Talking about Maple Syrup and Maple Syrup production has become an annual affair, only because the ideologically motivated New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D- EMILY’s List), used the sticky stuff as part of a charade to pull at voters ignorant heart-strings.   Had she never brought it up I’d have little or no reason to mention it all.  But the fact that she was wrong, demands that we add yet more content for Goggle to unearth whenever folks enter the search terms “Shaheen, Maple Syrup.”

To preface, five years ago, Shaheen cried wolf that Global Warming™ was set to doom New Hampshire’s Maple Syrup production, cost jobs, ruin tourism,  blah blah..BS, BS…hasn’t happened.  Not happening.

And the USDA has just announced that this year Maple Syrup producers set a record, producing 70% over last year.

To put that in it’s proper context you have to know a few things.  First, in 2011 production hit a 76 year high not seen since 1920’s (apx 120,000 gallons just in NH).  Last years production was down 36% from the record year (76,000 in NH), and this year production in NH hit 124,000 gallons, up 63% from last year, and several percent higher than the record year that proceeded it.  Not exactly what you’d call an industry suffering from the so-called effects of Global Warming.

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In further signs of the imminent collapse of Western Civilization, a young marketing genius, Jake King, emerges in Ohio: He’s responsible for organizing this year’s massive…naked Nerf games. 

Ahem!

From today’s Wall Street Journal (you really should subscribe):

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Imagine what the Brits would have done with today’s NSA data mining / pattern seeking?  Well, just look to your left and you can see what an enterprising data miner did with some Boston based Revolutionary data – who is talking to who.  He had to put it together from a book:

I have been asked by my superiors to give a brief demonstration of the surprising effectiveness of even the simplest techniques of the new-fangled Social Networke Analysis in the pursuit of those who would seek to undermine the liberty enjoyed by His Majesty’s subjects. This is in connection with the discussion of the role of “metadata” in certain recent events and the assurances of various respectable parties that the government was merely “sifting through this so-called metadata” and that the “information acquired does not include the content of any communications”. I will show how we can use this “metadata” to find key persons involved in terrorist groups operating within the Colonies at the present time. I shall also endeavour to show how these methods work in what might be called a relational manner.

…However, our current Eighteenth Century beta of PRISM has been used to collect and analyze information on more than two hundred and sixty persons (of varying degrees of suspicion) belonging variously to seven different organizations in the Boston area.

…Surely this is but a small encroachment on the freedom of the Crown’s subjects.

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In a letter Monday to U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman in New York, who has called the age restrictions “politically motivated” and “scientifically unjustified,” the administration said it would drop its appeal in the case and abide by Korman’s order to make Plan B One-Step contraceptive pills available to women and girls of any age without a prescription.

(H/T: The Home Front – Who Decided My Daughters are Women)

Plan B – the “emergency contraceptive”.  Contraceptive – sure thing, bucko.  The sperm and the egg have fused to create a zygote at that point  – a new life HAS been created.  Plan B kills that new life by keeping that zygote, that baby, from being implantable in the woman’s uterus.  I disagree with those that say that a life never existed because without implantation, that zygote could never become a unborn baby as it would never become “a fetus”.  All human babies need nourishment, care, and attention both before the actual time of birth / physical separation from the mom as well as after.  If it is not cherished after the birthing, that baby will die as well, so I consider “emergency contraceptive” to be a “emergency canard”.

You know, Government should first do no harm.  Yet, what harm will this do to the children, who for the sake of “reproductive rights”, who have been moved from being innocent children to being  one of those “women of all ages” by simple dint of a judge’s order?

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Since illegal aliens essentially have to confess to being here illegally in order to get amnesty and since it is Constitutional to collect DNA from citizens who are not even convicted of crimes, it seems that it would be appropriate as part of the application process for applicants to be required to submit a DNA sample.  Law enforcement can then use the DNA sample as part of the background check that we are told will be done before anyone gets amnesty (OK, we know that is a lie).

Does anyone think this is in the current bill?  Do you think it is a good idea?  

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Political ideology can corrupt the mind, and science.   —E. O. Wilson

When this issue broke on the radio talk show and blogosphere arena. I was absolutely sick to my stomach. Awash in disappointment and dismay, I just could not believe what I was seeing and reading…I read it again…and again. I found myself so disheartened that so many of my colleagues out there were characterizing Wounded Warrior Project in the column of people and causes I loathe and despise. “Somebody please…say it ain’t so!” I am begging here.

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Before I expose the fraud perpetrated by Democrat Lee Nyquist in the Union Leader this past week, where he gushed about how Jeanne Shaheen is this respected, put together, moderate Senator, I have a quick question.

If George Bush can be blamed almost a decade later for the Obama Administration Bureaucracy engaging in unprecedented intrusions into peoples privacy then why can’t Jeanne Shaheen be held accountable for the IRS targeting Conservative 501(c) 4’s while she was actually asking them to go out and investigate 501(c)4’s?

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Expanding Medicaid is not as good a deal for New Hampshire as it sounds.

We all know that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The Senate Republicans also believe that taxpayers deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent. Likewise, we have an obligation to carefully consider any new potential increase of government entitlements, which will affect both those being charged to pay for the program and the recipients. It is this thinking that led the Republican-controlled state Senate to defer making a rash decision of leaping into Medicaid expansion before carefully considering all options.

Due to the lack of any plan put forth by Gov. Maggie Hassan to consider how Medicaid expansion could be implemented, the Senate has taken it upon itself to do the work. Frankly, we did not say “yes” or “no.” We recognized that neither the governor nor the Democrat-controlled House has considered the policy implications. Voters expect the Legislature to consider policy changes and create a plan that is in the best interest of the state, and we plan to do just that.

So while the governor frets about the potential loss of free money and looks to find ways to circumvent the legislative process, the Senate is taking a measured view of Medicaid expansion. Despite the criticism from some that the Senate has killed expansion, the reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. The Senate budget is specific. We believe we should better understand and analyze the options, do the math, and then make a decision.

So, what is there to consider with Medicaid expansion? Actually, a lot.

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It is graduation time around the country, and once again, wussy school districts all over just can’t stand the idea of having to face up to ANYone complain that “Thou Shalt Not Pray to God, Thou Shalt Not Praise [the Christian] God, or mention The Bible – else, “they” will sue us.  Yes, we wet ourselves when confronted by controversy in this Publicly constructed Political Correctness Jail that we have built around ourselves.  Like this poor fellow, who simply wanted, at his gradumacation, say “Thank You” – and had his mic cut off.  And now, the Joshua Independent School District has gone all CYA (read more and watch the video at Hot Air).

And then there is the flip side – as this country seems to be sliding more and more to be Orwell’s 1984, it seems that some are more equal than other.  Aw heck – there is a “positive” discrimination towards Muslims as everyone tip-toes around Islamic Jihadi terrorism, proclaiming that Islam is the Religion of Peace.  Why?  Go ahead, draw a cartoon of Muhammad and hand deliver it to a radical fundamentalist mosque – doubtful you’ll get the Red Carpet treatment (and yes, I will resist typing the snarky comment here – just to make you think).

Back to topic – so a high school grad can’t mention God.  The ACLU and the militant Atheist groups sue to not have graduations in churches (even if they are the only venue that can handle such crowds), to remove creches at Christmas, remove the 10 Commandments, free Bibles from the Gideons in hotels…yeah, the whole 9 yards.

BUT!  Taxpayers be forced to pay for Islamic prayers at San Francisco Airport for a smallish number of Muslim cabbies; from Creeping Shariah:

San Fran airport’s garage now a mosque complete w Islamic foot bath

Praying for our demise. via Airport’s garage now Muslim house of worship (h/t: SFGate)

Here’s a sign of the changing times — Muslim cabbies now have their very own place at San Francisco International Airport to wash their hands and feet before they pray.

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My Jr US Senator, Kelly Ayotte, make the rounds of the Sunday morning talking head shows to make her announcement that she is in McCain’s sidecar when it comes to voting for the Gang of Eight’s Amnesty Immigration Plan (she also sent me a personal email – hope the NSA read it!):

It will take tough decisions to solve our nation’s immigration problems. After careful review of this bill, I will support it and plan to vote for amendments offered to strengthen it.

This legislation secures the border first, with more border agents, more fencing, and better surveillance technology.

Eyup – border first.  Right.  Really?  Um, that’s not what one of the Gang of Eight Republicans, Marco Rubio himself, said on Univision yesterday (emphasis mine):

 “Let’s be clear,” Rubio said. “Nobody is talking about preventing the legalization. The legalization is going to happen. That means the following will happen: First comes the legalization. Then come the measures to secure the border. And then comes the process of permanent residence.”

In most of his public appeals for the Gang of Eight bill, Rubio has stressed its enforcement provisions, saying that border security must come before immigrants are granted legal permanent resident status. What he has not stressed so much is the fact that the bill would legalize the 11 million almost immediately, after they have passed background checks and paid some sort of fine. That would happen before any new security measures are completed, or even begun.

Yes, Rubio is one of Schumer’s  “our Republicans”.  What say you now, Kelly, since Rubio has now has contradicted himself and said “Amnesty first – securing the border later”?  OUR border, Kelly.  How long can a country stand when it cannot control its own border?  How WORSE is it when a country REFUSES to control its own border?

Now add this factoid about border security law that has already been passed:

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