linerider

Why is this so fun?!

Ding-Dong! Saddam is Dead.

I woke up Saturday with the rest of the world to the news that the Butcher of Baghdad had been executed. Old glory was subsequently posted on the front of our home in honor of those Americans who gave their lives for that bit of 'justice for all'. Thank you, soldiers of the Iraqi war.

Same song, different verse: The news ran a couple of clips of Iraqi-American's making statements regarding their feelings about Saddam's execution. Most were simply jubilant. One stated that he was both elated and sad for Saddam. It seemed to catch the news anchors by surprise as they stumbled with a couple of awkward comments about it. I suppose they weren't sure whether or not to condone feelings of sadness for Saddam. I say bless that Iraqi-American's heart for he has become a true American.

I actually remember being sad for the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Ozz when I saw her feet poking out from under the house. It must have really hurt to have a whole house smash you after all. Truth is, I felt the same sadness as I felt for the Wicked Witch when I saw Saddam being led to the noose. I think it proper for an American or any good person to feel for the loss of life no matter how justified. I hate what his life has meant for two great countries. His and mine. I hate what his life meant for millions of dead and more millions of grieving. I hate him, but like myself a little more for feeling a little sad at his death.

Perhaps I would have felt differently if I had been one of those many who were forced to watch family members being fed into box-folding machines. However, the timid honesty of that Iraqi-American gives me hope that I may still have felt something.

So, good-bye to the true Wicked Witch of the East. With plenty of jubilation and a little pinch of sadness.

Gorebal Warming

I love the term 'Gorebal Warming'! Brings a mischievous smile.

Why? Disrespect for Al Gore's crusade on the subject? I'm a conspiracy theorist? Or simply because it's fun? Well, I’ll admit that the first and last (I laugh at conspiracy theorists, but that's another blog.) do play in. However, the most powerful factor is my buy-in to the idea that Global Warming and especially the role that man is playing therein is over-hyped by the media for the profits and political leverage that the resulting alarm produces. And I do support Al Gore as the poster boy for that factor. My take on Al Gore is that he has discovered a subject that he can believe in and that more importantly has the potential to keep his name on the TV. (not to mention in the movies)

To me the term refers to the stylized, popularized topic of Man-Made Global Warming (Also known as anthropogenic Global Warming) as opposed to Natural Global Warming or the sane discussion of the causes of Global Warming.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a dye-hard ‘disbeliever’. My opinion is in flux. There are arguments on both sides that capture my attention and that I cannot discard. However, I cannot find it within me to become alarmed even during those times that I lean to the ‘believers’ side. What does get my blood pumping when contemplating the subject is how much disinformation and alarm-ism is being handed out to we unsuspecting, innocent crowds.

I will say this before supplying references supporting my raised eyebrow at Gorebal warming: I live in Utah’s Salt Lake County and am therefore forced at times to tolerate some very poor air quality. I also pay close attention to current events and am cognizant of the role that our demand for oil plays there. If a side-effect of what Gore and the media are doing is to alleviate those problems without undue hardship to innocents, then they are partially forgiven. ;) Immoral route to a good result. Hey, it’s happened before.

Alarmism:

"The Inconvenient Truth" is indeed inconvenient to alarmists

Temper! Temper!
/ Some Response

Con job at The Weather Channel

"...if we oversell the science, our credibility is at stake."


For:
Smoking Gun

Against:
“SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO DEBUNKING GLOBAL WARMING”

Natural and Moderate

Richard Lindzen

Sunday Times