Right Minded Online

Forget those ten plagues of Pharaoh. Dr. John Brignell, a British engineering professor, has compiled a website that has what is believed to be the most complete collection of links to media stories ascribing the cause of everything under the sun to global warming. He has accumulated more than six hundred. What’s funny are the contradictory results that global warming alarmists attribute to global warming, such as desert advance and desert retreat, glacial retreat and glacial growth, mountain shrinking and mountains taller, lawyers’ income increased and profits collapse, and rainfall (and snowfall) increase and rainfall (and snowfall) reduction. Don’t ever believe the hype that there is a consensus on global warming. These people are all over the place.

…if Seattle’s tots don’t use eco-friendly Christmas lights. Global warming alarmists have absolutely zero shame. But, of course, they’re liberals.

John Edwards, the biggest hypocrite in American politics and presidential contender, proposes that the government garnish the wages of those who refuse to sign up for health coverage in order to force them to sign up for health coverage.

Under the Edwards plan, when Americans file their income taxes, they would be required to submit a letter from an insurance provider confirming coverage for themselves and their dependents.

If someone did not submit proof of coverage, the Internal Revenue Service would notify a newly established regional or state-based health-care agency (which Edwards has dubbed a Health Care Market).

Those regional agencies would then evaluate whether the uninsured individual was eligible for Medicare (which covers those over 65), Medicaid (which covers the indigent), or S-CHIP (the State Children’s Health Insurance Program which targets the working poor).

If the individual was not eligible for either of those existing public programs, the regional-health care agency would enroll the individual into the lowest cost health-care plan available in that area. The lowest-cost option could be a new Medicare-like public option or a private insurance plan.

The newly covered individual would not only have access to health benefits but would also be responsible for making monthly payments with the help of a tax credit.

The exact size of the financial obligation would vary according to a person’s income (lower-income Americans would receive larger tax credits).

If a person did not meet his or her monthly financial obligation for a set period of time (perhaps a year, perhaps longer) the Edwards plan would empower the federal government to garnish an individual’s wages for purposes of collecting “back premiums with interest and collection costs.”

Remember, though, John Edwards is pro-choice. Really.

Forget the notion that liberals are pro-choice. They are pro-abortion, and pro-government control on pretty much everything else. Never has the left’s anti-choice inclination been made more evident than with John “Two Americas” Edwards and his mandatory universal health care plan.

“I’m mandating healthcare for every man woman and child in America and that’s the only way to have real universal healthcare.”

“Evertime you go into contact with the helathcare system or the govenment you will be signed up.”

During a press avail following the event Edwards reiterated his mandate:

“Basically every time they come into contact with either the healthcare system or the government, whether it’s payment of taxes, school, going to the library, whatever it is they will be signed up.”

When asked by a reporter if an individual decided they didn’t want healthcare Edwards quickly responded, “You don’t get that choice.”

Hot Air does a masterful job in pointing out John Edwards’ hypocrisy on health care choice, pulling a quote from his own campaign website:

Q: What is your view on the decision on partial-birth abortion and most of the public agreeing with the court’s holding?

A: This decision by the Supreme Court is a perfect example of what’s at stake in this election. The kind of people that will be appointed to the US Supreme Court by the next president will control whether a woman’s freedom, freedom to choose, make her own health care decisions will be made by her or will be made by the government or by some men sitting on the US Supreme Court.

John Edwards just makes it too easy.

At any rate, this is liberalism in its raw form. Whereas conservatives have an innate distrust of government, liberals have an innate distrust of the ability of individuals to make choices that affect their lives. This is why liberals seek to put government in control of as many aspects of our lives as they can get away with — and then put themselves in control of government.

Rush Limbaugh gave a sterling explanation of the housing market “crisis” in precisely two brilliant paragraphs on yesterday’s program.

I want to explore the subprime issue for just a second. There is an upside to it, but it’s a typical upside that I notice, and that is an opportunity for people of this country to learn something. I would not advocate this kind of mess as a teaching moment, but it has happened, and so it is a teaching moment. It lets you see how Congress fixes problems, or, more precisely, makes them worse. Okay, so we’ve got the subprime issue, and it’s a mess, folks, and no one, no observer, no insider can tell how messy it is. Barney Frank, et al, have put together the latest mischief known as the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2007. Now, to call what happened here predatory lending is absurd, because the lenders are taking it in the shorts here, and who was it that made them extend these kind of loans in the first place? Once again, you have Barney Frank leading Congress, acting like a bunch of innocent bystanders and spectators, so they had no clue this was going on, when they ordered lending institutions to be more inclusive of people who actually couldn’t afford them. It was fairness, and it was equality, and it was to be anti-discriminatory, and all of these things.

The predators, if there were any, were in Congress, and they prey on every business in this country that they put in their target sights. That’s the real predator. Having helped create the mess, here comes Barney Frank with a solution. Now, this is the teachable moment. Lenders, the predators, are writing off billions in bad debts. That’s billions with a capital “B.” You have heads falling, financial stocks are taking hits, and what does your Democrat-led Congress do, what do they want to do? They want to turn tort lawyers on them with charges of predatory lending. That’s the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2007. These people are already, as you know, in the banks and the investment houses, the subprime market, people are getting canned, these companies are writing off billions and billions of dollars in losses, they’re downsizing in a lot of ways, and so here comes Barney Frank throwing a bone to one of the biggest Democrat contingencies and constituencies out there, the trial lawyers, the tort lawyers. He wants to turn lawyers on the subprime market with charges of predatory lending lawsuits, class-action suits, seven-figure, eight-figure lawsuit.

And these are the people (Congress) who want to take over our health care system?

The chairman of the JEC, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pretty well summed up the Democrats’ attitude on war spending with the remark “What this report makes crystal clear is that the cost to our country in lives lost and dollars spent is tragically unacceptable.”

Yes, war is expensive in both lives and resources. That’s the price of freedom. It is worth noting that since we began fighting terrorists in Afghanistan soon after 9/11, we have not had a terrorist attack on this soil. It is said that 9/11 exacted a trillion dollar hit on the U.S. economy, not to mention the 3,000 American civilian lives that were lost thanks to the unprovoked attacks.

In the seven years ending with the current fiscal year, we will have spent $1.6 trillion defending the United States of American against terrorists, which averages out to about $230 billion per year. Granted, that’s a lot of money, but it’s a shame that Democrats would look at the price tag attached to our freedom and our way of life and proclaim that it’s too much.

On the other hand, the $1.6 trillion that we will have spent fighting terrorists abroad for seven years (successfully, I might add) is roughly the amount of taxpayer money we will spend on entitlements this year alone, and that’s just at the federal level.

Indeed, the proposed budget for FY2008 calls for $1.553 trillion in mandatory spending (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare, and all the other social programs we are paying for). That’s 53% of the entire federal budget, and is more than six times the amount we spend on fighting the War on Terrorism each year.

While we’re spending too much money defending the country, we aren’t spending enough on social programs — at least in the eyes of Democrats. If you’ve noticed, all the top-tier Democrats running for president have a universal health care plan. It must be a requirement with them. You drop off your candidacy papers and discloser forms with the Federal Election Commission, and a copy of your health care plan with the media.

At any rate, the Tax Foundation has conducted an analysis of all the promises of more government being made by Democrats running for office, and has found that, if enacted, they would cost American taxpayers an additional $175 billion per year, and we would likely see the top marginal income tax rate pushed above 50%.

But not to worry. Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) has that covered, as well. Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “death and taxes,” the congressman last month proposed the mother of all tax increases — a plan to raise taxes by more than a trillion dollars that would dwarf all previous tax increases ever passed by Congress. This would be accomplished primarily by soaking the wealthy even more than they are already getting soaked.

Even though the Bush tax cuts continue to funnel revenue into the federal treasury in greater abundance than any of the “experts” have predicted, Democrats are content to let the Bush tax cuts expire, and raise the top income tax rates on top of that.

The federal deficit for the just-ended fiscal year was $163 billion, meaning that the deficit has shrunk by some $250 billion in just three years. This has been made by possible by more than five consecutive years of sustained economic growth, triggered, in large part, by the Bush tax cuts.

Since August, 2003, the U.S. economy has added more than 8 million new jobs, and unemployment has dropped to 4.7%. Tax cuts and economic growth work hand-in-hand. They always have. Willfully ignorant of the effect that tax cuts have on the economy, Democrats would undo the positive effect the Bush tax cuts have had in order to control a greater share of our paychecks.

While it is pointed out that the U.S. economy cannot keep up with the unsustainable growth of entitlement programs, Democrats not only oppose restraining those programs in any meaningful way, but want to add to them.

It’s no wonder, then, that Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democrat nominee for president, recently remarked “I have a million ideas. I can’t do all of them. … The country can’t afford them all.” Indeed, truer words have never been spoken.

I found this Michelle Malkin’s website:

Had Toni Vernelli gone ahead with her pregnancy ten years ago, she would know at first hand what it is like to cradle her own baby, to have a pair of innocent eyes gazing up at her with unconditional love, to feel a little hand slipping into hers – and a voice calling her Mummy.

But the very thought makes her shudder with horror.

Because when Toni terminated her pregnancy, she did so in the firm belief she was helping to save the planet.

Desperate measures: Toni Vernelli was steralised at age 27 to reduce her carbon footprint

Incredibly, so determined was she that the terrible “mistake” of pregnancy should never happen again, that she begged the doctor who performed the abortion to sterilise her at the same time.

He refused, but Toni – who works for an environmental charity – “relentlessly hunted down a doctor who would perform the irreversible surgery.

Finally, eight years ago, Toni got her way.

At the age of 27 this young woman at the height of her reproductive years was sterilised to “protect the planet”.

Incredibly, instead of mourning the loss of a family that never was, her boyfriend (now husband) presented her with a congratulations card.

While some might think it strange to celebrate the reversal of nature and denial of motherhood, Toni relishes her decision with an almost religious zeal.

“Having children is selfish. It’s all about maintaining your genetic line at the expense of the planet,” says Toni, 35.

“Every person who is born uses more food, more water, more land, more fossil fuels, more trees and produces more rubbish, more pollution, more greenhouse gases, and adds to the problem of over-population.”

So we can now add human sacrifice (i.e., abortion) to the growing list of religious aspects of global warming. As Michelle Malkin opines, “I suppose we should be grateful these people are not reproducing.” Indeed.

Folks, global warming is a religion. There’s nothing scientific about this stuff, nothing logical, nothing real. It’s one thing to accept global warming in theory. It’s quite another to change your entire life, to sacrifice your unborn child to the planet and forsaking your ability to reproduce all for the lie that is global warming.

Now not only are we destroying the earth by our activities, but we are also shortening the life of the universe, as well.

Religion, people. Pure religion.

Global warming alarmists commonly dismiss research that conflicts with their own as products of rich oil companies who are trying to protect their profits, as though all the money is on the anti-global warming side. It’s bunk. Global warming deniers aren’t even given the time of day by the mainstream press. It’s not that the money doesn’t translate into influence. It’s that most of the money is on the global warming side.

Former vice president and environmental activist Al Gore is joining forces with a venture capital company that’s seeking to profit from the move toward “clean technology” in the $6 trillion global energy business.

Gore is becoming a hands-on partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a major Silicon Valley venture capital firm where an old friend, John Doerr, is a partner.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner’s move comes as the company “makes a risky move beyond information technology and healthcare investing into the fast-growing and increasingly competitive arena of ‘clean energy,’” Fortune magazine reports.

Within several years more than a third of Kleiner’s latest fund, which totals $600 million, will reportedly be invested in technologies that seek to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Remember, this is the same Al Gore who wants the rest of the world to reduce its lifestyle in order to save the planet, all the while he guzzles energy like a drunken SUV. Global warming is a hoax. It is a fraud. And Al Gore is profiting from it handsomely. So, all you global warming disciples who are making nickel-and-dime sacrifices in order to live a green lifestyle, your prophet is living high on the global warming hog.

Rush Limbaugh posted President George Washington’s 1789 thanksgiving proclamation on his website yesterday, noting the number of times the first president mentioned God.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor — and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be — That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks — for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation — for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquility [sic], union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed — for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted — for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions — to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually — to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed — to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn [sic] kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord — To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease [sic] of science among them and us — and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

George Washington

If you tried teaching this in public school history classes today, I’d wager that a fair number of liberals and civil libertarians would declare President Washington’s proclamation unconstitutional.

It appears that scientists in Japan and researchers at the University of Wisconsin have transformed human skin cells into embryonic-like stem cells. Jennifer Lahl, national director of the Center for Bioethics and Culture, remarked “We don’t have to create embryos. We don’t have to clone embryos. We don’t have to destroy human embryos.”

In addition, there are now 73 adult stem-cell therapies, compared to zero of the embryonic variety. So all this means an end to embryonic stem-cell research, right? Not on your life. Embryonic stem-cell research isn’t about finding cures for diseases. If it were, then we would have abandoned that avenue long ago and put all our chips on adult stem-cell research. Embryonic stem-cell research is all about keeping abortion legal, because carving up human embryos under the guise of “medical research” helps abortion advocates dehumanize the unborn, which is step one in maintaining abortion rights.

Additional link: What the Media Won’t Tell You About Stem Cell Research

In reading some of the typical gloom-and-doom articles being churned out by the mainstream press, you’d think high gas prices had stolen all the joy out of Thanksgiving.

For example, the sub-headline to story #1 proclaims “Stocks Fall Ahead of Thanksgiving Amid Worries About the Mortgage Market, Record-High Oil.” And the first paragraph of story #2 similarly laments “That $3.20 latte at Starbucks or the $300 handbag at Coach may no longer be affordable luxuries. Feeling squeezed by gas prices and weak credit, the nation’s shoppers are increasingly trading down to lower-price stores or cheaper items.”

Certainly, I don’t like paying $3 for a gallon of gasoline any more than you. If I had my way, we’d go back to paying a buck twenty-five like we did not too many years ago, back before Bush/Cheney started jacking with the price of crude so they could line the pockets of their rich oil buddies. But it costs what it costs, and there’s not much I can do about it other than vote for Republicans who would open up the ANWR and our offshore oil fields so we can increase our domestic supply of oil.

At any rate, I am fed up with the media trying to spread misery and discord among the American people. Gasoline is expensive, yes. It cuts into the budgets of middle-and-lower-class families, yes. So what? It’s not worth sacrificing an ounce of your joy and happiness the way the dour mainstream press would like.

The United States of America remains the envy of the world, both for our freedom and our high standard of living. Before you shed tears at the pump, be sure to give thanks for the roof over your head, the heat coming out of the vents, the pantry that is stocked with edibles, the automobile that takes you from place-to-place, your friends and your family, your health and the availability of doctors and remedies. Thank God for good music, good books, fall colors, pretty pictures, three-dollar lattes, and all the other things that bring us moments of joy.

Remember, the Pilgrims had far less abundance than we do today, and lived under far more difficult circumstance. Yet they still found it within themselves to pull off the first Thanksgiving out of their gratitude to God for providing them with great blessings.

So what that it costs $42.80 to fill up your car instead of $18. Stop buying newspapers and carbon offsets. Don’t make that donation to Greenpeace or John Edwards’ presidential campaign. Whatever you have to do to make up the difference, it won’t diminish your abundance, and ought not make you any less thankful.

Congratulations to Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop, for being named the National League’s Most Valuable Player for 2007.

Rollins became the first player in history to collect at least 200 hits, 30 homers, 15 triples and 25 steals in a season. Overall, the switch-hitter batted .296, with 38 doubles, 20 triples, 30 homers, 94 RBIs, 41 stolen bases, 212 hits and 139 runs scored.

The 139 runs scored and 88 extra-base hits were league records for a shortstop. He also set a Major League record with 716 at-bats, and became the third shortstop in history to have at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a season, after Barry Larkin in 1996 and Alex Rodriguez in 1998. Rollins is the fourth NL shortstop to win, and the first since Larkin in 1995.

It is also worth noting that two Phillies finished in the top five (last year’s winner, Ryan Howard, being the other), and three in the top eight (Chase Utley).

Related article: Rollins may have won MVP in Game 162

Two Rivers Mansion is an antebellum estate located on McGavock Pike in Donelson (Nashville), Tennessee.

My mother, who reads this blog (the knowledge of which holds me in check), commented on my post about Joseph yesterday, and noted that there are many similarities between Joseph and Jesus. I had never thought about it before, but there really are.

Both Joseph and Jesus were betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.

They descended from the line of Abraham, were born in Israel, and spent time in Egypt.

Joseph was one of twelve brothers. Jesus had twelve disciples.

Joseph was imprisoned after being falsely accused. Jesus was executed after being falsely accused.

Joseph was the son of Jacob. Jesus’ earthly father was Joseph, who was the son of a man named Jacob.

Both Joseph and Jesus endured difficult circumstances at the hands of foreign authorities, yet remained faithful to God’s calling for their lives.

Joseph’s brothers coveted his coat of many colors, took it from him, dipped it in animal’s blood, and presented it to their father as proof of his death. The Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus covted his garment, and cast lots for it.

Joseph was put in charge of Egypt’s grain supply in order to feed the Egyptians through seven years of famine. Jesus fed the five thousand after multiplying a few loaves of bread and fish.

Joseph rose from slavehood and imprisonment to sit on a throne as the number two guy in Egypt. Jesus rose from the grave and sits on a throne in heaven.

Joseph rescued the nation of Israel from famine. Jesus rescued the nation of Israel, and all of mankind, from sin.

Joseph was given the gift of interpreting dreams. Jesus, as the son of God, healed and prophesied.

Joseph eventually forgave his brothers who had sold him into slavery. Jesus forgave those who crucified him.