Fears of Flying

Yesterday, some nut tried to blow up a plane in Detroit.  After this article appeared I saw many friends commenting on Facebook that incidents like these are the reason some of them don't fly.  I'd like to point out that such thinking is evidence of a total lack of understanding of any facts.  Most of these people get in and out of their cars every day and think nothing of it, without questioning that fact that riding in a car is the single most dangerous thing most of them will do in their lifetimes.  I'd like to point out some facts.

Considering the fact that every day 115 people die in car accidents in the US alone and no one has died on an airliner in quite a while, flying on an airliner is still safer than driving to work.  Cars are so dangerous that they are the leading killer of older teens (38%), meaning, your teenager is safer in the army in Kabul than in a car in Idaho.  In fact, care are SO dangerous that for each of us, our lifetime risk of dying in our car is 1:84 exceeded only by stroke, cancer, and heart disease.  However, we have to remember that cancer, stroke, and heart disease are NATURALLY occurring which means that they occur despite anything that we do so they are not comparable to car/airplane travel and so must be taken out of the comparison.  In fact, natural causes must be taken out in their entirety because we don't control them, we can only influence them to a limited degree.

So here are the things most likely to kill you in the US, by death rate (according to the US Census):

1.  Automobile accidents 15.1
2. Drug OD 12.8
   
3. Suicide 11.1 
4. Guns 10.3
   
5. Accidental poisoning 9.2

Airline accidents are so small in number that the Census doesn't even bother accounting for them individually.  NOTHING is more dangerous an activity than cars.  

What Is a "Right" and is healthcare a "right"?

This writeup does a great job of explaining in clear logical terms why health care is not and cannot be a "right" and why the republicans are just as wrong, from a moral and logical point of view, as the democrats. A great read for real liberals who understand what liberalism really means.

The only thing I would change out of this article is that the author says "A right is a gift from God that extends from our humanity." whereas, as an athiest, I think that our rights arise, not from god but from the nature of humans as organisms. Since man must produce his livelihood with his own effort, he has to have certain rights (right to action, right to choose, etc) to produce his livelihood.

What Is a Right?

Cap & Trade Already Infiltrated by Organized Crime

Typical of all victimless crimes (drugs, alcohol, prostitution, gambling), the carbon Cap & Trade system in Europe has already been infiltrated by fraud and organized crime which, according to Interpol.  That's no surprise, though, when you consider that victimless crimes and any politically manufactured market will always be infiltrated by organized crime.  For example, the prohibition of alcohol in the US created an unprecedented rise in criminal activity which slowed when it was repealed.  The situation again appeared when the Federal Government put its clamps on narcotics creating a rise in violent crime on a global scale unprecedented in human history.

In fact, the environmental "market" has already been infiltrated by organized fraud in the US.

Cap and Trade Fraud

And before any of the lefties out there say "how can you believe anything from FOX news who are those right wing fanatics who make 'fake' news"....blah blah blah.  Shut up unless you can disprove the facts.  If you have no evidence of false news, please stop making unfounded accusations.  Lets not forget, ALL news sources are biased.  Your argument that FOX is tainted so you shouldn't believe anything from FOX is based on what is known as the "Ad Hominem" fallacy and is one of the fundamental logical thinking traps that causes failure in reasoning skills. 

Here are other articles about the same thing
Article
Article

So why are we opting for more legislation that will create more laws and restrictions on people's rights in order to get everyone to "obey"?  Especially in light of the fact that we still haven't established anthropogenic global warming as a fact and there is still tremendous scientific and political disagreement on the proposed theory.

Green Cult Gets Aggressive when confornted with facts

Here's a common example of what those of us who question the Global Warming Theory encounter when raising questions: blind hatred and tactics to silence opposition.  Scientists fired from jobs, challenging questions ignored, skeptics assaulted by fanatics.

Climate Cultists Assault Global Warming Skeptic During Live Interview 

During a live interview...a skeptic is assaulted by a global warming follower.  Yes, I say "follower" because the behavior is very much like a religion because : 

A) Despite scientific evidence to the contrary, people still want to believe it

B) People can't prove the point of global warming any more than they can prove their religion so, in what should be rational discussion, they try to resolve the argument by silencing dissenting opinion through intimidation, anger or violence.

Gore Refuses ClimateGate Questions, UN Official Disconnects Mic

 Interviewer tries to question Gore about ANOTHER lie he got caught in but Gore refuses to answer.  UN official illegally disconnects the microphone.  (They don't have the legal right to do that)

The End of "White" America by 2050

The US Census predicts that the America will no longer consist of a "White" majority by about 2050.

White Majority Article

One area where I realize this will have an impact, is in the diversity initiatives of many companies.  As a manager in a large organization, I wonder what Diversity implementations will look like in the workplace of the future.  I imagine that we will start seeing managers who were previously "minorities" being trained on cultural sensitivity toward whites; Latinos being trained in the workplace on dealing with WASPs in the workplace, etc. This change won't eliminate the need for diversity initiatives but certainly will change the focus of it.  In fact, it will probably increase the need for Diversity initiatives as the relationship between the "white" majority and other ethnic/racial groups is forever altered.

Clinton: U.S. Ready to Join $100B Climate Aid Fund

So to be clear...the US (or...the people in charge of the US) is willing to spend $100,000,000,000 (of your money and my money) on an unproven scientific theory.  Nice.  I'm glad she sees fit to increase our federal deficit even more!  We, the taxpayers, don't mind working like dogs to pay for smoke and mirror pseudoscience.

FOXNews.com - Clinton: U.S. Ready to Join $100B Climate Aid Fund

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Health Insurers to Benefit From "Reform"

If you put a blind man in front of a dartboard, his odds of hitting the target are pretty slim but he will eventually hit the target of he throws enough darts.  One of the few observations Dean makes that rings of sense is that the requirement for all Americans to buy health insurance or pay a fine essentially guarantees health insurers more customers.  Dean calls the proposed plan an "Insurance Company Bailout".  Although this is, typical for the left wing, as wildly simplified view of how insurance works but there is truth to it.  Essentially, your money and your government will guarantee a steady flow of customers for the insurance companies.

I should start buying stock in Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna right away.

Of course the blind man at the dart board will only get one good shot and the next one will go wildly wide of the mark much like Dean who thinks that offering a public option is the right solution....which basically makes you and I pay for everyone else's medical care.

Americans Want Government OUT of Healthcare

The numbers speak for themselves

So basically, there are more Americans AGAINST healthcare reform than for it, according to Gallup & Rasmussen.

So why are the Washington's socialists ignoring Americans again?

Growing Disbelief of the Global Warming Hoax

As early as March 2009, increasing numbers of Americans were doubting the "truth" of Gore's doomsday prophecies about Global Warming, according to Gallup


52% of Americans disagree with Al Gore that the "debate is over" on Global Warming while 59% think its based on falsified information.  47% think its totally natural and NOT man made.

 Americans are increasingly sceptical of global warming:Rasmussen Poll

And yet...despite the fact that American people are so divided on this issue and that so many people are unconvinced...our government is going right ahead with plans to hamstring our struggling economy with climate change deals that may be totally wasted efforts and will result in decreased human quality of life,  more controls over how people live and work and more government oppression.

What else is new?  Government stopped representing us a LONG time ago.

Obama Gives Himself a "B+" : Americans grade him much lower

During an interview with Oprah Winfrey, one of Obama's worshippers, the President says he grades his performance a "B+". 

But, according to Gallup, the American people give him a resounding thumbs-down!

I suppose they're grading different criteria.  Maybe Obama thought he was being asked to grade himself on how fast he is throwing away American civil liberties and tax money?  I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and call it a "misunderstanding".

Al Gore Caught Fudging the Numbers AGAIN!

Scientist Quoted by Gore Says "Al, I NEVER said that!"

This is another example of the spin machine behind certain elements of the environmentalist movement.  In a move that has become typical of Al Gore and his Ilk, Gore has used fear mongering based on falsified or selectively chosen data.

Notice Big Al's quote and what it means:
"These figures are fresh. Some of the models suggest to Dr. [Wieslav] Maslowski that there is a 75 percent chance that the entire north polar ice cap, during the summer months, could be completely ice-free within five to seven years."

• Fresh figures - Bull!  Read further down "Gore's office later admitted that the 75 percent figure was one used by Dr. Maslowski as a "ballpark figure" several years ago in a conversation with Gore."  So that was a pure lie.
• "Some of the models suggest..." So this also means that other models don't suggest what he's proposing.  So there is no scientific agreement on this!!  Some models also suggest that I am going to suddenly disintegrate into vapors in 10 minutes but there's no reason for me to expect that its likely to happen
• "75 percent chance that the entire north polar ice cap, during the summer months, could be completely ice-free within five to seven years." Again....the word could so even Big Al thinks its only a chance.  This also means that there is a 75% chance that it might happen, not that it will happen.  His statement also means that there is a 25% chance that it definitely will not happen.

Tell me again why everyone listens to this clown?  Ultimately all he has communicated through his statement is that he has no facts and the only fact we know of for sure is that he selectively picks his data and doesn't hesitate to make up information when he finds the facts to be inconvenient.

Mind you, I'm not opposing the concepts of environmental responsibility and proper stewardship of our natural resources.  I am simply advocating intelligent decision making based on scientific facts.  Think about it...would you let a doctor operate on you who told you "there is a 75% chance that you might survive but there is a 25% chance that you will not survive"?  Of course not, you would realize that he's pulling numbers out of the air!  So why base our policies and the direction of the human race on something that doesn't pass basic scientific muster?

Once Again Obama the Populist Reveals his Ignorance of How Things Work!

FOXNews.com - White House Tells Bankers to Boost Lending After Bailout Successes

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Yes, Mister Obama, bankers are "fatcats".  They get together in smokey rooms chewing on big cigars and rub their fat greedy hands together and laugh like this "Mwahahahahaha!" then rake piles of cash onto their bellies.

Global Warming : The Debate is NOT Over

20/20 Article on Global Warming Conspiracy

Science does not work by silencing contradictory theories or suppressing individuals who disagree with a proposed theory.  Real science works by proposing a theory and then allowing and encouraging scientific scrutiny and testing. 

• Climate change is an established fact.  No one argues that.  The data proves it
• The data also proves that climate change has always been the norm.  In fact, the data shows that change in the environment is the norm.  The Earth's climate has never been static.
  
• Global warming is a theory.  No one has proved conclusively that the earth is warming all over the globe.  For example, studies show that arctic is is melting away but also shows that antarctic ice is growing thus...any warming isn't really "global".
• Catastrophes from global warming are also theories because no one really knows what will happen if the entire planet were to go up in temperature.  Which is also assuming that the entire earth is going up in temperature.
  
• Anthropogenic Global Warming (global warming caused by human activity) is even more theoretical because science hasn't proven a causal relationship between global warming (which is still unproven in the first place) and human activity.  

All of it still theory. Much like the Theory of Evolution, since no one can really prove that human evolution took place, even the scientists who are the most ardent supporters of the concept still refer to it as a "Theory".  It may be the most prevalent theory...almost every scientist thinks its probably what happens.....but....it remains a theory.

The Coming Week

This week is the final week of my semester.  I've got two classes going on right now, World Lit and Accounting I (which is an online class, by the way).  I'm doing well and enjoying both classes and expect to have very good grades.  I have a few items pending to wrap up the semester:

1. Final Chapter Test for Accounting
2. Final Exam in Accounting
3. Final paper for for World Lit

 Nothing I can't handle and not too worried about it.  I have some deliverables due at work too which will keep me busy but nothing crazy.  I'm really looking forward to having a bit of time off.  Maybe I can get in a little winter night cycling in.  I want to hook up some strong lighting on my bike for safety, of course.  I added lights to my cycling stuff wishlist.


At the same time though, Dina will be undergoing surgery, having an abdominal hysterectomy to bring an end to her five-year struggle with undiagnosed endomitriosis.   We are really grateful to Doctor Levey for being the kind of doctor who takes the time to listen to his patients and work with them.  Of course, this means that I'll be spending more time on household duties since Dina will be in recovery.  And like a good capitalist, I will be working on delegation of responsibilities and pushing tons of work on the kids.  After all, why have teenagers if not for that.  Some might think its wrong...I think its giving them work ethic.

A big issue on my mind is what classes I should take for next semester.  I might pick up one extra class just to see if I can handle it.  I am thinking something along these lines:

• Accounting II
• Economics I
• Geology (I know .... you're wondering where this is from but its required for my major and, frankly, its something I've never studied before.  I did chem and bio and astronomy in my youth...why not learn something new?)

We'll see how it goes. 

Hitler's Remains

Location of Hitler's Remains

Missing my bike

Winter has set in and as all of my friends and family know, I am not a fan of the winter.  First off, I am not a fan of the cold and then there's the lack of daylight.  I simply can't stand this Daylight Savings Time nonsense.  I know that there is a reason for it that has something to do with saving energy or something along those lines, I've even heard that there is some benefit for farmers as well.  That's all fine and dandy but for me, its simply a source of lethargy and fatigue.  From the time daylight savings time starts until about mid January every year, I go through a serious struggle to stay ahead of depression.  The coming and going from nightfall to nightfall with daylight only available for a few precious weekend hours causes me to lose a lot of my energy and I often find myself dozing off in the early evening because my eyes convince the rest of me that its bed time. 

At this time of year I develop a strong tendency to let my fitness regimen slip, my focus slips at work and I struggle to keep my grades up in school; all because I become so demotivated. 

But the most painful part of winter for me is that I can rarely find time to get on my bike.  Once winter hits there amount of rideable time seriously drops.  The temperature is sometimes too low, plunging to below freezing which exceeds the temperature limits of my cold weather riding gear or, too often, its very windy out, sometimes dangerously so.  This week has been like that.  Usually the good weather seems to hit during the work week which, of course, doesn't do me any good since, by the time I get home from work, its fully dark outside and a bit risky to be riding on ice patched roads when even the cars with  brilliant headlights can't see the black ice that can send me into a terrible fall or worse.

I miss my bike, even though its gotten squeeky and needs some maintenance.  Tomorrow morning I'm going for my first ride with the Fatmen.  During the warmer days and into the fall I was riding with the guys constantly and got to make some great new friendships.  Unfortunately, school started again and then the cold and dark came.  BAM!   No rides.  Tomorrow.  Hope for tomorrow.

How Labor Unions Drive Wages DOWN

The Fallacy that Unions Raise Wages