Canada Logs Warmest Winter, EVER RECORDED

Excerpted from AP via Yahoo News -

Winter Warmest Ever on Record in Canada
Mon Mar 13, 7:50 PM ET

TORONTO - The winter of 2005-2006 has been Canada's warmest on record and the federal agency Environment Canada said Monday it was investigating whether it's a sign of global warming.

Between December and February, the country was 3.9 degrees above normal — the warmest winter season since temperatures were first recorded in 1948. Environment Canada climatologist Bob Whitewood said it smashed the previous record set in 1987 by 0.9 degrees.

"We saw it coming from mid-January on that we were seeing something quite remarkable," Whitewood said.

MORE>>

Yep! This is a bell weather event. The first time EVER ... since 1948 ... RECORDED above an average recorded record temperature back in 1987 (19 years). Hey Harry, call Associated Press! "... were seeing something quite remarkable!" Maybe it's that new fangled thing called 'Global Warming'.

I can't wait to hear about the first ever recorded 100 year flood ... it could come at anytime, say in the next 45 years. I just hope someone is around to call AP.

Legislative Set Back For Ethanol

AP story in Convenience Store News -

Idaho, Wisconsin Reject Ethanol Legislation

BOISE, Idaho -- A proposed requirement for Idaho service stations to eventually sell gasoline with 10 percent fuel made from corn or straw died in a House committee today, reported the Associated Press. While in Wisconsin, state senators voted not to pursue a similar measure during the current legislative session.

The Idaho bill to require 10-percent ethanol in gas had passed the Senate last month. Then, proponents argued Idaho-made ethanol blended with gas would help wean America from dependence on foreign oil, according to the report.

Still, critics said too many questions remain, including concerns over possible interruptions to the fuel supply. Other concerns included whether it requires more energy to make ethanol than is actually derived from the grain alcohol. Idaho lawmakers opted to study the issue this summer, AP reported.

Meanwhile, in Wisconsin supporters of ethanol say the alternative fuel would give a boost to the state's farmers while creating a cleaner environment.

Several states have passed bills during the past year to require blending ethanol in their gasoline products, according to the report.

This report is in stark contrast stated in an article published about the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition and Senator Barack Obama's efforts found at the Renewable Fuels Association website.

RFA President Praises GEC, Senator Obama at GEC Annual Meeting
March 1, 2006

Washington, DC – Addressing the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition annual meeting today, Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen today thanked the GEC for its tireless efforts and noted the growing bipartisan support for ethanol on both sides of Capitol Hill and across the country, as highlighted by the remarks of Illinois Senator Barack Obama during yesterday’s session.

Dinneen specifically made reference to the proclamation issued by the GEC encouraging automakers to increase production of flexible fuel vehicles (FFV), capable of using ethanol blends up to 85 percent, as well as Senator Obama’s comprehensive energy agenda as important efforts towards furthering the debate about America’s energy future.

“The debate across the country, and especially in Washington, over renewable fuels has changed dramatically,” said Dinneen. “We used to debate the merits of renewable fuels. Now, we are talking about how much can we produce and how soon can we do it.”
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Currently, 95 ethanol biorefineries nationwide have the capacity to produce over 4.3 billion gallons annually. There are 34 ethanol biorefineries and eight expansions under construction with a combined annual capacity of more than 2.1 billion gallons.
MORE>>

What does this capacity mean to the overall issue of oil dependence and how do we get distribution of this capacity without the Government passing legislation that promotes Ethanol mix adoption? Tough questions!

WBC - Controversial Win By USA Over Japan

This from The Sports Network -

U.S.A-Rod: Americans rally past Japan in WBC

Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Alex Rodriguez's two-out single in the bottom of the ninth scored Randy Winn to lift the United States to a controversial 4-3 win over Japan in the second round of pool play in the World Baseball Classic.

Rodriguez, who decided to play for America over the Dominican Republic shortly before the final rosters were announced, ended 2-for-5. Derrek Lee added a two-run homer and Chipper Jones hit a solo shot for the Americans (3-1), who rallied from a 3-0 deficit to capture the opener of Pool 1 play.

MORE>>

U.S.A. continues the second round with a 7 p.m. PT start against Korea on Monday night and then has two off days before playing Mexico at 5:30 p.m. PT on Thursday. Stay tuned.

One Less Toilet Seat (per Vet), Please!

As a veteran myself, I was shocked to read this story (sent to me by email today by a friend and fellow veteran). This report and action is over a month old and because it is an action initiated by the Department Of Defense, the responsibility lies with the Executive Branch of our Government ... President Bush.

The question begs to be asked: Couldn't they just buy one less stapler???

The Knight Ridder article follows -

Pentagon seeks to triple health insurance premiums for vets.
Some see hardships, breaking of promise
By DAVID GOLDSTEIN - KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS, 2/18/2006

WASHINGTON - To slow its rising medical expenses, the Pentagon wants to triple the insurance premiums for its 3 million military retirees and their families.

Veterans and their advocates said the plan would create a financial hardship and violate the military's pledge to volunteers who wear a uniform for 20 years or more. "I think it breaks with the promise the Department of Defense has implied all these years, which is men and women who have dedicated their lives to service, who have fought wars and defended the nation, would get health care for life," said retired Army Col. Michael Neer of Overland Park, Kan., president of the Kansas City area chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army.

The plan was tucked away amid the billions for new jet fighters and warships that the Pentagon requested this week in its proposed budget for the fiscal year that will begin Oct. 1. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said the increases were needed because the military's share of the costs of retiree health benefits had risen 15 percent in the past decade while the premiums had not been raised in 10 years.

"Our fundamental purpose is to maintain and sustain a really outstanding health benefit for all of those we serve - active duty, families and retirees - by placing the program on a sound fiscal foundation," he said. "That is it in a nutshell."

The proposed increases would mean that the annual health insurance premium for a retired officer under age 65 with family coverage would more than triple - rising to $1,400 from $460 - by 2008. Premiums in the next two years for a retired officer with single coverage would jump to $700 from $230. A retired noncommissioned officer younger than 65, who earns a smaller retirement benefit than an officer, also would take a hit. Family coverage, now $460 annually, would cost from $650 to $950 by 2008. Single coverage, now $230 annually, would cost $325 to $475 in two years.

After that, increases could come through higher co-pays, deductibles and enrollment fees, said Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith. But she said the net financial effect on retiree health benefits would be no higher than the average health insurance increase for federal workers. Federal workers, whose health insurance premiums can vary from state to state, generally pay higher rates than the military.

Ecology & Superstition As Religion

Photo Credit: Associated Press-Global Warming

I just love this stuff. Science should not be opinion backed by politics ... it should be provable theory backed by sustainable facts.

This from Canada Free Press (.com) -

The science just keeps getting junkier
by Klaus Rohrich Saturday, March 11, 2006

A recent commercial for British Petroleum (BP) posed the question: what is your carbon footprint? With the camera panning across green fields, clear skies and smug looking people, the point of the commercial was to urge people to become aware of the world’s "greenhouse" gasses and how they adversely affect our climate. Similar commercials ran last year with perennial Canadian gagman Rick Mercer posing the one-ton challenge to urge people to reduce greenhouse gasses.

Now I am not against conservation, as I believe in wise use of non-renewable energy sources. However, I’ve had it up to here with the sky-is-falling-global-warming-Chicken-Little crowd. I will concede that it is quite likely that the earth’s climate is warming, as is that of our nearest neighbor, Mars. However, I am totally fed up with the moronic theories that insist the earth is warming because we are living too well.
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There are many so-called scientists who claim that Greenland’s ice fields are melting. But satellite measurements conducted by the European Space Agency offer evidence to the contrary- the ice fields are actually growing.

A report by the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research issued in October 2005 stated that, "Greenland's ice cap has thickened slightly in recent years despite wide predictions of a thaw triggered by global warming.

Recent growth in the interior regions of the Greenland Ice Sheet is reported by a Norwegian-led team of climate scientists. The growth is estimated to be about 6 cm per year during the study period, 1992-2003. They derive and analyze the longest continuous dataset of satellite altimeter observations of Greenland Ice Sheet elevations by combining tens of millions of data points from European Space Agency (ESA) satellites, called ERS-1 and ERS-2, and NASA."
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Science has assumed the mantle of High Priest to the religion of Ecology and superstition is now passing for scientific fact. It’s a complete shame that in an age where scientific information is so readily available, most people are allowing themselves to be misled.

Read It All>>

I really like the phrase - "... longest continuous dataset of satellite altimeter observations of Greenland Ice Sheet elevations by combining tens of millions of data points from European Space Agency (ESA) satellites, called ERS-1 and ERS-2, and NASA."

Naw, its you cow raising, meat eating, SUV driving, Republican voting, free market loving, dishwasher using, vacation home owning, Christian, auto race watching humans involved in a freedom based life activity heating up the Earth that are the problem!

ht: Pajamas Media - Klaus Rohrich is columnist with Canada Free Press. He can be reached at: letters@canadafreepress.com.

"With Us Or Against Us?"

The Saudi Prince - Foreign Minister Prince Saud - pledges continued financial and political support of the Hamas effort to govern without recognition of Israel.

This from Reuters-

Hamas says gets Saudi promise on continued aid
By Andrew Hammond Sat Mar 11, 4:42 PM ET

RIYADH (Reuters) - Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia had vowed to remain one of the biggest financial backers of the Palestinians, despite U.S. and European threats to cut aid.

Hamas leaders are in Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter and birthplace of Islam, on a tour of Arab and other countries seeking support after their surprise win in parliamentary elections in January.

"They affirmed that political and financial aid to the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian people would continue," said Ezzat El-Resheq, a member of Hamas' politburo.
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"We believe the Saudi position ... will be extremely important in breaking the embargo that America and Israel want to impose on our people," Resheq said. "It is completely unreasonable to cut off an entire people."

Read All>>

Question:

Mr. Resheq, is it just a little "unreasonable" to not just cut off an entire (nation of) people ... but to actually commit a decades long terrorist suicide/homicide bombing campaign designed to eliminate an entire nation of people?

Just asking.

Iraq Update - More From The Front

This from The Fourth Rail -

March 10, 2006
Iraq Update
Political developments, where’s the civil war, and Operation Tribal Chivalry launched in Anbar - by tribal sheikhs?

President Talibani has pushed the political process forward by calling for the new parliament to convene on March 19, and the contentious debate over the Shiite-led United Iraqi Alliance's choice of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari will come to a head. A majority of the Parliament, a coalition of the Kurdish parties, the Sunnis and the secular party of Allawi rejects Jaafari's selection. And while this does not get much attention, there is a significant element of the UIA which dislikes the selection of Jaafari, as they feel he will beholden to Muqtada Sadr, whose party provide thirty votes to allow Jaafari to win a narrow 64-63 vote within the UIA selection process.

General John Abizaid, the CENTCOM commander, warns of an increase in sectarian violence, but believes the threat of civil war, while still possible, is capable of being contained by Iraqi security forces, "There's no doubt that the sectarian tensions are higher than we've seen. And it is of great concern to all of us. It's my belief that the security situation in the country, while changing in its nature from insurgency toward sectarian violence, is controllable by Iraqi security forces and multi-national forces." It should be remembered that sectarian violence is not civil war, and the Middle East and the greater Islamic world is rife with such violence. Countries such as Nigeria, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, thailand and others suffer from such sectarian strife.

Read All>>

Context Is Everything

Photo From Broadcast Of NBC TODAY Show - "Interview" with Matt Lauer

Excerpts from the Denver Post (.com) -

Bennish to teach again
Punishment not revealed; teacher returns Monday
By Robert Sanchez and Kieran NicholsonDenver Post Staff Writers

An Aurora social studies teacher accused of giving a biased lecture that sparked national debate over academic freedom was reinstated Friday after assuring administrators he would give balanced viewpoints in all classroom discussions.

Jay Bennish will return Monday to his teaching duties at Overland High School, less than two weeks after Cherry Creek School District administrators placed the 28-year-old on paid administrative leave.

Speaking after a meeting with administrators Friday, Bennish said that he was "excited to be back in the classroom" and that he would continue to use his job as a way to "encourage democratic values in our society" and to "promote social justice, just as I have always attempted to do."
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School Superintendent Monte Moses said the lecture - which the superintendent thought did not present both sides of the arguments - was a "breach" of district policy. The incident, Moses said, would be discussed among principals and teachers throughout the district.

"Some think Mr. Bennish should be fired. Others think he should be praised," Moses said. "In my judgment, the answer is neither. Jay Bennish has promise as a teacher, but his practice and deportment need growth and refinement."

Context Is Everything ...

Is “Free Speech” really the issue in a required (forced) attendance education environment?

We live in a society where the type of political discourse exhibited by teacher Bennish is encouraged and easy to find … if not delivered in a more truthful and factual way. These are themes extolled in the Opinion pages (if not buried, via bias, within “news” stories on the front page) of most any major media newspaper or network television political discussion and news reporting show. Is this type of extreme political rant appropriate in a high school Geography class?

Political and moral relativism rules in the modern American forced attendance classroom. With Bennish getting a pass from the school board, this proves that the current power structure within our education system does not allow for community review before a judgment is rendered.

I suspect and trust this is not the last we will hear about this type of teacher speech/student/context abuse in our 'required education' institutions to Minors. We are obligated to protect Minors from abuse in our society. We can only pray.

Little wonder why our educational standards, once the envy of the world, are slipping. It is all ... relative!

Note To Bennish: As far as your desire to "promote social injustice, just as I have always attempted to do" - Please create your own political party (or join one) somewhere else where the context for that activity is key.

Do Or Die For Team USA Today

America's team in the World Baseball Classic skates into a do-or-die game to get into the playoffs. Canada gets clobbered by Mexico, 'gracias' ... saving USA chances for today's game against baseball powerhouse - South Africa!

USA! USA! USA!

Roundup: One second round spot left
By Josh Weinfuss / Special to MLB.com

Five countries had their second-round tickets punched in the inaugural World Baseball Classic on Thursday, and one more -- Team USA -- is on the outside, almost in.

Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela all advanced with wins, and Team Puerto Rico moved to the second round by process of elimination. And with a win Friday over South Africa, Team USA would become the final team in the next round, joining Mexico and Pool A teams Japan and Korea at the next stop in Anaheim.

Leading the American charge will be one of the game's all-time greats. Roger Clemens will take the mound at Scottsdale Stadium on Friday against South Africa in what could possibly be the last start of his illustrious 22-year career.

Recap Here>>

UPDATE

Friday, March 10, 2006 2:09:00 PM
U.S. makes quick work of South Africa
Team USA pulls off 17-0 rout, advances to Classic's next round
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

Grinding Meathead - Part Deux

Rob Reiner has some e'splainin' to do. California's extremely liberal legislators through a committee vote of 11 to 0 has decided to perform an audit of Reiner's performance as chairman of a state commission that allocates tobacco tax revenue for various uses (an approaching 1/3 billion dollar Reiner "favor" fund). It's about time.

I wonder if our lawmakers will come up with Meathead Sausage ...

... watch, as the handle turns.

From the Daily News -

The auditor will focus on whether the First Five Commission's $23 million ad campaign promoting preschool constituted an improper use of public funds for political purposes. The ads ran as Reiner worked to qualify a universal preschool initiative on the June ballot.

Sen. David Cox, R-Roseville, who called for the audit along with Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer, D-Glendale, said the committee's expenditure represents "a clear conflict of interest" and "violates the spirit, if not the letter of the law."

Cox said he also wants the audit to look into what he called a lack of competitive bidding in hiring of consultants and unusually high payments to them.

Cox compared the situation to scandals involving use of public funds for political purposes that led to the downfall of former Republican Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush and former Democratic Secretary of State Kevin Shelley.
Story Here >>

America's Game? Ouch!

Photo Credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Over at the World Baseball Classic in Phoenix, the overpaid "allstars" of Team USA may get eliminated today, without playing another game. Canada, Oh, Canada has handed our best, a powerful defeat.

This From The New York Times -

Canada 8, U.S. 6
Canada Beats the U.S. at Its Own Game

By MURRAY CHASS
Published: March 9, 2006

PHOENIX, March 8 — Miracle on ice? How about miracle on grass?
How else to explain Canada's 8-6 victory over the United States on Wednesday in their second game of the World Baseball Classic? If the Tampa Bay Devil Rays won the World Series this year, it would not be as stunning.

The Canadian victory plunged the United States into a perilous position. If the Americans lose to South Africa on Friday, they could be eliminated. But they could also be eliminated before the South Africa game if Mexico defeats Canada on Thursday night by 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1.

But if Canada wins that game, and the United States beats South Africa, the Americans and the Canadians would advance. The top two teams in each pool advances to the second round.

Read More>>