JoeWeber

Now if Brent narrowed his sample down to recent examples I'm pretty sure you'd rub his nose in it.

Bill, that's an unfair analogy and it denies reality. Quitting smoking is a devilishly hard thing, I know first hand. Now, you might be able to squeeze a Methadone/Heroin analogy into your point but it still wouldn't be fair to do. Right now with what we know I'd say it's a fair guess that vaping is less of a danger to the users and those nearby than smoking by a very long shot. Personally, I don't like it around me but I'm a very long way from judging those who vape to get off cigarettes.

It's just vengeance. So, was there an after action report confirming the numbers of ISIS killed? Was there any unfortunate collateral damage? Do we even give a shit about either? I mean, it is totally sick vid and now we feel better, right? Is this is what winning looks like when wars end in this day and age? Inquiring minds, you know.

I can recommend an excellent otolaryngologist. There's no need to live that way.

Brother, you did not shame me. I'm in your corner. I don't like the vaping thing for my own reasons, which is sufficient. Honestly, it's like a fart in the airplane. Is it hurting me? No. Will I agree it's good? No, again. Do I need further education? Um, I don't think so. So, here we are and I'll cheer you and other friends on if it keeps you away from smokes.

Brother, I am in no way opposed to your use. If it keeps you off smokes It's a win in my book. I won't defend my position which is merely that I have my doubts that it's all good. I'm also willing to suffer my doubts if it does you good.

I said "I think", I won't claim to know. In truth, it is more of a gut feeling. But: "According to the CDC, substances found in vaping aerosol include: Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs. Flavoring like diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious, irreversible lung disease called obliterative bronchiolitis. So-called volatile organic compounds, or gases emitted into the air that may have adverse health effects. Cancer-causing chemicals. Heavy metals, including nickel, tin and lead."

I hate the vaping trend. I absolutely think it's bad inhaled first or second hand. But, because I had high hopes that it would help smokers quit I decided to allow it around the DZ outside of the designated smoking areas. So far I don't think anyone here has gone from smoking to vaping to neither. So now we have vaping around, which has it's own problems, but at least they aren't smoking

Come on, man, that's absurd. In your fantasy is that heroic fellow in Tiananmen Square pointing his Glock at the tank? It matters not how well armed and disciplined you are if you don't have the numbers and your foe cares not a whit about about cruelty or image. You've heard of the Spartans, right?

I can't do that but I will toss in one red spamming notice. Some day those will be worth something.

Who knows, but check out our new Middle East Peace Envoy. 30 year old Avi Berkowitz. No foreign policy experience but who cares, he made his bones as Jareds personal assistant. He'll have Hamas by the short curlies in no time, methinks. Hey! Maybe Tin Tin is available to take over Boltons portfolio. How hard can it be?

There's a reason you have 34 Green Merits with only 208 posts. Normally I wouldn't do this but if you are in the mood to deal I'll trade you 4 Warning Demerits for just 2 Merits. I can't keep the offer open ended obviously.

I believe Brent would answer, not much. His thinking seems to be that fussing with renewables, here and now, is taking our eye off the ball. Rather we should go red hot with hydrocarbon use while the getting is good and fill up the bank accounts so, if we even need or want to, we can afford to fix the non-problems later. I don't agree, because too many things are left unaccounted for, but I can see how he gets to the position.

Coreese, who are you? Your profile isn't informative, by design I think, as intended. I am Joe Weber. DZO. Skydiver. Pilot. Sometimes a somebody when skydiving airplane crap happens. But who are you? You have super strong views. Give it up or go away. Who are you?

I think his point was revealed in his Freudian slip. “and as I sated earlier”.

The perception of ones own power and independence is vastly greater when sitting in the Captains Chair of your own Starship Uber than when wearing a striped hat and passing a Double Whopper out a window to people who actually are having it their way. For a lot of people, the actual yield per hour delta isn't a consideration that gets weighted above personal freedom. They might argue it's about $X an hour but it's not because the numbers aren't there. From an understanding of human nature perspective, the ride hailing business models are simply brilliant. Nearly half of American workers make $15 an hour or less so it stands to reason that a large chunk of the 270 million cars on Americas roads belong to people who are often desperate for some extra money. The genius of it is the same genius of telemarketing: the realization that your build out is already in place, your liability to maintain it is zero and it comes fully paid for and ready to go. Pretty sweet.

Yes, China has apparently restarted construction on a number of suspended coal fired plants. But they also, apparently, reduced permitted construction from 184GW in 2015 to 5GW in 2018. Now obviously we can not trust them any more than they, or anyone else these day's, can trust us. But it's not all gloom.

I completely agree that our best efforts at any thing, not only CO2 mitigation, can be made futile by actions elsewhere in the world. The good news is that coal fired power plant construction worldwide seems to be falling dramatically. The bad news is that with a stroke of a pen China can reverse that trend. Still, so far, so good. I'd also agree that economic development stores more opportunity for beneficial change in it's batteries than renewable energy batteries are ever likely to store. But I would not use less than and greater than symbols when making decisions between things good and better. Just as I like to keep my portfolio diversified even knowing there is a certain cost maybe a bit of both is smart. Whatever the real cost of the Paris Accords might end up being, and every dollar spent isn't lost, there are other real, tangible benefits from remaining in the agreement. For one, no one likes dealing with welshers. For two, everyone needs a friend sometime. For three, in the big geopolitical scheme of things they're our peeps. Just like the Iranian Deal, maybe there are hold your nose bits and pieces that are a part of the process but that's the way of all complex deals and relationships. Better to keep the long game in mind as our adversaries do.

You said this: "If you guys really think otherwise I am throwing my intellectual pearls before swine." Now I'll be the last to argue I'm not a swine but I think your pearls are simply the baubles of your own beliefs. It's completely fair for you to claim that if, as far as you are concerned, the accelerated arc of inexorable time leaves some people fucked earlier then mother nature intended, well so be it. It was coming anyway and it's also not our problem today. But that does not make it gospel or a universal truth. Reality, if I can adopt your claim, is that that CO2 levels are spiking up coterminous with the advance of human civilization. You choose to observe that fact and act cavalierly, my interpretation. With time on my side, I choose to act cautiously. That said, I am thinking about how you see it.

Brent, I am not on your page but I think I see where you are coming from, which is: global warming is an underway natural cycle and AGW may or may not play a significant role. Maybe or maybe not the current warming cycle will end in disaster but in the meantime the majority of the worlds population of our generation, and probably the next two or three, will benefit from the effects. After that who knows? Maybe a volcano darkens the skies or maybe we had the math wrong or whatever. But for certain hobbling ourselves economically today while we play a guessing game is stupid. Is that close?

I don't believe he doubts it so much as he doesn't think we should care because it's going to be "salubrious" and, even if it's not, only fools order and pay for things that aren't delivered until after we're dead.

In fairness Keith, many of us feel the same way about the fetal heartbeat argument. I personally don't think anyone has a snow balls chance in hell of moving Brent an inch. But maybe it happens, who knows. Your arguments on gun control certainly caused me to reexamine my way of looking at the problem. Everyone loves a surprise, right?

In fairness, It's a much more powerful Hurricane than Obama had over two terms! No longer will our Great American Hurricanes be made in China! MAGA!

Damn Bill, you are totally on to something. You know, I've always thought the cost of reserves and AAD's put a cap on the number of potential new skydivers. I'm thinking I might just can our S&TA's and hire a couple of Priests.

There is no separation of Church and Gun in El Paso, it seems. Do you think, if they could, they would hesitate to force their world view on you at the point of a gun? https://www.guncentralelpaso.com/