If All You See…

By William Teach October 31, 2022 – 1:00 pm

…is a wall that looks like it was flooded from carbon fueled Bad Weather, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Green Jihad, with a post on a report stating that COVID most likely came from a lab.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 16 Comments | Trackback URL

Democrats Spend $2 Million To Build A 150 Foot Long Bike Lane That Took 18 Months In L.A.

By William Teach October 31, 2022 – 10:30 am

You heard about the $1.7 million San Francisco toilet, right? It still hasn’t been built, and may not be built. The bike lane was built

Column: A $2-million ‘bike lane to nowhere’ symbolizes L.A.’s outrageous dysfunction

On a short stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood is a sidewalk cutout that was billed as a bike lane.

A short half-block long, it took about 18 months to complete and cost roughly $2 million, and yet it is not marked as a bike lane and does not connect to one.

“It’s a bike lane to nowhere,” said Stephen Burn, general manager of building services at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, which was required to complete and pay for the project as a condition of approval.

Burn apologized for calling it a stupid waste of time and money that delayed the opening of badly needed supportive housing and social services, but no apology was necessary. He said he honestly wanted to pull his hair out at times when dealing with various government agencies, and after he shared the details, I wanted to pull my hair out. (snip)

Burn and I paced off the supposed bike lane, which is about 150 feet long, starting mid-block and ending at McCadden Place. There’s no bikeway just east of there, outside a 7-Eleven strip mall, and no bike lane just west of there, where there’s a pawn shop and a doughnut shop.

This is what happens when Democrats are in charge. But, the Liberals in L.A. shouldn’t complain about this, or all the homeless encampments (which are mentioned in the piece), because they keep voting Democrats into office, and each one is just a bit further to the Left. And each year the unelected bureaucrats in the city government are just a bit more to the Left.

Burn told me the land for the center was purchased in 2012, with full support from local officials and the community, and yet 10 years later, the paperwork is not complete. The first snag was a zoning change requirement, and Burn said that turned into a $1-million process.

Construction didn’t begin until 2016, and that’s when the bike lane came up. Burn said that stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard is technically a state road, and he was told that Caltrans and the city wanted a bike lane there, and that the property owner would have to foot the bill.

Then they had to pay to have the electric cables buried, and get some power poles removed. But, the power poles are also running internet lines, and no one took responsibility for them, so, the poles would be right in the “bike lane.”

Months passed. Insurance costs rose. Financial juggling was required, even though Dusseault dug out some public money to help defray the cost of the project. Permits expired and applications had to be resubmitted. Aspects of the overall development of the center were delayed.

Dozens of housing units for seniors and youths, along with an array of social services, were finally in place by last year, and the LGBT Center is helping to save and rebuild lives on a daily basis. But full operation was delayed by close to a year, Burn said, and when people are shocked to hear the high cost of homeless housing units and how long it takes to put people into beds, it’s because of just what the LGBT Center has experienced.

Yay, government?

The saddest thing is that these kinds of problems are not the exception in Los Angeles; they’re the rule. I hear about them all the time from service providers and developers who say it’s not this bad in other cities. They speak in tortured tones about what Burn called a “Kafkaesque” experience in managing the often conflicting demands of multiple agencies.

Government is inherently a pain in the butt and slow. Now make it all run and staffed by Democrats, and it is worse. Then enter the People’s Republik Of California, and we are at peak Moonbattery. And then the citizens who keep voting for Democrats wonder why things are so bad and their taxes are going up.

Read: Democrats Spend $2 Million To Build A 150 Foot Long Bike Lane That Took 18 Months In L.A. »

Posted in Democrats, Liberal World | 13 Comments | Trackback URL

LA Times Seems Surprised That PRC’s Gas Phase-Out Will Harm Small Businesses

By William Teach October 31, 2022 – 7:00 am

The majority of gas stations across the country are owned either by single store owners or small businesses with a bunch of locations, who are licensed as franchises. Just like most fast food places. Will these small business gas station owners be able to survive only as convenience stores? Maybe they could have a few EV chargers, but, those really won’t pay the bills unless they mark the price up….hmm, did not one ever consider that companies will install charging points and mark the cost of energy up?

California’s gas-car phaseout brings turmoil to mom-and-pop gas stations

unintended consequencesIt was hailed as a landmark decision for the environment: The California Air Resources Board voted in August to require that all new automobiles and light trucks sold in the state be zero emission by 2035.

The move, aimed at tackling climate change, has been cheered by many. Just not mom-and-pop gas station owners.

In interviews with The Times, independent gas station owners said the state mandate will expedite the demise of their businesses. And they make up a significant part of the state’s fueling infrastructure: A little more than 5,000 such stations are scattered across California, according to National Assn. of Convenience Stores data.

“Most of the independents will be put out of business — completely out of business,” said Charles Khalil, who owns two gas stations in the L.A. area and is bracing for a shakeout ahead of 2035. “We are all going to suffer through it.”

He and other owners predict many mom-and-pop operators will, in the years ahead, sell their properties to real estate developers or large gas station chains that can afford to upgrade the sites with electric vehicle chargers. Space limitations and the high cost of installing chargers — a high-capacity version can cost $150,000, including all associated expenditures — make it infeasible for some owners to update their properties for an electric future.

But, will they want to purchase those businesses? They probably have till about 2040-2045 for selling gas, because people will still have gas powered vehicles, plus, big trucks. However, there’s not guarantee that the People’s Republik Of California won’t mandate away all sales of gasoline. They are that bugnuts insane. Further, those big companies might offer pennies on the dollar for the properties.

How many mom-and-pop gas stations might California lose in the years ahead?

Using five years of annual data from the National Assn. of Convenience Stores, McDonald estimated that nearly half of the state’s 5,081 mom-and-pop gas stations would close by 2035. NACS defines these stations as those that include a convenience shop and are owned by a single-store proprietor — hence the “mom-and-pop” designation. (A caveat about the estimate: McDonald’s model assumes stations will begin closing at a rate of 3% annually, increasing to 6% a year — but over the next 13 years the loss of stations is unlikely to be linear.)

Which also means all those convenience stores go away. And it is not cheap to dig up the gas tanks to rejuvenate the properties. Big companies may do this. But, hey, it’s a small price to pay to save the world from climate doom, right?

Read: LA Times Seems Surprised That PRC’s Gas Phase-Out Will Harm Small Businesses »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Global Warming | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Surprise: Economy And Inflation Top Voter Concerns

By William Teach October 31, 2022 – 6:45 am

Poll after poll after poll show that Americans are concerned with these. Seriously, every election features economic issues at the top. People always worry about their money. So, why have Democrats been running on abortion and ‘climate change’?

Economy and inflation top public’s agenda going into midterm elections: POLL

surprise surprise surpriseAbout half of Americans say either the economy or inflation is the most important issue in their vote for Congress, making pocketbook issues by far the most dominant in the run up to the midterm elections, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll.

Taken individually, 26% identify the economy as their single most important issue determining their vote while 23% cite inflation. Nearly three out of four Republicans point to the two economic concerns as a priority, compared to only 29% of Democrats per the ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted using Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel.

Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to say abortion, gun violence and climate change are the top reasons for their vote, according to the poll.

Importantly, independents closely mirror the national numbers, with 49% having the combination of inflation and the economy above all others.

It’s that last one that’s a big problem for Democrats: Independents looking at Democrats and saying “food is expensive. Energy is expensive. Clothes for my kids are expensive. Just going away for a weekend is expensive. Housing is expensive. Cars are expensive. Many foods are unavailable. And Dems are yapping about abortion, trying to take guns away from law abiding citizens while going soft on criminals, and raising my cost of living with their ‘climate change’ fanaticism? Hell no!” And Democratic candidates could easily lose the votes of the middle ground Dem voters. They might not vote GOP, they’ll just not vote.

The top two reasons for vote choice vary little by race and ethnicity. Regarding the economy and inflation, 45% of Black Americans and 47% of Hispanic Americans prioritize the pair of issues, essentially the same as the general public.

Again, they might not vote GOP, they might just not bother voting. Perhaps some Blacks are starting to realize that the DNC patronizes them, telling them that abortion and climate affect minorities more than anyone else, assuming that Blacks cannot survive without the helpful hand of Government.

We shall see in slightly over a week.

Read: Surprise: Economy And Inflation Top Voter Concerns »

Posted in Economy, Elections | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach October 30, 2022 – 1:30 pm

…is a fire extinguisher needed to put out carbon pollution induced fires, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Air Vent, with a post on people watching fraud happen and still denying it.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

By William Teach October 30, 2022 – 10:08 am

Patriotic Pinup Halloween

Happy Sunday! Another fantastic day in the Once And Future Nation of America. The Sun is shining, the birds are singing, and Halloween is only one day away. This pinup is supposed to be by Albert Vargas, with a wee bit of help.

What is happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15

  1. The First Street Journal says that fear is the mind killer, so, don’t worry about masks
  2. The Gateway Pundit covers the new, pathetic military recruitment ad in the wake of Woke
  3. The OK Corral notes that being pretty won’t help you avoid charges
  4. The Other McCain breaks down what we know about the nutball who attacked drunk Paul Pelosi
  5. The Right Scoop covers MSNBC saying free speech is in danger from free speech
  6. This ain’t Hell… notes that Liz Cheney’s deranged anti-Kari Lake ad helps Kari Lake
  7. Weasel Zippers covers Elon Musk still firing people at Twitter
  8. White House Dossier discusses Biden caught trying to erode Israeli control over Jerusalem
  9. The American Conservative highlights boys just wanting to be girls in a Woke world
  10. Powerline covers Biden’s latest senior moment
  11. Pacific Pundit notes the Washington House race within one point
  12. Newsbusters features CBS News losing it after Musk’s Twitter takeover
  13. Moonbattery covers the media trolled by a fake fired Twitter employee
  14. Legal Insurrection says to cover the evidence, not the media spin, on Pelosi attack
  15. And last, but, not least, Geller Report discusses Florida banning sterilization, castration, and mutilation of “trans” kids

As always, the full set of pinups can be seen in the Patriotic Pinup category, or over at my Gallery page (nope, that’s gone, the newest Apache killed access, and the program hasn’t been upgraded since 2014). While we are on pinups, since it is that time of year, have you gotten your Pinups for Vets calendar yet? And don’t forget to check out what I declare to be our War on Women Rule 5 and linky luv posts and things that interest me. I’ve also mostly alphabetized them, makes it easier scrolling the feedreader

Don’t forget to check out all the other great material all the linked blogs have!

Anyone else have a link or hotty-fest going on? Let me know so I can add you to the list. And do you have a favorite blog you can recommend be added to the feedreader?

Two great sites for getting news links are Liberty Daily and Whatafinger.

Read: Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup »

Posted in Patriotic Pinup | 26 Comments | Trackback URL

Climate Cult Art Protests Are Powerful Or Something

By William Teach October 29, 2022 – 6:14 pm

I’m betting MSNBC would be singing a different tune if the climate cult nutbags were going into MSNBC offices and gluing themselves to stuff, throwing food all around

Why the climate art protests are so powerful
How can we condemn the acts when their premise is sound and their cause is so righteous?

An angry scream. A pained moan. An astonished “Oh my gosh.”

Those were the first three reactions that could be heard after two British climate activists threw tomato soup on one of Vincent Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings at the National Gallery in London in a video that went ultra-viral earlier this month.

The emotional register of those reactions — rage, sadness, shock — were a preview of what was to come. They foreshadowed the most common responses countless people on social media had to the action, during which one activist queried: “What is worth more? Art or life?” (snip)

Since then, climate activists have carried out similar acts again and again. German activists tossed mashed potatoes on a Monet, and a climate protester glued his head to Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring” in the Netherlands. While these acts have similarly targeted works of art with protective coverings, they have continued to evoke strong emotions of anger and shock.

Much of the discussion has focused on whether tampering with — and risking the damage of — beloved artistic artifacts does more good or harm for climate activists. Some political and climate-focused analysts have passed around studies arguing that the extremism of the acts could be effective by drawing attention to the issue and building more robust support for more moderate factions of climate activists. Others have flagged studies indicating that it could backfire by alienating potential supporters.

Really, it just shows that these people are unhinged wackjobs. Let them attempt to ruin their own property.

First, their fundamental premise is sound: We are sleepwalking toward disaster and something vexing and distressing must be done to wake us up. It’s imperative for those of us who live comfortably in the global North — and can afford, for now, to ignore climate consequences that are already taking a toll on people on the margins of society all around the world — to experience some kind of alertness-inducing discomfort. I cannot bring myself to feel anger toward activists who are causing people no harm for such a righteous cause at a time when there is nothing remotely close to a mass mobilization on behalf of building a sufficiently sustainable global economy and society.

Second, there is something brilliant going on here as a form of performance art. The actions are evocative because they act as a microcosm of the horror that awaits us. Rehearsing the destruction of what we cherish as most beautiful and most worthy of preservation is surely relevant to the question of whether we’re doing enough to deal with climate change. Because indeed, rising seas and superstorms and wildfires are going to eventually destroy so much of our world’s most magnificent cultural heritage. Simultaneously, in the anguish we experience at the specter of losing art documenting the real world, we are being graced with a more vital reminder: We must protect the natural world with the same zeal we protect beautiful art that captures it.

This is what a cult looks like. Let them go to Zeesham Aleem’s house, throw soup on it, glue themselves, or his fossil fueled vehicle, and see how he feels.

Seriously, does this look rational? Or batshit insane?

Read More »

Read: Climate Cult Art Protests Are Powerful Or Something »

Posted in Climate Cult, Global Warming | 17 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach October 29, 2022 – 1:00 pm

…are mountains which lost their glaciers, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Don Surber, with a post on listening to Real Clear Politics, not 538.

Double shot below the fold, check out Doug Ross @ Journal, with a post on the top 20 tweets.

Read More »

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 12 Comments | Trackback URL

European Union Bans Sale Of Gas Vehicles In 2035

By William Teach October 29, 2022 – 10:30 am

Citizens of individual nations in Europe: does this make you happy? Your nation didn’t ban them. Bureaucrats in the EU did, using their unaccountable power to force you to comply. The EU was not established for this kind of mandate on citizens lives, but, this is what happens when you give a centralized government power. They take more and more and more

EU member countries agree to ban sale of gas-powered cars and vans starting in 2035

st greta carEuropean lawmakers have gotten the EU’s 27 member states to agree to a plan that effectively bans the sale of gas-powered cars and vans by 2035. They’ve come to an agreement to approve the Commission’s revised reduction targets for passenger cars’ and light vehicles’ carbon dioxide emissions. The Commission’s proposal, which European lawmakers had voted in favor of back in June, aims to reduce the emissions produced by new vehicles in those categories by 100 percent in 13 years’ time. That wouldn’t be achievable without stopping the sale of gas-powered vehicles and selling zero-emission models only.

European Parliament’s lead negotiator Jan Huitema said:

“[P]urchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers. I am pleased that today we reached an agreement with the Council on an ambitious revision of the targets for 2030 and supported a 100% target for 2035. This is crucial to reach climate neutrality by 2050 and make clean driving more affordable.”

I’ve perused many articles about this, and not one features a reporter asking members of commission if they are now driving an EV, and, if not, when they are going to ditch their fossil fueled vehicles and go EV.

How will they power these vehicles? Europe is already energy poor, with big concerns about how people will heat their homes this winter. They’ve cut nuclear power (even St. Greta is fine with nuclear), cut natural gas (some thanks to Biden pushing Putin to invade Ukraine), cut coal, and many citizens are having to rely on burning wood. Where will the power come from?

Read: European Union Bans Sale Of Gas Vehicles In 2035 »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Europe, Global Warming | 12 Comments | Trackback URL

Bummer: NJ Residents Want To Do Something About ‘Climate Change’ But Don’t Want To Pay For It

By William Teach October 29, 2022 – 7:15 am

It’s really easy to say that climate change is Evil and something Needs To Be Done. It’s something else entirely when you have to pay for your beliefs, right?

N.J. residents support climate change defenses but don’t want to pay for them, new poll finds

…

On the precipice of the 10th anniversary of Sandy and over a month after the one-year anniversary of the remnants of Hurricane Ida, a new Rutgers-Eagleton Institute of Politics poll found many residents said anyone but them.

According to the poll, 78% of the 1,002 New Jersey adults surveyed over the phone between Oct. 14 and Oct. 22 said they believed in climate change and nearly the same percentage considered it a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” issue.

However, when asked which residents should pay a “major share” of added costs to make the Garden State more resilient to climate change, numbers varied.

Based on poll results, 45% said upper-income residents who live in risky areas like flood zones should pay a “major share” of the costs. When asked the same question about middle- and lower-income residents living in risky areas, 9% said a “major share” should pay, an excerpt from the 132-page summary of the poll stated. Meanwhile, 46% said this same group should pay a “minor share” and 42% said they should pay “no share at all.”

Those rich folks do pay the major share after big events like Superstorm Sandy. It’s their taxes, especially property taxes, that helped rebuild so many of those Jersey Shore areas.

Instead of shouldering resiliency costs, residents would prefer to have the federal government, fossil fuel companies and producers, as well as other businesses take on the costs, the poll indicates.

Where do they think that federal government money comes from? Are these same people giving up their own use of fossil fuels? Do they think businesses won’t pass on their higher costs?

“This is not something unique to New Jersey, this is what we see with everyday citizens across the country,” Koning added.

Jessica Roman, a research associate at Rutgers-New Brunswick, also highlighted that residents “don’t want the funding coming out of their own pockets, especially in a time of rising inflation.”

So, pretty much the norm. I have multiple articles blogged, and many saved to Pocket, that show this same thing again and again.

Read: Bummer: NJ Residents Want To Do Something About ‘Climate Change’ But Don’t Want To Pay For It »

Posted in Collapsing Science, Global Warming | 3 Comments | Trackback URL
Pirate's Cove