Hackers are not very nice people — all that firewall busting and information stealing.  It’s a nuisance for the Pentagon and for companies as well as an unwelcome invasion of privacy.  But sometimes they expose some interesting things, like recently when some hackers broke into a British climate research center and exposed that there was an effort in the scientific community to hide the recent decline of global temperatures from general public.

Maybe this is all just anti-global warming propaganda, but apparently Phil Jones, the director at the victimized Hadley Research Unit at the University of Anglia, has confirmed the hacking took place.  It’s pretty scathing if even partially authentic.  Give it a read.  Jones has neither confirmed or denied the authenticity of the 61 megabytes of emails, which is in itself quite telling.

Why should this kind of scandal make sense?  Here’s my thought:  once enough scientists bought into the anthropogenic (man-made) global warming theory and sought continued funding for their research into it, the temptation to cook the books in order to maintain that funding through a public panic was in the best interests of both scientists and politicians alike:  the scientists say the sky is falling, the politicians stoke (then respond to) the crisis for the public good.  Truth be damned if there is funding to be hoarded and people to make dependent on government solutions!

Of course, I am of the belief that many of those in Europe who wore red in the Cold War just changed to green in the decades since.  Thus, inconclusive science affecting real law which may limit liberties is something to be truly concerned about.

It’s Friday afternoon here on the east coast. How about a quick trip down memory lane and a good laugh to help drag you across the finish line? Here you go.

Well, sort of. The Roman Catholic and Anglican churches have not reached an agreement on the issue of whether women can serve in the Priesthood. They agree on the effect the issue has on unity between the Catholic and Anglican churches.

Today’s Times of London has an article portraying Sharia Law supporter and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams as an authoritative figure laying down the law to the Bishop of Rome on the issue by telling the Catholic Church that the issue of women in the priesthood prevents unity between the churches. What the Times fails to mention is that the Catholic Church has been saying the same thing since at least 1994.

The Anglican Church is its own institution and is free to believe whatever it wants, even if its beliefs contradict the practice of Jesus Christ himself. In the meantime, Catholics will continue to welcome Anglicans whose beliefs are in line with Rome’s into the Catholic Church.

I love when Millennials protest at college!  Here’s the most famous (and my favorite) moment in Millennial protest history.  Please, tase him again.

Well, here’s a group of college kids at UCLA reacting to a tuition hike in the only way they can — yell loudly, aggravate the cops into reacting, and whine about it some more:

The typical indication of whether or not a Millennial wins an argument is how loudly they yell.  In this case, I’m sure the kids think they won.  They certainly have spirit.  Nonetheless with California on the verge of economic collapse, the good ole days of government handouts and reliance on public institutions to make life comfortable is reaching a breaking point in the Golden State.

But, isn’t this the “Hope and Change” which an estimated 68% of young adults voted for just last year? (sorry, obligatory Obama swipe)  Yet, aren’t your college loans now going through the government now?  Who’s paying for all those loans in the interim?

Hmm…

That’s right — I am, along with my fellow taxpayers!  Maybe one day you will be too (if you can find a job in the Obama Nation).  If not, just wait until they ask for your time — being financially obligated to the Federal Government directly, it’s not a stretch to see this crew asking for “service” requirements in Americorp or the latest incarnation of ACORN as an indentured servant to pay back those loans. I don’t put anything passed this crew.

In all seriousness, I’d like to think this energy can be focused positively on the next election.  But I have a feeling this crew is apt to vote for the biggest handout rather than the soundest policy.

I do not count myself as a Lindsay Graham fan, but credit where credit is due.  In his questioning of Attorney General Eric Holder before the Judiciary committee yesterday, he asked such an obvious question to Holder yet rendered him speechless.  In this clip, Graham spells out exactly why Holder’s decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in Federal court is a stupid one, and why it sets such a bad president.  It also illustrates just how incompetent Eric Holder is.

H/T: Ann Althouse

You may not know much about soccer, but one thing I think we all know is that you’re not supposed to touch to ball with your hands, unless you’re the goalie.

Here’s what happened to Ireland today in their qualifying match against France:

Not cool… ou pas bon! (pardon my French)

One of the knocks against our President is that Obama only cares about Obama. As it turns out, we’ve been giving the One too much credit. On his recent trip to China, President Obama met his brother Mark way too many middle names Obama for the first time and was gracious enough to give the man five whole minutes of his time. I guess the surname Obama isn’t enough to deserve the One’s attention. Maybe we should change the saying “Obama only cares about Obama” to “Barack Obama only cares about Barack Obama.”

Sarah Palin, in the midst of her media tour for Going Rogue, appeared on the Rush Limbaugh radio program yesterday.  Rather than interviewing her exclusively about the book, Limbaugh asked her a number of questions about policy matters, from taxes and spending, to health care, to energy, to Afghanistan and Iran.  Palin’s answers were detailed, specific, and spot-on Conservative.  One of the major criticisms of Palin during the 2008 campaign was that she was a policy lightweight, and that she lacked the experience necessary to run for office (not that our current commander-in-chief had ANY experience before his election, but he’s a liberal, so that’s OK).  Palin’s answers were not only spot-on, but she delivered them with fluidity and ease.  It was obvious that she was not rehearsed or prepped, but was rather speaking from her own understanding of policy and politics.  Rush’s questions were not softballs at all, but rather specific questions regarding current initiatives.

If Sarah Palin does decide to run, she will be a formidable force.  Rather than the lightweight she is made out to be, her knowledge of policy and current issues that she exhibited on Rush will surprise a lot of people.  I highly doubt that her book tour will convince a lot of people, as the state-run media circus is more interested in her criticisms of the McCain campaign and what magazine Levi Johnson is posing in next, but if she does decide to run, it will become obvious after a time (especially at debates – imagine Palin going up against Obama; talk about red meat).  It may be to her advantage that she is “mis-underestimated” (to quote GW), as that often plays well for a Republican candidate.  In any case, if she does decide to run, I would put her head-to-head against any of the supposed GOP hopefuls.

Mainstream media outlets have exorbitant budgets and entire departments dedicated to research.  Yet somehow, a young conservative comedian manages to produce a twelve minute video that provides more actual information and context on the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay than the state-run media has produced in years of “reporting” on the facility.  Thankfully, Crowder is as funny as the media is sad.

I just got an email from a fellow NJ conservative containing this article from the Hudson Reporter about how the freshly dissed NJ Democrat Party just can’t let go of Jon Corzine.

Their scheme consists of asking octogenarian NJ Senator Frank Lautenberg to step aside while Corzine is still a lame duck in order to let Corzine assume Lautenberg’s seat until a special election can be held next year.  Sneaky, but nothing from the Dems surprises me.

So, let me get this straight:  according to the NJ Democrat Party the first Democrat to lose to a Republican statewide in over a decade is soooo indispensable that they must rotate chairs so that he stays in a position of power?  Seems odd.  Someone must owe somebody else some kind of something to entertain this idea so soon after the election!