An Alaskan's epic response to Inhofe's snowball stunt

[Blue_In_AK]

I've met Bill Hess a few times and he is a close friend of a friend. I love this response to Jim Inhofe's snowball routine. And we might be better served if the media also looked beyond the tip of its nose when reporting on the "weather."

[FSogol]

1. K & R. n/t

[Hekate]

2. I hope he sent this to the WaPo, to Inhofe's office, etc. it deserves a wide audience. KnR

[2naSalit]

5. Well

"someone" can always give the author a little help with that...

Just sayin'...

[Blue_In_AK]

6. I saw it on "I love it when I wake up in the morning and Obama is president."

Bill is an activist. I'm sure he distributed it far and wide.

[tularetom]

3. Classic, too bad it was wasted on an empty headed dolt

Inhofe will just find something in the bible to rebut the facts.

[Aerows]

72. I can see it now

"Them dog-racin' Satanists. If God wanted a dog to pull a sled to bring medicine to sick people, they wouldn't have been sick in the first place!"

[Baitball Blogger]

4. Tragically on point.

I hope someone reads it in Congress.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. Our particular congress critters probably don't care.

They're too deep into Big Oil and the Koch Brothers' pockets.

[spanone]

8. k&r...

[Augiedog]

9. Incomprehensible

How can people who are supposed to know better act as if nothing is going on. Inhofe gives ignorance a whole new meaning. Won't be long before his picture is in the dictionary. What seems to be left on the side of the road in discussions about global warming and it's consequences like climate change are more immediate concerns like security, national security. While Inhofe may not care that Florida and New York may need to learn to tread really deep water, other places will see massive population dislocations. Some of these, like Bangladesh could easily cause an Indian-Pakistani-China-Bangladesh war. The asymmetrical intrusion response established by Pakiatn ensures a nuclear first strike on India. Who knows how China will respond to an out of control shooting war on its border, probably not well. It's time these dead Enders are removed from power in Washington and in state government. If they are so convinced the end times are at hand then go bunker up and leave the running of the country to those who don't subscribe to looser ideologies and suedo science. The world doesn't need anymore of the crazy; we have had enough of stupid and death by ignorance does not appeal to rational folk.

[mountain grammy]

13. hear, hear!! Well said.

[turbinetree]

17. Great

Last edited Wed Mar 4, 2015, 05:51 PM - Edit history (1)

Inhofe is nothing more than tool for the corruption of greed, the writer said if he could see the end of his nose he would deny it, and you know what he would deny it

[Saviolo]

28. Proud of it!

They parade their ignorance around like a trophy! Like a veritable sash of office! It shows that they're not beholden to those crazy liberal elites in their ivory tower, etc... etc...

It's really amazing how they can feel like their super-uninformed opinion is more valid than well-informed scientific consensus just because, and be proud of their opinion for standing up against the dogmatic scientific echo chamber. It's all bullshit. Give me an informed scientific position any time! I want to hear from a climate scientist about the climate! I want to hear about biologists about evolution! Let's hear from women on women's issues! Let's hear from LGBT people on LGBT issues! Let's hear from POC about issues facing POC!

[hunter]

43. "Death by ignorance"

Coming soon to a place near you, if it's not there already.

Too bad the Inhofe's of this world are so rarely the first to suffer.

[ReRe]

44. And I heard on the news somewhere...

... within the last 24-48 hours, that China is amping up it's military by 10%,

[JeffHead]

53. Maybe he wants to retire on some sweet beachfront property in Oklahoma.

Could be a real shot in the arm for the economy in Oklahoma. Access to the Atlantic Ocean will bring a lot of shipping and trade. You can't really fault a guy for looking out for his constituents can you? just in case people think I'm being serious.

[Beartracks]

77. Funny you should point out the ocean access thing...

>Access to the Atlantic Ocean will bring a lot of shipping and trade. <

Outside of Tulsa, OK, is the Port of Catoosa, one of the largest, most inland river-ports in the United States.

Oklahoma already has access to shipping and trade from coastal waters.

Just sayin.'

http://tulsaport.com/

[Dustlawyer]

76. For any real, sustained change to slow and then stop climate change, it would first be necessary

to get rid of the legal bribes in the form of campaign contributions, Super PACs, and the revolving door. We need the media conglomerates busted up and once again be required to tell the truth in the news. I continue to spread this message and hope others will join and become activists both for climate change and campaign finance change, meaning outlawing campaign contributions etc., and haveing Publicly Funded Elections.
I am not very hopeful it will happen in time to make a difference, instead I feel like a Lemming who realizes he should not run off the cliff, but there are too many others running into me and forcing me off with the rest. Why is it so hard to believe that all of that cash from the Kochs on down, along with a corrupted media/journalism, doesn't have the effect of ruining our once great country? Is it that people understand this (they do to a great extent), but believe that there is nothing that can be done about it? We could of everyone just decided to do what they can!

[raouldukelives]

93. Amen to that. And until such a time no one who wants to be considered even "mildly liberal"

Would dream of becoming partners in crime with the very corporations defrauding our world of a sustainable future.

[Blue_In_AK]

10. I've lived here for 40 years this May.

In the "old days," we had cold winters, lots of snow, with occasional three- or four-day warming periods, which came in with the east wind, and we called Chinooks. The past few years, however, have been noticeably warmer. Even the winter of 2012, where we had record snowfall, was not really cold. January and February were always the coldest months, but this year, our daytime temperatures have been in the 30s, even 40s, for weeks at a time.

This really isn't normal, and besides being just weird, it's economically bad for the state as ski slopes can't open, races have to be cancelled or moved. Even our downtown businesses took a big hit this past weekend when the sprint dogsled races, which usually bring thousands of people downtown to watch, had to be cancelled for lack of snow.

We can always hope, of course, that the past decade has been an anomaly, but I'm afraid this is the new normal. If I wanted to live in Seattle, I'd be down there.

[druidity33]

30. Whereas here in MA...

we've been blanketed by snow, and suffered overnight temps of -15, with wind chills to -40. I lived in Buffalo for 10 years and can tell you things are topsy-turvy when it's worse here than it was there...

[callous taoboy]

52. Makes me respect my winters in Anchorage from '92 to '99 more.

Those were the real thing. I loved all of the snow and cold and just the bizarre fact that I was so far north. After 7 winters I had to come back to Texas. The chinooks used to drive me crazy. Wow, 40 in January is just so off. It was always bitter cold in January when I was there.

[Blue_In_AK]

55. I know.

We used to count on January being the coldest month of the year with long stretches of subzero temps. Not anymore. This entire winter we've only had a couple of subzero nights and very little snow, about a third of what's normal. It's gotten so bad that people get excited when the forecast is for a couple of inches. It's sad.

[Bugenhagen]

88. Some of us celebrate Bottom Day here in Fairbanks

A while ago a cool Fairbanks weather poster was published by NOAA or someone. It shows all kinds of trends and averages and things. One chart on it has average daily high and low temps. The curves are pretty smooth, but there is a tiny extra downward dip in January. That day, the 13th or 14th of January, on average has the coldest overnight low temp of the year- Bottom Day.

[Right now I can't remember the exact day, but it certainly is a good reason to celebrate.]

[Go Vols]

11. K&R

[jtuck004]

12. Wow. I hope this gets read by everyone else except the addressee. He won't care.n/t

[Roland99]

14. Oh (cold) snap!

[volstork]

91. LOL!

N/t

[mountain grammy]

15. K & R

[groundloop]

16. Fantastic letter, and filled with f-a-c-t-s (which may make some heads explode)

The facts (as expressed in this letter) don't conform to the make-believe being spouted on Faux Noise. There are bound to be a bunch of right-wingers with a sever case of cognitive dissonance after reading that.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. I think what they don't get is

what happens in the Arctic affects all the weather down there. If it weren't so warm up here, if the ice weren't melting leaving all that open (dark, heat-absorbing) water, the jet stream might not be acting so crazy bringing the east coast the dreaded polar vortex. It saddens me that someone as clueless as science-denying James Inhofe chairs the environment committee. The only environment he seems aware of is Washington, DC.

[cui bono]

24. If only there were some sort of standards that must be met to chair a committee.

Or to be elected! It's amazing how stupid and ignorant some of the elected pols are. And I realize some of them know exactly what they are doing, but some of them really don't know anything.

[SCVDem]

19. You can start the race in Boston.

The new normal.

[srican69]

20. This guy totally misses the point .. Sen Inhofe doesnt care if the world is heating up or cooling

down .

He only cares about profits of his rich friends.

[Blue_In_AK]

21. They why is he chairing the environment committee?

Our "government" has some serious issues.

[awoke_in_2003]

29. Because republicans want to prove...

that government doesn't work by purposely making sure it doesn't.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

35. In most cases I'd agree, but in this case they just want the goals of thier corporate masters

to be served by putting on the appropriate committees Rs who either actually believe in (useful idiots) or are happy to pretend they believe in (evil bastards) that which supports those fascist goals.

[magical thyme]

33. because that is exactly where the money wants him. where he can do most damage. nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

50. Inhofe is convinced he's in an ideological battle against Tree Hugging Hippie types,.....

....who are anti-Capitalist and probably GAY too.

Or women.

Which he considers to be the same thing.

[daleanime]

22. Nice!

Hopefully some listens

[cui bono]

23. Makes me cry.

[KamaAina]

25. Can he see Caribou Barbie from his house?

[Blue_In_AK]

32. I would be very surprised if he doesn't know her personally.

Nearly everyone in Wasilla does.

[KamaAina]

38. Oh, the tales he could tell...

[47of74]

65. If he can does he even want to?

[hue]

26. Excellent letter but if its not in the Bible I doubt Inhofe would read this.

[handmade34]

27. and... any number of other examples...

2 in particular that I have been affected by... as well as many more

Ticks (Lyme Disease) --"the EPA added Lyme disease to its list of climate change indicators"

Crop and garden management --"the characteristics of the seasons are changing, leading to great disruptions for plants and related ecosystems."

[Blue_In_AK]

36. This is really true.

Our gardening season has been extended by three or four weeks. It used to be gospel that you didn't plant before Memorial Day and you had to harvest by Labor Day to avoid a frost. Now I usually get my garden in about the third week of May and don't bring in some of my crops, especially cole crops that can stand a little cold at night, until well into October.

[niyad]

74. I know that my area has moved from zone 4 to zone 6. we are now growing magnolia trees.

and my lilacs have been budding since the second week in january, my daffies are almost 5 inches--and now buried in snow.

[Ccarmona]

31. And in Australia They're Setting Summer Heat Records Every Day

Now someone will have to explain to the Senator, that when it's Winter here, it's Summer there, and they record their temperatures in Celsius not Fahrenheit.

[Whiskeytide]

34. The author, as well as many here on DU...

Last edited Wed Mar 4, 2015, 08:28 PM - Edit history (1)

... suffer to a great extent under the delusion that Inhofe was genuine and sincere in his belief that his snowball exhibition actually meant something. It was a stunt for the circus. And he knew it was. He knows as well as you and I that CC is real.

[Enthusiast]

37. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

Inhofe, lol.

[Blue_In_AK]

39. Thank you, Enthusiast.

[calimary]

49. Well, I sure was happy to add one of my own!

And you have to realize - that was no snowball. inhofe was holding the innards of his own HEAD. That was his brain that's frozen over.

And once again, I hate to say this, but I look at the people of Oklahoma who continue, incomprehensibly, to see fit to send THIS guy to the Senate. They want HIM to represent them. So then we have to ask - what's the matter with THEM, then???? He didn't just magically get that job on his own. He had a majority of VOTES.

I am just bewildered by this. Horrified and bewildered.

[dreamnightwind]

86. Strangely, OK has more registered Dems than Repubs

Too bad our party doesn't step up and run some good candidates to get those people to the polls. There's an awakening there waiting to happen, it needs leadership and vision, populism not corporatists.

[Enthusiast]

87. There are a lot of fossil fuel related jobs in Oklahoma.

I know guys that worked Oklahoma pipe line jobs decades ago. The guys working those jobs are not well educated. Like the Limbaugh listeners they are, they believe what they want to believe. They would literally kill you if you threatened their livelihood. It is quite a dilemma for our side.

[City Lights]

40. That's a keeper!

Well done, Mr. Hess!

[JohnnyRingo]

41. Kick

I'd read that the iditerod had been postponed because of mild weather. I didn't know that it had been progressively moving Northward over the past several years.

Thanx for posting!

[Blue_In_AK]

42. When I first moved up here

they used to run the ceremonial start from Anchorage out to Eagle River. Then the start of the actual race would be in Wasilla the next day. They've since shortened the ceremonial start and kept it entirely in Anchorage (for which they've trucked in snow this year since there is so little on the trail here). The restart was permanently moved to Willow in 2008 after being forced to move out there several years because of lack of snow. This is only the second time that they've had to move up to Fairbanks for the restart, and as the letter says, even that has been an issue. We were up there a couple of weeks ago for the finish of the Yukon Quest which was on the Chena River but carefully guided to the north side of the river since there was some open water on the other bank. It's been fairly warm up there since we got back, and I guess the ice on the river is just too unstable now.

PETA would probably be pleased as punch if we have to discontinue all our sled dog races in the future, but it would break all of our hearts as it's so much a part of our culture.

[hunter]

51. We have a rescue husky. I think he'd be happier in Alaska.

The only reason he is here in never-frozen California is that his breed became "cool" among folks who probably watch too much television, just like Dalmatians after a Disney movie, or pit bulls among the gangster crowd, or teacup little purse dogs among the "oops, I forgot to wear underwear" paparazzi seeking crowd.

No, no, no! Dogs are not fashion accessories.

Working dogs like to work and companion dogs like to be companions.

Our animal-shelter-adopted husky and dingo, ancestors from opposite ends of the earth, opposite natural environments, hot and cold, both difficult dogs, but best friends forever:

[Blue_In_AK]

54. Aww, they're so cute.

[hunter]

66. All the husky indifference to normal household dog behavior. Hair clogging the vacuum cleaner...

... and everything else that might make any reasonable person think twice about adopting a husky.

Husky still looks at me like "what???" as he's peeing on the kitchen garbage pail and I'm yelling at him.

"Nothing good in there today," he says, "I was just leaving a note. What's your problem?"

Husky is always utterly sincere, utterly incapable of guile. If you scold him it hurts his feelings. Bad dogs among his ancestors were eaten.

Husky spent his first three years chained in a backyard with not much attention, which is how he ended up in the shelter. His teeth are worn from chewing on the chain. Dogs-on-a-chain-24/7 is not legal here.

Dingo escaped from her breeder and lived feral dog life for too long. Her breeder was exiled from California. She has guile. But she is very loyal. She knows we rescued her and she will never forget that. Just never leave any good food unattended. She will take it.

For all the trouble these two have been, husky and dingo both eat rats.

Our previous dogs saw all rats as household pets, even the nastiest chewing in the walls at night would-eat-your-older-relative's-or-baby's-appendages kind of rats, and we still have a dog who sees all rats as pets because one of my kids had pet rats when we adopted her. Kid's pet rats used to ride around on her head and eat her food. No problem.

Our kids moved away, and Dingo and Husky were adopted into a household with no pet rats. These two see all rats as food and occasionally drop dead brown roof rats, random mice and voles onto our bed as gifts.

Um, thank you...

[Blue_In_AK]

70. I would love to have a mouser dog.

We don't have rats but do get field mice and voles in the house sometimes. Our Shih-tzu notices them, but eat them? No.

[Vinca]

45. A couple of weeks ago I suggested to my husband that we travel to Alaska to get warm.

It was 40 something up there and -20 in New England.

[ReRe]

48. Before we know it...

the "Snowbirds" will have to change their schedules.

[ReRe]

46. K&R

[BlueJazz]

47. Wonderful post.

[trof]

56. I have been in Anchorage when they had to truck in snow for the Idatarod.

In the mid and late 90s trucks that I had previously seen trucking snow OUT of downtown Anchorage during blizzards were now hauling it INTO Anchorage because THERE WAS NO SNOW ON MAIN STREET.

[Blue_In_AK]

58. A lot of times they've brought snow back to Fourth Avenue

because it's been cleared off for driving, but there's almost always snow naturally on the trail itself that runs though the woods by Chester Creek. This year they've even had to bring snow in for the trail. That's what makes this year so different.

If you didn't see this before, this is my yard. Not normal for this time of year at all.

[trof]

60. I bow to your expertise, but...

The winters I remember there was just no snow anywhere in the city.
on edit: It was cold, bitterly cold.
But no snow.

[Blue_In_AK]

62. Average snowfall for an Anchorage winter is about 75 inches

(between 1981 and 2010). Of course it packs down between snowfalls so doesn't always seem like that much.

This year we've only had a couple feet. Of course, it varies a lot from year to year, but it's been a long time since I've seen this little here. The most unusual thing, though, is the warmth, because, as you've noted, January and February are usually really cold.

[malaise]

57. Brilliant but sadly your friend is casting pearls

to swine. Inhofe is an oil industry owned moron.

[raven mad]

59. Blue, hope you'll come up for the Iditarod - starting behind Pike's Landing on the Chena.

Bill is a gem and a jewel and a true Alaskan. I enjoy seeing anything he writes. This nails it.

There's a shuttle from the Carlson Center to the starting area as the parking at Pike's is extremely limited - as is parking on Airport Way and totally blocked for the route out onto Dale Road. 28 above today, a little warm for the dogs, but supposed to be some cooler with fresh snow by start date.

Hope to see you here - will buy the Irish Coffee at Pikes!

Inhofe sucks large green donkey denier dicks. It's been the warmest few winters EVER in the Interior for the last 10 years. I hate it.

[Blue_In_AK]

63. We won't be coming up

since we were just up there last month for the end of the Quest. I'm going to really miss the Willow restart. It's just something we always do. It'll be nice for you Fairbanks folks, though, to have some of the i'rod excitement. A pity that George Attla couldn't have hung on long enough to see the race go through Huslia.

I knew Bill Hess through his photography. I had no idea that he was such a good writer, too. I have a big print of that photo he did of Diane Benson with her son and the rig she used to drive on the haul road.

[xenoturkey]

80. Very awesome you were up here for the Quest!

Brent Sass is an acquaintance and I was so glad he won. Great guy. Really wish Attla could have hung on longer to see the first Irod going through Huslia.

[Blue_In_AK]

81. He was so humble, thanking everyone.

Were you out there? We were up on the bridge and had a great view. This was our first Quest. We've gone out to Nome for the end of the Iditarod the past five years but wanted to do something different this year. We had such a good time, we're planning to come up there again next year for the start, and maybe spend a couple nights out at Chena Hot Springs, which we haven't done before.

The auroras were awesome when we were up there.


(Nice to see another Alaskan here - you don't post much. . )

[xenoturkey]

82. LOL. That is the truth!

Yeah not posting much is the understatement of the century. I just prefer to lurk and read every day. Not sure I have that much interesting to add to the dialogue.

I sadly was not out there. Wish I could have been but work got in the way. I was checking the newsminer every chance I got though to find out who won. So close. Elated when I found out it was Brent.

You'll love the hot springs! They have a pretty cool greenhouse where they grow a lot of food for the restaurant; make sure to check it out.

[Blue_In_AK]

83. We went out there for lunch

one day, which was delicious. We just wandered around, didn't do any touring or anything, just enough to make us decide to come back and stay a couple nights next winter. I've always been fascinated with their sustainability out there.

[xenoturkey]

84. Its worth the couple of days

Nothing like dipping into the hot springs at -30. And you get the cherry on top with the aurora!

If I ever make it to 50 posts send me a shout next time in you are in town. First drink is on me.

[sheshe2]

61. KnR!

[Octafish]

64. ''It was a happy time.''

Wow! Thank you for sharing an outstanding essay -- and answer, Blue_In_AK!

[47of74]

67. Bill has more patience than I do.

I would have just sent the Senator a suggestion on where he could shove the snowball in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[raven mad]

68. I wish I could recommend this thread 1000 times.

As it is, I'm having a tough time just with a reply!

It's way too warm here, way, way too warm. 30 above on March 4th; about 40 degrees above normal. Our critters are suffering. Let's work to change the change, okay?

The weather that "went south" (and mostly to the northeast) was what ours usually is - and we know it, love it, live it and are prepared for it. Now, it's a memory. I remember nights at 55 below, on top of the hood of a warm car, watching the northern lights, in so many clothes it took an hour to finally get 'em all off - long gone now. The lights are still there, the snap, crackle and sense of adventure is gone.

I hope Inhofe's snowball melted enough to add to the water shortage so many will face. We won't; our glaciers have got our backs for the next thousand years. After that?

Enough with the deniers. Vote them out, use science, use intelligence, use compassion.

[Blue_In_AK]

71. I was shocked a couple days ago

to see that there were no subzero temps anywhere in the state - not even Deadhorse.

[raven mad]

73. Too warm everywhere here. I hate it -

not even the kitties approve!

It's worse this year than last, and was worse last year than the year before, etc. When my dad-in-law passed away, one of his last "cold" (going out back to watch the nights) to him wasn't cold enough - "hell, missy, it should be 40 below! It's only March!" (This was in 2008. He'd been here since 1948.)

I miss it. I miss it badly.

[Thespian2]

69. K&R

The senator is dumber than dirt.

[rpannier]

75. Good letter

Sadly, it's wasted on Inhof

[Beartracks]

78. K&R. Well writ, Mr. Hess! n/t

[xenoturkey]

79. I live in Fairbanks

This is one of the most bizarre years I can remember. When I left work today it was 38 degrees above. Four days into March. That's just unheard of.

It was -50 a few weeks ago but that lasted for about a week and then swung wildly back into positive territory. 70 degree variance in weather is not normal anywhere and certainly not Fairbanks this time of year.

[Denis 11]

85. Hearing Inhofe's name makes me remember Bartcop.

Terry was often embarrassed by Inhofe's foolishness, misrepresenting Oklahoma. I miss Bart immensely.

[Buzz Clik]

89. Inhofe doesn't give a shit. But, the reality is that in both DC and in Anchorage...

... it's just weather. Cold weather in DC, warm weather in Alaska.

You cannot make pronouncements about climate change based on weather during one season.

That being said, the trends over the past years in Alaska are far more meaningful than one snowball tossed in Congress.

[Blue_In_AK]

94. I'll agree with that.

The weather this year has been particularly bizarre, but the trend in Alaska, at least over the past 50 years or so, is fairly unmistakeable.

[blackspade]

90. An elbow off the top rope!

Inhoff is a fucking idiot.

[samsingh]

92. its a very stupid thing to think that snow outside his place means anything

but then he's a repug and that may be a criteria