Global Warming Wreaks Havoc In Colorado

The cruel forces of man-made climate change
continue to threaten Colorado

Somebody do something--Quick!

Won't somebody PLEASE pass a tax or something to stop this outrage!

Deep snow drifted into more than two dozen narrow ravines in the mountainsides --- known as avalanche chutes -- raising the danger of potentially deadly snow slides cascading onto I-70.

CDOT says it is beginning to reopen I-70 in both directions for stranded travelers, but it is being done in phases to avoid a potentially massive traffic jam. The interstate is not yet open to new traffic.

High winds and blowing snow forced the state to close the highway overnight. There was no word on when the busy thoroughfare through the mountains would reopen.

"I can't even venture a guess right now," Rod Mead, a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said Monday.

More than 2,000 travelers were stranded at Red Cross shelters in the Colorado high country Monday as a threat of avalanches closed a stretch of Interstate 70 west of Denver.

Good thing we have GLOBAL WAR.....oops........sorry.........GLOBAL "CLIMATE CHANGE"!!! I can only imagine what it would be like without it.

by RidesAPaleHorse
[image: foxCO;foxCO;News9;CBS4;RAPH]
Sources:
* Interstate 70 Still Closed
* Threat of Avalanches Strands Thousands
* CDOT Starting to Clear Snow to Rescue Stranded Travelers
* Thousands of Stranded Travelers in Shelters

We are not alone. Additional SCIENTIFIC proof (well, as much as the other side has, anyway) that global warming might now be the 'horrible environmental catastrophe' that Al Gore has made it out to be. Look, Blanca got a Mr. Wizard Junior Science Kit for Christmas, and I have been using it to draw my own conclusions about global warming. After running a very complex experiment, which included ice cubes, some litmus paper, and a banana, I have concluded there is no such thing as global warming. So take that, you so-called real scientists. My fellow conservative bloggers and I have used our so-called junk science to prove there is no such thing as global warming. One down, two to go. Next week, evolution. Then gravity! Global Warming Snowball Swarming We admit, it's not a Nobel or an Oscar. But, we'd argue, that is why it's more compelling evidence.

Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Republican Presidential Candidates: 2008 Astrology Predictions

We decided to look up the 2008 astrological forecasts of the Republican Presidential race front runners.


Rudy Giuliani

From Astrofuture Trends:

Astrologer Phillip Brown, M.A. writes that Giuliani has a Mars-Pluto power conjunction in Leo and a Sun-Uranus conjunction in Gemini (see horoscope, although his birth time is not known so we can’t know his Ascendant or any of the house cusps). The conjunction of the Sun and Uranus does show his potential for strong leadership in emergency situations, although many of his 9/11 actions have since been inflated by him or have been called into question. Saturn will be squaring Giuliani’s Sun-Uranus conjunction during the February state primaries, so his candidacy may begin to dim around that time.


Mitt Romney:

From Accumind:

Uranus is leaving the 10th house of career, moving in on his sun - which could bring some sudden changes in April and August of 2008, but Neptune moves thru the 10th of career - not indicative of high public office.










Source - Alabe

Fred Thompson

From Circles Of Flight:

Thompson made his announcement just as transiting Pluto was turning direct while trine his Leo Sun. Progressing his chart reveals the strong role Jeri plays in this campaign, since his progressed Juno was exactly (to-the-minute) conjunct his Moon. Over the next few months, as transiting Pluto approaches the square to his Neptune, he will be challenged to better define his agenda, to get specific about his policy proposals.

Huckabee Natal Chart [Star IQ]

Mike Huckabee

Although Mike Huckabee was born with his Sun in self-effacing Virgo (August 24, 1955; Hope, Arkansas; time unknown), his Venus-Mars-Pluto triple conjunction in late Leo adds plenty of confident, mission-oriented optimism to his candidacy, with Venus providing the folksy, likeable, Southern charm. Over the last few months of his spectacular rise, slow-moving Pluto has been favorably trine his triple conjunction in Leo.

Huckabee's Jupiter in Leo is exceptionally significant in his natal chart with its close square to Saturn in Scorpio. In the religious sense, it's about knowing the difference between living faith and dead ritual. In the current campaign, Huckabee has gone from no hope (Saturn) to potential winner (Jupiter). Next week, Jupiter enters Capricorn and trines his Virgo Sun just before the Iowa caucus on January 3, a very promising sign.

In terms of his connection with the American people, his progressed Jupiter at 25º Leo opposes the U.S. Moon**, so that he taps into the religious faction, including the 40 percent of Iowa Republicans who call themselves evangelicals. As transiting Jupiter moves deeper into Capricorn, Huckabee's strength will probably wane, unless he can broaden his appeal. However, with Pluto entering Capricorn and trining his Sun, he may remain as a power-broker within the GOP, a king-maker representing the religious right. Source - Star IQ - Jupiter-Pluto Lifts Mike Huckabee

Ron Earnest Paul

From Nafella:

Since we cannot find Paul's time of birth we are unable to get a natal chart.

According to Wikipedia, Ron Paul was born in Greentree, Pennsylvania on August 20, 1935. Since no birth time is provided, we will make do with a Moon sign horoscope and not consider the position of the horizon (Ascendant) at the time of birth.

This is what we can see in his birth chart:


Mars retrograde in Gemini between now and end of January 2008 will give him considerable momentum towards achieving his objective. Mars moves out of Gemini towards the end of April. By mid May we will know how far Mars has carried him.

Saturn in Leo is not very helpful. It goes retrograde on December 20th and remains so until early May 2008. His campaign will face strong opposition from the establishment, which will work behind the scenes to put a stop to his campaign.

The net of all this is that Ron Paul will have Jupiter (intellect) and Mars (passion) working strongly in his favor, with Saturn (establishment) working hard to bring him down between mid December 2007 and mid May 2008. If his campaign (of intelligent and passionate people) is still holding strong towards the end of May 2008, we may see some very interesting and surpising times in the campaign for rest of 2008! Source - Nafella
There you go, astrological predictions for the Republicans.

Next up, the Democrats.

Groovy.

By LBG
Image [mikietyn]
Please note: All references, links and graphics from Political Astrology have removed due to the author's request.




DBKP.com - Bigger, Better!.
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page

New Year's Eve Countdown Clock and Map

A Handy Clock to count down the seconds until next year!



NEW YEAR'S EVE and NEW YEAR'S DAY MAP!

Leave everyone a message or picture or both!

Happy New Year!

From your Buddies at the
"Worldwide Leader in Weird"
*
Mondoreb, Little Baby Ginn & RidesAPaleHorse

by Mondoreb

[image: NyEveparties;lombard]





Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

New Element "Heaviest Yet Known to Science"

New element "heaviest yet known to science"

New Periodic Table lists latest element
discovered and its position on the table.

Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science.

The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction which would normally take less than a second to take anytime from four days to four years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of two to six years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which some of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as the critical morass.

When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

"One need only think of the weather, in which case the prediction even for a few days ahead is impossible."

--Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

We don't understand how we missed this.

by RidesAPaleHorse
[image:RAPH]





Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Pixelaneous 23: New Year's Eve Party Time

It's New Year's Eve Limbo Time!

Are you ready to limbo?

Let's Limbo!

Already in Limbo!

Pray for our Limbo sins, Sister

One foot in Hell!

Father forgive their sins!

Government cheese?

We have no idea who these people are but they're going straight to Hell!

Venial Sin! (Forgivable)

Happy New Year from DBKP!

By Little Baby Ginn

Image [montrealmirror]
Image 1 [static.flicker.com]
Image 2 [forummd]
Image 3 [damncoolpics.com]
Image 4 [smokingmokey.com]
Image 5 [blogger.com]
Image 6 [billymackhill.com]
Image 7 [images.google.com]





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Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page

The Economy: The Best and Worst of 2007

The Century Foundation released it's year-end economic assessment for the world and U.S. economy.

The study, by Bernard Wasow, is a mixed bag of economic indicators, signs, tea leaves and results. Wasow sorts them out and makes clear the decidedly unclear economic picture that was 2007.

The Best and Worst of 2007: The Economy

By Bernard Wasow

This past year may be remembered as an economic turning point for the United States. It was not a bad year, as far as production and employment go, but throughout the year, the signs of bad times ahead have been mounting.

And while the United States seems to be losing economic steam, European economic unity and cooperation has been gathering strength, with much of Asia continuing its sprint toward the head of the economic pack. In short, we end 2007 poised for economic troubles that may challenge U.S. economic supremacy.

On the good side, the U.S. economy has weathered continuing bad news without panic or collapse. On the bad side, we are likely to move into recession in 2008, from which the U.S. economy will emerge into a multi-polar economic world, with the United States only one of the big boys, not the dominant player is has become accustomed to being.



The Best

The best economic news of 2007 was the bad things that had not happened:

- Economic growth continued, though it will not reach 2 percent for the year. The unemployment rate for the year will come in below 5 percent, low by historical standards. The economy produced these respectable numbers even after the housing bubble burst.

- Household incomes continued to grow at the top of the income distribution and stagnate for the rest, the pattern of the past thirty-five years. The continuing growth of income inequality has produced rapid growth of federal tax revenues, delivering indirect evidence of progressivity in effective taxes, which is good news.

- In spite of a huge (though reduced) continuing U.S. international deficit, foreign wealth holders continued to absorb dollars, providing finance for our fiscal deficit and private saving shortfalls. As a result, while the dollar continued to decline, interest rates remained low and we were spared a currency crisis (for now). The falling dollar also stimulated U.S. exports.

- Outside the United States, the economic picture is promising (aside from the long run challenges of climate change and water scarcity). The economies of China and India continued to boom, joined at a more modest pace by much of the former Soviet block as well as several Latin American countries (notably Argentina).

- In much of Sub-Saharan Africa, economic growth continued to outpace population growth, which continues to decline.

- As in 2006, the threat of self-destructive anti-immigrant policy continued to find a large audience in the United States, but nativist action has lagged the rhetoric.

The Worst

The bad news for 2007 carries gloomy implications for 2008:

- As the financial industry chokes on the consequences of terrible mortgage underwriting, the threat of a liquidity crisis grows, putting at risk not only millions of ill-advised home buyers, but also financial institutions worldwide that acquired "contaminated" securities.

- The real consequences of the housing bubble - no more real estate projects entering the construction pipeline - together with the financial consequences, have made a recession in 2008 increasingly likely.

- Faced with the need to raise revenue, especially to reform the Alternative Minimum Tax, the Senate shied away from responsible Pay As You Go tax reform and jury-rigged a "fix."

- Domestic infrastructure and social needs continued to go unmet while U.S. wealth, as well as blood, drained into the sands of Iraq.

- Wealth-holders the world around - notably our creditors in China - demonstrated declining faith in the dollar and a wish to diversify their assets into harder currencies, especially the Euro.

- The HIV-Aids crisis remained catastrophic in much of Africa and a growing threat in Asia.

- While the threat of global warming is causing real popular concern, public policy has shown more bark than bite. In the United States, as well as in China, even the bark lacks conviction. The Bali Conference avoided a public breakdown, but at the cost of not producing any substantive resolutions.

- In the United States, policy to promote corn-based ethanol will continue to raise the price of food, which, together with the rising price of energy, will hurt low-income families worldwide.

At the end of 2008, the news probably will be considerably gloomier. The "American Century" may be nearing its end.

We don't agree with all of Wasow's assessments, but he's the economist. While we don't agree with everything, the report does make interesting reading. There's something for optimist and pessimist alike, particularly the pessimists.

Must be why Economics is referred to as "The Dismal Science".

About the author, Bernard Wasow:

Bernard Wasow received his BA from Reed College and his PhD in economics from Stanford University. In between, he spent a year as a DAAD Fellow at the Free University of Berlin. He has been a member of the Economics Departments at the University of British Columbia, the University of Nairobi (five years), New York University (20 years, tenured) and, as a visitor, at Columbia University, Monash University (Melbourne, Australia), and the Central European University (Prague, Czechoslovakia). He also has worked in the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and as a Program Officer at the Ford Foundation. Besides teaching overseas he spent a year each in Puerto Rico, with the Committee to Study Puerto Rico's Finances, and Bangladesh, with the Harvard Institute for International Development. He has participated in two World Bank missions to Kenya and two to Mongolia, the second of these as mission leader. His publications are in the fields of international economics and development.

About the Century Foundation:
The Century Foundation conducts public policy research and analyses of economic, social, and foreign policy issues, including inequality, retirement security, election reform, media studies, homeland security, and international affairs. The foundation produces books, reports, and other publications, convenes task forces, and working groups and operates eight informational Web sites. With offices in New York City and Washington, D.C., The Century Foundation is nonprofit and nonpartisan and was founded in 1919 by Edward A. Filene.

NOTE: DBKP tried contacting Wasow for a little more detail to his assessments, but he was unavailable. We'll try again after the first of the new year.]

notes by Mondoreb
[image:usinfo.org]
Sources:
* The Century Foundation: The Best and Worst of 2007: The Economy
* Bernard Wasow





Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

The Day Calvin and Hobbes Died

Twelve Years Ago, Comic Strip 'Calvin and Hobbes' Ended

The World Became a little less bright

Twelve years ago today, the world became a little more sober place. Twelve years ago, a tiny corner of joy was extinguished for millions of readers of the daily comic strip, "Calvin and Hobbes".

Twelve years ago, the last Calvin and Hobbes episode appeared. The strip, created by Bill Watterson, was a small window on human nature.

We felt much the same way when G. Larsen's Far Side ended earlier in the same year. One year and two of our constant daily companions were gone. The daily comics page hasn't been the same since.

C&H had been out for awhile before we were converted, but once a convert, it quickly became a daily habit to find, no matter what the location, a newspaper to check out Calvin and Hobbes.

From Wikipedia:

Calvin and Hobbes is a comic strip written and illustrated by Bill Watterson, following the humorous antics of Calvin, an imaginative six-year old boy, and Hobbes, his energetic and sardonic—albeit stuffed—tiger.

The pair are named after John Calvin, a 16th century French Reformation theologian, and Thomas Hobbes, a 17th century English political philosopher. The strip was syndicated daily from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995. At its height, Calvin and Hobbes was carried by over 2,400 newspapers worldwide. To date, more than 30 million copies of the 18 Calvin and Hobbes books have been printed.

After delighting readers all over the world, Waterson sent this letter to newspaper editors who carried Calvin and Hobbes in 1995.

"I will be stopping Calvin and Hobbes at the end of the year. This was not a recent or an easy decision, and I leave with some sadness. My interests have shifted however, and I believe I've done what I can do within the constraints of daily deadlines and small panels. I am eager to work at a more thoughtful pace, with fewer artistic compromises. I have not yet decided on future projects, but my relationship with Universal Press Syndicate will continue.

That so many newspapers would carry Calvin and Hobbes is an honor I'll long be proud of, and I've greatly appreciated your support and indulgence over the last decade. Drawing this comic strip has been a privilege and a pleasure, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity."

Fans hoping Watterson would have a change of heart were greeted 12 years ago today by the following.

The 3,160th and final strip ran on Sunday, December 31, 1995. It depicted Calvin and Hobbes outside in freshly-fallen snow, reveling in the wonder and excitement of the winter scene. "It's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy... Let's go exploring!" Calvin exclaims as they zoom off on their sled, leaving, according to one critic ten years later, "a hole in the comics page that no strip has been able to fill."

As the comment on our sidebar states so eloquently:

In 1995, Cartoonist Bill Watterson ends his "Calvin & Hobbes" comic strip.

Possibly the darkest day in American history.
Trench Reynolds

After thinking about it, we agreed. When the comic ended, we remembered feeling a little sad and a little emptier. It really was a little like someone you knew had passed away.

Somehow, one line in DBKP's "Today in History" didn't seem enough. Maybe a moment of silence was called for.

We really liked Calvin and Hobbes. It doesn't seem like twelve years ago.

Sometimes it seems like a whole lot longer.



by Mondoreb
[image:raysflag; bebo]
Source:
* Wikipedia: Calvin and Hobbes

UPDATE: We got this comment from pat: "There were two types: the humanistic and the socio/political. Here is a selection of the latter:" He then dropped a link at the Progressive Boink "25 Great Calvin and Hobbes Strips: Why Bill Watterson is our Hero". Here's how PB starts out: Hundreds of comic strips have been published in newspapers. The majority are terrible, and almost all the rest are mediocre. There have been maybe four or five good comic strips in the history of the world. So saying that Calvin and Hobbes is the best comic strip ever doesn't really hold a lot of weight. They then present their picks. It gave us an excuse to feature one last look at C&H. [Click on images to enlarge them.] Time for a trip to my library for some Calvin and Hobbes. UPDATE #2: The best thing about winter used to be the Calvin and Hobbes "Weird Snowmen" strips. There were 100's of them over the years and we loved every one of them. Someone else here must have liked them as well as we did. RidesAPaleHorse sent in some seasonal Calvin and Hobbes. And the snowmen might have been the favorite part of Calvin and Hobbes. So we're going to put these up for easy reference. Bill Watterson should release a book of nothing but Calvin and Hobbes Snowmen strips. [Click on images to enlarge.] As we said before, it's time for a trip to our Calvin and Hobbes Library.

Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.