The Chickenhawk Dishonesty

Over at HuffPo, Max Blumenthal has had a post and video featured for nearly all week about the “College Republican” chickenhawks. He visits a College Republican convention at the Sheraton, “owned by the right-wing Korean cult-leader Sun Myung-Moon” (which is irrelevant to the premise, but anything to take a swipe at the right-wing is perfectly OK). There he interviews college republicans and ask if they have enlisted and fought in Iraq, and, not surprisingly, most say they haven’t. Some have actual medical conditions (which Max calls “excuses”) that prevent them from serving in the military. I guess asthma and poor knees, both of which prevent running, are not real reasons to avoid military service. Hey, you can still drive a truck, you chickenhawk!

I would guess that most College Democrats haven’t enlisted, either. But nobody videotapes them at conventions asking these loaded questions. I would think that the Democrats are “chickendoves”, people who are too cowardly to fight for their country if it were attacked by terrorists. The terrorists have made it clear they want the destruction of America and our way of life– why don’t they want to fight the terrorists and defend the Constitution? The obvious question is that they don’t want to defend the Constitution! All college democrats must be Marxist liberals who want to install a Stalinist secular regime supported by the secret police whos primary job is to collect taxes from a Church!

Or maybe that’s totally rediculous. Just like it is to accuse republicans of being chickenhawks.

I notice that Blumenthal doesn’t have military service listed in his bio. I wonder if he’s secretly the reincarnation of Brezhnev.

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Don’t forget to vote for me over at HuffPo and favorite my posts. Just become a fan of my posts over there, and favorite the posts I put up. You’ll have to register if you haven’t. A list of my comments is there. Click and favorite away. My latest posts are on this page and this one.

Remember, if I lose, Max Blumenthal wins.

Keep on voting at HuffPo!

I’m in the top 2 million thanks to your efforts! Seriously, I don’t know where I am, comment-wise, but I have to beat Jim Treacher. It’s a matter of pride!

My latest post is over here. Be sure to become a fan of me if you already haven’t!

And remember, if I lose, Laurie David wins.

Puffingtons Host Comment to Favorite July 17

It’s on this article featuring Dick Durbin. I also have another on a blog that’s “pending approval”.

Also be sure to become a fan of my commenting by going to my profile and clicking “I am a fan of this user”.

Remember, if I lose, Arianna wins.

UPDATE: New comment here. Remember, the more favorites, the higher I go in the polls.

Do I have what it takes to Blog for HuffPo?

Somebody call Greg Gutfeld. I just got an email from the PuffingTons Host with new and exciting updates to the PuffingtonsHost commenting system, which I’ve stopped using (or visiting) since they switched to their horrible new format.

Most of the email is the “our new comments systems rulz you n00b” garbage that people spam their subscribers with. But I noticed this piece of gold:

But we’re most excited to announce a new initiative where we will choose one commenter a month to become a featured blogger at HuffPost. Yes, a blogger! Reading through the comments on our site, we realized that our readers are an underutilized resource – smart and opinionated. Our decisions will be based on how many fans a commenter has, how often their comment is selected as a favorite and our moderators’ favorites. Every comment has an I’m A Fan Of and a Favorite link so start voting for the comments and commenters you like best. We will announce the first one at the end of this month!

So I’ve decided I have to win. The key is to register (sorry!) and then make yourself “A Fan of” my name there, which is Nethicus1 (Nethicus was banned for something. I have no idea. But you can read all the comments that led up to my expulsion here). That way I can be a guest blogger at the PuffingtonsHost for a whole month. They might even keep me permanently.

The sheer genius behind this idea is to propel loudmouth conservatives into the ranks of the PuffingtonsHost elite and expose what a sham that website actually is.

So spread the word. I need fans. All you have to do is go to my profile and click “I’m a fan of this user.” Also, you need to go to my post and choose “Favorite comment”. I’ll be leaving little gems over there in various spots and cross-linking them here. The first is is on a news story. Just look for the “I hate you Dubya people” and the “why don’t you enlist then” angry comments and you’ll find me there.

Arianna PuffingTONS

Republicans = Neanderthals.

Nice one, Arianna. Even better:

Flashing back to the Reagan era is one thing; flashing back to the Dark Ages is quite another.

You know, if we go back to a Dark Ages economy, it will solve the problem of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Maybe they’re greener than you think, Arianna?

Of course, if she’s going to throw around the “neanderthal” line, the least she could do is proofread her own blog:

By significant majorities, the American people believe in the science of evolution, don’t want Roe overturned, don’t want to turn back the clock job discrimination laws, and do want to bring our troops home from Iraq.

I don’t know what the part in bold means, but it certainly sounds like a Neanderthal trying to speak English. “No turn back clock! Fire bad!”

But the biggest issue I have with Arianna is her blatant misrepresentation of what happened in the debate:

Who would cut taxes the deepest? Who would be alright with firing gay Americans from their jobs? Who would jump the highest if Roe v. Wade was reversed? Who would build the biggest fence around America? Who would put an end to stem cell research the fastest? Who would reject evolution most passionately?

Firing gay Americans? Reject evolution most passionately? I’m not sure what debate she was watching.

But it doesn’t matter. Remember, the evil Republicans are out to force you to get pregnant, stay straight, worship GOD, and reject all science. That’s a big paintbrush she’s using.

Sheryl Crow: It was a joke!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Or was it?

Here’s her famous TP blog:

Although my ideas are in the earliest stages of development, they are, in my mind, worth investigating. One of my favorites is in the area of forest conservation which we heavily rely on for oxygen. I propose a limitation be put on how many squares of toilet paper can be used in any one sitting. Now, I don’t want to rob any law-abiding American of his or her God-given rights, but I think we are an industrious enough people that we can make it work with only one square per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where 2 to 3 could be required. When presenting this idea to my younger brother, whose judgment I trust implicitly, he proposed taking it one step further. I believe his quote was, “how bout just washing the one square out.”

And here’s the next two paragraphs. Are these jokes too?

I also like the idea of not using paper napkins, which happen to be made from virgin wood and represent the height of wastefulness. I have designed a clothing line that has what’s called a “dining sleeve.” The sleeve is detachable and can be replaced with another “dining sleeve,” after usage. The design will offer the “diner” the convenience of wiping his mouth on his sleeve rather than throwing out yet another barely used paper product. I think this idea could also translate quite well to those suffering with an annoying head cold.

This next idea I have been saving but I will share it with you if you promise not to steal it. It is my latest, very exciting idea for creating incentive for us all to minimize our own personal carbon footprints. It’s a reality show. (I feel pretty certain NO ONE has thought of this yet!). Here is the premise: the contest consists of 10 people who are competing for the top spot as the person who lives the “greenest” life. This will be reflected in the contestant’s home, his business, and his own personal living style. The winner of this challenging, prestigious, contest would receive what??…. a recording contract!!!!!

Are all of these jokes? I don’t see a “Just Kidding!” or a “If they weren’t so absurd…” or some kind of joke indicator. And she’d have been 18 days late for April Fools.

In fact, she didn’t say the “dining napkin” was a joke, or the reality show. So, were they all the same joke, or was it just the TP thing? Or are you just trying to save face because you decided to put ideas out there that were so absurd they were laughed at entirely, so you thought, “Yeah, it’s a joke– I’m really not that stupid. I’m a climatologist!”

Still banned

Still banished from the PuffingTons Host. Lord knows why. And, I’ve detected a change in their commenting policy. The following is new:

• We have created a system where trusted, regular commenters will be able to post without this delay. However, un-trusted and new commenters will still experience a delay while their comments are moderated.

Untrusted? You mean conservatives, of course!

But Nethicus1 is alive and kicking over at the PuffingTons Host.

The Laurie David/Shery Crow/Karl Rove flap is up on the front page, and there are 529 comments. Mine? Discarded. So the Uberliberals over at Puffingtons Host are so concerned with free speech that they selectively censor what they don’t want to read.

Where did I hear about that happening recently? Hmmm….

Aquanet Moment: Sheryl Crow

You may have heard that Laurie David and Sheryl Crow are touring the country, “educating” people about global warming. (Nothin’ says college education on climatology like a tour with a TV producer and a rock star!)

But Sheryl had a major brainstorm on how to reduce emissions. I’ll let her tell you.

Although my ideas are in the earliest stages of development, they are, in my mind, worth investigating. One of my favorites is in the area of forest conservation which we heavily rely on for oxygen. I propose a limitation be put on how many squares of toilet paper can be used in any one sitting. Now, I don’t want to rob any law-abiding American of his or her God-given rights, but I think we are an industrious enough people that we can make it work with only one square per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where 2 to 3 could be required. When presenting this idea to my younger brother, who’s judgment I trust implicitly, he proposed taking it one step further. I believe his quote was, “how bout just washing the one square out.”

How about just using your hand? Or a rag you carry around? Remind me to give Sheryl a Jose Canseco forearm bash instead of shaking her hand.

UPDATE: Even KKKarl Rove doesn’t want anything to do with “Frugal Wiper” Sheryl Crow.

Of course, the irony of this kind of talk is thick. A rock concert is once big pollution arena. From all the buses/cars/trucks needed to set up the stage & arena, to shipping in the bottled water, pop, alcohol, food, t-shirts, programs, and the tons of litter left over by a partying rock crowd– it’s just not an arena of conservation. But Sheryl derives most of her income from tours just like this, and she’s busing around the country talking about “reducing emissions”.

A commenter on her post, timmyslagle, provides a great retort to the critical analysis of one Sheryl Crow:

Trees are part of Agriculture. Like corn and wheat, they are planted by paper and lumber companies, with the full intention of being harvested. Were it not for the demand for wood products, a lot of trees would never be replanted.

A tree absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, and turns it into cellulose. When a paper napkin is disposed of, it goes into a land fill, and that carbon never returns to the atmosphere. Throwing away paper napkins (and used toilet paper) into the trash can is a great way to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. The more you use, the more carbon gets taken out of the atmosphere.

And while he’s mistaken (bacteria will break down paper just as they will a fallen tree, just not as fast), he really explains that the forestry industry does quite well in repopulating old-growth clear-cutting with new tree populations.

And I just had to repost these “FACTS” by guitarsandmore:

FACT: In 1950 there were just over 2 billion people on the planet. Today there are over 10 billion.

FACT: Each person who grows up in a developing country will use electricity for light and many other needs. Think, each person will want to buy a car and that car will spew pollution into the air. Each person will become a consumer of precious resources such as clean water, clean air, and fertile soil. Each new person will eventually become a polluter by purchasing goods that are not biodegradable.

FACT: It is the population growth that makes it a requirement to provide additional power sources from somewhere.

The hockey stick graph that Al Gore points to when he talks about carbon dioxide in the air can be directly tied to an increase in population.

In that case, he should be all for war. Kill people steal their resources, so that way they can’t use the resources, and there’ll be less people to pollute using those resources. All 10 billion of them (the other 4 billion are thetans– just ask Tom Cruise).

But to seriously suggest that we use “one square” without regard to the public health repercussions of such an endeavor is beyond stupid. It’s insane. And that’s why I’m handing Ms. Crow a can of Aquanet and a Zippo. Light ‘em up, Dan!

PuffingTons Host: Russel Shaw Shocked by Sen. Dole!

It’s true. Russel finds it objectionable that there’s nothing by Sen. Elizabeth Dole on her press release site expressing sympathy for Elizabeth Edwards.

He says:

First, a bit of background. Elected to the U.S. Senate from North Carolina in 2002, Elizabeth Dole served alongside then-Senator John Edwards for two years.

Although they were from different political parties, it is a certainty that Mrs. Dole met Mrs. Edwards several times during that interval.

Here in the U.S., we have a custom that when a prominent office-holder and/or family passes on or experiences a health-related crisis, even the members of his/her opposite party from the same state wish them well.

Heck, right-wing extremist governor Mike Rounds of South Dakota has offered prayers up for Tim Johnson, the state’s Democratic Senator. Were Sen. Johnson to leave the Senate, Rounds would be in the position to make an appointment to give the Republicans the balance of power in the Senate.

But still, Mike Rounds is on the record appealing for divine assistance to not make that circumstance happen.

I just checked out the press release section of Sen. Dole’s site. Not a prayerful word, nor even a word of courtesy expressing support for the Edwards family- prominent North Carolinians in the prayers of so many both inside and outside North Carolina.

Perhaps this is an oversight. I say this because Elizabeth Dole has not failed to demonstrate compassion. From 1991 to 1999, she head the American Red Cross- an organization synonymous with compassion. And her husband, Bob Dole, has had significant health issues for most of his adult life.

C’mon, Elizabeth Dole. How’s about at least a statement about your fellow Carolinians, the Edwards family?

Here’s my response:

There’s no press release from Hillary, Kerry, or Kennedy on their press-release pages on wishing Elizabeth Edwards well, either.

Bastards!

And if you check Hillary, Obama, Richardson, Kucinich, Dean– none have anything to say on Tony Snow. Only Edwards has said something in support of Snow.

I find it telling that the right side of the blogosphere has been vocal in its compassion for Elizabeth Edwards, yet you can’t find a nice word to say about Tony Snow on the HuffPo by the bloggers, but plenty of gushing pieces lauding Elizabeth Edwards.

Do you guys really hate conservatives that much that you can’t throw a short blog up wishing Tony Snow well?

Class all the way.

To be fair, Hillary did issue a statement, not a press release in support of Edwards. And let’s be honest– did anyone from the press contact Sen. Dole to ask for her reaction? Probably not, and if they did, they didn’t publish it.

David Roberts Sets His Hair On Fire

Well, actually he was tearing it out, or he had a strong desire to. Why? Because Michael Crichton, Richard Lindzen and Phillip Stott managed to win a debate against Brenda Ekwurzel, Gavin Schmidt and Richard Somerville.

He becomes totally unhinged, and it’s really kind of fun to read. Here he is taking the words of Gavin Schmidt and explaining why they lost the debate:

The organisers asked us afterwards whether we’d have done much different in hindsight. Looking back, the answer is mostly no. We are scientists, and we talk about science and we’re not going start getting into questions of personal morality and wider political agendas - and obviously that put us at a sharp disadvantage …

Yeah, that sounds like what went wrong. When Gavin says “questions of personal morality and wider political agendas,” I think he just means, “all that stuff that’s not science.” He knows science, he’s trained in science, he’s confident in the accuracy of his scientific judgments, so that’s what he’s sticking with — even if it means losing a debate, and with it a chance to change some minds.

So David Roberts is upset that the scientists used scientific reasoning to present their argument, and people believed the other side’s scientific arguments over that of Schmidt, Ekwurzel and Somerville. So what’s David’s explanation that they lost?

But listen, once and for all: people just don’t f**king work that way. Science is a rarified language, a way of thinking that requires focus and intellectual training. It is unnatural for human beings to think purely in terms of empirical observation, testable theory, and replicable results. We spent the vast majority of our evolutionary history bereft of statistics and probabilities. To think in a completely open and unbiased way, unaffected by tribe or predilection, by emotion or subconscious impulse, is a difficult skill that almost by definition will not be widespread among the public. Many who apply themselves to it fail; most never make the effort.

Translation: People are stupid! Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid, and they can’t be trusted to understand what a scientist tells them! Even though more than 50% of the country thinks Global Warming is caused by manmade activities, they still we muddleheaded enough to believe the anti-Global Warming Denier Nazis!

And this is where it gets really good:

There seems to be a presumption among greens that there’s something wrong with the other 95% of human communication. As though narrative, humor, mockery, surprise, outrage, seduction, fear, wonder, envy, braggadocio, love of family and country, physicality, altruism — as though all of these tools of persuasion are to be clumped under the rubric “irrational” while facts and facts alone qualify as “rational.”

Man, you don’t argue science with facts! You mock the opponent, you outrage them by calling them names, you invoke patriotism, and you make them fear they’re going to lose their children or their children’s children if they don’t immediately stop driving an SUV and switch out to compact fluorescent light bulbs!

So, David is saying that arguing science and facts is not going to win the debate.

And, of course, he’s dead wrong because he’s totally bought into the Global Warming Swindle. He lost the debate because the evidence support anthropogenic Global Warming are tenuous and the only real evidence that problems lay down the line are from horribly innacurate computer models, computer models that two of the panel from the Global Warming trio were model and predictive scientists!

When treated to a diet of the facts, these scientists had nothing to counter it with. Especially with Lindzen on the panel, a man who could singlehandedly destroy the anthropogenic Global Warming myth with a 30 minute ad on national television.

The reason you lost, David, is that most people aren’t so stupid as to believe driving you car to work will destroy the planet. And it’s clear that you and your ilk have nothing but contempt for the common man.