PrairiePundit

Oil Price.com: ... Indeed, Plasma Pulse Technology (PPT) is a weapon of sorts—one that could bridge the divide between oil and gas producers on one hand and environmentalists and regular citizens who are concerned that the toxic chemicals used in the process will pollute groundwater. Because it does not use any chemicals, Plasma Pulse Technology—exclusively licensed in the US by Houston-based Propell Technologies Group Inc. (PROP) —is deemed to be an environmentally friendly way to clear clogging sedimentation from well drainage areas to allow the oil and gas to flow. Plasma Pulse is an easy-to-deploy technology that uses vibrations, or electrically generated plasma impulses to reduce viscosity, increase permeability and improve flow of oil and gas to the surface for extraction. The technology is designed to improve production costs effectively and without resorting to acidization, hydrofracking or other environmentally harmful processes. When it debuted last year, PPT was excitedl...

Rowan Scarborough: CIA’s harsh interrogation tactics crucial in bin Laden capture, Republicans say Senate Democrats’ ‘torture report’ claims tactics played no role in finding al Qaeda leader This is a long story, but it points out how the CIA used some enhanced interrogation techniques to get information that led to finding bin Laden.  The most effective techniques were sleep deprivation, forced nudity and forced standing,

Steve Chapman: We all have tasks we try to get done before the end of the year, and Kim Jong Un's is amping up the crazy. Last December, the North Korean despot approved the execution of his uncle for allegedly plotting against him. This December, his agents hacked Sony Pictures computers over a comedy depicting his assassination. It's enough to make you forget what he does to his real enemies: the people of North Korea. In February, a United Nations task force found his "crimes against humanity" to be "without any parallel in the contemporary world." But he did have serious rivals for that honor in 2014. One of them is the self-proclaimed Islamic State, a radical organization (also known as ISIL and ISIS) that proclaimed a caliphate in territory spanning large swaths of Syria and Iraq. Beheading American journalists was only its most visible atrocity. "The array of violations and abuses perpetrated by ISIL and associated armed groups is staggering,...

Daily Mail: Scientists discover just IMAGINING exercising can make you stronger, tone your muscles, and delay or stop muscle atrophy A new research study suggests that just thinking of exercising can have the same effects as actually hitting the gym Scientists have long known the connection between the brain and muscle movement, but now, they have discovered that imagery techniques can delay muscle atrophy This new development may lead to improvements in neurorehabilitation and help control the negative effects of aging If you combine it with exercise it should work even better.  For al you out there who mostly think about exercise this is for you,

Washington Post: Islamic State failing to deliver promised ‘state’ Across the group’s territory in Iraq and Syria, a breakdown of services and deteriorating living conditions call into question its ability to govern and the sustainability of its ambition. I don't think they are too worried about popular support in the territory they control.  If people object, they just kill them,  Ruthless rule is their MO.

NY Times: In New Congress, House Committees Will Carry a Strong Texas Accent With six of the 21 chairmanships, Texas will have the largest number from a single state since 1979. The second largest state in the country is solidly Republican which means it is going to have the potential candidates for chairmanships in a GOP controlled Congress.   They need to use these positions as stepping stones for House leadership positions.  They also need to push the Texas model to help the rest of the country prosper the way Texas has.

NY Times: Affordable Care Act’s Tax Effects Now Loom for Filers Issues that will be handled through the federal tax system include health insurance exemptions, penalties, and repayment of excess subsidies. This will be another test for this unpopular program as more people come to realize how they have been financially hurt by the law.   I suspect that it will become even more unpopular  between now and 2016.

AP/Fuel Fix: Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet on Thursday endorsed a 2015 budget that projects a slight increase in spending and a significant drop in revenues due to sliding oil prices, resulting in a nearly $39 billion deficit. In a sign of mounting financial pressure, the Finance Ministry said the government would try to cut back on salaries, wages and allowances, which “contribute to about 50 percent of total budgeted expenditures.” That could stir resentment among the kingdom’s youth, who make up a majority of the population and are increasingly struggling to find affordable housing and salaries that cover their cost of living. The price of oil— the backbone of Saudi Arabia’s economy — has fallen by about a half since the summer. Saudi Arabia is extremely wealthy, but there are deep wealth disparities and youth unemployment is expected to mushroom absent a dramatic rise in private sector job creation. The International Monetary Fund says almost two-thirds of employed Saudis work for t...

Daily Mail: New Obamacare signups for this year are only 1.9 million as most customers are re-enrolled AUTOMATICALLY and there's little chance of reaching the 13 million total Congress says the program needs  Just 1.9 million have signed up this year so far, and most renewals are on autopilot. That could create 'rate shock' when re-upped Americans get their bills in January. But HHS has a 'solution.' This program is still running short despite a law that punishes people  with an extra tax if they don't buy it.

CNN: ISIS governor of Mosul killed in coalition airstrikes It has become a very dangerous job.  He had only been in office 25 days since the previous governor was killed in an air strike.

Sharyl Attkisson: ... ATF’s internal Public Affairs Talking Points show the agency was using Fast and Furious to help justify new gun control regulations–without telling the public that ATF was actually facilitating the delivery of weapons to Mexican drug cartels. The talking points (p. 15) state: “These cases demonstrate the ongoing trafficking of firearms by Mexican DTO’s and other associated groups operating in Arizona and the need for reporting of multiple sales for certain types of rifles in order to ferret out those intent on providing firearms to these criminal groups.” While the Department of Justice was still insisting the gunwalking was a renegade operation conducted by rogue agents in Phoenix, the documents make clear ATF headquarters in Washington D.C. knew that weapons were being allowed to flow to Mexican drug cartels. ... There is much more. The information suggest that the administration knowingly withheld information they knew they should produce in order t...

Michael Barone: ... The nation’s population rose 0.75 percent in 2013-14, a slightly lower percentage than in any year since the 2010 Census. The largest percentage populations gains were in North Dakota (2.16 percent), with its booming Bakken shale, and Nevada (1.71 percent), now resuming rapid growth after a sharp decline in 2006-08. Number three was Texas (1.70 percent) — fabulous growth since it started with a base of more than 26 million. Some 19 percent of the nation’s population gain came in Texas alone. Other states with well-above-average percentage increases: Colorado (1.59 percent), District of Columbia (1.51 percent), Florida (1.49 percent), Arizona (1.45 percent), Utah (1.38 percent), Idaho (1.34 percent). ... Texas growth is obvious as you go across the state.  Even many small towns are seeing strong growth.  Another element of the new count shows Florida moving ahead of New York as the third most populous state.  New York which was the largest for deca...

Express: EXCLUSIVE: Ice in the Arctic and Antarctic is 'not melting', says global warming expert THE North and South Poles are "not melting", according to a leading global warming expert. The projections of the global warming crowd continue to be unrealized.  There assumptions have been shown to be invalid once more.

Fox News: The U.S. military has been stockpiling huge quantities of gear in Kuwait in preparation for shipping it across the border into Iraq for possible use in a coordinated offensive against the terrorist group Islamic State, according to U.S. News & World Report. The gear is being housed near a busy commercial port, which is now the place where roughly 3,100 vehicles -- mostly ambush-protected vehicles known as MRAPs – are parked, in addition to electronic equipment and other supplies, the magazine reported, citing defense officials. The gear, which is primarily from the U.S. Army, will be repaired and assessed for use as planners decide what the United States and its allies will need to defeat Islamic State, also known as ISIS. From June to December, we’ve worked a lot on moving items into Kuwait,” Air Force Maj. Gen. Rowayne “Wayne” Schatz, the director of operations and plans for U.S. Transportation Command, told U.S. News. “The Army is holding the gear there, and it has ...

Washington Post: ‘The Interview’ is surprisingly subversive about North Korea WONKBLOG | Kim Jong Un could be challenged if pirated copies get to the Hermit Kingdom. I am not sure how many people could view the copies if they were available and doing so would probably risk the lives of those who did.  But it would probably make heads figuratively explode if there was an air drop of DVD's.

NY Times: Oil’s Swift Fall Raises Fortunes of U.S. Abroad A plunge in oil prices has sent tremors through the global political and economic order, helping the United States but pushing several big oil-exporting nations to the brink of financial crisis. Obama was dead wrong about drilling our way to lower prices and he is also dead wrong about the Keystone XL pipeline which would make it easier to completely replace oil imported from Venezuela that props up a despotic regime.  The Canadian oil would be enough to not import a drop from Venezuela, yet Obama irrational opposes the pipeline to pander to the anti energy left.  He has never shown any strategic insight when dealing with energy and is only coming around to taking advantage of the opportunity created by drillers in Texas and North Dakota.

NY Times: Law and Order Issues, Once G.O.P.’s Strength, Now Divide the Party Robert Stolarik for The New York Times The police in Manhattan sought to keep order at a Dec. 3 protest over the death of a black man in custody. Such protests angered Republican supporters of the police. While some Republicans are seeking to overhaul the criminal justice system and reach out to minority voters, others are angered by protests and violence against the police. The anger is really over the big lies used to fuel the protests .  The "hands up, don't shoot" lie has been used to stir emotions by some Alinsky like activist on the left.  Many in the media have helped to push this false narrative.  But I think Republicans want an effective criminal justice system.  I don't think there is agreement on the right that Al Sharpton is not a credible leader.  He has a history of being involved in  false racial narratives for his own political purposes.  Any mov...

NY Times: Ukraine Briefly Cuts Power to Crimea Amid Feud With Russia Over NATO The electricity shut-off to the peninsula, annexed by Russia nine months ago, came as Russia warned Ukraine not to try to join the Western military alliance. The move underscores the Russian strategic weakness in Crimea.  It is also a clear message that the government in Kiev is fed up with Russian aggression and threats.

Bill Gertz: U.S. intelligence agencies have identified the military officer orchestrating North Korea’s state-sponsored hacking attacks, such as the one on Sony Pictures Entertainment. He is Gen. Kim Yong-chol, director of the espionage and clandestine operations service known as the Reconnaissance General Bureau, or RGB. The RGB was formed in 2009 when the Korean People’s Army, the communist state’s military, combined its Reconnaissance Bureau with the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee Operations Department. The combined intelligence and military special operations force is under the control of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un. Both military and party organizations have a long history of deadly covert operations and nefarious foreign espionage operations, such as the 1970s operations to kidnap foreign nationals for use in intelligence training in North Korea. U.S. and South Korean intelligence agencies have been tracking Gen. Kim since he emerged as a member of...

Fuel Fix: U.S. gasoline production broke records in 2014, despite anemic demand that has persisted for more than six years. For the week ended Dec. 19, gasoline output totaled 9.92 million barrels per day, the most ever, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That beat the previous record set in June of 9.84 million barrels per day, and a jump of 460,000 barrels per day since the first week of December. Since 1982, total U.S. gasoline output has only averaged more than 9.6 million barrels 11 times; eight of those times were in the last year. ... Fewer young people can afford cars and older people are retiring and driving less shrinking demand.  But it is mostly the increased supply which has proved how wrong Obama and the Democrats were to say that we could not drill our way to lower prices.