Maple Syrup, Mother Jones, and Phony Science

Posted on January 11, 2012 by J.R.

I have tried to cut down on the amount of politics I post.  But sometimes I find a story so stupid, so fact-less, so devoid of any common sense, that I have to blog it.  Enter liberal website Mother Jones and their article entitled, Peak Maple: Climate Change Wants to Ruin Your Pancakes.  Apparently because of one woman’s perceived decline in her maple syrup production, she has drawn the conclusion that the entire industry will meet its demise by the year 2100.  The culprit? Global Cooling. The population bomb. The hole in the ozone layer. Global warming.  Climate Change.

For many of us, climate change is an abstract topic, as tedious as a droning Al Gore lecture complete with wonky charts.

But not if you’re a maple farmer in New England. The region has long provided a robust ecological niche for maple trees. But just a few decades of steadily warming weather has changed all that. Once-flourishing trees are shedding leaves too early in the season and producing sub-par sap.

Maple syrup—dark, minerally, its sweetness cut by a caramel edge—surely ranks among the great traditional foods on planet Earth. Climate change means we can no longer take it for granted. If current trends continue, maple syrup production could well be an historical memory by 2100.

In this video, Climate Desk’s James West profiles Martha Carlson, a 65-five-year-old maple farmer, retired teacher, and citizen-scientist who is documenting and publicizing the declining state of maple trees in New Hampshire. “We need lots of citizens to observe nature,” Carlson says at one point. I bet if we all opened our eyes like Carlson has, we’d find that climate change is affecting our own landscapes, too. And then maybe we’d be able to motivate our political class to actually do something about climate change.

So because of one woman’s decline in maple syrup production, the entire industry is doomed to end in the year 2100. (You probably thought I was kidding when I said how stupid this story is.)  So if her claims were true, then I should easily be able to find data backing up their claims that New England’s, and especially New Hampshire’s maple syrup production is on the decline. Right? Err, no actually.

United States maple syrup production in 2011 totaled 2.79 million gallons, up 43 percent from the revised 2010 total. The number of taps is estimated at 9.58 million, 3 percent above the 2010 revised total of 9.26 million. Yield per tap is estimated at 0.292 gallons, up 38 percent from the previous season’s revised yield. All States showed an increase in production from the previous year. Vermont led all States in production with 1.14 million gallons, an increase of 28 percent from 2010 and the highest level since 1945. Production in New York, at 564,000 gallons, secured New York’s place as the second in the nation.
Maine’s sugar makers produced 360,000 gallons of syrup in 2011 an increase of 14 percent from 2010. In New Hampshire, production is estimated at 120,000 gallons, highest in over 85 years. Connecticut and Massachusetts produced a combined total of 79,000 gallons, a significant increase of 108 percent from 2010. Pennsylvania production was a record high with an increase of 137 percent. Ohio producers reported excellent sap collecting conditions which produced the highest yield per tap that the State has seen since this statistic was first measured in 2001.

So she claims her area is on the decline, yet in 2011 they had their highest output in 85 years, and there was an increase in every single state.  At this point I have to ask, did anyone at Mother Jones take 5 minutes and actually research this topic before publishing? Did they even Google maple syrup production to see if it was in fact on the decline?  Obviously not. But hey, the world has grown accustomed to this type of  phony alarmist science (see Polar Bears, ice caps, snow, hail, etc).  The Mother Jones article is not science, it is opinion journalism masquerading as science (sounds familiar, doesn’t it).  This on the other hand, IS science:

Implications of twenty-first century climate change on Northeastern United States maple syrup production: impacts and adaptations

“Previous research on the impacts of maple syrup production in the Northeastern United States has been based on correlative relationships between syrup production and average temperature. Here a simple biologically and physically-based model of sapflow potential is used to assess observed changes in sapflow across the Northeastern US from 1980 to 2006; document the correspondence between these observations and independent downscaled  atmosphere ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) simulations of conditions during this period; and quantify changes in sapflow potential through 2100. The sapflow model is able to capture the spatial and temporal (in terms of the start date of sapflow) variations of sapflow that are observed across the Northeast. Likewise the AOGCM simulations reflect the mean number of sapflow days and the timing of sapflow during the 1980–2006 overlap period. Through the twenty-first century, warming winter temperatures will result in a decline in the number of sapflow days if traditional sap collection schedules are maintained. Under the A1fi emissions scenario the number of sapflow days decreases by up to 14 days. However, the changes in climate also translate the optimal timing of sap collection to earlier in the year. Across the region, the time period that maximizes the number of sapflows days becomes as much as 30 days earlier by 2100 under the A1fi emissions scenario. Provided this change is accounted for by modifying the start of the traditional sap collection schedule, there is essentially no net loss of sapflow days across the majority of the region, with a net increase of sapflow days indicated in the extreme north.”

Key words being “no net loss of sapflow days across the majority of the region, with a net increase of sapflow days indicated in the extreme north” through the year 2100.  Yet what does the above article say?  “No maple syrup by 2100.” Mother Jone’s article isn’t science.  It’s opinion journalism dressed up and passed off as science.  Al Gore would be proud.

————————————————

Martha Carlson, if you are reading this, I highly recommend you buy a copy of the North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual.  Pay particular attention to Chapter 5 – Managing Maple Trees For Sap Production, specifically pages 53-67.  It addresses the problems you describe and how to properly manage your maple forest for maximum production. Sorry, climate change is not one of the topics covered.

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Private Chen Had Trouble Adjusting To Military Life

Posted on December 23, 2011 by J.R.

I no more than hit publish on the previous post and a find some interesting comments around the web about the death of Private Danny Chen. Now keep in mind I have not verified any of these sources yet.   Speculate at your own risk.

The following comments can be seen at the Washington Post article.  Rather than take a million screen shots and paste them, I’m just copying the text.  As near as I can tell the person commenting is a Soldier.  His story seems to mesh with mine in that the Soldier was young, couldn’t handle the stress, and just wasn’t a good fit for the military.

i_go_pogo
12/21/2011 9:30 PM CST

I happen to know one of the accused, and I can tell you this is the purest BS. This unit was in firefights every single day, and this kid could not hack it. If he was harassed it was because he stayed behind in the barracks while his teammates went out to get shot at.In April of this year, this 45-man platoon replaced a Canadian company of 160 troops, which was reported by an embedded Canadian reporter. Why does the US replace a badly-stressed Canadian unit with one of ours that’s one-quarter the strength? You tell me. Then one kid cracks under the strain, and now we put these guys up on a show-trial. You folks have no idea what a charade we’re putting on in KAF.

peterroach
12/21/2011 9:33 PM CST
O k. But, don’t you think these guys could have handled this a little better ? They could have had him transferred or something. We will see how these facts unfold. If this guy refused his orders, then he should have been set up for Court Martial, not this.
peterroach
12/21/2011 9:35 PM CST
i_go_pogo, these allegations you mention about errors in troop deployment need to be investigated also.
i_go_pogo
12/21/2011 9:36 PM CST
This guy didn’t refuse orders. His officers judged him a liability to the team and left him behind. And getting him transferred out? Like I said, you have no idea. Why did they transfer a guy just out of basic who was incapable of being a soldier into the hottest spot in Afghanistan? It’s just how the military bureaucracy works.
peterroach
12/21/2011 9:38 PM CST
O K. I Understand. I am aware of how ridiculous the military bureaucracy can be. Maybe a good airing of this may help us do better in the future, I hope.
keviquin
7:25 AM CST
All those charged ARE nco’s -with the exception of one lieutenant. Just teaching a slow-learning boy how to be a man.
aristotlegleuteusmaximus
8:37 AM CST
Where does i_go_pogo get his news? From the perps who are being charged?
It seems odd a soldier can just decide to stay in the barracks while the rest go out to get shot at. At any rate this is a wise course of action, if he had a choice why subject one’s self to danger unnecessarily?? Your friend sounds like a thug, so do you.
DoubtingThomas2
8:55 AM CST

When everyone has guns, and the only people you can run to for help to are part of the problem… poor kid.I know about putting on the pressure to get someone to crack, because if your fellow soldiers do it, just think how much more the enemy would. But when they DO start to crack, that’s how you know to ship them back home to some position they can’t get either you or themselves killed at, or if case may be, discharged.

Don’t keep sitting on them to see if…See More they’re actually cracking or not. They’re done- they couldn’t take it. They did their time and at the very least tried to serve. Send them home, or you’re no better than the enemy. Everyone involved with this shameful incident should get an OTH.

My heart and prayers go out to you, Mr. and Mrs. Chen. Thank you for your son’s service.

i_go_pogo
8:58 AM CST

From reading other news reports, it sounds like he stayed behind the wire and took a nice hot shower and forgot to turn off the burner. When the rest of the troop came back from patrol, they found the fuel was gone and they would get cold showers.I have experienced a few incompetent soldiers who were more dangerous to their team than to the enemy. You’d be nuts not to leave a guy like that behind.

“Your friend sounds like a thug, so do you.” Do you hav…See Moree any idea what a reprehensible comment that is? You are sitting fat and happy in your dirty underwear in front of your computer, calling guys who are trying their best to protect your stupid self “thugs”. Thanks a lot, pal.

i_go_pogo
9:01 AM CST
Meanwhile, the Army has made it a priority to recruit more Asian-American soldiers, and the two investigations are being driven by calls from “Asian-American activists”. I’m sure that to some extent, the military is managing the information emerging from this incident for their own political purposes.
DoubtingThomas2
9:02 AM CST

@i_go_pogoLol seriously? That’s one of those things I can laugh at because I’m sitting in front of my computer (my underwear is clean though), but would be less than pleased to find upon my return. One may as well start throwing rocks at a hornet’s nest, safely behind one’s glass fence.

What was done to send him back? That’s what I’m confused by.

i_go_pogo
9:04 AM CST
@DoubtingThomas
Have you ever found yourself in a live fire situation with the man behind you lying on top of his weapon crying, with the weapon pointed at you?
DoubtingThomas2
9:11 AM CST
Thank God no. That’s why I can certainly understand the whole situation from the rest of the rest of the platoon’s eyes… right up until this kid is sent into a country where he indeed might be placed in a live fire situation. Without knowing more details, I can’t say any more, but if he showed any signs of cracking before being shipped out, WHY WASN’T ANYTHING DONE???
i_go_pogo
9:37 AM CST
Read my lips: ten years of constant deployment of an undersized, under-funded, all-volunteer army in fights that people who knew better knew from the start were unwinnable. These guys are stretched beyond the breaking point. As I said above, this 45-man unit replaced 160 Canadians, and the mission didn’t change. Not that the mission ever made any sense: win the hearts and minds of a bunch of folks who don’t want you in their country by shooting at them.
i_go_pogo
9:42 AM CST
BTW, the unit deployed from Ft Wainwright to Afghanistan in April. This guy finished basic in April, and went to Wainwright to wait around until August, when he was sent over to replace guys who got blown up. It’s pretty clear from other news reports that he didn’t do well in basic, and was completely unprepared to be in a war zone. But they sent him anyway, to replace guys who had been beloved by their teammates. And they wonder why he didn’t get a lot of warm fuzzies from the other guys?
—————–

After finding the above, I stumbled across this article from the NYTimes posted a day later that seems to validate the above comments.  It also points out that one of the accused Soldiers has a violent past, and Chen was having trouble being a Soldier.

One suspect, Specialist Ryan J. Offutt, 32, of Greenville, Pa., was sentenced to jail in 2002 after pleading guilty to charges of simple assault and indecent assault after attacking a woman in his house in 2001, according to court records and a 2002 account in a local newspaper.

In the Chen case, Specialist Offutt was charged with multiple counts, including involuntary manslaughter, assault consummated by battery, negligent homicide and reckless endangerment.

The authorities have revealed little about the circumstances surrounding the death, which remains under investigation. But Private Chen’s parents insisted that their son displayed no suicidal or depressive tendencies. They said Army officials had told them that in the hours before his death, Private Chen was harassed by fellow soldiers, who dragged him out of bed, pelted him with rocks and made him do painful exercises when he failed to turn off a water heater after showering.

According to the family, the soldiers used ethnic slurs against Private Chen, which are also prohibited by Army rules.

So apparently Chen accidentally used up all their fuel for heating water while they were out on patrol, and they were none too happy about it when they got back.  Does that mean he deserved a good smoking (physical punishment like pushups, situps, etc)?  Probably.  Does that mean he deserved to have rocks thrown at him and racial slurs used?  Absolutely not.   According to the above comments and the Times he was having trouble meeting the basic requirements of an Infantry Soldier so they left him behind on missions (something I saw happen in Iraq to problem Soldiers).

Private Chen’s parents, Su Zhen Chen and Yan Tao Chen, Chinese immigrants who live in the East Village, said they did not know if their son had done anything else that the other soldiers might have taken as a provocation. But in October, military officials gave the Chens a photocopy of a page from Private Chen’s personal journal that included a list, apparently in his handwriting, describing procedural failures: “Didn’t clear weapon,” “Didn’t hydrate,” and “No attention to detail (little things).”

The “procedural failure” that immediately jumped out at me was “didn’t clear weapon.”   In military speak that means Chen forgot to unload his weapon before entering a base and/or building.  That means he was not only a danger to himself, but the other Soldiers around him.  Not only that, but he failed to do one of the first and most basic things they teach you in Boot at Ft. Benning: drink water.  Every year Soldiers needlessly die from both dehydration and negligent discharges (NDs)  from weapons that were not cleared.  These are basic tasks required of every Soldier regardless of MOS. But for an Infantry Soldier the inability to do these most simple tasks is especially bad.  “Attention to detail” can mean any number of things in the Army from not cleaning ones weapon properly to forgetting a radio battery on a mission to forgetting to turn off the water heater.

Based on all this  information it would appear that they were justified in leaving him behind on missions.  Does that mean they were justified in throwing rocks at him and using racial slurs during his punishment?  Absolutely not.  Was Private Danny Chen unfairly targeted simply because he was Chinese?  It does not appear so.  Was the treatment of him by the other Soldiers simply for racial reasons? Again, not likely. It would appear as though he received unwanted attention due to his inability to perform basic tasks required of any Soldier, but especially an Infantry Soldier.   He simply wasn’t cut out for the military.

Please don’t confuse what I’m saying about this whole ordeal.  I am not saying any wrong doing on the part of the other Soldiers was justified, especially any violence and/or racism that may have occurred.  What I am saying is that there is much more to this story than we are hearing.  Race does not appear to be the reason he received so much grief from the other Soldiers.  So before the media paints this as a race conflict lets get the facts right.

Again, my heart goes out to the family of Private Danny Chen.  No Soldier should ever make the choice that he did.

 

 

 

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Soldier Commits Suicide, Family Blames Racism

Posted on December 23, 2011 by J.R.

First, the allegations.

Family and friends of Danny Chen, who apparently shot himself to death in Afghanistan, say racist taunts and bullying led to the tragedy, and they are demanding more action beyond the arrests of eight of his fellow soldiers.

Eight U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan have been charged in connection with the October 3 death of fellow G.I. Danny Chen, who allegedly shot himself to death in a guard tower. But alleged racist taunts and bullying leading up to the tragedy of the Chinese-American’s apparent suicide, at 19, have left Chen’s family and friends outraged.

Although the exact circumstances of his death are unclear, advocates speaking for his family said Wednesday that regardless of who fired the bullet that killed Chen, the soldiers who allegedly mistreated him are responsible.

“Whether suicide or not, the actions of these people led to his death, and they must be prosecuted for killing him,” said Liz Ou­Yang, a Chinese American activist who pushed for an investigation of Chen’s death.

“There can be no plea-bargaining — they must be tried in the death of Danny Chen.”

First let me say that I feel for this young Soldier and his family.  I really do.  No Soldier should ever think that what he did is a proper solution to any problem. The way he chose to leave this world is terrible. Whatever problems he was facing were nothing compared to what he did. If he was being bullied and if it was based on race, why didn’t he ask for help?  Why not report it?

So according to the aforementioned article, they don’t know what happened, but they’re probably all guilty, and since he was of Chinese descent it must be racism.  Gee, no bias there.  And now that the media is weighing in with their typical slant, the truth will never get out (or if it does it will not be believed or portrayed correctly).

First of all, racism in boot? At Ft. Benning? In 2004 I went through the same Sand Hill at Ft. Benning Chen did. If you have a different accent, a funny name, or any other distinguishing feature you’re going to stand out. I could climb the ropes faster than the other Soldiers so one of my Drill Sergeants (who was from Ghana) called me Spiderman, and continued until we graduated. The smallest member of the platoon was called Mighty Mouse. Everyone had a nickname, and everyone was made fun of.  If your name was too hard to say you were Private Alphabet. Chen? That’s a no-brainer for Jackie Chan. Its not personal, its to break everyone down before they build you back up as a Soldier.  Show me a kid whining in his diary about getting picked on in boot and I’ll show you a whole company doing the same thing in their letters and phone calls home. Its basic training in the military, its not supposed to be easy.  If it were that easy to be in the Infantry everyone would be doing it.  On top that, Ft. Benning is Infantry Training which means men only. You don’t have 9 weeks of hell followed by a gentleman’s course in your respective MOS. You have OSUT, One Station Unit Training, otherwise known as 14-15 weeks of hell.   We lost almost 20% of the Soldiers in our platoon alone before graduation.  As for the racism allegations, boot at Ft. Benning was one of the most diverse places I have ever been in the military. You have every shade of human there. Only half of the Drill Sergeants were white in my company, A Co 2-58 INF.  My experience holds pretty close to the representation of the Army which is 38% minorities.

I went through the names and ranks of the accused. The Platoon LT, and a couple Squad Leaders and/or Platoon SGT will get the standard dereliction of duty charge and maybe a lying under oath charge. The rest of it breaks down as fire team leaders (SGTs) and junior enlisted (SPC) members of the fire teams. Some were charged with “cruelty and maltreatment.” Its a blanket term like disorderly conduct and isn’t the first time we’ve seen this charge in regards to a Soldier suicide.

As far as the accusations break down, without context its hard to understand or point fingers.

“We were told that he was dragged from his bed across the floor, and other soldiers threw rocks at his back,” Elizabeth OuYang, president of the New York chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans, tells The Daily Beast. And, OuYang says, while forced to do chin-ups with liquid in his mouth, “Danny couldn’t cough up the liquid.”

Dragged from his bed could mean any number of things. Soldiers could have been horsing around. Infantry Soldiers love to practice GFT, or Army Combatives when they get bored.    Or perhaps Chen did not want to get out of bed to do his guard shift or go on patrol. I saw this happen on a few occasions in Iraq. If you dont do your job people will be on you for it.  Everyone gets extremely tired after days of no rest. But you suck it up and do your job. Maybe he had a beef with a battle buddy who had it in for him.  Who knows.

Threw rocks at his back? Again, context needed. Was he wearing body armor? Were they on patrol? Standing in line at the DFAC? We used to throw water balloons and rocks at the guard towers. Partly to break the boredom of 12 guys living in the desert by ourselves, and partly to make sure the guards were staying awake.  A rock to the back of your body armor makes a loud “thwack” sound. You don’t feel a thing through the ceramic plate, but it gets your attention.  Without context allegations of wrong doing are mere speculation.

Look, everyone has a breaking point. When you’re in those kind of conditions for an extended period of time with the same people things wear on you. Soldiers reach that point and break down mentally. We saw it with the young privates, like Chen, in Iraq. Some reached a point and said “No, I’m not doing this anymore.” Nothing we were doing was that hard, but the monotony and threat of what might happen was just draining. Last Sunday during my Alive Day celebration, I got a text message from one of the younger Privates – who broke down – that I served with in Iraq over 5 years ago. He essentially said “sorry I acted like such a shit head in Iraq.”

Remember, the military plays by different rules than civilian courts. When someone dies there is an extensive investigation, especially when its caused by a non-hostile act like this. We lost a guy due to a vehicle accident. One vehicle was towing another and hit a sandy patch of road. They lost control and rolled and one gunner died instantly. The investigation lasted months. The CET (Convoy Escort Team) leader was told there was a possibility he would go to jail for the death simply because he was in charge. After months of sweating it out the investigation concluded that he was innocent. If there was clear and obvious wrong doing in this situation they probably would have been charged immediately, not two months later.

If the Soldiers are guilty of bullying the Private then they should be punished accordingly, especially if it was due to racism.  Racism has no place in our nations fighting force and can shred moral and unit coherency. No Soldier should ever feel that taking your own life is an option.  Look, I feel for this Soldier and his family, I really do.  The loss his family has felt must be indescribable.

I really hope they’re not just looking for justice in the form of trumped up race charges. Unfortunately, based on the stories out in the media its pretty obvious which direction its headed.

 

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Try Occupying A Job

Posted on November 12, 2011 by J.R.

The death toll for the OWS protests in North America is now up to seven. Health conditions in many camps have deteriorated so far that public health officials are demanding their closure to prevent an epidemic. In the absence of proper waste facilities many choose to just relieve themselves in the street where they sleep. These societial underlings have told their fellow protesters to not report the repeated sexual assaults and rapes in their camps to the police. They should instead “police their own” (we see how well that is working). Violence and rampant drug use have become the mainstay with police warning others that the camps are not safe after dark. So what are they protesting against? If it is income inequality then why wall street? The top four Hollywood personalities make more money than the top one hundred CEOs. Professional sports athletes make millions of dollars for the task of handling a ball for a few months a year. None of whom are tasked with running a company or employing hundreds, if not thousands of people. The original Tea Party was a stand against tyranny, against the excessive taxation of an overbearing government. They wanted limited government so as to pursue their own economic goals through free markets. This is quite contrary to the OWS protests. They are not protesting a lack of opportunity or a job shortage. No, they demand the confiscation of wealth of others through “economic equality.”  Why Wall Street? Their simple minds are lead to believe that Wall Street, not their own lacking drive or work ethic are to blame for their societal woes. They blame the evil CEOs yet give a free pass to the politicians who propagate crony capitalism and drum up the class warfare rhetoric. They deserve no more voice than my 17 month old son when he throws a fit for not getting what he wants. The liberal establishment media, all too eager to assist in the deflection of blame from the overbearing, failed government policies of the current administration, are quick to support the narrative. They did their best to paint the Tea Part movement as a bunch of violent racists despite no evidence. We are lead to believe a grandmother holding a copy of the Constitution, waving an American flag at a rally is an extremist while the street defecating, drug using, property damaging OWS protester represents main stream society and their woes. The societal producers who continue to prop up these miscreants through their own hard work and unwavering work ethic are growing tired of these games. We are coming to a head in society, but not one the liberal political class is going to expect or enjoy. As for the OWS crowd, they shall get no attention or love from me.

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Salzman Custom Sawing and Slabbing

Posted on November 8, 2011 by J.R.

Pardon a bit of shameless self promotion.  I’ve recently decided to go online and start publicizing my custom sawing business. I am operating my LucasMill and Slabber across Minnesota and Wisconsin doing custom sawing and slabbing .  Whether its barn boards, rough sawn lumber or building timbers there is nothing I will not saw.  I also buy logs and timber and sell large slabs and rough sawn lumber.  I also have the ability to surface slabs up to 60″ wide with my special Lucas planer head.  Later this winter my dry kiln will be up and operating with the capability of drawing 3,000 bdft of 4/4 lumber.   For more information and to see a gallery of my work check out my new website at www.logboy.com

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British Amputee Soldiers on Top Gear

Posted on September 27, 2011 by J.R.

I was watching the season finale of Top Gear tonight (it is Monday after all) when this bit caught my eye.  A group of British Soldiers – all of them amputees wounded in Afghanistan – are training in preparation for one of the worlds most grueling races, the Dakar Rally.  What the rest of the world will not understand is that for wounded Veterans like us challenges like this are actually therapeutic.  Each little battle won is another step toward getting on with our lives as amputees.  Best of luck to my fellow wounded Soldiers overseas.

Posted in Amputee, Military | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Radical Liberal Assaults Wisconsin Lawmaker

Posted on September 16, 2011 by J.R.

Remember a couple months ago when Wisconsin Liberals protesting in Madison said they would be on their best behavior and set an example in civility? Yeah, me neither.  Well it looks like they’ve decided to step it up a notch and start assaulting lawmakers directly.

A report from the Madison Police Department identifies the victim as a 43-year-old state lawmaker from Burlington, a description that matches Rep. Robin Vos (R-Burlington), co-chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee. Vos’ office confirmed he was the victim but would not say anything else about the matter, since it was being investigated by police.

The incident happened at the Inn on the Park, 22 S. Carroll St. Witnesses said a man came into the tavern and swore at three lawmakers, calling them criminals. A bartender said the man used the words to the effect of “money” and “damn Republicans,” according to the police report.

Another man was recording the incident with a video camera when the bartender asked him to stop. That’s when the person who had been yelling dumped the beer on Vos’ head, according to the report.

The police report says beer splashed onto two other lawmakers, Rep. Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford) and Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette).

Vos told police that the man has been harassing him since February, though previous encounters had not involved physical contact. The representative did not know the suspect’s name, but a female State Capitol employee, who was with the group, gave police a name and said Capitol Police would have his contact information, according to the report. Police believe he’s a 26-year-old.

Police said that when they find the beer pourer, he will likely face a tentative charge of disorderly conduct.

The protestor has been identified as Miles Kristan, a model of liberal civility.  Apparently he is well known around Madison for his violent left-wing behavior.

A source present at the incident and who wished to remain anonymous has identified the perpetrator as Miles Kristan, a well-known fixture of the recent protests in Madison and elsewhere in Wisconsin. Kristan is also well known to the MacIver News Service. He has harassed our interns and our investigative reporter in attempts to prevent us from providing coverage of events in Madison and Janesville.

UPDATE – The MacIver News Service have discovered a video, posted online, of Kristan and another protester harassing Representatives Vos and Suder just last week. In the video, which is apparently shot by Kristan and can be seen here, the representatives leave the Capitol and head over to check into the Inn on the Park. This video corroborates allegations that these two individuals have repeatedly harassed Vos, Suder and others.

“I am somebody and you will listen to me,” the agitator screams at one point in the six-and-a-half-minute video. Earlier, he warns that he was giving Vos “five business days to respond.”

The video was posted on September 9, five days before last night’s incident.

   I’m still waiting for just one Madison liberal to condemn the assault on an elected official.  Unfortunately all I could find was liberals rooting for him. This must be the new civility we’ve been hearing about. Jim Hoft at Gatewaypundit has more.

 

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AttackWatch.com

Posted on September 14, 2011 by J.R.

From the Washington Post:

As the 2012 presidential campaign heats up, President Obama’s campaign team has set up a new Web site, AttackWatch.com, to challenge negative statements about the president made by Republican presidential candidates and conservatives.

Obama for America national field director Jeremy Bird told ABC News that the site’s goal is to offer “resources to fight back” against attacks. Mostly, that means fact checking statements from the likes of GOP presidential contenders Mitt Romney and Rick Perry and conservative commentator Glenn Beck and offering evidence to the contrary. The site is designed in bold red and black colors, and uses statements like “support the truth” and “fight the smears.”

The response to the site has been less than stellar.

Less than stellar?  When you use the same design theme as a Communist propaganda poster and encourage people to snitch on others, how do you think it will come across?  Still, I think attackwatch.com needs something to help get the word out. Something to let the world know, big brother is here to help. Being the good citizen that I am, I decided accept that responsibility.  Feel free to post the following posters wherever you see fit. We can still win the fight!

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UW-Madison’s Diverstity Problem

Posted on September 13, 2011 by J.R.

Apparently the folks at UW-Madison are up in arms over a perceived threat to the perfect diversity they have created at The People’s Republic.”

Whites and Asians aren’t getting a fair crack at being admitted to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

That’s what two studies released late Monday night by the Center for Equal Opportunity indicate. The organization states in a press release accompanying the studies that there is “severe discrimination based on race and ethnicity in undergraduate and law school admissions” at Wisconsin’s flagship institution of higher education.

The CEO — a conservative think tank based out of Sterling, Va., that pushes “colorblind public policies” and backs the elimination or curtailment of existing racial preference and affirmative action programs — reports that UW-Madison gives “African Americans and Latinos preference over whites and Asians” in admissions. The studies, which initially were embargoed until Tuesday morning, were released late Monday on the CEO website.

Just how far off is it? A bit more than you might think.  I like the odds playing the quarter slots at the casino better.

A CEO press release states the studies outlining discrimination at UW-Madison “are based on data supplied by the schools themselves, some of which the university had refused to turn over until a lawsuit was filed by CEO and successfully taken all the way to the state supreme court.”

The CEO studies found that the “odds ratio favoring African Americans and Hispanics over whites was 576-to-1 and 504-to-1, respectively, using the SAT and class rank while controlling for other factors. Thus, the median composite SAT score for black admittees was 150 points lower than for whites and Asians, and the Latino median SAT score was 100 points lower. Using the ACT, the odds ratios climbed to 1,330-to-1 and 1,494-to-1, respectively, for African Americans and Hispanics over whites.”

The CEO adds that for law school admissions, the “racial discrimination found was also severe, with the weight given to ethnicity much greater than given to, for example, Wisconsin residency. Thus, an out-of-state black applicant with grades and LSAT scores at the median for that group would have had a 7 out 10 chance of admission and an out-of-state Hispanic a 1 out of 3 chance — but an in-state Asian with those grades and scores had a 1 out of 6 chance and an in-state white only a 1 out of 10 chance.”

CEO chairman Linda Chavez said in a news release that “this is the most severe undergraduate admissions discrimination that CEO has ever found in the dozens of studies it has published over the last 15 years.“

I’m still trying to understand why UW-Madison would want to hide the statistics on their “diversity.” Usually when someone in Madison is hiding information from the rest of the state it’s for good reason (you cant let those ignorant Wisconsin tax payers know how their money is being spent, those mindless rubes wouldn’t understand). Perhaps this is yet another case of “social justice” run amok that sought to “protect diversity” at whatever the cost.  The irony of “protecting diversity” by systematically discriminating against another race is perpetually lost on these people.  Well, the reaction from the Madison crowd is to be expected when its a conservative organization pointing out the errors of the liberal utopia.

“These organizations have as their mission to systematically dial back the gains from the Civil Rights era,” Damon Williams, UW-Madison’s vice provost for diversity, told a group of student leaders Monday night at the Red Gym in a segment recorded by WKOW.com.

I’m honestly surprised they didn’t find someone to claim that conservatives are “trying to bring back slavery.”  Then again, this story was just published at 1:30 am.  I’m sure they’ll find someone tomorrow.

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A Decade After September 11

Posted on September 11, 2011 by J.R.

I was sitting in class at the Dunwoody Institute of Technology in Minneapolis. It was a regular Tuesday morning, and the professor was lecturing about some web development assignment. Being the not-so-studious student that I tended to be (I was barely 21), I was chatting on AOL Instant Messenger with a friend of mine in New York City. We had met when ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games were held in Lake Placid, New York, and she worked for the media company in charge of the website covering the event. She worked four blocks from the Empire State building. We occasionally chatted, talked about random stuff, and swapped e-mails back and forth. This morning was different. Around 8 a.m. (my time) she started frantically sending strange messages. “We’re under attack! New York City is under attack!” I thought she was joking. I asked her what she was talking about. “They’re flying planes into buildings! Go look on CNN!” I try to go to CNN.com, or any other news source I could think of. Nothing. The entire Internet had clogged from the sheer number of people trying to find out what was going on. It had bottle-necked to the point of shutting down almost completely. I told her I couldn’t get anywhere, so she e-mailed me a picture. It was a grainy image of a large passenger plane flying into the World Trade Center. I couldn’t believe what was happening.

My professor and my fellow classmates were oblivious to what was happening. I felt the need to say something, so I interrupted his lecture. “Mr. Haluska, I’m sorry to interrupt you but I need to tell you something. New York City is under attack. They are flying airplanes into buildings. I’m not making this up. I have a friend in New York City who I have been chatting with. They are under attack. I’m not making this up.” He didn’t believe me. He tried to check the Internet for information on what was happening. Nothing. When he said he couldn’t find anything, I carried my laptop to the front of the class and showed him the picture my friend had sent me. After that he said, “All right, everyone take a 10 minute break.” I ran downstairs to the student lounge where there was a TV. A large crowd had gathered. On the screen was the World Trade Center with smoke pouring out of it. Everyone was in disbelief.

We went back upstairs to class, and the professor attempted to get back into his lecture. My friend kept relaying information from New York City. For a while she was saying that a plane had hit the White House. It was later revealed that it had hit the Pentagon. A friend sitting next to me told me when the first tower collapsed. Shortly thereafter my friend in New York said that they were evacuating her building and she had to leave. As bits of information became available it spread around the classroom like wildfire. Eventually the professor gave up on lecturing and sent everyone home early. He said he couldn’t focus anyway and wanted to find out more information on what was going on. As we walked out to the parking lot, I said to a fellow classmate “This is fucked up man.” He replied, “Shit… you’re telling me man.”

As I drove through downtown Minneapolis, I remember staring up at skyscrapers like the IDS Tower, the Wells Fargo building, and all the other spectacular buildings that made up the skyline. Downtown Minneapolis was like a ghost town. Other than a couple city buses, I was only car on the road. All the buildings were empty, having all been evacuated earlier. I turned on my radio to 93X, and heard a short speech by Governor Jesse Ventura asking people to remain calm and cool in this difficult time.

I would spend the next five days and nights glued to the TV, living on the couch of the rundown campus house that we rented. The next day when I drove to class there were F15s circling Minneapolis. The Federal Reserve building that I drove right by every morning was now surrounded by concrete barriers. To uparmored suburbans were parked on the perimeter. There were men in suits and dark sunglasses carrying fully automatic machine guns.

Nothing had hit me quite like this. I was another naive, bulletproof, twenty-something college kid. Nothing affected me in my world. Before 9/11 history was only in the past. Now I was living it.

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In the past I have followed the above with a description of how the event spurred me to join the military.  On this 10 year anniversary of Sept 11, it is important to stress that it is not about my, or any one individual’s sacrifice. Its about the lives who were lost, the heros of the day, and the attack on America that awakened the sleeping giant.  My heart and prayers go out to all those affected by 9/11.

 

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