Guest post by Loki

I am not a believer in man-caused global warming. It is still just an unproven theory as far as I am concerned. And I am not interested in our government spending billions on an unproven theory.

Many I argue with keep bringing up how there is a consensus of scientists who believe in AGW (Anthropogenic Global Warming) which somehow is considered proof. Oblivious of the fact that there is a difference between proof and consensus the believers insist that this country rush to spend billions on ineffective solutions.

However I am bored arguing the ‘truth’ or ‘junk science’ of AGW. We keep forgetting that science is a process of theory, testing, fact finding and proof. And that the theories are often reworked or proven wrong and that the wastepaper basket is the scientists best friend. So today I wish to reflect on some past predictions that were crammed down our throats with dire predictions that needed billions in government money that were wasted when the predictions proved false or at least over blown.

H1N1 Flu – Cost, over 7 billion to the US. No big outbreak.

Bird Flu – Still lurking, still no huge outbreaks. Cost to the world, trillions. But the outbreaks have not been the world wide pandemic as predicted. Did the fight to control bird flu save us or were the predictions too dire?

Y2K – Predictions were for the entire US economy to collapse, planes fall from the air, all banking records lost. This was true hysteria. Can we say firecracker? The cost to the US was huge. Most of the spending was unnecessary.

New Ice Age – Prediction was the entire earth would enter a new ice age. I love to bring this one up to the AGW believers. Costs, I don’t know but I’m sure some scientists got grants for studies.

Eggs and Cholesterol – The effect of eggs and cholesterol were greatly exaggerated. There were calls for taking eggs off the diet. Today if you have high cholesterol you are advised to limit your intake of eggs. The egg industry has spent millions defending their product.

Aspirin – Common analgesic that is the most widely taken medicine in the world. Aspirin has been on a rollercoaster ride. Because of links to Reye’s syndrome there were calls for banning its use. Now it is considered the first responders best treatment for a heart attack. When taken correctly it is probably the world’s safest medicine.

Inoculations and Autism link – Junk science pushed by a former Playboy bunny. No proof of a link exists. Other studies have pretty much shown this was a fantasy. However lawyers got rich on lawsuits and children got sick with some dying because their parents refused to get them immunized.

In conclusion there is the quote of one of the worlds greatest scientists, Alfred Einstein, who said, “there is not the slightest indication” that atomic energy will ever be possible.

Science, hysteria and government coffers should never be mixed. And scientists are often wrong.

Loki

Editor’s note: The following is submitted as empirical evidence of Global Warming. Make of it what you will…

I have been reminded that I have been negligent in tending to my duties here, for which I humbly beg your indulgence. It is, however, way past my bedtime. So in lieu of any pithy insights on the events of the last few – OMG! weeks – I will share this, for any of you you may have missed it…

Guest Post by Loki

It is time we all start demanding an absentee ballot. Too many of us either do not take the time or are unable to get the time to vote. We should avail ourselves of our right to vote and vote in each and every election. There is no excuse for twenty five percent of the population deciding a school election.

Because many of us do not have children currently in school we think that we don’t need to vote. This means that the school board election is decided by mostly teachers and parents. Each year another ten-dollar-levy is added here and there. Pretty soon it starts to add up. Just look at your property tax bill. It is absolutely ridiculous that a minority in this state are deciding where the majority of our money is spent.

If you can’t get to the polling booth demand an absentee ballot for next year. I want to see more than fifty percent voter turn out next year. It would be great to see eighty percent or higher turn out for every election in this country.

I would hate to see this country collapse from apathy and disinterest.

Loki

p.s. If you don’t vote don’t complain.

Guest Post by Loki

There has to be something done regarding tort reform in this country. Congress keeps ignoring the problem or protecting the lawsuit lawyers depending on your point of view.
Granted, some people are wrongly injured and need to seek redress in the court system. And without the threat of lawsuits large companies would never compensate deserving victims.

But the court system is being abused today. Many companies will settle frivolous lawsuits out of court just to avoid the costs of a trial in a form of legalized extortion. And you can not watch TV today without seeing a commercial saying that if you saw a doctor or took a pill you won the lottery and you can sue. I swear it seems there are more lawyers suing companies than there are different pills on the market.

The class action type of lawsuit is one of the worst. Lawyers gather hundreds of people into one lawsuit and use large numbers to threaten the companies. The whole process of a class action suit is extremely expensive and the lawyers on both sides get rich while the victims get the leftovers. This type of lawsuit is very lucrative to the lawyers bringing the suit. Their compensation will be millions of dollars while the victims might only get a couple of hundred dollars.

This brings us the stupidity of safe operating instructions on our products. Read some of the instructions that come with the things you buy today. Hair dryer instructions that tell you not to use them in the shower to motor home instruction telling you that cruise control does not mean you can leave the drivers seat to take a bathroom break.

The whole process is driving up the costs of everything we spend our money on. Your new car to your doctor bill will all cost you more. Lawyers hide behind the victims claiming without them the companies will win. So congress does nothing afraid of the fight. It is time we start demanding congress does something.

Loki

Could it be that the Republican race for Montana’s open governor’s seat is getting more crowded by the minute? Looks like Senator Ryan Zinke (R-Whitefish) may be testing the waters as a prelude to joining an already crowded field. Rumors about a possible run started winding through the capitol hallways about midpoint in the session, and floor speeches ZInke made in the waning days of the often contentious and mind-numbingly partisan debates were decidedly statesmanlike and often as conciliatory as could be found this year.

Folks from the Flathead area have been telling us to keep an eye out for Zinke for a while now. He’s a very bright guy and obviously has been tested and found capable as well as worthy of being a member of one of this country’s elite military groups. That certainly brings some credibility to a possible candidacy.

It will be interesting to see what develops in the next few weeks. There’s a long way to go until November, 2012 – or more precisely June, 2012. I didn’t follow his votes all that closely, so a little research is in order.

But, damn, you do have to look twice at a guy in a U.S. Navy uniform.