The NY Times wanders off message with good news from the global warming front:
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this January was the fourth warmest in the documented history of weather in the contiguous United States.
If anything, the exceptional snowstorms of last winter and the uncommon gentleness of this one are further evidence of global warming, which is characterized by extreme and erratic weather patterns rather than an unceasing rise of the planet’s temperature.
The long-term troubles this sort of weather predicts are alarming. In the short term, however, our warm winter may have one unforeseen and felicitous consequence: a drastic reduction in the incidence of influenza.
Flu seasons can begin as early as October, and end when the number of positive tests for the virus approaches zero, generally sometime in March or April. There has been a wide variation in the number of deaths attributable to influenza in past seasons — it has reached as high as 49,000 — but the average is around 12,000.
This year’s flu season, however, didn’t officially begin until late last month. And while a true number is difficult to reach — not every sick person is tested, for instance, and the cause of a death in the hospital can be clouded by co-morbidities —it is likely that no more than a few hundred people in America, and possibly far fewer, have died of the flu this winter. Indeed, by any measurement, the statistics are historic and heartening. For every individual who has been hospitalized this season, 22 people were hospitalized in the 2010-11 flu season. Even more strikingly, 122 children died of flu last season and 348 during the flu outbreak of 2009-10 — while this time around that number is 3.
To the extent we can take their global warming voguing seriously, Obama and his fellow Democrats stand for higher gasoline prices and more dead children. But then, they also stand for smaller cars and more dead adults, so at least they are consistent in valuing Earth above humanity.
And a Bonus Question for the class warriors out there - proportional to population, who dies more from the flu - one-percenters, or the poor and/or elderly?
Why does Obama want his base to sicken and die? Is this his plan to boost the popularity of ObamaCare?
Rience's dig probably was truer than he knew
The Duke and Duke finishing school is scurrying around to eradicate such anti-social behavior from young Reince. Next stop: Clockwork Orange.
Posted by: Captain Hate | March 03, 2012 at 09:48 AM
Happy Birthday, Jane.
The Forbes article mentioned by Kim above is a very good synopsis of the current state of climate fraud. Credentialed moron and felon, Peter Gleick, is the current poster boy for the Lyenkoists comprising the core group of "scientists" manufacturing illogical rationales for the statist solution to a non problem. Daddy's observations on balmy Anchorage illustrate the idiocy of the NYT piece under discussion. The only interesting aspect of the piece is the notion that warming might have some slight benefit. There will be more tests searching for the "best" way to unwind the lie as time passes.
"Does anyone else read that report as seeking approval power and thus veto ability over future innovations and technology?"
RSE,
It does. The 'desperately seeking stasis' statist worms are going to continue chewing their way through the apple until their funding is revoked.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | March 03, 2012 at 09:54 AM
Did not know that D'Szousa has a movie coming out in June called "2016" produced by the same guy who did Braveheart, Jurassic Park and Schindler's List.
Supposedly, it exposes Obama and what America would look like in 2016 if he is re-elected. Must be classified as a Horror movie, I guess.
Posted by: Jack is Back! | March 03, 2012 at 09:54 AM
The more important number on RAS is the 53 disapproval versus only 46% approval today. And remember RAS is not using a 3.6% positive gap in Republican versus Democrats. He lags his sample by averaging his last three month findings and since Democrats continue to stream out the party, he is behind.
Then there is the small matter that there is a few percent who say they approve of you as President but wont vote for you. Disapproval is a NO, you either vote for the challenger or stay home. But Presidents never get their vote totals to match their approval ratings, its always a few percentage lower.
That points Zero at around 44% today. Not quite McGovern territory, but give him time. He is quite capable of screwing something else up big time.
Posted by: Gmax | March 03, 2012 at 09:55 AM
That's quite a piece on Holdren, pagar.
Posted by: Extraneus | March 03, 2012 at 09:57 AM
"put effort into promoting socially desirable trends"
Do I get to choose these? I think I will really miss freedom. Younger people probably have not really known it.
As a slogan for this election how about "Throw off your chains?"
Posted by: MarkO | March 03, 2012 at 10:03 AM
Happy Birthday, Jane!
Posted by: sbw | March 03, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Steyn. Always good.
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/292510/die-die-foreigners-mark-steyn
Posted by: MarkO | March 03, 2012 at 10:05 AM
((I think I will really miss freedom. ))
"freedom" as in Amy Winehouse? that's not freedom, that's slavery. Freedom is dominion, and she sure didn't have much of that over her drug addiction.
Posted by: Chubby | March 03, 2012 at 10:08 AM
As a slogan for this election how about "Throw off your chains?"
Works for me. HB Jane.
Posted by: Captain Hate | March 03, 2012 at 10:08 AM
Happy Birthday, Jane!
You're only as old as you feel and if you feel anything like you sound you're about 32.
Posted by: Ignatz | March 03, 2012 at 10:10 AM
What I want to know is "Who is responsible for this Red/Blue thing?". I mean who are the "Reds" in this equation. Why the Stalinist, liberal, leftist Democrats of course. Who decided that the Dems were the Blue team? I'm guessing it was the Dems trying to not self identify with their choice of team colors.
Posted by: Past Master of the Obvious | March 03, 2012 at 10:11 AM
I think we are giving Ms Fukes too little credit. I am not so sure she actually wants to be a employed lawyer...she really wants to marry a lawyer.
'
So birth control is a priority for a college girl looking to land a lawyer, where s tuition would be a priority for one wanting to be a lawyer.
I think too old for that at 30. A large percentage of the males there are younger than she, and a lot of the older ones are already married.
I do think that the best way to marry an attorney is to go to law school, and ditto maybe for marrying doctors. They are the ones you spend your time in graduate school with, and then later as peers.
Posted by: Bruce | March 03, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Just reviewing this thread this morning told me more about Wisconsin than I could of learned from Rand-McNally and the Food Network.
OT:Man bites Dog
Posted by: Jack is Back! | March 03, 2012 at 10:14 AM
--“On the other hand,” Holdren and the Ehrlichs wrote, “advertising could be encouraged to put effort into promoting socially desirable trends.--
At the risk of Godwinning the thread, wasn't that the job description of one Dr. P.J. Goebbels, late of Berlin, Germany?
Posted by: Ignatz | March 03, 2012 at 10:16 AM
I'm guessing it was the Dems trying to not self identify with their choice of team colors.
My understanding is that on the TV electoral maps, the R states used to be blue and the D states red but in 2000 the networks flipped it and that's when Russert first started talking about red states and blue states beyond the election coverage. You're probably right about the reason.
Posted by: Porchlight | March 03, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Happy birthday, Jane! You become lovelier every year.
Posted by: Porchlight | March 03, 2012 at 10:18 AM
IGGY makes my day.
In honor of my birthday, my laptop bites the dust!
Posted by: Jane | March 03, 2012 at 10:19 AM
Bill Whittle on Breitbart.
The ending is strong. The MFM is the enemy.
Posted by: Janet | March 03, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Yes, but why Blue has been always Tory, patriotic, pro military,
Posted by: narciso | March 03, 2012 at 10:27 AM
Holdren:
Why does that keep coming up with these central planners? Don't they like us?Posted by: Extraneus | March 03, 2012 at 10:30 AM
That Whittle video is really great, Janet. Everyone should watch it. It's not what you might expect.
Posted by: Porchlight | March 03, 2012 at 10:33 AM
As Bluto might have said, 'my advice is to start drinking heavily' oh wait;
http://www.thedailybeast.com/videos/2012/03/01/meghan-mccain-slams-hbo-s-game-change-and-tom-hanks.html
Posted by: narciso | March 03, 2012 at 10:34 AM
Happy Birthday, Jane!
--------------------------
Extraneus, the problem with Holdren seems bad enough but Obama seems to have another adviser.
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/03/good-grief-romney-urged-obama-to-embrace-individual-mandate-in-obamacare/
Posted by: pagar | March 03, 2012 at 10:37 AM
I am now officially older than dirt
That's where all the gold is Jane...Happy Birthday!
Posted by: Rocco | March 03, 2012 at 10:49 AM
This Hotair link has the Whittle video and a 19 minute clip from the Red Eye tribute to Breitbart which is also worth watching.
That Whittle video is the first I'd heard that AB had a serious heart attack a year ago not just some nebulous 'health issues'.
Posted by: Ignatz | March 03, 2012 at 10:55 AM
Jane, all the best! Have a GREAT DAY!
Posted by: matt | March 03, 2012 at 11:03 AM
Re: the Red state/Blue State thing...
It was at one time standard practice by Networks and Newspapers to swap the colors every 4-year cycle. Dems would be blue/Repubs Red then 4 years later, Dems were Red/Repubs Blue, etc.
I think it was in 2000 (though it may have been earlier) that following the SOP it was the Repubs turn to be Red and the Dems to be Blue, and all the talk about Red States/Blue States by Network pundits just sort of locked it in in the public imagination.
Posted by: AliceH | March 03, 2012 at 11:08 AM
If no evidence can disprove a theory, the theory isn't science.
Posted by: qrstuv | March 03, 2012 at 11:29 AM
Janet, go to Yahoo.com and search for the group by name.
Btw, if January was only the fourth warmest winter on record, I'd say we're doing okay.
Posted by: RebeccaH | March 03, 2012 at 11:36 AM
Chicago Sun Times defendnat claims he was prosecuted because he refused to wear a wire on John Daley (Bill's bro)
" Cook County Commissioner William Beavers pleaded not guilty to federal tax charges Friday and then lobbed another bombshell — declaring U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald “a wild man” guilty of driving three political figures to suicide with “Gestapo-type tactics.”
After a relatively mundane arraignment hearing — lasting all of about 10 minutes — Beavers left the courtroom and walked in a crowd of reporters in the lobby of the Dirksen Federal building — unleashing on Fitzgerald.
“I do not owe the government any money — no taxes,” Beavers said, moving on to his next point: Fitzgerald.
“Let me tell you about this federal prosecutor. This man is like a wild man on a train, and somebody needs to stop him.
“He has caused three deaths — Michael Scott, Orlando Jones and Chris Kelly — with these Gestapo-type tactics that he used to try to make them tell on their friends,” said Beavers, 77.
"
Posted by: clarice feldman | March 03, 2012 at 11:38 AM
not an expert, but I have read that this year's flu was similar to last year's so there was already immunity
Can't believe everything anyone says about effects of weather or climate
Life has too many variables in it's equation, Horatio.
Posted by: Will in NC | March 03, 2012 at 12:08 PM
Clarice,
WHAT do you think motivates FITZPATRICK?
Posted by: Jane | March 03, 2012 at 12:27 PM
Happy birthday, Jane!
Posted by: Elliott | March 03, 2012 at 12:43 PM
Quit that class warrior talk - it's obvious Obama loves the poor, that's why he's trying to make so many of them.
Posted by: max | March 03, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Jane, Power,winning and punishing those who he thinks did wrong which includes those not giving him the evidence the scenario in his head tells him they must have even if they do not--even if there is no such evidence at all..
Posted by: clarice feldman | March 03, 2012 at 12:50 PM
He is ther real version, of the caricature they made of Ken Starr, the Ahab, who almost
invarianly nabs the wrong whale.
Posted by: narciso | March 03, 2012 at 12:54 PM
cc and Clarice, thanks for defending me. Gus certainly did insinuate that I was lying about working on Verify.
Gus, I accept your apology,but you have come on a bit like a bull in a china shop.
Posted by: caro | March 03, 2012 at 01:33 PM
Thanks Elliott (and everyone else)
I wonder if Fitz is planning on running for Governor.
I'm not sure this country will ever recover from the politics of the last decade.
Posted by: Jane | March 03, 2012 at 01:33 PM
Rick, Bill Clinton once said that CO2 was plant food.
==============================
Posted by: But only once. | March 04, 2012 at 07:57 AM