Appearing Every Sunday Morning At The Willow River Inn

Get religion and a good Bloody Mary's every Sunday morning in the heart of St. Croix County in downtown Burkhardt. Tired of those stuffy traditional services and gossipy church ladies whispering such stale phrases as "he smells like a brewery?" Resurrect your soul, wash the blood from your eyes and repent from ever saying you'll never do that again.

To entertain you through morning services are the www.onthebroderline.net recordings artist Jack Bauer and Luke -- the internationally acclaimed gospel team of a transvestite dummy and a block-headed puppet. Guaranteed to be the best Sunday morning entertainment west of Cylon and east of Houlton!

You can bet your pickle, Jack and Luke will be singing selections off their latest album, "Woody Be Mine." Listen to what the critics have been saying:

"They definately put the harm in harmony..." Ton E Deaf, Silence Is Golden Quarterly

"Thank God for silence!" Ted Nugent, Chickhawk Music Review

"Which one's the dummy?" Detective Friday, Drag Queen Gayzette


The songs on this LP read like the gospel Top 10:
1. Amazing Disgrace
2. Keep On The Backstabbing Side
3. How Great I Art
4. Jesus Loves Me Everybody Else Thinks I'm A Jerk
5. The Hypocrite
6. What A Friend Jesus Has In Me
7. Keep On The Darkest Side
8. I'll Never Fit Through The Eye Of A Needle
9. The Virtue Of Selfishness (Ode to Ayn Rand)
10. He Hears Me Knocking But I Can't Get In
11. God Gave Me Better Bootstraps Than You
12. Get A Job Lazarus

Try something different this Sunday. Check out the morning services at the Willow River House Of Hope. It's a hell of a good time...

What's Driving You To Burkhardt?

Things Are Looking UP for Borderwhiners

BREAKING NEWS: Borderwhiner Gossips Are Irrelevant to Real Life

Real Attorney Advises New Richmond School Board --- Borderwhiners Whine About It

William G. Thiel practices in the firm's Municipal and Administrative Section focusing on contracts, advice and counsel, legislation drafting, zoning, municipal litigation and appeals.

In his municipal practice over a period of 29 years, he has become involved in such wide ranging issues as property tax assessments, zoning and planning and zoning enforcement work, condemnation efforts, open meetings and public records law issues, development agreements, tax incremental advice and general municipal consultation.

He has provided legal services to municipalities, as well as on behalf of third persons with respect to municipal regulations, licensing, permits and business affairs.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bill is a graduate of Marquette Law School. Since 1975 Bill has been a resident of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and has served at various times as the Corporation Counsel for Eau Claire, Rusk, Pierce and Walworth Counties, and additionally as the City Attorney for Altoona, Bloomer, River Falls and Stanley, Wisconsin, and Village Attorney for Fall Creek and Osceola, Wisconsin, in addition to serving as special counsel to and on behalf of numerous cities, villages, towns, counties, school districts and special municipal districts throughout West Central and Northwestern Wisconsin.

In his free time, Bill engages in research and study, as well as teaching on the subject matter of German immigration to Wisconsin in the 19th Century. He also enjoys reading other history and biographies.

Danielson Law Office Open - Malpractice Guaranteed or Your Money Back!

Announcement: William A. Danielson, J.D. (not) Esq. (not) has recently left the firm of Arwee, Skunx & Howe, and opened his own law practice in Nowhere, Illinois.

Recently, Mr. Danielson was engaged by the Borderwhiners to opine on the letter to the New Richmond school board from William G. Thiel, J.D. (really) Esq. (really) of Weld, Riley, Prenn & Ricci of Eau Claire regarding the Skogland Oil question.

Mr. Danielson states: "There appears to be some convenient CYA commentary by the attorney from Eau Claire. If I were him, I would have said what he said, and then some.."

Mr. Bill, if you were him, then you would have gone to law school, passed the bar, been admitted to practice law in Wisconsin, be a partner in a law practice, and be making a real living, instead of spending your days bloviating on a blog to a bunch of gossipy old ladies.

Maybe in your next life. For now, go back to the skunx.

"Penny Protector" aka Even Steven Calculates Election Waste

Even Steven (A.K.A. Penny Protector ) has calculated the outrageousexpense of the frivolous Wyeth recount. According to his Dr. Bill verified and unbiased opinion, the cost of the recount came to the rediculous amount of $1300. What an enormous amount to waste on discovering the truth.
Here's his "reasoning" provided by the illustrious Pavil:
"Let’s say Fett would fetch $50/hr, Campbell $40/hr,
two secretaries at $20/hr each for a total cost of around $1300 minimum."

Forget the fact that on a normal week day, like the day the recount took place these employees would have been paid anyway, and that 2 of them are salaried and get paid the same for a 80 hr. week as a 40 hr.week. I guess that just not part of Penny's equation.
Are you're curious how much this staggering waste of taxpayer money may have cost you....... are you ready........it's slightly over a whopping $0.13 and that's only if you voted. Divide that cost by each district
resident and it get even lower.



Now, calculate the hours spent by Penny, pouring over the annual budget with a magnifying glass, the hours and effort spent dragging a not so portable copy machine to school board meetings and you'll discover a real financial wizard.
When asked "What if Baker lost by one vote", Penny retorted, "That's different, that would be demanding accountability."



Stay tuned for more looney logic from the wacky world of OTBL......

OTBL: Fresh Dirt Dished Daily

Discover the the wingnut inside manure scoop for the St. Croix Valley.

Be sure to check the latest Ruthless Beauty Tip:
How to keep a Black Heart from Spoiling Your Pearly White Smile.

Find out the dirty details of Arnie's Vote counting Fetish!

Catch up on Wy-lo's latest plot to rip off the taxpayers with a secret occult recount.

Medical Expert Dr. Bill's new column "The Health Benefits of Hate".

Learn about the surreptitious plot by THE STATUS QUO to use
Elections to pause the DEBATE and stifle the voice of Taxpayers.


All this and more in the next issue of
Ontheborderline....



Ruthless dilegently researching her the next article for her hate column.
(See Photo left.)












Editors Note:
Like a bunch of desperate housewives, the brain trust
at OTBL reverts back to what they do best GOSSIP.
One thing you can count on at OTBL.
THEY ALWAYS GET IT WRONG!!!!!

Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mark Green Has Abramoff Ties

Tickets Anyone?

Read the Talking Points Memo

Peyton Place: The New Richmond Oil Wars

The St. Croix County District Attorney has hauled Gomer Pyle into the New Richmond hoosegow for questioning regarding his violation of Wisconsin Statutes Section 1543.2sdlfknasdptrj"EPE)(*&)(*#$% sdgfdsgf gdfgfgb4574756867)&_)(*_)(*45eprtj948032948-45092345.zcoviwner;.saoe324532452345345n, for taking cash on the barrelhead in return of oil pumped to school owned vehicles.

Borderwhiner reporters will provide in-depth legal analysis at 11:00.

God help us.

Early Roots Of Christian Debate

The 23rd Qualm

Bush is my shepherd; I dwell in want.

He maketh logs to be cut down in national forests.

He leadeth trucks into the still wilderness.

He restoreth my fears.

He leadeth me in the paths of international disgrace for his ego's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of pollution and war, I will find no exit, for thou art in office.

Thy tax cuts for the rich and thy media control, they discomfort me.

Thou preparest an agenda of deception in the presence of thy religion.

Thou anointest my head with foreign oil.

My health insurance runneth out.

Surely megalomania and false patriotism shall follow me all the days of thy term,

And my jobless child shall dwell in my basement forever.
---
Written by a retired Methodist minister

HSO Editor Sits On Fence Again

Hudson Star-Observer Editorial: "Time will tell how last week’s school board election affects any potential school board referendum. No doubt, the success of any potential referendum will depend largely on the needs of the district and how voters perceive those needs."

Once again, the HSO editor finds it difficult to express his personal opinion on the needs of the district.

The Rumsfeld Catch-22

Associated Press: "A growing number of commanders who served under Donald Rumsfeld say he has botched the Iraq operation, ignored the advice of his generals and should be replaced."

"Yet for Bush to try to distance himself from Rumsfeld would call into question everything about the last three years' strategy in ways the White House worries would send a very negative message. The dilemma is that for Bush to fire Rumsfeld is for Bush to declare himself a failure as president, since Iraq is the main issue of his presidency."

Catch 22. Should he stay or should he go?

Q: Why You See Fewer Pictures Of OTBL Bloggers At The Post Office?

Stress Relief Tips For Wealth Creators

Just in case you are having a rough week creating wealth, here is a stress management technique recommended in all the latest psychological texts. The funny thing is that it works.

1. Picture yourself near a stream.
2. Birds are softly chirping in the cool mountain air.
3. No one knows your secret place.
4. You are in total seclusion from the hectic place called the world.
5. The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity.
6. The water is crystal clear.
7. You can easily make out the face of the person you are holding under the water.
8. See. You're smiling already

Kilber The Weldmaster

OTBL Admin Chris Kilber: "The one thing that confuses me is that if we are weldng so much power (bullying and flexing muscle) why aren't we getting everything we want?"

Me: "Is it just one thing that confuses you Mr. Kilber? Are you really a welder? Do you really not understand why you aren't getting everything you want?"

Borderwhiner Ouija Board Predicts The Future

Luke: "What will happen when and if another larger referendum is proposed? The turnout will be huge, probably 7,500 or so, and the referendum will go down in flames."

N. Onimous: "The bottom line is that the school board election results said nothing more than the fact that the average voter could give a rat's ass about the school board, but given an opportunity to vote on a referendum will be racing to the polls to vote no."

Kilber: "The paultry voter turnout was also to the advantage of the status quo. Let's see how many come out in the next referendum. Bring it on!"

But, a little advice from a fellow borderwhiner:

Spiritofpublicus: "One thing is certain about the future; those who believe they can predict it are doomed to failure."

Iran: The Logic of Deterrence

Tehran’s quest for nuclear weapons is a rational response to a real threat, which makes diplomacy a more prudent option than regime change.

At this writing it is not known if the United Nations, when it receives the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency on the status of Iran’s compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, will impose sanctions on Tehran or whether a last-minute diplomatic compromise will avert—at least for the time being—the need for punitive measures. Neither outcome, however, will bring about a definitive resolution of the deepening crisis between the U.S. and Iran. Washington and Tehran will remain on a collision course that could eventuate in military conflict.

The main source of conflict—or at least the one that has grabbed the lion’s share of the headlines—is Tehran’s evident determination to develop a nuclear- weapons program. Washington’s policy, as President George W. Bush has stated on several occasions in language that recalls his pre-war stance on Iraq, is that a nuclear-armed Iran is “intolerable.”

Read more: American conservative 4/10/06 issue

President Bush V. Flip-flops: If The Shoe Fits...

Are social norms steadily unraveling?

Young people today are less concerned about social approval and society's standards than their peers of generations past, says new research analyzed across six decades.
The analysis of responses from 40,745 children, adolescents and young adults who completed surveys between 1958 and 2001 finds less need to heed social norms and accepted standards of behavior.

"It goes beyond etiquette. It's not just about manners. It's more obliviousness that characterizes it — just not thinking about what other people think and other people's feelings," says Jean Twenge, an associate professor of psychology at San Diego State University who will discuss her findings at a conference next week.

Among kids today, 62% of college students say they pay little attention to social conventions. In 1958, an average of 50% did. Among ages 9-12, the difference was even greater — 76% in 1999, compared with an average of 50% in 1963.

Read more: USA Today

THE IRAN PLANS by Seymour M. Hersh

Would President Bush go to war to stop Tehran from getting the bomb?

Read the New Yorker article

Thoughts On The War...

"My sincere view is that the commitment of our forces to this fight was done with a casualness and swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions - or bury the results."

- Marine Lt. Gen. Greg Newbold, former director of operations at the Pentagon's military joint staff, writing in Time magazine. Newbold resigned four months before the invasion of Iraq, but has only now gone public with his criticism of the war.

BREAKING NEWS ----------------------- WMD's FOUND IN IRAQ!!

The Bush Administration has leaked intelligence photos of Iraqi Mobile Biological Weapons Laboratories. The Iraq War is now justified.

Quotes of Note

"America believes in education: the average professor earns more money in a year than a professional athlete earns in a whole week. "

Evan Esar
American Humorist (1899 - 1995)

BOB ZILLER READS NEW RICHMOND NEWS.......... STOPS GIGGLING.

BEFORE READING LETTERS BY NELSON AND MUCHLINSKI:



















AFTER READING LETTERS:


















DOCTORS PRESCRIBE METAMUCIL.
(details at 11)

Presidential Radio Address - Taxes

Hear Radio Address, click: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/47195

HUDSON SCHOOL BOARD RECOUNT RESULTS: TRACY HABISCH-AHLIN WINS BY TWO VOTES!

Congratulations to Tracy. She will be a great board member.

Thanks to Priscilla Wyeth for her unwaving stewardship of the Hudson schools for six years! We hope she stays very involved in the district.

Nowhere Man, Where are you taking The Border Whine now?

JPN, thanks for the primer on St. Croix Valley blogs, especially the On The Border Whine (OTBW) blog. However, lately I have become concerned about the direction OTBW is going.

As you know, when OTBW began in 2004, it was Bill "Nowhere Man" Danielson who grabbed the reins and set the tone for that blog. From his undisclosed location, he provided daily mean-spirited insults of many local people. The other OTBW'ers jumped on the bandwagon with their own anonymous offensive name-calling.

Of course, it was just human nature for townsfolk to go and look at it: "Marge, did you see what they said yesterday? I need to go look today and see if they said something even worse." And so, OTBW became an overnight phenomenon.

Nowhere Man provided the moral basis for these personal attacks, stating: "If one is to discover that any public official, publicly elected official, or anyone who lives off the backs of the producers, is found to be a fraud, or states for public consumption false and misleading information, or otherwise proves to be an incompetent boob/moron, then off come the gloves and a personal attack is fully warranted. In fact, it should be standard operating procedure."

Wow, what a great thinker.

But herein lies the rub. Nowhere Man is changing course in midstream. Apparently, he wants to be admired more for his intellectual pursuits than for his name-calling.

So, he writes: "I have had enough of this focused attacking - this blog is blessed with some incredibly talented minds who contribute regularly and write on a variety of complex topics. There is a great deal of challenging thought and writing with which to be proud."

In fact, today he has posted about (1) the classical tradition of nineteenth century liberalism, (2) education tax credits with Quentin Quade and Father Blum, and (3) the imaginary Land of Cockaigne.

YAWN. BORING!!!!!

So what are his followers to do?

If they follow the advice of Nowhere Man, people will stop reading OTBW faster than I can fall asleep during the Sunday sermon. But, if they keep up the personal attacks, then OTBW will continue to be what it has always been - a classless garbage dump.

My oh my, what to do??

While you are thinking about it, why not listen to the Beatles' Nowhere Man.

Click Here: http://www.delta.ro/beatles/beatles/nowherem.wav

Wal-Mart Attacks American Made T-Shirts

Wal-Mart files suit vs. seller of T-shirt
Conyers man runs Web site on 'Wal-ocaust'

As you might imagine, Wal-Mart doesn't enjoy having its business practices likened to the horrors of the Holocaust.

So the behemoth retailer has filed suit in federal district court in Atlanta against Charles Smith, the 48-year-old computer repairman from Conyers who made the comparison and marketed it on "I (heart) Wal-ocaust" T-shirts.

Smith "seeks to cloak his illegal commercial activities under the mantle of the First Amendment" and is "tarnishing Wal-Mart's trademarks and business reputation," the company's court filing said. "Smith's tasteless enterprise demonstrates that he is attempting to profit from his repulsive wares, not merely expressing his misguided opinions about Wal-Mart."

Smith, for his part, admits the "Wal-ocaust" term is tasteless. But he and his attorneys, part of Ralph Nader's Public Citizen Litigation Group, believe this is now about more than one man's opinion of Wal-Mart.

Read more: Atlanta Journal-Constitution



Check out the Wal-ocaust

Mr. Peanut - Federal Air Traffic Controller!

New on CBS, a drama about the exciting life of Mr. Peanut - Federal Air Traffic Controller! You will be drawn into the life of a goober who makes good in the fast-paced world of international air traffic control! And he does it all for Wal-Mart wages, instead of the salary & benefits that his skills and education deserve. Oh sure, he loses a plane (or two) a week. But, think of the money he saves the taxpayers of this country! He is a true patriot. Tune in next Thursday for the premier of Mr. Peanut - Federal Air Traffic Controller!'

(P.S. U.S. Department of Labor: "Air traffic controllers earn relatively high pay and have good benefits. Median annual earnings of air traffic controllers in May 2004 were $102,030. The middle 50 percent earned between $78,170 and $126,260. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $57,720, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $139,210. The average annual salary, excluding overtime earnings, for air traffic controllers in the Federal Government—which employs 90 percent of the total—in nonsupervisory, supervisory, and managerial positions was $106,380 in May 2004.)

BOOOOOOOOOO! HISSSSSSSS!

Vice President Dick Cheney threw out the first pitch at the home opener of the Washington Nationals game today to the sound of thunderous boos and catcalls. Do you suppose he's in his last throes?

THE HAMMER WINS THE LOTTERY!

Houston Chronicle: "When he resigns in a few months, U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay immediately will be eligible for a congressional pension of nearly $67,000 a year.

The Sugar Land Republican, who will turn 59 on Saturday, would get a total of about $1.3 million in pension payouts in the next 20 years alone. DeLay also will be eligible to participate in the health plan available to all federal retirees.

His pension would be unaffected by any conviction on the campaign finance charges he faces in Travis County or any charges rising from the congressional lobbying scandal in which two of his former aides, and former ally and lobbyist Jack Abramoff, have pleaded guilty."

What? No complaints from OTBL regarding this disgraced Republican simpering to the public trough to loot their hard-earned taxpayer dollars??

Where is the outrage?!

HOLMQUIST GETS 'OTBL WELCOME'

Norman (Mobius) Bates: "Welcome to OTBL Mr. Holmquist. Even if that was your one and only post, I hope you continue reading this blog. You, like thousands of others in western Wisconsin, will agree, disagree, laugh or be enraged, and often learn as you read."

















click: scream.wav
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IT ANNOUNCEMENT: OTBL MIND CONTROL SERVER IS TEMPORARILY DOWN

Lenvik Lad on OTBL: "All I have to say is if this blog is so mind controlling, how come Baker came in 5th?"

How Low Can You Go?

Poll Finds Bush Job Rating at New Low
...Even Lower That When Nixon Resigned...

Political reversals at home and continued bad news from Iraq have dragged President Bush's standing with the public to a new low, at the same time that Republican fortunes on Capitol Hill also are deteriorating, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The survey found that 38 percent of the public approve of the job Bush is doing, down three percentage points in the past month and his worst showing in Post-ABC polling since he became president. Sixty percent disapprove of his performance.

Read more:Washington Post.com

BRIDE OF TABOR: THE TAXPAYER PROTECTION ACT (TPA)

The Wisconsin legislature will take its first vote on the Taxpayer Protection Act this spring. Because the TPA is a proposed constitutional amendment, it must pass both houses of the legislature in consecutive sessions before being presented to voters in a statewide referendum. If both houses of the legislature approve the measure this spring, they can take it up again soon after the next legislative biennial session convenes next January. If approved by both houses at that time, it could go to voters as early as spring of 2007.

TPA is the latest version of the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), and it would cause even more severe financial damage to school districts than education caps, according to an analysis by the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau released on March 13, 2006.

School districts, which are struggling under education caps to meet the basic academic needs of students, would have had even less money - an estimated $115.9 million less - in 2003-04 if the TPA had been in effect, according to the Fiscal Bureau. That amounts to 3.2% less for just that one year.

A recent survey of school superintendents by the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators documented the profoundly negative effects caused by the state-imposed education caps schools are already living under.

Overall, 62% of districts say they offer fewer courses because of education caps; 70% laid off teachers; 65% laid off support staff; 70% increased class sizes; 65% increased student fees; 61% reduced programs for gifted and talented students; 53% reduced extracurricular programs; and 53% reduced programs for at-risk students.

While the severity of this latest TABOR proposal would vary from school district to school district, no district would be allowed to raise more under TPA than it would under the current education caps, and most would be forced to abide by even lower limits.

The Fiscal Bureau report shows there would be about 4% less in potential revenue every year, in both state and local taxes, if the TPA were already law. The proposed amendment limits overall annual state revenues, using a flawed formula tied to the inflation rate, the state's personal income, population growth and new construction.

Harsdorf-Rhoades Hold Taxpayer Protection Amendment (TPA) UW-RF Listening Session Up

State Representative Shelia Harsdorf and 30th District Assemblyperson Kitty Rhoades participated in a listening session at UW-RF on Monday, April 10. I attended the session and the impression I got from listening to two of our local state legislators is that they are not in favor of amending the Wisconsin Constitution for legislative purposes.

Hardsorf expressed this view more clearly than Rhoades, who got to the meeting late because of scheduling problems. She said "I don't like the idea of legislating through the Constitution."

Both said they were unclear about the details of the legislation, because they authors of the Taxpayers Protection Act (TPA) keep changing it. It was pointed out at the meeting that a key backer of the amendment push, Rep. Frank Lasee (R-Bellevue), has pulled his support for it.

Lasee, principal architect of an earlier proposal known as TABOR, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, says this version has been weakened to the point where it's no longer worth supporting by those who truly want to protect taxpayers by limiting government spending. "It's on life support right now," says Lasee.

Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) co-chairs the committee charged with getting TPA in shape for a vote. He says Lasee's concern is that the legislature has the right to exempt certain charges that local governments can impose, but Grothman says such exemptions would be limited.

Both Grothman and Lasee, Republican lawmakers, believe a vote on some version of the constitutional amendment will happen prior to the end of the legislative session, though Lasee says he hopes "the guts can be put back into it," before that happens.

Harsdorf said Lasee was pulling his support because the amendment was being to watered down from the original version. She pointed out that the original amendment was very similar to the TABOR amendment previously passed in Colorado. Last Coloradoans voted to suspend some of the TABOR components.

Read Lasee's press release.

The President's Room at the UWRF Student Center was standing room only and no one spoke in favor of TPA. Rhoades pointed out that something needs to be done to control the increase in local property taxes. She said these rising taxes are especially hard-hitting to elderly people on a fixed income, because the property taxes are rising faster than the ability of those people to pay.

A couple of thoughts I had at this meeting concerned the title of the legislation: Taxpayer Protection Act. Who are the taxpayers being protected from? If the problem is rising taxes driven by increase spending that is decided by our elected representatives at the local, county, state and federal levels, who are the taxpayers being protected from? The legislators?

This is just a way for the anti-tax wing of the Republican-controlled legislature to not deal with the tough problems of legislation. If our tax code needs fixing -- fix it. No they won't do this because some type of tax would have to increase -- probably income taxes -- if you intend to lower property taxes. There's no free lunch -- unless of course a lobbyist is picking up the tab.

Find out more about TPA:
Transcript: Brookfield Mayoral Debate on taxes'
Appleton letter:
Taxpayer Protection Amendment will be bad news for local control
Hudson letter:
Is anti-TABOR
Two views:
Thumbs up and down, on Taxpayer Protection Act analysis
Letter:
Taxpayers will see no protection from bill

Local Republican Implicated In Drug Scandal

Invasion of the Conservatroids!

(Click on toon to see clearly.)

Read The "Gospel According to Paul Dorr

From City Pages.

Get Guv'mint Off My Back!

.

ATBL #1

Way to go ATBL, Number One. You Rock!!!!!!!!!!

ATBL IS NOW #1 BLOG IN WISCONSIN!!

Killbear: I hope you can hear me over the fireworks and popping champagne bottles! I'm at ATBL Global Headquarters and this is a night for celebration! Abovetheborderline has been named the NUMBER ONE BLOG in Wisconsin! Let's get a word with James P. Nelson. Jim, how does this feel?

JPN: With great power comes great responsibility.

Killbear: JPN, can you let us in on how you accomplished this?

JPN: Clearly I'm an omniscient blog god. Oh, and I should also give a shout out to my homies - the writers. It's nice to know that when I need to get this cyber rag on the streets, I can ask the local police to run in the usual suspects. They aren't the brightest bulbs in the St. Croix Valley, but they can photoshop some fake news with the best of them.

Killbear: I'm down wit' dat', dawg. So how did you get your readership to this outstanding level?

JPN: I have to thank the main stream media for referencing this site on a regular basis. Then, when people come to ATBL to see what all the fuss is about, they find some compelling junior high humor and stick around to take our college course in conspiriology.

Killbear: Any plans to take ATBL to the next level?

JPN: Next step is to focus on licensed merchandising. You will be seeing ATBL Wear (TM) available online shortly. But PayPal is not accepted.

Killbear: I want a hat and t-shirt for sure. Any other reasons to visit ATBL?

JPN: Well, in addition to being the NUMBER ONE BLOG, we also boast the largest indoor waterpark in Wisconsin. New this year is the Hot Tube. Check it out!





















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You May Be A Yellow Journalist If...

Below is a simple list of information to see if you qualify as a "Yellow Journalist." While you read and think about this list, try to guess which non-mainstream news media they came from.

1)For any reason, at any time, and depending on my mood, your comment may be deleted or edited with or without an explanation or warning. Comment on this blog at your own risk. If you insist on an explanation, read this. If you still don’t like it, tell your story walking. The KING of this domain has spoken.

The rules below are still in effect, but number one gets to the bottom line in a hurry, don’t you think?

2) Do not call me names! Please don’t offend or insult the blog host. If I get into specifics, this post would never end. Just use common sense. Don’t call myself or other commenters names, either. Attack the argument, not the person.

3) I am king of www.ontheborderline.net because this is my weblog. I pay for the hosting and I make the rules.

You have no First Amendment rights on this blog. My right to free speech is protected on this site, not yours.

Mini-civics lesson: The First Amendment restricts government, not private citizens, from infringing on your right to free speech. On this blog, your speech is a privilege. On your blog, your speech is a right. Learn the distinction.

4) No profanity or quasi-profanity. I hate it.

5) Stay on-topic. While I won’t delete off-topic comments, I prefer they be relevant to the post. If you have an off-topic question or issue, e-mail me.

6) I reserve the right to edit or delete any comment for any reason. If I edit your comment, most of the time I’ll add a notation, such as “Edited by the Admin” or “Nice try, troll!”

7) You get one warning before you are banned, although there are exceptions (If I really like you, you’ll get three warnings.). Being banned from my domain means your ISP is blocked from accessing the entire site.

8) Trackbacks leading to offensive posts where I’m the subject will be deleted.
---

These are the guidelines of to be a participant on the www.ontheborderline.net blog. It's very interesting to note that the OTBL admin lays out such restrictive and intimidating guidelines for someone who touts free speech so loudly. He wants it both ways -- his way on the blog and his way in the media.

The slant on his blog is obviously severely slanted to the subjectivity of the OTBL opinion. In the local newspapers, the slant is to a more an objective approach. Certainly the local newspapers play a role in community boostering. TO some degree, their livelihood. A blog like OTBL is a small, focused group of status quo malcontents who prefer to dismantled the community, if it means being able to keep one additional penny from the government.

OTBL is an internet soapbox that does not rely on the community for it's support. It's brand of "journalism" is the "ready, fire, aim" variety with a very twitchy, trigger finger. Local papers trend to practice the "read, aim, fire" approach with a slow trigger finger. Don't confuse the roles of these two information outlets.