencies, AND business and industrial growth and to simply enjoy the pleasures of life instead of skimping. If these political obstructions and laws passed by the legislature which KNOWS ALMOST NOTHING about mechanical and electrical equipment and knows almost nothing about the contribution to the states economy of adequate low priced power, then this state is headed for years of increasingly hard times and budget deficits. Not only will us citizens be unnecessarily inconvenienced at every turn but the state will be billions short of tax revenue every year to provide the aid to schools, health care and all the other good projects it wants to provide.

Floyd The Scientist wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:19 AM:One of today's letter writers seems to think that the consensus of North County Times readers who are questioning the validity of the global warming hysteria, a technique known as the "scientific method", are somehow uninformed due to inadequate coverage in the North County Times. However, if we all don our WHITE LAB COATS and write PEER-REVIEWS of each other we will then have a SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS instead and that will make it okay. In the meantime, we all have to put up with yet another rendition of the LIBERAL FUSILLADE OF BLATHER.

SOLON … wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:26 AM:… Bush on Monday night delivered a buoyant campaign-style speech to the 2008 Republican Governors Association Gala. The man thinks he’s is running for president for a third term. Actually it is McCain who is running for Bush’s third term: endless war, bankruptcy of the treasury, belligerance and arrogance, and a simplistic counterproductive security approach.
Bush told big party donors that he is optimistic about the GOP's prospects -- as well as the verdict of history. "I don't know about you," he said, "but I'm confident we'll hold the White House in 2008. And so when I say I'm confident, I am so because I understand the mentality of the American people."
Certainly Bush does understand the mentality of a tiny minority of the American people, those who think like letter writer today, Dale Delmege. You can fool some of the people all the time. Delmage does not understand that Obama’s tremendous surge in popularity is that he represents a real change from the disastrous reign of Georg W. Bush. As our nation slides into depression and disrepute, the American people are desperately hunger for hope and change, for a restoration of our reputation, and a leader who does not promulgate torture and hatred. The people will never tire of this message.

Snowbirt-2 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:27 AM:So is that Douglas Dunn with his published letter this morning copying the rhetoric of DD Wiz or what? Douglas is complaining about the "conservative war against science" and the dummies that "don't know the difference between weather and climate."

OBAMA hold the high ground . wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:38 AM: . McCain seeks to relieve the current “commander in chief” and continue pursuing his three disastrous policies: Iraq, the economy and no health care. Whey does he embrace Bush’s most unpopular policies? OBAMA holds the high ground on all three policies: Get out of the Iraq quagmire, check the destructive greed of Wall Street, and force the Insurance industry into affordable health care for Americans.

ORACLE = wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:54 AM: = A better “stimulus” was proposed this week to Bush by the nation’s governors, but Bush told the governors to drop dead. He rebuffed appeals from the governors to inject money into building roads, bridges and other badly needed public works, including building levees in New Orleans and near Sacramento. These are preemptive projects to prevent disaster, and would create jobs and foster economic development. Bush says these would not inject liquidity fast enough to stimulate the economy. So he’s pushing to spread a little “free” money for ALL instead. In truth, the infrastructure money could be inject quickly, because most states already have projects engineered and ready to go -- except for the money. At least with infrastructure, we would have something to show for all those billions of dollars.

To Mr Dunn wrote on Feb 27, 2008 1:16 AM:To equivocate Clinton's sexual transgressions to the McCain rumor of possible attraction is ludicrous and beneath Mr. Dunn's partisan but logical letters. He must really be afraid the seasoned McCain will expose his feel good lack of substance candidate.

ORACLE = wrote on Feb 27, 2008 1:26 AM: = A nationwide KATRINA is washing ashore. At this moment 650,000 foreclosed properties are for sale in California according to RealyTrac, the company that is tracking this slow-motion disaster. That is an increase of 177% over the year before. Also, 9821 California homes went into foreclosure just this past January, says another research firm, representing about $8 billion in value. Over 25,000 homes are in pre-foreclosure in Los Angeles alone. Nationwide, 1.7 million homes defaulted last year.
Most of these homes were owner -occupied, (not absentee speculators) so we are not just talking about an abstraction but millions of real people, disrupted lives and dreams for families affecting schooling and even voting because most registrations are residential. This problem has been called a “50-State Katrina.”
And most of these homeowners are likely in deep debt now that they can’t use their homes as ATM machines to pay off their credit card bills. Credit cards are being talked about as the next bubble to burst. The housing bubble is but the first, and not the biggest by any measure, that is going to burst. The worst bubble to pop will be the dollar. Picture bread for $10 a loaf. Gasoline for $12.00 a gallon. Inflation is coming, but at least that will re-inflate the dollar value of homes again. In 30 years these $700,000 houses in California will be worth $30 million. Just think of the property taxes you will have to pay! This is the Bush-McCain legacy for history.

ORACLE … wrote on Feb 27, 2008 1:57 AM: … Do you remember former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s visit to Texas, and the photo of him wearing a cowboy hat and boots presented to him? The locals loved him for it. I remember my own visit to the Oktoberfest in Munchen decades ago, with a couple of other American GI’s. We all wore Tiroler Huts, lederhosen, and genuine wool strumphe up to the knees. The Muncheners loved us for it. So what is the big fuss about BARACK OBAMA wearing the white robe handed him by the elders of Wajir in northeastern Kenya? They loved him for it. It’s the man they love. Now if Bush went to Iran wearing a turban, they would not love him for it. They would be insulted. And if Bush appeared at the Tattoo in Edinburgh in a kilt, they would shower him with hagis. Some men honor tribal regalia, and some dishonor it. Obviously the Wajir elders felt Obama honored their tribal regalia.

ORACLE = wrote on Feb 27, 2008 2:09 AM: = Bush’s “stupid stimulus” ==
The heck with Bush’s big stimulus bill. The way to get the country out of recession (and most people think we're in one) is to get the country out of Iraq.
The $168 billion economic rescue package Congress rushed to approval includes rebates of $600 to $1,200 for most taxpayers, the hope being that they will spend the money and help revive ailing businesses. Poor wage-earners, as well as seniors and veterans who live almost entirely off Social Security and disability benefits, would get $300 checks.

However, just 19 percent of the people surveyed said they planned to go out and spend the money; 45 percent said they'd use it to pay bills. And nearly half said what the government really should do is get out of Iraq.
Forty-eight percent said a pullout would help fix the country's economic problems "a great deal," and an additional 20 percent said it would help at least somewhat. Some 43 percent said increasing government spending on health care, education and housing programs would help a great deal; 36 percent said cutting taxes.
Does Bush giving “free” handouts to the poor instead of his Wall Street cronies give you pause to reflect? Are Wall Street, the Fed and the Treasury Dept in a panic that the whole house of cards is about to collapse?

James wrote on Feb 27, 2008 3:35 AM:Anecdotal evidence from the major world wide temerature mointors, Hadley, NASA's GISS, UAH, RSS are showing a trend toward cooling. Gasp what have we here another blow to the religious zealots. Wait I know because of Big AL and the rest of the bought off for warming concensus crowd it worked. We are saving the planet. Thank the heavens we are saved!!!!!!!!! LOL. There's some fodder for ya whiz now go ahead and entertain me.

jvc wrote on Feb 27, 2008 4:51 AM:Must one lose the world to make a better world? Must one feel true suffering to attain insight of this good? Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel, thus shake the superflux to them and show the heavens more just! Our means secure us, and our mere defects prove our commodities
for justice!

Ron wrote on Feb 27, 2008 5:53 AM:Did you catch the vicious cycle in Robert Martinez's letter? After first calling the Stimulus plan ridiculous, he then goes on to say:
>>>The question has been asked, what do you plan to do with your stimulus money? Me, depends on how much money I get. I will probably use it to pay some of my income taxes. I don't think I'll have any stimulus money left, so I'll use my personal money to pay my property tax.>>>
But, he'll take the "ridiculous" money to pay his income and property taxes?
So, you'll take this "ridiculous" money borrowed on the backs of your children & perhaps grandchildren to pay YOUR taxes? Am I missing something here? Or does this man not see how ridiculous he is for accepting the money?
Perhaps, if the government did not take soo much out of your wallet, you'd have the money to pay your taxes without having to accept this "ridiculous" money borrowed from your kid?

Chuck wrote on Feb 27, 2008 6:02 AM:The news is reporting that EU fined Microsoft record $1.3 billion for charging rivals for their patented intellectual property. As liberals celebrate that "evil american corporation" was hammered by the European business molesters, will Bush & Cheney protect American intellectual property of with they continue to twiddle their thumbs

Ron wrote on Feb 27, 2008 6:04 AM:Hey eh... smart guy, Jim Dooley!
What part of "out-of-state purchase", don't you get? HUH? Ya know, people buy all kinds of things out-of-state, do you want the government to tax ALL those items too? Ah, never mind... of course he does, if they are Rich people who'll pay so he can get something from the Nanny State.

Chuck wrote on Feb 27, 2008 6:07 AM:>>>I just love how nature left us those vast deposits of Beautiful Black Oil as hidden treasure for those who find it>> Nature also left gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, gemstones, etc, etc, So, instead of spewing your jealousy at those who are entrepreneurial enough to make money on it, why dont you turn the porn off of your computer and go out find some for yourself.

Ron wrote on Feb 27, 2008 6:30 AM:I'm sitting here shaking my head... after reading Joe Martin's letter. First of all, he makes the obserd claim that being a member of the NRA promotes gun violence? As a member myself, I've never attended any NRA function that didn't promote training on the correct usage of weapons, proper hunting, proper storage with young children, or gun repair. This is the "spoon-fed the B.S." he is refering to? But here's the real kicker, LOL...
>>>The NRA refuses to consider that although a gun owner is responsible when they purchase ... weapons, it doesn't mean they will always be.>>>
So, if in the future I decide to use my car to knock down fences, I shouldn't have a car either? Is that the logic for denying me a car at all?
He ends, with his usual idiotic conclusions. >>>That's the problem with weapons. It gives people a feeling of strength they don't deserve...">>>
They don't deserve, Joe Martin?
Does this guy read? Of course not. Right after freedom of speech & religion, our Founders gave us the RIGHT to defend those rights by firearms, if necessary. That's why the 2nd Amendment is SECOND! To allow the rights of the individual to be defended against a tyrannical and despotic government.

Ron wrote on Feb 27, 2008 7:09 AM:What is this? Again, Klaus-Peter
Meinhard with another letter about Yacht owners? It is absolutely mindless, and just confirms to me, that liberals are clinically nuts. The total taxes that would be available if the loophole were closed, would only be $26 million dollars. That's it. We have a $16 billion dollar deficit, and these nutcases in Sacramento wanted to add on top of that deficit another $14 billion for healthcare, to make the total a $30 billion dollar hole. And your complaining about $26mil? Come on...
Especially when you consider that 80% of all taxes paid in this State, are paid by "the Rich." For example, The amount of people in California that makes less than $10,000 per year totals 16.24% of the population, yet, only .07% of all the taxes are paid by them. The amount of people in California that make more than $5,000,000 per year totals only .076% of the population, yet they are paying 21.87%. To extend the case even further, each of the 2,287,241 people in the lowest tax bracket pay $11.19 per year in income taxes.
First, if your going to make statements, let’s check out the bare facts. The rich do pay the lion’s share of taxes, both at the federal level and in the state of California. In California, taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes of more than $100,000 make up the top 11 percent of taxpayers. This highest-earning group reported 54 percent of the total income in the state and paid 80 percent of the state’s income taxes. Taxpayers with incomes over $500,000 account for less than 1 percent of total tax returns filed but pay about 40 percent of the personal income taxes paid in the state. $500,000 is many, many small business owners, maybe your employed by one? Let me say that again, for clarity... "Taxpayers with incomes over $500,000 account for less than 1 percent of total tax returns filed but pay about 40 percent of the personal income taxes paid in the state."
Like I said, maybe your employed by one of these Rich guys?

DD Wiz wrote on Feb 27, 2008 7:19 AM: The post from "Reardon" (10:33pm) demonstrates, yet again, that he continues to simply ignore factual information and live in a happy, empty world of blissful ignorance. Although the subject has been widely covered in the general news, in popular media, and even this humble forum, "Reardon" incredibly states: "I wonder if both cooling and warming might just be...dare I say it, natural and unpredictable?"
First of all, the statement "I wonder" shows a really solid foundation for challenging the established scientific consensus. Since he hates science so much, I'm sure he will refuse to use technology, transportation, communications and medical advances brought to you by the PEER-REVIEWED SCIENCE he continually belittles. Oh, he typed that on a computer? Chalk one up for hypocrisy.
Second, it has been repeatedly noted that natural cycles of both cooling and warming have occurred throughout the geological record. That is not the question. Does "Reardon" really not understand this, or is that just another diversion from the science he perpetually denigrates?
The point is that the current warming levels and CO2 excesses are far, far above the upper control levels ever seen in the geologic record AND there are specific, identifiable factors of human activity contributing to those changes.
But, of course, that would be real science and "Reardon" would rather put his head in the sand or other dark place) and emulate the way "Heckuva job Bushie" handled Hurricane Katrina or how that stubborn old man refused to give in to the "alarmists" who wanted him to come down from his cabin on Mt. St. Helens.
And of course, the worst possible downside of listening to REAL SCIENTISTS that "Reardon" dismisses as "alarmists"? Cleaner air and less dependence on pushers of our addiction to non-renewable FINITE FILTHY FOSSIL FUELS purchased from dependence on terrorists and dictators.

DD Wiz wrote on Feb 27, 2008 7:20 AM: The post from "Snowbird-2" (11:38pm) cites the example of someone installing a solar photovoltaic system back in 2001 for $70,000 and dismisses solar as something just for "hobbyists."
SEVEN YEARS AGO is an eternity in technology, and "Snowbird-2" is so far out of date, no wonder he does not understand the current state of technology! "Snowbird-2" does not note the output of that system, but today, most people can install solar that will completely reduce their electric bill to ZERO, including use of summer air conditioning, for less than half that.
Today solar is feasible for everyone living in the sunbelt, and only the propagandists or dupes of the pushers of our addiction to non-renewable FINITE FILTHY FOSSIL FUELS purchased from dependence on terrorists and dictators would say otherwise.
And his pathetic, desperate effort to curry sympathy for "the redwoods" is a propaganda-driven joke. The Solar Shade Control Act only applies to changes made by others AFTER solar is installed. We are not talking about old-growth forests here; we are talking about someone planting very tall trees AFTER their neighbor had installed solar.
Get with the times, "Snowbird-2" -- or do you really already know this and a better monicker might be "SnowJOB-too"?
Big Energy propagandist "SnowJOB-too" believes that the real solution is more transmission lines. What a beautiful world he envisions! Metal towers and wires everywhere! The wind blows, and downed transmission lines cause fires and wreak havoc in the lives of real people. But "SnowJOB-too" doesn't care, as long as his Big Energy cronies feed at the trough of public gouging.
Speaking of his beloved "transmission lines," we see that Big Energy wants to impose Powerlink, a 1.3 BILLION dollar boondoggle to devastate sensitive environmental habitats and fill them with fire-causing power lines.
If you just take that $1.3 BILLION dollars, you could complete cover the costs of solarizing 40,000 rooftop systems (using today's costs, not the ancient past that "SnowJOB-too" lives in), or if you merely covered ten or fifteen thousand dollars of additional credits for those who are borderline and just need that extra incentive push, you could cover 80,000 or 1000,000 homes. That would generate far more LOCALLY-PRODUCED energy, without fire-causing long-distance transmission lines.
But there are a few people who make a lot of money on those fire-causing long-distance transmission lines, and they are not going to give up easily, are thay, "Snow Job Too"?

Ron wrote on Feb 27, 2008 7:29 AM:Yes, Dale Delmege.. I suspect the "The Obama miracle" will soon turn into the Obama train wreck. THE mistake was to have been engaged with Antoin "Tony" Rezko at all, or any other personal business dealings with Antoin "Tony" Rezko. Antoin "Tony" Rezko, who has been indicted for plotting to squeeze millions of dollars in kickbacks out of firms seeking state business. The suspected "kickback" according to Chicago Tribune reports, Obama bought his house in June 2005 for some $300,000 less than the asking price. The same day, Rezko's wife bought the adjoining lot, paying the full $625,000 asking price. One question raised was whether Rezko's wife subsidized Obama's purchase of the $1-milllion-plus home, while providing a next door private preserve that can't be reached from a public street.

0412 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 7:29 AM:Chuck wrote on Feb 27, 2008 6:07 AM: Follow your own advice. You seem to be addicted to the PC yourself. Find any oil?
Me and my five liberals will just watch porn. LOL LOL.

Ron wrote on Feb 27, 2008 7:43 AM:>>>In the larger sense of a body politic, "we the people" is a narcissistic pool in which you reflect your collective conceit upon yourselves, and that's the handle by which the real powers are yanking you around.>>> One of the hardest words in the English language for any liberal to hear, is the word: No. The response from liberals is quick and angry. And like spoiled, angry children, they rebel against the normal responsibilities of adulthood and demand that a parental government meet their needs from cradle to grave. The liberal mind set, which I like to refer to as Liberal Institutionalism is slowly seeping into the fabric of almost every single American's life. It was meant to, by design. They have been very successful at creating and reinforcing perceptions of victimization, of satisfying infantile claims to entitlement, of indulgence and compensation. They always revert back to augmenting primitive feelings of envy, while rejecting the sovereignty of the individual, subordinating him to the will of the government.
When the modern liberal mind whines about imaginary victims, rages against imaginary villains and seeks above all else to run the lives of persons competent to run their own lives, the neurosis of the liberal mind becomes painfully obvious.
And so, what you have on the Democrat side of the election are the nothing presidential candidates Obama and Clinton, whose appeal is to a growing cult of nothing people. Strong Nations are made up of strong individuals. but if you don't believe in strong individualism, what you end up with are children of the State.

Nick wrote on Feb 27, 2008 8:04 AM:How many of you folks watched the Democat debate last night? Every time Hillary opened her mouth I started laughing. This woman is not going to look after the best interests of Americans, she is going to look after the interests of Hillary. Just as GWB had his own agenda for going into Iraq, Hillary has her own agenda for the White House, and IT's NOT "we the people". I get the feeling she's still mad about not being in as much control as she would have liked to have been when her Hubby was President.
On the other hand, Obama sounded like he actually CARED about the American people and try and do exactly as he said. Well spoken, polite and articulate, I was actually a little impressed. Naive and clueless on a few things, but well spoken. That doesn't mean I'm switching parties anytime soon, but it was good to have a laugh and see that The Hillary Ship is indeed sinking!

Chuck wrote on Feb 27, 2008 8:32 AM:>>Find any oil?>> No, but in 2 trips yearly to our hiking and fishing spots in the Sierras, it's a no brainer to pay for the trip and then some with small gold nuggets. It sure beats staying at home like a liberal, seething in jealousy of people who work hard and therefor have more.

Chuck wrote on Feb 27, 2008 8:33 AM:>>Me and my five liberals will just watch porn>> I know, nothing ever changes, does it

DD Wiz wrote on Feb 27, 2008 8:36 AM: The published letter from Dale Delmege and the post from "Ron" (7:29am) show the desperation of Republican conservatives. How thoughtful of Republican conservatives, who will never vote for either Hillary or Barack, to try to tell Democrats who we should choose to represent us.
"Ron," of course, goes for the cheap shote, typical of the Republican slime machine of character assassination and the politics of personal destruction. He misrepresents the nature of the involvement between Obama and one of his constituents and supporters who has been accused (not yet convicted) of a crime -- and there has been NO LINK of Obama to any of the "alleged" wrongdoing. This is as pathetic as taking a picture of Obama, honoring the legacy of his late Kenyan-born father by wearing traditional African garb, and then somehow making it look like he is wearing an Islamic outfit or something -- and trying to ridicule the name bequeathed by that father and link it to a dictator who just happened to have the same last name as this candidate's middle name. I guess that is what desperate people do when they can't run on actual issues.
News flash to "Ron": anyone who runs for president knows A LOT of people, and has A LOT of supporters. Shall we start naming the hundreds of Bush (and McCain) supporters who were not only accused of crimes, but found guilty?
Hey, how come the corporate owned media doesn't tell us more about that unfortunate Keating incident? You remember, McCain's involvement with the failed Lincoln Savings and Loan corruption? You know, by the so-called "reform" candidate? By the same guy who tries to tell others how to run clean campaigns, while he is "in bed" with "sweetheart" deals with lobbyists?
You're darn right, Democrats can't wait for the fall elections!

Confused wrote on Feb 27, 2008 8:45 AM:If our terrible educational system fails because of teachers and their unions, how come the educational systems of most European countries are so good by comparison to ours? Their unions are stronger, if anything. They have similar immigrant populations to deal with. How do we explain this? And why can't we be more like them?

Cluck wrote on Feb 27, 2008 8:50 AM:"Most people believe that Liberals are a danger to this nation." LOL LOL!! Actually, no. A FEW people think that way. MOST people actually believe that Conservatives are a danger to this nation. They've created MORE terrorists than before. MOST people already know this. Deal with it. If you can't you are not intelligent.

Concerned-1 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 8:54 AM:Note to NCT blog editors: Kim Chee is not a derogatory (or cuss) word. It is a spicy marinated cabbage. When used with the word "deep" it equates to an expression. Better than "deep s--t!"

Concerned-1 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:01 AM:I couldn't wait to see how our friends on the left would respond to Kenneth Ebmeier's letter about global warming. The funny thing about the subject is that you really can't argue effectively with them. Even quoting genuine scientific reviews doesn't work, not that Mr. Ebmeier did that in his letter. If you cite weather trends they say "climate change." There are folks that just have their mind made up, end of story. Will one of my peers please review this?

Concerned-1 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:03 AM:Interesting letter from Douglas Dunn of Escondido. Gee, if it were just a couple of thousand words longer I'd think he is DD Wiz!

Oh, great wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:10 AM:So is this Presidential race going to boil down to whether opponents can say "Rezco" or "Keating" louder? Really looking forward to another high brow campaign. Hey, Reardon, instead of basing number of votes you get on how much tax you pay, let's base it on IQ or "years of education". This would raise the level of debate enormously, and would also eliminate all the slime tactics that would come with a money-based voting system (which, in any case, already determines who the candidates are). In fact, maybe that's the perfect compromise. Money determines the candidates, IQ determines which one wins. Deal?

Reardon wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:15 AM:Yes, the UK’s Hadley Climate Research Unit Temperature (HadCRUT), NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), University of Alabama, Huntsville (UAH), and Remote Sensing Systems of Santa Rosa, CA (RSS) all reported that January Global Delta T far greater than normal, unexpectedly. Since the smokestacks and car emissions increase by the minute – what could have caused this anomaly? The obvious answer is DD’d solar panels! That, combined with his Prius is causing a new Global Cooling, possibly even a new LITTLE ICE AGE! How long will it be before we are begging DD to buy a Hummer, and heat his home with FINITE FILTHY FOSSILE FUEL? Global Warming, Global Cooling…WE ARE ALL DOOMED! WOE! CALAMITY! THE END IS NEAR! REPENT! REFORM! (Send your check to Al Gore…)

esteban wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:21 AM:Anyone who buys into Hillary or Barack's BS wishes nothing but ill will on my country. Liberals are just plain wrong about almost everything. MCcain doesn't have all the answers, but is clearly the best of those three. Remember, a vote for the Dems is a vote for Al Queda!

Question for Ron wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:32 AM:A few days ago, you and others were having an important discussion about what to do with the elderly who are not financially independent. You asked, "Why aren't they cared for by their families?", a good question. You were given many good answers. The upshot of that was that there are many, many elderly that, for whatever reason, simply do NOT have familial or personal resources the need. So, Ron, you had the ball: what do we do about these people other then throw them out on the street, while we complain about their kids? Suggestions?

Individualism wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:39 AM:Sdraoul often talks about how the immigrant population is good for the US. I must say, their "family values" are impressive indeed. In fact the place of family in the Latino culture is something we anglos should look at and think about. When we look at just about every other country and its culture, we see more genuine commitment to the importance of family than we have. The incredible success of most Asian families in education is partially a product of family emphasis on this and teamwork within the family. Even those most like "us", the European countries, insist that family time take its place alongside work as a key part of the good life. And they, too, beat us educationally. IMHO the US has taken individualism WAY too far. We are a nation of loners, of lonely people, of people who only think about #1 and inflating that #1 via money and acquisition. It's not a surprise that education and the care for the sick and the elderly suffer here. Children, the elderly, and the sick are not productive, and their lives "cost" us without giving us anything in return. No wonder we resent them and wish they'd all just go away. As the immigrant population increases, one can hope that bit by bit, their superior value system is infected into our communal mindset, saving us from the road we've taken way too far.

to reardon wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:48 AM:As a liberal, I must repeat what I've said here many times about global warming. First, I would be perfectly happy if the global warming scare turned out to be false. Who wouldn't? A disaster averted? Sounds great to me! Second, at the moment, without having the time, knowledge, or ability to accurately survey and interpret the data, I feel that I have no choice but, for the moment, think the global warming scare is true. Why? As a rational person, I know that all science is constantly evolving as new data and new ideas arrive. But at any particular time, a rational person's best bet is on a consensus, if there is one, of the leading scientific organizations. I don't give a hoot about Al Gore. But when the leading national and international climatological organizations are willing to take a provisional stand on something, I simply don't know a better guide to what I should believe. They may be wrong. They may change their minds. So what? That's science, and that's the real world, and the future is uncertain in many ways. But if, on the one hand, I see the stand those organizations has taken; while on the other is my contempt for Al Gore...it's a no brainer. Maybe others are so enmeshed in their partisanships and ideologies as to be driven to an opinion on everything determined by this. Not me. I'm rooting for the absence of global warming, but at the moment, I'm afraid I gotta believe it's true. Anything else seems irrational to me.

Cluck wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:04 AM:Remember folks a vote for a Republican is a vote for Al Queda. That's why they have created more of them. These conservatives are wRONg on ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. Please review past 7 1/2 years for examples; too long to list here. They are trying to ruin the country in an attempt to control our lives. I'd say "shame" on them, but they have made it clear that they have no shame. What do you expect from a conservative. They are not intelligent and this is why they are anti intellectual.

Nick wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:09 AM:Come on "Whizzer", your starting to sound like a broken record. "typical of the Republican slime machine of character assassination and the politics of personal destruction", you act as if Democrat's are above slimong others and are on some moral high ground.....LMAO.
You know good and well that Dem's can slime just as good as the rest. What would you call Hillary's campain, squeeky clean....LOL. The Dem's will slime each other untill they get a nominee and then they will begin the slime against The Repub's, it might be disgusting, but it's Politics and both sides of the fence are guilty.
I wish that would change, but I don't see it happening in the near future.
Cheers, Nick.

Reardon wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:10 AM:To Oh, Great: Education and schooling are not the same thing, and IQ would be impossible because, at least in the past there was a prohibition against giving IQ tests to blacks in California. (I don't know the current status of that judicial prohibition.) Taxes paid are a government statistic, collected annually and subject to all sorts of penalties.

Neither "education" nor IQ would meet the standard of having as much to lose as to gain, since you can lose neither. There is at least a tenuous correlation between "education," IQ, and wealth. Votes per taxes works best. In effect, it is the way all corporations work. The number of votes you get in a corporation is based on the amount of stock you own!

0412 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:14 AM:esteban wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:21 AM:
LOL. Scare tactics no longer work. Bush and his crew lied 935 times going up to the invasion of Iraq. Maybe OBL is under your bed. They sure can not find him in Afghanistan where he is allegedly in residence. LOL.

0412 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:18 AM:Chuck wrote on Feb 27, 2008 8:32 AM LOL Me and my five liberals are home bodies and quite happy to watch the porn supplied by the small businessman, Chuck.LOL

0412 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:21 AM:Chuck wrote on Feb 27, 2008 8:33 AM: Changes every day. Really like your DVD collection. LOL

Ron wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:26 AM:I have a suggestion for you... Question for Ron @9:32 AM, go look at new immigrants to this country, and start from there. See how they treat their elderly, their grandma's, their grandpa's, their parent's.. and then get back to us. K?
And keep in mind, for the most part, a lot of these people do not qualify for social services. It falls totally on the family unit, as a whole. And they are actually quite happy, and do not see this as a burden. They view as an obligation to honor, as in "honor thy mother and father."

Reardon wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:34 AM:Who says that today is the perfect climate, and we must alter our lifestyles to maintain just this climate? Stability in climate is impossible, and we will always be in a warming or a cooling mode. OF THE TWO I SELECT WARMING! (That is why I live in San Diego and not Fairbanks!)In his book, The Rise and Fall of San Diego (written in 1999, pre-scare), Prof. Abbott of San Diego State tells us that in geologic past, San Diego has had a mean average yearly temperature of 73 while it is now only 61. We may have a lot of natural warming to go, but nature may change his/her mind and do something differently -- without notice. Humans work at the margins of nature...we have yet to "turn the tide," cap a volcano, redirect a hurricane... We are best at adapting, not trying to change natur