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De Omnibus Dubitandum - Lux Veritas

Friday, September 29, 2023

P&D and The Week That Was

Truth is the Sublime Convergence of History and Reality

De Omnibus Dubitandum (Everything is to be questioned)

 This Link will take you to My Commentaries.  This Link will take you to My Commentaries by topic.  This Link will take you to My Global Warming Commentaries


By Rich Kozlovich

 

 COMMENTARIES

  1. The Seven Dwarfs Lost By Rich Kozlovich
  2. Now's the Time That Tries Men's Souls By Rich Kozlovich
  3. America's Cities Democrat controlled cities are a disaster By Rich Kozlovich
  4. P&D Geopolitics Edition  By Rich Kozlovich
  5. Vivek Ramaswamy Is Articulate, Charming, Knowledgeable, and Intelligent. So What? By Rich Kozlovich
  6. Biden’s Big Gun Control Office and the Fall of CA’s Magazine Ban By James Fite
  7. MSM Ignores Death of Longest Suffering Female Political Prisoner in Modern History of Western Hemisphere By Humberto Fontova
  8. A Student Wants to Join West Point. But He’s the Wrong Race By Daniel Greenfield
  9. A Nation of Dress Codes, Not Politicians  By Daniel Greenfield
  10. The ADL is a Threat to Jews By Daniel Greenfield
  11. 50 Years Ago Israel Was Nearly Destroyed  By Daniel Greenfield
  12. The Clintons Welcome Trans Queens, Muslim Politicians, Foreign Oligarchs  By Daniel Greenfield
  13. Woke James Bond Novels Replace Him With Disabled Black Gay Superspy By Daniel Greenfield
  14. Climate and the Corruption of Language Tom Harris
  15. “America Doesn’t Need an Election; It Needs an Exorcism.” By Robin Itzler
  16. BOEM’S Right Whale coverup and deception By Collister Johnson
  17. Chicago Mayor Displays the Woke Playbook By John Klar
  18. Is The Obama Woman A Ploy By Mychal Massie
  19. The Bidens: "Stone Cold Crooked" (10) -- How Do You Tell When A Payment To A Pol Is A Bribe? By Francis Menton
  20. Three Cheers for (Liberty-Minded) Rogue Jurors By Dan Mitchell
  21. A Victory for Students in North Carolina By Dan Mitchell
  22. Keynesian Economics and Transitory, Beggar-Thy-Neighbor Stimulus By Dan Mitchell
  23. National Conservatism vs. Reagan’s Small-Government Libertarianism By Dan Mitchell
  24. Three Cheers for (Liberty-Minded) Rogue Jurors By Dan Mitchell
  25. Demographic Doom and the Welfare State By Dan Mitchell
  26. US Consumers Are Tapped Out, New Study Finds By Andrew Moran
  27. Flying the Coop – Research Finds More Young People Living at Home Andrew Moran
  28. Biden Impeachment Inquiry Begins  By Graham J. Noble
  29. Is Sending US Military Advisors to Ukraine a Good Idea? By Dave Patterson
  30. Stick a Fork in West Point, They’re Done: Wait Until You See the New Degree They’re Offering By Revolver News
  31. Politicians Waking Up to Net Zero Madness By Craig Rucker
  32. Federal Judiciary: The Rogue Malevolent Arm of Bidenism By Robert Socha
  33. Offshore wind is systematically violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act By David Wojick
  34. Desperate governors beg for offshore wind cost relief By David Wojick

LINKS

America in Crisis

Crime in America

Economics

Global Warming Hoax and The Consequences

Islam Immigration and Crime

Race Hustlers

Republicans are Called the Stupid Party For a Reason

Russo/Ukrainian War

Treason

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Constant as the North Star

Top Georgia State Senator Removed From Caucus For Daring to Stand Up to Fulton County DA

Rebecca Downs September 29, 2023 

Last month, state Sen. Colton Moore, a Republican in Georgia dared to stand up to Fulton County DA Fani Willis for bringing indictments against former and potentially future President Donald Trump to do with the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Days after the indictment, Moore called for an emergency session "to review the actions of Fani Willis" in bringing the charges. He also circulated a petition. Not only Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) reject that call, but Moore has now actually been removed from the state Senate GOP caucus. .........To Read More....

That Infamous Central Park Birdwatcher Writes a Memoir

Christian Cooper's superhero name is Captain Cry Bully.

Germany: Students Arm Themselves Against Muslim Migrants

As is by now well known, very few of the millions of Muslims who have been arriving in Europe are true “asylum seekers,” though a great many claim to be; they are very rarely fleeing persecution and murder. They are, instead, economic migrants, eager to batten on the benefits that the generous welfare states of western Europe provide. 

These include free or greatly-subsidized housing, free medical care, free education (including vocational training), unemployment benefits (even without a work history in Europe), family allowances, and more. But for some Muslims, even that largesse is not enough. They want more, and they supplement their welfare benefits with the proceeds from street robberies and house burglaries. Muslims in France, though only 10% of the population, make up 50-60% of the prisoners. 

In the UK., Muslims are 4% of the population, but 25% of prisoners. In Germany, Muslims are 5% of the population, and 23% of prisoners. Muslims committing crimes of property often use violence to intimidate their victims. In one city in Germany, having lost faith in the police’s ability to adequately protect the population from this Muslim crime wave, older students, and parents, too, have organized patrols and self-defense groups. More on this development can be found here: “Germany: Students arm themselves in city of Halle as violent robberies soar, parents describe ‘broken police force,’” by John Cody, Remix News, September 22, 2023:............To Read More..



Biden Admin is Giving a Pass to U.S. Soldier Who Defected to North Korea

'Our focus right now is caring for him and his family." 

September 28, 2023 by 24 Comments

The Travis King case is already starting to resemble the Bowe Bergdahl case. King appears to have tried to defect to North Korea. The Norks decided that they didn’t want him, but the Biden administration sure does.  And he’s not getting the treatment allotted to a defector, but to some kind of war hero.

“U.S. officials have secured the return of Private Travis King from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement. “We appreciate the dedication of the interagency team that has worked tirelessly out of concern for Private King’s wellbeing.”

His wellbeing?.............This is how we handle defections now? Soldiers who refused to get vaccinated were booted out unceremoniously, but defecting to some of our worst enemies merits a “talented and experienced team” guiding him through a “reintegration process” and a “family reunion”?.............But this is an administration of traitors and they know their own kind...........To Read More...

Meanwhile: 18 Republicans Help Democrats Kill Defunding Pentagon-Sponsored Pride Month Celebrations

Katherine Hamilton

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) introduced the measure, which would have prohibited appropriated funds from going toward “the observance of Pride Month authorized by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness for the Cultural Observance and Awareness Events List.” Even though Republicans hold the majority in the House of Representatives, the amendment failed 231-202, with 18 Republicans siding with Democrats and four declining to vote..........

Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), John Curtis (R-UT), Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), John Duarte (R-CA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Tony Gonzales (R-TX), Dave Joyce (R-OH), Thomas Kean (R-NJ), Kevin Kiley (R-CA), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Marcus Molinaro (R-NY), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), and Michelle Steel (R-CA)..............To Read More....

My Take - As you read the excuses you begin to wonder what's wrong with these people's minds. 

Stick a Fork in West Point, They’re Done: Wait Until You See the New Degree They’re Offering

@ Revolver News


Well, West Point had an good run, didn’t it? Once a beacon of prestige and elite training, this institution produced some of America’s most outstanding leaders. But times have changed. Today, West Point is just another woke joke, churning out young Marxists with contempt for the very nation they’re supposedly preparing to defend.

West Point has reached the point of no return, particularly after the exposure of their latest “woke” agenda. Believe it or not, but they’re now offering degrees in “Equity and Diversity.” And no, unfortunately, this isn’t a joke.  Here’s the information about the woke course from West Point’s own website:

Diversity & Inclusion Studies Minor
Diversity and Inclusion Studies (DISM) is an interdisciplinary minor administered by the Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership that consists of humanities and social science courses. America is a multicultural polity and demands knowledgeable and pragmatic thinkers who understand the range of human experiences. The Diversity and Inclusion Studies Minor (DISM) exposes cadets to varied perspectives & methodologies for understanding and studying the humanities. By carefully drawing from existing courses in multiple departments, the DISM complements and enhances the core curriculum, academic majors, and several West Point Centers and committees. The DISM helps fulfill the Superintendent’s and Dean’s vision for diversity and inclusion at West Point. Moreover, the DISM at West Point offers cadets a framework for critically and creatively thinking about the broader impact of diversity and inclusion at the individual, organizational, societal, and/or global levels. It also provides our cadets opportunities to pursue diversity and inclusion in intra-, multi- and inter-disciplinary ways.

5-Course Minor

Must take 2 of 3
PL377: Social Inequality
EN352: Power and Difference
SS392: The Politics of Race, Gender, and Sexuality

Must Take 1 of 4
HI391: World Religions
HI461: Sex and Civilizations
HI463: Race, Ethnicity, Nation
HI398: Society & Culture in American History

What a travesty, and how embarrassing for West Point. The left has successfully transformed many of our nation’s college students into pint-sized Marxists, and now they’re seeking to steer our US military officers down the same ideological path.

Campus Reform:

U.S. Military Academy at West Point also offers a Diversity and Inclusion Studies minor, which requires classes in “Power and Difference” and “Social Inequality.”

In response to Campus Reform’s request for comment, West Point clarified that the program was started in 2018 in part to balance faculty and student interest with the “Superintendent’s Strategic Goal of leveraging diversity and fostering inclusion.”

Sadly, West Point’s so-called “clarification” is even worse. But we’ll give them one bit of credit–the left has a real knack for employing buzzwords, don’t they? Phrases like “leveraging diversity” and “fostering inclusion” might sound harmless enough, but in reality, it’s coded language for promoting Marxism, just like “Black Lives Matter.” So, it probably won’t surprise you when we remind you that West Point is being sued for bragging about discriminating against whites.

Western Journal:

On Tuesday, lawyers representing the Students for Fair Admissions sued West Point for alleged race and ethnicity discrimination in admissions decisions, according to Politico. SFFA is the anti-affirmative action group that tanked race-conscious admissions practices at Harvard in a Supreme Court decision.

But the decision that nixed racial admissions policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill determined that because no military academy was party to the suit, the opinion did not include admissions issues at these schools “in light of the potentially distinct interests that military academies may present,” according to Politico.

SFFA didn’t agree with the justices’ logic and argued there is “no justification for using race-based admissions” and, since the practice is now illegal at non-military universities, West Point “is not exempt from the Constitution.”

SFFA contends that West Point is violating the Fifth Amendment with its skewed admission practices. The Fifth Amendment contains an equal-protection principle that binds the federal government.

Regrettably, the radical left has penetrated our sacred institutions—from our churches and educational systems to healthcare, the military, and even West Point. The uncomfortable reality is, this infiltration occurred right under our noses, and we didn’t do anything to try and stop them until it was too late.


What Our Oceans Say about Global Warming

September 29, 2023 By Guy K. Mitchell, Jr.

The primary heat transfer mechanism to cool the Earth's surface is convection.  However, at night, when the temperature of the Earth's surface approximates the temperature of the air above it, the Earth begins to cool by emitting long wave infrared (LWIR) photons into the lower troposphere (the first 8 km of the Earth's atmosphere).  

The basic premise in the man-made global warming hypothesis is that CO2 molecules in the lower troposphere, emitted by the burning of fossil fuels on Earth, absorb the LWIR photons emitted as the Earth cools.  The CO2 molecules "trap" the heat energy in the photon, which causes the troposphere to warm.  Then the CO2 molecule reradiates an LWIR photon of the same wavelength it absorbed back to the Earth's surface, which warms the Earth's surface.  The more CO2 molecules that are emitted into the troposphere by burning fossil fuels, the more heat is trapped and re-radiated back to the Earth's surface, increasing atmospheric and surface warming in a never-ending cycle.

  • Aside from the fact that heat can't be trapped, 
  • That the CO2 molecule does not immediately re-radiate the heat energy back to the Earth's surface, 
  • That the temperature database for the lower troposphere depicts no warming, and,
  • The Earth has no average temperature to measure or calculate, what else is wrong with this hypothesis?  

It has to do with the fact that the world's oceans cover 71% of the Earth's surface.  How do they fit into the man-made global warming hypothesis?  How do they interact with the LWIR photons that are emitted by the CO2 molecules in the troposphere down to Earth?  Have the world's oceans warmed?  Do the world's oceans cause global warming? ........To Read More..


 
Arbitrary Decision of Federal Bureaucrats Impoverishes Alaskan Natives Janet Levy Unelected bureaucrats impose far-reaching decisions without legislative scrutiny or accountability and Alaskan Natives suffer. More

Here's how we know that climate change hysteria is bunkum

September 29, 2023 By Uldis Sprogis

Whenever the temperature rises or falls this is true climate change. When the sun rises in the morning, the temperature usually rises gradually and in the afternoon the temperature usually falls gradually and this is climate change. When the temperature usually falls at night this is also climate change. When it rains or snows the temperature usually falls whether it is the daytime or at night and this is climate change. When it is cloudy the temperature usually falls or doesn’t increase as much. When there is pollution in the sky such as smoke from a wildfire then the temperature usually doesn’t rise or fall that much. Seasonal changes in temperature in the spring, summer, fall, and winter is also climate change.

The temperature change on a mountaintop is vastly different from the temperature change in a valley or over a desert such as the Sahara desert or Death Valley. The temperature change over the oceans, lakes, and bays is different depending on the location where it is measured in the world and the square area of the water being considered...........No one is currently able to prove or predict the average worldwide temperature of the earth. So, you can’t rationally or truthfully even talk about it without sounding like an ill-informed idiot.......climate change is neither scientific nor mathematical for the time being and all predictions are made by charlatans who don’t know what they are talking about or have a deceptive political agenda to impose on the gullible public........To Read More...

Globalism Must Be Destroyed

By J.B. Shurk September 29, 2023

Americans are pessimistic about the future.  They also view past decades more favorably than they do the present one.  The "land of opportunity" is gone.  The "American dream" is gone.  What remains is a fading memory of what America used to be without an underlying promise that its erstwhile preeminence can be restored.  This pessimism is not peculiar to those living inside the United States.  A growing body of research shows that national populations around the world are depressed about the future.............

Globalism, as the increasingly dominant governing philosophy — if not pseudo-religion — of the planet, is inherently antagonistic to both individual self-determination and the natural bonds formed within families and tribes.  When every human is encouraged — if not mandated — to act strictly for the "common good" of the global population, then those preferences that advance an individual's, family's, or nation's unique interests must be undermined.  

Powerful institutions as varied as the United Nations, World Economic Forum, BlackRock, and even the Vatican all demand an essentially borderless world, in which the peoples of any nation are encouraged to migrate freely into others.  Decades of mass migration, primarily in the West, have resulted in not only an explosion of ethnic enclaves existing somewhat autonomously inside host nation-states, but also the fracturing of common civic bonds that once loosely united those nations' native peoples.  

When citizens or political parties have fought back against policies of uncontrolled immigration, globalist-minded authorities have been quick to demonize their own citizens as racists; xenophobes; or, more recently, purveyors of "hate."............. governments have chosen to prioritize the cultural identities of recent transplants over the historic identities of the nation states they now call home.........After two decades of war, this generation's warriors return home to find the PATRIOT Act used against them, the government claiming ownership over their children, unaffordable gasoline, and the prospect of renting for life.  Globalism is where optimism goes to die.  Happiness will require its demolition..........To Read More....


BOEM’S Right Whale coverup and deception

BOEM pretends it knows the noise impairment levels for Right Whales but hides its own admitted lack of knowledge on the issue and also obscures its ongoing research that will not be completed for several years.

By September 27th, 2023 33 Comments @ CFACT

The Biden Administration is rushing headlong to start the massive construction of offshore wind power projects off the East Coast. The wind industry calls these installations “farms”.

In no way, shape, or form do they resemble bucolic farms?

They are massive, noisy, complicated, metal, concrete, and fiberglass factories consisting of thousands of steel towers, all taller than the Washington Monument, topped by fiberglass blades longer than a football field, and surrounded by tons of rock required to prevent ocean scouring.

Even if one subscribes to the absurd theory that carbon dioxide controls the climate, these factories will, when considering the energy and materials required to construct them, result in zero reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere and have zero impact on world climate.

Repeat: zero reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere and zero impact on climate.

But vendors believe there could be a lot of money to be made in this business, and the wind industry has been effective in sprinkling seed money into the coffers of politicians and so-called environmental groups to support the legislation necessary to pay for this boondoggle – money which will ultimately be derived from hapless electricity consumers who want nothing more than cheap, reliable electricity to power their daily lives, and who will find out too late in the game that offshore wind will be neither cheap, reliable, or environmentally friendly.

Fortunately, several citizen groups have been formed that are vigorously opposing this massive industrialization of the ocean. The two leading organizations are Save Right Whales Coalition, led by Lisa Linowes: https://saverightwhales.org/, and Save Long Beach Island, led by Dr. Robert Stern https://www.savelbi.org. In addition, Michael Shellenberger has produced a terrific documentary, Thrown to the Wind, which provides an eye-opening view into the real world of noise produced by so-called survey ships. Save LBI has also initiated litigation in New Jersey federal court seeking to revoke the permits issued by BOEM authorizing this preconstruction activity.

Officially listed as an endangered species by all State and federal governments, the Right Whale falls under the protection of both the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. These statutes require wind energy companies to obtain an “incidental take” permit for the Right Whales and other protected marine mammals while engaged in pre-construction site assessment work, which consists of sonar blasting the ocean floor to determine the placement of the wind turbines.

Last year, BOEM issued a dozen “take” permits to different wind developers who spent the winter months sonar blasting off the East Coast.

Between December 2022 and May of this year, 60 large whales, including one Right Whale, washed up dead on the beaches of NY, NJ, and VA. BOEM put together a “hastily called ” news conference to counter the outcry from the public over this outbreak of dead whales.

BOEM seemed absolutely sure there was no connection between the dead whales and sonar blasting: “At this point, there is no scientific evidence”, BOEM claimed in carefully worded lawyer jargon, ” that noise resulting from offshore wind site characterization surveys could potentially cause mortality of whales”. It concluded, ” There are no known links between recent large whale mortalities and ongoing offshore wind surveys”.

But what BOEM did not mention, or even reference, was the fact that it has funded a program currently underway that is designed precisely to answer the question of the extent to which sonar noise adversely impacts Baleen whales. Nor did BOEM mention that it had virtually no knowledge of the impact of sonar noise on large whales when it authorized the IHAs that permitted sonar mapping off the East Coast.

The program, termed “Auditory Weighting Function for Low Frequency Whales,” consists of three studies that examine the underwater noise abilities of the minke and humpback whales as proxies for Right Whales and other Baleen whales.

The program, begun in 2021, contains some startling admissions. First, BOEM is very clear in admitting that it does not know how sonar noise impacts “low frequency” whales. “The hearing abilities of ‘low frequency’ whales”, it explained, “remain one of the ‘major unknowns’ as the regulatory community has tried to deal with the effects of noise on marine mammals.” It added, “This information is imperative for BOEM to assess the potential effects of noise-producing actions (from both oil and gas and renewable energy) on these species, many of which are highly threatened”. It further conceded, ” the data need is national information on just one species of baleen whale which will significantly advance the current understanding (which is almost nonexistent) ……”.

Second, it acknowledged that “we are required to know this information for analyses under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.” It further explains that ” the lack of meaningful, validated data for LF whales has made it extremely challenging for NMFS and others to derive meaningful regulatory ‘not to exceed thresholds’ for noise sources, as required under the MMPA and ESA”.

The program envisions a set of three studies funded not just by BOEM but also by the US Navy, NOAA, and the Marine Mammal Commission.

This means that the program, when completed, will provide guidance for the entire government concerning acceptable noise levels for both oil and gas and offshore wind development.

So why hasn’t BOEM acknowledged that it does not know noise impairment levels for large whales, and why hasn’t it revealed the existence of this program, which will produce the information it is “required to know” under the MMPA and ESA?

The reason is obvious. The studies are being conducted right now and have not yet been completed. The final report and conclusions of the studies are not scheduled for completion until June 2025, almost two years from now.

BOEM is obviously hiding the existence of these critical studies. BOEM does not yet know the impact of sonar signals on Baleen whales, it is very clear that under the Marine Mammal Protection Act BOEM is required to rely on ” the best scientific information available” in crafting underwater noise regulations. In its rush to authorize offshore wind construction before the elections in November 2024, BOEM is relying on guesswork and outdated guesswork, at that. The Federal Code of Regulations makes it very clear that BOEM cannot hide behind the excuse that this critical information is not available when it knows full well that the data will be derived from ongoing studies that are organized and funded by BOEM itself.

At a minimum, this set of facts would support a temporary injunction prohibiting BOEM from issuing further IHAs until the studies have been completed and the data has been incorporated into definitive regulations. Any final Environmental Impact Statement issued by the EPA that fails to incorporate the data to be derived from these latest studies will be de facto misleading and de jure unlawful.

When BOEM claims that “there is no evidence” linking the recent outbreak of whale deaths due to sonar testing, it is engaging in obvious and easily provable deception. This is a classic case of gaslighting. BOEM cannot sweep its “knowledge gap” concerning Right Whale noise impairment under the rug and expect the courts to approve any further offshore wind development.

Author

  • Collister Johnson

    Johnson has spent the last four decades working in the public and private sectors in Virginia, primarily in the fields of project finance and maritime transportation. He began his career in public service as Chairman of the Board of the Virginia Port Authority. He was appointed by President George W. Bush, and confirmed by the Senate, as a member of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and most recently, as Administrator of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. In that capacity, he became knowledgeable in the field of climate and its impact on the Great Lakes. He currently serves on CFACT's Board of Advisors. Johnson holds a B.A. degree from Yale University, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia.

Offshore wind is systematically violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act

By September 28th, 2023, 37 Comments @ CFACT

New evidence says that offshore wind sonar surveys may have committed hundreds of thousands of violations of the MMPA, each potentially subject to tens of thousands of dollars in fines. The potential penalty total is in the billions. Moreover these incredible violations appear to be deliberate.

These astonishingly bad findings flow from research by the Save the Right Whales Coalition (SRWC). It is a bit technical but here is a simple summary.

First some legal background. We are talking about the activity of sonar blasting doing something called “incidental harassment”. In the MMPA harassment means doing bad things to a marine mammal. These can range from causing adverse behavioral changes to outright injury, such as in this case causing deafness. Incidental means the harassment is due to some activity that is not directed at the mammal, in this case the many sonar surveys done in conjunction with offshore wind development.

One of the fundamental rules in the MMPA is that incidental harassment is illegal unless it has been specifically authorized by NOAA. The extreme noise from offshore wind sonar surveys does a lot of incidental harassment so NOAA has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) for each one. Since sonar blasting geared up in 2016 NOAA has issued over 40 IHAs with more pending.

Each IHA lists the number of authorized harassments by species of affected mammal. How this is done is very important here. In simple terms it is like this. NOAA has established noise level thresholds, above which there is harassment. Given the loudness of the sonar the size of the ocean area where harassment will occur is then determined. Then the number of critters of each affected species that will be in that area, hence harassed, is estimated. That number of harassments is then authorized so the survey can proceed.

These IHA numbers are big. It is not unusual for 5,000 to 10,000 harassments to be authorized in a single IHA. Most of these are typically dolphins and seals, with dozens of whales as well. All the IHAs, effective, expired and pending, are listed here: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/incidental-take-authorizations-other-energy-activities-renewable

These MMPA authorized harassments are an issue because they can cause deadly behavior, such as driving the critter into heavy ship traffic to be struck. But that is not our topic here as we now have something potentially far worse to consider.

Save Right Whales Coalition (SRWC) blows the whistle

SRWC noticed that the recent IHA calculations were using sonar noise levels that were much lower than those specified by the equipment manufacturer. So they did what NOAA should have been doing from the beginning; they measured the noise from a sonar in action doing a survey. They found that the noise level was comparable to the manufacturer’s specs, hence much louder than what the IHA assumed.

Here is how SRWC co-founder Lisa Linowes explained it to me (somewhat technically):

“Thirteen of the 13 IHAs now active for OSW sonar activity show all of the applications were approved based on a sonar level with a source sound level of 211 dB,pk and 203 dB,rms. Had the developers used the correct sound levels using manufacturer’s data of 226 dB,pk and 219 dB,rms (per NOAA’s own guidance), NOAA’s spreadsheet for determining Level B threshold for impulsive sound levels would be 890 meters from the survey boat. But instead, the quieter sonar value submitted to NOAA placed the threshold distance at just 141 meters and that’s what NOAA approved. Using the same calculation for impact area that the developers used but applying the 890 meter radius results in an area that is significantly larger.”

For more see https://saverightwhales.org/

If the local population scales with area, which seems likely, then the number of harassments will be about 6.3 times higher than authorized. That is 890 divided by 141. For simplicity call it 6 times higher.

Thus the number of unauthorized harassments will be roughly 5 times higher than the number authorized. All of these unauthorized harassments are illegal violations of the MMPA. The number of violations is huge. Note that these low-ball numbers come from the offshore developer not NOAA. The harassment calculations are in the developer’s application.

We know where these low-ball numbers come from. NOAA’s IHA guidance says that if the manufacturer’s data is not available then the applicant can use a proxy number from a 2016 technical publication. Despite the manufacturer’s specs being readily available, all the applicants used some of the lowest proxy numbers. Why NOAA approved this substitution is not known.

Staggering potential penalties for illegal harassment

The potential penalties for unauthorized harassment are sizable. Here is NOAA’s summary:

“If prosecuted, violators of the MMPA could face:

  • Civil penalties up to $34,457.
  • Up to 1 year in prison, plus criminal fines.
  • Forfeiture of the vessel involved, including penalties for that vessel up to $25,000.”

See Frequent Questions: Feeding or Harassing Marine Mammals in the Wild

I have seen reports that to date NOAA has authorized over 400,000 offshore wind sonar harassments. If all of these use the low-ball loudness and given our 5 times ratio this implies an incredible 2 million unauthorized harassments or more. At $34,457 per harassment the civil penalties alone work out to just under 69 billion dollars! Not to mention the jail time and criminal fines.

This astonishing 69 billion dollars in potential penalties shows the staggering scale of this issue of unauthorized harassment by offshore wind sonar.

Clearly a thorough investigation is called for. In the meantime this illegal harassment must cease. Active IHAs should be suspended and no more issued until this issue is resolved.

Author

 

Flying the Coop – Research Finds More Young People Living at Home

The rent is too high to live on your own! 

 By Andrew Moran September 28, 2023 @ Liberty Nation News

Back in the day, the goal for many young people was to leave the nest and live on their own. They could spoil their appetites by eating chocolate chip cookies before dinner, stay up late watching television, and leave their beds untidy. Today, because the cost of living is spiraling out of control, the sweet birds of youth are staying in the coop or moving back home with mom and dad, new research has found. While this ubiquitous development might be the subject of scorn, can anyone blame Generation Zers and millennials for living at home in their room upstairs surrounded by posters of Britney Spears and the Back Street Boys?

Bidenomics 101: Living at Home

According to a new Harris Poll-Bloomberg News survey, half of young adults are still living at home with their parents. Most do not want to be shamed for the transition back, as close to 90% of polling respondents stated that their peers should not be judged for this setback. Roughly three-quarters of participants noted that the decision was mainly financial. They stated that the driving factors were saving money, taking care of older family members, being unable to live independently, helping out with family expenses, and setting aside money for a down payment.

Can Anyone Blame Them?

Sure, it is easy to poke fun at the current generation of kidults who choose to work remotely on a bed of plushies in their Power Rangers pajamas. But the reality is that the economic situation is broken for millions. Price inflation and the overall cost of living are the primary reasons for many of these unique trends. Let’s take a peek at four components that impact young people the most: food, transportation, shelter, and student loans.

Food inflation has skyrocketed in recent years, with supermarket prices still 3% higher than they were a year ago. Within the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index (CPI), many items remain elevated or have reaccelerated their upward trend, from chicken (+1.3%) to potatoes (+0.6%). Outside of the CPI, shoppers are witnessing massive jumps in a basket of goods: olive oil, orange juice, and avocados.

As crude oil prices march toward the critical $100 threshold, the pain at the pump is being felt by motorists, including young folks who might already be paying an arm and a leg for their clunker. The national average for a gallon of gasoline is close to $4. This impacts standard transportation services, a CPI category that has spiked 10.3% year-over-year and risen 2% month-over-month. In addition, a McDonald’s cashier has seen his or her public transportation costs jump by 3.9%, while TikTok influencers have seen their airline fares climb by nearly 5%.

Median national rent prices stood at $2,052 in August, just $2 short of last year’s record high of $2,054. Even if young people had the means to purchase a residential property, the median mortgage payment was $2,161 in July. Across the country, shelter costs have swelled considerably; the index is up at an annualized basis of 7.3%. The good news? There has been an apartment construction boom since the onset of the public health crisis. The bad news? New builds are expected to dry up soon because of ballooning borrowing costs and surging input costs, be it labor or raw materials.

After a more than three-year COVID-related pause, student loan payments will begin again in October. In total, student loan debt is about $1.57 trillion. This massive red ink might have been serviceable before the coronavirus pandemic, but now that interest rates are at their highest levels in more than two decades, college and university graduates will find it harder to keep their heads above water.

Just Get a Good Job, Bro

But some may counter that young people living at home can get a good job. Indeed, labor conditions are tight, and nominal wage growth has been terrific. The chief challenge is that the job market is easing amid a slowing economy and rising interest rates. The other problem is that real (inflation-adjusted) wages are down 3% since 2021. So, obtaining a worthwhile employment opportunity is one ring on the ladder to success. When paychecks do not stretch very far and purchasing power is eroded daily, millions might feel financially insecure and apprehensive to wave goodbye to mom and dad and rent an overpriced apartment that may have cockroaches, zero sunlight, and a blue-haired next-door neighbor with “Orange Man Bad” and “I’m With Her” stickers plastered on the front door.

Suffice it to say, life ain’t what it used to be.

Read More From Andrew Moran

Biden Impeachment Inquiry Begins

Republicans make their case on the national stage.

By Graham J Noble September 28, 2023 @ Liberty Nation News

Today, September 28, House Republicans take the first step in an impeachment inquiry exploring President Joe Biden’s involvement during his time as vice president in his son’s influence-peddling schemes. The White House continues to claim, perhaps ironically, that the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability is pursuing a politically motivated impeachment with no evidence of wrongdoing. The first hearing has been labeled, “The Basis for an Impeachment Inquiry of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.”

The Republican-led committee will hear from three witnesses on this first day: Eileen O’Connor, a former Justice Department assistant attorney general; Bruce Dubinsky, founder of Dubinsky Consulting; and law professor Jonathan Turley.

GOP lawmakers have amassed a considerable amount of evidence that strongly indicates Joe Biden, as VP, was actively involved in Hunter Biden’s seemingly prolific selling of access to the White House.

The most recent public revelation concerns payments made to Hunter Biden in 2019 via two bank wires of Chinese origin. Joe Biden’s Delaware home was listed as the beneficiary address for the two transfers of $250,000 and $10,000. Joe Biden’s defenders scoffed at this latest news, saying Hunter Biden lived at his father’s house at the time, which explains why that address was listed. The evidence suggests, though, that the junior Biden was not residing at his dad’s home during that period. While his lawyers were trying to strike a bargain with the Justice Department as he faced tax and gun charges, Hunter Biden in fact claimed he was living in California in 2019.

Evidence Justifies an Impeachment Inquiry

Whether there’s anything incriminating about the Chinese payments or not, Republicans have sufficient material to justify at least an inquiry. For perspective, former President Donald Trump was impeached for making a phone call. At the time, House Democrats had no evidence of an impeachable offense. The conversation that took place between the 45th president and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky – and how Democrats and their impeachment witnesses chose to interpret what was said – constituted the entire basis of the Democrats’ investigation.

GettyImages-1700613717 Joe Biden - impeachment

Joe Biden (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Thus, regardless of whether Biden is impeached, there is enough evidence to warrant the inquiry. Unlike those Democrats who vowed to impeach Trump even before he was inaugurated, Republicans have not yet committed to an impeachment vote for Joe Biden. The purpose of launching an inquiry is to give GOP investigators the power they need to gather documents and other materials that have been denied them thus far.

In fact, this first hearing is not the start of the impeachment inquiry proper. Rather, its real purpose is to lay out why such an inquiry should be initiated. However, Republicans will not be aided by the left-wing press the way Democrats were when they impeached Trump – twice. This time around, the impeachers will face a barrage of attacks from those same organizations. At least, that is what everyone should assume. As vulnerable as he is, though, Joe Biden might see the media wagons declining to circle him even as they play down the impeachment effort. It is possible that the Fourth Estate giants, normally so loyal to Joe Biden’s party, will take a step back and leave the failing commander-in-chief to his fate. Though there’s no realistic chance that an impeached Joe Biden would be convicted in the US Senate, what the Republicans reveal during the inquiry might be more than enough to end his decades-long political career.

Read More From Graham J Noble

Federal Judiciary: The Rogue Malevolent Arm of Bidenism

September 27, 2023 By Robert Socha @ Daily Rant

The federal judiciary has become a malevolent arm of this current administration, boldly targeting its adversaries. Their shameful, continued pursuit of people who chose to protest on January 6th is a mockery of true justice. The media’s intentional mislabeling of the day’s events as an insurrection contributes to the deception.

Our fine community is not immune to this misguided, vengeful pursuit of every person who dared enter the Capitol building that day. We have had two who were arraigned and had to appear before a federal circuit court judge because they entered the open doors of the Capitol and spent six (6) minutes calmly walking around before exiting. If you read the actual complaint, there is no mention of insurrection!

Someone they know tipped off the Feds! This betrayal led to investigations and a search warrant to browse the defendants’ social media profiles. A dystopian nightmare has reared its ugly head in our small community, causing actual harm.

Where is the public outrage from conservatives on Capitol Hill? Shamefully, mostly crickets.

I have often stated and will continue to shout as often as possible the people who gathered on the Mall that day to protest the blatant and proven chicanery that happened during the 2020 Presidential Election were exercising their patriotic First Amendment Rights, looking for justice in the face of a plethora of questionable events during and immediately following the election. Rasmussen recently reported that a preliminary Arizona Senate Forensic Ballot Audit found over 200,000 non-conforming 2020 ballots and nearly 150,000 in Georgia!

Additionally, more and more videos like this one provide convincing evidence that the Capitol Police invited the throngs up onto the Capitol steps and even into the building itself and that the crowd was intentionally trying to be non-violent. This evidence is so compelling 88 out of 92 lawsuits filed (with only 30 decided on their merits, 22 in favor of Trump and the GOP[i]) concerning the 2020 elections believe illegal manipulation of the outcome favors the alleged victor currently occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Leftist groups have created a machine that fills out fraudulent ballots and pays mules to put them in Drop Boxes at three AM. No observers stood near these boxes 24 hours a day except maybe a surveillance camera. Only one way exists to stop this fraudulent abuse of our electoral process. Amend the Constitution to change election law federally: Voting only occurs in person (voter ID required) on election day, and, preferably, dipping your index finger in a vat of purple ink indicating you have voted. Having serial numbers on ballots would also be a marvelous identifier, especially if the voting machine could print a receipt of the received ballot. If those ballots ever were questioned, the voter could produce the verified receipt and qualify the vote. The exceptions could be when the voter must prepare beforehand, fill out an absentee request, and follow that proper course of action.

This unpopular revision would negate terrible legislation passed in states like Michigan, with unlimited opportunities for fraud. For example, Michigan’s constitutionally amended election law allows for mail-in voting (ballots postmarked on election day count, which will delay a total tallied vote by up to nine days), drop boxes 30 days prior, and nine (9) days of early voting for federal and state elections. Unrestricted mail-in voting and ballot drop boxes are ripe for fraud, so much so that nations like France have outlawed their use, at least the mail-in option. It will be difficult for this writer to trust election integrity until common-sense reforms are passed and implemented. For us in Michigan, achieving another constitutional amendment would require beating almost impossible odds.

In the meantime, we must work diligently to encourage everyone to vote according to the dictates of their conscience. I firmly believe there is hope to overcome this chicanery, but it requires hard work and sacrifice to encourage participation. What am I willing to contribute? What are you?

Regarding the January 6th defendants, I have contacted my congressman, expressing my disgust at their exploitation and encouraging his intervention. We must pressure our politicians to defend free speech and assembly, especially when contradicting and confronting the United States federal government.

[i] https://twitter.com/Rach_IC 

Tags:  Courts     Political, Christian and Conservative Issues     Politics

About the Author Robert Socha (so-ha), was born in southern California. He served 5 years 3 months active duty in the United States Air Force; honorably. After his service he took an Associate’s Degree in Practical Theology, where, through his studies, developed a deep love of God and Country and sincere appreciation of the value of Liberty. Robert and his beloved wife of 21-plus years are raising 4 beautiful Texan children. They moved to Hillsdale, Michigan, in 2013, to put their children in Hillsdale Academy. Robert is a sales professional. He and his wife consider Michigan a hidden gem, and absolutely love this city and state (current political environment notwithstanding) they’ve adopted.

The Seven Dwarfs Lost

By Rich Kozlovich 

The GOP had its second debate last night, and I guess the best description would be:

"Well, that was embarrassing and perhaps the most humiliating few hours in modern political history."

For those who've been following these Gong Shows a few things have come out about the character of the contestants.  Let's start with the least two objectionable characters, Scott and Burgum who neither hurt nor helped themselves, but does it really matter?  Neither are going anywhere.  So I keep wondering why they put themselves through these kind of humiliations.  

One writer thought Nikki Haley scored points.  I think she’s obnoxious, and unaccomplished, and Mark Levine agrees with me saying she "earned" the "obnoxious" title last night.   

Pence is lost beyond help, and no one is coming to his defense, and rightly so, he looked like a fool. Christie is the perfect Gong Show contestant, a nasty loon, and "continues to debase the debate." DeSantis actually didn’t do badly because he didn't say much. The more he talks the less he is, but in this case, there are those who feel he actually looked better than the rest. 

One writer said maybe we need more of these because these are the "preferred" candidates of the Republican establishment.  They looked ridiculous, the National Republican Committee looks ridiculous, the Republican Party leaders look ridiculous, and the rank and file Republicans are embarrassed. 

Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy will probably be two standing, but neither are likeable or unelectable, and I find that view is expressed a lot, and I think Nikki will be out before Vivek. However, being the last man standing in a field of loser clowns isn't much of an accomplishment. 

From all of this there are four definitive conclusions. 

  1. There's no reason to have more of these Gong Show debates!   Since Trump won without even being there, why bother?  
  2. Trump is the nominee, get over it, and avoid another humiliating show of character, or lack thereof.  
  3. It's clear Trump's decision not to participate was a wise move. 
  4. These aren't real debates. These "debate" formats are stupid, and the moderators are biased and/or incompetent.

There was the one thing that could have made any one of these candidates look outstanding,  and that would have been to put up their hand and ask that everyone act like well mannered civilized people and treat each other with respect allowing everyone to have their say.  

Then, when they ignored that, turned around and walk off the stage.  And when asked why; answering he came here to discuss the serious issues facing the nation, not be part of a clown show. None of them did that.  

Below are articles that deal with the issues that weren't properly dealt with, which are issues really on everyone's mind.  

Also, guess who California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) thinks won this debate?  Joe Biden.  Imagine that, but as stupid as that was, he did get something right.  He called them these seven dwarfs the JV team. 

GOP Debate Candidates Fail to Move the Needle on National Security - By Dave Patterson Those hoping for a solid answer to Ukraine and the threats of China, Russia, and North Korea were bound for disappointment.  Seven Republicans vying for the US presidency took the stage....... took tough questions, but at the end of the night, they failed to move the needle on national security..........[on] what the candidates would do about Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.......... Dana Perino prefaced her question by invoking the venue’s namesake, saying, “President Reagan believed if you want to prevent a war, you better be prepared to fight one.” She explained the Republican Party was at odds over support for Ukraine. The price tag is $76 billion. “Is it in America’s interest to degrade Russia’s military for less than five percent of what we pay annually on defense, especially when there are no US soldiers in the fight?”.........

 GOP Debate Brings an Inevitable Conclusion - By Mark Angelides The shadow of Trump looms large. Republican presidential hopefuls took to the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, last night to sell their brands to the American public. During the September 27 debate, seven contenders answered questions, avoided questions, and attacked opponents in an effort to stand out from the crowd and, ultimately, free themselves of the shadow of former President Donald Trump, who remains more than 40 points ahead of the field........ while many of the questions throughout the event were certainly topical, they were not, perhaps, the questions that most matter to Republican voters.............Burgum surprises, Pence fades, and Christie name calls.....