My Near Death Experience At The Cosmetologist

I ventured out to the local cosmetologist for a much needed haircut. I was starting to resemble my Viking forbears after several weeks of government mandated lock down. And I had a slight urge to pillage that was a little disconcerting.

The salon door was covered with warning signs. I knew, just beyond this portal pure evil awaited. It was a pestilence so deadly, so evil, with huge nasty teeth, that I was likely to die before my last hair was snipped. True fear gripped me. I was alone, no shield wall to hide behind and no other warriors to share the honor of a glorious victory, or a good death.

I girded up my loins, and with my trusty battle ax, I shoved the door aside. There were no guests waiting for their appointment with death, so I was immediately approached by a petite Asian woman, covered head-to-toe in protective gear. Between the scrubs, gloves, mask, acrylic face shield, not a spot on the young lady was unprotected. Was I getting a hair cut, or major surgery?

Through broken English I understood that I too, must cover my face. I pulled my trusty mask out, bowed slightly, held it to my face, and said, "Hai" - not knowing if she understood Japanese or not.

I was led to the place of my execution. An uncomfortable apparatus designed to make your last moments on Earth as unpleasant as possible. I was four inches too tall, and likely 50 pounds too heavy for the chair, so I had to slump a wee bit so she could reach the crown of my head. She wrapped a black frock around my body, supposedly to catch any falling hair. This was topped by the kerchief of death, which was easily and inch or two too small.

A snip here, a buzz there, and it was finished. Like Samson, I felt my strength slip away - or that might have been the higher concentration of CO2 in my bloodstream as the result of my mask. I stood up and stumbled over to the counter where I was forced to pay for the encounter. And just like that, it was done. I was free. And more importantly, I was still alive.

This Is The Biggest Storm Since...

I pray for all those who have experienced loss during Hurricane Sandy and hope every family can recover quickly. Its never pleasant when a natural disaster occurs. I'm sure the people in New York and New Jersey see about as many hurricanes as I see major ice storms in Dallas, Texas. And its certainly not easy to prepare for something that occurs so infrequently.

Even before landfall, the warmanistas were already staking their claims to Hurricane Sandy as proof that global warming exists - and we must take immediate action to stop it. Sadly, their plans often include laundering taxpayer money through bankrupt "green" companies, which hardly seems like a prudent strategy to combat global warming, or to help a struggling economy.

In times like these, we need a little perspective. Accurate records for Atlantic hurricanes only go back so far for the United States. But there are reports of storms hitting the East Coast all the way back to the 12th Century. There were 3 storms in 1888 that hit New England, and 2 in 1869, 1893, 1954, 1972, and 1985. The further back in time, the less accurate the records. There is no way of knowing how many storms made landfall that went unnoticed, or were not recorded for posterity.

It wasn't that long ago that a certain well known climate charlatan was making movies, receiving a Nobel Prize, and telling the UN that hurricanes were getting more frequent and more dangerous. He was back on camera this week, using his best scary voice to tell us that Hurricane Sandy was, “a disturbing sign of things to come.”

In a very disturbing speech to the UN in 2005, and a noteworthy performance that should have won an Academy Award, Al Gore breathlessly blamed George Bush for everything from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina, in the latter case, apparently the local government in Democrat-controlled New Orleans gets a pass for their ineptness. The global warming pope himself made the following outrageous predictions.

Now, the scientific community is warning us that the average hurricane will continue to get stronger because of global warming. A scientist at MIT has published a study well before this tragedy showing that since the 1970s, hurricanes in both the Atlantic and the Pacific have increased in duration, and in intensity, by about 50%. The newscasters told us after Hurricane Katrina went over the southern tip of Florida that there was a particular danger for the Gulf Coast of the hurricanes becoming much stronger because it was passing over unusually warm waters in the gulf.

Poppycock. Its almost as if nature likes mocking Al Gore. Every wacky prediction he makes falls short. Since his proclamation of doom, the US has gone 7 years without a major hurricane (Cat 3+) making landfall - blowing past the previous record set between 1900 and 1906. That does not mean that hurricanes cannot, or will not be dangerous. But the assertion that global warming is making them more frequent and/or more dangerous is obviously flawed.

Technology, such as satellites, computers, and aircraft, has made it much easier to spot and track hurricanes and tropical storms in the modern era. Media proliferation has made it much more accessible for everyone to be aware of hurricanes globally. That would help explain any perceived increase in storms in the last 40 years. 2005 was a deadly year for major hurricanes with 7 in the Atlantic. But even without the advantages of modern technology, that number was matched in 1961, and surpassed in 1950 (8). In the preceding centuries, that number may have been eclipsed several times, but we simply have no accurate records to prove this.

Hurricane Sandy, as destructive as it may have been, was just barely a Category 1 storm when it hit the coast. I'm sure architects and engineers never considered the once a decade possibility of a direct hit from a hurricane as they were building New Jersey and New York. Just like New Orleans would probably not be placed below sea level in prime hurricane country if it were being founded today. Hopefully, in both cases, rebuilding will take into consideration future storms.

Hurricanes come, natural disasters occur, and as Solomon says, there is nothing new under the Sun. Speaking of Scripture, in that same speech to the UN, Al Gore invoked God's Word. He quotes Proverbs 29:18 - where there is no vision, the people perish. He cuts the verse short and uses the King James Version. When you look at this same complete verse in other translations, the meaning becomes much more dynamic.

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. Proverbs 29:18 NLT

Stay with me while I tie this together. God's Law is simply summed up as - Love your Heavenly Father with all your heart, and love others as yourself. If you love God and others, you do not lie. Nor do you sow fear and deception. Its one thing to promote a belief that mankind is destroying the planet, however wrong and misguided that may be. It takes on a much more sinister nature when you knowingly deceive folks, and then try to profit from it. 

There are many reasons why Americans have rejected the global warming hysteria. Chief among these is that many Americans are Christians who know to reject fear, and those that use it for political purposes. I will never be motivated by fear or deception - both weapons of the enemy.

Quite a few Americans, like myself, have also been on this planet long enough to recognize that not every single weather event is the biggest, worst, coldest, warmest, or longest that has ever been. When we hear claims like these, we recognize them as laughable exaggerations. And when these weather events are politicized to push a "green" agenda, we rightly recognize them as propaganda.

Climate change has happened in the past, and will continue to occur in the future, with or without man. And there are far too many factors beyond man's control that influence the global climate, chief among these is the Sun. It is irresponsible to utilize a weather event, such as Hurricane Sandy, and the suffering of those that endure it, to score cheap political points for a highly controversial belief system. But then again idolatry, placing creation and even man above its Creator, has been around since the beginning of time. Solomon had it right, there is nothing new under the Sun.


Related:
Roger Pielke: Hurricanes and Human Choice 

Hurricane Sandy’s ‘Unprecedented’ Storm Surge

The Melting Pot

I remember years ago in grade school we were studying American history and politics. My teacher at that time was discussing America and the ideal we represent to the world. This was right in the middle of the Cold War. The Soviet Union was attempting to spread its form of socialism around the globe. Even in the relatively "free" Europe, socialism was destroying the economies of once global powers. But America stood alone as a beacon of hope to all those who yearned to be free, or simply hoped for a better life.

As we studied the birth and growth of this great nation, we were introduced to the notion of America being a Melting Pot. The idea was that the very best ideas from a multitude of cultures were blended to create a common culture that celebrates freedom. For decades, this grand experiment worked. Germans, English, French, Irish, Spanish, Asian and African immigrants brought their customs, food, language, music, ideas, inventions to our shores and the very best of each became part of a new and wonderful American culture. America's freedom allowed capitalism to thrive and create the most powerful and economically successful nation in the history of the world in just couple centuries.

Where did the Melting Pot concept go?

In the last few decades, the concept of a melting pot disappeared. In its place we have the scourge of multiculturalism, that wants to separate people by culture, sex, religion, race or any other way liberals see fit to divide this nation. Instead of immigrants embracing all that is good about this nation, they want to recreate their own little enclave here in America and refuse to integrate. They stick to their customs, language, dress and then wonder why Americans treat them differently.

America is a country of immigrants. We celebrate those that have arrived here LEGALLY and have contributed to the success of this nation. We hear the stories of families that lost everything in Viet Nam, Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, China, Africa, Latin America or the Middle East, that come here with nothing but a dream and stand in awe of their struggle. These people come here, work hard, pay their taxes, obey the law and remain committed as a family to become AMERICANS. Within a generation, many of these are quite successful and fully integrated into society. They remember and honor their past culture, but they also EMBRACE their new home, America.

Love America Or Leave It!

There is not a major city in this country that does not have pockets of immigrants that have recreated their own little homeland. And there is nothing wrong with this as long as the ultimate plan is to assimilate into the culture of your new country. Learn the language, obey the laws and enjoy the freedom that America gives you. Leave the barbaric laws and practices of the old country behind and enjoy the fruits of western civilization.

Instead, we get groups like NCLR and CAIR that attempt to elevate or provide special privileges to certain cultural groups. Or even worse, encouraging illegal immigration or illegal activity. This must be stopped. We do not need another official language. English has united us quite well for over two hundred years. We don't need sharia laws. The Constitution, when it is upheld, works quite nicely. Nor do we need honor killings, rapes, terrorism, drug gangs, beheadings and all the other fruits that are staples in many parts of the rest of the world.

If legal immigrants or residents are not willing to live under our laws, or honor the values of this great country, its time to head back home. If you are not willing to learn the language and enjoy the American dream - Adiós, Aloha, Auf Wiedersehen, Au revoir, Shalom, Ciao, Chao, Hyvästi, See you later!

The Ruling Class...

This is an excerpt from an article in American Spectator. It is a little lengthy, but an excellent analysis of the country at present and the forces that oppose freedom.

The ruling class's appetite for deference, power, and perks grows. The country class disrespects its rulers, wants to curtail their power and reduce their perks. The ruling class wears on its sleeve the view that the rest of Americans are racist, greedy, and above all stupid. The country class is ever more convinced that our rulers are corrupt, malevolent, and inept. The rulers want the ruled to shut up and obey. The ruled want self-governance. The clash between the two is about which side's vision of itself and of the other is right and which is wrong. Because each side -- especially the ruling class -- embodies its views on the issues, concessions by one side to another on any issue tend to discredit that side's view of itself. One side or the other will prevail. The clash is as sure and momentous as its outcome is unpredictable.

The "country class" are the millions of Americans who go to work, create jobs/wealth, pay taxes and otherwise make the country work. Without the support of these people, the ruling class is doomed. Unfortunately, the ruling class exists in both parties. While the Republicans will occasionally find a Reagan that believes in and supports freedom, he will be surrounded by others who disagree - who are eager to grow the government and their own interests.

In the 18th century, Patriots stood up to a distant government that ruled against the will of the people. They were raising taxes, passing onerous regulations, and constantly infringing on personal liberty. In short, England was not behaving responsibly. Is Washington in 2010 that much different? We have a Federal government suing Arizona for merely trying to stop the flood of illegal immigration that is bankrupting the state and is a source of increasingly violent crime. We have a POTUS destroying the oil industry in the Gulf by Presidential decree, even after the courts have struck down previous attempts at this gross overreach. We have an unconstitutional takeover of health care and nationalization of automobile manufacturers. Is this what our Founders imagined when they declared their independence and formed this nation?

This next election is an important step to bringing sanity back to Washington and reinstating our Founding Father's correct notion of limited government. Let's make it happen.