Put a can't in Cancún

Kiosks and displays set up in the Meese Convention Center in Cancún during the climate summit. Where is Al Gore's kiosk? Oh, that's right - he was a no-show.


By the looks of the sparse crowd, Gore wasn't the only no-show.

Link here for "Why Cancún can't."

(click on cartoon to enlarge)

Hot air at the Cancún climate summit

A Greenpeace activist checks a hot air balloon in Yucatan, Mexico, prior to the Cancún climate summit.

There will be no lack of hot air at the climate summit - a place where environmental activists go to blow off steam.

Pesticides now linked to childhood ADHD

Studies linking environmental products to health hazards and disease are commonplace.

One recent report says that chemicals in plastics and common household goods have been associated with serious developmental problems in children.

There is a long inventory of other hazards contributing to rising rates in health problems such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and autism.

Now they are adding attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to the list.

A report found below links common pesticides to childhood ADHD.

Berries, whether fresh or frozen, along with celery and peaches are only a few of the fruits and vegetables containing significant levels of pesticides. Now a study published in this week's issue of Pediatrics indicates that residue from these chemical compounds can be found in the urine of most Americans and seem to be affecting the neural development of children.

More here.

Dramatic ash cloud photo

Ash covers a table at an evacuated farm as smoke and ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano block daylight on April 19, 2010 near Porvaldseyri.

Climategate takes a U-turn

A report at the link below says a scientist at the center of the climategate row admits there has been no global warming since 1995!

Highlights from the report:

1. Data for vital 'hockey stick graph' has gone missing*

2. There has been no global warming since 1995.

3. Warming periods have happened before - but NOT due to man-made changes

*The so-called 'hockey stick graph' was a hoax anyway according to a report at the second link below.

The story has to do with a data set that has been used to support the alarming hockey stick graph that appears to show temperatures rising abnormally in the last decade or so.

It turns out that the hockey stick is only possible because the sample size was reduced from 65 samples to 10 samples. When a different set of 34 samples is used from the same general area, the hockey stick disappears!

In order to show what climate alarmists wanted, they cherry-picked the data.

Link here and here.

Bell tower from drowned town protrudes from lake

The photo above shows people walking on the frozen Lake Reschen reservoir toward the former church tower of Graun in northern Italy. The photo below shows the same tower in the summer.


The ancient towns of Graun and Reschen, located high in the Alps near the Italian-Swiss border, had been occupied since Roman times.

In 1939, the local power company begin planning a dam that would give the area much needed seasonal electricity.

The dam, however, would create an artificial lake that would unify two natural lakes and completely submerge the towns Graun and Reschen and the valley between them.

Despite fierce resistance on from the villagers, the plan eventually passed and the ancient towns were submerged in 1950.

In the winter with the lake frozen over, people can walk out to the bell tower of the church in the town drowned for the last 60 years.

About those energy saver light bulbs…

Important information about the energy saver light bulbs that, by law, we must all use by 2014.

(click on light bulb to see video)

More eye-opening information here and here.

Fox rethinking American Idol as ratings sag

Although American Idol is now in its sixth year and is by far the most-watched series on TV, ratings are slipping.

Last Wednesday's results show, which saw Irish singer Carly Smithson booted, was the lowest-rated episode in five years, according to trade reports.

"We're not in denial," Fox exec Preston Beckman told Broadcasting & Cable, the TV business weekly. "It's still the biggest show on TV, but that doesn't mean there are things we can't do.

One cable news analyst pointed out after the last week's Pennsylvania primaries, the Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama race has gotten so exciting, "it's even beating 'American Idol.' "

That doesn’t say much for ‘Idol.’

In spite of decreased ratings, the Fox mega-hit, minus a little of it’s shine, will probably continue to ‘dumb down’ America for a few more years.

Link

Jacko back in US for first time since trial

Michael Jackson, the poster boy for botched plastic surgery, is back in the United States.

Jackson (pictured) has been in self-imposed exile since his child molestation trial that ended in 2005.

He is on the comeback trail, planning a pair of "fan appreciation events" in Japan in March, one of which will charge 400,000 yen (£1,690) for the opportunity to have from 30 seconds to one minute of face time with the singer.

During a brief conference call with the Associated Press, which Jackson's handlers said was his first with the media since the trial, Jackson read a statement but allowed only one question: how are you? "I'm fine, thank you," was his reply.

This really wasn’t Jacko’s first return to the U.S. since his infamous trial. He came back for James Brown's memorial service and on another occasion he was in Las Vegas.

Could it be the Brit’s once more got a story wrong?

Link

Insanity sells

Keith Olbermann (pictured) is the MSNBC liberal bobble-head-in-chief. Well, maybe he is second behind Chris Matthews.

Anyway, there is a Power Line article here titled: “Insanity Sells.”

It seems that Olbermann, host of Countdown with Keith Olbermann, has turned his show into mostly rants against conservatives spewing venom against Republicans. It's liberal insanity.

While conservatives cry, Olbermann is laughing. Laughing all the way to the bank.

If his new contract with MSNBC is anything like he is asking for, Olbermann will quadruple his current $1 million dollar income.

Proves the Power Line label correct: insanity sells.

P.S.

Olbermann is good at one thing -- he sure can throw paper!

Link

Animation or music machine made from farm equipment?

Click here for a fabulous YouTube music video that is nothing short of amazing.

The YouTube video is presented as music coming from a device made from farm equipment.

However, that is not the case. The video is an excerpt from a piece called "Pipe Dreams" made by a computer animation company called Animusic. Their web site is here.

Animusic focuses on the production of 3D computer graphics music animation. They have many more full length music animation presentations that are even more awesome.

Some of their virtual instruments are invented by building computer graphics models of objects that would appear to create the sound of the corresponding music synthesizer track.

Graphical instruments range from being reminiscent of existing instruments to arbitrarily abstract.

There was a recent PBS fundraiser program that presented and sold CD’s of this style of animated music.

…thanks to Twila Bauer for calling this to our attention.

Three short sample video clips of more computer music animations are here, here and here

A short video clip in color of “Pipe Dream” is here. Their Music Store is here.

Tech meltdown at CBS News

Since Dan Rather shot himself in the foot two years ago with “fake memo” trying to embarrass the President, things have been going downhill at CBS News.

Rather was forced to step down as anchor of CBS Evening News in the spring of 2005. Bob Schieffer did a credible job of filling in until Katie Couric (pictured) took over last spring.

The Katie Couric era at CBS Evening News has not been stellar. Viewership has slipped most of the time since Couric stepped into the anchor chair.

What Couric didn’t need was a tech meltdown. It came anyway.

Link

Larry King admits he has never used internet

The 72-year-old technologically challenged Larry King (pictured) admits he has never used the internet.

CNN television interviewer Larry King, famous for questioning celebrities and newsmakers, admits he's never asked a question of an Internet search engine.

"Ive never done it, never gone searching," said King, who reads viewers' e-mails on air.

"The wife loves it. I wouldn't love it. What do you punch little buttons and things?"

How does that old saying go … you can’t teach an old dog new … oh, never nind.

Punch little buttons indeed.

Link