They say life is what happens while you're busy making plans. This past Thursday I was waylaid by the fact that Americans for Prosperity has invaded our little eastern slope Colorado town with the intention of removing a much liked County Commissioner because she shows concern for the local environment and believes the Oil Industry should take responsible for their own messes, though she's never voted against a well permit. She is simply too green for Koch's agenda. Next they want to kill a long overdue and much worked on county land-use code.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query koch. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query koch. Sort by date Show all posts
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Saturday, February 3, 2018
AFP and Koch's libertarianism - Why It Matters To Set Them Straight. [INDEX 2/17/18]
February 2, 2018
Five Myths About the Koch Brothers - Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Theda Skocpol* - 2016
... and Why It Matters To Set Them Straight.
I've had a few more days to continue my crash course into Americans for Prosperity, the Koch brothers and "Libertarian" ideology in general. The convoluted logic and the ruthless efforts I'm learning about get overwhelming. Thankfully I have my Maddy dog who makes sure I get out for good long walks regularly, which helps clear my head and allows me to breath some fresh air and regroup.
Why do I think this is so important to discuss and share? Because liberalism, or more accurately, enlightened-self-interest, our democratic process of learning from and considering each other, and compromise - understanding critical thinking skills and the scientific process for assessing the world around us - all this is under existential threat.
We have this group of faithful people who genuinely believe they have a personal reciprocal relationship with God (a Being billions of years old and encompassing the universe) and who now want to totally crush the Children of the Intellectual Enlightenment and our pluralistic society .
When all the layers are scraped away that's what I'm coming down to, this huge group of people who have convinced themselves that their own goals are God's own goals. Think about this.
To believe that your personal goals are those of the God of Light and Time, Life and Love! That really is what's going on here! Yet, the Bible warns us, God is beyond human understanding. Still, we have leaders marching around proclaiming they are doing God's Will and all who oppose them are damnable enemies deserving no quarter.
Self-certitude and absolutism, that leads right into totalitarianism and I understand too much history to delude myself into presuming it could never happen here. It's happened in plenty of equally unlikely places before. Particularly when few care to, or dare to, think about it, let alone talk about it. A healthy Democracy demands an informed and engaged electorate.
Well, that intro went way longer than expected, but than, this exercise is about wrestling with this information and ideas and seeing where they take me.
Okay, for the main feature, this addition to my Americans for Koch's Prosperity Collection is the product of two scholars who's investigations enabled them to share some important background information most have overlooked, important details worth thinking about if you're trying to understand what's happening today. It does have a long history. (link)
Monday, August 1, 2016
The Wind Beneath Dr. Spencer's Wings
Dr. Spencer is a guy who puts his personal faith before rigorous science and who’s higher-calling is that of taxpayer watchdog dedicated to minimizing the role of government. He has a day job over at the University of Alabama Huntsville. Team Leader even, for the Advanced Scanning Radiometer on NASA’s Aqua satellite where he’s racked up an epic string of, not just errors, but also deliberately misinforming leaders and citizens. Almost as though keeping people ill-informed is his goal.
My previous post contains a long collection itemizing the details which compels the above assessment. (Attacking me the messenger won’t change those hard facts!)
In this post I want to consider the mechanism that has encouraged and enabled this man to continue broadcasting his deception to the masses despite all the down to Earth evidence demonstrating that humanity's gluttonous burning of fossil fuels is already altering the living conditions on our planet.
It all started with a few small minds, but deep pockets. Minds obsessed with ensuring ever increasing power and profits for their chosen. Not surprisingly, such an attitude lead to a ruthless desire to crush all opposition, be it evidence or messengers, and damn the consequences.
These people have managed to create a fantastical alternate-universe consisting of a hermetically sealed echo-chamber peddling faux-science. In their world personal faith, desire and power are more important than honesty, rationality and objective learning. Nah, their product is disconnect and the delusion that it’s okay to ignore our impacts upon this Earth’s life supporting biosphere.
So who is part of this conspiracy against rationality and learning about our Earth that enables someone like Roy Spencer to get all that mileage on basically nothing but hot air? In the remainder of this post I share a report compiled by the The Union of Concerned Scientists, USA. It’s a brief review of some of the biggest players in this malicious campaign of deception.
American Enterprise Institute
Americans for Prosperity
American Legislative Exchange Council
Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University
Cato Institute
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Heartland Institute
Heritage Foundation
Institute for Energy Research
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Union of Concerned Scientist
Global Warming Skeptic Organizations
Thursday, June 12, 2014
The real political division is between rationalists and fantasists.
{I added some illuminating links, 6/13/2014 am}
I thought it was an interesting concept and wound up thinking about it a lot. I decided that I would have put that differently: The real political division in our political system is between rationalists and fantasists.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Koch bros, private surveillance, plan of attack
Read a jaw dropping story by Kenneth Vogel today that's mortifying but sadly believable. Another indication of how much our democracy has been crippled by little minds with mega war-bucks. A foreshadowing of what rationalist types are facing in the coming election. So much for fair play and a sense of cooperation as we prepare for coming challenges.
I share these excerpts because people should know what's going on and I encourage you to read the entire article at Politico.
The political network helmed by Charles and David Koch has quietly built a secretive operation that conducts surveillance and intelligence gathering on its liberal opponents, viewing it as a key strategic tool in its efforts to reshape American public life. …
The competitive intelligence team has a staff of 25, including one former CIA analyst, and operates from one of the non-descript Koch network offices clustered near the Courthouse metro stop in suburban Arlington, Va. It has provided network officials with documents detailing confidential voter-mobilization plans by major Democrat-aligned groups. It also sends regular “intelligence briefing” …
I share these excerpts because people should know what's going on and I encourage you to read the entire article at Politico.
The Koch Intelligence Agency
(takes aim at 2016)
As the billionaires’ network works to reshape U.S. politics, it keeps a close eye on the left.
The political network helmed by Charles and David Koch has quietly built a secretive operation that conducts surveillance and intelligence gathering on its liberal opponents, viewing it as a key strategic tool in its efforts to reshape American public life. …
The competitive intelligence team has a staff of 25, including one former CIA analyst, and operates from one of the non-descript Koch network offices clustered near the Courthouse metro stop in suburban Arlington, Va. It has provided network officials with documents detailing confidential voter-mobilization plans by major Democrat-aligned groups. It also sends regular “intelligence briefing” …
Monday, November 28, 2016
Profiles in Treason - Citizens United
I’m a very busy individual and there is simply too much to keep up with and though I am familiar with the basic outline of their democracy shattering court case Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission and how Right-wing activist Supreme Court Justices decided that it’s okay for corporate Oligarchs to buy US elections in our evolving Corporation of American. I actually never visited their website to take a look myself until a couple days ago after another story about Bernie Sanders going after them. I was surprised, nay, shocked, to say the least. Their basic pitch starts:
Citizens United who We Are:
Citizens United is an organization dedicated to restoring our government to citizens' control. Through a combination of education, advocacy, and grass roots organization, Citizens United seeks to reassert the traditional American values of limited government, freedom of enterprise, strong families, and national sovereignty and security. Citizens United's goal is to restore the founding fathers' vision of a free nation, guided by the honesty, common sense, and good will of its citizens.
Officers and Board of Directors
Burtonsville, Maryland
Manassas, Virginia
Brian Berry, Director
Media Consultant
Austin, Texas
Ron Robinson, Director
President, Young America's Foundation
Reston, Virginia
John Bliss, Director
Attorney
Denver, Colorado
Kirby Wilbur, Director and Treasurer
Duvall, Washington
All that sounds reasonable enough, in a contrived sort of way. At least, it’s rational words linked together. One would hope it offers a basis for dialogue with ideological ‘opponents’.
Except, I know from other conversations that when they use the word “honesty” it means: their own self-certain opinions - it has nothing to do with an objective evaluation of facts.
They make it really simple, everything that doesn’t conform with their perspective is a lie (period!) and anyone opposed to their notions are enemies. Fellow Americans, don’t exist in their universe, it’s us vs them.
Okay that’s looking at the words, now try to view their blog at http://www.citizensunited.org. I had no idea that Citizens United was actually a blatant hate group that seems to be dedicated to fomenting a civil war amongst Americans.
It was hideously shocking, then as the surprise wore off, it was deeply frightening to realize many fellow Americans have become so saturated with blind hatred and misplaced anger. These people don’t want to reform our government, they want to destroy it ! Cut off your nose and poke out your eyes, to spite your face is what it sounds like to me.
Wake up America, this is not a drill! Democracy use it or lose it!
Most Americans are totally unaware that Citizens United is actually Koch's Bullies. Ironically there’s every indication that Russian Oligarchs have had a heavy hand in this election - and I tell you what, take a look at those videos and tell me that Citizens United website sure don't look more like a vintage Russian Propaganda review than anything we could have imagined coming out of our United State of America?
Americans, it’s your move!
Americans, it’s your move!
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Citizens United (organization)
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Co-sponsor a constitutional amendment to
OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED
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OpenSecrets.org - Center for Responsive Government
The Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission helped unleash unprecedented amounts of outside spending in the 2010 and 2012 election cycles. The case, along with other legal developments, spawned the creation of super PACs, which can accept unlimited contributions from corporate and union treasuries, as well as from individuals; these groups spent more than $600 million in the 2012 election cycle. It also triggered a boom in political activity by tax-exempt "dark money" organizations that don't have to disclose their donors. Learn more here about how the Supreme Court transformed the campaign finance landscape with this decision, and how it is now affecting U.S. politics. ...
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Leaked 'John Doe' Docs Offer Stark Look at Post-Citizens United Landscape
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
(2B)Footnotes:Profiles in Malicious Deception:Svensmark+1000frolly
February 16th I posted "A Study in Miscommunication - Increasing Antarctic Ice Extent (is No) Mystery!" in which I describe the failings of a NASAGoddard video who's omission riddled and inept communication does more to confuse than clarify.
A couple days after my post I discovered that YouTube's 1000frolly had gotten to the video a few weeks before me and used it's unfortunate omissions as a platform for driving home his argument that CO2 science is a hoax and that scientists are clueless shills.
Now it's my turn to unpack 1000frolly's malicious fraud. This is the footnotes to part two of my detailed review of his malicious deception saturated "NASA - The "Mystery" of Antarctic Cooling" (Jan 25, 2016).
For easy reference you can open this footnotes page and view it side by side with frolly's dialogue interspersed with my running commentary and corrections.
=======================
{#1} "see quite clearly... Yoshimura Gleissberg cycle"
It's arm waving, the Yoshimura Gleissberg cycle isn't even holding up to it's own predictions and it's certainly no help in understanding recent climate fluctuations.
The Gleisberg cycle implied that the next solar cycle have a maximum smoothed sunspot number of about 145±30 in 2010 (instead 2010 was just after the cycle's solar minimum) ....[27]
~ ~ ~
About that barycenter and solar cycles...
What drives the solar cycle?
March 30, 2015 by David Dickinson, Universe Today
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{#2} "Mendoza published in 2007 how they found the 60th cycle was by using the isotope, identifying beryllium10"
True enough, but frolly misrepresents the Mendoza, Velasco study.
"Frequency and duration of historical droughts from the 16th to the 19th centuries in the Mexican Maya lands, Yucatan Peninsula"
Velasco, Mendoza Climatic Change 83:1-2, 151-168.
Mendoza, Garcia-Acosta, Velasco, Jauregui, Diaz-Sandoval
"... Comparing natural terrestrial and solar phenomena, we found that the most sustained and strongest modulation of historical drought occurrence is at ∼60–64 years and is between the historical drought series and the solar proxy Be10. For modern droughts we notice that the coherence is similar among AMO, SOI and the solar indices. We can conclude that the sea surface temperatures (AMO) and solar activity leave their signal in terms of severe droughts in the Maya lands, however in the long term, the influence of the SOI on this type of phenomenon is less clear."
_____________________________________________________
{#3} "But of course if you're, um, Henrik Svensmark"
Yeah. If you're Svensmark, you invest so much of your ego into your own personal vision, that you ignore solid critique.
Henrik Svensmark
Saturday, February 18, 2017
BatesMotel#2 - US Rep Lamar Smith - Follow the money. A collection.
This is a tour de force of sorts, that is if you like collections of valuable information. In particular background information for who this US Representative Lamar Smith is and why he's the darling and good servant to the Texas oil aristocracy.
https://www.desmogblog.com/2016/06/21/exxon-koch-lamar-smith-exxon-knew
No commentary simply a sampling of articles and quotes. First related to US Representative Lamar Smith, chairman of the House “Science” Committee. Then to the people who own him and a peek behind the curtain of the only constituency that matters in Rep Smith’s pay to play world.
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Lamar Smith on Principles & Values - Christian Scientist.
Rep. Lamar Smith, Who Criticized ‘The Idea Of Human-Made Global Warming,’ Set To Chair House Science Panel | Nov 28, 2012
The Disgrace of Lamar Smith and the House Science Committee | NOV. 17, 2015
7 Very Wrong Things About Climate Science And Energy In House Science Chair Lamar Smith’s - May 20, 2013
Trump Billionaires Have Poured Millions Into Climate Science Denial | January 17, 2017
Koch Industries multibillionaire Koch brothers bankroll attacks on climate change science and policy | March 18, 2010
Peabody Coal Bankruptcy Reveals Climate Denial Network Funding | June 13, 2016
America's theologians of climate science denial | November 4, 2012
Exxon boss: climate change is ‘real’ and ‘serious’ | Oct 19, 2016
(edited at 11:15 pm Mtn Time, Feb 18)
Lamar Smith on Principles & Values - Christian Scientist.
Rep. Lamar Smith, Who Criticized ‘The Idea Of Human-Made Global Warming,’ Set To Chair House Science Panel | Nov 28, 2012
The Disgrace of Lamar Smith and the House Science Committee | NOV. 17, 2015
7 Very Wrong Things About Climate Science And Energy In House Science Chair Lamar Smith’s - May 20, 2013
Trump Billionaires Have Poured Millions Into Climate Science Denial | January 17, 2017
Koch Industries multibillionaire Koch brothers bankroll attacks on climate change science and policy | March 18, 2010
Peabody Coal Bankruptcy Reveals Climate Denial Network Funding | June 13, 2016
America's theologians of climate science denial | November 4, 2012
Exxon boss: climate change is ‘real’ and ‘serious’ | Oct 19, 2016
Saturday, January 12, 2013
IFG's Kochtopus - Mapping the Influence of Koch Cash
I've heard and read a little about the Koch brothers, but I had no idea of the scope of their influence. This information is imaginatively laid out at:
IFG's Kochtopus - Mapping the Influence of Koch Cash
It helps me understand the tenacity of the AGW denial and 'do-nothing' crowd with their shrill bullying presence on the internet and other media outlets.
For yet more background on why the Koch bro's are turning their backs on the future health of our society:
Kochs’ net worth jumps 24% from last year
tip of the hat to the International Forum on Globalization
Monday, January 4, 2021
Student Resource, physical origins of mind, Dr. Siegel, Allen Institute Brain Science, Tononi, Koch.
I was going to start the year with a review of the 21 Questions and Responses attached to Hoffman’s 2014 Frontiers of Psychology paper. My intention was a summary, but it turned into a four part dissection peppered with links to authoritative resources that give substance to my assertions and the perspective I’m trying to convey. While in the process of sorting through resources, I discovered Dr. Dan Siegel. He inspired me to start the year with something a little more fun, interesting, and constructive.
Dr. Siegel is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. It’s a fun irony, for me, that he’s another* Californian, who at two years younger than Hoffman and myself has lived the same historical footprint. I find it curious how Hoffman and Siegel were exposed to the same evidence, yet they achieved diametrically opposite conclusions, one confined to the realities we live within, the other a flight of fancy for fun and profit.
Hoffman’s many references to advertising prowess indicates his affinity with Madison Avenue Ad-man priorities and perspective. Creating a perfect vision is a serious goal and profits is the metric of success, regardless the negative fallout. The amazing success of “The Case Against Reality, supports that notion.
On the other hand, from reading Dr. Siegel's bio and listening to a half dozen recorded talks about his work, he seems to me a humanist focused on helping individuals with their actual lives. It was refreshing never hearing the usual red flags of ‘disingenuous self-promotion’ and scientific misrepresentation that I’ve come to expect from Hoffman’s performances.
I feel comfortable saying Siegel possesses “scientific realism”; along with an abiding respect for physical reality; a deep interest in people; a dose of humility; and a realistic perspective on limitations, while constantly pushing at the frontiers of understanding.
For me, Dr. Siegel is an example of “What A Scientist Sounds Like,” and a perfect bracer before re-entering the intellectual mine-field of Hoffman’s Case Against Reality.
After reviewing Dr. Siegel’s videos I felt a need to add a little more physical reality, the biological meat and potatoes, so have added a few selections featuring Tononi and Koch, Allen Institute for Brain Science, mind-blowing microscopy and more.
The Mind as a Complex Mathematical System with Emergent Properties Daniel Siegel
A Scientific Explanation of the Human Mind | Daniel Siegel
Dan Siegel: The Neurological Basis of Behavior, Mind, Brain and Human Relationships Part 1 to 3
Allen Institute for Brain Science
Giulio Tononi on Consciousness
Consciousness: here, there and everywhere? Giulio Tononi and Christof Koch
Video, Giulio Tononi on Consciousness
The Integrated Information Theory of Consciousness, Dr. Christof Koch,
Allen Institute for Brain Science
Allen Brain Observatory: Visualizing the brain in action
Allen Cell Types Database: Understanding the fundamental building blocks of the brain
Allen Institute for Brain Science, Coding & Vision 101, 12-part undergraduate-level lecture series
Brain Expansion Microscopy, Harvard Medical School,
Lattice light-sheet microscopy
Gut bacteria and mind control: to fix your brain, fix your gut!
New center advances biomedical and brain imaging, University of Delaware,
Stunning Brain Map Reveals Tiny Communication Network
Brain Research: New Discoveries and Breakthroughs at UC Davis
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
“O the irony!” says "Save"LaPlata's front man, Peters. The irony indeed.
This is an updated version of "SaveLaPlataCounty's "Facts" Tainted by Koch's DarkMoney Tentacles" (2/16), this expanded version was inspired by SaveLaPlataCounty's Dave Peters' bile filled PR release of 2/22. I submit another study in Intellectual Confrontation, you could also call it simply speaking up for honesty, and trying to rationally describe the process. In any event, it's something we need more of.
________________________________________________________________
Durango Herald's February 22: “O the irony!” said Dave Peters, another (Lachelt) recall organizer, in the news release. “It turns out the queen of outside dark money is actually Commissioner Lachelt herself.” Recall supporters created a website, Save La Plata County, which explains why they are seeking her removal from office.”
Oh the irony indeed!
What about The Rest Of This Story?
What about SaveLaPlata.com’s many ties to unabashedly oil loving, environmentalist hating outfits with their vast amounts of Koch DarkMoney ready to be lavished on any go-getters ready to join their fabricated war on rationality and raise hell in their communities?
A network that Ken Francis alluded to in his thoughtful November 17th, 2017 Durango Herald opinion piece,” “Big oil and gas behind county commissioner attacks.” https://durangoherald.com/articles/195280 (at the end of this I share his insightful final paragraphs.)
Where is SaveLaPlata.com getting their funding from? No hint at their blog. I’ve sent Mr Peters an email requesting that information, we’ll see if I get a response. I will keep you updated. (still no word 2/27)
Here we look at the brain-trust three locals depended on to fabricate their malicious effort to do an end-run around the democratic voters' will.
(click on images for clearer view)
To begin with, isn’t their summary title a bit hysterical?
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