Sunday, June 26, 2011
Miscellaneous 86
1) This whole Kabuki dance that Mr. Obama is doing with gay-marriage is silly. I mean, he obviously agrees with the premise that gays should be able to marry (as do I). BUUUUUUUT, because he doesn't want to sound like he's overly gun ho about it (and risk looking like a hand-maiden, I guess), he's doing this whole, "I'm evolving on it" bullshit. Again, he's cutting the frigging difference - trying to say enough of the right things, but not...quite...all of them. Too bad he couldn't be more like Mayor Bloomberg. That son of a bitch will say exactly what he means, and the hell with what the pollsters say.............2) If Michele Bachmann had ANY integrity, she would immediately cut the U.S. Treasury a check for $260,000. Yep, folks, that's exactly how much that the Congresswoman received in federal farm subsidies. AND since the woman is soooooooo against a) government waste and b) socialism, does in fact she really have an option here (and still retain that integrity, I'm saying)? I personally don't think that she does.............3) At the same time that Al Gore was filming "An Inconvenient Truth", the former VP's mansion in Tennessee was contributing extraordinarily TO IT! Yeah, that's right, folks. The Gore homestead in Rocky Top used 191,000 kilowatt hours (all in the form of fossil fuel) in 2006. That was almost 13 times, 13 TIMES, the amount of the average home near Nashville. Now, to be fair, Mr. Gore ultimately did make some changes to reduce his "carbon footprint". But, even with those changes, the energy usage only went down 11%. Couple that with the fact he also went on to buy a second mansion in California, still uses expensive jets to fly back and forth between his mansions and, yeah, you really DO indeed have to wonder about this guy. I wonder about him anyway.............4) And what's with this whole buying a house several blocks from the ocean bullshit? Isn't he worried about the sea levels, for Christ?
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13 comments:
[1] This is a obviously a political calculation. Is it necessary? I am unsure. I know I don't like it.
[2] Was this information obtained by way of Lawrence O'Donnell?
[3] This again? Why? Anyway, in regard to Al Gore being a global warming hypocrite, About.com concludes this is an "urban legend". They conclude that, "judged strictly in terms of whether or not the ex-Vice President practices what he preaches, the case against him is weak".
Your article reveals that the number, 191,000 kilowatts, the one that I provided, is 100% accurate. Thank you for verifying that my information is true. I owe you one.
Is that "owe you one" intended facetiously? I suspect so. I read the entire article. I know what it says.
BTW, if you do the math the energy Gore used (in 2006) was less than twice the average used, not 13 times.
The article says "In Nashville... where Gore lives, the average consumption per household is 15,600 kilowatt hours per year".
Also, "At 10,000 square feet, the Gore residence, which also houses the former VP's office, is more than 4X larger than the average new home...".
So 15,600 times 4 is 62400. 2 times this is a bit more than Gore actually used. It isn't 13 times.
Anyway, about this criticism a Gore spokesperson said, "he purchases 100% of his electricity through a special program that supplies green energy at premium prices, [AND] he offsets 100% of any remaining environmental impact by investing in projects that promote renewable resources and reduce energy consumption overall".
If he really is buying "green energy at premium prices" then your claim that the power he used was "all in the form of fossil fuel" isn't true, nor is his use of this power "contributing extraordinarily TO IT" [global warming].
IMO Al Gore's integrity is intact. Although I don't know why anyone needs a house that large, or needs to use so much power (even if it is less than 2X the average and NOT 13 times).
I have a lot more respect for someone like Ed Begley Jr. who believes in environmentalism and puts significant effort into practicing what he preaches.
BULLSHIT!! Al Gore chose to live in a fucking mansion. He frigging didn't have to at all. All of his kids are, HELLO, grown!! And, even if he didn't want to move, he could have totally closed off all of the unused parts of the dwelling. And he certainly didn't need to buy a second energy guzzling mansion 3 time zones over. This guy is so totally full of hypocrisy that it makes me want to frigging vomit.......I admitted that he made some modifications after 2007 (probably out of embarrassment after the story broke) but it only mad a small dent in his carbon footprint.......And if Mr. Gore is supposed to be some great environmental expert, why is it that he rarely, if ever, mentions the contribution to global warming of the livestock industry. According to the U.N. Agricultural Report, the meat industry contributes more man-made greenhouse than all frigging forms of transport COMBINED. I've been a vegetarian for almost 20 years now, wd. Al Gore, not so much! How 'bout you, wd? Ya' eat a lot of meat these days?
The global climate change crisis isn't going to be solved (or the effects of it mitigated) by individuals acting individually. Our government (and others) needs to take action. I think Al Gore is a fantastic champion of this cause.
This is the reason I've always liked Al Gore -- and thing he's a good guy. I don't really give a crap if you're vomiting. Why don't you use some of that energy you waste hating on someone fighting for action on this issue and direct it toward one of the deniers?
What this is all about, IMO, is your desire to prove your "independent moderate" cred by criticizing people on the Left (mainly) and some on the right (not so much). You defend Sarah Palin because the Left is too hard on her and trash Al Gore because his lifestyle doesn't meet with your approval... it kinda makes ME want to vomit.
BTW, Al Gore has spoken against factory farming. Do a Google search and see for yourself.
I am not a vegetarian, although I'd say I eat a lot less meat than the average person.
This one did make me laugh, though. It's kind of like with an SUV owner saying that, "Hey, my vehicle has more weight and cubic feet than your damned Nissan. You simply cannot compare the 2 vehicles straight up. And never mind about that Cadillac in my garage over there!" A hypocrite is a hypocrite is a hypocrite. Congresswoman Bachmann, Al Gore. Al Gore, Congresswoman Bachmann.
"IMO Al Gore's integrity is intact"
Indeed. It is hard to get worse than zero.
"I think Al Gore is a fantastic champion of this cause."
Fantastic (noun) imaginary or groundless in not being based on reality; foolish or irrational: fantastic fears.
dmarks: Fantastic (noun) imaginary or groundless in not being based on reality...
No, I don't believe Al Gore is imaginary. I think he is a real person. The definition of "fantastic" I had in mind is, "so extreme as to challenge belief, unbelievable; broadly, exceedingly large or great".
I think this defines him precisely. He knows we need to take action to mitigate the effects of global climate change. His championing of this cause is "so extreme as to challenge belief". IMO he truly is a GREAT man.
What is imaginary is this "Al Gore" that you've constructed... the one who has no integrity and thinks he invented the internet. That Al Gore doesn't exist.
While the definition does not fit Gore (except as imaginary winner of the 2000 election), it does fit the cause he champions.
"He knows we need to take action to mitigate the effects of global climate change."
He does? Gore favored the Kyoto Accords, which required the US to cut so-called "greenhouse gas" emissions while it required China to increase them. So, even when you agree with his cause, it's clear how he worked against it.
"the one who has no integrity and thinks he invented the internet. That Al Gore doesn't exist."
Whether or not Al Gore thinks he invented the Internet, he claimed to have done so during a CNN interview:
"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet"
('invent' being a fair paraphrase of the word Gore actually used.)
Seems odd the length people go to justify/explain/deny the gaffes of their beloved political heroes.
dmarks: Seems odd the length people go to justify/explain/deny the gaffes of their beloved political heroes.
I don't know how something that never happened can be considered "odd". I never attempted to justify, explain, or deny a "gaffe" made by Al Gore. You did not use the word "gaffe" during our previous conversation on this topic.
I called it a "Right-wing smear" to claim that Al Gore said he invented the internet. In response you said, "Actually, this is factual. Gore claimed on CNN that he created the Internet while in Congress". You never used the word "gaffe" during this conversation. Check the link. The word (or similar argument) isn't there.
You were claiming that he really thought he invented the internet. Or at least that is what I interpreted your words to mean. It was pretty clear to me that is what you meant. Now you're changing your argument and saying what he said was a gaffe.
In response to this new argument I say that calling Al Gore's words a "gaffe" is debatable. I'd call his choice of words "clumsy". I would not say that he made a gaffe, because a "gaffe" would involve saying something that was factually inaccurate, which Al Gore did not do. What Al Gore meant with his CNN statement was that "he was responsible, in an economic and legislative sense, for fostering the development the technology that we now know as the Internet" (this is the conclusion of Snopes. In that sense he really did help create the internet (although he certainly did not invent it, which is a word he never used).
But if you want to call it a "gaffe" -– I really don't care -- and I wouldn't have argued with you about it. In any case, who among us ALWAYS says what they intend to say perfectly? To criticize him for this is utterly ridiculous. Also, seeing as you've changed your argument... I'll take that as an admission that you're admitting you were wrong.
Also, I call bullshit on your claim that Al Gore thought China needed to INCREASE their greenhouse gas output. That is, without a doubt, total boobery.
WD said: "I don't know how something that never happened can be considered "odd"."
I presented the actual CNN quote in which Gore falsely claimed to have invented the Internet, using the exact word "created".
"You did not use the word "gaffe" during our previous conversation on this topic."
Gaffe, blunder, lie, etc: regardless, Gore said something laughable that was incorrect.
"I called it a "Right-wing smear""
Actually, the damning quote came from CNN. Call it right wing if you will, but few people do.
"In response to this new argument I say that calling Al Gore's words a "gaffe" is debatable."
OK. Let's settle on "flat out lie". Because regardless of his intent or thought process, his claim is not true at all. Why? The Internet was invented/created before Gore got to congress.
".... a "gaffe" would involve saying something that was factually inaccurate, which Al Gore did not do."
Again, the Internet existed prior to the point of time in which Al Gore said he created it.
"What Al Gore meant with his CNN statement was..."
Let's toss this out entirely. You are replacing what Gore said (which was untrue) with something you wish he said.
"In that sense he really did help create the internet (although he certainly did not invent it, which is a word he never used)."
Now we move from Gore's lie to yours. Or is it a gaffe? Or wording so clumsy that it makes no sense? Regardless, Al Gore did NOT help create something that existed before he got involved.
"To criticize him for this is utterly ridiculous."
Only as much as it is to criticize right-wingers for their own gaffes.
"Also, I call bullshit on your claim that Al Gore thought China needed to INCREASE their greenhouse gas output."
"Bullshit" is a good summary of your claim. Gore supported Kyoto, which included such an increase.
"total boobery."
Perfect description of a man who comes along after others create the Internet and takes credit himself.
Al Gore "sponsored the 1988 National High-Performance Computer Act (which established a national computing plan and helped link universities and libraries via a shared network) and cosponsored the Information Infrastructure and Technology Act of 1992 (which opened the Internet to commercial traffic)".
Al Gore took credit for what he actually did, nothing else. He DID help to create the internet (as it exists today). Certainly the internet existed (in another form) prior to his sponsoring and cosponsoring of these bills, but it wasn't the same internet we all use today.
dmarks: Let's toss this out entirely. You are replacing what Gore said (which was untrue) with something you wish he said.
I see. You can't refute what someone says so you toss it out. Sorry, dmarks, debating doesn't work that way.
In any case, I didn't do the "replacing", Snopes did. Snopes is a source you previously quoted. They were right when you cited them, but now they don't know what the hell they're taking about?
Also, it looks like you're back to using your old argument. Which is that Al Gore really believes he invented the internet. Which is it dmarks, did Al Gore lie or was it a gaffe. I don't know how you think I can debate your argument when you don't even know what your argument is!
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