TDF Stage 5 - Small Breakaway Succeeds For France

Map of the course for Stage 5, Tour de France - From Le Cap D'Agde (top) to Perpignan (at bottom). Image Credit: VeloNews

TDF Stage 5 - Small Breakaway Succeeds For France

Today's stage was expected to be one "by the numbers", in that, the teams would push and test each other up and down a couple of small climbs ... then maybe, take advantage of the winds off of the coast to break up the peloton with echelon formation moves as was done in Stage 3 to gain an advantage on other teams riders (this was how Lance Armstrong was able to move up from 10th overall in the General Classification to third ... and set up a tie in time to #1 with having the same overall time as Fabian Cancelara).

This prediction, however, was thrown out the window when six riders were able to breakaway from the Peloton and maintain the break with one rider, Thomas Voeckler riding for Bbox Bouygues Telecom sprinting to the finishline first and winning the stage by a scant seven seconds before the rest of the field finished the Stage.

The following text entries are picked up in the flat last third of Stage 5 along the coast with about 40km to go.

Elevation profile of the course for Stage 5, Tour de France - From Le Cap D'Agde (top) to Perpignan (at bottom). Image Credit: VeloNews

This excerpted and edited from VeloNews -

VeloNews Live Update - Stage 5 July 8, 2009

4:28
CPelkey: So the situation on the road, with about 40km remaining, the peloton is growing. It's 56 seconds behind the six leaders. There is a group of 30 chasing hard and they're about 45 seconds behind the main field. Gesink is still chasing.
4:29
CPelkey: It doesn't appear that there are any major GC contenders who've been caught out in the split... with the exception of Gesink, a talented rider who could be considered to be an overall contender.
4:31
[Comment From Gregory ]
Is Gesink using his wrist yet?
4:31
CPelkey: Gesink is in the big chase group. Tom Boonen is in there, too. The gap back to them is now 52 seconds.
4:32
CPelkey: He seems to be favoring that wrist. It could be a small fracture, something quite common in cycling... but hey, I'm no doctor.
4:35
CPelkey: The pace has eased off a bit. The pace is still high, but the gap back to the chasers is narrowing. The six leaders, with 33km remaining, have 52 seconds.
4:36
[Comment From Max ]
What is Astana's interests in leading the chase? Any GC threats in the break?
4:38
CPelkey: It's hard to gauge anyone's motives, but Gesink is chasing, so they have the benefit of shedding at least one possible threat.
4:41
[Comment From dapheel ]
Do you believe Johan Bruyneel will stay with Astana after the Tour de France is over? How about after the season?
4:43
CPelkey: I really have no idea. If what Vinokourov said the other day carries weight in Kazakhstan, then maybe so. If he does leave, we can imagine he won't have to wait too long to get another team to run. He has eight Tour wins to his credit. That counts for something.
4:44
CPelkey: Out on the road, the leaders are 25km from the finish and the gap is now 39 seconds. The chase group with Boonen and Gesink is another 45 seconds back.
4:46
CPelkey: Gesink has dropped back to his team car... it's clear he's suffering today. We sure hope he is able to continue the Tour.
4:51
CPelkey: With 20km to go, the Boonen group has caught the peloton. Gesink is in there, too ... we THINK.
4:52
CPelkey: The gap to the six leaders is down to 45 seconds.
4:53
CPelkey: The gap is actually bigger than we thought. It's 1:18 to the six leaders.
4:53
[Comment From Bradley ]
Are teams allowed to substitute riders the day following injuries?
4:53
CPelkey: Nope. Never. Once out, you're out and the team loses a rider.
4:55
CPelkey: Gesink is not in the peloton. He's trailing and may not make it back today. We just hope his injuries are such that he can continue.
4:56
CPelkey: It looks like the bulk of the work has now fallen to Columbia and Garmin. Hey, they have the top two sprinters in the bunch, they should be doing the work.
4:56
[Comment From Michel ]
Could you recap who the 6 leaders are? Thanks
4:57
CPelkey: We have their names in the little box right there, but as a reminder, they are Anthony Geslin (FdJ), Thomas Voekler (BBox), Marcin Sapa (Lampre), Albert Timmer (Skil Shimano), Mikhail Ignatiev (Katusha) and Yauheni Hutarovich (FdJ).
4:57
CPelkey: The gap is now at 1:26 with 17km remaining.
4:59
CPelkey: Actually we were wrong on that last distance check. With 12km remaining now, the gap is 1:19.
5:01
CPelkey: Gesink is now trailing the peloton by 2:30.

5:02
CPelkey: The leaders are now at the 10km to go banner and the gap is 1:18. Mmmmm.
5:02
CPelkey: Agritubel is moving some riders into the chase... they have to do something and do it soon.
5:04
Will the break stay away?
Yes
( 38% )
No
( 62% )
5:06
CPelkey: Of the men in the break, we'd have to favor Ignatiev to launch a late attack and hold on for the win, but Yauheni Hutarovich (FdJ) is the new national champion of Belarus. And we don't know much about the guy.
5:06
CPelkey: With 7km to go, the gap is still at 1 minute. Mmmmmm
5:06
CPelkey: And there goes Ignatiev.
5:07
CPelkey: Yauheni Hutarovich didn't look all that hot. Ignatiev goes again.
5:08
CPelkey: Voeckler clamped on to the Katusha rider's wheel. Despite the back-and-forth up front, the gap is holding.
5:09
CPelkey: With 5km to go, it's at 1:00 again.
5:09
CPelkey: Voeckler goes...
5:09
CPelkey: He has a gap.
5:10
CPelkey: Nice gap. He's being chased by Hutarovich, Ignatiev and Timmer. The two FdJ riders are OTB.
5:10
CPelkey: With less than 4km to go, Voeckler is on his own. He's got maybe 10 seconds.
5:11
CPelkey: Ignatiev is chasing by himself. The peloton is back at 41 seconds.
5:12
CPelkey: Three kilometers to go. Voeckler is still on his own. He may hold this one.
5:13
CPelkey: It's Timmer in pursuit of Voeckler. He's still trailing by 10 seconds or so. Voeckler is 2km from the finish.
5:13
CPelkey: No way the peloton is going to catch.
5:13
CPelkey: Timmer is at six seconds. Voeckler is 1.5km from the finish.
5:14
CPelkey: Big crowds and they're happy to see Voeckler winning. He's not only French, but very popular here.
5:14
CPelkey: One kilometer to go. He's nervous. He's looking over his shoulder.
5:14
CPelkey: The gap is 10 seconds. It looks like Voeckler has it.
5:15
CPelkey: He wore the yellow jersey a few years back, but he is now going to earn his first ever stage victory.
5:16
CPelkey: An Thomas Voeckler wins the fifth stage of the 2009 Tour.
5:16
CPelkey: Nice win.
5:16
CPelkey: The peloton comes in together. And there will be no change in GC.
5:17
CPelkey: It's days like this, folks, that answer that age-old question about riders who try these seemingly futile breaks. Every once-in-a-while they WORK!
5:20
CPelkey: Voeckler, in fact, was the only rider to have stayed away. The rest were swooped up by the peloton, which finished a scant seven seconds behind the winner.

Voeckler celebrates in Perpignan. Voeckler dedicated this Stage 5 win to his wife and son. Image Credit: sportweek.nl

5:20
CPelkey:
# 1. Thomas Voeckler Bbox Bouygues Telecom
# 2. Mikhail Ignatiev Team Katusha, at 00:07
# 3. Mark Cavendish Team Columbia - Htc at 00:07
# 4. Tyler Farrar Garmin - Slipstream at 00:07
# 5. Gerald Ciolek Team Milram at 00:07
# 6. Danilo Napolitano Team Katusha at 00:07
# 7. Joaquin Rojas Jose Caisse D’epargne at 00:07
# 8. Lloyd Mondory Ag2r-La Mondiale at 00:07
# 9. Oscar Freire Rabobank at 00:07
# 10. Thor Hushovd Cervelo Test Team at 00:07
# 11. Angelo Furlan Lampre - N.g.c at 00:07
# 12. Leonardo Duque Cofidis Le Credit En Ligne at 00:07
# 13. Romain Feillu Agritubel at 00:07
# 14. Kenny Robert Van Hummel Skil-Shimano at 00:07
# 15. Albert Timmer Skil-Shimano at 00:07
# 16. Koldo Fernandez Euskaltel - Euskadi at 00:07
# 17. Andréas KlÖden Astana at 00:07
# 18. Yukiya Arashiro Bbox Bouygues Telecom at 00:07
# 19. Roman Kreuziger Liquigas at 00:07
# 20. Mark Renshaw Team Columbia - Htc at 00:07
5:21
CPelkey: Armstrong, Contador, Cancellara and the other top GC contenders finished in the field.
5:22
CPelkey: Gesink is still out there [injured]. He'll finish today, but he's lost a lot of time. Well over 9 minutes back.
5:26
CPelkey: Gesink is in, nearly 10 minutes down. We hope his injuries are such that he can recover enough overnight and maybe aim for a stage win along the way. Gesink is a remarkable talent and even if he pulls out of this Tour, he's bound to make a mark on future Tours.
5:30
CPelkey: Okay folks, that turned out to be quite a good one today. It's always refreshing to see the peloton flub the timing on a catch. When you see the picture of today's finish, you'll see how close they came to catching him, too... but this isn't horseshoes and close don't count.
Reference Here>>

So, Stage 6 tomorrow will feature Barcelona, with a strong North wind present to potentially set up more echelon tactic team racing.

TDF Stage Four - Team Time Trial Shows The Way

Stage 4, Team Time Trial for the 2009 Tour de France start for Team Robo Bank. Image Credit: steephill.tv

TDF Stage Four - Team Time Trial Shows The Way

At the beginning of the day, Lance Armstrong was interviewed by the press corps and in his view, he stated that

if he were a betting man, his money would be on Team Saxo Bank would win and Fabian Cancellara would retain the

Yellow Jersey.

Asked how would it feel if Team Astana were to win the stage ... and by enough time to win the Yellow Jersey,

Lance said, "That would be cool, not realistic but very cool indeed."

Stage 4, Team Time Trial for the 2009 Tour de France (ctrl-click to launch map). Image and Link Credit: steephill.tv

During the interview, Lance was very clear to make the point that Team Astana has at least four riders that could contest as team leader and possible winner of the Tour de France. Of course, Lance would have to be considered due to the fact he has won seven previous TDF's but Alberto Contador (who has been riding and winning well over the last 18 months), Levi Leipheimer (who is having a good year this year), and Andreas Kloden (a strong rider in his own right) all could become factors when the team reaches the mountains. "The mountains will tell." said Lance.

Team Astana driving toward the finish line in a last big push. VERSUS broadcast video edit of Team Astana, Team Garmin-Slipstream, and Team Saxo Bank in competition - crtl-click on photo to launch video. Image Credit: AFP

Team Astana has been able to finish exactly 40 seconds ahead of Team Saxo Bank as well as finish first in the Team Time Trial. The Yellow Jersey is still in doubt at this very moment because the timing has to come down to the tenths of a second and the judges need to review the individual and the team time trial timings between Armstrong and Cancellara in order to determine who will be in the Yellow Jersey tomorrow!

It's official ... the time advantage is virtually ZERO (tenths and possibly thousandths of a second) so the Yellow Jersey is retained by Fabian Cancellara of Team Saxo Bank going on into the Pyrenees.

This excerpted and edited from VeloNews -

Astana steamrolls team time trial
Cancellara keeps the jersey by a fraction of a second over Armstrong
By VeloNews.com - Published: Jul. 7, 2009

Team Astana blazed through the team time trial to win stage 4. Astana came across the line 40 seconds ahead of the Saxo Bank squad of race leader Fabian Cancellara — the exact margin by which Cancellara led Lance Armstrong on general classification. After some careful math by race officials, Cancellara now holds the yellow jersey by a fraction of a second over Armstrong.

Garmin-Slipstream finished second on the day, 18 seconds down.

Astana came into the stage with four riders in the top 10 thanks to their time trialing ability, and that strength showed again on the 39km stage around Montpellier. Held largely on narrow roads, the technical course featured more than a few dicey corners that put riders from several teams on the ground.

Giro d’Italia champion Denis Menchov (Rabobank) was the first to go down, sliding out on a tight left-hand bend that soon felled World champion Alessandro Ballan (Lampre).

But Astana, having previewed the course several times, rode with precision and focused determination, avoiding any mishaps. They were rewarded for their efforts with Armstrong slotting into second overall, followed by Alberto Contador, Andreas Klöden and Levi Leipheimer in third through fifth, respectively.

"It's a little bit of a disappointment," Armstrong said of the narrow miss. "But the yellow jersey is on the horizon. Astana did their maximum."
Reference Here>>

TDF Stage 3: Lance Armstrong Makes Wind Aided Big Move

Astana Cycling Team teammates Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong share a moment during Stage 3. Who is the team leader now? Astana manager Johan Bruyneel faced a dilemma when the 2007 winner was left in the bunch and he answered in the neutral. Image Credit: Eurosport

TDF Stage 3: Lance Armstrong Makes Wind Aided Big Move

Who says that the only places that Lance Armstrong can make-up time on the field is in an individual time trial or in the large mountain stages? Today saw a flat stage in Stage 3 with a bunch of wind traversing the winding (Esses - back and forth) road at the final 15 kilometers. Team Columbia with George Hincapie decided that if the teams wih sprinters were not going to take the race to the smaller, original four rider breakaway, then this team was going to place their rider, Mark Cavendish, in a position to take the stage.

Team Columbia took advantage of an echolon move, where the nine riders of the team block the wind by riding in an angle, in kind of a half-chevron, to shield from the wind which caused another breakaway which eventually caught up with the smaller breakaway and on to the end to have this lead group gain 39 seconds against the rest of the field. Lanch Armstrong saw what Team Columbia was attempting to do and along with two other Team Astana teammates Yaroslav Popovych and Haimar Zubeldia, rode with this wind aided break to move at the end of the day from a 10th overall position to 3rd in the overall classification.

With Stage 4 being a Team Time Trial, Team Astana may be in a position to take the lead and if enough time is gained against the leader Fabian Cancellara of Team Saxo Bank and Tony Martin of Team Columbia ... at 37 years old, Lance could be in Yellow in his bid to win his eighth Tour de France.

Briton Mark Cavendish won the third stage of the Tour de France as seven-times champion Lance Armstrong climbed up to third overall in the standings at La Grande Motte. Caption and Image Credit: Eurosport

This excerpted and edited from Eurosport -

Tour de France - Sprint king Cavendish doubles up
Eurosport - Mon, 06 Jul 18:08:00 2009

Cavendish, who also won the stage on Sunday, outsprinted Norway's Thor Hushovd after a 196.5km trek from Marseille with France's Cyril Lemoine coming home third.

Swiss Fabian Cancellara of the Saxo Bank team retained the overall leader's yellow jersey and now leads German Tony Martin and American Armstrong by 33 and 40 seconds respectively.

Favourite Alberto Contador, who was trapped behind after a sharp acceleration by Cavendish's Columbia-HTC team by the end of the stage, dropped to fourth overall, 59 seconds off the pace.

With the peloton gradually closing down a four-man breakaway composed of Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis), Ruben Perez (Euskaltel), Maxime Bouet (Agritubel) and Koen de Kort (Skil-Shimano), a bunch sprint finish seemed in store.
----
Among the top contenders, only Armstrong, back in the saddle after 3 1/2 years in retirement, was in the front group of some 28 riders who caught the four early fugitives.
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Seeing Armstrong and Cancellara further up the road, Cadel Evans' Silence-Lotto team, Andy Schleck's Saxo Bank squad and Christian Vande Velde's Garmin team took turns to try to reel the leaders back in, but they lacked the organisation of Columbia's well-oiled machine.

As the finish neared so the gap grew and the Columbia train began to move into position.

Bert Grabsch and George Hincapie, both of whom had given their all on the front for a large part of the crucial final 30 kilometres moved aside, and Mark Renshaw hit the front as they entered the final straight.

With Hushovd and Cancellara in contention, victory was by no means a formality for Cavendish, though when he moved out of the slipstream of Renshaw with 200 metres to go and surged for the line, it was clear Hushovd did not have the power to match him.

The Norwegian rolled in second with Dumoulin claiming a well-deserved fourth place, having managed to stay with the relentless pace of the lead group, despite having ridden out front for over 160 kilometres in the breakaway.

Martin and Armstrong were the day's big winners as the gap between the two groups reached 41 seconds on the finish line.

The general classification will receive a more significant shake-up in Tuesday's fourth stage, a 39-kilometre team time-trial around Montpellier.
Reference Here>>

Additional video assets here>>

Obama Wants HIS Government To Help You Sell ... Your House

Cap and Trade C-Span Debate -- Representative John Boehner - Ohio, reading Representative Waxman's 300+ page amendment (Ctrl-Click to launch video). Image Credit: C-SPAN

Obama Wants HIS Government To Help You Sell ... Your House

The man who worries about being able to address, and make more efficient, the 7% of all electricity usage here in this country with the push to change the efficiency standards in the manufacturing of CFL and Neon light bulbs, now wants to be able to have a say in how one is able to sell their largest personal asset, their home.

The level of control that was passed by Congress early Friday morning of this last week (June 26, 2009) in the form of an energy efficiency bill (CAP & TRADE) had a 300+ page amendment be attached to it at the last minute, just before the vote ... allowing NO time for the congressmen to read what they were actually voting on, sound familiar?

The House Minority Leader, Republican John Boehner wasn't happy with the way the people's representatives were being railroaded and he decided to use the only power he had to get some of the word out about the destructive nature to personal freedoms of the CAP & TRADE bill as it was written.

"I hate to do this to all of you, I do, but when you file a 309 page amendment at 3:00 in the morning, someone needs to work on it," Boehner told his colleagues. "I want to make sure everyone understands what's in this 300 page amendment."

A press statement put out by Boehner's office confirmed he was launching the House equivalent of a Senate filibuster.

"We expect it may take a while, but Members of Congress, and - more importantly - the American people have a right know what the House is voting on," the statement said.

What John Boehner was able to do in sixty short minutes is to highlight many of the most damning aspects of this bill designed to aid in the reduction of CO2 and/or help the environment.

This excerpted and edited from Newsvine "Comments" -

Boehner protests last-minute climate amendment
Comment by, Lisa Schneider - Posted #1.2 - Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:22 PM EDT

I watched Rep. John Boehner for the entire thing.
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This "amendment", if not the whole CAP & TRADE Bill, will ruin our country ... I am an independent, having voted for Obama, and unless you watched his entire hour going through this amendment, then you have no clue how bad it is ... it is bad.

Just to give you a taste:
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Carbon credits will be commodities and traded as such on the open market (not too unlike bundled sub-prime mortgages to unsuspecting investors).

Every single licensed contractor in this country will have to go through an additional licensing process so they know how to meet the new green codes, and all building materials used by the contractor will need to meet those green codes too.

Imports will be regulated forcing other countries to either not import or meet our guidelines ... hello trade warfare ... amendments try to force other countries to abide by our regulations.

No citizen in the United States (or anyone else) will be able to sell their home to another citizen of the United States (or anyone else) until they pay to bring the older home up to new green code standards ... complete overhaul of appraisal industry will be needed to properly evaluate home values within strict Government guidelines for valuation/regulations.

The list goes on and on ... extends from home lending to well, everything. Think of it like this ... if you emit methane as a natural digestive process, the Government will be watching and there will be a price to pay.

If you value your freedom, thank Representative John Boehner for reading this amendment and making sure we knew as much as possible about it ... then call your Senators and literally beg them to vote no.
Reference Here>>

Free-Lunch Faith Vs The Reality Of Economics

Did you play Monopoly when you were a kid? Did you play it alot? Do you remember how you felt initially about buying Boardwalk (Mayfair) and Park Place (Park Lane)? They were too expensive, right? What happens to the game when a new player enters who can set and change the rules in the middle of the game, play as many game pieces as they want, and print and issue money for any purpose in the game to their own whim? It is not good. Image Credit: allthings.tv

Free-Lunch Faith Vs The Reality Of Economics

On what is beginning to feel like a daily basis, the Obama Administration, with the unprecedented aid of the mainstream media (last night, ABC spent most of their broadcast time broadcasting directly from ... The White House), is attempting to sell the faith of a free-lunch to a hungry hoard of faithless people.

What is being sold to the American public is a cure to all process ills and an improvement in ones life if one would just let the Government take over and run everything from our Free Enterprise Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Energy systems (and this is just a start). The Obama Administration loves to cleave to the argument that with the Government becoming a "PLAYER" in an enterprise they are promoting competition by delivering an alternative approach to a marketplace but this logic is grossly flawed.

The reality of economics that derails this logic is the it is difficult for anyone to compete on a level playing field when one of the players is also the referee, and the body that makes the rules ... and prints the money upon which the game is played.

Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free "Chance" card. Image Credit: Ebay

We, at MAXINE, would like to ask - Would anyone play a game on the board game, MONOPOLY (our cultural introduction to economics), with a person who had the ability to create game board pieces without a cost or penalty, print and issue money to himself without really having to tell anyone when he expects to use it during the game to purchase pieces and/or set up hotels and set the rules beyond what had been printed and distributed at the beginning of the game (example: this player has an unlimited supply of "Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free" cards)? The answer is NO!

In every human endeavor there is really NO Free Lunch, and the reality of economics always shows that when a corrupt and over influential force enters into the mix of a free enterprise system, the system becomes corrupted and tilted to the influence that has the ability to change the common sense rules that govern the system.

Homeschool Real World Math - Here is another fun addition of real world math. Firstly, we use and adore Math-U-See consistently throughout the year in our homeschool. There are days however, that I like to mix it up and do something a little playful to get them thinking about math in the real world. /// This morning we played a game of monopoly. We received the newest version of Monopoly: Here and Now the real World Edition for Christmas. It is a fun version that incorporates geography, world facts on the chance and community chest cards, and interesting games pieces that take the kids literally around the world in every game. /// Our youngest got to work on basic counting by moving the pieces and rolling the dice. Our middle worked on basic addition by adding everyone’s dice together and telling them how far they had to move the pieces and our oldest had to read out all of the chance and community chest cards for each player. We had a ton of fun. This particular edition, does not have money, but cards and a banker machine that you add and subtract money for each transaction made. By the end of the first game, they were working through place values in the millions, Large number addition and subtraction and how to work the key pad which is similar to a calculator and a keypad on the computer. I wont even get into the idea of money management and budgeting as more abstract ideas they begin to absorb through this game. /// All in all, I think I hid a little real world math by way of a game today. Give it a try it is easy and fun to do. /// Tomorrow, we will do a little more real world math, when they get to spend a few real dollars at the zoo to purchase a drink and choose a few animals they would like to feed. I will hand them each a zip lock bag of coins and they will have to count their way out of it. That should be a barrel full of monkeys…excuse the pun. Grace and Peace to all budding mathematicians in the real world! Caption & Image Credit: homeschool-diva.com

This excerpted and edited from Townhall.com

Tilting at Green Windmills
by George Will - Townhall.com - Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Spanish professor is puzzled. Why, Gabriel Calzada wonders, is the U.S. president recommending that America emulate the Spanish model for creating "green jobs" in "alternative energy" even though Spain's unemployment rate is 18.1 percent -- more than double the European Union average -- partly because of spending on such jobs?

Calzada, 36, an economics professor at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, has produced a report which, if true, is inconvenient for the Obama administration's green agenda, and for some budget assumptions that are dependent upon it.

Calzada says Spain's torrential spending -- no other nation has so aggressively supported production of electricity from renewable sources -- on wind farms and other forms of alternative energy has indeed created jobs. But Calzada's report concludes that they often are temporary and have received $752,000 to $800,000 each in subsidies -- wind industry jobs cost even more, $1.4 million each. And each new job entails the loss of 2.2 other jobs that are either lost or not created in other industries because of the political allocation -- sub-optimum in terms of economic efficiency -- of capital. (European media regularly report "eco-corruption" leaving a "footprint of sleaze" -- gaming the subsidy systems, profiteering from land sales for wind farms, etc.) Calzada says the creation of jobs in alternative energy has subtracted about 110,000 jobs from elsewhere in Spain's economy.
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What matters most, however, is not that reports such as Calzada's and the Republicans' are right in every particular. It is, however, hardly counterintuitive that politically driven investments are economically counterproductive. Indeed, environmentalists with the courage of their convictions should argue that the point of such investments is to subordinate market rationality to the higher agenda of planetary salvation.

Still, one can be agnostic about both reports while being dismayed by the frequency with which such findings are ignored simply because they question policies that are so invested with righteousness that methodical economic reasoning about their costs and benefits seems unimportant. When the president speaks of "new green energy economies" creating "countless well-paying jobs," perhaps they really are countless, meaning incapable of being counted.

For fervent believers in governments' abilities to control the climate and in the urgent need for them to do so, believing is seeing: They see, through their ideological lenses, governments' green spending as always paying for itself. This is a free-lunch faith comparable to that of those few conservatives who believe that tax cuts always completely pay for themselves by stimulating compensating revenues from economic growth.

Windmills are iconic in the land of Don Quixote, whose tilting at them became emblematic of comic futility. Spain's new windmills are neither amusing nor emblematic of policies America should emulate. The cheerful and evidently unshakable confidence in such magical solutions to postulated problems is yet another manifestation -- Republicans are not immune: No Child Left Behind decrees that by 2014 all American students will be proficient in math and reading -- of what the late Sen. Pat Moynihan called "the leakage of reality from American life."
Reference Here>>

Welcome to the free-lunch faith and evangelism due to the leakage of reality from American life delivered to us from the Obama Administration, here in Carter's Second Term!

Sidekick, Pitchman, Trusted Friend Ed McMahon Dead At 86

Ed McMahon while working on behalf of the MDA 2005 Telethon. Image Credit: Charity.com

Sidekick, Pitchman, Trusted Friend Ed McMahon Dead At 86

It was a little over one year ago when all anyone could hear, and then remember about the famous, almost indelible sidekick of late night television, Ed McMahon was that he was about to loose his multi-million dollar mansion to foreclosure. He appeared on many entertainment shows, getting the word out so that he might get some help with his plight and use it as a story to maybe gain some additional attention for the causes he was involved in.

Well, Ed McMahon did not have to move out of his house, in the end, for he still called it his residence until today. Ed McMahon has passed away, and was pronounced dead at the Ronald Reagan/UCLA Medical Center, his publicist, Howard Bragman, reported Tuesday ... Ed McMahon was 86.

Ed McMahon in his most familiar pose, next to Johnny Carson - He's one of the few stars who used to answer his phone or return calls, without the intercession of an army of millionaire publicists or managers or agents. Image Credit: The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

This excerpted and edited from CNN -

Ed McMahon dies at 86
CNN - By Todd Leopold - 6-23-2009

Carson made cracks about McMahon's weight, his drinking and the pair's trouble with divorce. McMahon was married three times; Carson, who died in 2005, had four wives.

McMahon was also the show's designated pitchman, a talent he honed to perfection during "Tonight's" 30-year run with Carson, even if sometimes the in-show commercial spots fell flat.

For one of the show's regular sponsors, Alpo dog food, McMahon usually extolled the virtues of the product while a dog eagerly gobbled down a bowl. But one day the show's regular dog wasn't available, and the substitute pooch wasn't very hungry.

McMahon recalled the incident in his 1998 memoir, "For Laughing Out Loud."

"Then I saw Johnny come into my little commercial area. He got down on his hands and knees and came over to me. ... I started to pet Johnny. Nice boss, I was thinking as I pet him on the head, nice boss. By this point the audience was hysterical. ... I just kept going. I was going to get my commercial done. 'The next time you're looking at the canned dog food ...' -- he rubbed his cheek against my leg -- " ... reach for the can that contains real beef.' Johnny got up on his knees and started begging for more. I started petting him again ... and then he licked my hand."
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Though McMahon was well-rewarded by NBC -- the 1980 People article listed his salary between $600,000 and $1 million -- his divorces and some poor investments took their toll. In June 2008, The Wall Street Journal reported that McMahon was $644,000 in arrears on a $4.8 million loan for a home in Beverly Hills, California, and his lender had filed a notice of default.

McMahon and his wife, Pamela, told CNN's Larry King that McMahon had gotten caught in a spate of financial problems. "If you spend more money than you make, you know what happens. And it can happen. You know, a couple of divorces thrown in, a few things like that," said McMahon, who added that he hadn't worked much since the neck injury.

McMahon later struck a deal that allowed him to stay in the house.

He is survived by his wife, Pamela, and five children. A sixth child, McMahon's son Michael, died in 1995.

McMahon, 86, was hospitalized in February with pneumonia and other medical problems.
Reference Here>>

What was the actual character of Ed McMahon? Well, this article written by Verne Gay about a year ago for Newsday in the TV Zone section was quite revealing and exposes another character quality that seems in short supply in our culture today, here in the early 21st Century.

This excerpted and edited from Newsday -

Ed McMahon: Pass the Hat?
The TV Zone - Posted by Verne Gay on June 5, 2008

Ed was trusted by Johnny Carson. The best I can tell, Carson trusted him COMPLETELY. Very few people earned a Carson seal-of-approval, including his former wives. Besides his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, and longtime friend, producer, confidante, Peter Lassally, Ed is the only person who comes immediately to mind who, in fact, did.

Now, what did this mean? After a lifetime in the business, Carson knew - intuitively and through practical experience (Joan Rivers!!) - that most of the people who were nice to him were BS-artists who trafficked in the fluff and ephemera of show-biz. They were NICE but only superficially "nice." Ed was the real deal.

Evidence? He could have sold a Carson memoir for millions - you know, one of those hideous tomes about the "real" Johnny Carson that would have forced you to take a shower after/ or while reading... And don't think that for someone who lost hundreds of millions, as Ed did over the last few years, that that wouldn't have been a temptation.

For almost half a century, Ed was the consummate loyalist: He never said a cross word about JC, and never told tales out of school. He was - in other words - a genuine friend, in a place (Hollywood) where genuine friends are as common as polar bears.

So here's to Ed, lying in bed with a broken neck and wondering when the repo man will come knocking. He's a good man and a loyal friend. Nothing wrong with that.
Reference Here>>

Hhhheeeeeerrrree, at MAXINE, we will long live the memory, and style of Ed McMahon.

Ladeen's Analysis: Iran And The Lust For Freedom

An estimated 1.5 to 2 million citizens took to the streets of Tehran June 15, 2009. Image Credit: mousavi1388's flickr photostream

Ladeen's Analysis: Iran And The Lust For Freedom

The world, especially the President of the United States, Barack Obama, expected that Ahmadinejad would be replaced as President in Iran's national election over the weekend but this was not the case.

Barack felt that the speech he gave a few days earlier would have convenienced the ruling class Mullahs to allow a different result than to have Ahmadinejad serve another term as their figurehead as President. As far as an election goes, there are no real elections in Iran unless the ruling Mullahs want to spend the time to actually count all of the individual paper ballots that were cast.

The citizens, however, actually believed that their vote counted and wondered how this could be that Ahmadinejad could win as President since everyone else they talked with, voted for ... the other guy - Mousavi.

An estimated 1.5 to 2 million citizens took to the streets of Tehran June 15, 2009. Image Credit: mousavi1388's flickr photostream

To get people caught up, Hugh Hewitt decided to devote his three hour nationally syndicated radio program on the election and the street protests that were happening throughout Iran's capitol city, Tehran. The BBC reported that an estimated 1.5 to 2 million citizens took to the streets on June 15, 2009 to protest the declaration of Ahmadinejad the winner in just a couple of hours after the polls closed.

The following is a transcript of an interview of Michael Ladeen, long recognized as a leading expert on Middle East affairs.

An estimated 1.5 to 2 million citizens took to the streets of Tehran June 15, 2009. Image Credit: mousavi1388's flickr photostream

This transcript has been excerpted and edited from Hugh Hewitt's Townhall Blog -

Michael Ledeen's take on the Iranian election crisis.
Monday, June 15, 2009 at 9:42 PM

HH: I’m joined now by Michael Ledeen, who probably has forgotten more about Iran than almost everyone commenting on it right now. Michael, welcome, it’s great to have you on today.

ML: Thank you.

HH: Is the regime in Iran in trouble enough that conceivably it could be toppled?

ML: Yes, it certainly is, and the fact that they’re apparently bringing in foreigners for crowd control shows that they do not have confidence even in their own thugs. They seem to have brought in Hezbollah from Syria and Lebanon.

HH: And the fact that…

ML: And there are stories, and there’s rumors, I mean, who knows, but there’s rumors that there are Venezuelans running around, too.

An estimated 1.5 to 2 million citizens took to the streets of Tehran June 15, 2009. Image Credit: mousavi1388's flickr photostream

HH: Given that, what are you looking for, Michael Ledeen, as a sign of the regime cracking?

ML: I’m looking for two things. I’m looking for denunciations of the regime and of the elections and of the violence by senior ayatollahs, and I’m looking for significant defections from the Revolutionary Guard. And that may be happening.

HH: And why do you say may be happening?

ML: Because there’s, you know, there’s reports of Revolutionary Guard guys that refused to shoot and wouldn’t beat up people, and told people we’re with them. I mean, this whole thing is being chronicled on Tweeter, as you undoubtedly know.

HH: Yeah…

ML: And I mean, even while we’re, the short time that you and I have been talking, there’s 215 more posts on Tweeter…

HH: Twitter.
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ML: Twitter, yes.

HH: Michael Ledeen, in terms of the American response from the Obama administration, how do you rate it? What do you want them to do?

ML: I want them to support Iranian freedom. I want them to support the Iranian people. I want them to denounce the violence against peaceful demonstrators. I mean, I want them to stand up for American values all over the world, but they’re not doing it. They’re running away from it.

An estimated 1.5 to 2 million citizens took to the streets of Tehran June 15, 2009. Image Credit: mousavi1388's flickr photostream

HH: What did you make of Biden’s comments on Meet The Press yesterday?

ML: Incoherent, as usual.

HH: Yeah.

ML: I mean, Biden is a marvel of incoherence.
----
HH: Now I talked to Amir Taheri a couple weeks back, and he described this convoluted governing structure that they’ve got, the six to ten different sources of authority in Iran. Does the Iranian Army have an independent will divorced from the mullahs, Michael Ledeen, that might bring it…

ML: Oh, absolutely. No, the army has made it clear that they’re not going to intervene in this. They’re not going to start shooting citizens. No way. And the regime knows it. And the regime doesn’t even trust the Revolutionary Guards. I mean, what they’re using mostly here are Basij, who are the fanatical, religious sadists that have always been used to put down demonstrations of women and children and so forth, and then these foreigners. I think the regime is extremely worried.

The Basij are a volunteer force who are sworn to defend the regime and the Supreme Leader at all costs. Image Credit: mousavi1388's flickr photostream

HH: Explain to people who the Basij are.

ML: The Basij are a volunteer force of mostly young, religious fanatics who are sworn to defend the regime and the Supreme Leader at all costs, and so forth, and they’re not very well paid, and they’re not very well treated. I mean, they’re sort of a proletarian force, and widely despised by educated and cultured people. But they are effective at intimidating, and they’re the ones probably who have been doing the killing. They’re undoubtedly the ones who assaulted the University of Tehran, broke into the dormitories and started killing people. And they’re probably the ones who have been doing the shooting in the big rallies. By the way, BBC of all places, which most Iranians think is not sympathetic to their cause, said that there were between one and two million people at that demonstration today.

The Basij are a volunteer force who are sworn to defend the regime and the Supreme Leader at all costs. Image Credit: mousavi1388's flickr photostream

HH: Yeah, Michael Ledeen, you’ve written not one but two comprehensive books on Iran. Have any of the American major networks called you yet?

ML: No.

The Basij are a volunteer force who are sworn to defend the regime and the Supreme Leader at all costs. Image Credit: mousavi1388's flickr photostream

HH: Now I am appalled at the nature of the coverage we’re getting. Is anyone doing a good job? I actually think Totten and Sullivan are doing pretty good jobs, but who else?

ML: Yeah, I think Sullivan’s been doing a good job. I agree that Michael Totten’s doing a good job. I mean, but these are blogs. Pajamas Media is doing a great job where I blog. Huffington Post is doing a good job, interestingly enough, even though you know, they’re pro-Obama by and large. I don’t know about the networks. I don’t watch television. People tell me Fox News has been trying to keep up. It’s very hard to keep up with this. I mean, it’s hard for a TV network, because the feed out of Iran is of course censored. And I’m sure that foreign journalists have been thrown out by now. One was arrested, a Belgian journalist.

An estimated 1.5 to 2 million citizens took to the streets of Tehran June 15, 2009. Image Credit: mousavi1388's flickr photostream

HH: Now important is Western media coverage to the actual events on the ground, Michael Ledeen?

ML: I don’t know. There are these heartbreaking posts on Twitter and on YouTube from kids over there who are saying where are world leaders? Why is nobody standing up for us? And they follow it, and I’ve seen a couple of enthusiastic things saying ABC News was pretty good. There’s a whole site on Twitter now called #CNNfail, which you can imagine what that’s all about.

An estimated 1.5 to 2 million citizens took to the streets of Tehran June 15, 2009. Image Credit: mousavi1388's flickr photostream

HH: What did you make of Ahmadinejad’s press conference with Christianne Amanpour throwing him a softball, having him discard it, and having her throw the softball again?

ML: Well, she’s one of the worst. She’s always been one of the worst on Iran, so that’s no surprise. We knew that.
----
HH: Michael Ledeen, I’m going to have a guy named Frank Dowse on to end the show today. He’s an international security consultant, because he and I agree if the regime gets desperate enough, they’ll start grabbing any Westerner they can, preferably Americans as a way of diverting attention. Do you believe that’s a genuine threat?

ML: Well, they might do that, but this has gone way beyond things like that. I mean, this is an all-out street confrontation right now. And there’s going to be a winner and a loser, and that’s all there is to it. And if the regime loses, we’re going to see hanging from streetlights.

An estimated 1.5 to 2 million citizens took to the streets of Tehran June 15, 2009. Image Credit: mousavi1388's flickr photostream

HH: I just had a caller say Mousavi’s got bloodier hands than Ahmadinejad from the beginning of the regime, but it doesn’t matter, he was the vehicle for people’s repressed desire for freedom. Do you agree with that assessment?

ML: Well, we’ve had revolutionaries who turned against the regime in the past. There’s nothing new there.

HH: Interesting.

ML: I mean, the fact is that all kinds of experts, including CIA experts, have been saying for years to people like me who said that revolution in Iran was easy if we would just support it. They were saying that you can’t have a revolution, because there’s no leader. Well, of all the unlikely leaders, here’s Mousavi, who was you know, who was there at the beginning, who was a loyal servant of the Ayatollah Khomeini, and all of that, and yet he is a revolutionary figure. Even more than he is his wife. That’s the revolutionary fact that a lot of people have missed.

HH: Michael Ledeen, we’ll check with you throughout the week. Thank you, friend.

End of interview.
Reference Here>>

Additional Video Assets HERE>>

MEDIA WATCH - Alinsky’s children: CBS, TNR and Andrew Sullivan

Headline banner showing how CBS News uses the Alinsky method of Radical/Progressive thought and tactics. Image Credit: CBS News via Fausta's Blog

MEDIA WATCH - Alinsky’s children: CBS, TNR and Andrew Sullivan

A Blog entry prompted by a headline that appeared on an Opinion piece posted at CBS News. It appears that CBS had reworked a piece that had run in The New Republic and changed the opinions around to meet their agenda using Alinsky's rules - targeting, personalization, polarization, and personification ... The plight of the Iranians is just another opportunity.

Saul Alinsky is the father of Radical/Progressive thought and tactics and the references in this posting highlight the use of these tactics.

This excerpted and edited from Fausta's Blog -

Alinsky’s children: CBS, TNR and Andrew Sullivan Fausta's Blog - June 15th, 2009 at 8:49 am

The CBS’s article Meet Iran’s George W. Bush
New Republic: Can Anyone Beat Ahmadinejad In This Week’s Election?, was a retread from an article in TNR:

Lest we forget, Jim reminds us of two facts:
One:

CBS forgot the part about Bush liberating over 50,000,000 Muslims from two of the most violent regimes in history and bringing democracy to the Middle East.

And two:

For the record- The New York Times detailed the recount investigation paid for by a consortium of newspapers and admitted that BUSH WON in 2004.

Look it up yourself: the NYT actually said,

Acomprehensive review of the uncounted Florida ballots from last year’s presidential election reveals that George W. Bush would have won even if the United States Supreme Court had allowed the statewide manual recount of the votes that the Florida Supreme Court had ordered to go forward.

But it’s time to slander, so Andrew Sullivan was over at The Atlantic saying that Ahmadinejad is Karl Rove. The link takes you to Stacy’s post; if you want to check out Sillivan’s post you go there. Sullivan never misses a chance to indulge his Sarah Palin fixation, while at it,

Ahmadinejad’s bag of tricks is eerily like that of Karl Rove - the constant use of fear, the exploitation of religion, the demonization of liberals, the deployment of Potemkin symbolism like Sarah Palin.

What is even more bizarre is Sullivan’s recurrent and perverse focus on Palin’s children, which he constantly indulges in his posts, about which Althouse comments,

And why should the governor of a state be called an “attention-starved celebreality star”? Is it because you don’t respect her as a politician? You might call everyone with the nerve to run for President/Vice President an attention-starved celebreality star, but the fact is you don’t. Apparently, it’s because she’s got kids who do things that you think we can sit back and view as objects of idle amusement. If anyone is to be a politician — in your nasty little world — their kids better toe the line and stay perfectly prim and healthy and smart (or hide).

But back to Sullivan’s first post: Iran is a Red State:

Think of this regime as Cheney and Rove in a police state setting, and you see what’s been going on. (Of course, Rove and Cheney live within a democratic system utterly unlike Iran, and there’s no evidence they would violate democratic norms as Khamenei just did. But their demagoguery, abuse of the state, dedication to conflict abroad, co-optation of the armed forces, and manipulation of rural and religious voters all have parallels in Red State Iran.)

So what Sullivan’s saying, in his heightened consciousness and loftier intellect which given the chance he probably will humbly acknowledge, is that he would have you believe that voters in red state America don’t vote out of their own free will since Karl and Dick manipulate them any which way, through the deployment of Czarist shams like Sarah Palin and her children. From there to taking the leap and equating George Bush = Ahmadinejad is simply putting the icing on the metaphorical cake, or am I missing something here?

What these statements in CBS, TNR, Sullivan and others have in common is Alinsky’s rules:

“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”

“One of the criteria for picking the target is the target’s vulnerability … the other important point in the choosing of a target is that it must be a personification, not something general and abstract.”

Targeting, personalization, polarization, and personification: The plight of the Iranians is just another opportunity.
Reference Here>>

... And the hits just keep on comin'!

Of Rosie O'Donnell, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and James von Brunn ...

Rosie O'Donnell, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and James von Brunn have a lot more in common than not. All have a problem with "Neocons" and two of the three are clear that they have a fear of the power of Jews ... and believe that 9/11/2001 was not the result of jetliners being hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center in New York City. Imagine that! Image Credit: Combined by Edmund Jenks (2009)

Of Rosie O'Donnell, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and James von Brunn ...

An odd observation and investigation shows intersections of thought and philosophy shared by these three people and it begins to suggest that they all were reading from the same prayer book.

The issues in common are quite startling in their common themes and the fact that few mainstream media outlets have gone out of their way to show this linkage.

Let us build out from the 88 year old center of this observation - as they say ... age before beauty.

James von Brunn (who Alumni relations at Washington University in St. Louis has confirmed they have record of a James Von Brunn who entered school there in 1938 and graduated in 1943 with a journalism degree) has as his MSM profile - is a hater of Jews, denies that the Holocaust ever happened, feels that the Neocon movement (neoconservative movement that gained strength after 9/11/2001) is nothing more than Jews trying to hijack our political system, and is a 9/11 "Truther" (the concept that passenger jetliners filled with passengers never happened and was a conspiracy by the Bush Administration to lead us into war in the Middle east).

This excerpted and edited from CBS News -

Von Brunn Charged In Holocaust Museum Slay
88-Year-Old White Supremacist Faces Murder Charges After Allegedly Shooting Security Guard
CBS News - WASHINGTON, D.C., June 11, 2009

Joseph Persichini, assistant director in charge of the Washington FBI field office, said authorities found a notebook in von Brunn's vehicle with names on it. Earlier, it was reported that he was found in possession of a list of Capitol Hill lawmakers.

In the notebook, von Brunn said that President Obama was "created by Jews" and "does what his Jew owners tell him to do," according the the criminal complaint filed Thursday.
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The Homeland Security Department called the shooting a criminal incident and said it does not appear to have a connection to terrorism, according to a joint Homeland Security and FBI assessment issued Wednesday. The assessment, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, said von Brunn is associated with right-wing extremism.
Reference Here>>

This excerpted and edited from Associated Content -

James Von Brunn Rampage Causes Media Firestorm
Crazed Conspiracy Nut Hated Blacks, Jews, Chistians, Bush, McCain, and "Neocons"
June 11, 2009 by Mark Whittington - Associated Content

The big problem is that the list of James Von Brunn's hatreds went somewhat beyond the stereotypical blacks and Jews that such people usually think are out to take over the world. Apparently James Von Brunn hated George W. Bush. John McCain, and "Neocons" according to a report in the Washington Examiner. James Von Brunn was a 9/11 "truther" (i.e., someone who thought 9/11 was the result on an inside conspiracy and not the act of 19 crazed Muslims.) James Von Brunn even hated Christians, according to Francis Beckwith, and blamed them for the fall of the Roman Empire and the decline of the "Aryan Race."

What emerges about James Von Brunn is a portrait of a disturbed old man with a variety of peeves that don't fit very neatly into the left/right spectrum.
Reference Here>>

It is widely known that Rosie O'Donnell believed as James von Brunn - i.e., someone who thought 9/11 was the result on an inside conspiracy and not the act of 19 crazed Muslims.

In March 2007, she said, "I do believe that it is the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel. I do believe that it defies physics for the World Trade Center Tower 7 … which collapsed in on itself. It is impossible for a building to fall the way it fell without explosives being involved. … World Trade 1 and 2 got hit by planes; seven, miraculously, the first time in history, steel was melted by fire."

Also, Rosie has been known to rant on The View about the effect of Neocons (liberal speak for a pro-Israel foreign policy) on the Bush Administration years.

But this next news item about Reverend Jeremiah Wright is stunning in it's similarity to the statements of James von Brunn.

This excerpted and edited from the Daily Press -

Rev. Jeremiah Wright says "Jews" are keeping him from President Obama
By DAVID SQUIRES - 6:19 PM EDT, June 10, 2009

In an exclusive interview at the 95th annual Hampton University Ministers' Conference, Wright told the Daily Press that he has not spoken to his former church member since Obama became president, and he implied that the White House won't allow Obama to talk to him.

"Them Jews ain't going to let him talk to me," Wright said. "I told my baby daughter that he'll talk to me in five years when he's a lame duck, or in eight years when he's out of office. ...

"They will not let him to talk to somebody who calls a spade what it is. ... I said from the beginning: He's a politician; I'm a pastor. He's got to do what politicians do."

"Ethnic cleansing is going on in Gaza. Ethnic cleansing (by) the Zionist is a sin and a crime against humanity, and they don't want Barack talking like that because that's anti-Israel," Wright said.

Reactions to Wright's comments regarding Jews and Israel lit up Internet message boards and political blogs around the nation on Wednesday, and sparked national TV requests for an audio recording of the interview.
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In the interview after a nighttime sermon Tuesday at the ministers conference, Wright offered that he has no regrets over the controversy that resulted in a severed relationship with Obama, a former member of the Chicago church of which Wright was the longtime pastor.

"Regret for what ... that the media went back five, seven, 10 years and spent $4,000 buying 20 years worth of sermons to hear what I've been preaching for 20 years?

"Regret for preaching like I've been preaching for 50 years? Absolutely none."

Wright said that when he went to the polls, he did not hold any grudge against Obama.

"Of course I voted for him — he's my son. I'm proud of him," Wright said. "I've got five biological kids. They all make mistakes and bad choices. I haven't stopped loving any of them.

"He made mistakes. He made bad choices. I've got kids who listen to their friends. He listened to those around him. I did not disown him."
Reference Here>>

Now we have to ask ... are the views stated by Reverend Jeremiah Wright above and the beliefs stated by Rosie O'Donnell those of any person associated with right-wing extremism?

Fear and hate has many faces.

The SUN, Not AGW, Is The Thing

The Greeks named the sun Helios, but the Romans used the name Sol, which is still in use today. Due to the important role the sun plays in our lives, it has been studied, perhaps, more than any other object in the universe, outside our own planet Earth. Image Credit: SOHO/Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) consortium

The SUN, Not AGW, Is The Thing

Riding here on the Oblate Spheroid, it is easy to get lost in and amongst all the humanity and forget the connections to the natural cycles that have formed the orb we populate.

Take Climate Change (aka - Global Warming and Climate Stabilization), for example - many are putting forth a concept the the major influence on why the climate of this planet varies is related to human activity.

The hypothesis focuses upon the effects for accumulations of "Green House Gasses" as in CO2 ... the used air we exhale. In none of these calculations, however, do these people (many who look to control human behavior and profit off of business activity centered upon this control) take into account that plants take in CO2, and through osmosis give off Oxygen, and further, none of these hypothesis account for the largest functioning body in our specific solar system ... The SUN!

Past studies have shown that sunspot numbers correspond to warming or cooling trends. The twentieth century has featured heightened activity, indicating a warming trend. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Solar activity has shown a major spike in the twentieth century, corresponding to global warming. This cyclic variation was acknowledged by a recent NASA study, which reviewed a great deal of past climate data. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

This excerpted and edited from Daily Tech -

NASA Study Acknowledges Solar Cycle, Not Man, Responsible for Past Warming Report indicates solar cycle has been impacting Earth since the Industrial Revolution
Michael Andrews - June 4, 2009 9:37 AM

Some researchers believe that the solar cycle influences global climate changes. They attribute recent warming trends to cyclic variation. Skeptics [read this as control profiteers], though, argue that there's little hard evidence of a solar hand in recent climate changes.

Now, a new research report from a surprising source may help to lay this skepticism to rest. A study from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland looking at climate data over the past century has concluded that solar variation has made a significant impact on the Earth's climate. The report concludes that evidence for climate changes based on solar radiation can be traced back as far as the Industrial Revolution.

Past research has shown that the sun goes through eleven year cycles. At the cycle's peak, solar activity occurring near sunspots is particularly intense, basking the Earth in solar heat. According to Robert Cahalan, a climatologist at the Goddard Space Flight Center, "Right now, we are in between major ice ages, in a period that has been called the Holocene."

Thomas Woods, solar scientist at the University of Colorado in Boulder concludes, "The fluctuations in the solar cycle impacts Earth's global temperature by about 0.1 degree Celsius, slightly hotter during solar maximum and cooler during solar minimum. The sun is currently at its minimum, and the next solar maximum is expected in 2012." According to the study, during periods of solar quiet, 1,361 watts per square meter of solar energy reaches Earth's outermost atmosphere. Periods of more intense activity brought 1.4 watts per square meter (0.1 percent) more energy.
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The inconvertible fact, here is that even NASA's own study acknowledges that solar variation has caused climate change in the past. And even the study's members, mostly ardent supports of AGW [anthropogenic global warming] theory, acknowledge that the sun may play a significant role in future climate changes.
Reference Here>>