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GLOBAL WARMING'S FATAL CONCEIT |
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Written by Richard Rahn
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Tuesday, 02 April 2013 |
Much of Northern Europe, including Britain, is suffering under the coldest winter and spring of the last 30 to 100 years. The Northeastern part of the United States has had a record cold March. The record cold in Europe has killed thousands and cost billions. It was not supposed to be this way.
Back in 1998, scientist Michael Mann published a paper with the famous "hockey stick" showing a sharp rise in global temperatures. Mr. Mann and others argued that if global action was not taken immediately, then the temperature rise would be rapid and uncontrollable. Much of Mr. Mann's work was the basis for Al Gore's famous film "An Inconvenient Truth." What has turned out to be an inconvenient truth is that Mr. Mann and his allies were sloppy in their research and engaged in a campaign to disparage their critics.
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NORKS' MILITARY BLING! |
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Written by To The Point News
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Friday, 05 April 2013 |
Gives all new
meaning to " bling." It's by no mere coincidence that Nork
general's uniforms resemble Russian uniforms of the 1950s.
Hats designed to make them look taller. In most countries,
metals and ribbons usually indicate campaigns where one
fought, theaters where one was stationed, wounds received, or
valorous combat acts. Since these guys haven't been in any
wars since 1953, then it must mean an awful lot of good
conduct or present at roll call (probably
NOT flying drones from the safety of deep bunkers in
Pyongyang).
Very impressive look, indeed. Must be much like Hollywood's
awards to each other. Always presenting themselves with
terribly impressive-looking awards because no one else will
and they desperately need some love and recognition.
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HALF-FULL REPORT 03/29/13 |
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Written by Jack Kelly
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Friday, 29 March 2013 |
Congress wasn't in session this
week, so news media attention focused mostly on oral arguments before the
Supreme Court on lawsuits involving the federal Defense of
Marriage Act, and California's Proposition 8. Coverage by the MSM was even more shallow
and biased
than usual.
Gay marriage has been supported
in 7
of 8 opinion polls conducted this year, but by the relatively narrow margin
of 51 percent to 43 percent. The "seismic" shift of public opinion has happened
in large part because Jonathan
Rauch and others "helped reposition
the gay rights movement from libertine to conservative, from gays being a
threat to our social order and institutions to wanting to be a respected part
of them," said Peter
Wehner.
* * * *
There's been "evolution" on
immigration reform, too. The "Gang
of Eight" is putting the finishing touches on a comprehensive immigration
reform bill. Immigration reform is a top priority for him, President Obama
says. But if that were true, he and
labor unions wouldn't keep trying to insert "poison
pill" provisions.
* * * *
Liberals in the bigfoot media
forced Dingy Harry Reid to schedule Sen. Dianne Feinstein's gun control bill
for a vote after all. President Obama
wants to "shame"
Congress into approving it. It hasn't worked with Sen.
Marco Rubio, who will join Sens.
Mike Lee, R-UT, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz,R-Tex, in a filibuster.
* * * *
Rather than face the voters
again, many Democrats in the Senate are retiring.
* * * *
The Shroud
of Turin does in fact date from the time of Christ, according to tests
performed at the University of Padua.
It's not a "medieval forgery."
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HIDDEN ADVENTURES |
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Written by Dr. Jack Wheeler
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Thursday, 28 March 2013 |
It was ten years ago this week, in late March 2003, that I
launched To The Point. I was almost 60 then, and I am perilously
close to 70 now. I figure the only way
to keep from slowing down is to speed up.
So I am launching a series of what I call Hidden Adventures.
Adventures and expeditions to amazingly cool places in the
world that few people know about, and far fewer have ever been to. I start tomorrow with The Hidden Atlantic, which begins here in Ushuaia, where I and the
people with me board an expedition vessel bound for Antarctica and South
Georgia, home to fur seals and penguins numbering in the millions; the
world's most isolated community at Tristan
da Cunha; the island the Brits exiled Napoleon on, St. Helena; and secretive Ascension Island, with its
joint US-Brit military base.
I'll be at sea for a month, and most of the time be in touch
with the world only with my satphone. I
have to admit, I am really looking forward to this, not having to pay attention
to all the craziness in Washington and everywhere else in the slightest way.
Of course, TTP will still be here! I'll be posting my
articles whenever I can. Jack Kelly will
be manning the HFR ramparts, and Miko will make sure the TTP Weekly Report with
a full complement of articles goes out every Friday.
So -what Hidden Adventures are upcoming? (Hint: look in the TTP left side bar.) And what's the Easter message in this?
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MAKE SURE IT MATTERS |
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Written by Dr. Joel Wade
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Thursday, 28 March 2013 |
I've written about how
willpower takes energy, and when our reserves get depleted - through fatigue,
hunger, or overuse - our willpower can weaken. But what if you have to take
care of things anyway?
What if you're tired, you're hungry, you've been
overworking all day, and you still need to take care of something that's very
important?
I think we've all been in
that situation, and we've all found that somehow we take care of things. How
can this be? What makes the difference?
It has to matter enough to
us. Here's how to tell the difference.
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WHAT IF SADDAM HUSSEIN WERE ALIVE AND RAN A NUCLEAR IRAQ? |
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Written by Jack Kelly
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Wednesday, 27 March 2013 |
The
Iraq war began 10 years ago last Wednesday (3/20). It cost 4,487 American lives, and about $1
trillion, and caused sharp divisions among Americans. Was it worth it?
"From
today's vantage point, unfortunately, the answer looks increasingly to be
‘no,'" said Max Boot of the Council on Foreign Relations.
He
was referring to the re-emergence of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia
since Barack Hussein Obama withdrew (essentially all) U.S. troops in 2011, and
to Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's drift toward Iran since then.
He
is "unrepentant" about supporting the war, but wouldn't have if he knew then
that Saddam Hussein's regime did not in fact possess weapons of mass
destruction, Mr. Boot said.
I
agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Boot about that.
But even if I'd known then Saddam was bluffing about WMD, I still would
have supported going to war against him. Here's why.
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JAPAN BREAKS CHINA’S STRANGLEHOLD ON RARE EARTH METALS |
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Written by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
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Wednesday, 27 March 2013 |
Japanese scientists
have found vast reserves of rare earth metals on the Pacific seabed that can be
mined cheaply, a discovery that may break the Chinese monopoly on a crucial raw
material needed in hi-tech industries and advanced weapons systems.
"We have found deposits that are just two to four
metres from the seabed surface at higher concentrations than anybody ever
thought existed, and it won't cost much at all to extract," said professor
Yasuhiro Kato from Tokyo University, the leader of the team.
While America, Australia, and other countries have begun to
crank up production of the seventeen rare earth elements, they have yet to find
viable amounts of the heavier metals such as dysprosium, terbium, europium, and
ytterbium that are most important.
China has a near total monopoly in the heavier end of the
spectrum, as well as being the dominant supplier of the whole rare earth
complex after driving rivals out of business in the 1990s. That monopoly may soon be over.
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MOBY DICK AND THE DEMOCRATS |
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Written by Jack Kelly
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Tuesday, 26 March 2013 |
Captain
Ahab's relentless, obsessive, reckless pursuit of the great white whale in Herman Melville's
allegory-filled 1851 novel "Moby Dick" cost him his ship, his life, and the
lives of his crew (save for Ishmael, who narrated the story).
Their
relentless, obsessive, reckless pursuit of a great white whale of their own
could cost Democrats dear.
When
Adam Lanza, 20, killed 26 at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown,
Connecticut December 14, Democrats recalled Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's advice to
never let "a serious crisis go to waste."
No
one acted faster than New York Gov. Andrew
Cuomo. He invoked a provision of the
state constitution to rush a sweeping gun control bill through the legislature
Jan. 15. Lawmakers had mere minutes to
read it before the vote.
The
expression: "act in haste, repent at leisure" is thought to have originated
with English playwright William
Congreve (1670-1729). Let's count the ways this applies to Gov. Cuomo.
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UNCLE SAM IS A THIEF |
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Written by Richard Rahn
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Tuesday, 26 March 2013 |
There has been global outrage about the proposal from the
Cyprus government to have a significant one-time tax on those who have deposits
in Cypriot banks. It has been correctly called a theft of private capital. What
many fail to realize is that from the beginning, governments have been engaged
in this type of theft, including the U.S. government.
As the debt crisis deepens, governments are likely to
increasingly engage in various forms of capital expropriation despite the fact
that such activities are economically destructive and morally offensive. The
U.S. government is now doing precisely what the Cypriot government is
proposing, but only with a lighter and more subtle touch.
There are a number of actions governments take to
expropriate capital without explicitly saying so. For example, if you have a savings account, a CD or money market fund,
there is a good chance that you are receiving less than 1 percent interest on
the money, thanks to the Federal Reserve, while government-caused inflation is
running at roughly 2 percent.
Thus, you are, in effect, suffering a 1 percent
expropriation of your savings each year -- without Congress ever having voted
for such expropriation. It gets worse.
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A LOW-INFORMATION VOTER'S GUIDE TO POLITICS |
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Written by To The Point News
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Friday, 29 March 2013 |
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HALF-FULL REPORT 03/22/13 |
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Written by Jack Kelly
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Friday, 22 March 2013 |
President Barack Obama visited Israel and the Palestinian Authority
this week. Israelis “can’t figure out what he’s doing here” said
Carolyn Glick. Apparently, it was to pretend he was George W. Bush.
“Second-Term Obama just gave First-Term Obama a whack on the tush,” said
John Podhoretz
* * * *
The Russians think Zero is wrecking the world on purpose, notes Spengler.
* * * *
If
you thought Dingy Harry Reid couldn’t possibly be more despicable, you
were mistaken. Liberals are mad at him too, for wimping out on gun
control.
* * * *
Ten years ago Wednesday, the war with Iraq began. It cost 4,487 American lives, and about a trillion dollars. Was it worth it?
* * * *
More
attention was focused on the GOP’s shortcomings this week, but Stanley
Kurtz says its Democrats who are more likely to crack up.
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THE WORLD’S MOST PATRIOTIC PEOPLE |
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Written by Dr. Jack Wheeler
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Thursday, 21 March 2013 |
Stanley, Falkland
Islands. I was enjoying a pint of
the local microbrewery's Peat Cutter Stout at the Globe Tavern when a
Falklander on an adjacent bar stool engaged me in conversation.
"Where are you from, mate?" he asked.
"America," I replied.
"You're an American, are you? Well, I have to tell you, Yank, I think your
President Obama is disgusting."
This did not elicit the response he was expecting. I raised my glass and with a huge smile
across my face exclaimed, "I'll drink to that!"
Taken aback, he queried, "You Americans are supposed to believe
in freedom. Why do you have a president who won't stand up for ours?"
"Because he won't stand up for our own freedom, much less
anyone else's. His goal in life is to
destroy our freedom, not protect it. He's
a fascist interested only in expanding his power, just like the Falklands'
enemy Christina Kirchner. That's why he
will side with her and not with you."
He looked at me quizzically, blinked a few times, then
asked, "Can I buy you a beer?"
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WE ARE ENTERING THE GAS AGE |
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Written by Matt Ridley
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Wednesday, 20 March 2013 |
Move over shale gas, here comes methane hydrate. Last week (3/12) the Japanese government's
drilling ship Chikyu started flaring off gas from a hole drilled into a solid
deposit of methane and ice, 1,000 feet beneath the seabed under 3,300 feet of
water, 30 miles off the Japanese coast.
The real significance of this gas flare probably lies
decades in the future, though the Japanese are talking about commercial
production by 2018. The technology for getting fuel out of hydrated methane,
also known as clathrate,
is in its infancy. After many attempts to turn this "fire ice" into gas by
heating it proved uneconomic, the technology used in Japan - depressurizing
the stuff - was first tested five years ago in Northern Canada. It looks much
more promising.
Methane hydrate is found all around the world beneath the
seabed near continental margins as well as in the Arctic under land. Any
combination of low temperature and high pressure causes methane and water to crystallize
together in a sort of molecular lattice. Nobody knows exactly how much there
is, but probably more than twice all the other fossil fuels, coal, oil, and
natural gas, put together.
The proof that hydrate can be extracted should finally bury
the stubborn myth that the world will run out of fossil fuels in any meaningful
sense in the next few centuries, let alone decades.
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WHICH COUNTRY WILL TRIGGER THE COMING GLOBAL TAILSPIN? |
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Written by Richard Rahn
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Tuesday, 19 March 2013 |
Which country will serve as the trigger for the next
financial crisis? Given the continuing rise in debt-to-gross domestic product
(GDP) ratios in many countries, it is apparent that a new financial crisis will
occur. Most of the speculation has been about when, rather than where. The most
likely candidates are heavily indebted countries with a large growth deficit.
The growth deficit is the difference between expected GDP
growth and the expected government spending deficit as a percentage of GDP. The way to eliminate the growth deficit is by
either increasing economic growth or reducing government spending.
Almost all economists understand that economic growth can be
increased by (1) reducing taxes on labor and capital, (2) eliminating
counterproductive regulations, and (3) putting an end to monetary uncertainty.
But what government understands this? Massive deficit spending has not worked as advertised, for a
number of years in the countries listed in the accompanying table. All of them
are at risk of even more financial shocks and stresses, and none of them seems
politically able to make the degree of necessary change to solve the mess.
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WHAT’S THE FED’S PLAN B FOR THE COMING FISCAL CATASTROPHE? |
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Written by Henry Manne & Richard Rahn
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Tuesday, 19 March 2013 |
Perhaps the most troublesome question that investors and
business decision makers confront today is, "When will significant inflation
and interest rate increases show up?"
The next quarter, the next year, the next decade? Everyone
fears these, but no one can predict exactly when they will appear. Investment
is severely hampered by this uncertainty. The potential inflationary/interest
rate pressures exist largely as a result of Fed's massive purchase of
government bonds and mortgage-backed securities.
But much of this increase in money is locked up in the banks
because the Fed now pays interest on the bank reserves held at the Fed (and
therefore it is not lent or spent), because of increased regulatory
restrictions that discourage banks from making loans to small businesses and
consumers, and because of the lack of demand for new loans. In addition, many
individuals and businesses are holding unusually high sums to weather
regulatory and economic uncertainties.
Yet, there are many factors that could trigger
inflationary/interest rate increases that are largely out of the Fed's ability
to forecast and control.
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