What the . . .?

California residents, sorry. Your state has finally really flipped it's lid.

from Autoblog h/t Patriot Room

California to reduce carbon emissions by... banning black cars?!
by Jeremy Korzeniewski

In a move that will likely get California's consumers in a huff, impending legislation may soon restrict the paint color options for Golden State residents looking for their next new vehicle. The specific colors that are currently on the chopping block are all dark hues, with the worst offender seemingly the most innocuous color you could think of: Black. What could California possibly have against these colors, you ask? Apparently, the California Air Resources Board figures that the climate control systems of dark colored cars need to work harder than their lighter siblings – especially after sitting in the sun for a few hours. Anyone living in a hot, sunny climate will tell you that this assumption is accurate, of course. In fact, legislation already exists for buildings that has proven successful at reducing the energy consumption of skyscrapers.

So, what's the crux of the problem... can't paint suppliers just come up with new, less heat-absorbent dark paints? According to Ward's, suppliers have reportedly been testing their pigments and processes to see if it's possible to meet CARB's proposed mandate of 20% solar reflectivity by 2016 with a phase-in period starting in 2012, and things aren't looking good. Apparently, when the proper pigments and chemicals are added to black paint, the resulting color is currently being referred to as "mud-puddle brown." That doesn't sound very attractive, now does it? Windshields, backlights and sunroofs are also slated to get reflective coatings starting in 2012.

When we first heard of this issue, an internal debate immediately began as to whether this might be an elaborate early April Fool's joke, but it isn't. Read through CARB's complete Cool Cars Standards and Test Procedures here (PDF link) for more.

Thanks for the tip, Joaquin!
[Source: CARB (PDF link); Wards Photo: 7mary3]

Summertime

Waitin' for it here on the East Coast. Damn cold and raw out there today.

Keith Jarrett

Summertime

Opening

Music by Phillip Glass, with Branka Parlic on Piano.

Speaking of Illinois Nazis. . .

Ya know, all things considered and the way some threads have turned recently, I just couldn't help myself.

BREAKING NEWS: Teleprompter Found In Obama's Bedroom

From the Stogmeister:

The White House maid service has reported finding a teleprompter bolted to the headboard of the Presidential matrimonial bed in the living quarters of the White House. It had been left on. The words on it were: "Oooh. Aaah. MMMM. Was it good for you?"

More as the story develops.

Vatican: "The land that was the cradle of Christianity risks ending up without Christians"

From Jihad Watch:

True: Many forget that the Middle East was indeed, particularly Egypt and Syria, the "cradle of Christianity" and played a major role in the articulation of Christian theology and the concept of monasticism. So what happened? Basically, what has been happening since day one when Islam burst onto the stage is still happening today: Christians are being persecuted to the point that they either emigrate, convert, or live in oppression. Hence why the Middle East "risks ending up without Christians."

"Vatican: Officials express 'concern' for Christians in Gaza," from Adnkronos, March 26:

Vatican City, 25 March (AKI) - The Vatican on Wednesday expressed "profound concern" about the position of Christians in the Middle East after the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the Vatican said two of its senior officials, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri and Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio sent a letter to bishops around the world, asking them to contribute to a collection for the Holy Land, which includes Israel and the Palestinian territories.

In the letter, the two officials expressed the church's "profound concern" for the position of Christians, particularly following the conflict in Gaza.

They also stressed how Pope Benedict XVI "constantly comforts Christians, and all the inhabitants of the Holy Land, with special words and gestures, coupled with his desire to make a pilgrimage in the historical footsteps of Jesus".

"The wounds opened by violence make the problem of emigration more acute, inexorably depriving the Christian minority of its best resources for the future," the letter said.

"The land that was the cradle of Christianity risks ending up without Christians"...

Good News From the Obamanation

I like this idea. It looks like Obama really does intend to take the war to Pakistan to some limited degree.

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will deploy 4,000 extra troops to train Afghan security forces in a revamp of its Afghan strategy that aims to disrupt al Qaeda and roll back the advances of the Taliban, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

President Barack Obama will unveil the new strategy on Friday, some 60 days after he ordered a review of the U.S. policy in Afghanistan, where he criticized his predecessor, George W. Bush, for allowing security to deteriorate.

For the first time, the U.S. strategy will focus on Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, where the Taliban has safe havens in tribal areas along the border, as a single problem, three senior Obama administration officials said in a briefing for journalists before the announcement.

The 4,000 trainers will be in addition to the 17,000 soldiers Obama has already ordered sent to Afghanistan, where attacks by Taliban militia have pushed violence to its highest level since U.S.-led forces invaded in 2001.

The officials said that al Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden, were believed to be in an unknown location in Pakistan plotting fresh attacks on the United States and its allies. U.S.-led forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to topple the Taliban for harboring al Qaeda leaders behind the September 11 attacks on the United States.

The officials said the new strategy had a narrowly focused goal -- to disrupt, dismantle and eventually destroy al Qaeda's sanctuaries in Pakistan and its support network and prevent it from establishing safe havens in Afghanistan.

"For the first time, we are approaching this problem as two countries -- Afghanistan, Pakistan -- but one challenge and one theater for our diplomacy and our reconstruction efforts to work in. We see this as an integrated problem," said one of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.

As part of an aggressive regional diplomatic effort, the United States will engage India, Russia, China and Iran, the officials said.

The officials said an announcement would be made at NATO'S 60th anniversary summit next week on NATO member states sending more troops to Afghanistan for elections due in August.

Obama briefed Afghan and Pakistani officials on the new strategy but told them there would be "no blank checks" for the two countries, the officials said.

Mystery Solved

Old Navy ad Seems to have been coming from the Silvertide music post I put up this afternoon. Post gone, so's the music.

Sorry about that gang!

UPDATE: Silvertide video is back as well. Different embed no more Old Navy.

Annoucement: I Have No Idea Where The Old Navy Ad Is Coming From

I'll try to get it fixed/removed. I'm guessing it's linked to one of the videos we have posted here.

Some ad company has devised a devious way to run ads on blogs, apparently. It is very offensive.

I come from the ad agency world. In fact, I ran an ad agency for awhile.

Here's my new tagline for Old Navy.

Old Navy - Butt Ugly Clothes for Butt Ugly People!

Paging Wayne Campbell

Queen

Bohemian Rhapsody

Well that's because they are 5 year old children who have never read the founding document

Zeal for battle over bonuses waning in Washington

From the White House through the halls of Congress, Washington is losing its zeal for an all-out fight over hefty executive bonuses, now that it wants the financial companies it blames for the collapse of the U.S. economy to help clean up the mess.

The House Financial Services Committee on Thursday adopted a milder alternative to a bill passed last week that would have taxed away 90 percent of employee bonuses from companies getting federal bailout money. The new legislation would let bailed-out companies pay bonuses as long as the government determines the compensation is not "unreasonable or excessive."

Just what is unreasonable or excessive would be determined by financial regulators and the Treasury Department, where Secretary Timothy Geithner set off a public furor by not blocking $165 million in AIG payments to its financial products executives and traders on March 15.

It's still completely ABSURD. The executive, and legislative branches have NO BUSINESS in this. NONE. The courts do in cases of bankruptcy THAT'S IT.

Exceptions from 1935 being used today are evidence of WHY exceptions should never be made.

Don't the people of the USA understand what it means to leave to a very few people, NONE OF WHOM are elected the determination that:
1) A business is in significant trouble
2) That trouble is a threat to....the nation? An industry deemed important? Someone's portfolio?
3) The company should be dissolved by the govt and shares priced at what these few people say is the proper market price.
4) Contracts of this entity with employees and OTHERS are at the whim and mood of the govt.

Or do they no longer care?

PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES .... REMIND YOU OF ANYTHING?

Israel with 6 million is surrounded by 275 million jew haters?
I understand you perfectly Mr. Oliphant and Mr. Sulzberger
I wonder if you do?

An award presented to Islamists without telling what it's for

The AP Wire has this brief clip about what the pro-palestinian crowd in Sweden is up to:

STOCKHOLM (AP) - The Swedish Arts Council says it has named a Palestinian organization that promotes children's reading as the 2009 winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for Literature.

The annual award is the world's largest children's book award and includes a cash prize of 5 million kronor ($620,000). It is named after late Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren.

The Palestinian Tamer Institute For Community Education was awarded for its work to promote reading on the West Bank and in Gaza. Tuesday's citation honored its "unusual breadth and versatility."

Each year it organizes a national reading campaign, including discussions about literature, drama and writing activities.

The prize will be handed out by Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria in a ceremony on June 2.

They don't even say what they published! Okay, I'm sure there's something, but then one can only wonder what it really is that they're giving a prize for. Lies are certainly one of those things. Politicized storytelling is another.

And I'm guessing that Israeli groups for promotion of children's reading would never get this award, right?

This Week On The Gathering Storm

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, which WC and I cohost. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time.

The call-in number is (646) 915-9870.

Callers welcome!

Our guests this week are two authors: I.Q. Al Rassoli and Steven Clark Bradley.

I.Q. Al Rassoli, our guest for the first half hour, is the author of Lifting the Veil: The True Faces of Muhammad and Islam. He also has two web sites: In The Name Of Allah and the YouTube site Idiot's Guide To Islam. Sample from the latter:



Our guest for the second half hour is Steven Clark Bradley, author of the novel Patriot Acts. From the novel's description at Amazon:

America finds itself under covert nuclear attack from the Islamic Republic of Iran which has linked up with radical American Militia groups. They have set aside their political and religious differences to carry out the widest attack to America in the nation 's history. Colonel Fisher Harrison, the best trained Special Ops killer the military has, is the only one person who can effectively retaliate against their aggression. The only problem is that Colonel Fisher is in a federal prison, framed for a murder he did not commit by his former boss who is now the President of the United States of America....

Listen to the March 27, 2009 edition of The Gathering Storm Radio Show, live or later, by CLICKING HERE.

UPCOMING SHOWS:
April 3: Mohammed Abdul and Sabir debate aspects of the Koran
April 10: Raymond Ibrahim

Nooner!

Bunch of Philly Boys

Silvertide

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