Junk Science Alive and Well at OTBL

It's always entertaining to see what's happening at St. Croix County's local Right Wingnut propaganda blog OTBL, and today was no exception. There was an really misinformative article lambasting global warming on the OTBL Junk Science Beat.
The article begins with a "pie" chart listing the component gases in our atmosphere.











Here's a little remedial charting info Flash.
THIS IS AT PIE CHART

















But I digress.
Dr. Flash references the "pie chart" with the following:

"Interesting, is it not?

What I would like to know, is where are all the enviromentalist whack jobs when it comes to Nitrogen, Oxygen and Argon? I mean, really, 99.93% of the air we breathe is composed of just those three gases yet all we seem to hear about is the concentration of a trace gas (carbon dioxide) which accounts for LESS THAN 1/2 of 1 percent!"

So, critically thinking junk scientists like "Flash" want you to believe that because a gas makes up only a small portion of our atmosphere that it is not worth being concerned about.
That brought to my mind another insignificant gas that often has a deadly outcome when breathed. Carbon Monoxide.
With a little research I discovered the follow:
From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.com

"At what level does carbon monoxide become toxic?
For healthy adults, CO becomes toxic when it reaches a level higher than 50 ppm (parts per million) with continuous exposure over an eight hour period.. When the level of CO becomes higher than that, a person will suffer from symptoms of exposure. Mild exposure over a few hours (a CO level between 70 ppm and 100 ppm) include flu-like symptoms such as headaches, sore eyes and a runny nose. Medium exposure (a CO level between 150 ppm to 300 ppm) will produce dizziness, drowsiness and vomiting. Extreme exposure (a CO level of 400 ppm and higher) will result in unconsciousness, brain damage and death."

400 parts per million turns out to be 0.04% the air that you breath that is considered lethal dose of Carbon monoxide.
I guess you can draw your own conclusions. Myself, I think .04% one gas might be something to be concerned about, (granted this is not CO2) but then again, I never studied Junk Science like Flash.

Something In Common?

Is Republican Party of Senator Joe McCarthy Coming Out of the Closet?

Someone mentioned to me yesterday that Senator Joe McCarthy was gay. I hadn't heard that. I know that Roy Cohn, on of Mccarthy's staff members, was a closet homosexual. So I checked it out. There seems to be some similarities between McCarthy and Senator Larry Craig.

One thing I learned quickly is that anyone who disagreed with McCarthy or challenged on his theories was labelled a Communist. You were either with "Tail Gunner" Joe or you were a Communist subversive. Sounds familiar on the borderline.

Here's what I found:

"For some time opponents of McCarthy had been accumulating evidence concerning his homosexual activities. Several members of his staff, including Roy Cohn and David Schine, were also suspected of having a sexual relationship. Although well-known by political journalists, the first article about it did not appear until Hank Greenspun published an article in the Las Vegas Sun in 25th October, 1952. Greenspun wrote that: "It is common talk among homosexuals in Milwaukee who rendezvous in the White Horse Inn that Senator Joe McCarthy has often engaged in homosexual activities."

McCarthy considered a libel suit against Greenspun but decided against it when he was told by his lawyers that if the case went ahead he would have to take the witness stand and answer questions about his sexuality. In an attempt to stop the rumours circulating, McCarthy married his secretary, Jeannie Kerr. Later the couple adopted a five-week old girl from the New York Foundling Home."

Read more @ Spartacus.

"Cohn had close contacts within the FBI. That was important for McCarthy, who reportedly worked hand-in-glove with J. Edgar Hoover's bureau between 1950 and 1953...

Hoover was said to have recommended Roy Cohn for the post with McCarthy because he was impressed by the young attorney's railroading of Communist Party members Ethel Rosenberg and Julius Rosenberg to the electric chair on charges of passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. Hoover himself has been rumored to have had a long-term affair with an assistant, Clyde Tolson.

"As McCarthy's henchman and chief counsel he [Cohn--LF] was responsible for grilling suspected communists on their own sexual tendencies and on whether other people had 'homosexual tendencies.' Cohn and McCarthy subpoenaed gay men in the arts and threatened to out them if they did not produce a list of 'suspected Communists.' (wikipedia.com)...

McCarthy had made a name for himself as point man for a far right-wing current that attacked the Truman administration for the "loss" of China from imperialist exploitation after the monumental Communist-led revolution there.

But when McCarthy leveled his guns at the Eisenhower administration for not being "tough enough" on communism, he got his comeuppance. That was when he found himself in the cross-hairs of the anti-homosexual witch hunt.

In 1952, journalist Hank Greenspun wrote a column about the ambitious senator which could not have found its way into print without powerful support. It said that "Joe McCarthy is a bachelor of 43 years. ... He seldom dates girls and if he does he laughingly describes it as window dressing. It is common talk among homosexuals in Milwaukee who rendezvous in the White Horse Inn that Senator Joe McCarthy has often engaged in homosexual activities." (Las Vegas Sun, Oct. 25, 1952)

Read more Workers.org.

"The Young Republicans held a state convention in Wausau, Wis., at which Sen. McCarthy was an honored guest. During the convention, McCarthy spent the night with William McMahon, formerly an official of the Milwaukee County Young Republicans, in a Wausau hotel room, at which time, McCarthy and McMahon engaged in illicit acts with each other."

Read more @ Blogactive.


Yes, I'm sure there is room for speculation on Joe McCarthy's sex life. But this in the past. What's happening today is what's important. A big question circulating respectable blogs is: Is Joe McCarthy's spiritual "daughter," Ann Clouter really a transsexual. Reliable sources say she is actually the former Arthur Coltrane of Pickens County, Georgia, The Coltrane's are an old Southern hog-farming family."

Read more @ The Weekly Standard, FOX News and Rush Limbaugh.

Mr. Peanut Jailed for Attack on Senior Citizen

#2 | Comment #10087 by Luke on 9/14/2007 @ 7:38 pm

"I have a question for the annual meeting- How much did the senile communist in New Richmond cost his neighbors when he became the head cheerleader for the $93 Million boondoggle?"

Some Government Schools Are Finally Preparing Our Youth With Practical Job Training

'Students First In Line' Program To Offer Job Training At Needy Schools

Are We As Stupid as He Thinks?

View Bush Video:

"President Bush says that the U.S. will "bring home an Army combat brigade, for a total force reduction of 5,700 troops by Christmas."

"Still, Bush firmly rejected calls to end the war, saying the insurgents who threaten Iraq's future are a danger to U.S. national security. American troops must stay in the battle, Bush said, and more than 130,000 will remain after the newly ordered withdrawals are completed in July."
Any idiot can see that all these "withdrawals" are only unsurging the surge!
Troop levels were at 130,000 before the "surge" and that's where they'll be a year and a half
after the surge began. How stupid does he think the American People are?

Invisible 3 Fingered Hairy Claw of the Market Speaks

Click on Picture for larger view:

Rednecks Seeing Red

In order to better understand my conservative, Republican neighbors, I occassionally listen to Jason Lewis on KTLK Talk Radio on 100.3 FM. Remember, he has big credibility with the Repulbicans in the St. Croix Valley. Afterall, he was their keynote speaker at the 2007 Lincoln Day dinner. Yesterday he was quacking about the AFSCME union stike at the University of Minnesota and spewed out an interesting observation of the strike, the union, the public university and the teachers there. I didn't get everything word-for-word, but I think the following paraphrase captures his thoughts:

The AFSCME strikers are overpaid puppets of the "Marxist dominated" union that is striking that "Marxist think tank" called the University of Minnesota that is run by "Marxist liberals" who are busy teachings "queer studies" on the money "stolen from taxpayers."

The first caller he took after this bold statement was a 17-year old kid complaining about taxes and agreeing with everything Lewis said. The kid added that he "pretty much" gets all the money back from taxes.

Deluded or Diluted?

Who will win the soul of the St. Croix County Republican Party?
















Who Cares?

Evidently The GOPee Isn't That Big Of A Tent

Rumblings from ontheborderline.net...

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?

Celebrate Patriot Day

Get Your Ring Side Seats to the Republican Lincoln Day Dinner

The fruitcake is flying over at OTBL, but this time it's a civil war.
It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of cut throat capitalists.

I agree with you Mr. Ziller. We need to rid ourselves of all the RINO's in the Republican Party. The first one we need out the door is YOU.
#10 | Comment #10063 by BobZiller on 9/10/2007 @ 4:25 pm

Sorry Lukie, but I don't hold an elected office. I learned a long time ago that the networking and infrastructure of the Reps and Dems makes being an independent or member of a third party a waste of time.

Your best bet is to join the Republican Party and pull the rope toward the Libertarian side.
#11 | Comment #10074 by Luke on 9/11/2007 @ 8:02 pm

Well Bobbie, whether or not you hold public office is not the point. The point is that it is people like you who have watered the Repbulican Party down to where it is impotent. Not unlike a senile old man who can't figure out if he is a conservative or communist.
#12 | Comment #10081 by BobZiller on 9/12/2007 @ 1:47 pm

Your chance is coming. Until 1 Jan 08 you can file for public office in any number of city, county, state, or federal offices. Come out of the closet and tell us what you believe and see how many votes you can garner.

Let's talk about your campaign at the Lincoln Day Dinner.
#13 | Comment #10082 by Luke on 9/12/2007 @ 6:48 pm

Lincoln Day Dinner.... Is that where all the RINO's hang out? You'd better start saving your money Mr. Ziller because your leadership on the last referendum will be costing you plenty in the coming years.

Could this be a prelude to the Republican National Convention '08?
We can only hope!

Free Market For The Kid$...

Mattel Explain$ Delay$ in Toy Warning$
By HOPE YEN


WASHINGTON (AP) — Mattel Inc. CEO Robert Eckert sought Wednesday to tamp down public outrage over unsafe Chinese-made toys, acknowledging that his company made mistakes by not closely overseeing subcontractors in China.

In testimony to Congress, Eckert disputed reports that public warnings about the dangerous products were delayed because of disputes with federal regulators.

"We are by no means perfect," Eckert said in prepared testimony to a Senate Appropriations subcommittee. "But we have tackled difficult issues before and demonstrated an ability to make change for the better, not only within our own company but for the broader industry."

In recent weeks, Mattel has recalled more than 21 million Chinese-made toys, including popular Barbie, Polly Pocket and "Cars" movie items, because of concerns about lead paint and tiny magnets that could be swallowed.

Read more @ Associated Press.

Conservative columnists dominate U.S. editorial pages

NEW YORK (AP) — George Will's column runs in more U.S. newspapers than any writer in the country, said a new study by a liberal media watchdog group that concludes conservative voices such as his dominate editorial pages.

Will's syndicated column runs at least once a month in 368 newspapers with more than 26 million in total circulation, said the Media Matters for America. The organization surveyed 96 per cent of the 1,430 English-language U.S. daily newspapers.

"He reaches half of the newspaper readers in America," said Paul Waldman, the study's author.

"He has a huge megaphone, probably bigger than anybody else in America."

His group found 60 per cent of the daily newspapers print more conservative syndicated columnists each week than liberals. Twenty per cent of the papers are dominated by liberals and 20 per cent are balanced. Media Matters had no information on local columnists.

Read more @ The Canadian Press.

On the Road with Fred 08

9/11/2007: Patriots Day

"The young patriots now returning from war in Iraq and Afghanistan and other deployments worldwide are joining the ranks of veterans to whom America owes an immense debt of gratitude."

Steve Buyer


NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2007, as Patriot Day. I call upon the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff on Patriot Day. I also call upon the people of the United States to observe Patriot Day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and remembrance services, to display the flag at half-staff from their homes on that day, and to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. eastern daylight time to honor the innocent Americans and people from around the world who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.

GEORGE W. BUSH


Talk Is Cheap Honor Roll:
Rush Limbaugh -- sought deferment (because of a cyst on his tail end).
(Rush's Conservative brother) David Limbaugh: did not serve.
George Will -- sought graduate school deferment, (too smart to die).
Pat Buchanan -- sought deferment (for bad knee).
Pat Robertson -- his US Senator father got him out of Korea as soon as the shooting began.
John Wayne -- sought deferment (to further acting career).
Sean Hannity: did not serve.
Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.
Matt Drudge: did not serve.
Steve Forbes: did not serve.
Tony Snow: did not serve.
Michael "Savage" Weiner: did not serve.
Brit Hume: did not serve.
Roger Ailes: did not serve.
Chris Matthews: did not serve.
Neil Boortz : did not serve.
Paul Gigot: did not serve.
Bill Kristol: did not serve.
Ralph Reed: did not serve.
Michael Medved: did not serve.
Charlie Daniels: did not serve.
Anne Coulter: did not serve.
Jerry Falwell: did not serve.
Alan Keyes : did not serve.
Ted Nugent: did not serve.

WITC Ranked 7th Best In The Nation

Best practices enhance student success

As students return to the halls of Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College’s four campuses, a recent study has proven they have made the right choice. WITC ranks seventh among two-year colleges nationwide, according to a study published in Washington Monthly.

Kevin Carey, a research and policy manager at Education Sector, an independent, nonpartisan think tank, compiled the results for Washington Monthly. According to Carey, “Our methodology was designed to identify community/technical colleges that excel in using teaching methods that researchers have linked to increased student achievement. We also wanted to identify colleges that are successful in helping students earn degrees.”

Read more @ Business North.

Is a CEO worth 364 times the average Joe?

Here are four infuriating facts about the salaries and friendly tax rules that let executive fat cats cash in -- and what you can do about them.

In recognition of the just-completed Labor Day weekend, I'd like to offer a salute to American workers, who the United Nations just reported are second only to Norway's laborers when it comes to productivity.

And now, a bit of bad news for those same workers: You're not getting credit for that productivity. Instead, top executives at your companies are reaping the rewards in the form of increasingly fat paydays.

Here's a quick look at four ways in which workers are being shortchanged by their bosses.

No. 1: The chief executives at the biggest U.S. companies last year made as much money in a single day as the average worker made for the whole year.

No. 2: The managers of the 20 top hedge funds and private-equity shops made more every 10 minutes last year, on average, than the average worker made for the whole year.

The top bosses at the top 20 investment shops earned an average of $657.5 million for the year, according to data cited by the "Executive Excess 2007" report. Renaissance Technologies' James Simons led the way, earning $1.5 billion. Steven Cohen at SAC Capital and Kenneth Griffin at Citadel Investment Group ran neck and neck for second place. Each got $1.2 billion.

"We are back to the gilded age of a hundred years ago," concludes John Cavanagh, the director of the Institute for Policy Studies and a co-author of the report.

No. 3: True, many workers got a break on July 24, when the federal minimum wage was increased to $5.85 from $5.15 -- the first increase in the federal minimum wage in 10 years. But the minimum wage is still 7% below where it was 10 years ago, adjusted for inflation. Meanwhile, CEO pay has gone up 45%, adjusted for inflation, in the same period, according to the "Executive Excess 2007" report.

No. 4: U.S. CEOs enjoy supersized advantages in pensions and perks, too.

Thanks to generous contributions from their companies, CEOs at S&P 500 companies retire with an average of $10.1 million in their supplemental executive retirement plans, according to the Corporate Library. In contrast, only 36% of American households headed by someone over 65 even had a retirement account in 2004. Those accounts had an average value of $173,552, according to the Congressional Research Service.























4 ways you can fight greedy CEOs

What you can do -- Step #1: Contact the SEC and tell them you support the rights of shareholders to use the corporate proxy machine to propose changes in the rules on how board members are elected. "This should be on top of the list," says McGurn. Tell your representatives in Congress, too, since they have the power to influence SEC policy. The case involves American International Group (AIG, news, msgs) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which wants the bylaws change.

What you can do -- Step #2: Tell the regulators and your representatives that you want more detail about what targets CEOs have to hit to increase the size of their paychecks.

Companies hire compensation consultants to help determine how much to pay their executives. The question is whether that advice is objective. For instance, those same consultants try to get business from the companies to advise on their employees' retirement plans. If they give the CEO a healthy pay raise, does that help them land or keep other consulting jobs?

What you can do -- Step #3: Ask the SEC and your representatives to require disclosure of all relationships between compensation consultants and the companies whose executive pay packages they design.

What you can do -- Step # 4: As a shareholder, ask companies to put pay-related reforms to a vote -- or at least be sure to look for pay-related proposals from other activist shareholders and vote "yes."

For example, watch for proposals asking you to vote against excessive golden parachutes, excessive pay packages and the compensation committee reports that justify them, says Hitchcock, who also advises Amalgamated Bank's LongView index funds on how to use shareholder proposals.

Elson says proposals that require majority voting for directors are crucial. This change means that directors have to get a majority of all votes cast to win -- not just the largest number among several candidates. This makes it harder for boards and managers to get a rubber stamp on their favored candidates when the broader shareholder base is apathetic.

NYPD Infiltrated "Billionaires For Bush"

City Police Spied Broadly Before G.O.P. Convention



































The satirical performance troupe Billionaires for Bush, which specializes in lampooning the Bush administration by dressing in tuxedos and flapper gowns, was described in an intelligence digest on Jan. 23, 2004.

“Billionaires for Bush is an activist group forged as a mockery of the current president and political policies,” the report said. “Preliminary intelligence indicates that this group is raising funds for expansion and support of anti-R.N.C. activist organizations.”

Marco Ceglie, who performs as Monet Oliver dePlace in Billionaires for Bush, said he had suspected that the group was under surveillance by federal agents — not necessarily police officers — during weekly meetings in a downtown loft and at events around the country in the summer of 2004.

“It was a running joke that some of the new faces were 25- to 32-year-old males asking, ‘First name, last name?’ ” Mr. Ceglie said. “Some people didn’t care; it bothered me and a couple of other leaders, but we didn’t want to make a big stink because we didn’t want to look paranoid. We applied to the F.B.I. under the Freedom of Information Act to see if there’s a file, but the answer came back that ‘we cannot confirm or deny.’ ”

California Community Says Corporations Aren't People

Challenging Corporate Power:
California Community Says Companies Are Not People;
Bans Campaign Donations

Democracy Unlimited
by Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap


In 2006, Humboldt County, California, became the latest, and largest, jurisdiction to abolish the legal doctrine known as “corporate personhood.”

Measure T was successful because our all-volunteer campaign came together to pass a law that bans non-local corporations from participating in Humboldt elections. The referendum, which passed with 55 percent of the vote, also asserts that corporations cannot claim the First Amendment right to free speech.

Read more @ YES! Magazine.

Obama Leads Website Visits

Chicago Tribune Reports:
Sen. Barack Obama is leading all presidential candidates in campaign Web site visits, The Nielsen Company reported today.

Obama's web site had the most unique visitors in July, with 717,000, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Fellow Democrats Sen. Hillary Clinton had 437,000 unique visits, followed by 348,000 for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Among Republicans, Fred Thompson's ImWithFred.com drew the most unique visitors in July, with 381,000, even though he did not formally endorse his candidacy until Wednesday. The former Tennessee senator and “Law and Order” star has relied heavily on the Internet to generate interest in his candidacy.

Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani ranked No. 2 among Republicans online, with 124,000 unique visitors. Mitt Romney ranked a close third, with 116,000 unique visitors. Ron Paul and John McCain rounded out the Republican campaign Web sites with 113,000 and 104,000 unique visitors, respectively.

“Consensus has been that Republicans have been slower to take advantage of the Web in their presidential campaigns, but Fred Thompson may be taking a cue from his Democratic counterparts,” Carolyn Creekmore, senior director of the firm's media analytics, said in a statement.

Time For Change