103 Replies to “Reader Tips”

  1. I think Vitruvius makes my point, in a way.
    No, questioning authorial intent doesn’t make it ‘come apart at the seams’. It clarifies what he meant. As you and I are now doing.
    Not quite. Because, when the author says, I meant Y by X,” I can simply ask what he meant by “Y.” It’s an infinite regression. And in nay case, it’s all wide of the mark because an author will usually be unable to provide a coherent statement of intent. An author may interpret the text, certainly, but it’s not a privileged interpretation.
    “Existence operates”? It is to weep.
    Kate has been very patient up to now. I’ll leave matters thus.

  4. Hey Albatroos, check Liberal MP Dan McTeagues academic credentials.
    I mean the real ones, not the phony ones he got with one election.

  5. “Intelligence in the Classroom”
    Charles Murray
    3w.aei.org/publications/pubID.25452,filter.all/pub_detail.asp
    A three-part series…

  6. Dark Side of Green
    Peter Foster hails expose of environmentalists’ excess
    A hot doc
    National Post
    Published: Saturday, March 10, 2007
    Toronto-based Gabriel Resources has one of the hottest gold prospects on Earth, at Rosia Montana in Romania, but has been having a lot of trouble getting the project moving. It’s not that the vast majority of the locals aren’t keen to exploit the opportunities (including ripping off Gabriel if they get half a chance). It’s that a bunch of international environmentalists have descended on Rosia Montana and made it an anti-development cause celebre.
    Gabriel’s painful experience is the subject of a brilliant and controversial film, Mine Your Own Business, which was made by the Irish husband-and-wife team of Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney. The two were in Toronto this week to show their work at the Prospectors and Developers Association Conference, where I met them on Monday.
    Their movie is a gripping expose of “the dark side of environmentalism.” It reveals big international environmental organizations as far more concerned with posturing on behalf of lemurs and “spiritual” mountains than lifting poor people out of poverty.
    …
    Mine Your Own Business has drawn wide praise, and been described as “devastating” to “the self-satisfied delusions of the environmental left.” The Wall Street Journal declared: “Move over, Michael Moore. You have competition in the art of political film-making ? [but] instead of advancing the cause of smug liberal hypocrisy, [McAleer] is debunking it.”
    In fact, comparing Mine’s film-makers with Michael Moore is an insult. They don’t manufacture facts and edit for hyperbole; they let the people of Rosia Montana speak for themselves….-
    http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=107e59fc-a783-4309-bff1-e791271258fd

  8. CBCpravda – I found out that their favourite word is abuse. even more favoured than “critics say”which is the usual lead in to a story.
    anyway, if you want Afganistan abuse – to CBCpravda it means prisoners or Taliban or a bit of roughhousing to some terrorist pr ick. If you worry about women or mutilation and having their cli ts cut off , you get this.
    http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2003/07/09/stonehenge030709.html
    CBCpravda is so left they cant even figure out what they really support it has the slightest semblance of being George Bush or Stephen Harper.
    abuse is what the Canadian public gets from these psuedo journalists.

  10. >You don’t bother to address:- the sun’s influence in climate change- the politicization of the environental movement, described by co-Greenpeace founder Patrick Moore (another oil shill right), powerfully influenced by anti-development marxists – check his website for further detailshttp://www.fanweb.org/patrick-moore/
    >the fact that IPCC doubled anthropogenic CO2 emissions, which are dwarfed by volclanoes, animals, bacteria, dying vegetation and oceans.the inconvenient fact that water vapour represents 95% of greenhouse gasesthat CO2 increases lag temperature rises, not the other way around.

  11. http://www.imma.org/codvideo/harpcod_QA.html
    Would reducing the seal population restore the “balance of the marine ecosystem?”
    Proponents of culling seal populations frequently argue that it is a necessary action to restore the “balance of nature,” especially at times when a number of once abundant fish stocks are depleted. The fact of the matter is that the “balance of nature” is largely a myth. As early as 1930, renowned ecologist Charles Elton wrote, “The balance of nature does not exist, and perhaps has never existed.”31 And, as Mangel et al. wrote in 1997, “the belief of the 1970s – that for management purposes one could assume that ecosystems were stable, closed, and internally regulated and behaved in a deterministic manner – has been replaced by recognition that ecosystems are open, in a constant state of flux, usually without long-term stability, and affected by many factors originating outside the system.”32 In short, there is no preordained balance of nature and there is no “right” number of seals or other organisms in a natural system. Reducing the size of a seal population cannot restore something that did not exist in the first place.

  12. Both Nozacks and ET are on to something re the correlation between stong verbal skills and “anti-establishment” or at least anti-capitalism. I think when trying to explain political theories of any stripe, it is useful to look at the personality traits of those who support the theory. Anyway — useful theories to think about.
    The Great Global Warming Swindle is GREAT! I wonder what impact it will have on this side of the drink.

  14. I thinking about applying for a research grant to show that global warming made their tails fall off. How much should I go for?
    3w.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1024923286846_98
    After I get done with this study (and sign the Kyoto consensus thing) I plan to do another study on their preferred suicide choice (getting run over or shot) because of global warming.

  15. Re: Rallies for support of Kyoto. Wow — Mr. Louw really need to watch the Swindle documentary. This whole issue is spinning out of control . . . with emphasis on the word “spinning”.

  16. albatros39a — you are going to have to do better than this in dismissing the views of the scientists portayed in the GGW Swindle. I am sick of the argument that these people are not to be believed because they are shills of the oil industry or haven’t published papers since glah blah blah . . . this type of argumement totally undermines your own credibility. Personally, I don’t care if they are shills of the oil industry — or not — I just want to know if and if yes — why — what they are saying is not correct. The significance of your North Amercia vs. south of the equator argument escapes me . . . particularly since it was North American temperatures which were the focus in Al Gore’s film.

  17. albatros — “A question for the masses.
    I was wondering if there are any Conservative MPs who hold a PhD in anything. I’ll start searching but if anyone knows, please pass it on.” — what an odd question.

  19. albatros states: “The fact is, according to the British Geological Survey volcanoes annually emit around 300 MT/yr of CO2 or only 1% of what humans emit.” — well now, this is different from everything else I have ever heard or read. I am afraid that if you throw things into the debate that counter other information presented, you only confuse people . . . however would a person decide which side is factual and which is not. It only makes me want to throw up my hands. . . ignore the whole issue and acknowledge that at this point in time it is too political to hope to get a straight story. I am most definitly not motivated to try to curtail global warming with a myriad of conflicinting views being presented.

  20. Canadian “denier” threatened with death — and it is not reported in Canadian news
    Posted by Steve Janke of the Blogging Tories on March 11, 2007 at 11:23 PM
    A Canadian scientist questions the science of climate change, and he begins receiving death threats.
    I read about it in a British newspaper. Isn’t this newsworthy in Canada?
    http://stevejanke.com/archives/218577.php

  21. LindaL: they are simply spreading misinformation, the science they are spreading is wrong. They are being paid by mega corporations that stand to lose big money when people start to take action on global warming, and when these scientists became the talking heads for oil companies, they automatically lost their credibility. It’s in Exxon’s best interests to cloud the issue and will pay billions to do it.
    The reason one looks at the southern hemisphere is because there is less influence from land on the atmosphere. Atmospheric temperature, which would be fluctuating due to continental weather in the northern hemisphere, is moderated by the southern oceans. An additional bonus is there is less particulate matter both man made and natural skewing the atmospheric data. Trends become far easier to spot and far more accurate when temperatures are taken from south of the equator.
    http://www.realclimate.org/ has some good information and they give answers to The Great Global Warming Swindle, check it out.

  22. Here is some commentary on the documentary from Real Climate. I thought this was very interesting. I definitely have some reading to do.
    I thought the end o the movie where they blamed “leftists” for the global warming swindle was quite silly. Kyoto doesn’t include developing nations so what was that all about?

  23. Albatross – the question about PHD’s and the conservatives just made me chuckle. I can only imagine the agenda you have with such a query…
    As if to insinuate intelligence and good government can be related to the ratio of PHD’s…
    By chance do you work for the CBC?
    And they wonder why the separatist movement has appeal… get me outta here!

  24. Did anyone know that today was supposed to be a massive show of support for kyoto across canada. About 150 people, mostly young, turned out in Calgary. ctv said huge crowd. Other cities also had these protests and taliban jack was at one. He mentioned he was so glad to see so many young people out. Guess these kids are being brainwashed in school. 150 out of over 1 million is a drop in the bucket. I count how many don’t show up as to how popular a cause it is.

  26. it was claimed a ways back by someone that paypal does not support transactions involving firearms.
    it is true. I found out with an addendum to a tech support Q I sent them, here is the reply:
    Dear Robert Bollocks,
    Thank you for contacting PayPal, my name is Lily and I am happy to
    assist
    you today.
    You may not use PayPal to sell any firearm. Certain related items and
    high-capacity ammunition magazines are also prohibited.
    To view more details regarding the Acceptable Use Policy regarding
    Firearms, Ammunition, Replicas and Militaria please click this link:
    http://www.paypal.com/ca/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/use/index_frame-outside
    If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us
    again.
    Sincerely,
    Lily
    PayPal Community Support
    PayPal, an eBay Company
    so there ya has it !!! ixnay buyin an sellin assault rifles via yer ebay owned paypal !!!

  27. speaking of this al queda stuff:
    “the sky is falling !! the sky is falling !!!”
    from yahoo news, a ‘plot’ ‘uncovered’ by cops in jolly ol’ england to disrupt internet traffic:
    “Detectives recovered computer files showing that the terror group had plotted to sabotage an Internet hub in London’s Docklands, where virtually all information on the Internet travels in and out of Britain, it said.”
    (pssst, guys, ummm, the internet was designed RIGHT FROM ITS INCEPTION to sustain this kind of knockout and still function; its called packet switching. one link get wiped off the map then all the bits just find another route. jes likes salmon when confronted by a spankin new man made barrier fer instance….. so considering the packets need only have the alternate routes to EXIST, why tf dont you provide redundant routing eqpt ????)
    the sky is falling the sky is falling !!! al queda is attacking us !!! help us o lord in our time of peril !!! (which WE created by funding and supporting bin laden in the early years of afghan occupation by the ruskies)

  28. “Why do Intellectuals oppose capitalism?” I wasn’t aware that “intellectuals” were all of one mind on everything.

  29. ‘vengeance is Mine saith The Lord’
    Hebrews 10:30
    from hssp://3w.planetarymovement.org/2005/09/12/short-shot-no-73-vengeance-is-mine-saith-the-lord/
    On Sept. 8, 2005, in the “Padilla Case” the US Circuit Court in Richmond, VA (coincidently the second and last capitol of the Confederate States of America) upheld as constitutional the provision of the US “Patriot” Act that empowers the President to designate any American citizen as a “terrorist” or “terrorist threat” and then hold that person indefinitely without charges, without representation, and without trial.
    As Mike Whitney said: “The [decision] confers absolute authority on the President to incarcerate American citizens without charge and without any legal means for the accused to challenge the terms of his detention. It is the end of ‘inalienable rights,’ the end of The Bill of Rights, and the end of any meaningful notion of personal liberty” (http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10223.htm). It is highly likely that
    [ sa-NIP!!]
    And so, God is about to wreak vengeance upon the United States. That vengeance comes to us in the person of George Bush. For God feels that the only way now to wake up the people of the United States and their political representatives who should know better, before it is too late, is to visit upon this country a modern version of the Seven Plagues. And this time, no one will receive a bye. Yes, through George Bush, and his minions known as the Georgites, the following will occur, that is unless the people, and especially their political leadership who should know better, wake up in time.
    The First Plague: Arising directly from the decision in the Padilla Case, out-and-out fascism.
    The Second Plague: The next Great Depression.
    The Third Plague: At the same time, spiraling inflation.
    The Fourth Plague: The continued degradation of those major urban centers which, like New Orleans before the flood, were centers of Democratic political strength, but which through lack of investment were sinking ever further in the mire.
    The Fifth Plague: The occurrence of shortage of fuel and power, of ever-increasing severity, on a regular basis.
    The Sixth Plague: The occurrence on a regular basis of everworsening environmental catastrophes such as the Great New Orleans Flood of 2005.
    The Seventh Plague: If nothing is done while there is still time, and God says that there is, the occurrence of the Second Civil War, one that will make the first one look like a school picnic (to not coin a phrase).
    Now God moves in mysterious ways and thus will not reveal His/Her timetable for all of this. But God does tell us to mark His/Her word. If nothing is done soon, the Plagues will arrive.
    ***********************
    unbelievable discord that man has created and a whole generation of ME players bent on avenging the deaths of 10s of 1000s of their fellow citizens and family members whilst the pundits gloated about ‘bombing them into the stone age’.

  30. “Ph.d? You mean, the thing you get when you refuse to grow up and leave university?
    Posted by: Yukon Gold at March 11, 2007 10:10 PM ”
    your assignment today yukelele foolsgold, is to lobby every province AND the feds to immediately and post haste suspend ALL funding for post secondary education, sell off all the assets and rescind all authority of any higher education institute to issue anything above bachelors degree.
    do you ‘get it’ ???
    as in ‘time for some new material’ hmmmm ????
    curious how those who cannot even consider achieving high level credentials find them a convenient target for derision.
    and while youre at it, do lay out plans to fully and permanently stop all professional association credentials and formal recognition instruments.
    turn canuckistan into the hewers of wood and drawers of water you so clearly yearn for.

  32. Thanks for your comments, vitruvius. Insightful as always. By the way, I wonder if it has ever occurred to dawg that it’s useless for him to post his opinions/intentions. After all, as the Author of his posts, he, by postmodern definition, hasn’t a clue what he wants to say. It’s all up to us, the readers, to tell him what he really means. Ahhh, the power and the powerless.

  33. Phd? Where I come from that stands for Piled higher and deeper. And of course I shouldn’t have to explain what a BSc is. I have one of those but my technical papers have done a lot more to put bread on our table.
    Although the eggheads at universities will deny it, most do nothing degrees are not worth the paper they are written on. The world already has enough psychology, anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology graduates. Engineers, doctors and nurses are a better value for your post secondary buck. By all means take English literature or art appreciation if you want to broaden your outlook but don’t expect it to land you a job nor should the taxpayer foot the bill either.
    I remember at U of M, seeing the Friends of Albania sitting at their information table with the red tablecloth every first Monday of the month. Most were old enough to have tenure there but they were students. Chucking crap at capitalism with one hand while collecting student loans and aid with the other.

  34. “Water vapour is indeed a greenhouse gas, but the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere is a result of temperature. What we see here is a positive feedback, because with the increase of CO2 comes the increase of temperature and therefore an increase in water vapour.” – albatross
    Wrong.
    The cornerstone of Al Gore’s religion is the ice core samples. According to Gore the samples show temperatures increasing with increased levels of CO2. However, he has knowingly lied. What the graphs actually show is CO2 levels increase FOLLOWING increases in temperature. In other words, increased temperatures cause increased levels of CO2.
    Gore is a liar. And albatross is a dupe.

  35. Albatross39. Thank you, sincerely, for addressing my issues. Apart from your oil shill argument, you have done a good job explaining the differences in opinion. What you have demonstrated, however, is that there is debate on the science of AGW. Of note in the presentation was one of the scientists who remarked that the theory had not been disproved either. My conclusion is thus: AGW has neither been proven nor disproven.
    As I have stated in previous posts, I don’t really care if AGW proven or not, apart from the shrill nonsense I’m hearing. I don’t see how Al Gore and Suzuki exaggerating the data to scare kids advances anything. You have to admit there are some real nutbars supporting AGW – like the one in the video who referred to “climate criminals” What’s being foisted on the African people is tragic; witness the DDT scare, which resulted in monumental, and needless, suffering. Modern technology has been proven to benefit mankind, but there is still a radical lobby in the environmentalmovement who are anti-capitalist, anti-globalization and thus anti-modernity in their outlook. Note I am not saying the environmental movement in general; I have learned a lot from environmentalists. If we are going to debate AGW, let’s talk about the science rather than shooting the messengers, as is happening on all sides.
    I agree we have to stop human induced emissions, all of them, not just CO2. If we don’t, then the developing world, particularly China and India will get power the cheapest way they can. That will surely cause temperature rises, according to your arguments. My fear is that the radical environmentalists want to not only shut down or curtail western industrialization, they want to deny the benefits of modernization on the developing world. The video makes a good case for this argument.
    If we can work within our areas of agreement, progress can be made. Most agree that we need to get off carbon fuels (why is not so important anymore). If we can get away from the apocalyptic scenarios and make steady progress, accepting that this is at least a 50 year window, everybody will win. If we insist on draconian changes, in Canada for example, while allowing China to dwarf any reductions we could make, I think we will all lose. We will all lose too if those who don’t agree with the AGW science use it as an excuse to not get on with energy technology modernization.
    It has to do with a reasoned, balanced approach which uses science properly to develop new and clean energy technologies, without the do nothing or the irrational no-nukes, shut down your economy now shrillness.
    Again, thanks Albatross, for explaining some things to me. That’s all I was looking for.

  37. This is what thinking Canadians ‘THINK’;
    “I have deep reservations about using taxpayers’ money (to buy) hot air credits in Russia. That’s Stephane Dion’s plan.” John Baird, federal Environment Minister.
    //www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=188bd4a5-f07a-48d8-a66b-bb09c26aad4f

  38. ” .. CAMILLA stuck a stiletto into Prince Charles’s green credentials — by having a pair of shoes jetted 3,000 MILES for a posh bash.”
    //www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_pages/news/news3.shtml
    “.. If it makes her happy it makes Charles happy, so it had to be done. She isn’t a fan of foreign tours so anything to make her more comfortable.”
    And to think this is the same so-called “green” Prince that our beloved Media adores. Sick.
    And to think that this is the same Prince Charming that took on our own Canadian Patrick Moore. And lost.
    ~~ PATRICK AND THE PRINCE ~~
    //greenspirit.com/key_issues.cfm?msid=35
    Prince Charles wrongly claimed forestry causes mass extinctions.
    The media quoted the Prince Charming and sent the ‘story’ around the world.
    Patrick sent Charles a letter explaining how the world really works.
    Prince Charles returned a letter, APOLOGISING TO PATRICK MOORE, AND SAYING HE HAD GOT IT ALL WRONG.
    The media did not carry Charles GAFF.
    And to think the media tries to dupe the world by idolizing nut cases like Charles, Gore, Suzuki, Dion, …. Pathetic.

  39. Canada pitching Free Trade Agreement with India.
    Now that makes sense. Oh, sure, there will be winners and loosers.
    WINNERS; Canadian exporters, Canadian jobs, India, Canada’s reputation in the third and developing worlds, Canada, Canada’s human rights effort, Canadian economy, ect.
    LOOSERS; China’s human rights violators, Cherry Car Company of China, Maurice Strong, Power Corporation of Canada, Jean Chretien, Paul Martin, Team Canada Junkets, and other loosers.

  40. On CPAC now (12:15 PTZ) Carlton University panel, discussing so-called climate change.
    One of the panelists, from Britain, could just as well be Mr. Bean’s brother. Making as much sense, too.
    When the camera pans the audience, (I assume “reporters”)seems just like a scene from “One Flew Over The Cooko’s Nest”.

  41. CPAC,, Carelton U, so-called conference; “climate security, todays challenge”
    Panelists
    John Ashton (Britan)Commonwealth Office
    Simon Dubly prof enviro studies Carelton
    Ehsan Msood leadership and developement
    Ahaa, gee, think all three depend on govmit grants ??
    One said we are actualy putting rocks in our cars when we gas up. (how about rocks in head ?)
    One questioner said business has planned obsolescence and that 60s cars were better than todays. Like ya think a 55 Ford is better than an Accord or Camray ?? Or even a Focus ?? Like the old sticking, roaring automatic chokes were better than today’s fuel injection. And the friggin panelists/experts agreed with this nonsense !!
    Definition of an EXPERT ?? Just some fool away from home.
    CPAC comments; 877 297 2722
    comments@cpac.ca

  43. Hero beaten
    A Canadian soldier awarded a Medal of Military Valour for braving enemy fire in Afghanistan is angry after he says was jumped from behind and taunted by four men who beat him up in a Morrisburg bar on the weekend.
    Master Cpl. Collin Fitzgerald, who was awarded a Medal of Valour for heroic actions in Afghanistan by Governor-General Michalle Jean on Feb. 19, had his foot broken in three places and needed 10 stitches to close a cut above his right eye. The 27-year-old soldier also suffered a broken nose and two black eyes in the attack, which occurred after midnight Saturday morning.
    Master Cpl. Fitzgerald said Monday he had only been in the bar about 20 minutes when he was struck from behind.
    “I don’t even remember getting hit,” he said….-
    http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=e7fd2b55-27b5-4168-97e3-3f557dcd45e0&k=12204

  44. irwin daisy –
    >”Water vapour is indeed a greenhouse gas, but the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere is a result of temperature. What we see here is a positive feedback, because with the increase of CO2 comes the increase of temperature and therefore an increase in water vapour.” – albatross
    Wrong.
    The cornerstone of Al Gore’s religion is the ice core samples. According to Gore the samples show temperatures increasing with increased levels of CO2. However, he has knowingly lied. What the graphs actually show is CO2 levels increase FOLLOWING increases in temperature. In other words, increased temperatures cause increased levels of CO2.
    Gore is a liar. And albatross is a dupe.http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Mauna_Loa_Carbon_Dioxide_png

  45. “… The simple fact is plants don’t grow under glaciers and CO2 drops. ”
    If the plants aren’t growing (taking in CO2) CO2 levels would rise.
    The simple fact is, alby is probably a Suzuki plant.

  48. Who will be the leader in new lightweight BATTRY TECHNOLOGY FOR THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE?
    [nytimes.com/2007/03/11/business/yourmoney/11stream.html?_r=1&ref=yourmoney&oref=slogin]
    tinyurl.com/24soq4
    Good photos too. = TG

  49. Arctic mission ‘most challenging’ yet
    Military seeks to assert sovereignty by snowmobile
    “We will be going through some of the most challenging terrain in the North and perhaps in the world,” said Brigadier-General Christine Whitecross, the Canadian Forces commander of Canada’s northern area.
    “This is the most challenging patrol we have ever done. It is quite a dangerous, I’d say challenging, route. The people going on the patrol have been handpicked for their ability to survive,” Brig.-Gen. Whitecross told the National Post in a private mission briefing.” …-
    http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=6b68cdcf-9a63-43d2-9d74-917626d975b9&k=95847

  50. “Ein Volk, ein Reich, …”
    Psych tests ordered for homeschooling parents
    A German appeals court has not only affirmed a lower court’s decision that ripped a 15-year-old homeschooler from her family and subjected her to a forced stay in a psychiatric hospital because she is homeschooled, but also ordered her parents to be given psychiatric evaluations, an international rights organization says.
    Joel Thornton, president of the International Human Rights Group told WND that fears the state will use those court-approved tests to destroy the family of Melissa Busekros are very valid.
    The family’s five other children also are endangered now because of potential court rulings that could be based on any evaluation of the parents, he said.
    The appeals court ruling came despite the fact that all three of the lawyers representing Melissa Busekros clearly stated in their request to the court the family had accepted a compromise offered by a lower court for her to return home under government supervision.
    “In spite of [that] … the appeals court held that the family refused the court’s initial compromise to let Melissa become an outpatient,” Thornton said.
    For the Busekros family, it’s a huge setback.
    “[A] fear is that Melissa will be returned to the psychiatric clinic system in Germany and ‘disappear.’ This would leave the family with no way to know where Melissa is or how she is doing. She could become a ward of the state and completely lost to her family,” Thornton said. …-
    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1799967/posts

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