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It is so naive of people to say, as they constantly do, that they 'have nothing to worry about, that they have done nothing wrong.' But say someone want something you have. Information is power, and it can be used for all kinds of nefarious purposes. We are all vulnerable to blackmail of some kind. Privacy is our protection, and we need to protect it.
Palindromedary ~ They sure did rip him a new one, didn't they? Yet, even amongst his peers he's smug and dismissive of anything but a few obsolete theories. At one point he even dismisses one person saying that it is a waste of time and resources talking about Global Warming when such more important topics like illegal immigration and caring for the elderly go unaddressed. Why would someone working with the DOE on a AGW blog make an asinine statement like that, unless he was fundamentally and theoretically desperate, outnumbered and out gunned? Almost every other theory presented made more sense than his rebuttals. I especially liked that one reply that stated that if atmospheric gasses had nothing to do with planetary warming then the surface of the moon would be the same temperature as the surface of the Earth. It was hilarious how that simple fact was such a perfect counter attack. I'm still giggling from it.
By the way, having a PHD doesn't mean you're smarter than anyone else. It just means you managed to stay in school longer; and, perhaps have learned more. Most unincredible PHD grads end up right back in school teaching--just like this one did. If you ask me, the Oil Companies got him appointed to his government position. Shame he didn't stick around and match wits here. Perhaps he thought better about risking his credibility any further by getting brow beaten on too many other web sites. That would be a logical conclusion; however, I personally think he's pathological. In my opinion, he's a useful idiot that the Petroleum industry decided to use to their advantage. All things considered, the Petroleum industry must be pretty damn desperate if this is the best they can do. I guess that's a good sign for the rest of the planet.
http://www.desmogblog.com/brian-g-valentine
Looks like same jacket and shirt even...of course it is still possible that someone else has spoofed the name and likeness in the Thomhartman blog. But I doubt it.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R27UA47LIQPW2E
Very interesting blog here where this climate denier gets ripped to pieces. Maybe that's the reason he gravitated to a blog with fewer Phds in Science (but then I might be wrong there...I don't know how many on Thomhartman's blog have Phds in science but those who bantered with this guy sounded like they were pretty up on science).
http://climatecrocks.com/2013/01/28/shocker-psychotic-billionaires-fund-...
Aliceinwonderland ~ First, using a less than up to date photo of yourself isn't new around here. Some people use their photos from childhood. Secondly, I'm not sure about anything without irrefutable evidence. However, after reading Palindromedarys recent link above I can say with certainty that if these two guys are different people they have the same mind... perhaps the same puppeteer. On that blog Valentine is quoted calling the entire EPA "psychopaths". Anyone capable of doing that is certainly capable of calling us a bunch of dips. Typically such an individual uses such words to describe others that he knows in his own heart and mind describe himself. A psychopath would have no problem acting juvenile enough to attack us without substance.
Still, who knows for sure. Maybe our Brian Valentine is just on obsessed fan of the real one. Remember those Satanic stars on the GOP logo. The Bible says that his followers will all have one mind. Kinda fits here regardless of the truth about his identity. Obviously, they have the same tongue too.
DAnneMarc- WOW! I guess I misunderstood what Palin dug up. I checked out that link and didn't think the guy in that photo looked like the punk in the blog photo; he looked older, with lighter colored hair. Are you sure they are one and the same? And what would compel someone with those credentials to pull such a juvenile stunt as to verbally harass us on Thom's blog, with no facts or substance? Doesn't make sense... unless the guy's a mental case. - AIW
We need to think hard and long about passing laws to force phone companies to destroy this information after a few months.
We need all remember, which apparently not a single judge has thought about, is that -- this is a violation of our right to free association without government spying on with who we associate without probable cause of wrongdoing. Second, what did J. Edgar Hoover use this kind of information for, to suggest to Martin Luther King he committ suicide because of his flings with women not his wife. This is exactly why our government collects this information, to blackmail you if you challenge their conduct. I.e., to shut you up!
GREAT Idea...but trying to squeeze the $$ out of them would be very challenging indeed
This might be a little off-topic, but I think there should be a law requiring that businesses who sell information about their customers should have to pay a royalty to the persons the information is about, regardless of the nature or quantity of the information.
Personal info sales is big business; it's about time we the people who that info is about profitted from those sales.
Thom, a bit off topic...I have to say how pleased I was that you had Kshama Sawant on your show today. I honestly think that if you, through your considerable influence and reach began promoting getting involved in her organization as much as you promote getting involved in the dem. party, we might actually be able to change the tidal wave of plutocracy. Thank you so VERY much!!
Aliceinwonderland ~ In case you missed it, yesterday Palindromedary nailed that "snippy little punk..." He's a General Engineer with the US Department Of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. He served as the agency's liaison to the US Petroleum Refinery Industry. Surprise!!
https://heartland.org/brian-valentine
As you can see by this lecture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl6K1slhXqc
Which is full of scientific jargon mixed with high tech double talk the man sold his soul probably for a truck load of money. I don't think we can expect anything meaningful from him. In the future you might want to just ignore him; unless, he surprises us with something meaningful. After all, the taxpayers deserve something for all their money; rather, than being told "we don't have any information," "the information we do have is inconclusive," and "getting any real information would cost too much money." That's his lecture in a nutshell. (Pardon the pun.)
In my opinion, bobcox is much more qualified for this job.
Does anyone know when the govt counts jobs do they count a person working 3 jobs as 3 jobs added to the economy?
Palindromedary: I get what you're saying now. I guess we kind of just misunderstood each other--no harm done. Yes, you're correct, I do NOT have those right-wing views like most of my family. I don't understand that mind-set.
I'd like that tee-shirt you describe.
I live in grain farm/Monsanto country and have to deal with all the chemicals the farmers have to dump on the ground to get the GMO corn and soybeans to grow. There are way too many cancer cases here--our local cancer center was recently purchased by a world famous hospital--plenty of business. I just survived a bout with breast cancer--with NO risk factors. Everyone who knows me was stunned at my diagnosis. I can only point to the chemicals in food (soybean products are in almost every food, even herbal teas) and those used to grow them in our environment--so Monsanto is a pretty big enemy for me.
Have a great evening.
I keep singing the same song but no one seems to be listening. I realize the right wing would block me out, but the left wing needs to listen very closely. The $17 trillion debt is not the metric a country should be concerned about. It is the equivalent of the bright lights and shiny objects they like to distract us with. The metric to be concerned about is the per cent of GDP that the $17T is. It is nearly a 100%. If one were to base their concerns on the papers published by the economists Reinhart and Rogoff, there would be significant reason to worry. Their studies show that no country has survived economically when the percent of debt to GDP exceeds 90%. The republicans like to quote this study often when trying to cut spending. Then a graduate student in economics at U Mass, Amherst, made them give them the spreadsheets on which they based their studies. It took it numerous tries before they gave it to him. For good reason, they did not want to reveal it. The student found numerous errors and data cherry picking. There are several cases where countries had nearly a 200% ratio and recovered nicely. The other factor that makes the studies seem bogus, is that Reinhart and Rogoff were totally funded by Pete Peterson. Pete Peterson is the wall st billionaire that wants to privatize social security.
I should point out that U Mass, Amherst, is where Richard Wolfe is a professor.
DAnneMarc..yes, I do too....but not too sorry...afterall...their idiotic position stands in the way of the survival of many of the species of planet Earth and making many humans suffer in the interim.
mark s -- It is my understanding that Bush (or any prez) could hide the wars from the budget (i.e. deficit) but not from the debt.
You don't even need such a program as Thom describes...there is so much personal tracking data provided in just doing a search on Obituary web sites. Obits usually tells who all of the surviving relatives are...and their spouses and children. Newspaper archives also give a lot of information on people. And that's just the free stuff...even without hacking....and there's plenty more.
Some state government sites show traffic and misdemeanor information on it's residents. Aren't they swell?
Elioflight: What I meant by differing views was that you didn't seem to have the same right wing views as your family. I hesitated in being specific and saying "left wing view" or "liberal" because I though I might probably get it wrong so I just said "differing views". I am certainly not provoked as I too consider myself a liberal in most things.
I like your Monsanto skull and bones with a knife and spoon photo. I used to have a T-shirt with a skull with a knife and fork emblem that said "Eat the rich". I think that was also a musical band although I don't know anything about them. I sure got some funny looks when I wore that in public...especially banks.
And so now I understand why there was a Unicef carton on that table. It must be a really difficult conundrum with people who have two different religious convictions...one, the Catholic one that preaches feed the poor (but especially...feed the Catholic church)...and the Mammon one that worships money, greed, and selfishness.
Palindromedary: This family had a UNICEF carton on its table because the good catholic sisters at my nephew's catholic school sent it to their "good" catholic home to be filled. The church does try, on the surface, to promote charity for the poor.
I don't know what you mean by "differing views"--unless someone is posting as me. I am a liberal American--have been that way since I was 12 or 13 and intend to die that way.
My comment was in no way meant to provoke people; it was simply a story about how the twisted hatred of the poor touched my own life. I thought this forum was just for that.
DAnneMarc: Ny nephew was 10, maybe. His parents didn't respond at all. They just stared blankly at me. We weren't invited over much after that, not a loss, I can tell you. Most likely a combination--but his sisters are not that way--they have gone their own ways. My brothers grew up in the same liberal home I did, but they are both, as adults, the frightening conservatives.
I think there are a lot of factors that make someone something. Do you have any opinions?
Yes, go ahead and enter your email address into some app, may as well do a Google search on your real name and even do a search on your bank account numbers as well. ;-0 Just be sure to enter your bank account numbers into the little boxes to see if anyone has stolen it. Ha! Ha! Guess what...the jokes on you!
Do you ever get phone calls telling you that their Security company has detected viruses coming from your computer? Have you ever gotten phone calls from an Area Code that isn't even valid?...like 474? Do a search on area code 474 and see what you come up with..try Wikipedia Area Codes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_Numbering_Plan_area_...
"474: originally was assigned for numbering relief to 306 in Saskatchewan, but it was changed to 639. It is not used now."
Yet, I received one just today...nope..I never answer phone numbers I don't recognize...then I try to find who they are on the internet. They are always telemarketing scammers.
Have you ever gotten phone calls saying there is something wrong with you bank account...just verify that you are who you are and enter that sensitive information into the little boxes. Do you ever use web sites like MyLife to search for people...maybe for people you may not want them to know that you are searched for them....yet, you discover later that your name is listed right along as an association to the person you searched for?
I just checked out a web site in Russia that had many, many pages of listings of email addresses. I'm sure the NSA has billions of them. I have also seen lists of real names, bank names, account numbers and balances in those accounts listed on the internet that were for sale.
I remember something about the FBI putting up a site you could go to to check to see if you had gotten a certain virus some time back..a couple of years ago...I believe. What a great way for the FBI to collect personal data from their victims.
Palindromedary ~ Thanks for that link. Wow! What a load of nonsense. No facts. No experiments. No expert opinions whatsoever. As they say, "No nothin"! It seems clear now that the entry above could very well be a drunken version of the real thing. Not that drunk, either!
It seems that the incessant stuttering during the lecture might indicate either unreasonable nervousness or a deliberate intent to mislead. The latter would also explain a drinking disorder. The gist of the lecture was basically "it isn't known," "what is known is inconclusive," and "to learn more would cost too much money." What a load of primo BS. Not once was any study by climatologist mentioned. Not once was any historical geological facts brought up. Not once was any charts, numbers, or climate models introduced. Listening to this guy you would think the entire scientific community didn't exist. In fact, the entire lecture had about as much facts as the posts above. Unbelievable! I learned more watching Howdy Doody as a child. In a way, I feel sorry for the guy...
I think there is a difference in data collected on email vis-a-vis phone calls. Only metadata are collected on phone calls but email has actual content gathered in addition to the metadata. Does anyone have info to the contrary?
Elioflight ~ That is really quite shocking and demonstrates a complete lack of education on the par of child abuse. How did the parents react so such a statement? The boy wasn't wearing an Ebenezer Scrooge costume was he? How old is he? A five year old I can understand--they can't even cross the street alone yet. A thirteen year old is applauding. Especially giving such a bogus, and clueless response. In either case it is a fine example of the Hitler type indoctrination that is going on today in the Reich Wing.
In your opinion, where did that come from--his parents, his school, television; or, perhaps a combination?
I agree 100% with trueblue and arky. Treat investment income the same as income from wages and tax it all for FICA.
ptg0 -- Are you saying Obama has a discretionary fund that he can pay out $85 billion to the banks?