8/26/2006

New Drug Plagues Area
























Authorities Crack Down on OTBL labs.

Just when you thought it was safer with the arrest and prosecution
of meth makers in St. Croix Co. here comes another dangerous drug to
contend with, OTBL.
Police and State Crime officials claim that OTBL labs originated in
Hudson,WI but have spread throughout Western Wisconsin, to places like Osceola,
Somerset, River Falls and New Richmond. Reports from New Richmond disturbingly describe a small group of addicts using the power of the drug to extort information and disseminating it on the OTBL crime network's communications system. The drug OTBL can be identified by what agents say is an "otherworldly green glow" yet others claim it's the color of money. Still others say, "If you've been to Roswell, you'll recognize it immediately".
Parents are warned to talk to the kids about the dangers of OTBL since OTBL users and dealers have often been seen at local area schools. Should you encounter a suspected OTBL user you are advised to hightail it out of there, PRONTO, as they are know to be advocates of concealed weapons and may be armed and dangerous.

Attention Internet Nut Capitalists!

Russian Comrades Gobbling Record Quantities of U.S. Goobers

WESTERN WISCONSIN (AP), Annoyed by four years of tumbling sales, Internet peanut capitalists are encouraged by what they hope will become a growing market in Russia, a trend that would benefit Internet nut capitalists with Russian connections.

While the socialist slackers in Canada are the leading importer of U-S peanuts, the Russian Federation climbed to tenth place in 2005 and has already nearly doubled that in the first half of this year.

Western Wisconsin leads the nation with the highest concentration of Internet nuts with Russian connections. Peter Pan, publisher of a peanut industry newsletter, says exporting nuts to Russia is a shower of golden opportunity.

Some believe Russians are buying more U-S peanuts because Venezuelan-grown peanuts have found to be covered with socialist scum. As Russian society becomes wealthier and the Internet more popular, the snack-food industry has been expanding as the male population stays up later at night buying cheap Viagra online and scrutinizing comments posted on an unnamed western Wisconsin blog site. Still, while the Russians may be eating more snack nuts and candy bars loaded with U-S peanuts, experts say they do NOT appear ready to embrace common sense anymore then their comrade Internet bloggers in western Wisconsin.

Order your nuts now in time for Russia's newest holiday - Day of the National Unity -on November 4. Remember, you can order your nuts in cans, jars or in a bundle -- the preferred method of western Wisconsin Internet nut capitalists.

Order your goobers online @ Nuts Online.com.

8/25/2006

Losing Face

OTBL loses face over the New Richmond
School Board Resignations.


















Then takes field trip to Wal-Mart to find a new one.




















.

August 26: Women's Equality Day

Celebrating Women's Right To Vote

At the behest of Rep. Bella Abzug (D-NY), in 1971 the U.S. Congress designated August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day.”

The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a massive, peaceful civil rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention, in Seneca Falls, New York.

The observance of Women’s Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality. Workplaces, libraries, organizations, and public facilities now participate with Women’s Equality Day programs, displays, video showings, or other activities.

Read more!

Elizabeth Cady Stanton made America’s ideals a reality

By Lee Salisbury
(Lee lives in Stillwater and this letter appeared in the Stillwater Gazette.)

Do we really appreciate the ideals that make America great? From the Declaration of Independence we find phrases such as “all men are created equal…with certain inalienable rights…Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The Constitution begins, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

We should marvel at the character, the tenacity, the intestinal fortitude of the few who spend a lifetime fighting the forces that oppose America’s ideals as set forth by our founding fathers.

Fortunately for America there was a woman named Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815 - 1902) who would not be intimidated or defeated. She spent her life fighting for equal rights for all humanity. Her battle started with slavery. After investigating slavery, she shocked the abolitionists by declaring that the Bible and its clergy were the primary reasons for slavery’s existence in America.

Even before abolition was achieved, she turned her attention to the miserable niche her own sex occupied in society. Again she asserted the Bible and Christianity as the cause. Christian dogmatists had an agenda for women — no divorce, no vote, no birth control, no right to own property, and no equality.

Ms. Stanton stated, “To me, there was no question so important as the emancipation of women from the dogmas of the past, political, religious, and social. It struck me as very remarkable that abolitionists, who felt so keenly the wrongs of the slave, should be so oblivious to the equal wrongs of their own mothers, wives, and sisters, when, according to the common law, both classes occupied a similar legal status.”

July 19-20, 1848 Elizabeth Cady Stanton, with four friends convened the very first woman's rights convention in the world in Seneca Falls, N.Y. Stanton was the first woman to call for "women’s suffrage." Stanton warned that suffrage was almost “too shocking to utter” and would alienate supporters. Nevertheless, the suffrage plank won endorsement and galvanized U.S. women for the next 72 years.

Fifty years after that convention Elizabeth Cady Stanton, said in an interview with the Chicago Record, June 29,1897, “In the early days of woman-suffrage agitation, I saw that the greatest obstacle we had to overcome was the Bible. It was hurled at us on every side.”

Soon Susan B. Anthony and hundreds of other women and men who had had their fill of bigotry joined her. Ms. Stanton wrote, “When women understand that governments and religions are human inventions; that bibles, prayer-books, catechisms, and encyclical letters are all emanations from the brains of man, they will no longer be oppressed by the injunctions that come to them with the divine authority of ‘Thus sayeth the Lord.’”

She fought for 50 years against the ponderous inertia of chauvinism. For half a century she attacked the pulpits and the irrational dogma that came from them. She found the bible revolting and largely uncivilized. Preachers tried to comfort her by claiming the New Testament was better than the Old, only to hear her say, “All the men of the Old Testament were polygamists, and Christ and Paul, the central figures of the New Testament, were celibates, and condemned marriage by both precept and example.” For years she and a score of women combed the Bible to highlight its perverse vilification of their sex. The completed project took two volumes to contain it all. It was called The Woman’s Bible and it started an uproar that caused it to be published time and time again. It remains in print today.

It is fitting that the words in the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution granting women’s suffrage were written by Ms. Stanton. When it passed in 1920, she had been dead for 18 years.

The Nineteenth Amendment is a testament to Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s status as an American hero. Ms. Stanton did not need to wear a flag lapel-pin or say the pledge of allegiance to prove her patriotism. She understood and honored America’s ideals and demanded they supercede all conflicting ideals, religious or otherwise. Ms. Stanton demonstrated what it means to call oneself an American.

CBS "Survivor" Attention Stunt



In what is obviously a stunt to draw attention, CBS is launching its next season of Survivor by splitting the tribes according to race.

So far its been headline news all day. Clearly this will draw many more viewers than would have otherwise watched the show, shamelessly boosting revenue by increasing the cost of ad spots on the long running reality show.

I'm a fan of fun stunts to draw attention. For example, several years ago a very popular radio station yanked its DJ's off the air and ran announcements for three days in a row implying they were shutting down. They asked people to listen at 7:20 AM Monday morning as they "Shut off the power" Enter Monday morning: the station announced they were "shutting off the power.... (pause)..companies' hold over your checkbook by paying your bills!"

However, when the stunt serves to reinforce racism -which remains a very real problem in this country - I can do nothing but condemn it.

I, for one, will not be watching Survivor or CBS this season.

Quotes To Ponder

"The whole principle is wrong. It's like demanding that grown men live on skim milk because the baby can't eat steak."

-- Robert A. Heinlein
(1907-1988) American writer
Source: on Censorship, in his book, The Man Who Sold The Moon, p186

8/24/2006

Pluto/OTBL Join Forces- Secede From Earth's Solar System


From the:
International Astronomical Union's 26th General Assembly in Prague.

After years of wrangling and a week of bitter debate, astronomers voted on a sweeping reclassification of the solar system. In what many of them described as a triumph of science over sentiment, Pluto was demoted to the status of a “dwarf planet.”

In a related story:

On Wednesday, three New Richmond School Board members abruptly resigned.
Administrator Morrie Veilleux said he received letters of resignation, effective immediately, from Board President Judy Remington, Bill Brennan and Bob Sievert.

With this announcement OTBL has lost it's "Ray of Hope" / "Shining Light" and like
Pluto has been severly deminished in stature.
Noting the similarities officals at OTBL have decided to join forces with Pluto and secede
from Earth's solar system to form their own "dwarf alliance", the name they have chosen to call their new extra-planetary system. Dr. Bill Max Fill noted that by seperating from Earth,
they will become a part of the Lost Galaxy of Gongo.

Like Pluto, we are unique and rugged individualists and refuse to be a part of interplanetary "group think". Said anonymous blogger N.Onimous. We don't really care
what the International Astronomical Union Thugs say Dr. Bill Max Fill reiterated. We don't listen to Socialists.

The IAU members gathered at the 2006 General Assembly agreed that a "planet" is defined as a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.

While OTBL is defined as a number of individual self reliant Anti-Government, Anti Socialist, Anti- Public Education Bloated Egos Revloving around themselves.


All involved agreed that OTBL and Earth would be better off with OTBL remaining "out of
this world".

The Original Above The Border Line

A NEW DAY FOR THE NEW RICHMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT

After seeing the events of the last few months unfold, whether through heated Board meetings, the newspapers, and even blog sites, I am forced to ask what is next for the "City Beautiful"? Where do we go from here? Who do we go to for answers? What are OUR goals as a School District? All of these questions are the buzz around town from Farm and Home down to County Market. The best question I have heard today is: "What can be done to restore the pride of a wounded community?"

Many people feel yesterday was a positive step. While for the most part I do agree, remember the three School Board members we lost yesterday were three "YES" votes for the best hire this School District has made in the last twenty-five years, no not Joe Jamieson for Head Football coach and High School physical education teacher, but Mr. Morrie Vielleux. The leadership he has already demonstrated is simply amazing. All the while showing the warmth to us unhappy voters that few would, or more importantly have the charisma to do. And was your car at the District office as late as 11:00pm three sometimes four nights aweek like Judy's was? Have you returned every phone call and e-mail the last 4 months as Bob Sievert has? And how many of you became actively involved with the School District and its meetings because of Bill Brennan? While none of them will send me a Christams card this year nor will they receive one from me, they did have some good qualities.

We are left with four quality people left as our leaders. Lester Jones, who has been was heavily chastised by former Board members, and blog sites. And what was the first thing Lester asked to have done at last nights emergency meeting? Asked that the three former board members be thanked for their contributions and make everyone aware of the time, commitment, and sacrifices they made as Board members. No one defines "class individual" as Lester does. Chris Skoglund, also a source of malicious blogging was there last night doing just what she always has done, whatever it takes to get things done, keeping minutes as well as offering input on the issue at hand. She even asked for a "typerwriter" to compile the Boards statement regarding the resignations. Greg Gartner has said before that he is involved in everything. How many School related activities have you shown up and not seen Greg there? Nobody in this community is as involved as Greg, and have you ever seen him with out that smile? And lastly Rick Hinz. Anyone that ever questioned Rick Hinz commitment to doing the right thing did not attend either of the two Board meetings this week. His handling of an obvious tough situation last night was marvelous. And wasn't it great how he tried to make sure Roberts Rules of Order to meetings was followed to best of his abilities?

Between those four and Morrie, we have a solid foundation. One that we definitely should be able to build on. From there we need to find three quality replacements to round out the Board. Do we look to our our proud past (no, not you Bob Ziller)? Do we look to our near past and look for names like Cook-Shannon, Leiffort, Demulling, Tellijon,and Lind? Or do we look to some of the young dynamic minds who are reshaping the business community in our town every day? All are fairly good ideas, as we have to consider that all three of these seats will be up for election this coming April, a mere 7 months away.

I ask three things of the voters of the New Richmond School District. Number one, think of 2 people you know and respect, and go ask them to consider throwing their name in the hat to help fix something that is broken. Number two, show your "Tiger Pride" and become part of the solution by helping our teachers educate our children. And lastly, the next time you see Lester, Chris, Greg, Rick, and Morrie or any administrator, teacher, teacher assistant or administrative help, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell them "THANK YOU" for their efforts and know they will also do their part to help bring us back to the top. Will you?

Quote of the day...

One Response to “Carnac On Concerned New Richmond Parents”

  1. BobZiller Says:
    August 23rd, 2006 at 9:03

    Luke, that’s old news and there is not a damned thing anybody can do about it except bitch.

    I say move on and get three new board members and start improving student performance and our facilities.


Way to go Bob.

-On a seperate note it looks like the OTBL - Billsgottago.com link may have something to it. N. Onimous copied Mikhail's post regarding billsgotta.com to the OTBL page today. (at least a select part of it anyway) - Odd how they're taking such an interest in it.

8/23/2006

Rino Hunting Bar Owner Challenges Pawlenty for Governor

Sue Jeffers, owner of Stub & Herbs bar in Stadium Village and president of Minnesotans Against Smoking Bans, is formally announcing she is a candidate for Governor.


I couldn't believe my ears when I heard Sue Jeffers spout the OTBL party line on public radio today. My God, she's the OTBL dream girl.






On Taxes and Pawlenty
"Minnesota still has a spending problem and our current elected officials refuse to close the checkbook. Constitutions were written to protect citizens from government. A Taxpayer Bill of Rights would set a limit on government growth at the state and the local level. Any increase in government revenues and spending above population growth and the rate of inflation must be approved. A taxpayer bill of rights will seek to slow government growth, not reverse it."

"There is little doubt if parents had an affordable option they would not send their children to public school."

"In Minnesota, per pupil expenditures are about $8,000 in government funded schools. Private schools spend about half."

Suzi hasn't done her research when she spouts off these figures.
Hill Murry Tuition $8,800


"When a government program fails, the most common response is to say it needs more money, our taxpayer dollars. Of course, it is always for the children, the economy, the poor, the disadvantaged or another under-represented sector. The Democrats talk about the children as they make government bigger while the Republicans talk about smaller government while they make it bigger. We need to make government smaller, more efficient and more effective."

Yeah, we've heard that for the last 6 years from Republicans.

"Prosperity results when government protects private property rights, maintains law and order, provides basic services, low taxes and regulation. Government produces nothing and does not always have to do something. Government can only redistribute wealth created by private enterprise or it can destroy it. There is nothing right about taking money from one and giving it to another and calling it compassion. Subsidies, research grants and similar expenditures were never intended to be the role of government."

The current economy sure verifies this lie. What prosperity? and for who?

If this woman is the future of MN, I have to start thinking about a new career, something like
OTBL dating service. Too bad there's only one of her.

Note To OTBL's N. Onimous

In a current post at ontheborderline.net, N. Onimous posts the following:



First of all, I would like to thank N. Onimous for associating me with the likes of our local Republican, state representatives Kitty Rhoades and Shelia Harsdorf. If the OTBL'ers aren't calling these hardworking ladies RINOs, they are calling them "socialists." Of course, O. Nonimous and his gang of anonymous bullies call anyone not drinking their brand of extreme right wing Kool Aid a "socialist." The OTBL'ers' point of is to get the ignorant masses whipped up about the fear of communism.

The OTBL'ers need to update their approach, if they want to sell their brand of Kool Aid. You are still selling the same old brand of John Birch Society Kool Aid that didn't sell before. Your wardrobe needs to be updated. The Bush Administration likes to use the "terrorist" tag. From you front row seats at the Bush gig in Hudson, you should have picked this buzzword up.

Anyways, concerning your comments, I won't have much to say on the actions at the Monday night NR school board meeting. I wasn't there. In fact, I wasn't at the Hudson meeting where Weese and Shaw were escorted out of the meeting. However, I did see the meeting on cable TV and on your blog site. Therefore, I don't have the background to talk about Monday night.

If you'll notice, this blog has been very quite on the New Richmond school board since the election. What confused me about the lead-up to the April elections is that the teachers' union backed Brennan and Remington in the 2005 elections.

My problem with Brennan -- your OTLB 2005 Ray of Hope -- is the serious suspicion of his leaking of executive session information to your blog. As a board member this is a violation of his duty and elected responsibility. I also stepped back from the NR board discussion because it appeared to be solidifying into clash of the collective egos of two groups of adults that were both "doing it for the kids."

Above you mention my letter to the HSO last summer. Here's a piece of the letter you didn't quote:

"If the guidelines for citizen comments are not clear, the board needs to clarify them. If citizens are not sticking to their pre-stated comments, the board needs to keep them on point. The idea that Weese and Shaw have some sort of a First Amendment claim against the school board would make an interesting legal brief. Weese and Shaw should make their claim, if they feel it has merit and let the courts decide."

I've read nothing about the Weese-Shaw walk going to court. What's the holdup? The Weese-Shaw walk has turned into a repeated dumb post by Luke, aka, Carnac, just like the repeated Willie threat letter posts. Of course, no one comments on those post anymore -- except maybe O. Nonimous...who probably is Luke.

I agree with O. Nonimous on the charge of being a hypocrite...although maybe not pertaining to this specific instance. Like ALL humans I at times say one thing and do another. As I am guilty of being a hypocrite, I am guilty of being human. You are the perfect knights in white armour who paint all who don't buy you gospel of greed as the black devils. Me, I'm the man who's lives in the gray zone of reality. The lunchbox totting, taxpaying, public education supporting, freedom loving American who believes there are inequities in the world that need to be rectified. In fighting for my beliefs, I believe standing up against the bullshit you OTBL'ers are peddling is one on the major reasons God gave me a heart, soul and a brain.

NR School Board members announce regsignation

On Wednesday, three New Richmond School Board members abruptly resigned.

Administrator Morrie Veilleux said he received letters of resignation, effective immediately, from Board President Judy Remington, Bill Brennan and Bob Sievert.

An emergency meeting of the remaining four members - Chris Skoglund, Rick Hinz, Lester Jones and Greg Gartner - has been scheduled for 7:30 p.m. this evening at the district offices. The topic will be the board resignations and filling the vacancies.

According to school district policy, the board must accept applications and appoint replacements. The three seats then would be open in the April election.

Read more@ RiverTowns.net.

Q: What's in Your OTBL Wallet














Don't leave Hudson without it.

A: The Gold Standard of the OTBL Idiocracy

Judy, Bill & Bob Resign!!



Special school board meeting tonight at 7:30 PM. This is making its way across town like wildfire...

My questions: Why Bob? Also - Why suddenly? Anything to do with what's coming down the pipe on that police report that was read aloud last night?

Tonight should prove interesting.

8/22/2006

Best Place In The World to Live- Hint: It Aint U.S.




Norway still the world's best place to live:

For the fourth year in a row, the United Nations has ranked Norway as having the highest standard of living in the world. Sweden, Australia and Canada are next in line, while the United States is further down the scale.

Mixed economy

"The Norwegian economy is generally characterized as a mixed economy - a capitalist market economy with a clear component of state influence.""Norway’s economic policy is designed to stabilize and counteract unemployment and inflation, to stimulate growth and to influence the structure of industry and the distribution of income.
In 2002, the rate of unemployment was 3.9% of the workforce."

"Norway is a highly developed, industrial country with an open, export-oriented economy. Listed as one of the richest countries in the world, it has also achieved top-rankings with regard to standard of living, life expectancy, overall health and housing standards."

Education

All public education in Norway is free, up to and including upper secondary level. The standard of teaching and training in schools and workplaces has a significant impact on the development of society. An important goal of Norway’s education policy is therefore to ensure that the Norwegian education system is among the best in the world as regards academic standards and recruitment of teachers.

United States Ranking...... 8th.

There's A New Blog In New Richmond

UPDATE: Evidently the blog mentioned in this post has been dismantled. See message below:


A reader forwarded me the link to a new blog in New Richmond. The blog is called billsgottago and the address is http://www.billsgottago.com/.

Being a professional blog reviewer with no hidden agendas or ulterior motives, I can safely say this blog appears to take aim at New Richmond school board member Bill Brennan. The blogs is in its infancy. Check it out.

And now, we interrupt this post for a touching moment with Bill and Judy as they prepare for another school board meeting...

Jack Bauer: Half Pint Private Eye

Question: What's The 35th Fastest Growing County In The USA?

Answer:
St. Croix County, Wis., was ranked 35th among the 100 fastest-growing U.S. counties, according to a U.S. Census report released Monday. The ranking was based on the percentage change in housing units from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005. Housing units in St. Croix County, the only east metro county in the top 100, increased 28 percent during that period for a total of 31,140 in 2005.

Sorry OTBL Luke, your answer of the Willie threat letter was not even close.

The Original Above The Border Line

Once again the OTBL gang only wants you to hear half the truth...

Well it looks as if our little buddy Jack Bauer has enlisted a friend in his personal attack on a member of the community. Marion Shaw, 493 Countryview Rd., Hudson WI requested via a public records request the document which is linked below in the article. Please read the article and then see the rest of the truth at the bottom.
---
Douple Dipping?
by Jack Bauer @ 9:08 am

Mike Ballard, the former Principal of the New Richmond Middle School, recently quit this post to become a Principal at an elementary school in River Falls.
On July 13, the New Richmond School Board finally accepted Ballard’s resignation pending his starting the new position in River Falls.

Following a quick review of the contract signed by Mike Ballard on June 29, his start date in River Falls was July 1. We have nothing but best wishes for Mr. Ballard in his new endeavor. However, we do wonder what his last date of pay was New Richmond.

See OTBL link http://www.ontheborderline.net/files/River_Falls_Ballard_Contract_Form.jpg

Since his contractual start date in River Falls was on July 1, we would expect his end date of pay in New Richmond to be June 30. Did the New Richmond School District continue to pay him after June 30? And if so, for how many days? His annual salary in New Richmond was $85,969. Based on 240 workdays per year, this equates to approximately $358.20 per day rate.

It will be interesting to see how many days Ballard may have been paid by both the taxpayers of the New Richmond School District and the River Falls District.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this to determine if this is just yet another example of care-free spending by the New Richmond District with your tax dollars.

---

Mr Bauer & Mr. Shaw,

Mr Ballard was asked by Superintendent Vielleux to stay on until the School Board acted on his resignation. Which was scheduled for Thursday, July 13th. The reason for the request was simple: Due to the School Board making several mistakes (which Mr. Bauer you also blamed Mr. Ballard for, incorrectly may I add) it took an additional 3 months to hire a new Assistant Principal.

Transitioning in one new administrator would be hard enough, not to mention two, on top of a new Superintendent. The School District of River Falls allowed Mr Ballard to work until July 10th, with the understanding that he would be using HIS vacation time to do this. So really, as a favor to Morrie Vielleux, Mr Ballard used his personal time to help out the New Richmond School District. Now I think it should also be noted that Mr Ballard also volunteered to use an additional 2 days vacation to help any transition to the new Principal that Mike could help with.

So Jack, I have to Thank you, I read your article and was concerned, did a lot more investigative work than you obviously did and was relieved to know that once again, you and your investigative team had only done half the work necessary to get the whole story out. That my friend seems to be the trend with you and your gang. Sad but true!

Border Line

OTBL Glaciologists Meet on Disko Island























Off the OTBL wire:

Melting glaciers not a recent phenomenon.
Filed under: General --- Chris @ 10:48 pm
__________________________________________________

Greenland’s glaciers have been shrinking for the past century, according to a Danish study, suggesting that the ice melt is not a recent phenomenon caused by global warming.

Danish researchers from Aarhus University studied glaciers on Disko island, in western Greenland in the Atlantic, from the end of the 19th century until the present day.

“This study, which covers 247 of 350 glaciers on Disko, is the most comprehensive ever conducted on the movements of Greenland’s glaciers,” glaciologist Jacob Clement Yde, who carried out the study with Niels Tvis Knudsen, told AFP.

Hudson - From the OTBL Perspective




8/21/2006

Quench Your Conspiracy Thirst!!!

Have You Seen The Light Of Unalienable Cola?




A current post at ontheborderline.net by Chris the Admin says they have seen the word unalienable many times on the OTBL blog. It exists in the second paragraph of the United States Declaration of Independence.

We are often confronted with extremely serious OTBL quotes like this one currently posted by the OTBL admin Chris:

"But what does it mean? The concept of Man’s rights being unalienable is based solely upon the belief of their Divine origin. Without this belief, there is no moral basis for any claim that they are unalienable or for any claim to the great benefits flowing from this concept. Man has no power to alienate–to dispose of, by surrender, barter or gift any of his God-given rights. This is the meaning of “unalienable.”"

And the OTBL'ers base much of their worldview and ideas of reality from the fictional characters of Ayn Rand's novels who are atheists. I repeat, the words of fictional characters who are atheists.

Of course, our neighbors over at OTBL pick and choose what helps support their philosophy of individual selfishness. Contemplate who the words of Ayn Rand square with the "God-given" quote above:

"They claim that they perceive a mode of being superior to your existence on this earth. The mystics of spirit call it 'another dimension,' which consists of denying dimensions. The mystics of muscle call it 'the future,' which consists of denying the present. To exist is to possess identity. What identity are they able to give to their superior realm? They keep telling you what it is not, but never tell you what it is. All their identifications consist of negating: God is that which no human mind can know, they say—and proceed to demand that you consider it knowledge—God is non-man, heaven is non-earth, soul is non-body, virtue is non-profit, A is non-A, perception is non-sensory, knowledge is non-reason. Their definitions are not acts of defining, but of wiping out."
Ayn Rand,
Atlas Shrugged
---
Well of course, Ayn is writing a book of fiction. Surely she's not suggesting there is no God! That she is an atheist!!!

"I am an intransigent atheist, but not a militant one. This means that I am an uncompromising advocate of reason and that I am fighting for reason, not against religion. I must also mention that I do respect religion in its philosophical aspects, in the sense that it represents an early form of philosophy."

Ayn Rand
Letters of Ayn Rand
March 20, 1965
---

OTBL admin Chris loves to do these hard hitting posts. He's the no-compromiser who believes there is no middle ground. In fact, in a post has has rerun a couple of times he says this:

"Go along to get along. Find the common ground. The world is not black and white, it is gray. Compromise. Be moderate. We have heard all these phrases before. Well I think a moderate is nothing more than someone who does not understand or is too afraid to stand up for what they believe in. So how do we find middle ground? We can’t."

In the same post, Chris the OTBL admin adds:

"You believe that it is OK for someone to kill their baby anytime before it is born. I believe that this should only occur under extenuating circumstances."

Chris seems to be waffling a bit on the "extenuating circumstances" phrase. It actually shows there's a step toward middle ground.

But alas, as an admitted sheep in Ayn Rand's flock, I truly wonder what Chris would say to his beloved Ayn Rand if she were to come out of the grave and post this on his blog:

"An embryo has no rights. Rights do not pertain to a potential, only to an actual being. A child cannot acquire any rights until it is born. The living take precedence over the not-yet-living (or the unborn).

"Abortion is a moral right—which should be left to the sole discretion of the woman involved; morally, nothing other than her wish in the matter is to be considered. Who can conceivably have the right to dictate to her what disposition she is to make of the functions of her own body?"

Ayn Rand
"Of Living Death"
The Objectivist
October 1968
---
The beautiful thing about hypocrisy, is that it allows us the ability to talk out of both sides of our philosophical mouths.

The Milk of Conspiracy:

Following Steven Milloy & Junkscience


Steven Milloy is the junkscience guy. Below are recent examples of his work. His funding comes primarily from corporate America.

'False Alarm' Issued: New Report Examines 35 Years of Food Scares Promoted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest

The soda jerks

PETA: Sacrifice Human Life, Not Animals, in Stem Cell Research
---
For a little balance and a discussion on the subject of junkscience, here's an interesting link:

GREENWASH: Perspectives on right-wing and libertarian think-tanks, free-market and common-sense environmentalists, and their corporate sponsors

Quote of the Day

"Whether or not corporations are evading taxes does not really matter. In the end individuals still pay the taxes one way or another. Corporations are not going to cut into their profit to pay for taxes. They just raise the price of whatever they are peddling." -Cato


Cato is right to an extent. American Taxpayers do end up paying for it. But the problem is EVERY taxpayer pays more, and more taxes have to be paid than the corporations would have paid anyway.

For context, See the discussion here

Click Here For: Global Warming: The Hottest Hoax Around!

8/20/2006

News You Won't Read @ ontheborderline.net


Hudson enrollment may exceed projections
Meg Heaton
Hudson Star-Observer
Published Thursday, August 17, 2006

While there are still a few weeks before the first day of school, it appears that enrollment in Hudson schools will exceed projections.

Superintendent Mary Bowen-Eggebraaten made the report to the school board. She stressed that the numbers were preliminary and would likely change before the beginning of the school year on Sept. 5. She said the district is not always notified when students move out of the district and doesn’t find out until after school starts.

Read more@ Hudson Star Observer.

Don't Like The Findings Of Actual Scientists Doing Actual Scientific Research?

Hire Steven Milloy
-- FOXNEWS "science" commentator and paid corporate shill

Once again the environmental ostriches over at OTBL are posting the corporate propaganda of their favorite scientist Steven Milloy. It amazes me that he is the only scientist they ever post anything on. Amazingly enough, he gets paid large sums of money from Exxon to do scientific research -- from his home,

Below is an interesting article that discusses some of the reasons Milloy and other "journalists" spout the half-truths that help support the misinformation needed to confuse the public above health and the environment. God forbid we try to tamper with free-market capitalism by working to clear water, fresh air and a sustainable environmental balance.
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PUNDIT FOR HIRE.
Smoked Out
by Paul D. Thacker

n his final column of the year, FoxNews.com science columnist Steven Milloy listed "the top 10 junk science claims of 2005." For number nine, Milloy attacked the research of Michael Mann, a Penn State scientist who, in 1999, published research showing a dramatic rise in global temperatures during the twentieth century, after hundreds of years with little climate change. Calling Mann's science "dubious," Milloy praised Representative Joe Barton of Texas, whose calls for an investigation into Mann's methodology last June were cut short when the scientific community and members of Congress protested it as a witch hunt. Representative Sherwood Boehlert, the chairman of the House Committee on Science, wrote to Barton, "The only conceivable explanation for the investigation is to attempt to intimidate a prominent scientist and to have Congress put its thumbs on the scales of a scientific debate."

Another conceivable explanation for the investigation is that Barton, as chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, is swimming in donations from oil companies. But that probably didn't bother Milloy, because he receives his own sponsorship from ExxonMobil. As revealed in Mother Jones last spring, between 2000 and 2003, ExxonMobil donated $90,000 to two nonprofits Milloy operates out of his house in Potomac, Maryland. Milloy's defense of Barton--and excoriation of Mann--is typical of his corporate-subsidized science reporting, in which he has attacked not only global warming, but also secondhand smoke studies and clean air regulations.

Over the past year, there have been several instances of political columnists shilling for the Bush administration. In January 2005, Tribune Media Services booted Armstrong Williams after discovering he had taken a government contract to write columns favorable to Bush's No Child Left Behind Act. And, in December, Copley News Service dropped Doug Bandow after discovering that he was taking money from Jack Abramoff to write columns favorable to the Republican lobbyist's clients. But the trend in paid-for-punditry seems to have spread to the world of science journalism as well. Earlier this month, BusinessWeek Online reported that, in 1999, Scripps Howard columnist Michael Fumento received $60,000 from Monsanto, one of the biotech companies he later covered in his columns, to help pay his salary at the Hudson Institute and to cover some of the overhead of his book BioEvolution. Fumento had not disclosed the Monsanto money to Scripps Howard.

Read more@ New Republic Online.

More explanation of where the money comes from to fund the propaganda of the likes of Milloy and others:

From Mother Jones:
Climate of Denial by Bill McKibben
As The Wrold Burns by Chris Mooney

Rachel Carson and the Birth of Corporate Junk Science

"...she was vilified as a nature-mystic, a Communist, and a person threatening the world with hunger. Her work was satirized and "scientific articles" were written to counter her claims. It was one of the first examples of "junk-science" being used against science."

Dr. Rachel Carson was a scientist whose book, Silent Spring, became the means by which the American public first found out that pesticides killed other species in addition to "pests." The title of her book indicates what would happen if pesticide use were not regulated: a spring without birds. She wrote eloquently, yet as a scientist—presenting data and extrapolating what would happen if the trends persisted. The pesticide industry tried to halt publication of the book, and after it was published, she was vilified as a nature-mystic, a Communist, and a person threatening the world with hunger. Her work was satirized and "scientific articles" were written to counter her claims. It was one of the first examples of "junk-science" being used against science.

Read more on Rachel Carson and the ban on DDT.

Big Tobacco firms found guilty of conspiracy, racketeering

Gee more government interference with the free-market and laisse-faire capitlaist ability to kill people for a better profit margin. Maybe Big Tobacco should have hired a "scientist" like Steven Milloy to convince the public about the facts on smoking?
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Last Thursday a federal judge found Big Tobacco firms guilty of civil fraud and racketeering, but failed to impose harsh sanctions against the companies in the suit, citing a restrictive appeals court ruling.

U.S. District Judge Gladys E. Kessler said the government's seven-year case against Big Tobacco proved cigarette makers had participated in a decades-long conspiracy to deceive the public about the dangers of smoking for the sake of turning a larger profit. Kessler had harsh words for the tobacco industry in her nearly 1,700 page ruling, but said a federal appeals court ruling on the damages sought by the government "unfortunately" did not allow her to impose multibillion-dollar sanctions against the industry.

Read more@ News Target.com