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The Impossible Cheney Dream?

Article Tags: Anthony Watts, ClimateGate, Joe Daleo

After admitting that the United States’ own climate data was worse than the Climategate-tainted University of East Anglia’s, two U.S. Senators are demanding answers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

“In light of recent revelations and scientific reports, we are contacting you regarding our continued concerns with the apparent declining credibility of United States climate data,” wrote Senators John Barraso of Wyoming and Louisiana’s David Vitter in a letter to NASA administrator Charles Bolden. “With almost ten percent unemployment, America cannot afford to base its energy policy on flawed data.”

After a series of scandals and blatant errors largely discredited the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that warned of disastrous global warming, the letter explains that policymakers turned to American data as a sort of back up. “Unfortunately, it appears that U.S. data is equally flawed and corrupted by questionable scientific practices,” the Senators stated.

The letter refers to information obtained from NASA by the Competitive Enterprise Institute under a Freedom of Information Act request. In the documents, a senior scientist from the space agency advised a reporter that NASA’s climate data is inferior to the Climategate-spoiled records from the UEA’s disgraced Climatic Research Unit — and that NASA’s information is partially derived from the CRU’s flawed data.

Source: TheNewAmerican.com

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Poll Gives Thompson Big Lead Over Feingold
A new St. Norbert College poll in Wisconsin shows Tommy Thompson (R) with a double digit lead over Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) in a possible U.S. Senate match up, 45% to 33%.

Branstad Way Ahead in Iowa
A new Magellan Strategies survey in Iowa shows former Gov. Terry Branstad (R) crushing Gov. Chet Culver (D) in this year’s race for governor, 50% to 34%

Democrats Scramble for Special Elections Next Month
Politico notes the prospect of losing two House special elections next month “has sparked a vigorous, behind-the-scenes Democratic effort, designed to avoid an outcome that could lead to panic among the rank-and-file and stall the momentum generated by the recent passage of landmark health care legislation.”

“The trajectories of the two elections, which will take place in Pennsylvania and Hawaii over a span of four days next month, have raised alarm bells among top party officials who fear that a pair of defeats in the Democratic-held seats could amount to a Massachusetts Senate sequel, overshadowing President Barack Obama’s health care reform plan and reinforcing a narrative that the Democratic Party is on track for severe losses in November.”

6 Bad Things That Have Happened to the Republican National Committee This Week
The week is still young, but already the RNC is flailing.

The week is still young, but already the RNC is flailing.

U.S. and Allied Forces: We Killed Those Pregnant Afghan Women After All

Brave New Foundation’s Rethink Afghanistan project has been following the story about a night raid in Gardez by U.S. and Afghan forces (see the video above), and today those forces made a major admission about their responsibility for civilian deaths. In a press release issued on Easter (gee, I wonder if […]

Guilty of Sedition? How the Right Is Undermining Our Government’s Authority and Capability to Run the Country
It’s time to openly confront the fact that conservatives have spent the past 40 years systematically delegitimizing the very idea of US government.

It's time to openly confront the fact that conservatives have spent the past 40 years systematically delegitimizing the very idea of US government.

Despite Some PR Spin, the Top U.S. Bank Cop Is Still Pushing the Same Anti-Consumer Agenda
Instead of strengthening the framework that lead the economy to the brink of collapse, the top U.S. bank regulator wants to sabotage it further.

Instead of strengthening the framework that lead the economy to the brink of collapse, the top U.S. bank regulator wants to sabotage it further.

Michigan Militia plans ?open carry? gun tea party to ?take the stigma out of the word militia.?
This Saturday, on April 10, the Michigan Militia plans to host a tea party “open carry” gun rally. The Militia, which is a successor to the violent anti-government Michigan Militias of the mid-’90s, has come under criticism since the FBI raids of the Hutaree, a Michigan-based Christian militia that had planned to murder police officers. […]

This Saturday, on April 10, the Michigan Militia plans to host a tea party “open carry” gun rally. The Militia, which is a successor to the violent anti-government Michigan Militias of the mid-’90s, has come under criticism since the FBI raids of the Hutaree, a Michigan-based Christian militia that had planned to murder police officers. The Michigan Militia cooperated with the FBI to arrest the Hutaree and claimed that although they “had occasional contacts with the Hutaree militia,” they “had never trained with them.” Mike Lackomar, a spokesman for the militia, defended the planned “open carry” rally and again tried to distance himself from the Hutaree:

“This event primarily tries to take the stigma out of the word ‘militia,’ and provide information on what we are and who we are,” Lackomar said. “It lets people meet us and see what we’re all about.” […] “I want it to be perfectly clear,” Lackomar said. “(The Hutaree) are not us, and we are not them, and we did not agree with their philosophy.”

However, according to their own website, the Michigan Militia boasts of being joined by their “friends” in the Hutaree shortly before leaving their training session to eat fajitas back in 2007. In a photo gallery published by the Michigan Militia in 2008 (now deleted), they posted pictures of the Hutaree with the caption: “Like ghosts through the woods, The Hutaree close on their objective.” The tea parties, anti-government militia groups, and far right elements of the Republican Party are slowly merging. Gun right advocates are planning rallies on the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing around the country, with even Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) slated to speak at one of the events.

Did Jindal Bribe Louisiana?s Attorney General To Force Him To Join Frivolous Health Care Lawsuit?
Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell is the only Democrat in the lawsuit challenging the federal government over the constitutionality of health care reform. On March 26, he explained why he joined the suit, which is being led by Florida: As Attorney General, I am duty bound by my oath of office to pursue a request […]

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell is the only Democrat in the lawsuit challenging the federal government over the constitutionality of health care reform. On March 26, he explained why he joined the suit, which is being led by Florida:

As Attorney General, I am duty bound by my oath of office to pursue a request by the Governor of the state of Louisiana for legal assistance, so long as it has substantial legal merit.

To save Louisiana the potential expense of filing a separate suit regarding the health-care legislation, it was my decision to sign-on to Florida’s well-drafted action at minimal cost to Louisiana and accomplish the same legal purpose.

It’s questionable whether the suit actually has “substantial legal merit.” At least eight other attorneys general have refused to go along, saying that doing so would be a frivolous waste of taxpayer resources to make a partisan point. The Wonk Room’s Igor Volsky has also pointed out the political motivations driving the attorneys general who suing the federal government, noting that they are overwhelmingly running for running for higher office or up for re-election.

The Eunice News in Louisiana, however, is reporting that Jindal may have essentially bribed Caldwell to join the suit, promising no more cuts to his budget if he did so:

In a subsequent address to employees of his office, the Attorney General said the decision was made more out of the necessity of saving jobs in his agency than any real hope—or desire—of overturning the health care law.

One employee said Caldwell, in a candid admission, claimed that a deal was made with Jindal. Under terms of that agreement, the governor would not make additional cuts in the attorney general’s budget if Caldwell joined in the litigation. Caldwell agreed to be the “token Democrat,” he said, so that he might save additional job cuts by an administration whose state goal is to reduce the number of state employees by as much as 5,000 per year over three years.

Caldwell has been facing significant blowback for his decision to pursue Jindal’s right-wing case. Louisiana’s Black Caucus recently rallied against Caldwell, with state Rep. Regina Barrow (D) saying the services provided by the Affordable Care Act “could approximately save us $500 million. These savings could be used to cover a majority of the state budget crisis that we currently face, inclusive of higher ed.”

RNC Chief of Staff Ken McKay resigns
The Republican National Committee’s chief of staff resigned under pressure Monday, which Chairman Michael S. Steele described as an effort to reassure wavering donors in the wake of a controversy over its most recent expense accounting.

Obama to take middle course in new nuclear policy
A year after his groundbreaking pledge to move toward a “world without nuclear weapons,” President Obama on Tuesday will unveil a policy that constrains the weapons’ role but appears more cautious than what many supporters had hoped, with the president opting for a middle course in many key areas.

RNC Chief of Staff Ken McKay resigns
The Republican National Committee’s chief of staff resigned under pressure Monday, which Chairman Michael S. Steele described as an effort to reassure wavering donors in the wake of a controversy over its most recent expense accounting.

The PS3 Slim wasn’t much lighter than the previous model, but that hasn’t stopped crafty Japanese manufacturer Hori from cobbling together a portable PS3 Slim with a 720p LCD screen. More »

Is Feingold Done? He Just Might Be
Patrick McIlheran, RealClearPolitics
Russ Feingold, seeking a fourth U.S. Senate term out of Wisconsin, is by now a habit. His state wears him almost unconsciously, the way a rattling old Tercel in front of me at a traffic light still bore its “Feingold in '04″ bumper sticker.Next to the Feingold sticker was one promoting a food co-op, then another reading, “War is not the answer.”That's why Sen. Fixture just may now be in trouble: This year, war isn't even the question. 

Bust Up the Banks
Jeffrey Garten, The Daily Beast
A week or so from now, after the congressional recess, efforts to enact financial reform will go into high gear. The House of Representatives has passed a bill, the Senate is about to debate one, and President Obama is determined to sign a new law by early summer. In 13 Bankers: The Wall Street Takeover and the Next Financial Meltdown, Simon Johnson and James Kwak predict, correctly in my view, that the ultimate legislation will be fairly modest in its impact. There will be nothing to compare, for example, to the 1930s’ passage of the Glass-Steagall Act that separated staid…

Obama Needs to Take On Labor Allies in Trade Fight
Al Hunt, Bloomberg
The Obama administration last month targeted villains impeding international commerce, especially China.The Chinese, in the United States Trade Representative's report, were criticized for import and procurement restrictionsthat discriminate against foreign competitors. The Chinese currency valuation wasn't specifically mentioned, though that's the context of the overall complaint. The U.S. also chastised the Europeans, Japan and South Korea. 

Congress, Be Semper Fi

Democrats’ Uphill Battles Continue
E.J. Dionne, Washington Post
WASHINGTON — Toward the end of the health care battle, a beleaguered Obama staff member sent me an e-mail that ended with the words: “Sisyphus was a sissy compared to what we've been through!”Yes, the fight for health care seemed very much like the Greek myth: Every time the White House found itself on the verge of rolling the health care stone up the hill, some event — say, Scott Brown's win in Massachusetts — would force it to start over with a new strategy.

Here are some tips for preparing yourself for an earthquake:

While I enjoy listening to podcasts, especially of my favorite radio shows, it’s still too much work to sync and download fresh episodes to listen to them on the go. All too often when I want to go for a jog I have no new content loaded up. Stitcher, a company that creates personalized talk radio streams out of shows from providers such as NPR, PRI and the BBC, is trying to help people like me bring audio content to our mobile devices and cars, and along the way introduce us to new shows. The company, which bills itself as a Pandora for news and talk radio, has just raised a $6 million Series B round led by Benchmark Capital and including New Atlantic Ventures, Ed Scott and Ron Conway.

Stitcher helps you subscribe to some of your favorite radio shows (there are about 1,000 to choose from, though not all the shows’ archives are in the system). Recent episodes of these shows get stitched together into streams (with advertising in between — and there’s also some premium subscription content like Rush Limbaugh on demand). The streams are generally oriented towards fresh and newsy content, and they also mix in some programs that you may not have explicitly chosen but Stitcher thinks you may like.

The way Stitcher puts content together might seem a little strange and anachronistic as compared to just picking a program on-demand when you want to hear it, but it’s perfect for the (hopefully) hands-free driving experience. The company already has an arrangement with Ford to use its Sync API to get inside cars that was announced at CES this year. Stitcher CEO Noah Shanok said in an interview that cars are “the ultimate destination for us,” and that he hopes to sign more such deals soon. (Stitcher is already available as an app on the major mobile platforms.)

Benchmark’s Bob Kagle, who joined the Stitcher board with the investment, said he looks forward to Stitcher parsing audio content even further, in order to put together hybrid shows made up of various segments on a particular topic. (And you can bet he’s happy to be putting money into a streaming audio startup that’s not dependent on the music labels!)

Related research from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

Report: Monetizing Digital Content

Article Tags: Hans Schreuder, Statement, Via Email

Dear All

The attached pdf is my last entry and if you have any chance of giving that some publicity I would be most appreciative.

Having heard all sides of all of the arguments, it is clear that nobody has a clue about how our atmosphere works. You would not believe the nonsensical information that has been thrown into the various arguments.

Ad hominem attacks of the severest nature by fellow so-called skeptics have proven to be as disgraceful as similar attacks by alarmists.

Also, it appears that nobody understands the difference between cause and effect anymore, routinely switching them over.

Best of luck with the fight against the insanity that has taken over the world of politics as well as academia.

Thanks also for your input over the years.

Best regards,

Hans Schreuder

Download PDF file to see last posting from Hans

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File attachment: Radiative_forcing_bogus.pdf
  

Details are starting to emerge (translated) about a forthcoming Android-based smart phone from South Korean handset maker LG.  From the sounds of it, the LU2300 will fit well with some of the newer “super” phones like the Nexus One and Motorola Droid.

Considering they were a founding member of the Open Handset Alliance, LG hasn’t done very much with Android.  As mentioned on last night’s AndroidGuys podcast, we’re not even sure this phone will hit a US carrier.

Look for the this device to arrive in Korea sometime in April or May with the following specs:

• Android 2.1
• 1 GHz Snapdragon processor
• 3.5-inch AMOLED 800×480 touch display
• Sliding 4-row QWERTY keyboard
• 5 megapixel camera
• 720p HD DivX compatible playback
• WiFi, GPS, DMB tuner

Are there any US-based LG fans out there pining for an Android phone?

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/androidguys/2010/04/06/androidguys-podcast

Might We Suggest…

• LG Prepping C710 “Aloha” Superphone
  As companies like HTC and Samsung continue to push Android forward with high-end device like the EVO 4G and Samsung Galaxy S, other handset makers are reacting with their own super phones. LG appears…

Eco Factor: The concept harvests both solar and wind energy.

The industry is flooded with environmentally friendly concept designs, but often we notice that these designs are either impractical or not cost effective. However, designer Harsha Vardhan’s “Embryo” streetlight concept design looks completely practical and effective. Taking inspiration from a living sprout, he has designed a concept that not only generates energy for itself, but also for other needs. His design harvests solar and wind energy through a single structure. He proposes to install these street lamps on the sideways along the road in rows, much like the present lighting system. The flexible photovoltaic cell on the top of the hood-like roof and an included wind turbine will harness renewable energy that will not only supply power to the lamp itself, but the remaining energy can be stored in a battery contained at the bottom and used for other purposes.

(more…)

Rihanna’s hitting the road this summer — and she’s bringing two of the industry’s hottest charttoppers along for the ride.

The “Russian Roulette” hottie has joined forces with Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj (The culprit behind the teen world’s recent obsession with all things Barbie.) for a girl power attack that will make the trek across North America as spring turns to the dog days of summer. The two charttoppers will be joined by Nicki Minaj for Rihanna’s North American tour. The ladies will kick off the “Last Girl On Earth Tour” in Seattle, Washington on July 2.

Beside promoting Rihanna’s 2009 album Rated R, this tour will also be a platform for pop newcomer Ke$ha and Young Money’s Nicki Minaj. Ke$ha rleased her debut album Animal in January, while Nicki dropped her first single “Massive Attack” last month and is expected to release her first album later this year.

Check out the Last Girl on Earth Tour Dates….

Jul 02 – White River Amphitheatre in Seattle, WA
Jul 04 – General Motors Place in Vancouver, Canada
Jul 06 – Pengrowth Saddeldome in Calgary, Canada
Jul 09 – ARCO Arena in Sacramento, CA
Jul 10 – Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA
Jul 14 – Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque presents The Pavilion in Albuquerque, NM
Jul 15 – Comfort Dental Amphitheatre in Denver, CO
Jul 17 – Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV
Jul 21 – Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA
Jul 22 – Cricket Wireless Pavilion in Phoenix, AZ
Jul 28 – Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA
Jul 30 – Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa, FL
Jul 31 – American Airlines Center in Miami, FL
Aug 03 – Verizon Wireless Music Center in Indianapolis, IN
Aug 05 – Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto, Canada
Aug 07 – Bell Center in Montreal, Canada
Aug 08 – Comcast Center in Boston, MA
Aug 11 – Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT
Aug 12 – Madison Square Garden in New York, NY
Aug 15 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY
Aug 18 – Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ
Aug 20 – Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA
Aug 21 – Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, PA
Aug 22 – DTE Energy Music Theatre in Detroit, MI
Aug 25 – United Center in Chicago, IL

Recently I’ve been getting offers for a credit card that I don’t want or need. The more I ignore the offers, the hotter their pursuit and soon the offers were arriving every week!

In a moment of weakness, I considered the offer. I did something a little unusual – I read the fine print. It was very interesting, particularly this little bit: no annual fee for the first year. It had a footnote that I thought might explain the annual fee in subsequent years. I had to turn the paper over to the back and the footnote in teeny tiny print says, “For details, please read the “Pricing Information” section and the Terms and Conditions included with this offer”. Well guess what? The offer was a single sheet of paper and nowhere is there a section titled “Pricing Information” or “Terms and Conditions”. I guess they expected me to lose interest before I got that far.

This is the moment I decided that I don’t want a credit card from a company that goes to such lengths to hide basic account information from a potential customer. I picked up the phone, told them that I am not interested in their credit card offer and to stop sending it to me.

New rules were put in place a few months ago to help protect consumers from deceptive credit card practices, but most of the new credit card rules apply to existing accounts.

If you’re smart, like the average GovGab reader, you’ll be sure to read credit card offers carefully before you get yourself into an account that doesn’t suit your needs. You can find help understanding the terms and fees of your credit card offer and show those credit card companies that you’re too clever to fall into their financial trap.

[JURIST] Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry signed three anti-abortion bills into law Monday. The first bill prohibits abortions performed because of the gender of the fetus. The second bill creates the Freedom of Conscience Act and protects medical employees who refuse to participate in procedures such as abortion based on religious beliefs. The third bill regulates the use of RU-486, or mifepristone, a chemical used in abortion procedures. State Senator Todd Lamb (R), a sponsor of one of the bills, explained the purpose of the new measures:
These bills were each approved previously by the Legislature, but were prevented from taking effect due to a court ruling that they violated Oklahoma’s Constitution regarding single-subjects for legislation. … We believed then and believe now these provisions reflect the values of our state, and have successfully reaffirmed them in the Senate as individual measures.The bills contain emergency clauses, causing them to take effect immediately.The measures signed by the governor Monday were included in previous bills that were struck down by Oklahoma courts. In March, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down a broad abortion law that included the RU-486 restrictions. In February, a state court struck down another multi-part law that included the prohibition on abortion based on the gender of a fetus. The Oklahoma Constitution requires each piece of legislation to address only one subject. The Center for Reproductive Rights, which initially filed lawsuits against the bills, has indicated that it will challenge the constitutionality of the separated bills. Staff Attorney Stephanie Toti criticized the laws, arguing that “they violate a myriad of constitutional principles, from freedom of speech to due process to equal protection of the law.”

Mozilla has some very capable engineers working on its biggest project, the Firefox web browser, and thousands of volunteer contributors from around the world. But it still needs some info and data from the actual users to know on which areas and features to focus development. One way it has been acquiring this data is with the Test Pi… (read more)

New York Minute 8

There are hundreds of photography apps for the iPhone and I certainly have not tried them all, but my friend turned me on to Hipstamatic and I think it’s one of the must-have apps for any iPhone user. Hipstamatic puts a retro spin on your pictures with several different lens and flash settings, making each one look like a piece of art that has been tattered and torn over the years, telling much more of a story than a picture from the regular iPhone camera would. The app design is that of an old school toy camera with several choices of film, lens and external flash. There is a surprise element to the pictures since the low-tech feel can create blurred subjects and odd colors that result in unexpected vignettes and leaked light effects. Also, there is a beauty in the graininess that we miss out on with our super sharp, zillion-megapixel cameras.

A unique frame finishes each picture off nicely, encapsulating the desirable imperfections previously available only on the original Hipstamatic square-frame 35mm camera – now on your trusty iPhone. The app is only $1.99 and with extra lens settings available for extra cash, it makes you feel like you are the cool kid on the block with your fun new gadget. The app also has a direct link to email or upload the full-sized pictures to Facebook if you can still stand Facebook. Here are some interesting pictures of NYC I took with my new favorite app. Lo-fi is the new hi-fi!

New York Minute 9

It’s not often I get to go to concerts anymore. Not for lack of interest, I’m just hard-pressed for time and money. I manage to get in a couple a year but it’s not nearly as often as I’d like. Being at a live show is a truly special experience, shared with an artist as they express their greatest talents. Everyone remembers their first concert – the exhilaration of hearing your favorite singer wail and your favorite guitarist shred, shrieking and dancing uncontrollably to state-of-the-art sound, packed into a sea of energetic fans. Letting your inhibitions go and feeling that rush of emotion as pure joy fills your being. My first concert was Skid Row and Pantera at the Meadowlands when I was 12. There were no cell phones or digital cameras back then. It was 1850 and digital cameras hadn’t even been invented yet! Trippy. A time when being at a concert meant a much more personal experience, a connection made between you and the artist. Back then you could enjoy a good mosh pit, get some crowd surfing in, and maybe even a take a stage dive or two. Total adulation. 

Nowadays, it’s a much different vibe. The only surfing I see is on smartphones. Fans packed tightly together standing as still as they can with their iPhones or recording devices held over their heads. Instead of swaying with the music, they are staring intently at their screens trying to get the best video. It’s quite depressing actually. I’m sure the artists would rather look out from the stage and see everyone getting down to their jams than an ocean of iRobots staring blankly at them. What is the point? So you can watch and listen to it later on a tiny screen with a millionth of the sound quality? Or post it on YouTube or MySpace (*snicker*) and get a million views? Why not enjoy the show while you are there? Take in the music, the beats, the energy.

I have been experiencing this for the last several years but I really took notice of it at a recent Rihanna concert. I understand that she’s smokin’ hot and you want to twitpic her shiny silver Daisy Dukes, but the dynamic was completely different than any concert I’ve ever been to. We were dancing on the mezzanine at Hammerstein Ballroom and all I could see were hundreds of LCD screens in front of the stage. It was like the iPhone had replaced the lighter. Major buzzkill. Let’s make a collective effort to remember what music is about, pick up our heads, put down the phones, and just dance.