Right on the Mark

That's Debatable

I don't want to get into a complete critique of last night's democrat presidential debate. Although, a few things struck me as noteworthy.

Of course the top tier candidates were steady. That's why they're the top tier. Although, many from their base may have been dismayed by the fact that none of them would or could guarantee that U.S. troops would be out of Iraq by 2013. However, most of us living in the sane world were already aware of that fact.

I would like to take a moment to critique some of the second tier candidates. Bill Richardson has proved that he's barely worthy of winning a mayoral race; let alone the presidency of the United States. Mike Gravel appeared to be less crazy. Although, still not an effective communicator. Chris Dodd was the surprise of the evening in my opinion. He appeared presidential enough to give those top tier candidates a real run for their money.

There were a couple of issues & answers that were quite interesting. The issue of Social Security also indirectly addressed the middle class. There was talk of increasing the cap on how much of a given income would be taxed for Social Security. The current cap is about $97,000. I favor lifting the cap entirely. Each candidate gave their opinions & showed some differences. One was to lift the cap but make an exemption for people making between $100,000 & $250,000 a year (I think those were the amounts --- it's pretty close anyway). The reason for the exemption was to ensure there was no tax increase for the middle class. Middle class? I guess my view of the middle class differs greatly from these presidential candidates. I think it shows how out of touch with reality these people are. If the cap were lifted the rate could be lowered & partial privatizing would give individuals a real stake in their futures.

I don't want to get all religious on you or anything; but, the fact that not a single candidate last night could give a Bible verse is quite telling. The Sermon on the Mount is not a verse but rather an entire story made up of several verses. I thought maybe I'd at least hear one candidate recite possibly the most popular Bible verse of all; John 3:16 --- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Or, the one that follows; John 3:17 --- For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. With a nation in which 80% of the population describes themselves as Christians one would think that we'd have candidates who could say something more than the Sermon on the Mount or the description of any other story when asked for their favorite Bible verse. My personal favorite actually encompasses two verses; Ephesians 2:8 & 9 --- (8)For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9)Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Putin On The Ritz

My June 5, 2007 posting compared an apparent new Cold War with the old Cold War we all were too familiar with. Then, it was Putin's dislike for our missile defense system going into neighboring countries that was making news. Today, it's Putin's actions that are of interest.

By now we all know that Putin dissolved the Russian government by accepting the resignation of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov & dismissing his entire cabinet. Although, just a few hours later he nominated Viktor Zubkov to fill the position who is thought by many to be Putin's appointed successor as president. This move may be a political grooming period. Or, it may be clearing the way for someone else Putin may have in mind. None the less, it does seem quite suspicious coming so close to an election. With Putin's popularity you can bet that a "chosen" successor will easily win the election. There are many names ending in -ov or -ev in Putin's inner-circle that hearken back to the old Cold War that Putin seems hellbent on resurrecting. This government shake-up just might be his way of securing that resurrection.

So far we have Putin's dislike of our missile defense system in which he claims is a threat to his country & his governmental shake-up that appears to be a positioning of his preferred political allies. We also have "Peace Mission 2007" which appears to be the most overt piece of evidence that Putin does indeed intend on resurrecting the Cold War. Long-range patrolling conducted with nuclear-capable bombers is something to take notice of. This isn't a defense system. While some might discount these new missions as desperate attention getters one also needs to consider Russia's new economic boost in the world's oil market. Bankrupting them may not be a possible defense.

Russia has come a long way since the fall of the Soviet Union. Putin is given all the credit for their recovery. He is certainly positioning Russia for a return to what he & others from the Cold War era consider their former glory. Putin has ordered new "patriotic" text books that will likely have a pleasant view of the Soviet era. He's also suspended all broadcasts of the BBC since the Litvenenko poisoning case. A move that might remind you of the Iron Curtain.

Putin's influence on their upcoming elections & the next leader will be obvious. We had better elect someone in 2008 capable of the kind of leadership that got us through the old Cold War. Otherwise, we may find ourselves nothing more than a footnote in the history of fallen super-powers. Instead of global warming we may be witnessing the start of a political global cooling.

Dilemma --- please bear with me

I am currently writing to you from the computer of a family member. My computer has died. It had been giving me fits recently.

My postings will likely be only once or twice a week. Probably in the middle of a normal week --- Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday as that is when my "weekend" happens to be. My postings will get back to normal probably in mid-November.

If you have an issue you'd like me to look into just make a suggestion & I'll do my best. Lately I've been thinking about Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia University, Hillary-Care 2.0 & Putin's shake-up in the Russian government along with his recent resurgence of Cold War type missions.

Wednesday will likely be my next posting.

Look Who's Coming To Dinner

Next week 1/3 of the Axis of Evil is scheduled to appear before the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York. There's been controversy over Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's request to lay a wreath at Ground Zero. Questions of who the wreath laying would honor have surfaced. The 3,000 dead victims & their families? Or, the hijackers who perpetrated the evil deed? Those are certainly legitimate questions knowing the history of Iran & specifically Ahmadinejad.

It is the responsibility of the host nation to provide security for heads of state & foreign dignitaries. But, do we owe them security for every whim or just their official business? Is it not also the responsibility of a government to apprehend or kill the leader of an enemy engaged in warfare against their military? Iran's support for our enemies in Iraq is cause enough to declare Ahmadinejad the leader of an enemy state. Should we then apprehend & imprison him or should we kill him? Even the people of Iran aren't too happy with their leader; so we might be doing them a favor. Would that just fuel more hatred for America? Is that hatred worth getting rid of an active enemy?

With the recent hostages held in Iran, the active support for our enemies in Iraq & Iran's possible direct involvement in killing U.S. troops begs for the questions above to be asked & answered. Ahmadinejad has been a Holocaust denier & is suspected to have been a major force in the 1979 Iranian Hostages crisis. I'm not so sure we're really bound by the responsibility we have for normal heads of state to provide security for an enemy; especially of this magnitude. Former New York City Mayor, Ed Koch, has a great idea for Ahmadinejad's security: use only Jewish police officers for the detail. That just might keep Ahmadinejad's visit short.

Don't Taze Me Bro

First, you've got to see the video if you've missed it on the news.

I'm sure everyone has their take on what happened. Even though we've all seen the same basic footage we come away with different views. In some on-line circles this video is viewed as a comedy. Some see it as a violation of civil rights. Some see it as police brutality towards a college kid.

Now, everyone needs to recognize that the student did not get tazed for the question he asked. He was tazed because he refused to comply with campus police. He was warned that if he didn't comply that he would indeed be tazed. The question, while probably purposefully disruptive, was going to be answered & I believe Senator Kerry did his best to answer it as the commotion commenced. After his microphone was shut off & he was approached by campus police the student flailed about avoiding apprehension. The tazing would have been avoided had the student complied & allowed himself to be escorted out of the venue by campus police.

Was his right to freedom of speech violated? No, I don't believe so. He was able to ask his question. And, this event was in the midst of the world of academia. That may not seem like it matters much but, I can tell you as can almost any student from kindergarten to graduate school that freedom of speech is nearly nonexistent in the world of academia. Oh, we're all taught to question things & speak our minds; until we actually do it.

The incident was unfortunate. The campus police probably overreacted but this certainly doesn't merit calls of police brutality. Especially not towards a "kid" as has been the claim by some. He was a college student. A young man. We need to stop treating college students like children. They are adults. They need to be treated as such & they need to act like such. It appeared that many of the others in attendance praised his apprehension but were dismayed as it escalated out of control.

At every level of education there are restrictions on us from dress codes to speech. These restrictions apply to students & faculty alike. I don't think any of us want teachers/professors dressing inappropriately or using questionable language. Determining what is inappropriate dress or questionable language means some freedoms will be restricted. This even applies in the real world as most work places also have similar restrictions.

The lesson:

• Cost of one year of college: $12,127.00 (link)
• Cost of camcorder: $884.99 (link)
• Cost of book (Armed Madhouse by Greg Palast): $17.13 (link)
• Cost of knowing when & where to pick your battles: priceless

Off The Beaten Path

I heard some strange news on the radio this morning & thought I'd search out some other off-beat, weird & crazy news stories to share with you.

And, the story I heard this morning...

Pornography for plants featuring uncensored pollination has been created by American conceptual artist Jonathon Keats. Keats has choreographed a ballet for bees & believes plants were made for cinema due to their absorbtion of light. Wait a minute; uncensored pollination? Say it isn't so. And, what the heck is a conceptual artist? I sure hope this isn't being paid for through the National Endowment of the Arts.

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Sick man fined for going to work. This could only happen in Canada. I understand that going to work sick can cause illness to those around you but, can a government really prevent you from making a living?

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What the...?... The opening paragraph says it all.

• TIRANA (Reuters) - An Albanian fishmonger set fire to his van in a burst of anger after the national soccer team lost to the visiting Dutch side, and firefighters failed to extinguish the blaze because someone had stolen their water.

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Dead Man Waking: The proof that Venezuelan medical science is...well...where's Michael Moore when you need him?

Talk Soup: Call Guinness. The current record of 1400 gallons of soup made in Mexico has been drowned by almost 4,000 gallons of soup made in Venezuela.

Interesting that medical training, jobs & feeding their population doesn't appear as important as a Guinness World Record.

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The Kyoto Protocol. A Japanese teacher has been named Super Teacher despite previous reprimands for violence towards students. I guess his students are "scared smart."

I'm not so sure this tactic would go over very well in the United States. But hey, it might be worth a shot.

Diversity In The Republican Party

We have yet another republican throwing his hat into the 2008 presidential race. Alan Keyes, former Reagan diplomat & presidential candidate, made his candidacy official on Friday, September 14th.

If you find yourself dissatisfied with the current field of candidates Keyes just may be what you're looking for. You can check out his website here. His Renew America organization's website can be found here. And, to read about Keyes' position on the issues click here.

One would think that the addition of Keyes to the presidential race would be cause for a celebration of diversity just as we've celebrated Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton. But, I'm guessing we'll hear jeers, primarily from the left, of an Uncle Tom much like what was done to Colin Powell. None the less, Alan Keyes is a candidate worth checking out.

MoveOn.ugh

This past week was the much anticipated speech from General Petraeus. I was amazed at how mean & ruthless the politics surrounding his speech had become before he even spoke a word. Of course, moveon.org dropped the biggest bomb; or, turd. They took out a full page ad in the New York Times & received approximately a $104,000.00 discount.

Below is the ad & the rate chart for the New York Times. According to ABC News moveon.org only paid $63,000.00 for the ad that normally would have cost $167,000.00 to run.

It's bad enough we have organizations who find it appropriate to attack a Four-Star General but we also have congressional & senate leaders who condone the vicious act. Questions now arise concerning the allegiance of certain members of Congress. Are they beholden to moveon.org? Are they funded by the New York Times who apparently conspired with moveon.org to attack a highly respected & decorated General in the United States military? Here's a quote from commentarymagazine.com's blog, Contentions:

• Prior to yesterday’s testimony, an unnamed Democratic Senator told a reporter, “No one wants to call [Petraeus] a liar on national TV. . . . The expectation is that the outside groups will do this for us.” And, save for Senators Biden and Lieberman, no prominent Democrats have renounced MoveOn’s disgusting advertisement.

Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani took exception to one senator's continued attacks & refusal to denounce the ad. He took out his own ad.

I just don't understand why members of Congress find it necessary to attack, or condone an attack on, General Petraeus. Our troops deserve better.

Censorship: a personal responsibility

There's been some hoopla over disparaging remarks about Jesus made by Kathy Griffin (LINK). Are Christians too sensitive towards so-called comedic gaffes? Do Christians hate & intimidate those who think differently? And, do you think Jesus was laughing at the remark?

It does appear that it's socially acceptable to bash Christians while any other group seems to be off-limits. Don Imus was fired for making an off-color remark towards black women; specifically the Rutgers women's basketball team (LINK). There were acts of violence resulting in death around the world due to some negative cartoons about Muhammad in a Danish newspaper (LINK). Were the Rutgers players just too sensitive? Were Muslims too sensitive? Were either group hating & intimidating when their reactions resulted in a firing & death? Was Jesus laughing at either of those situations? Were those remarks considered hate speech?

Personally, I don't think Griffin's remark was funny; not even a little bit. Sam Kinison made religious jokes that were funny. The movie Dogma was funny. Kathy Griffin is well...not funny. Am I or other Christians going to start a campaign to get her fired or, riot around the world & kill in response to an ignorant statement? Of course not. Bill Donohue is simply asking that the disparaging remark be denounced as obscene & blasphemous (LINK). Hardly a call for Griffin's head. Was her remark hate speech?

• "Norway & Denmark finally recognized as the fascist-hate mongering- evil empires they are!!!Syrians scream 'Allahu Akbar'! while burning the Norwegian and Danish embassies!" (LINK)

I seriously doubt if you'll see this type of response from the so-called militant Christian right over Griffin's ignorant remark.

The fact that the AP & E! (Entertainment Television) will not print or air the remark shows personal responsibility in the form of self-censorship. They have the right not to publish something they deem inappropriate. This is how censorship is supposed to work. I don't think we want the government stepping in & deciding this for us or any publication or broadcast entity.

You have to answer the questions I posed throughout the blog honestly for yourself. My assessment is that the remark Griffin made was nothing more than a failed attempt at junior high humor.

Defining Moments

It seems that every decade is filled with events that shape our society as well as who we are as individuals. There were disasters & triumphs; moments of extreme sorrow & jubilation. While one major event can leave an indelible mark in your memory, it takes several to represent a life lived. I want to take a quick look back starting in the 1940s. The decade of the "greatest generation."

The 1940s brought us the nuclear bomb which was dropped on Hiroshima & Nagasaki to end the Pacific Theater of WWII. We had world leaders such as Winston Churchill & FDR. Still, today we're entertained by "It's a Wonderful Life" & Glenn Miller. We were & are still amazed by the athleticism of Ted Williams & Joe Louis. But, heroes of the time came in the form of Chuck Yeager who broke the sound barrier. The most defining moment of the decade was probably that day of infamy; December 7, 1941 & the World War that subsequently ensued.

The 1950s saw the rise of "suburbia" & the "nuclear family" financed via the G.I. Bill. With the end of one war in the previous decade we now were engaged in the Korean War. Beatniks & Rock-N-Roll became popular for the new generation. From Elvis Presley's "That's Alright Mama" to J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" this new generation was setting themselves apart from the previous one. Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in the previous decade, played his last game in 1956 while just two years earlier Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile barrier. Yet, even with that kind of dazzling athletic performance our heroes were still world leaders like President Eisenhower.

The 1960s saw us in yet another war; Vietnam. It came with a new culture & words: the counterculture, hippies & draft-dodgers. Kent State became an event; not just a place. It also seems as if it was the decade of assassinations with the murders of JFK, RFK, Malcolm X, & Martin Luther King, Jr. Tragically the music died with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & The Big Bopper. It was the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix & The Doors who picked up the pieces & rocked us into the next decade while many danced in the mud at Woodstock. Minds were bent & reshaped by the likes of LSD & Noam Chomsky. Roger Maris broke a coveted record & Joe Namath made us all feel like number one. But it was Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin who captured our hearts & minds & defined the decade.

The 1970s made certain that any innocence that may have been left from the 60s was dead. We got our first glance at the face of terrorism on television during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Though, four years later we would be captivated by a fourteen year old Romanian gymnast named Nadia Comaneci. 1973 brought us Roe vs. Wade & legalized abortion. Reporters Woodward & Bernstein became almost like rock stars as we watched President Nixon fall in disgrace. Folksy artists like Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt & James Taylor took the protest songs of the previous decade a step further & started a whole movement: MUSE. We had Disco, Punk, Country & "the hottest band in the world" KISS. By this time television had become a mainstay of entertainment. Daytime Soaps, Late Night Talk Shows, & Primetime TV with All in the Family & Charlie's Angels. Saturday Night Live & ESPN were new. Sports were dominated by the Big Red Machine & The Steel Curtain. Rocky, Evel Kneivel & Elvis were the closest we had to heroes & one was fictional, another broke his body for our entertainment & the last one tragically died. With our first oil crisis, world leaders were no longer our heroes as the decade ended with our second look at Islamic terrorism.

The 1980s started out with hope as the U.S. Olympic Hockey team defeated the Russians & went on to capture the Gold. New leadership saw the release of our hostages from Iran. We all watched in awe as the Space Shuttle was first launched only to be stunned by the horror as it exploded a few years later. MTV & the Buggles saw to it that "Video Killed the Radio Star." Skinny ties & big hair. Synthesizers & loud guitars. Madonna to Quiet Riot. Together we all shouted "I want my MTV." Protest songs died & relief songs emerged: "We Are The World" brought us all together. Television got even more popular with shows like Knight Rider, Cheers, ALF, & The Cosby Show. Of course we all remember Luke & Laura on General Hospital. And, who could forget Who Shot J.R.? on Dallas. We did the Super Bowl Shuffle with Sweetness & the Refrigerator. By 1985 it was East vs. West in Rocky IV & President Reagan demanded that Mr. Gorbachev "tear down this wall." Fox had become an upstart network & CNN gave us news 24 hours a day. We were taught to "just say no" but, no-fault divorces fueled our moral decline. The Yuppie took on iconic status & "Greed is good" probably defined the decade more than any single event.

The 1990s started with a new war as Iraq invaded Kuwait. We had domestic events at Ruby Ridge, Waco & Oklahoma City. The new face of Islamic terrorism hit the World Trade Center for the first time. Race Riots in L.A. & the trial of O.J. Simpson shocked us all. Grunge killed the hair band. Rock stars overdosed & rappers killed each other. What was left of our national morality landed on Monica Lewinsky's dress. NAFTA & the Dot-Com boom defined the economy. Seinfeld & E.R. topped the tube. Computer games & home entertainment game consoles captivated the youth. The Internet & cell phones brought us new ways to get information & to communicate. We ended the decade partying like it was 1999 (because it was) & tried not to worry about Y2K.

The new millennium brought us the most devastating event in our history: 9/11. It seems this decade will be defined by numerous negatives: presidential controversy; the War on Terror; Katrina; Oil prices; free trade; illegal immigration; & global warming. On-line fantasy sports & blogs have given us a new kind of interactive entertainment you can share with people all over the world without ever leaving your house. Television brought us Reality TV & the catch phrase: Is that your final answer? With all this turmoil new heroes have emerged: soldiers, firefighters, police officers, are no longer overlooked as just ordinary. They are extraordinary heroes brought to life during these recent tragedies.

As you can see, a lifetime of ups & downs define us; not just a single moment. While it's good that we never forget 9/11; I hope we never forget to live our lives. This day is bitter-sweet in my household. Of course we remember the fallen; but, today is also my son's 15th birthday. I cannot allow the tragedy of this day in history to define the life of my son. He will live a lifetime of defining moments. Hopefully more good than bad as I was lucky enough to have done. God bless you & God bless America.

The Hamburglar: Apprehended

Nope. This is not an end to the famed McDonald's character. It's the crazy story of Union City, GA McDonald's employee Kendra Bull.

Apparently she over-salted a hamburger & was arrested for the evil deed. No, it wasn't given to someone with high blood pressure; in which case it could have been a detriment to a person's health. It was given to police officer Wendell Adams who ate the whole thing.

Apparently more than just one burger had been accidentally over-salted. The careless employee even ate one of those burgers herself. It didn't make her sick; nor did anyone else file a complaint. The $64,000 question is: If the burger was too salty, why did the officer eat whole darn thing before making his complaint? Was he that hungry? Could he not wait for a new one to be made? This is worse than the "hot coffee" story we've all heard a million times.

Is this really what our country has come to? Who's to blame? Because, at this point, someone has to take the blame.

Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity

I just about screamed when I heard about the new meaning of G.I. Joe. Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity? You've got to be kidding me.

Growing up & throughout my life G.I. Joe had several different meanings. The "G.I." meant "Government Issue" or "General Issue" to most people. The idea was that a soldier was the property of the United Sates government. At least for the length of their contract/tour of service. United States soldiers give up their rights to protect your rights & G.I. Joe exemplified that.

Another meaning was more implied than a literal translation. A G.I. Joe wasn't just a soldier. He was the guy who went above & beyond the call of duty. Not just for America but indeed for the world. This unselfish combat soldier sought out & brought to justice military bad guys around the world. Not as part of some sort of multinational task force, but clearly as an American. A beacon of light to the world.

Rambo became a symbol of what a G.I. Joe was & the two names were almost interchangeable. G.I. Joe is who most of us soldiers aspired to be. Unafraid, unrelenting, noble & just. That's my G.I. Joe. Maybe, just maybe the world would be a little better place had Hollywood not turned G.I. Joe into some sort of wussified U.N. peace-keeper.

Any New Fred-Heads?

Last night Fred Thompson did indeed make his candidacy for the presidency official. He did it with flair & style on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Watch the announcement in the video below:

Usually the line of questioning on entertainment shows are weak & irrelevant, but Leno got down to business & asked very good tough questions. And Thompson, nailed them. Here's the exchange:

I don't know if Thompson is the savior of America or not. I do know that his way with words inspire pride in America & Americans. Something that seems to have been lost in the past twenty years.

Fred Thompson has made such a splash that last night's debate started out with a question about him. Each of the candidates present took their shots at him. Then the debate ensued. Huckabee, McCain & Giuliani did the best in my opinion. Hunter was good & Romney did okay. Tancredo & Brownback are out of their league. Ron Paul; wow, what can I say? While he did get some vocal support, vocal support also came to those who shot back at his talking points.

With Romney fading, McCain starting to recover, Giuliani holding on & Huckabee moving up the addition of Fred Thompson breaks this race wide open. I think last night's debate showed why there's been discontentment over the republican choices. Thompson raises the bar in my opinion.

What do you think about Fred Thompson's announcement? Are you likely to become a Fred-Head?

GOP Debate & Late Entry Shake-Up

Tonight there will be another Republican debate on Fox News Channel at 9:00pm. There has been some controversy over a political ad that is scheduled to run just prior to the start of the debate. With the anticipation of Fred Thompson making his candidacy official tomorrow I'm thinking the ad may have something to do with that. Tune in to witness what the hullabaloo is all about.

While Mike Huckabee is still lingering in that second tier, he's being reported as the favorite to win this debate. Huckabee has done quite well in previous debates but hasn't been able to translate that into Straw Poll victories. Though a 6th place finish in Iowa & 4th in Texas shows slow but steady progress for the presidential hopeful. (CORRECTION: Huckabee was 6th in the Illinois Straw Poll; not Iowa. He was 2nd in Iowa as pointed out by Treva in the comments.)

Even though Thompson is sitting out yet another debate some are worried that the timing of his campaign ad as well as his official statement scheduled for tomorrow might overshadow any progress made by second tier candidates. I think it just makes the race more interesting.

Don't know Mike Huckabee? Take the time to meet him in the video below.

Are you wondering if you're a Fred-Head? Listen to Fred on the issues in the video below.

With Thompson jumping into the presidential race & Huckabee knocking on the door of top tier candidates "Rudy McRomney" become less attractive & not necessarily inevitable. Take a look at these guys. Whether you find that you're a "Fred-Head" or that you "Like Mike" these men could become the future leadership in Washington. Who knows; maybe they'll team up as running mates for the November '08 election.

B.A.G.

You're probably wondering what the heck does B.A.G. stand for. It's Before Al Gore. You know; that time before global warming even existed. Oh, there's been climate change. It's gotten warmer & cooler over the centuries & even the millennia. But, until Al Gore it was never considered a man-made global catastrophe.

Asia Times Online has put together a Chronology of Climate Change dating back at least 15,000 years. Since that time there have been several unexplained changes in the climate. Some cooling & some warming. It appears that there have been times in the Earth's history when temperatures & CO2 levels have been much higher & lower. Long before the Industrial Revolution & prior to man's so called assault on the environment, ocean levels rose & fell with the peaks & valleys of glaciation. Or, climate change if you will. Global warming & cooling. All without the help of modern machinery.

To further point out the absurdity in today's global warming alarmists one needs to look no further than recent stories about the bodily functions of animals contributing to our current moderate change in climate. Belching Moose add to global warming. Cow Farts: global warming contributors. Worms are killing the planet. These stories sound ridiculous because they are. However, there are some who actually buy into this crap/hot air. And, it stinks to high-heaven.

By the way, Al Gore is not a scientist. He doesn't even play one on TV. He has been such a hypocrite in his campaign for saving the Earth that JunkScience.com has offered a challenge with a $100,000.00 pay out.

Go ahead, take the challenge. But, I believe it's a lost cause. Just as the cause of all the previous changes in climate were found to be unknown, it appears rather obvious that the cause of today's climate change is also unknown. And, unknown is clearly nature just doing its thing despite us mere mortals.