This Week's Edition of Borderline Dodgeball welcomes Chris the Admin from www.ontheborderline.net

JPN
Hi, I’m JPN aka Dratsum, let’s play Borderline Dodgeball. Since I was born and raised OnTheBorderline, I don't have to say it’s wonderful to be back ontherborderline. This week, my guest is Chris the administrator of the blog site www.ontheborderline.net. I understand this website will easily approach 200,000 hits just this month alone! What's your secret?

Chris:
Actually, we owe it all to you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to my blog site...and the worst. As I say pretty much every Thursday morning at about 5:43, I want to thank you again, though a few things need clearing up. I must say you're looking very ultra-left today Dratsum, what gives?

JPN:
Well, actually there was a mob of your supporters outside the studio and they showered me with Kool-Aid. And yourself, you're looking a little grayer than usual. You are not you usual black and white.

Chris:
Are you sure they were my supporters? We usually try to associate with only one flavor of Kool-Aid -- red. You look like you got douched by the whole rainbow coalition. Oh well, I'm sure you clean up well...but you probably leave a ring or two. Concerning my color, I've been drinking floridated water lately...that could explain it.

JPN:
In a recent letter to the editor I accused you of "flinging around voodoo-math-laden statistics." On the same page in a letter you wrote that in Wisconsin "we have no more students today than we did 10 years ago." In a post on this blog site, I pointed out that actual in the past 10 years there has been an increase of 19,450 public school students in the state. That's a 2.3 percent increase.

Chris:
Talking with some friends last night I was reminded of The Spending Parable, it reminded me that when someone spends their money unwisely like a drunken sailor, when it's gone it's gone. When they want more it's going to be a tough sales job to ask for more.

I bring this up because it was pointed out to me that someone said that the figure used in the New Richmond News about there being the same number of students in Wisconsin 10 years ago was false. I found out there was bit less than 20,000 kid difference which threw my statement off by 2.2 percent or so. There are a lot of factors that could move it either way but even that minuscule percent would still calculate into over $250,000 dollars for each kid over the number of kids there were 10 years ago. To be honest, I'm sure that there were some schools that needed replacement, but the actual figures used to build all the new buildings amounts to an average of $5926 per student in the state one way or $5795 dollars the other. And folks, this is long term debt. Some consolation.
See: OTBL Post -- Some Consolation

JPN:
So your statement in the letter to the editor was wrong.

Chris:
(Silence)

JPN:
Also in your same letter, you said that "Wisconsin has a business climate that is one of the worst three states in the country and has been touted as a tax hell." I did a quick Google search on state rankings and found the Tax Foundation site which, in its 2004 State Business Tax climate Index Ranking by State, says Wisconsin ranks #41. Now, I went to St. Pat's, a private school, and the Hudson junior and senior highs, both public schools...

Chris:
You mean government schools.

JPN:
Whatever...regardless #41 is less than #47 and therefore is a more positive number than you stated in your letter. Therefore, you used the wrong number.

Chris:
It was brought to my attention that some of the data presented in my editorial was concocted. It's the farthest thing from the truth. There was a lot of material there and was not any room to cite the sources. When I said that the members of this blog were methodical in their analysis, I meant it. Here is the data that backs up all claims made in the editorial. There is nothing fuzzy about it.

If you check my blog post Data Sources, you will see that I said Wisconsin ranks #41.

JPN:
But in your letter you said #47. So the information in your letter to the editor in the New Richmond News was wrong. It's not 47 but 41.

Chris:
You need to cease his innocuous and obsessive compulsion to attack and take up a new hobby, say bird house building. You live to discredit members and readers of my blog through your blog and through editorials in newspapers.

JPN:
But Chris, isn't what you and your blog participants are doing on your blog site basically innocous and obsessive-complusive attacking of the local school board, administration and anybody that disagrees with you? Aren't you trying to discredit members of these organizations via your blog, school board antics and the local newspapers?

Chris:
I want to thank you again, though a few things need clearing up. Your method of operation has been to attack the messenger, slander, discredit at any cost. Your discrediting would have to include anyone who does not believe in your ultra-left ideologies.

JPN:
But Chris, isn't what you and your blog participants are doing on your blog site basically attacking, slandering and trying to discredit the local school board, administration and anybody that disagrees with you? Aren't you trying to discredit members of these organizations via your blog, school board antics and the local newspapers?

Chris:
(Silence)

JPN:
When you suggest that I take up a hobby like building bird houses, are you not advocating a form of socialism that is for the birds? I assume you would want me to hang these houses up outside for the birds to use.

Chris:
You may appear to come to the middle on some issues, but really never do. Members of my blog are characterized as extremists, neocons, and out of the mainstream.

JPN:
Chris, could you enlighten our viewers with a statement as to what your blog is all about and why your members shouldn't be "characterized as extremists, neocons, and out of the mainstream."

Chris:
That's easy...what is it specifically about the high-brow academicians and intelligentsia of the Hudson School Board, and the attraction which they feel for socialism and similar ideologies? This includes the social democracy, the welfare state, and the ‘social models’ now who threaten us with big and patronizing government, high regulations, and large-scale income redistribution.

I think Intellectuals are drawn to visions and ideas, as well as to systems which accord them a greater share of influence and power. Intellectuals feel 'under-valued' by the market, in that it puts a value on them less than they think appropriate. Intellectuals are attracted to this type of thinking because it elevates their importance and the chance to impose their ideas on a world which would otherwise reject them.

Modern day manifestations of these phenomena include ambitious social engineering, radical human rightsism, and the enforcement of the perceived good, environmentalism, and international or one world government. All of which are being taught to indoctrinate our children, in the public schools as we speak."

JPN:
Chris, earlier you said I am trying to discredit anyone who does not believe in my "ultra-left ideologies" and that I may appear to come to the middle on some issues, but really never do. Considering your statement above, do you think it is possible that you have veered so far to the right that you've crossed over the centerline, hit the shoulder grave, went down into the ditch and flew so far into the right-wing cornfield that the fact that I am driving in my proper lane between the centerline and the shoulder looks ultra-left to you?

Chris:
I don't do all the talking at www.ontheborderline.net. There are others participating and a lot of them use "Dr." before there names. It's a respect thing we intellectuals have for each other. We are not anti-intllectual on my blog site and we are definately open-minded about debating the issues. Here's a stellar example of an exchange between a couple of out members: Dr. Taxboy, Dr. Donttreadonme and Dr. Ruthless. It's titled: Murphygirl goes the way of Dratsum.
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Dr. Taxboy says:
After taking some serious potshots at the intellectuals on this blog, murphygirl has indeed shown that she is a "One Shot Wonder". When asked to back up her rhetoric about the school board incident of June 14th with facts she chose to go into hiding.

Here is just part of what murphygirl had to say- "They were asked to leave and they didn't, so yes the police were called. No, they shouldn't have been removed by the police." Huh? Or how about this part- "The fact of the matter is those two men should have gotten kicked out of the school board meeting because they were being rude and not conducting themselves like adults." What?

Or some more cold hard facts- "However they are not some "victims" of the Hudson Police Department and the School Board. If you are attending a meeting you have the responsibility to yourselves and to the rest of the public to act with some decorum and not like a two year old having a fit." Were you there? And the final words of wisdom from murphygirl- "There is no conspiracy, no cover up." Got some inside information you haven't told us about? Yep, this is great fictional stuff murphygirl. You'd make a great commentator on another website, but don't come back to this one without some FACTS.

Dr. Donttreadonme Says:
Well, they have one thing in common - both wear skirts.

Dr. Ruthless Says:
I bet Dratsum has nicer legs.
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Chris:
See we are open to debate and we are obviously intellectuals.

JPN:
Would you like to see my legs and let me know if they are better looking that murphygirl's?

Chris:
Allow though we post many white papers issued from the CATO Institute, we only post the ones that say taxes are too high and it's ok for business to pollute and use child labor in foreign countries. We don't not post any of the CATO stuff that advocates the legalization of pot or says it's ok for one man to look at another man's legs.

JPN:
So you pick and choose.

Chris:
Yea. Maybe that's why so many of us Borderliners like to eat at Old County Buffet.

JPN:
I lot of what gets posted on your blog leaves me thinking of the phrase "out to lunch."

Chris:
You are making me hungry.

JPN:
As you know, I was once a member of your blog. I was a frequent poster for a few months. Why was I kicked off?

Chris:
You were banned from this blog because of your vulgarity and lewd commenting.

JPN:
You've posted this a number of times since June on Thursdays mornings at 5:43 after the local papers come out. I've requested that you send me the comments that got me kicked off your site and I would post them. You do have an extensive archive on your blog site and I would think my request would be easily granted. What's the delay?

Chris:
(Silence)

JPN:
This is the last thing I posted on your blog site of 4/30/05:

Sorry, boys! I was confused. I thought this was a blog where issues were up for serious discussion. Obviously, that is not the case.

Maybe you should note that under the ONTHEBORDERLINE logo people see when they first log into this site. That would save you from wasting your time chasing off unsuspecting interlopers like me who wander on to your firing range. Then again, we interlopers provide you with a change to waste your ammo in some sport shooting.

At least you boys don't waste too much time pretending you have any "Christian values." It wouldn't play too well with your heads stuck so high up Ayn Rand's philosophical skirts. It's YOU and the almightily dollar PERIOD. Ayn Rand writes, "The cross is the symbol of torture. I prefer the dollar sign, the symbol of free trade and therefore free minds."

It's interesting that you are right and everyone who disagrees with you is wrong. In fact, not only are they wrong, they are evil socialists, Marxists, or whatever the buzz word for the day is. Just because you are stuck on the right side on the political wall, does not mean you correct, anymore that those stuck on the left side of the wall are correct. There is a middle ground where the moderates and common-sense people work, play and worship in this country. Call us what you will, but the fact is we are the backbone of this nation and the ones who will carry this nation into the future.

So go ahead, gather in your circle, whip out you wallets, stroke your little dollar signs, look at those Ayn Rand pictures and jerk away. I'll shut the lights out on the way out...

Now Chris, can you tell me what is "lewd and vulgar" about what I posted?

Chris:
I'm thirsty. Could I have a glass of Kool-Aid?

JPN:
Sorry Chris, this isn't the FOX network.

We are out of time on this week's edition of Borderline Dodgeball. We want to thank Chris the Admin for stopping by and explaining his version of the voo-doo-laden math he's so fond of using.

Tune in next week when Ayn Rand joins us to talk about sewing and demonstrates how to thread a camel through the eye of a needle.