Iraq Facts

You want facts? You get them. Continuing on my "lift the whole thing, they're smarter anyway" blogging, here's some perspective from Gateway Pundit:

What? No ticker-tape parade?
This may be the first unofficial announcement by the mainstream media that the US is winning the War in Iraq.

In only 4 years the US has ousted one of the world's most brutal dictators ever and helped replace his regime with a democratically elected government- Doing this without the backing of one political party, without liberal Hollywood, with numerous security leaks, with interfering politicians, and with a hostile antiwar press that continually misfires with bogus news stories.
Not bad!

Now, go to the link and see, graphically, the actual statistics about Iraq when compared with other American wars. History will judge our military achievements as extraordinary.

Ace to Republicans: Deal With The Corruption

I guess today I'll be lifting whole posts from better thinkers than I. Whatever, this is good. Here's what Ace says about Republican corruption:

Word to the wise if anyone in the GOP cares to listen: When your own partisans (such as myself) are actively rooting for Republican Congressmen to be arrested, you've got a problem.

Deal with the problem. Eliminate all earmarks. All of them.

And force the corrupt among you -- and you know who they are -- to retire before the next election.

Not only do actual conservatives hate criminals on general principles -- law and order and all that, remember? -- but you're no good to us compromised, able to be blackmailed due to your crimes into voting against us.

Amen, brother.

Global Warming: It's A Crisis Because I Say It Is

And you had better believe me because I'm better than you. Well, isn't that what the Hollywood-Types are saying? Glenn Reynolds puts it this way (you can buy the bumper sticker):

I'll believe it's a crisis when people saying it's a crisis start acting like it's a crisis.

That's right! They're giving up their 30,000 s.f. mansions and living in mud huts. It must be really, really bad. The Anchoress says (she must have felt pity for my suffering intellect):

Concise. I have to work on Concise. I actually expressed a similar sentiment a long time ago, when I wrote:

…if the big boys of Global Warming aren’t really taking the issue seriously…if they find it so unserious as to allow the issue to be used as a political wedge or a rabble-rousing sound-bite, and that’s all…well, then I don’t have to take it seriously, either.

The Global Warming Hysteria Movement, complete with Media overhype, is not real. The proof is in the politics of it. It is a means to an end. To what end, I’m not sure.

I’m going to try to blog better. Just as soon as I am able to really get down to work. Feeling much better, although we had to change from the Cipro, which was giving me the heeby-jeebies and making me feel like I’d had ten shots of espresso.

Yippee! She's blogging again. The Anchoress is blogging again. Happy dance! Happy dance! And she's doing it while drugged. I expect some edgy writing from her.

Hurricane Dean Roars Ashore

That perfect eye wall is a marvel to behold. Imagine sustained winds of 154 mph and gusts of 200mph. You can't.


WELL DEAN continued to be a worst case/best case scenario. First, the worst case. The hurricane came to shore as a strengthening Category 5. Now, the best case. The hurricane did hit a sparsely populated area. And it blew through fast. Here's the local's take:

"We began to feel the strong winds about 2 in the morning and you could hear that the trees were breaking and some tin roofs were coming off," said Miguel Colli, a 36-year-old store employee. "Everyone holed up in their houses. Thank God that the worst is over."

With the storm still screaming, there were no immediate reports of deaths, injuries or major damage, Quintana Roo Gov. Felix Gonzalez told Mexico's Televisa network, though officials had not been able to survey the area. In the Quintana Roo state capital, Chetumal, the storm downed trees and sent sheets of metal flying through the air.

At landfall, Dean had sustained winds near 165 mph and gusts that reached 200 mph — faster than the takeoff speed of many passenger jets. It was moving west-northwest near 20 mph across the Yucatan Peninsula.

Here's what happened in Cancun:

Our lovely house guest just returned from a quick trip to the hotel zone to check on his house. Good news all around. There is some flooding, but there is always a little after the simplest rain. Their house was totally dry thank goodness, no harm done. A few trees and signs are down, but NO major damage seen at all. He has said that there is some flooding in Dreams Cancun as well. My husband just chatted with a friend who lives in Bonfil (a “suburb” of Cancun) and she said all is well, just the normal flooding from a little rain.

I couldn't find information about how those further south faired, but I'll post when I do. Dean will travel quickly and hit Mexico again. This has been a historic storm.

Scientific Research and Political Correctness

There are many politically correct assumptions that when challenged by research or even just vetting a new theory, cause serious backlash. I'll list a few:

• Sexual orientation is genetic
• Gender confusion is biological and genetic
• Gender roles are exclusively socially mediated
• I.Q. is the same between races, ethnicities and gender
• Evolution explains differentiation between species
• Soldiers are violent, ignorant, psychopaths
  
• Family structure does not affect developmental outcomes
• Child development is not significantly affected by parental interaction
  
• Child development is not significantly affected by the absence of a parent through divorce
• Humans cause global warming
• Public education is the best way to educate children
• Mental illness is biological and genetic
• White men are violent rapists
  

Researchers daring to question accepted dogma will be subjected to attacks both personal and professional. For example, J. Michael Bailey challenged some cherished beliefs regarding transgendered people and this is one example of the backlash:

The site also included a link to the Web page of another critic of Dr. Bailey’s book, Andrea James, a Los Angeles-based transgender advocate and consultant. Ms. James downloaded images from Dr. Bailey’s Web site of his children, taken when they were in middle and elementary school, and posted them on her own site, with sexually explicit captions that she provided. (Dr. Bailey is a divorced father of two.) Ms. James said in an e-mail message that Dr. Bailey’s work exploited vulnerable people, especially children, and that her response echoed his disrespect.

Anyone who has spent much time on the web knows that personal attacks of a sexual nature are par for the course. Ironically, the attacks often originate from those who claim membership in groups that used to be victims of persecution. This very thing happened to Jeff Goldstein. A lesbian woman named Deb Frisch threatened his family and used sexually violent language describing his toddler son. (He's at again, challenging the notions of masculinity.) Other bloggers sharing opinions that differ from the politically correct have likewise been subjected to written, sexually explicit violence.

The violent rhetoric is nothing short of bullying. The intention is to silence diverse opinions and to rob a dissenting person of his or her voice. While these actions are disturbing in the Wild West atmosphere of the web, most bloggers have the inner fortitude to continue. They have free choice. They may suffer D.O.S. (denial of service attacks--where the website is flooded with links or hits to overwhelm the servers that support the site, so anyone searching for it will be denied service) or other acts of aggression, but they can prevail.

In the world of research and academia, however, a scientist's ability to continue to explore new theories can be quashed and the long-term ramifications should worry thinking people:

The inquiry, which lasted almost a year, brought research to a near standstill in Dr. Bailey’s laboratory, and clouded his name among some other researchers, according to people who worked with the psychologist.

“That was the worst blow of all, that we didn’t get much support” from Northwestern, said Gerulf Rieger, a graduate student of Dr. Bailey’s at the time, and now a lecturer at Northwestern. “They were quite scared and not very professional, I thought.”

A spokesman for the university declined to comment on the investigation, which concluded in 2004.

One collaborator broke with Dr. Bailey over the controversy, Dr. Bailey said. Others who remained loyal said doing so had a cost: two researchers said they were advised by a government grant officer that they should distance themselves from Dr. Bailey to improve their chances of receiving financing.

“He told me it would be better if I played down any association with Bailey,” said Khytam Dawood, a psychologist at Pennsylvania State University.

So grant money is used to manipulate those with differing theories and cutting-edge research. Essentially, anyone with a new thought or idea that conflicts with present dogma or politically correct opinion finds himself isolated, unfunded and reviled by the scientific community. It is the equivalent of being marked or shunned by a religious community.

Should this politically charged atmosphere continue in academia and the realm of science, scientific advances will stop here and now, because all the truth to be found has been found.

Hurricane Dean Overhyped?

In short: Not on the web. I don't watch TV, so I can't answer that.

What I do know is that I've had relatives and even other Houstonians ask if I'm going to evacuate. To which I reply with an incredulous, "Um, nooooo. The hurricane is hitting south of Cozumel. I don't think we have much to worry about."

So what are the news people saying?

Brian Neurdorff points to Houston's own SciGuy Eric Berger (who I've linked to aplenty over the last few days) who is wondering at the hype as he links to this FoxNews article titled: As Hurricane Dean Heads Toward Mexico, Texas Mobilizes Massive Response.

Officials have mobilized a massive response to the storm's landfall, and are particularly concerned about the south Texas areas of Galveston and Brownsville, where 44 lives were lost the last time a storm of Dean's magnitude hit the area in 1967, Steve McCraw, state director of homeland security, said.

Whaaat?

OK. I get being prepared, but come on. The risk of any part of Texas being hit is nearly zero. Dean would have to hang a hard right. The same article says:

The level of preparation for Dean was influenced by memories of two destructive hurricanes that hammered the Gulf Coast region in 2005.

"In part, it is because of the unfortunate events from Rita and Katrina," Cavazos said.

During Rita, the evacuation quickly turned into a nightmare of clogged highways, stalled traffic and sweltering heat, as motorists from the coast ran into residents fleeing Houston. Gas stations ran out of fuel and supplies, and drivers sat for hours on gridlocked evacuation routes.

Dean was a Category Four storm Monday, heading rapidly toward Mexico after crashing through Jamaica. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said it was projected to reach the most dangerous hurricane classification, Category 5, with wind of 160 mph before crashing into the Mexican coastline near Cancun on Monday night or Tuesday.

For the love of Pete. Just to be clear: I was an eye-witness to the mess on I-45. It was stuck for hours because of poor planning--by the state and by people leaving. The state didn't manage the flow very well, nor did they consider the bottleneck that existed right out of The Woodlands where I live. People here helped stranded travelers with food and drink and fuel. Which leads to the people stuck on the freeway. Who doesn't bring water and food with them? Sheesh! You know it will be slow going for a while. Plan for it.

And unless the state has a super-special secret plan up their sleeves, the bottleneck in Texas will be in Conroe should we be hit again, which is a forsaken mess on an average day at an average time, forget rush hour. And it would be tragic then, because there are no residential areas right adjacent to that spot of road and so people would be on their own should they run out of provisions or fuel.

Even given all that, I-45 was a absolutely deserted for hours before Hurricane Rita hit. EVERYONE who wanted to got out and got out safely. By that measure, the evacuation was a success. No one died stuck on the freeway, starving, thirsty and terrified in a car while the winds whipped up.

The big concern for Texas, at least on this side of the state, is that we're soaked. We've had such consistent rain, that flooding is a worry. Everyone is very grateful to have the Hurricane hitting far South. A direct hit would be very bad because of the weather this summer.

I can't say whether the MSM overhyped Hurricane Dean. But I think the web has been the best source of fair, balanced, intelligent, scientific, and dare I say, sensitive, coverage of a potentially devastating storm.

Watch The Space Shuttle Tonight

I know. I'm blogging all over the road today. Brendan Loy notes that we have a unique opportunity to see the Space Shuttle in the sky before it lands.

Hopefully, we can see it and show the kids. Go here to get the best times.

Blogging To Build Business

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting piece about driving business by blogging. It's worth a read if you're a business-type. Independent contractors might also want to read it. Since they are in the business of themselves, they might want to spend some time on a specialized blog to promote their own expertise while helping people, too.

Dean Aftermath

Here is a post-Dean report from Jamaica. Took me long enough to find one:

Yes Dean was an unfortunate inconvenience and the effects will last for quite some time, but of all the reports I've seen...thank GOD Jamaica hasn't reported any loss of life.

I pray for the other nations who have lost citizens and property. We give thanks for life, and we are grateful our prayers were answered.

Parishes
St. Thomas: extensive damage has been reported from several
communities. Significant wind damage to roofs, storm surges, flooding, collapsed
structures, impassable roadways are among the many reports.

St. James: the community of Coral Gardens is severely affected by wind
damage.

Kingston and St. Andrew: severe wind damage and downed power lines in
the Riverton city area. Also, a fallen tree caused the collapse of a
residential building in the Chambers Lane Area of Liguanea, St. Andrew.

Clarendon: flooding has been reported from the Denbigh gully.

Portland: several roadways in Port Antonio, Manchioneal, Mount James
and Mount Airy in Buff Bay are blocked.

St. Mary: several roadways from Junction to Broadgate are impassable,
blocked by fallen trees.

St. Catherine: storm surges have been reported along the Port Henderson
road in Portmore rendering the roadway impassable along with roof
damage in the communities of Naggo Head and Newland. The Newland Road is
also impassable due to a fallen utility pole. Additionally, sections of
the roadway have been eroded in Hellshire due to storm surges and rising
water levels have been reported in Old Harbour forcing the evacuation
of several persons.


Services:
Telecommunications: cellular telephone lines are down in sections of
Portland, St. Mary, and Clarendon and there is no communication link with
St. Thomas with efforts are underway to re-establish this.

Electricity: well over 125,000 Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS)
customers are without power supply.

Water Supply: there have been reports of damage to water supply
systems.

Source: Gleaner/Power 106 News

This from Dominican Republic:

3 days after Dean hit, still no water or electricity, though I was heartened to look across the valley to Eggleston last night and see street lights on.

Basically, it's like the island has been pruned. All the old trees, dead leaves etc. have been stripped. This does have the benefit of opening up more views where before there was no vista.

Town's back to normal - business as usual today.

Here's how things are going along the coast in Mexico:

That green star is Merida, which means at this point, the hurricane would be going over Uxmal. This might not be good news for Chetumal, Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Uxmal, but these are much less populated areas than Cancun and Merida, so it’s good news overall.

Rigging Votes & Spewing Hate

John Hawkins posted two note-worthy posts today. Go take a look. He interviewed Robert Novak who reveals that JFK rigged a primary election to get the nomination for president and that the Wall Street Journal killed the story. He also notes the hate pouring out of the Left regarding Tony Snow's departure and cancer.

Kidney Stones

I visit The Anchoress every day, a couple times of day, hoping there is something new and exciting. What can I say? I'm a blog taker. There are a couple blogs that are so excellent, so funny and interesting, so informative that I'd pay for them. The Anchoress is one of them.

Well, due to a tired spirit and a pain-wracked body (kidney stones and the infections they cause bring mind-bending pain) she hasn't been posting as much. She has been considering what it all means. She has described being sick of the political sphere and unwilling to engage the Presidential campaign. She needed a break.

I'm an Anchoress groupie. Her inward reflection and outward lack of blogging has been painful for me. Almost as painful as a kidney stone, maybe worse. I've been going through withdrawals. Starved for common sense and wry insight, I've been thinking banal thoughts and pondering unanswerable questions. I'm getting duller-witted by the day. The more I try to think about it, the more I think her kidney stones are just selfish!

This is a formal Get Well Soon post to the Anchoress. Please, get well, blog friend. I don't know how long I can last.

And I'm not alone. The web gets dumber by the day.

Hurricane Dean's Route Nearly Miraculous

Personally, I believe prayer works. That might sound absurd while writing about a very scientific thing like a hurricane. But that's just it, the possibilities and probabilities for this storm were dire. And yet, this storm has shimmied its way through the Caribbean and may now shimmy its way through Mexico:

As Hurricane Dean's forecast track moves south we can begin to become cautiously optimistic that the powerful storm will move ashore into a relatively unpopulated area of Mexico's Quintana Roo state on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Dean this morning has re-strengthened into a 150-mph hurricane. However, its hurricane-force winds extend only 60 miles in each direction. Under the current scenario, based upon models that have the system as a powerful Cat. 4 system before a Yucatan landfall, Dean would only very briefly bring Category-1 winds over Cozumel, and tropical storm-force winds over Cozumel.

For Mexico this is the best possible scenario and something to hope for. With landfall less than a day away, it's also a plausible scenario.

I do think prayer works. And many of the forecasters asked for prayers for the people of Jamaica and Grand Cayman. Scientists asking for prayers. Doctors do this all the time with patients. Humans are very limited. But every doctor has seen miracles. I think we're witnessing an amazing thing with Dean. Let's continue to pray that it stays on its path and spares Mexico's population the worst.

And it's a good time to give thanks, too.

It is also a good time to remember the hard facts. We're only half-way through hurricane season. Dean was truly the beginning.


Leaving everything to faith and not preparing is tempting God. So stock up on emergency supplies and stay alert. There's another wave forming in the Caribbean.

Let's pray it's nothing.

Miners Being Left

I haven't posted about this topic. It's too awful for words. And now, it looks like the six miners will be left there:

Mine officials had sustained hope for two weeks that the miners would be brought out alive, even after three rescuers were killed and six more hurt in another "bump" inside the mountain.

Family members of the six miners trapped in the initial Aug. 6 collapse accused the mine's owners and federal officials of abandoning their loved ones.

Lives have been lost in the rescue effort. It seems like a needle in the haystack kind of job. And yet, my instinct is to say keep looking. I suppose I'm imagining these men having enough air and water to survive and dying from starvation not being crushed. I don't know the odds of either possibility.

I would hate to be the person making this excruciating decision.

A Muslim Enlightenment

What we have is a Muslim Reformation, what we need is some enlightenment, says Cap'n Ed:

Muslims stopped having a central authority analog to Rome with the fall of the Caliphate, formally in 1920. As a result, Muslims increasingly relied on personal interpretations of the Qur'an and the Hadiths. Imams had no central authority or oversight and could teach their own personal brand of Islam. It's no accident that the Muslim Brotherhood, the grandfather of jihadi groups, sprang into being at this point and produced thinkers like Sayyid Qutb, who argues for the Muslim version of sola scriptura. As Muir notes, Qutb could be seen as a Calvinist in temperament, but one that argues for the reinstatement of the Caliphate, based on his own interpretation of the holy books of Islam.

Would a Caliphate moderate individualistic extremist tendencies? Hmmm..... A "moderate" Caliphate would have a short lifespan, I fear.

Unemployment Up Pretty Much Everywhere

Roaring hurricanes and the slowing economy, I'm a bringer of bad news all around. Can't help it. That's the facts for the day. MaxedOutMama has some news on employment and concludes with this interesting morsel:

Because of the drop in employment rate (i.e. workforce) in some states, unemployment rates and trends look better than they really are, and when one looks at the data in more detail a recent pattern of weakening is very evident. This is no doubt why the federal government has abruptly decided to enforce the laws against hiring illegal aliens. Last year employment was in a strong growth mode for much of the year. This year the trend is reversing itself. [emphasis added]

The government is trying to get rid of extra bodies so American citizens can do those jobs that Americans won't do.

Personally, I think the economy is going to get worse. My financial advisor's scorn for my "feelings" notwithstanding, I do have some reasons as to why.

1. Home defaults are just beginning.
   
2. Home values will decline forcing people to stay in homes they can barely afford.
   
3. Without disposable income, credit card debt will increase, there will be an explosion of bankruptcies. Wait, that's already happening--they're up 48% over 2005.
4. Profits will evaporate as spending stops. This hasn't happened yet, but it will.
5. Unemployment will rise dramatically. See above.

Some see unsettling comparisons to 1987. Well, one doesn't have to be money genius to see the similarities in the graphs.

Being a good financial steward is ultimately boring, which is why no one likes to do it. Get a job. Pay your bills. Don't go in debt. Don't buy more than you need. Save for a rainy day. Diversify. Diversify. Diversify. It's advice you'd get from your Grandma.

She also says to eat your vegetables and no one does that either.