Links of interest.

Catallaxy Files: http://catallaxyfiles.com/2011/07/29/vaclav-klaus-in-melbourne/

“…it is an issue that has the potential to impoverish us while creating positions of power for individuals with terrifying authoritarian personalities who have not a single useful thought about how to successfully manage any single one of our collective affairs.”

…say the ‘Cats’ themselves, and I thoroughly agree. Czech President and former PM Vaclav Klaus, currently in Australia on the speaking circuit, is basically saying “I have lived your future and it doesn’t work.”

Remote Sensing: http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/3/8/1603/pdf (via Catallaxy article above.) The meat of this journal article is that observed heat losses from the atmosphere into space are significantly greater than IPCC climate models allow for. This says nothing good about the premise on which Australia’s Carbon Tax hangs its hopes, and further rubbishes former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s claim that ‘the science is settled’.

Tea Party: http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_131/-206085-1.html?pos=hln Those racist Hispanics, blacks and Ecuadorians. Go have a read. There’s all sorts of inflammatory stuff, like

“If the immigrants understood what was happening in America there would be a revolt against those politicians,” said Muñoz, who became a citizen in 2008. “Obama’s talking one way and doing another and the Hispanics do not know about that hanky-panky.”

and

“Why do immigrants leave their country? Because they don’t have opportunity and they don’t have freedom, because politicians control everything,” he said. “We come to America and we are going to have the same crap? Then we might as well go back there.”

Beauty pageant blues: http://www.news.com.au/national/mums-and-made-up-daughters-flock-to-northcote-town-hall-for-controversial-child-beauty-pageant/story-e6frfkvr-1226104603841 Like them or hate them, these contests are a big thing and some of the contestants at least are clearly there because they want to be. With the protest groups doing the decent thing and agreeing not to rabidly picket the venue, the onus is on the parents to act sanely and encourage the daughters to do likewise… but sanity seems short on the ground where the US visitors are concerned.