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De Omnibus Dubitandum - Lux Veritas

Sunday, October 30, 2011

I Have a Lot of Why Questions!

By Rich Kozlovich

I often have “why” questions. I have always loved reading history, as a result I have often asked; “why did they do that?” History isn’t just about dates, events and places. History is about people and why they do what they do. It is about human psychology, human wants, needs and desires. It is about human flaws in action and thinking. That is the beauty and wisdom of history. It is the fruition of the actions of millions of people over the course of thousands of years, and that fruit of wisdom is ours for the plucking.

As you grow older and really delve deeply into the history of the world you find that real history goes way beyond what must be considered the blatant propaganda taught in the lower schools. Perfectly understandable propaganda mind you….after all…most countries don’t want their children to learn about the unpleasant things that are a part of their heritage until they have learned the good things, the honorable things, the things that make it possible for a society to become whole, especially one such as ours; a diverse society which became the only truly successful melting pot of cultures in the world. Something that was truly alien in almost every other country in the world, and to a large extent still is.

The big difference, and the beauty of our culture versus the rest of the world is that we have access to the damning information about America; the kind of information completely hidden from citizens of other cultures about their cultures. We have the opportunity to see all of our warts and scars, repent of them, fix them, and become all the better for it as a society, even if it is in our own personal way. We can’t fix our flaws if we can’t see them. It is still very difficult to get information of the Rape of Nanking in Japan, which has been referred to as the forgotten holocaust of WWII. We don't hear much about it here either because the left controls the schools now and they subscribe to the idea that the only evil ever done in the world was done by Americans. So then, why was America so successful merging so many diverse cultures?

Because those who came here all wanted to add to the American culture; not change it into the very thing they fled. My great grandparents and grandparents came from Serbia. They came here to become Americans who just happened to be Serbian. They did not come here to be Serbians who happened to live in America. The other side of my family is Croatian. So I am half Serbian and half Croatian. I tell people jokingly that I have been fighting with myself my whole life. Why? Because war and violence between them went on for centuries. Yet, that age old problem that went on for hundreds of years was solved in less than one generation here.

I also have a contingent of Italian family members and a third cousin who is half Filipino and others who are Hispanic. Only in America! But only because we all shared a common vision as to how the world should work, and how we should conduct ourselves. My great grandparents and grandparents learned to speak, read and write English so that their children and grandchildren wouldn’t have to pay the penalty they were paying. A penalty they were happy to pay I might add, because they knew it was a penalty worth paying.

It wasn’t easy as it is today. My great grandparents didn’t know that my grandmother had to go to school until she was old enough to be in the third grade, which is where they started her. She didn’t speak a word of English. The teacher couldn’t understand her and decided that her name was “Annie”. My grandmother was 90 when she died and there were people who still knew her as Annie. She was never offended. It just wasn’t that important to her compared to the benefits she received for she and her family by just being here.

She learned English - speaking, reading and writing. I don’t have a lot of compassion for the whines of the lefties over this. The result? One of her children became the president of a United Auto Workers local. Another became an engineer working for a major airplane manufacturer with forty engineers working for him, and he never finished high school. Another became a successful small business owner. Many of the grandchildren of these immigrants became business owners. 

These immigrants were on the lowest rung on the social ladder in their homelands, but they were the best that Europe had to offer. Smart, tough, hardworking, religious, self-sacrificing and family oriented. Those are the base components of a stable society and when any one of them is missing the whole structure erodes; slowly perhaps, but the downward spiral is unmistakable. The sad thing about grandparents is that they die before you are old enough to fully appreciate what great people they truly were.

Today we see people who are descendants of those immigrants who have lived in the best culture the world has ever known and yet hate that culture. They rant unendingly against its perceived inequities, screaming for social and environmental justice. Demanding that everyone should live at exactly the same life style as everyone else…irrespective or what they are willing to work for. In spite of the fact that American capitalism raised more people out of misery, squalor and suffering than any other system the world has ever known.

Socialism exists primarily in its communist and fascist forms. Fascism as a leftist movement became defined (mostly by Mussolini) in the early 20th century as the right wing of socialism and communism as the left wing, but they are both totalitarian. Both subscribe to the philosophy of the “19th century German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel”, who was the “most influential philosopher of the Left -- inspiring Karl Marx, the American "Progressives" of the early 20th century and university socialists to this day” that;
"All the worth which the human being possesses, all spiritual reality, he possesses only through the State."
Those socialist and “progressive states” that have taken on the mantel of Godhood has brought nothing but death, destruction, starvation, mass murder, misery and suffering at a level that is unparallel in human history. Dystopia is the true child of socialism. Why then to do so many in the western world embrace and praise those who practice this demented philosophy?

For some reason they hate America, which means they hate Americans who practice and believe in American exceptionalism and capitalism. But that leaves them in a quandary. The normal functioning of the human mind is to be judgmental, how else can you determine what is true and false. What works and what doesn’t work. What information to discard and what information to embrace. Therefore, their minds force them to look for alternatives. Alternatives they absolutely believe in ---alternatives they are allowed to believe in because they are living here that is! Here, where they don’t have to face the consequences of their passion for alternative lives or government. Here, where they can believe any idiotic thing they wish to believe without being persecuted. Yet they hate the system that permits their actions....largely without penalty. I have to wonder if they are sane!

A former Muslim man in Afghanistan was going to be executed because he converted to Christianity and refused to give up the convictions of his conscience; to give up his faith. This is from a society that preaches and demands the destruction of anyone who disagrees with them, including those who share the same faith with some differences, as in the Sunni and Shiite sects. Yet these lefties embrace and excuse them as if they are allies…allies who only have one thing in common…..their hatred of Americans and American capitalism and American tolerance! Why? Do they really believe that if Sharia was imposed they would be allowed to practice their political philosophy and personal moral passions as they do now? They would be among the first to be killed! When I read their views on this I wonder if they are sane.

A number of years ago there were demonstrations against some world economic summit (I think it was in Seattle, there have been so many I can’t remember for sure) and the policies being outlined there. One National Public Radio interviewer (Yes...I actually listened to NPR) asked a young woman demonstrator what they were against and why. She made her case and then the interviewer asked her, “What alternatives do you offer”? She very confidently and smugly stated that “great minds” were working on this. Remember, this is NPR so I was amazed at his next question. “So then, you have no alternatives?” She wasn’t so smug at this point, but fell back on to her “great minds” claptrap.

The greenies and the lefties are all part of the same package. There is a reason greenies are called watermelons. The lefties embrace economic concepts that have been shown to be so seriously flawed that no matter how many times they are tried they fail. The eschew concepts that no matter how many times they are tried they succeed. They rant, rave, demonstrate, destroy property, and attack people (physically and personally) while claiming to be paragons of compassion. They scream disruptively, and throw pies in the faces of speakers in an attempt to silence their views, while claiming to be the ultimate defenders of free speech. They illegally occupy public places without permission or compensation. They leave violence and filth behind. While screaming that they have rights they completely ignore the legitimate rights of others. They embrace extremist and murderous dictators while decrying ever action taken to defend the innocent here. Why? Is it unreasonable to wonder if they are sane?

The greenies rant, rave, demonstrate, destroy property, and attack people (physically and personally) while claiming to be defenders of the Earth and its inhabitants. They embrace anti-pesticide, anti-development, anti-modern agricultural policies that have been shown to be destructive to the health and well being of societies. They demand that chlorine be taken out of our water in spite of the fact that when they got South American countries to do so, hundreds died and tens of thousands became sickened. Yet they claim that they are doing it “for the children”. They embrace energy concepts that have failed over and over again in the past. Furthermore eventually they turn against any of the alternatives to so-called fossil fuels they support. Why? Because they cannot be pleased! The concepts of the green movement are based on leftist anger, jealousy and hate. Without hate they cannot exist. Happy people cannot be haters and haters cannot be happy. As a result there is nothing you do that will ever satisfy them. Is it unreasonable to wonder if they are sane?

Other than their hatred, what are the primary things they have in common? Neither has an affinity for the truth. Neither has any real compassion for humanity. Neither have any solutions that work. The reality is that they are really great at finding fault, but their failure and incompetence at finding solutions is legendary.

Today I read an article about a Lutheran church that is having an event of "guided meditations" "by a high priestess of the pagan fertility goddess Isis." They refer to this as the "fifth annual Faith and Feminism Conference" hosted by the "Ebenezer Lutheran Church in San Francisco, which bills itself as "herchurch." The article goes on to say, "Among the scheduled participants is Loreon Vigne, high priestess of Isis Oasis – a temple, retreat and animal sanctuary Vigne founded in 1978 in Geyserville, Calif. "I personally see Isis as Mother Nature," Vigne says, "and that she encompasses everything with her wings. She's a winged goddess. She encompasses any other goddess from any culture."

You know.....you just can't make this stuff up. It is one thing when concern about the environment turns into a pseudo-pagan secular religion, and another thing when the media, the universities and government agencies are complicit with this. After all, the kind of Druidic paganism that environmentalism has become has been very subtle. But what is wrong with the minds of those in their own churches (especially their leaders) who adopt this stuff right out in the open?

One the things that the founding fathers never considered was the idea that this nation would be based on anything except Judaic/Christian principles. It was obvious to them that Christian thought was so far superior to everything else that no one would even consider anything else. Boy, were they wrong! In ancient Israel the Jews adopted local pagan religions practices and pagan gods on an ongoing basis over the centuries. The priests even had pagan images right in the Temple at one point. I used to wonder how such a thing could occur; after all they did have a permanent priesthood that was supposed to have all the knowledge necessary to stand against such actions. It turns out they were the parties most guilty of these actions. They didn't do this all by themselves either. Between the ruling classes and their society as a whole, this is what people wanted and they went along with and found "reasons" to justify it. I have no doubt that every argument that is heard today about inclusion was used then. There is nothing new under that sun and apparently there is no level of gullibility that is too great for humanity to swallow. Going along to get along requires a degree of gullibility. Gullibility is a first cousin to stupid and you can't fix stupid!

How did our culture come to this. Why as a society do we listen to these people? As a society I then have to ask; is it unreasonable to wonder if we are sane?


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Saturday, October 29, 2011

American Council on Science and Health, 2011: Week 43


The presence of linked articles here are merely a way of showing what is going on, whether I agree or disagree with the positions presented. Rich Kozlovich

Gel is swell against both HIV and herpes
A vaginal gel designed to reduce HIV infection may provide a surprisingly effective protection from genital herpes infection as well, reports a recent study published in Cell Host and Microbe.

More women getting genital growths — but why?
In a disconcerting trend, there has been an increase in the number of women experiencing precancerous growths on the genitals.

Doctors should advise patients about vaccines — not vice-versa
As surprising as it is that many parents in the United States still have doubts about vaccines, despite the overwhelming evidence of their efficacy and safety, a recent survey of doctors has discovered a frightening trend: It's not only parents who hold mistaken beliefs about vaccines; it's their doctors, too - especially the younger ones.

Grounds for optimism in new MS drug trial
In the midst of the usual scientific lingo and jargon, scientists heard a "wow" following a report of a new treatment possibility for multiple sclerosis.

Field testing the organic industry’s claims
Is there any substance to pro-organic activists who damn the conventional use of pesticides but condone the lax inspection standards for high priced organic crops? Mischa Popoff says he's observed this disconnect first-hand. Popoff, a former organic farm and processing inspector, left his position out of frustration with the absence of effective enforcement of field testing standards for the organic industry. In this opinion piece, he discusses what's wrong with the current methods and

Fuzzy (and fizzy) thinking about soda
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley took up his "Pouring on the Pounds" campaign once again yesterday to coincide with the nation's first Food Day, which its organizers purport promotes healthy food and eating habits.

Choose your weapon: Coke or Pepsi? A soda study with a lot of gas
We've previously read some claims that soda consumption is tied to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, but we've yet to hear one this ridiculous: Drinking lots of soda may increase the risk of violent behavior among teenagers.

Another anti-BPA “study”
Anti-bisphenol A (BPA) crusaders continue their march, charging that the plastic additive is responsible for a slew of adverse health effects.

One egg, now over easy
Good news for women considering in vitro fertilization (IVF): Improved technology has increased the likelihood that they'll give birth to a healthy singleton - from just one implanted embryo - instead of having to navigate the health risks associated with multiple births.

HPV vaccine: Not just for girls
We were pleased to hear that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended routine vaccination for pre-teen boys against the human papillomavirus (HPV).

New findings in HPV research
While there's a well established link between HPV and cervical, genital, anal, and pharyngeal cancer, Dr. Kenichi Fujise, a cardiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, has found that women infected with the virus also have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

A sobering surprise: Regular mammography saves few lives
Very few women whose breast cancer was detected by routine mammography have actually had their lives saved by the screening, conclude the authors of a study just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The reality of rotavirus
A CDC report just published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases has updated the estimated number of deaths worldwide that are attributable to rotavirus-related diarrhea in children younger than five years.

X the X-ray for lung cancer detection
Although the premise may seem logical - screen people routinely for lung cancer in order to treat it early - regular chest X-rays do not in any way reduce lung cancer mortality, a recent report in JAMA confirms.

Have a heart, FDA: Let the recycling of pacemakers proceed
Used pacemakers may be a safe option for poor patients in developing countries, a new study suggests.
http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsID.3119/news_detail.asp

We are not a fan of the tan
If there is anyone who still isn't convinced that tanning beds significantly increase a person's risk of skin cancer, a recent study provides even more conclusive evidence.

No wonder you can’t keep weight off — your hormones have other ideas
It turns out that losing weight and keeping it off is not only a question of willpower.

A positive review of how to fight the assault on science in America
Perhaps the most important point of Shawn Lawrence Otto's Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America is that the voting public can, in fact, take up arms against politicians who would sway their constituents with sheerly rhetorical claims about public policy decisions that should be based instead on the relevant science.

Too many unfilled prescriptions reveal a troubling trend
When it comes to filling prescriptions for new medications, a new study finds that about one in four of us never actually complete the task.

The wrong approach to looking for nuclear problems
Rewind to 1991, when a National Cancer Institute study concluded that there was no danger in living near nuclear power plants.

Aspirin chemoprevention works for those with genetic colon cancer
People suffering from Lynch Syndrome, a genetic disease carried by about one in every 1000 people, have at least a 10-fold increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC), compared to the general population.

If there is a health scare today, the American Council on Science and Health will most likely have the answer by tomorrow; and for members it will appear in your e-mail. No effort on your part, except to read the answer. All that the ACSH is interested in are the facts and they are prepared to follow them wherever they lead. Who can ask for more?  Please Donate Now!

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Friday, October 28, 2011

Stuff You Didn't See on the News

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"Some ideas seem so plausible that they can fail nine times in a row and still be believed the tenth time. Other ideas seem so implausible that they can succeed nine times in a row and still not be believed the tenth time. Government controls in the economy are among the first kinds of ideas and the operation of a free market is among the second kinds of ideas." Thomas Sowell 2005

I would like to draw your attention to a new site (at least new to me) that is part of Townhall.com. It is called Political Calculations and this site is devoted to assessing financial issues; what is true, false and misleading. I recommend going down through the archive. Good stuff there!   Here are the last two articles posted following the same story.

The Real Story Behind "Rising" U.S. Income Inequality
Why is income inequality rising for U.S. families and households, but not for individual Americans? Having now shown that there has been absolutely no significant change in

The Shocking Trend In U.S. Individual Income Inequality 1994-2010
Perhaps the most common measure of income inequality in a nation is the Gini Coefficient (aka the "Gini Ratio"), which ranks the amount of inequality there is in a country on a scale from 0, which represents perfect equality, where everyone would have an equal share of the nation's income, to a value of 1, which represents perfect inequality, where one person would have all the income, but everyone else has none.

FL: Court halts drug testing for welfare recipients
"A federal judge in Orlando on Monday temporarily blocked Florida’s controversial law requiring welfare applicants be drug tested in order to receive benefits. Judge Mary Scriven issued a temporary injunction against the state, writing in a 37-page order that the law could violate the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment ban on illegal search and seizure." ….. ACLU attorney Maria Kayanan said she was thrilled with Scriven’s order, though she suspects the state will appeal. …….The ACLU says Florida was the first to enact such a law since Michigan tried more than a decade ago. Michigan’s random drug testing program for welfare recipients lasted five weeks in 1999 before it was halted by a judge, kicking off a four-year legal battle that ended with an appeals court ruling the law unconstitutional.

Hitler can happen here, and so can Stalin
When dictatorship comes to America it won't come from left or right, it will come from both, together, as a welfare/warfare corporatist state. We already have most of it in place. We have a financially ruinous social welfare state, created by the collectivist left. The right curses it even while extending it (No Child Left Behind, Medicare Part D prescription entitlement). We have a financially ruinous warfare state, created by the neocon right. The Left curses it even while extending it (Pakistan, Yemen, Iran any day now). And we do have a burgeoning secret police. Under the laughably oxymoronic "Patriot" Act, any of us can be disappeared at any time for any reason. What difference if it's called Gestapo or Stasi or Homeland Security? There's a reason why libertarians say there's little difference between left and right.

Modern algorithms crack 18th-century secret code
Statistical translation technique exposes rituals, political leanings of group obsessed with eyeballs.

My Take - I just stuck this in because I thought it was fascinating, especially since there are more texts to be translated that have baffled translators and cryptologists for a long time. However, I also had another motive. It does show that the final testing ground for everything is time. The question we have to ask ourselves about our actions and views is this; how will we stand the test of time? Many years ago I had an e-mail debate with an internationally prominent pest controller (who styles himself as “a world problem solver”, whose views are coming under attack) who asked me what future generations would think of my views? The reality is that those who jump on the latest philosophical flavor of the day are bound to be wrong more times than not! Why? Because the latest philosophical flavor of the day usually is an attack on traditional values. You know; the stuff that has worked for centuries. Time has a tendency to separate that which is factual versus that which is ….well…. stupid! At some point we will either be fools or heroes because of the stand we take today. That is a test that I am willing to face!

The Real Luddites
Have you noticed that any person who exhibits any skepticism about global warming alarmism will, sooner or later, be called a Luddite?

“Are you a Luddite, a troglodyte? Are you a part of ‘The Planet of the Apes’ that doesn’t want science? Where would you place yourself in this argument?” newscaster and anti-simian Chris Matthews “asked” a congressman a few years back. “Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann and the rest of the neo-Luddites who are turning the GOP into the anti-science party should pay attention,” warned columnist Eugene Robinson in The Washington Post this week. And so on and so forth. The Luddites, as you all know, were a 19th-century social movement that protested, often by violent means, the encroachment of the Industrial Revolution on their lives, fearing that it would leave them without their jobs and destroy their communities. But Luddites weren’t challenging the veracity of some scientific theory; they just weren’t crazy about the options progress offered them.

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

What Do They Think? Really!

By Rich Kozlovich

There are two issues that caused the current financial crisis. The collapes of the housing market and ....green! The housing market collapse was as a direct result of Jimmy Carter's Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Greed by bankers and investors played a major role in this financial mess, but none of that could have happened without the CRA and the federal government approving the whole ugly mess. But that is only money. Green is far more than mere money. Green impacts the economy in more ways than investments ever will. Green is an insidious psuedo-pagan religious philosophy that eats away the entrails of the capitalist system. So I marvel at the positions some people take on what I consider to be a base issue of ultimate importance. Environmentalism! There is a difference between concern for the environment and environmentalism. One is normal and the other is insanity.

I have taken the liberty of organizing a few articles that outline their positions now, the position yesterday, their positions in the past, and who knows what their postions may be tomorrow. I just can't believe how people can use so many words to say nothing. Actually there is an informal logical fallacy that expains this. It is called the "if-by-whiskey fallacy". "An if-by-whiskey argument implemented through doublespeak appears to affirm both sides of an issue, and agrees with whichever side the listener supports, in effect, taking a position without taking a position. A similar idiom is "all things to all people", which is often used as a negative term in politics." It goes like this;
My friends, I had not intended to discuss this controversial subject at this particular time. However, I want you to know that I do not shun controversy. On the contrary, I will take a stand on any issue at any time, regardless of how fraught with controversy it might be. You have asked me how I feel about whiskey. All right, here is how I feel about whiskey:

If when you say whiskey you mean the devil's brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster, that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea, literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children; if you mean the evil drink that topples the Christian man and woman from the pinnacle of righteous, gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation, and despair, and shame and helplessness, and hopelessness, then certainly I am against it.

But, if when you say whiskey you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and laughter on their lips, and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean Christmas cheer; if you mean the stimulating drink that puts the spring in the old gentleman's step on a frosty, crispy morning; if you mean the drink which enables a man to magnify his joy, and his happiness, and to forget, if only for a little while, life's great tragedies, and heartaches, and sorrows; if you mean that drink, the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of dollars, which are used to provide tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitiful aged and infirm; to build highways and hospitals and schools, then certainly I am for it.

This is my stand. I will not retreat from it. I will not compromise.
At any rate, I thought it might be useful to explore this issue. You will notice that there are many more links on Romney than the others and there is a reason for that. He is like a rubber ball on this issue; he bounces everywhere; therefore there are so many more articles dealing with him. Some of the others postions on environmentalism could be outlined in one article with two paragraphs and that would be all you would need to know their stand. That isn't typical! They are listed alphabetically and I hope chronologically. Also some of the articles linked are from green sites so be prepared.

Michele Bachmann; Herman Cain; Newt Gingrich; Ron Paul; Rick Perry; Rick Santorum.
Republican candidates (most of them anyway) unloaded on the EPA and green policies at an Iowa event over the weekend.

Michele Bachmann's environmental record
The latest Republican to seek the presidency has a clear environmental record.

Herman Cain on Environment and Energy Herman Cain is a conservative Republican candidate running to be president of the United States. AAEA will be covering the environmental and energy positions of all of the presidential candidates. AAEA stands ready to provide information on energy and environmental issues whenever Mr. Cain contacts us. He has established a Presidential Exploratory Committee. On energy, he advocates maximizing use of America's natural resources and pursuing renewable fuel

Herman Cain - Energy and the Environment
Herman Cain is a strong supporter of utilizing all available energy sources. He supports wind, solar, and nuclear energy. Mr. Cain also supports expanded drilling in all areas, including offshore and in ANWR. Mr Cain does not believe in man-made global warming. He has stated that there has been no proven that global warming is a crisis. He opposed the cap-and-trade legislation, calling it nothing more that a tax scheme.

Environment, Energy Policies for Herman Cain Based on Private Sector
Republican candidate Herman Cain's policy on energy and the environment shares a similar theme as his views on other policy issues. Primarily, less government and more private sector is the way to achieve energy independence. In the spirit of smaller government, Cain has not had much of a stance on environmental issues, other than how particular legislation is burdensome on the economy and consumers.

Ron Paul's environmental record
Ron Paul has been a vocal figure in American politics since 1977, and he has developed a lengthy record on energy and environmental policy.

Rick Perry makes a good energy plan sound bad
The biggest problem with the energy plan that Rick Perry released recently is Rick Perry himself. Like a desperate used-car salesman, he is making such outlandish claims for it that his customers might walk out before taking a good look. That, however, would be a pity, because the plan is actually better than any proposed by any president in recent memory.

Perry slashed environmental enforcement in Texas
Gov. Rick Perry likes to say the best way to promote economic growth is to reduce regulation. When it comes to the environment, Perry has made Texas one of the most industry-friendly states in the nation. Perry has cut funding for clean air programs and sued the Environmental Protection Agency to avoid enforcing laws to make the air cleaner. As part of his Republican presidential campaign, he routinely blasts the White House for tightening environmental standards.

Romney hit for hypocrisy on green energy venture capitalism
It took less time than we thought.

Romney: We need an environment for jobs
A good op-ed title that isn’t followed by thoughts worthy of it.

Obama EPA air chief was Romney’s ‘green quarterback’
“Mitt Romney remains silent as Gina McCarthy, his “green quarterback” during his days in the Massachusetts Governor’s Mansion, steers President Barack Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency toward new regulations on energy,” reports Matthew Boyle.

IBD: Romney advised by Obama science czar
“The GOP front-runner for 2012 sought advice on global warming and carbon emissions from the president’s current science czar — an advocate of de-developing America and population control.”

Romney vague, confused on environment, EPA
Why is it that Republicans can’t seem to wrap their brains around their tongues when it comes to the environment?

Romney and Obama: Carbon Copies
Check out the new Rick Perry ad which includes an audio clip and photo of Mitt Romney saying about a Massachusetts coal plant, “I will not create jobs or hold jobs that kill people, and that plant, that plant kills people.”

Romney in 2003: Coal plant ‘kills people’
If you had a problem with RomneyCare, check out Romney’s previous comments on coal.

Gingrich Explains Why He Did Global Warming Ad With Pelosi
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich recently did a global warming ad with Nancy Pelosi that was sponsored by Nobel Laureate Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection (embedded right). Obviously, he has taken a lot of heat -- no pun intended -- from conservatives for not only staking out a seemingly unconservative position on this controversial issue, but doing so in such a high-profile way with the likes of Pelosi and Gore.

Gingrich’s Great Global Warming Flip-Flop: From Cap-And-Trade To Drill-Baby-Drill
Newt Gingrich really doesn’t like it when Barack Obama takes his advice. It’s not just true of intervention with Libya — it’s also the case with fighting global warming pollution. In short, Newt was for carbon cap and trade, until Obama became president:

Gingrich Campaign Spin on Global Warming PSA with Nancy Pelosi: It Wasn’t a Love-Fest, it Was a Debate
This week Newt Gingrich formally announced he’s running for president in 2012. However, when it comes to getting the conservative base on board, the campaign’s spin on his much talked about 2008 PSA with Nancy Pelosi will — not unlike trying to get Al Gore off the ground in an ultralight — never fly.

Newt Gingrich: Abolish the EPA
Appearing in the key presidential campaign state of Iowa, potential Republican candidate Newt Gingrich called for the abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Newt Gingrich's environmental scorecard
Newt Gingrich may be controversial, but he's also outspoken. (So at least you know where he stands.)

Rick Santorum's environmental record
The Pennsylvania Republican is a solid pick for social conservatives, but what are his views when it comes to environmental policy?

And finally……I thought you just may be interested…..

Condoleeza Rice laments Bush rejection of Kyoto
But rejecting Kyoto was one of the few things W. did right.

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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Logical Fallacy of the Week, Week 14: Illicit Major

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Illicit major  is a logical fallacy committed in a categorical syllogism that is invalid because its major term is undistributed in the major premise but distributed in the conclusion.

This fallacy has the following argument form:

1.All A are B
2.No C are A
3.Therefore, no C are B
Example:

1.All dogs are mammals
2.No cats are dogs
3.Therefore, no cats are mammals
In this argument, the major term is "mammals". This is distributed in the conclusion (the last statement) because we are making a claim about a property of all mammals: that they are not cats. However, it is not distributed in the major premise (the first statement) where we are only talking about a property of some mammals: Only some mammals are dogs.

The error is in assuming that the converse of the first statement (that all mammals are dogs) is also true.

However, an argument in the following form differs from the above, and is valid:

1.All A are B
2.No B are C
3.Therefore, no C are A

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With Our Own Values They Destroy Us: Part X

By Rich Kozlovich

The government can't create resources. It redistributes them. For everyone who is given something, there is someone who has that something taken away. - Arthur Laffer, Wall Street Journal, 8 July, 2010


This should all be considered a part of the Green and Problems of Democracy series.

Green and Problems of Democracy
Green and Problems of Democracy, Part I
Green and Problems of Democracy: Part II
Green and Problems of Democrcy, Part III
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us.
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us, Part II
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us, Part III
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us, Part III
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us; Part IV
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us; Part V
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us: Part VI
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us: Part VII
With Our Own Values They Desroy Us: Part VIII
With Our Own Values They Desroy Us: Part IX


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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Grande Dame of Ohio Pest Control Passes


Bettie truly was "Le Grande Dame" of Ohio pest control.

In 1937 there were eight pest control companies listed in the Akron area yellow pages. Three of those original eight are still listed — Terminix, Master Exterminating and T-N-T Exterminating. The years have changed the pest control landscape, but there was the one constant among Summit County pest controllers; Bettie Portwood, who was also the first and only lady President of the Ohio Pest Management Association!

In 1962 Bettie and Norman Portwood, who were the owners of T-N-T Exterminating at the time, met with Akron City Health officials with the goal of forming a local professional pest control association. The Summit County Pest Control Association was born with 18 members, including Dick Schroeder of Southern Mill Creek Products. Those eighteen companies represented over three quarters of the 23 companies listed in the Yellow Pages at this time. Along with their regular meetings they would meet once a year with the Cleveland Pest Control Association with as many as one hundred people attending.

Bettie served as the Summit County Pest Control Association’s first Secretary/Treasurer. Actually, the only Secretary/Treasurer the SCPCA ever had until Denise Anderson of A-Best Pest Control became Bettie’s assistant. She served the Summit County Pest Control Association faithfully in this capacity for 44 years. She announced on February 15, 2007 that this would be the last two-year term she would serve ending with the new elections.  This truly was the end of an era.

Much to the sadness of those who knew her, Bettie passed away on Friday, October 21st. at the age of 93. Her grandson Colm called Denise Anderson, the current Secretary/Treasurer of SCPCA, to let everyone know that Bettie died in peace and has been cremated. Private family services will be held at a future date. Bettie was survived by daughter, Jean Davis Almquist and grandsons, Liam and Colm Davis, all of Evanston, Ill., two nieces, and one nephew.

Since her husband and her mother passed in 1989 Bettie didn't have any family living in the area.  However, she did have a large and deeply affectionate pest control family who called on her regularly as she went into a nursing home this year.

Her impact on people in the pest control industry can’t be overstated. Over the years people would ask me why I attended the Summit Country meeting since I did so little work in Summit County and lived so far from Akron, where our association meetings are held. I always said the same thing. I just couldn’t say no to Bettie. Because of her unending warmth and sense humor Bettie was easy to love and impossible to forget.

There was a reason that Bettie was called the First Lady of Pest Control. She deserved it!

(Editor's Update:  On Monday 10/31 Brad Harbison of Pest Control Technology Magazine ran a very well done piece about Bettie for their on line edition. RK)

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Monday, October 24, 2011

Economics for Dummies – Patrice Lewis’ 14 Points of Reality

By Rich Kozlovich

Patrice Lewis is one of my favorite writers because her work is based on "the basics". She writes from a basic reality that has stood the test of time, not delusional speculation and ideology that has been shown to be disastrous. These foolish OWS protestors are demanding perfection in a world where “we can only hope for the most acceptable imperfection”. And yet….they don’t even know what the perfection is they are asking for, and if they did, does anyone really believe they would have a clue as to how to implement it.

Patrice goes on to outline 14 points of reality that should be so obvious that even the casual observer should “get it”! This is truly, in my opinion, the definitive response to these protestors. Please take the time to read this article.

Economics for Dummies
By Patrice Lewis
Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is now entering its second month. I guess I can't blame the protesters for sticking around so long. It's exciting, isn't it? All the media attention, the celebrities and politicians fawning over them, the free food and goodies … Hey, if all it takes is camping in a park, pooping on police cars and waving signs – especially if I didn't have to show up to anything as restrictive as a JOB for a month or more – then I might consider joining the protests, too.

But this campaign apparently is not raising the IQ of any of the protesters, because they are still incapable of coherently explaining WHY they should receive something for nothing. When asked to pinpoint specific objectives, they wilt under logical questioning about how those objectives should be accomplished.......

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Malaria Vaccinations. "It's A Good Thing!"

By Rich Kozlovich

This week the American Council on Science and Health linked information dealing with a new product from GlaxoSmithKline that will give African children half a chance against malaria; the largest segment of the human population that suffers and dies from this plague.

During experimental trials of the vaccine called RTS,S or Mosquirix, it was found that the risk of contracting malaria was reduced by half. In a world where irrational and misanthropic environmentalists keep insisting that treated bed nets is "the" answer and that DDT must not be used under any circumstances, this at least gives these kids a fighting chance. The green activists are in the habit of claiming that their actions "are for the children", but mostly their policies end up be "to the children" not "for the children".

The article pointed out that this vaccine is in no way as effective as other vaccines for other afflictions, but this is a great benefit anyway. After anyone has read just how complex the malaria parasite really is, we have to be impressed with this kind of progress.

ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross made some comments that I find disturbing. He says; “And though the most effective anti-malarial therapy is a combination of artemisinin with other drugs (ACT), responses are often compromised due to a burgeoning market of counterfeit drugs in Africa.”

The ASCH article went on to say; "In fact, one study has found that 35 percent of malaria drugs in Nigeria are fakes." I am apalled at such a statistic. I know this kind of thing goes on, but I just can't imagine what kind of person would do such a thing.

Sproxil Inc. has implemented a "new text message-based program" where "large pharmaceutical companies have agreed to embed scratch-off panels on each of their drug packages. Customers can then text Sproxil with this number to confirm whether the drug is real or counterfeit."

Gil Ross goes on to say; “This is both an intriguing and modern way to deal with the very serious problem of counterfeit medications". We can only hope!

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[Permalink]

American Council on Science and Health, 2011: Week 42


The presence of linked articles here are merely a way of showing what is going on, whether I agree or disagree with the positions presented. Rich Kozlovich

BIRTH DEFECTS

A simpler test for determining Down’s
A new prenatal blood test made by Sequenom will test for Down syndrome less invasively in the early stages of pregnancy.

Link between BP med and birth defects debunked
A previously feared link between ACE inhibitors (a common treatment for high blood pressure) and congenital heart defects may actually be unfounded, a recent study suggests.

CANCER

You can pick up the call
We may have run out of clever puns, but yet another, very large study has refuted the spurious link between cell phone use and brain cancer.

A new map for the Pap
It's been in the works for some time now, but on Wednesday, three U.S. cancer groups proposed new cervical cancer screening guidelines.

A teaspoon of RT helps keep the cancer away
Radiation following breast conserving surgery for women with smaller cancerous lesions is beneficial in terms of both recurrence and mortality, according to the results of a large meta-analyis of 17 studies published in The Lancet.

Irresponsible tactics as usual for a toxic breast cancer group
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, a time for various breast cancer organizations and health professionals to remind women of routine mammography guidelines and to make sure that those who need it are screened.

Mammograms: Should I or shouldn’t I? And how often?
There has lately been much debate about how often women should be screened for breast cancer.

More on cell-phony radiation
There has lately been much debate about how often women should be screened for breast cancer.

EMOTIONAL ISSUES

Sad to say, still not enough treatment for depression
Over one in 10 Americans aged 12 and over are currently using antidepressants, according to recent data from a federal health survey.

HEART

Heart failure strikes fewer seniors
A group of Yale researchers has found that the percentage of senior citizens hospitalized for heart failure has dropped by nearly one third since 1998.

Even more progress against coronary heart disease
Six percent of adults were told by a health professional last year that they have coronary heart disease (CHD), according to the results of a national survey conducted by the CDC.

SCARES AND CONSEQUENCES

Attention shoppers: Star-struck food labels and a worse EWG “food ranking list”
Shoppers might soon be seeing stars in the grocery aisles, if recent recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on food labeling are accepted by the FDA.

The EWG provides food for (no) thoughtIn her latest opinion article for Food Safety News, lawyer Michele Simon sets out to condemn the food industry's influence on the annual conference of the American Dietetic Association.

THIS AND THAT

Easing hyper-precautionary conflict rules for the FDA
Current FDA conflict of interest rules for advisory panels on drugs and medical devices are stifling innovation and preventing promising new treatments from getting to market, says Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

Dr. Bloom’s new blog
If you happen to be a fan of ACSH Director of Pharmaceutical Sciences Dr. Josh Bloom's frequently irreverent interjections in our Dispatch, we recommend that you check out his blog posts over at Medical Progress Today, where he will be a regular contributor.

Harm reduction works — for addicts of all kinds
Harm reduction has been an effective tool in relieving the plight of drug addicts who are at an increased risk of contracting severe infections - especially hepatitis and HIV, but also drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA - as a result of using contaminated shared needles.

TOBACCO

New act to STOP smuggled cigarettes
The illicit tobacco trade is running rampant, say some members of Congress, and they're introducing the aptly named Smuggled Tobacco Prevention (STOP) Act as a solution to this black market business.

Take me out to the ballgame (but don’t spit on me)
In other tobacco-related news, four U.S. senators have sent a letter to the Major League Baseball players union, asking them to agree to a ban on chewing tobacco during baseball's World Series, which begins tonight with Texas visiting St. Louis.

VACCINES

Vaccine science fires a big shot at malaria
Exciting results from a final stage clinical trial of an experimental malaria vaccine reveal that African children's risk of contracting malaria after being vaccinated was reduced by half.

SIDS, vaccines, and less TV
Publication Date: October 19, 2011
Parents can cut in half the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) by making sure their newborns' immunizations are on schedule.

WATER FLORIDATION

Fight for water fluoridation tooth and nail
Fluoridating water reduces the incidence of tooth decay by 25 percent nationwide and is heralded as one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the twentieth century by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Correction: 60 percent fewer cavities!
In yesterday's Dispatch, we noted how a disconcerting number of U.S. cities are opting out of fluoridated drinking water.

If there is a health scare today, the American Council on Science and Health will most likely have the answer by tomorrow; and for members it will appear in your e-mail. No effort on your part, except to read the answer. All that the ACSH is interested in are the facts and they are prepared to follow them wherever they lead. Who can ask for more?  Please Donate Now!

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Friday, October 21, 2011

Observations From the Back Row: 10-20-11

...
“De Omnibus Dubitandum”



Everything we are told should bear some resemblance to what we see going on in reality!
______________________________________

Word of the Day
Astroturfing
Astroturfing is a form of advocacy in support of a political, organizational, or corporate agenda, designed to give the appearance of a "grassroots" movement. The goal of such campaigns is to disguise the efforts of a political and/or commercial entity as an independent public reaction to some political entity—a politician, political group, product, service or event. The term is a derivation of AstroTurf, a brand of synthetic carpeting designed to look like natural grass.

Astroturfers attempt to manipulate public opinion by both overt ("outreach", "awareness", etc.) and covert (disinformation) means. Astroturfing may be undertaken by an individual promoting a personal agenda, or highly organized professional groups with money from large corporations, unions, non-profits, or activist organizations. Very often, the efforts are conducted by political consultants who also specialize in opposition research. Beneficiaries are not "grass root" campaigners but distant organizations that orchestrate such campaigns.


Environmentalists Astroturfing  Here’s an interesting item from an environmentalist group opposing the Pebble Mine project in Alaska. They’re running a road show, not in Alaska, but in mainland cities to try and stir up the masses. Here’s a bit from their blog post about Monday’s Seattle event....For the anti-Pebble crew this kind of faux populism is par for the course, as the entire operation (to the tune of tens of millions of dollars ([example 1, example 2]) is financed by Robert Gillam, CEO of McKinley Capital Management, the richest man in Alaska. The Save Bristol Bay Road Show is heading to many of the #Occupy cites this month and will surely be attended by the #OWS types, who will be blissfully unaware that the whole campaign is being funded by one of the %1.

Who are the Occupy Wall Street people anyway? “What do they want?” is a common refrain in the media these days. Left-wing talking heads and progressive TV hosts are still scrambling to figure out exactly what the “Occupy Wall Street” crowd is up to. But this lack of knowledge hasn’t stopped nearly every person on the Left of the political spectrum from offering full-throated support for the unwashed, unruly rabble. But who, or what, are they supporting?  It’s been a month since the first group of professional protesting leftists squatted on a patch of private property in lower Manhattan, pitched a tent and started their drum circle. What we knew about them then is about what we know about them now - they’re angry.

My Take - As I watch and read the news I marvel at how some use the fact that these people are so unfocused in their demands to claim that they aren’t organized. The problem is three-fold. One, they want to claim this is an inspirational movement that sprung up all on its own with no financial or material support from outsiders. Two, the media is a propaganda mouth for the left. Three, those behind this thing aren’t interested in being focused on issues that can come back and haunt them. They just want to undermine the idea of limited government with reduced income and reduced expenditures. So they could care less what different ideas someone comes up with because they can claim that these are the views of an individual.

I don't think anyone disagrees that these people have a right to protest and demonstrate publically, however, as I see the tents and pavilion looking tents lining a street off Public Square in Downtown Cleveland I keep wondering when a demonstration turns into squatting. We don't have near the mess they have in New York and yet this really is unattractive....I hate to think what it must be like in New York. Not to mention the smell. And what about the businesses there? What must they be dealing with. What about their rights? After all, they actually are faithfully paying their own way and they have earned the right to have their businesses in those locations. Don't they have some rights?

Supposedly the permit for the Cleveland protestors ...whatever that really means.... ends tomorrow. The number goes up and down, but it seems to have peaked at about 50 of them; one of whom claims to have been raped because she had to share a tent with a stranger.

Some have declared the will stay the winter. I wonder what city they really are from. Downtown Cleveland, because of Lake Erie, has a breeze on most days. In the winter time it becomes a major wind tunnel that turns that ice cold air from frozen Lake Erie into an ice pick. Ever been to a Browns game on a really, really cold day? That can only be construed as true fan dedication or insanity. I go for the latter.

The city starts putting up the annual holiday decorations next week, and since the squatters will be in the way their permit will not be extended, nor will they be given another permit....Maybe...who knows? I do wonder what will happen. Of course this is Cleveland....not New York. I hope our normal Midwestern sanity prevails. We did (along with the rest of the country) succumb to the pet rock craze in the early 1970's though. We are still trying to live that down. RK


"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax -
Of cabbages and kings,
And why the sea is boiling hot,
And whether pigs have wings."

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Stuff You Didn't See on the News!

By Rich Kozlovich

I know that this isn't a green issue, but I don't restrict myself to just reading and researching articles and books dealing with green issues. Just about everything fascinates me....a bit of a curse by the way. However, I don't typically link articles or make comments on other pressing human issues, although when working on "green" you find yourself immersed in just about everything. Which kind of surprised me! I think what I found most disturbing at this  realization  of  "surprise" is that I was surprised in the first place. That realization should have been totally predictable. It wasn’t! It does show how subtle and insidious the watermelon movement really is.

Recently I have started adding more links to articles on non-green issues. I believe I will be doing more of that when I start my semi-retirement next year. I have discussed taking Paradigms and Demographics into the direction of becoming a news service. One that will be devoted to following stories about the events that impacts humanity which no one else is telling; and I wish to do so with a strong historical foundation. I do believe we have far too many attorneys, journalists and political scientists directing things and not enough historians.  As a result we have far too many opinions that are not much more that "bold experimentation" that sounds reasonable, but lacks foundation.   And there are far too few people who say....hold on.....this isn't new.....this has happened before..... and these were the results!  The failing and expenisve green energy policies of today already failed once before.  It was called the Carter Administration and these same failures are being repeated again....only at an expense never dreamed of during Carter's years.  So why are we trying it again?

At any rate…I do think that today’s links are really going to upset a bunch of people.   I can live with that!  It is well known that Margaret Sanger’s views influenced Hitler to a large degree, and eugenics was practiced in many countries in the world until after WWII.
“The modern field and term were first formulated by Sir Francis Galton in 1883, drawing on the recent work of his half-cousin Charles Darwin. At its peak of popularity eugenics was supported by a wide variety of prominent people, including Winston Churchill, Margaret Sanger, Marie Stopes, H. G. Wells, Theodore Roosevelt, George Bernard Shaw, John Maynard Keynes, John Harvey Kellogg, Linus Pauling and Sidney Webb. Many members of the American Progressive Movement supported eugenics, seduced by its scientific trappings and its promise of a quick end to social ills. Its most infamous proponent and practitioner was, however, Adolf Hitler who praised and incorporated eugenic ideas in Mein Kampf and emulated Eugenic legislation for the sterilization of "defectives" that had been pioneered in the United States.”
Today it is considered a human rights violation because of the abuses of the Third Reich. Here is the rest of the Wikipedia’s discussion.  You will find this interesting.   Hitler's predecessors were American do-gooders and "scientists" – The Early Days of Eugenics

Below is an editorial from the 1911 "Scientific American". It sounds very reasonable but that makes it an even better example of the deplorable "unintended consequences" of government interventionism

ADA JUKE is known to anthropologists as the "mother of criminals." From her there were directly descended one thousand two hundred persons. Of these, one thousand were criminals, paupers, inebriates, insane, or on the streets. That heritage of crime, disease, inefficiency and immorality cost the State of New York about a million and a quarter dollars for maintenance directly. What the indirect loss was in property stolen, in injury to life and limb, no one can estimate…. (Remember that this was printed in 1911. RK)

Here are some comments by John Ray from Australia and publisher of Greenie Watch and Disecting Leftism.   Everything from this point on are from one of his sites, and I wish to thank Dr. Ray for allowing me to republish his works. 

More academic evidence of the importance of genes and the UNIMPORTANCE of your home environment
"Human values: Genetic and environmental effects on five lexically derived domains and their facets"
By Walter Renner et al.

Abstract

Whereas a substantial genetic component of Conservatism and Religiosity is well documented, there is little evidence with respect to the behavior genetics of other aspects of human values. A sample of 157 monozygotic and 74 dizygotic twins reared together received the Austrian Value Questionnaire (AVQ), which measures a broad variety of value domains and their facets, found by the lexical approach in the German language. Family resemblance of Intellectualism, Harmony, Materialism, and Conservatism was best explained by additive or dominance genetic and non-shared environmental effects, whereas the influence of the environment shared by twins was negligible. In contrast, Religiosity was transmitted by additive genetic, shared and non-shared environmental influences. At the level of facets, the Intellectualism and Harmony showed a homogenous etiology while Religiosity, Materialism, and Conservatism were etiologically heterogeneous.
Personality and Individual Differences. In Press, Corrected Proof - doi:10.1016/j.paid.2011.09.003
Aren't you glad that there's someone around to translate that academic Double-Dutch for you?

Note initially that after decades of research it is now generally accepted that both political and religious ideology is substantially determined by your genes. You didn't CHOOSE to be a Conservative or religious: You were BORN that way. That still grates on the teeth of most people but that is what the inheritance research has repeatedly shown. Exactly WHAT is inherited which makes you a Leftist is still not pinned down but my bet is that it is a tendency to be miserable. Happiness is definitely a stable trait and conservatives are certainly happier, which again shows up repeatedly in research.

But that is all prelude. The researchers above were looking for OTHER things that might be genetically inherited. They found that traits of Intellectualism, Harmony, Materialism, and Conservatism were all determined heavily by genetics but hardly at all by the environment. Religiosity, however, was to a degree influenced by your environment. Pretty simple, really -- even if runs against almost everybody's preconceptions.

You now see why elections are won or lost according to how well the candidate appeals to the voter in the middle. Most of us are born conservative (happy) or Leftist (miserable) and can't be changed from that. It's only the minority who are half way between happy and miserable who can be swung. Background on previous research in the area here

Clarifying note: It is your tendency to be religious in general that is inherited, not your particular religion.

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Climate Change is Getting Worse! Really?


Climate Depot key excerpt: The Antarctic sea ice extent has been at or near record extent in the past few summers, the Arctic has rebounded in recent years since the low point in 2007, polar bears are thriving, sea level is not showing acceleration and is actually dropping, Cholera and Malaria are failing to follow global warming predictions, Mount Kilimanjaro melt fears are being made a mockery by gains in snow cover, global temperatures have been holding steady for a decade or more, deaths due to extreme weather are radically declining, global tropical cyclone activity is near historic lows, the frequency of major U.S. hurricanes has declined, the oceans are missing their predicted heat content, big tornados have dramatically declined since the 1970s, droughts are not historically unusual nor caused by mankind, there is no evidence we are currently having unusual weather, scandals continue to rock the climate fear movement, the UN IPCC has been exposed as being a hotbed of environmental activists and scientists continue to dissent at a rapid pace. [Note: Climate Depot will soon be publishing an exhaustive and exclusive A-Z report on the scientific reality of the failure of man-made global warming claims. Stay tuned...]

Logical Fallacy of the Week, Week 13: Fallacy of Four Terms

...


(Latin: quaternio terminorum) is the logical fallacy that occurs when a syllogism has four (or more) terms rather than the requisite three. This form of argument is thus invalid.

Contents
1 Explanation
2 Reducing terms
3 Classification
4 References
5 External links

Explanation - Categorical syllogisms always have three terms:

Major premise: All fish have fins.
Minor premise: All goldfish are fish.
Conclusion: All goldfish have fins.
Here, the three terms are: "goldfish", "fish", and "fins".

Using four terms invalidates the syllogism:

Major premise: All fish have fins.
Minor premise: All goldfish are fish.
Conclusion: All humans have fins.

Please follow the link to the rest of the story. RK

With Our Own Values They Destroy Us: Part IX

...

Liberals are certainly capable of intelligence. They may be adept at their careers and hobbies. But the problem is that their naïveté and a delusional way of looking at the world impedes common sense and street smarts ... Further, when liberals take the time to tune in, they get their "information" from progressive propaganda. And they don't question the Left's authority. ... That's the biggest problem -- not questioning the party line even though there are obvious gaps and gaffes. A big reason for this is fear. Aside from intellectual laziness, the Fear Factor makes otherwise intelligent liberals stupidly fall into line. Liberals can scare easily. .. Unarmed with either weapons or the basic facts, they have no way to defend themselves. -Robin of Berkeley, American Thinker May 2010.


Each region will have its own issues. This link will take you to a map of the U.S. showing the states and which region they are in.  When you click on your region please be patient. For some reason my browser took a long time to bring up the information and you may have the same problem....so be patient.

This should all be considered a part of the Green and Problems of Democracy series.

Green and Problems of Democracy
Green and Problems of Democracy, Part I
Green and Problems of Democracy: Part II
Green and Problems of Democrcy, Part III
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us.
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us, Part II
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us, Part III
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us, Part III
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us; Part IV
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us; Part V
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us: Part VI
With Our Own Values They Destroy Us: Part VII
With Our Own Values They Desroy Us: Part VIII


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Why Can’t We Believe What We See?

By Rich Kozlovich

"Demagogue: One who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots." -- H.L. Mencken

Everything we are told should bear some resemblance to what we see going on in reality. Yet, everything we are told by the media, the EPA, the green movement and their acolytes ends up being lies or just wrong! So why do we still believe the things they say and promote?

They tout all their energy plans as an advent to utopia. "Go Green" is the cry; become one with the biosphere and all things will be made well! What is the reality? I have been pointing out for years that everything they promote regarding energy they will eventually abandon. And after some poor fool of a businessman actually attempts to implement their foolish schemes they will turn on those who foolishly listened to them.

When are we going to learn….they are great at finding fault but they are terrible at finding solutions; especially when those solutions are to non-problems such as global warming. Everything that they promote leaves dystopia in its wake. Why is that so hard to grasp? Sure, the media is a major part of the problem because they are a propaganda arm of the “watermelon” movement (green on the outside and red in the middle); but the information that exposes who and what they are is readily available.

If anyone hasn’t already done so, we need to start realizing that the only way these people can stay in existence is if they scare the public unendingly. Whether it is regarding energy, chemicals or biodiversity, which the next big scare that is going to be recycled.  If we are already aware, then we need to start remembering that the green movement is irrational and misanthropic. There can be no compromise with these people that they will honor or actually want. Everything they promote has lead to disaster worldwide. Why would we think it would be any different here.  After all, the extreme end of the watermelon movement believes mankind is a virus that needs to be eradicated...of course that is at the extreme end of their movement.  The moderates in their movement just want to eliminate about four billion people.  That is their view of moderation?

J. Johnson is a reader from the U.K. who has sent me links to articles dealing with green issues from around the world. This week I linked an article sent to me by her with this “My Take” comment;
I really do believe that old entomologist who once said that "there is nothing like a good epidemic to get things started". This struggling worldwide economy, and the fact that developed parts of the world, such as the E.U., are going to see even more economic problems because of the insane actions of their governments in attempting to "go green" with their emissions, is forcing everyone to realize reality....dystopia follows green like Sancho Panza followed Don Quixote. In fact one of the major problems people in the U.K. will be facing this winter is energy delivery for heat. J. Johnson is from the U.K. so I am sure she is hoping that at some point some of those in decision making positions over there will be sent back into the asylums from which they escaped, and sane people who have read this book will take over. RK
This article appeared on October 2oth. Thousands dying because they can't afford heating bills... and green taxes are adding to the burden - Cold houses also result in tens of thousands of cases of respiratory problems and sickness. This is what is going on in a country whose leaders have lost their minds due to drinking the Kool-Aid and breathing the toxic fumes of the fever swamps of environmentalism.

"There is nothing so bad that politics cannot make it worse." Thomas Sowell


Everything we are told should bear some resemblance to what we see going on in reality.
Here is the reality of green misanthropic insanity. What part of that doesn’t everyone get?


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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Research is Dandy, but Silver Bullets are Handy

By Rich Kozlovich

In 1996 when the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) was passed whole categories of pesticides were lost to the consumer and to professional applicators. It was perfectly obvious to those who hadn’t been drinking the Kool-Aid that things were going to change for the worse. And they did! We now have a nation that is being plagued by bed bugs; a pest that had been largely eradicated since around 1946.

When the boys came back from WWII they brought back stories about the effectiveness of DDT. That was the beginning of the elimination of bed bugs in the U.S. and much of the developed world. Throughout the entire history of mankind this had never before happened. By the 1950’s they were gone, in spite of the fact that they were becoming resistant to DDT. By this time carbamates and organophosphate pesticides had been developed and that finished them. DDT went nine rounds with bed bugs and Malathion knocked out what was left in the tenth!

I did my first bed bug job in the early 1980’s and since there weren’t any around any longer, I didn’t have a clue what to do. Foreign travelers brought their bed bugs with them to their hotel room, unfortunately they didn’t take them with them when they left. I treated the room with a carbamate category pesticide called Ficam (bendiocarb) one time and the problem was gone. So why are they so hard to kill now?

Because of FQPA we lost carbamate and organophosphate pesticides. We were then stuck with pyrethroids. The problem with pyrethroids is that they draw the same kind of immune response in bed bugs as did DDT. It is called cross resistance. So it wasn’t long before they were so resistant to pyrethroids that for all practical purposes some species may as well have been immune. All pyrethroids aren’t all alike. They all have slightly different modes of action that can make them more or less resistant and more or less effective.

Today, this article appeared, Bed bug insecticide resistance mechanisms identified.  It states that “a research team at Virginia Tech has discovered some of the genetic mechanisms for the bed bug's resistance to two of the most popular pyrethroids -- deltamethrin and beta-cyfluthrin.” They believe in the importance of understanding the “biochemical basis for insecticide resistance in bed bugs” as this will provide “molecular markers for surveillance “. They go on to say; "Different bed bug populations within the U.S. and throughout the world may differ in their levels of resistance and resistance strategies, so there is the need for continuous surveillance”. They note that; "Deep sequencing of pyrethroid-resistant bed bugs reveals multiple mechanisms of resistance within a single population".

They studied two populations of bed bugs – “a robust, resistant population that had come from Richmond, Va., in 2008, and a non-resistant population that had been collected from Ft. Dix, N.J., and raised in a lab since 1973.” The resistant population required “5,200 times more deltamethrin or 111 times more beta-cyfulthrin to kill the [resistant] bed bugs than the lab bugs during a 24-hour test.” OK, but isn’t that why bed bugs are now a plague….did some think that we didn’t notice that before? After all….it was the pest control professionals who told everyone resistance was becoming a major problem in the first place. Make no mistake about this. It was the pest control professionals who let many of the academics (there were some notable exceptions) know what was happening, how to inspect for them and how they needed to be treated…..not the other way around. We have dealt with this from the beginning because that is what we do. Academics deal with it when there is grant money.

Some of these lab specimens, which have been kept sequestered for years, are so susceptible I could spit on them and kill them. Although I am not aware of any incidence of resistance to organophosphates, and there is only soft evidence of resistance to carbamates, we already know that resistance will eventually develop in pests to all pesticides. That is the pattern in nature! So what is their goal is this study?

I have no problem with these kinds of studies because this enhances our knowledge on pest resistance; but what products are being developed from this work? I sincerely hope that I am wrong; but there is none as far as I can tell! The reality is that many of the people doing this kind of research are opposed to utilizing the products that already have been developed but lost to FQPA. We attempted to get propoxur (better known as Baygon) labeled for bed bugs use. There were people like Dini Miller (part of this research group) that were opposed because they claimed it would hasten resistance and that we needed to rid ourselves of the “silver bullet” mentality. Ridiculous! What would we be saving it for? Would we stop using life saving antibiotics because resistance is occurring in patients? No…that would be insane. Why is this different?

After identifying the specific genes responsible for creating these layers of resistance they went on to “conclude that highly-resistant bed bug populations can have multiple genetic mechanisms conferring resistance to pyrethroid and possibly other insecticides. It is reasonable to suggest that the genes responsible for both acquired insensitivity to these neurotoxicants and their enhanced detoxification have been selected for in populations that have been subjected to long-term insecticide pressure." So, other than identifying the specific genes, what part of this conclusion didn’t we already know?

DuPont has come out with a new termiticide. A pesticide that requires no signal word! All pesticides have a signal word that is related the level of toxicity. Danger (Skull and Cross Bones), Warning, Caution and Caution again. This pesticide requires no signal word, and says so on the label, because it kills termites….just termites. I has no effect on anything else…..nothing except termites. That is how biologically specific it is. Is that where this research is leading? I don’t seem to get that understanding. So unless this research is utilized in the development of new products that will be inexpensive, easy to use and available to the public ….it is money wasted.

We need something that works NOW! Fine…. do the research; but in the meanwhile bring back those silver bullet organophosphates like Dursban and carbamates such as Ficam and Baygon. We need silver bullets! We have had silver bullets! We deserve silver bullets. And most importantly, silver bullets exist! Everything else is misdirection. Any claims to the contrary is blatantly false!


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