Day: November 6, 2013

Do You Care What Happened Yesterday?

Maybe not…..unless you live in an area that had their election yesterday you probably do not give a crap……but maybe you should look at a little that happened.

For one, Chris Christie won re-election as gov of New Jersey and watch for it…..today will be his first day as a candidate for the GOP nomination in 2016……other than that……it was news to make you snooze…..

But if you are a wonk like me their were a couple things that could point the way for future campaigns……

(Newser) – The 2013 election is in the books, and while there weren’t many surprises in this off-year affair, there’s plenty to digest. Here are some bulleted thoughts to help your brain do just that:

  • Some polls had Terry McAuliffe ahead of Ken Cuccinelli by double digits, so his 3-point win is something of a stunner, Politico points out. Cuccinelli’s assessment: “This race came down to the wire because of ObamaCare.” Exit polls seem to agree with him, CNN reports; 53% opposed ObamaCare.
  • McAuliffe also outspent Cuccinelli by $15 million. Given the small margin of victory, expect some recriminations from the RNC, which spent just $3 million on the race, compared to $9 million in 2009.
  • Do Republicans still have problems with women? McAuliffe won women by the same 9-point margin that Barack Obama did, and Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post points out that he won unmarried women by a whopping 40 points. But Chris Christie actually won 57% of women en route to his landslide win.
  • Of course, Christie won as “the un-Republican,” in Cillizza’s words. The results suggest that the GOP “would be much better served nominating a Chris Christie conservative than a Ken Cuccinelli or Ted Cruz conservative” in 2016.
  • The party might be getting the message. Tea Party favorite Dean Young lost in Alabama’s 1st District—maybe the reddest in the country—because his more moderate Republican foe raked in more money. The race “may signal the coming of a more active Republican business community,” CNN observes.
  • Of course, the Chris Christie Conservative most likely to be nominated is… Chris Christie. Pundits everywhere are declaring him the official frontrunner for the GOP nod in 2016. Click for much more on Christie’s win.
  • Bill de Blasio’s win was hardly a surprise, but it does represent a kind of revolt in the Big Apple. “He became the voice of frustration for the boroughs outside Manhattan,” says today’s New York Times profile. De Blasio has promised to raise taxes on Manhattan’s high-rollers, a big change from Michael Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani’s tough-on-crime reps.

There you have it my friends….all the news you cannot possibly use…..enjoy!

Why The Uproar Over Climate Change?

We hear daily from all sorts of pundits and politicos about the subject of climate change, the politically correct way of saying global warming…….we hear from the right about what junk science it is….we hear from the left about the consequences of doing nothing……you choose your side….but before you do please investigate both sides both making some bonehead statements……

Me?  I am on the side that we humans are gonna f*cked this planet until there is nothing left to save…..but that is my opinion….and I do what I can to help….I realize it may be too little but at least I am trying to make change….how about you?

But now back to the original question……why the uproar?

Maybe this will help to explain why………

UN scientists see bad things happening to the world’s food supply in the next several decades even as demand increases, reports the New York Times. A draft report by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007) predicts that climate change will cut agricultural production by 2% per decade through the end of the century. That reduction comes as demand rises 14% per decade thanks to the ever-growing world population. The panel’s previous report in 2007 was more optimistic, notes the Times. That one said that while some areas of the world would see less production, those losses would be offset by gains in colder climes. Now, the UN scientists predict a net loss, reflecting new research that shows crops are more sensitive than thought to hot temperatures. Another tangible sign of the times: President Obama yesterday ordered federal agencies to help state and local governments better prepare for rising sea levels, storms, and droughts, reports the Washington Post.

Okay, believe it or not….that is up to you….but if you are a gardener you have experienced some changes in growing habits of the veggies…….and if this is true……expect massive price increases to the point that some foods will be price prohibitive for some people……

If the food source suffers…how long will it be before the aquifers begin to show problems?

Finally, when the food runs out….in which direction will the fingers point?

Now here is where I would like everyone’s thoughts on this situation…..