UPDATE: Vid has been pulled. Thanks to all the commenters putting me some knowledge, including SAHMmy who makes the astute observation that while the B-a-B CEO may not understand Climate Change, she understands market forces.

We did not intend to politicize the topic of global climate change or offend anyone in any way.

Original post follows:
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Via Big Government, a tale of propaganda presented by an innocuous and fluffy source.

The popular chain Build-a-Bear has a short cartoon playing at their website wherein Santa, Mrs. Claus, the elves, some polar bears and a penguin tell your children that Global Warming is going to melt the North Pole in two (not a typo: 2) days.

This would be a hysterically funny parody if it weren't targeted directly at kids. If you tried to write a send-up of the AGW cultists, you'd be hard-pressed to come up anything more patently ridiculous. The only thing missing is a cameo by ManBearPig.

Girl Elf: Santa, itÂ’s gone!

Papa Elf: ItÂ’s gone, ItÂ’s gone!

Santa: WhatÂ’s gone?

Girl Elf: Tell ‘em, Dad!

Papa Elf: The North Peak.

Santa: A mountain? A mountainÂ’s gone? How is that possible?

Ella the polar bear: Santa, sir, thatÂ’s why IÂ’m here. ThatÂ’s why weÂ’re here. The ice is melting!

Santa: Yes, my dear, we know, the climate is changing. ThereÂ’s bound to be a little melting.

Ella: It’s worse than that, Santa, a lot worse! At the rate it’s melting, the North Pole will be gone by Christmas!”

Santa: My, myÂ…all of this gone by next Christmas? I donÂ’t think so.

Ella: No sir, not next Christmas, this Christmas! The day after tomorrow!

Posted by: Open Blog at 07:04 AM | Comments (127)
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Costly and freedom sucking? Apparently those are features not bugs of ObamaCare.

The plan before the Senate creates a set of 50 state-based insurance "exchanges" that are established as markets for health plans. Consumers must buy policies from their employers or through the exchanges--but, either way, their choice of coverage is limited to one of four basic insurance plans that the government sanctions.

Private insurers will still compete to offer policies but must model their coverage on one of these four templates. In short, the Senate bill explicitly standardizes health benefits and then establishes elaborate mechanisms (including subsidies and penalties) to pay for them.

Here's the rub: While these four plans vary from low- to high-cost options, the benefits offered under them are pretty much the same. The difference between the cheaper and pricier plans is mostly the amount of cost sharing (e.g., you pay less for insurance if your co-pays are higher).

In effect, the plan creates a single national health-insurance policy. Consumers' only real option is to trade higher co-pays for lower premiums. But we'll all get the same package of benefits established by a series of new agencies and an "insurance czar" seated in Washington.

Once the exchanges are in place, the individual market--the ability to go directly to an insurer and buy a health-care policy--will disappear. You'll have only two places to buy insurance, in the exchanges or through your workplace.

There's more, including how the only way to free yourself from the loving grasp of your government is to be among the super rich who can afford to pay cash for whatever you want. Though I'm sure that 'loophole' will be closed soon.

I saw some Democrat congresswoman on one of the news shows boasting about how this 're-form' plan would eliminate the disparity in coverages employers could offer different levels of workers. I was incredulous, well not really, that she thought this was a good thing.

The funny thing is, employer based health care insurance was the result of government interference in the market place during the 30's WWII*. Roosevelt and his merry gang of regulators instituted wage controls and the only way companies could reward or compete for workers was through fringe benefit packages and things like health insurance.

Now the circle has come round and we see there's no government screw up that can't be fixed by more government interference. After current health insurance policies are grandfathered out, we will all be subject to the same type of policies, no more, no less.

Doesn't that make you feel better Comrades? Finally, we will be free from the terrible tyranny of, er, freedom!

Let's be honest, 1776-2010 is a good run by any metric. Now we will see what Obama's remade America looks like.

*Thanks to epobirs for pointing out my error.

Posted by: DrewM at 06:49 AM | Comments (138)
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Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 04:13 AM | Comments (133)
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Grasping at straws, perhaps, but...

“Hey Mr. Kristol, is there some supersecret plot to ignore the Massachusetts Senatorial election scheduled for JANUARY 19, where an actual REPUBLICAN has a chance to become the 41ST member of the Republican caucus, which might find it in its interest to...persuade a certain Senatorial election committee to pay attention to the race or send money or have actual prominent Republican types come to the state to campaign for the very telegenic State Sen. Scott Brown, who's running against an undistinguished mouse of a Dem Party apparatchick who's so pro-abortion she's almost promising to do the procedure herself and doesn't carry the last name of Kennedy?
Just askin'!”

Now, while the election would take place after the senate passes its version of the bill, presumably there would have to be a re-vote on the bill after it leaves conferences, and he could block it at that point.

Here's his page.

Oh, and I've wanted to link this all day. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and Santa Claus will be bringing all the bad little children in government electoral disaster for what they're about to do.

1. Few Democrats understand the depth and intensity of opposition that exists toward them and their agenda, especially regarding health care. Passage of this bill will only heighten the depth and intensity of the opposition. WeÂ’re seeing a political tsunami in the making, and passage of health-care legislation would only add to its size and force.

And that's point one.

More: McConnell Will Object to Appointment of Conferees... And stall longer.

The amusing thing here is that Reid's big weapon is to accuse Republicans of "obstructionism."

See, the problem right there is that obstruction is popular at the moment.

It's like accusing the Benny Hill Show of "having too much ass."

Posted by: Ace at 09:43 PM | Comments (132)
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Stay classy Barack, stay classy.

This is not a drill people. This man is the president.

Ferchrisakes, even the PRC doesn't think too much of Mao anymore and this jackass is hanging Mao ornaments on OUR FREAKING CHRISTMAS TREE?!?!

Its a "little thing" sure, but symbolic gestures mean something when you're the FREAKING PRESIDENT OF THE FREAKING UNITED FREAKING STATES OF FREAKING AMERICA. When he was in his "prime" I doubt even Ron Dellums would have had the stones to hang a Mao ornament on a tree visible to the public in his office, and that guy was as red as they came.

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 07:40 PM | Comments (270)
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Good evening morons and welcome to C-Day-3.

Getting Started With Twitter
Okay you've been hearing from the kids about this new-fangled thing called twitter and don't know what the heck it was or why would you even want to use it. Well this guide explains it all and walks you through getting started in a gentle, painless way. And afterwards you'll be able to now tweet about chasing kids off the lawn. And your bowel movements.

Spot The Meme!
Okay I think it helps to spend a lot of time on fark and 4chan.

Posted by: Open Blog at 05:50 PM | Comments (427)
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Who knew going 18 for 28 in FGAs could get you released from the Cowboys?

Here's the latest on you morons from Ben.

buzzion 132
Truman the Greek 128
Nam Grunt 125
Superfly TNT 124
moflicky 124
Peoples Republic of Baltimore 124
Michael in MI 123
Carthago Delenda Est 122
svenster61 122
monkey sleeping 121
Aewl 121
paranoid polly 120

Meanwhile, the titanic behind the scenes struggle is dead even after 15.

1 Dave in Texas 108 108-114
2 lauraw 108 108-114

That's right. Yahoo listed me first cause someone who isn't me picked the Redskins.

ALSO for those of you interested in the Bowl Pickem Thingy, I'm off to a terrific 0-3 start.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 04:43 PM | Comments (9)
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Really? Really. Just like those tea-baggers Tea Party Activists said.

That's the good news. The bad news is, the Democrats don't care -- sounds like House Democrats are getting ready to fall on their swords for Emperor Obama.

Posted by: Ace at 04:16 PM | Comments (162)
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(A series of daily-ish roundups of the day's Climate news and commentary.)

This is by no means a comprehensive recap. The stories come from a variety of sources, and I highly recommend exploring the linked sites for more breaking news.

(after the break...) more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 03:52 PM | Comments (37)
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Writing in The Guardian, Mark Lynas doesnÂ’t think thatÂ’s a good thing but itÂ’s still an interesting story.

To those who would blame Obama and rich countries in general, know this: it was China's representative who insisted that industrialised country targets, previously agreed as an 80% cut by 2050, be taken out of the deal. "Why can't we even mention our own targets?" demanded a furious Angela Merkel. Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, was annoyed enough to bang his microphone. Brazil's representative too pointed out the illogicality of China's position. Why should rich countries not announce even this unilateral cut? The Chinese delegate said no, and I watched, aghast, as Merkel threw up her hands in despair and conceded the point. Now we know why – because China bet, correctly, that Obama would get the blame for the Copenhagen accord's lack of ambition.

China, backed at times by India, then proceeded to take out all the numbers that mattered. A 2020 peaking year in global emissions, essential to restrain temperatures to 2C, was removed and replaced by woolly language suggesting that emissions should peak "as soon as possible". The long-term target, of global 50% cuts by 2050, was also excised. No one else, perhaps with the exceptions of India and Saudi Arabia, wanted this to happen. I am certain that had the Chinese not been in the room, we would have left Copenhagen with a deal that had environmentalists popping champagne corks popping in every corner of the world.

At least now I know where to send a thank you note.

Seems China isnÂ’t all that excited about letting their debtors commit fiscal suicide before they pay up. Kind of sad when the ChiComs have a better handle on the fundamentals of economics than the so-called leaders of the free world.

Lynas also writes about how the Chinese sent a minor functionary to represent them in a meeting that was attended by Obama and several other mere mortal heads of state. The arrogance!

See the Chinese think this is their world and they arenÂ’t going to put up with any of this international community crap.

Copenhagen was much worse than just another bad deal, because it illustrated a profound shift in global geopolitics. This is fast becoming China's century, yet its leadership has displayed that multilateral environmental governance is not only not a priority, but is viewed as a hindrance to the new superpower's freedom of action. I left Copenhagen more despondent than I have felt in a long time. After all the hope and all the hype, the mobilisation of thousands, a wave of optimism crashed against the rock of global power politics, fell back, and drained away.

I always used to laugh when lefties would complain about how America ‘rules the world’. It always seemed to me that if we were really as bad as they claimed we were, they’d really be unhappy. Well, if China does become the sole superpower, we going to see what a real despotic global power looks like.

Posted by: DrewM at 02:34 PM | Comments (112)
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