Taliban Unveil New Stealth Technology

The Religion of Cannibalism

... they never seem to run out of meat to wrap explosives around:

A suicide bomber killed 11 people in a parking lot outside a Shia mosque today in Quetta, the provincial capital of Pakistan's Baluchistan province. The attack is the latest to take place at a mosque in Pakistan.

The suicide bomber entered a parking lot adjacent to the mosque and attempted to hit the building as worshipers were leaving a service commemorating the end of Ramadan. The bomber detonated in the parking lot after he was unable to reach the mosque, killing 11 people, including two women and a child.

Alberta Oil Destroying the World

Some things, you just can't make up:

Climatologist James Hansen of NASA says if humans use all the potential tar sands crude, which is second only to Sandi Arabia’s oil reserves, it’s “essentially game over” for the climate. Wild and violent weather would increase as climate change continues to worsen. Accelerating sea-level rise would soon make coastal Florida uninhabitable and eventually submerge our state.

Never fear though ... Mr. Harper is doing his best to counter-act the evil effect of C02.  Next thing you know, he'll be setting aside extra lands for all the fleeing critters.

Canada's Dead Would Approve

Somehow I think that our fallen look on with approval:

Most media reporting on the incident, such as The New York Times, described the vigilante attack as both an "uncommon response from villagers" and "one motivated at least in part by an angry fear that Afghanistan's deeply corrupt judicial system would turn the killers loose." But in fact, local resistance to Taliban and other illegally armed groups has been widely recorded across the country for the past several years, and recent examples indicate that local resentment and hostility to the brutal behavior of the Taliban remain omnipresent.

The Religion of Cannibalism

Simply doing as the founder willed:

A father slit the throat of his three teenage daughters in an ‘honour killing’ after they were raped by Gaddafi loyalists during the siege of the port city of Misrata.

Allegations of the shocking executions are contained in a report by the respected Physicians for Human Rights group into war crimes and atrocities in the embattled city, which faced two months of being cut off from the rest of Libya.

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HT

America is at War with Europe

... some things, you just can't make up:

Europe’s economic woes? It’s not a result of the welfare state, too much debt (or both.) No, it’s America’s fault. That’s the word from Laurence Parisot, the head of a very influential French organization, MEDEF, whose membership includes French captains of industry and CEOs.

The U.S. has economic troubles, she said. “The Americans then wanted to pass the buck to Europe. We saw a kind of psychological war and an attempt to destabilize the euro zone….The front pages of the American media announced the death of such and such a bank and even the end of the eurozone. We went from attacks on Spain to attacks on Italy, then on France and as far as rumours that Germany would be downgraded last week!”

She said that ultimately Europe was under attack “not because it is weak but because it is strong.” Of course.

Charles Adler: The Best Ever Oped

... do listen.

The discussion.

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Is September Going to be Historic?

... expect Europhile socialists to pull out all the stops ... but as usual, economic reality and nationalist patriots across Europe may upturn the socialist shangri-la that the spawn of the former USSR are trying to impose:

The Bundestag is expected to decide late next month on the package, which empowers the EFSF to buy bonds pre-emptively and recapitalize banks. While the bill is likely to pass, the furious debate leaves no doubt that Germany will resist moves to boost the EFSF's firepower yet further. Most City banks say the fund needs €2 trillion to stop the crisis engulfing Spain and Italy.

Mrs Merkel's aides say she is facing "war on every front". The next month will decide her future, Germany's destiny, and the fate of monetary union.

Muslim Cannibalism

Quote

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

... indeed.

Bad Barry ... Bad ... Bad

Fanatics:

But you’d never guess that anything was amiss if you asked the Obama administration. In one of those ironies of timing, Friday saw the release of the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the most contested energy project in many years, the so-called Keystone Pipeline that would connect the tar sands of northern Alberta with the Gulf of Mexico.

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Another Barbarian Bites the Dust

One thing Obama has got right ... spare no effort to cut off the heads of the snakes.

Atiyah Abd al Rahman, a top al Qaeda leader who long served Osama bin Laden, was reportedly killed on Aug. 22 in Waziristan, Pakistan, according to multiple press reports. Both the Associated Press and Reuters cite US officials as saying that Rahman has been killed. Matt Apuzzo of the AP reports that a US official would not confirm how Atiyah had been killed, but the AP story notes that on same day, the CIA launched a drone strike in Waziristan.

US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal would neither confirm nor deny Atiyah's reported death.

No Jobs for Oil

... one good bi-product of this prolonged recession is that it's now hard to be green:

As Winston Churchill once quipped about America, so it often goes with the Obama Presidency: You can count on it to do the right thing—after it's tried everything else. Yesterday's State Department decision to move one step forward with the construction of an oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico would illustrate the point—except it's still trying everything else.

The proposed TransCanada pipeline, known as Keystone XL, should someday be able to deliver 830,000 barrels of crude oil a day from the tar sands of Alberta to refineries in Oklahoma and Texas. That's a bit more than what the Sultanate of Oman, on the Arabian peninsula, produces. TransCanada also estimates that the project would bring $20 billion in investment and 13,000 new (union) jobs to the U.S., along with some 118,000 "spin-off" jobs. But TransCanada needs State Department approval because the pipeline crosses the 49th parallel.

More About CERN

What should be sinking into the granite brains of greens, is that we as humans truly are helplessly at the mercy of the cosmos when it comes to climate ... sure, we can pollute our beloved planet to death ... but change the climate ... forget about it:

*

A graph they'd prefer you not to notice. Tucked away near the end of online supplementary material, and omitted from the printed CLOUD paper in Nature, it clearly shows how cosmic rays promote the formation of clusters of molecules (“particles”) that in the real atmosphere can grow and seed clouds. In an early-morning experimental run at CERN, starting at 03.45, ultraviolet light began making sulphuric acid molecules in the chamber, while a strong electric field cleansed the air of ions.

**

Atmospheric aerosols exert an important influence on climate1 through their effects on stratiform cloud albedo and lifetime2 and the invigoration of convective storms3. Model calculations suggest that almost half of the global cloud condensation nuclei in the atmospheric boundary layer may originate from the nucleation of aerosols from trace condensable vapours4,

***

CERN's 8,000 scientists may not be able to find the hypothetical Higgs boson, but they have made an important contribution to climate physics, prompting climate models to be revised.


The first results from the lab's CLOUD ("Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets") experiment published in Nature today confirm that cosmic rays spur the formation of clouds through ion-induced nucleation. Current thinking posits that half of the Earth's clouds are formed through nucleation. The paper is entitled Role of sulphuric acid, ammonia and galactic cosmic rays in atmospheric aerosol nucleation.

... too bad the experiment only involves 8000 researchers.

Stephen Harper, Herman ... and Nigel Farage

It's no secret that Mr. Harper is a micro-managing control freak (in itself, there's nothing wrong with that) From his propensity to bully local riding associations into selecting candidates of "his" choice, to upending long-standing precedent simply to destroy the remnants of the LPC, Harper is indeed the ultimate product of a life spent in political intrique and machinations. He's a master at bate and switch; bending with the wind of public opinion, and dodging ... in the end completing what to him is the ultimate in political wins ... power.

For those Tories who simply value winning above all else, Mr. Harper is a hero ... they heart PM Harper simply for winning the big house. And make no mistake, he's going to be there a long time.

For me though, the test of "worthiness" goes far beyond winning elections. It comes down to whether or not Mr. Harper will dismantle the vast progressive regime that is Canadian governance. Harper lovers used to blame the CPC minority for acting as a break to this very endeavor ... well, the "minority" reality no longer exists. Now we'll get to see if Mr. Harper is a true Conservative ... the one he used to be ... or if he is just another Big-Gov. operative who, since he never held a job outside political machination in his life, only sees life in terms of power.

The conservative mantra is a sort of "green" politics ... it's all about "reduce and recycle".  It's about small-government, less intrusion, and increased freedom to speak and prosper unhindered by Big Government.  That used to be Mr. Harper's mantra ... now that he's king, let's see if it still is.  I, of course, have my doubts.

Ask yourself, were Mr. Harper a politico in Europe, would he be more comfortable rising to the top of the EU bureaucratic dictatorship ... or in the trenches trying to return power back to the people?

In other words, one of these things is not like the others: Mr. Harper ... Van Rompuy ... Farage.

Just Cashing In ...

... for climbing to the top of the Chicago guano pile:

There does appear to be an unhealthy sense of entitlement on the part of the First Lady, which seems in poor taste at a time when 14 million Americans are out of work, the housing market is collapsing, and the United States is facing the strong possibility of a double-dip recession. Perhaps Mrs Obama could take a few tips on austerity as well as humility from her British counterpart Samantha Cameron, who has just one assistant, in contrast to at least 17 personal staff for the First Lady, and doesn’t feel the need to travel en masse with an entourage at taxpayers’ expense. The vast majority of Americans are making significant sacrifices at this time of economic turmoil, and tens of millions are struggling even to make ends meet. It’s time for both the President and the First Lady to exercise a bit of fiscal responsibility, not least when they are spending other people’s hard-earned money.

Once Again, It Comes Down to the Sun

... who'd have thunk it?

Personal rivalries aside, the important question is what the new CLOUD paper means for the Svensmark hypothesis. Pick your way through the cautious prose and you’ll find this:

“Ion-induced nucleation [cosmic ray action] will manifest itself as a steady production of new particles [molecular clusters] that is difficult to isolate in atmospheric observations because of other sources of variability but is nevertheless taking place and could be quite large when averaged globally over the troposphere [the lower atmosphere].”

It’s so transparently favourable to what the Danes have said all along that I’m surprised the warmists’ house magazine Nature is able to publish it, even omitting the telltale graph shown at the start of this post. Added to the already favourable Danish experimental findings, the more detailed CERN result is excellent. Thanks a million, Jasper.

Remembering

I've got to admit that I've got a bug up my ass about self-serving politicos who never in their life sacrifice a thing ... and serve primarily themselves under the guise of serving country.  Yet, and perhaps most ironically, they are often treated as some sort of outstanding heroes. Sure, in truly dangerous times politicos can be heroic ... the democratic world is full of those who have stood up against evil and risked it all. In Canada though, there's nary been a one.

I can't help but play over and over again in my mind how so many truly ordinary, salt of the earth, humble ... and often lowly Canadians have given more to this country than virtually every single politician that ever lived in Canada.  They come from every corner of Canada; the ocean coasts, the prairies, small sleepy towns, and the urban jungles. But what is unique is that in most cases they are of humble position ... each in their own way having decided to offer themselves to their country.  They are everyday citizens giving to Canada without seeking public adulation; unlike our political class.

Consider this my own deeply personal perspective:



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Photos Worth a Thousand

Jack Layton: A Dose of Reality

Having been around soldiers, and having done my tiny bit to honour those who sacrificed their very lives for Canada, I find, quite frankly, the chest thumping and soaring praise for "Jack"quite nauseating.  The reality is that Jack was a parasite, a life-long political hack (like so many in all parties) who served "Jack" first and foremost ... unlike those Canadians such as Boomer who ended up giving it all.

True, Jack's death is sad ... as are most.  I sympathize with those who loved him, and will now have to go through the long and painful task of mourning ... but for all the fanfare and hype ... Jack was nothing special among that most persistent and dodgy of professions, the political hack.  And finally, as far as I'm concerned, had Jack been able to impose on Canadians his version of Socialist Shangri-la, he would've destroyed Canada culturally and economically ... in my most humble and meek opinion, that is.

So, mourn if you must, especially those of you who think that Jack is so honourable a hack that he deserves a "State Funeral".

As for me, I'll go on ignoring it all and save my tears and admiration for the few and far-between politicians who actually deserve the nation's gratitude and honour when they pass. Decadent societies produce few to honour ... there just aren't that many Walesas, Havels, and Fawzia Koofis in Canada.

By the way, if you want clarity ... may I recommend Ms. Blatchford:

Rather, it’s remarkable because it shows what a canny, relentless, thoroughly ambitious fellow Mr. Layton was. Even on Saturday, two days before he died, he managed to keep a gimlet eye on all the campaigns to come.

The letter is full of such sophistry as “We can restore our good name in the world,” as though it is a given Canada has somehow lost that, bumper-sticker slogans of the “love is better than anger” ilk and ruthlessly partisan politicking (“You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together with progressive-minded Canadians across the country,” he said in the section meant for Quebecers).

The letter is vainglorious too.

Who thinks to leave a 1,000-word missive meant for public consumption and released by his family and the party mid-day, happily just as Mr. Solomon and his fellows were in danger of running out of pap? Who seriously writes of himself, “All my life I have worked to make things better”?

Update: State Funeral ... a First.

The Greatest Carney Show of the Decade

... has ended:

For that, Mr. Gore himself has a lot of blame to carry. His own “sputtering righteousness” and his adolescent barks of “bulls–t” to his critics may be a reverse of the Obama declaration. Gore’s meltdown might just be the moment when the people of the planet saw the carney show for what it was.

Beat the Traffic

The "Other" Swiss Franc

... the CZ Crown:

Record Plc (REC), a London-based currency manager that oversees $31.4 billion, said the Czech koruna is poised to be one of the next havens if Europe’s debt crisis worsens, given the Swiss franc has stabilized after surging.

“We’ve exhausted the move in the franc now and we’re looking for other alternatives,” Bob Noyen, Record’s chief investment officer, said in an interview. “The market will constantly probe for the next outlet. The Czech koruna and other harder eastern European currencies also have the potential to benefit.”

The O-conomy ...

... good for Canada:

On Monday, the Colombia-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) entered into force. It is an agreement first signed on Nov. 21, 2008, nearly two years to the day after a U.S.-Colombia FTA was signed. Now most Canadian industries enjoy duty-free access to the growing Colombian market. In contrast, because our government has allowed our FTA to languish, Colombian importers must still pay tariffs on most U.S. goods. For wheat, that tariff overcomes the natural advantage U.S. exporters otherwise have in providing quality wheat on a timely basis to our valued Colombian customers.

... if it's not exports of commodities, it's banks.

The Canadian Invasion

... heading south:

With the M&I deal, BMO is also getting more aggressive. By adding its 374 branches to BMO’s existing Harris Bank operations, BMO has more than doubled its U.S. retail banking footprint to nearly 700 locations across eight states – Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Indiana, Arizona and Florida.

But that is only the beginning. Mr. Downe thinks that soon BMO will have as many U.S. branches as the 900 it has in Canada – and from there, possibly a day when the bank is significantly bigger in the U.S. than in Canada. With interest rates expected to stay low in the U.S. for the next two years, some smaller banks may be forced to sell, unable to squeeze growth from their own tightening margins.

“Conceivably, we could double the size of this combined bank within the footprint [of those eight states],” Mr. Downe said, seated in the boardroom of M&I’s headquarters.

... thank you Mr. Clinton, Mr. Bush, and Mr. Obama for creating a wonderful opportunity. If our Canuck banks operate under strict guidelines like they do in Canada, they will do enormously well.

More Brass Per Square Meter ...

... than could be found in any other HQ on the planet: that's Canada's shameful top-heavy, career pencil pusher, bureaucrat dominated DND.

Now there may be change in the air:

Leslie calls for cuts to the bureaucratic side of the military's operations, including the possible elimination of thousands of jobs so that the people on the front lines have the support and equipment they need.

"We are going to have to reduce overhead and invest in output; we have to become slimmer, to trim the top and middle while protecting and investing in the various systems that result in the people in the ships, battalions and squadrons of aircraft doing the tough and often dangerous work that Canadians are so proud of," he writes in the report's introduction.

... more.

Awesome

Take This Carbon Tax ...

... and ... Shove ... It.

Putting the Mania in Eco

A preemptive strike [from extraterrestrials] would be particularly likely in the early phases of our expansion because a civilization may become increasingly difficult to destroy as it continues to expand. Humanity may just now be entering the period in which its rapid civilizational expansion could be detected by an ETI because our expansion is changing the composition of Earth’s atmosphere (e.g. via greenhouse gas emissions), which therefore changes the spectral signature of Earth. While it is difficult to estimate the likelihood of this scenario, it should at a minimum give us pause as we evaluate our expansive tendencies.

... calling them wankers, nuts, or freaks just doesn't cut it ... when it comes to greens, words often fail.

The Building of Community Amid the Flames

This is the good news - that people are banding together to protect their own property and environs. Note, though, that one shop owner reports police telling defenders that they should not bring their weapons onto the street. They were "entitled" to defend themselves [only] inside their premises.

... much more at EUR.

Quote of the Downgrade

Blaming the Tea Party for the downgrade is like blaming the Betty Ford Clinic for alcoholism.

... more.

Awwww

Looting

... or not.

Stop Spending; Stop Spending; Stop Spending

Progressive Poison

“The European Union is the principal motor behind the Islamization of Europe. It is formally surrendering an entire continent to Islam while destroying established national cultures, and is prepared to harass those who disagree with this policy.

“This is the greatest organized betrayal in Western history.”

— Fjordman

... now in hiding.

It all makes one wonder if Mr. Harper is going to show some actual "conservative" backbone and roll back the vast progressive regime entrenched in Ottawa, or is he simply one of them.  After all, there is no greater long-term enemy to freedom and democracy than your garden variety "progressive".

And for those of you who laugh at the possibility of the "progressive" resurgence; think again.

Obama Gets a New Asshole

Awwww

“When you go and talk to any audience about climate, you hear them washing back at you the same crap over and over and over again,” he continued. “There’s no longer a shared reality on an issue like climate even though the very existence of our civilization is threatened. People have no idea! And yet our ability to actually come to a shared reality that emphasizes the best evidence. It’s no longer acceptable in mixed company, meaning bipartisan company, to use the goddamn word climate. It is not acceptable. They have polluted it to the point where we cannot possibly come to an agreement on it.” Gore lamented the diminished role that reason and fact-based analysis play in modern U.S. politics.

... in another place ... another time ... this guano-shovellor would be jailing his opponents. 

O-conomy

... is broke:

There is a lot of anger at the moment in the US over the embarrassment of the downgrade, as well as shock. I’m most amused by the shock, to tell the truth. S&P didn’t say anything yesterday that was not common knowledge and common sense. If you had to rate a potential investment that had an income of, say, $22,000 a year but had costs of $37,000 per year, a standing debt of $143,000, and contracted future debt that exceeded $1 million, would you give that investment a gold-plated AAA rating and buy their bonds at the lowest interest rate possible, or at all? Of course not, but that’s exactly the fiscal situation of the US, at a 100,000,000:1 scale.

Obama's America

Eric, a war veteran, said that the scene he saw Thursday outside State Fair compares to what he saw in combat.

"That rated right up there with it. When I saw the amount of kids coming down the road, all I kept thinking was, 'There's not enough cops to handle this.' There's no way. It would have taken the National Guard to control the number of kids that were coming off the road. They were knocking people off their motorcycles."

... the children of "progressia" do their thing.  

What do you expect though; behind every "progressive" initiative is a "Lord of the Flies" end-game.

More About Hobbits

A Hobbit Speaks

How Green is My Alley?

But hey! All this is green energy, so it's good for the environment. These are green martyrs who have died for the cause. Every good religion needs it them, and we should be proud to have had so many prepared to make the noble sacrifice.

... more @ EUR.

Awwwwww