Links to stories I find interesting.

U.S. Said to Order Deep Pay Cuts at Bailed-Out Companies.
Is this even Constitutional?

For Some Parents, Shouting Is the New Spanking
Yeah, like that will work.

White House makes ‘enemies’ of Bush allies
“When you’re on their side, it’s all OK, but if you’re not, they rain hell down on you,”

China’s push for oil in Gulf of Mexico puts U.S. in awkward spot
Why do we still consider them allies?

Devastating drop in job approval numbers for Obama in new Gallup survey
Backing him into a corner – he’ll become more dangerous.

Looking to unite Democrats on health reform, Obama takes partisan tone
Yeah, he’s the great “uniter” all right.

Senate Rejects ‘Doc Fix’ Spending Bill, as Some Democrats Side With Republicans
Almost a dozen Democrats bailed. Nice try, Harry

The White House will lose its war against Fox News
I think Rupert Murdoch’s not too afraid of the Mao loving Anita Dunn.

Should Christians Say That Their Aim Is to Convert Others to Faith in Christ?
John Piper asks this question–a good and fair question in today’s climate

Breaking News: Adobe Releases Lightroom 3 Public Beta
Adobe Announces Lightroom 3 Beta!
Yup—it’s true! Lightroom 3 is here!

Leah and Buddy
The last wedding I helped shoot.

Windows 7 is here!
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade

First the disclaimer before my blatant slap at enviro wackos. I’m firmly against polluted air, water, and land. As a Christian I think it’s our duty to be good stewards of the land God gave us to live on. I think toxic dumpers should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I evaluate every action that I could take that would make the planet cleaner.

That being said, I will always look at my actions in light of what makes economical sense. If driving a plug-in electric car or even hybrid made economical sense, I’d do it. If choosing a “green” electricity provider was as cheap or cheaper than the “regular” provider I’d do it. If riding the bus (And doubling my commute time to 40 minutes.) was cheaper I’d do it. If my living community provided recycle bins I would surely use them.

Right now the cheapest electrical provider in Houston is offering a 12 month locked-in rate of 10.6 cents a KWH. The cheapest “green” rate is 11.8 cents a KWH. That’s $144 per year based on a 1000 KWH/month usage. I think I’ll keep that difference. Plug-in electric cars either can’t go fast enough or far enough to make sense for me. And the payback period for that or a hybrid is way too long. I just purchased a 2007 vehicle with 13k miles on it, that gets over 30 mpg for $7000. Show me a hybrid around that price and we’ll talk. For me to take the bus to work, about double my commute time, and to break even on gas costs only gas would need to be about $2.75/gal. I think even at $3.00-3.50 I’d still consider driving just for the convienience. The point here, besides economical sense, is that these are MY choices. And don’t kid yourself, the environmental movement is NOT about choice.

The environmental movement is about controlling you and making you do what they want you to. It’s also about redistributing wealth. Like every liberal idea since they can’t win at the ballot box or legislature they use the courts. They stand in the way, using the courts, of new drilling and refining capacity. The sole purpose is to create a false shortage of oil and gas and to drive the price up in the hope that it will force you into an electric vehicle or hybrid. The problem is once they move you to an electric car they will have succeeded in driving up the price of electricity through Obama’s “Cap and Trade” program so much that it will cost more to “charge” your car than it would have cost to put gas in one. What they really want is for you to stay home.

I encourage you to think about the things you do or are forced to do now in the name of the environment. I can think of a few. Low flow toilets that you have to flush three times to get everything down. Changing out incandesant light bulbs for CFL and then going through hazmet like clean up procedures when one breaks. Higher cost emissions testing come inspection time for your car. Increased costs for oil changes, new tires, and new batteries. These are just a few and I could probably come up with a lot more given the time to think about it.

I unashamedly reject the notion of “anthropogenic global warming” (AGW). The earth is actually in a cooling period now. March 09 was the coolest since 1981 and here in Houston April has yet to see a 90 temperature. It’s been a lot of years since that happened. What you’re seeing now it the government rushing to put all these environmental programs in before the AGW hoax is realized by the majority of the people. Maybe the majority will figure out that it’s “the Sun stupid.” It’s up to us to make our voices heard and attempt to put the breaks on this.

So on this earth day 2009 I think I’ll cut down an old growth tree with a noisey, dirty 20 year old chain saw, I’ll fill up my gas tank (and top off) at about 2pm in the heat of the day, I’ll leave all the lights on in my home, I’ll throw away an aluminum coke can, and I’ll probably eat some beef.

If being pro-life, pro-second amendment, pro-small government, libertarian leaning, anti-obscene spending, willing to put my life on the line for liberty and freedom, anti-illegal immigration, pro-self sufficiency, pro-national defense, and conservative makes me extreme; Then I wear “extremism” as a badge of honor.

Department of Homeland Security “domestic terrorism” report.

I read yesterday that a bill in both the Senate and the House will compel ISP’s and wi-fi users to keep usage logs for two years. There is no distinction between public and private wi-fi’s. Which basically means that I’ll have to keep traffic logs of my home network for two years. I don’t even know if that’s technologically possible with my wireless router.

This proposal is ridiculous and unenforceable. First, the shear amount of data that would have to be parsed would probably make it harder to track child predators than it is now. Second, since it covers voice over IP (VOIP) communicate it amounts to wire tapping without a warrant. I’m sorry but when “nanny-state” legislators pass laws that are perceived as unreasonable to the average law-abiding citizens, average law-abiding citizens begin to lose respect for the rule-of-law and their governing bodies. This is one of those unreasonable proposals. I can tell you right now that I won’t comply with this silliness.

Here’s a letter that I sent to one of my Senators:

Senator Cornyn,

About S.436. Are you serious? I would expect this feel-good, unenforceable legislation from the Democrats. But come on, from so-called conservative Republicans? Did the Republicans become “Nanny state” politicians while I wasn’t paying attention.

This bill will do nothing that it’s designed to do. Due to the vast amount of data it will only make it more difficult to track down child predators. Additionally, it will put more burden, and therefore, more costs on small businesses and individuals like myself who simply have a wireless router in my home. As far as I can tell there’s absolutely no provision in my wireless router to capture logs for more than a few hours let alone two years. I don’t like it and I’m angry with you for supporting this unreasonable legislation. When the government starts making silly laws the people start losing respect for the government and their laws. This is one of those proposals. Since this could be interpreted to cover “voice over IP” telephone communications it also amounts to illegal wiretapping.

Instead of putting the burden on me for crime fighting please just punish the ones committing the crime. Please reverse your course and come down on the side of the rights of the individual to be free from obtrusive government intervention and unreasonable record keeping.

Regards,
Jim Rector

We’ll see how he responds. I’ll report back when he does.

In light of the present financial crisis, it’s interesting to read what Thomas
Jefferson said in 1802:

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

I am posting an entry for the weekly contest on I ♥ Faces for the week of 01/19/2009. You can view contest entries on www.iheartfaces.com. Be sure to go to the site and look around.

I am posting an entry for the weekly contest on I ♥ Faces for the week of 01/19/2009. You can view contest entries on www.iheartfaces.com. Be sure to go to the site and look around.

I am posting an entry for the weekly contest on I ♥ Faces for the week of 01/12/2009. You can view contest entries on www.iheartfaces.com. Be sure to go to the site and look around.

I just paid $1.46/gal. for gas to fill up my Chevy Blazer. I loved paying around $20 to fill it up compared to over $60 a few short months ago. If you figure five fill ups in one month that’s $200 bucks added to my bottom line for just that one vehicle. What a way to stimulate the economy!

If you, like me enjoy this, don’t get used to it. Barack Obama is putting together his ‘environment’ team and has chosen Steven Chu as Energy Secretary. This does not bode well for those of us who believe it’s better to have cheap energy and think going after our own resources is the right thing to do.

Consider these quotes:

“Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,” Mr. Chu, who directs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September.

And, considering that around 50% of our electricity is generated by coal, this comment by Mr. Chu is very troubling:

“Coal is my worst nightmare”

If the Obama administration, along with a complicit congress restrict the use of coal at all you’ll see your electricity rates jump 300-400%. Would you like your light bill that’s now $100 to be $400? Not me. How about $8/gal. gasoline? Shame, shame. The great thing about this country is that were NOT Europe. This is America and the great thing about this country is that since our inception we’ve been DIFFERENT from every other country and I want it to stay that way.

I encourage everyone to contact their Senator, especially if their Republican and encourage them to block this appointment. We don’t need enviro-wackos in the highest pinnacles of our government.

(HT/Armchair Energist)

Ok, after some more research I have to give Steven Chu some props for being for nuclear power. But I still don’t want someone who thinks gasoline needs to be $8/gal.