Practically Speaking

Just heard this on Mark Belling, Sensenbrenner co-sponsored a bill to end ethanol mandates: 

"Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Menomonee Falls) is a cosponsor of HR 5911, the Remove Incentives to Produce Ethanol Act of 2008 (RIPE Act), introduced this week by Representative Jeff Flake of Arizona.  This bill will repeal the legislative provisions responsible for the artificial demand for ethanol by:

• Repealing the renewable fuel standard;
• Repealing tax credits for ethanol producers;
• Repealing tariffs on importing ethanol.

“...The fact is, the ethanol industry has been subsidized for twenty-seven years [51 cents/gallon] and claims to still need the subsidies to survive,” Sensenbrenner added.  “If an industry cannot survive without government support after twenty-seven years, there are more serious problems in place.”

Mark Belling did not give the bill much chance to pass because of the powerful ethanol lobby, but hope always springs eternal in my heart. After all, Belling isn't omniscient; he did not think Gableman had a chance against Butler for State Supreme Court either.

Almost every day we are seeing newscasts and articles on how biofuel has caused food shortages and food prices to rise. If the American public puts enough heat on their congressmen, who knows?

Contact Congressman Sensenbrenner, Telephone: (262) 784-1111, (202) 225-5101  

Links:
Update: "Creepy" picture Billy Ray cannot deny

Upcoming events in Brookfield

4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to listen to part of the President's Press Conference on Rush Limbaugh. (I had a lot of ironing to do!) He began by stating it was "a tough time for our economy." Then he listed a few areas that affect our wallets, "from gas and food prices to mortgage and tuition bills." Those concerns mentioned don't affect every American, but the first two do--and they are related. I am going to focus on gas prices today.

The best news to come out of that conference was President Bush urging drilling in ANWR. Finally. At last. What took so long?

Oh, I know he has asked to drill before, but it fell on deaf ears. (There is plenty of blame for both sides of the isle here.) Maybe it will finally happen since the world wide shortage of oil is becoming harder to ignore. The President said: (My emphasis)

I've repeatedly submitted proposals to help address these [energy price] problems. Yet time after time, Congress chose to block them. One of the main reasons for high gas prices is that global oil production is not keeping up with growing demand. Members of Congress have been vocal about foreign governments increasing their oil production; yet Congress has been just as vocal in opposition to efforts to expand our production here at home.

They repeatedly blocked environmentally safe exploration in ANWR. The Department of Energy estimates that ANWR could allow America to produce about a million additional barrels of oil every day, which translates to about 27 millions of gallons of gasoline and diesel every day. That would be about a 20-percent increase of oil -- crude oil production over U.S. levels, and it would likely mean lower gas prices. And yet such efforts to explore in ANWR have been consistently blocked.

Another reason for high gas prices is the lack of refining capacity. It's been more than 30 years since America built its last new refinery. Yet in this area, too, Congress has repeatedly blocked efforts to expand capacity and build more refineries. ...

Congress is considering bills to raise taxes on domestic energy production, impose new and costly mandates on producers, and demand dramatic emissions cuts that would shut down coal plants, and increase reliance on expensive natural gas. That would drive up prices even further. The cost of these actions would be passed on to consumers in the form of even higher prices at the pump and even bigger electric bills.

Instead of increasing costs and increasing new roadblocks to domestic energy production, Congress needs to clear away obstacles to more affordable, more reliable energy here at home.

The first question asked dealt with increased prices, consumer confidence being down and a moratorium on federal gas tax.

The President responded with what I think were practical solutions: (My emphasis)

...And we'll look at any idea in terms of energy, except I will tell you this, that if Congress is truly interested in solving the problem, they can send the right signal by saying we're going to explore for oil and gas in the U.S. territories, starting with ANWR. We can do so in an environmentally friendly way. They ought to say, why don't we -- I proposed, you might remember, taking some abandoned military bases and providing regulatory relief so we can build new refineries. I mean, if we're generally interested in moving forward with an energy policy that sends a signal to the world that we're not -- we're going to try to become less reliant upon foreign oil, we can explore at home, as well as continue on with an alternative fuels program.

In a later question he said:

...we can explore in environmentally friendly ways. New technologies enables for -- to be able to drill like we've never been able to do so before -- slant hole technologies and the capacity to use a drill site, a single drill site, to be able to explore a field in a way that doesn't damage the environment. And yet this is a litmus test issue for many in Congress. Somehow if you mention ANWR it means you don't care about the environment. Well, I'm hoping now people, when they say [preserving] "ANWR," means you don't care about the gasoline prices that people are paying.

As for the moratorium on the Federal 18.5 cent gas tax for the summer drive season, the President said they would take a look at it.

The moratorium on the gas tax would help a little, emphasis on little. (It would only save me $4.50/mo.)  Rush stated that  Chuck Schumer thought oil companies should pay the tax for us!  What gives Schumer the right to say that? Maybe I could suggest, since Congress has prevented any exploration here at home, the Congress should tithe their salaries to help Americans pay for gas?

Schumer was reported to say that drilling in ANWR would not do anything to help gas prices--it would be 10 years before we would get any oil from ANWR (or anywhere else) and that ANWR would only reduce prices by 1 cent a gallon in 20 years. *To that I would say, so what are we waiting for? (*Clarification: If we had been drilling all along in the U.S. as new oil sources were discovered, we would at least be increasing the supply and keeping more U.S. dollars at home. Since we are told it takes about 8 - 10 years from drilling to producing, we don't have time to spare, hence, what are we waiting for?)

If it were not for Clinton's veto of drilling in ANWR in 1994, we could be using some of that oil now! Or how about the oil off of Florida's coast, California's coast or the huge North Dakota shale oil deposit?

World wide demand is growing. China and India have huge populations that are smitten with a love affair with automobiles and improving their standard of living--they have a right to live better too.

We cannot keep trying to solve our energy shortage problems solely by increasing miles per gallon standards on cars or imposing alternative fuel mandates. It is not enough.

Implementing wind and solar won't work either; those experimental energy sources are still not cost effective. Keep up the research in energy alternatives and improving efficiency, yes. But in the meantime, we must start drilling for the resources we have been blessed with.

If you agree, contact the President and your representatives.  

President: Comments@whitehouse.gov or 202-456-1111

Congressman Sensenbrenner Telephone: (262) 784-1111, (202) 225-5101 

Senator  Kohl  Phone: (414) 297-4451, (202) 224-5653

Senator  Feingold  Office of Senator Russ Feingold | 202/224-5323

Links:

ANWR.org 

Interesting piece from Heritage Foundation: Correcting Mistakes of the 1990s Should Top the Energy Agenda for 2006

Don't forget, National Day of Prayer: Meet at City Hall, May 1, 12:20PM

Upcoming events in Brookfield

4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

UPDATE: Two world-wise, twenty-something young women today and I were talking about the Miley picture. Their reaction surprised me because they did not seem all that conservative. They both thought the picture was in inappropriate. Good, I thought, there is hope for today's youth. They then went on to tell me of another picture from that shoot that they both deemed "creepy". It was of Billy Ray with Miley draped over his leg--hardly a father daughter pose. This photo will be harder for Billy Ray to claim, I would not have allowed that pose had I been there. Obviously, he was!

I had not seen the picture of Miley Cyrus until this morning, but I did hear plenty about it on the radio yesterday. The photo looks pretty much as I expected it to look. It was not the amount of skin--she could have been wearing a halter swim suit at the beach--it was the context.

Actually, I am glad the public is shocked to see "Hannah Montana" portrayed as a sexy woman. It shows at least some concern for the loss of innocence in our children. 

Possibly it was because of the juxtaposition of the squeaky clean Hannah image with the sultry photo of Miley Cyrus that the reaction has been so pronounced. Maybe it will serve as a wake up call to parents of girls in particular that allowing our little girls and minor teens to look like sex objects is sending the wrong signal.

Miley's parents, in my opinion, are ultimately responsible for this photo shoot.  A young girl is not going to tell a famous photographer no--especially since young girls are often anxious to look older than their years. The famous photographer Leibovtiz is only after taking another controversial picture featuring a lot of skin. I would have thought that Disney would have been more protective of Hannah's image though.

How could a parent sit by and watch this happen to their daughter? (A comment on Fairly Conservative stated that according to ET, the parents were not there for the actual shoot, but Mercury News indicated otherwise.) 

Whether dad was there or not, may I suggest that in the world of theater and dance, artists have a very casual attitude about their bodies. Modesty is pretty rare.  It is not unusual to see a stark naked actor or dancer sitting at their makeup table or even having a conversation with a wardrobe person as if nothing was odd. I don't know if this was the case with Miley, but she and her dad obviously did not seem to think draping her naked self in a satin sheet was odd.

Sometimes like the frog in the pot being desensitized to rising temperatures, we are desensitized to the increased sexing up of our children. It is only when caught in the stark light of public scrutiny that the Cyrus family seemed to realize how inappropriate this picture and image was.

But before we start pointing our fingers just at the Cyruses, I have seen lots of teen girls in public with their parents dressed in a very trampy way. Ads in the Sunday paper for teen clothing make many of them look like they are looking for night work. Parents often want to keep their girls from looking like that, but when met with resistance they just give in and say, what can we do about it?

It is up to parents to protect their children from losing their innocence. That means not allowing them to be vulnerable to inappropriate situations, not allowing just any PG-13 movie to be viewed--some are very inappropriate, not allowing unlimited access to the internet in remote areas of the home, not allowing access to any TV show, and not allowing the school district to decide what is appropriate information for your child to learn about Human Growth and Development.

Protecting our children's innocence is our responsibility. We must take the time to investigate, filter, and shield.  Hopefully Miley's photo will jolt parents to say, what is going on here?

Links: Upcoming events in Brookfield

4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

Congressman Sensenbrenner brought up Senate bill S. 2191, the Lieberman/Warner "America's Climate Security Act of 2007" at his Town Hall meeting Sunday. He described it as a "disaster for Wisconsin."

Information on S. 2191 from Congressman Sensenbrenner's website:

“S. 2191 proposes a nationwide cap-and-trade program for the emissions of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, an important component of the manufacturing industry.  By setting a limit and capping carbon dioxide emissions by businesses, the Lieberman/Warner bill would thrust a highly regulatory regime on our nation’s economy, making electricity more expensive for businesses and consumers.  In Wisconsin, which relies heavily on the use of coal for electricity, this bill would have a catastrophic effect as we would be especially hard hit.

“This point is underscored in a study commissioned by the National Association of Manufacturers to assess the potential impacts of S. 2191 on Wisconsin’s economy…and the results are scary.

The Congressman discussed that study at the meeting and on Charlie Sykes show. The predictions were "scary."

“According to the study, electricity rates in Wisconsin could increase by as much as 163% in 2030 - nearly tripling today’s costs - and gas prices could increase by as much as 176% in 2030, again, almost tripling today’s cost of natural gas.

Not only will we be paying more for utilities, a figure of a 145% increase in gasoline prices was also given on Charlie Sykes show Monday, April 28, Ready for $10 a gallon gas?

So not only do we get to pay for higher energy costs for our own use, but we will pay more for every item and service produced in Wisconsin too.  

Who would ever want to live in Wisconsin or locate their business here if that is the case?

The National Association of Manufacturers report estimated that by 2030, 74,000 jobs would leave Wisconsin and a whopping 4 million jobs would leave our nation, because businesses naturally seek the cheapest and easiest place to manufacture their products.

What exactly is a cap-and-trade and why does it have such a negative impact on Wisconsin? 

Cap-and-trade is another term for Carbon Credit (or indulgences). Congress or bureaucrats set a cap or maximum on greenhouse gases that can be emitted by a company--be it a corporation or a utility company. Companies that do not comply with the standard must then have to purchase carbon offsets from companies that do comply. It is like a type of stock market that deals in these special credits.

According to Congressman Sensenbrenner, since Wisconsin gets 2/3 of its electrical power from coal fired plants, but Illinois obtains 60% of its electric power from clean nuclear power plants that emit 0 CO2, we will have to purchase these carbon offsets from Illinois just to keep producing our needed electricity! Illinois in effect gets their energy costs subsidized by Wisconsin residents. Wisconsin ends up paying 176% more for our electricity. OUCH! (At present, only 20% of Wisconsin electric comes from nuclear plants.)

Think no one in their right mind would agree to a system like this? Think again. Europe has been doing this for nearly 3 years now. Europe's greenhouse gases continue to rise as do their electricity rates. It has done nothing to lower emissions according to a publication from Sensenbrenner's office. I believe Australia just signed on to a system of carbon credits too.

Since businesses will just relocate to third world countries to manufacture their goods, these carbon credits will do nothing to lower CO2 emissions worldwide. The pollution will just move to the far east.

The increase in costs due to cap-and-trade fees are estimated at $1,300 a year / household for Wisconsinites.

Please contact Senators Kohl (Phone: (414) 297-4451, (202) 224-5653) and Feingold (Office of Senator Russ Feingold | 202/224-5323) and let them know what you think about this bill. 

Representative Zipperer informed the Town Hall meeting atendees that the Wisconsin Assembly recently passed legislation that lifted the moratorium on nuclear power plants last session. The Senate however did not. He said they would try again next time. 

Contact your state representative and senator about the moratorium.

State Representative Leah Vukmir, Republican, 14th District
Rep.Vukmir@legis.wisconsin.gov  608-266-9180

Representative Rich Zipperer, Republican, 98th District
Rep.Zipperer@legis.wisconsin.gov  608-266-5120

Congressman Sensenbrenner's contact info:Email  Telephone: (262) 784-1111, (202) 225-5101  

Links: Upcoming events in Brookfield

4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

I attended Congressman Sensenbrenner's Town Hall Meeting Sunday. Attendance was light--maybe 2 dozen people (mostly men). Perhaps the early start time kept people away?

Wisconsin's Representative Rich Zipperer was also there to answer questions.

I missed the first question. The second dealt with Common Ground, a group that has been appealing to churches for support. Is it truly bi-partisan?

Both Congressman Sensenbrenner and Rep.Zipperer expressed their doubts of bi-partisanship since Common Ground did not seem to be interested in tax relief, school choice, etc.

A reader had emailed me about this group 2 weeks ago after Vicki McKenna talked about Common Ground on her radio show. The reader was "taken aback" that their St. John's church bulletin urged people to attend the Common Ground conference. Many people might be surprised to learn their church supports Common Ground.

Energy and taxes were the topic of the remaining questions.

One man inquired if the direct donation from retirees' IRAs to a charity option would be renewed (this would then satisfy the distribution requirement). Mr. Sensenbrenner said that there would be an effort to bring that donation option back since donations to charity support groups that often help others without any additional government funding.

The next question asked about the Congressman's opinion of nuclear power. He said he was "All for it--it emits 0 greenhouse gas." He added that Chernobyl's defective design for nuclear power plants has never been used in the U.S. There was more discussion about Wisconsin's rising energy costs, which the Congressman also discussed on Charlie Sykes show Monday morning. It is a subject all unto itself, so I will get to that in a later post.

The last question was on Ethanol. Mr. Sensenbrenner said it was "Bad stuff--not energy efficient, and the blend reduces gas mileage." He also mentioned that there is engine damage and increased pollution because of it, and the 51 cents per gallon subsidy was passed 20 years ago!  Add to that the economic and social impact of food into fuel and it is time to "Get off the ethanol kick!"  (Amen)

"The real problem is politics", he said. Iowa is the first caucus in the primary process. For any candidate to succeed, they must first "Worship at the altar of ethanol!" That is why we have it, the Congressman explained.  (I was aware of that, were you?)

He closed by mentioning he would be discussing the N.A.M. report (National Association of Manufacturers) on energy and the business climate in Wisconsin and the United States, Monday morning on Charlie Sykes radio show. Catch the podcast, Ready for $10 a gallon gas?

From what the Congressman said at the town hall meeting, Wisconsin's energy costs in the near future will be sobering if the Lieberman-Warner Climate Change Bill passes. More about that later.

Links: Upcoming events in Brookfield

4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

After weeks of anticipation, I went to see the movie Expelled today. It is a documentary by Ben Stein on how the scientific community routinely suppresses legitimate scientists and doctors from expressing any point of view other than that of evolution.

The full name of the movie is, Expelled, No Intelligence Allowed. It is called that because of the many scientists Ben interviewed that have been fired and blacklisted since they published papers hinting that Intelligent Design, I.D., is a valid explanation for how life began.

Despite Ben Stein being a comedic actor, he is deadly serious about this subject. He does a great job of making his series of interviews with numerous scientists and doctors from both schools of thought engaging. Old black and white movie clips from movies such as Frankenstein, Wizard of Oz and I think Inherit the Wind, as well as news clips of Hitler, the Berlin Wall, etc. are used to emphasize various points. Their inclusion makes the documentary more interesting to the viewer.

Ben visits and interviews scientists from all over the world, including the Discovery Institute, Center for Science & Culture, a think tank "challenging various aspects of evolutionary theory." The Discovery Institute is not a religious organization.

Intelligent Design is not faith based. The media and most mainstream scientists, universities, and institutions, however like to brand it as such. I admit, I was not really familiar with exactly what Intelligent Design meant. Although I.D. dove-tails with Creation Science, I.D. does not specify who or what the intelligence is. It just tries to answer the question of who or what started that first cell or created the universe.

I.D. questions evolution and Darwinism in that evolution cannot explain how the one cell began. Some evolutionary explanations defy logic. One scientist, Dr. Ruse (sp?) insisted life got started by certain molecules piggy-backing on top of crystals. (No explanation where the crystals or molecules came from.)

An I.D. Scientist countered that thinking by stating 217 proteins are needed to create life and that those 217 proteins would need to be arranged by accident 250 times in succession for life to have started. That defies logic. Therefore some intelligence had to have created it. 

Back when Darwin published his theory in 1859, little was known about the complexity of the cell. Now, thanks to modern science and sophisticated equipment, doctors and scientists are constantly amazed at how intricate each part of the cell is. The deeper they look, the more complex cellular structure and physiology is.

The real kicker came at the end of the movie. Stein again interviewed Dr. Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion. Dawkins is an avowed atheist and evolutionist.

Ben asks Dawkins, who created the universe and how did life start? Keep in mind Dawkins cannot accept Intelligent Design in any way, but he answers something akin to this: some other sort of life could have evolved elsewhere and it planted its seed here.

In other words, some sort of alien from another world evolved into some very intelligent being and then came here and planted that first seed of life. (No explanation of how that alien life got started.) I think Dawkins went on to say something about how it (life) couldn't have just happened all at once. (Watch for this part when you see the movie.)

To Dawkins, Alien Design is OK, Intelligent Design, not OK--even if who or what is that intelligence is not identified? 

Judeo-Christian religious beliefs and science are not polar opposites. Noteworthy scientists such as Galileo, Newton, and Kepler were all Christians. If Ben Stein, who is Jewish, has his way, men of other religions besides that of atheism and evolution will again be able to have their voices heard without fear of termination and blacklisting. 

This weekend promises to be quite awful weather wise. It might be a good time to investigate Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed for yourself. I saw it at Mayfair at their $5, 10AM showing. It is also at these theaters.  

The movie is rated PG, possibly because they showed some scenes from German death camps? 

Links: Upcoming events in Brookfield

4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

Thursday, May 1st, is the National Day of Prayer , a day set aside to pray for our country.

When I look at the problems in our world, nation, state, community, and our schools, it becomes very clear to me that our intellect and financial resources alone cannot solve these problems. Our founding fathers realized this early in our country’s history too.

According to the National Day of Prayer website, “The National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln's proclamation of a day of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer.”

In recent years, there has also been an open invitation for people of faith to meet on this day at their local city hall from 12:20 pm – 12:40 pm for 20 minutes of prayer.

Last year was the first time I made it to City Hall for this special time. This is what happened in 2007.

I arrived at city hall a few minutes late and was rather expecting to see a small group at the 3 flag poles on the plaza but didn't. There just was a maintenance worker eating lunch at a picnic table and 2 people seated on the ledge by the POW memorial plaque. 

 

Although I did not really expect anything inside City Hall due to today's mistaken separation of church /state stance, I checked there anyway. Nothing there. Back outside, I thought I would walk past the man and woman seated by the plaque. I realized as I got closer the man was Cater Doering--the veteran who petitioned city hall for the city to fly the POW flag.

 

Carter recognized me and as I approached, I saw the woman was holding up a Declaration of Independence. They were reading it together and commenting about how many references there were about our Creator, etc. I asked if I could join them. Soon after, 2 separate vehicles pulled up and parked. A woman got out of each and asked if they could join us.

 

We then stood in a circle, joined hands and prayed. Each of us prayed at least once for our nation, city, soldiers, POW/MIAs, our country's youth, the president, etc. There was also thanksgiving for the foiled terrorist plots and the protection our nation has been blessed with since 9/11. It was a great experience.

 

Here I did not know the 3 women at all, but it did not matter because we were there for a common purpose. We must have prayed there about 15 minutes or so, then the 2 women had to get back to work.

If you are a parent of an Elmbrook High School student, are you going to be silent about East and Central High School's Day of Silence?

Some parents opt to keep their teens home on this day, others may just inform their children that this is happening on Friday.

Whatever you decide, please read up on the event, read the information from Elmbrook at end of this post, and then guide your child (student) as you see fit. Also, be aware there is a counter homosexual agenda program called the Day of Truth on Monday, April 28th.

Don't know what the Day of Silence is? According to the American Family Association, it is a special day "started a decade ago by an adult homosexual advocacy group, the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), with the goal of promoting homosexuality to all students in a given school."

If you check the Day of Silence web page, "The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools".(I think LGBT stands for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender/Transexual.) It also mentions that this year's event is to be held in memory of Lawrence King, an 8th grader who was killed in Feb. because of his sexual orientation. (The website does not mention this, but Lawrence was permitted by a residential care center for "abused, neglected, and severely emotionally disturbed children to attend school in nail polish, makeup and high-heeled boots ."

Evidentially, students who participate in this event often wear signs around their necks and remain silent all day--whether a teacher calls on them in class or not. 

I asked Dr. Gibson (Andy Smith) on April 23rd if Elmbrook participates in Day of Silence.

Andy Smith replied the same day with,  "I'll check with the high schools, but let me first make sure I know what I'm looking into."

After a few more back and forth emails, Andy stated "Yes, the Day of Silence is a school sanctioned event, authorized at the principal level. It is part of a nationwide event. The observance of the Day of Silence has taken place for a number of years now at both Central and East."

Here is the information Andy Smith, Director of Communications for Elmbrook Schools sent regarding East High School:

1. Yes, the Day of Silence is a school sanctioned event, authorized at the principal level. It is part of a nationwide event. The observance of the Day of Silence has taken place for a number of years now at both Central and East.

 

2. It is not sponsored or organized by either of the schools, but rather by a student club at each school that promotes respect for all persons and takes a special interest in the personal safety at school of all persons, including those who may consider themselves to have a personal sexual identity different from the mainstream of heterosexual male and female.

 

3. Just as with the activities of any other club or organization, information about the Day of Silence is prepared not by the school but by the club ... if desired, for instance, items could be prepared for the daily announcements. The principal signs-off on poster designs and displays for the Day of Silence, just as with posters for events sponsored by other clubs and organizations. Further, any of the clubs that have met the requirements to be recognized by the school are treated with similarity regarding access to school facilities, use of tables for fundraisers, use of rooms and the like.

 

4. There are two ways that a student may participate in the Day of Silence. A person may be an active participant, or a person may simply show his or her support for the club's purposes and the purposes of the day's observance. An active participant will typically wear black and wear a special pin. A supporter may or may not wear black and wears a different but similar pin. A participant typically chooses not to speak throughout the day, however, such persons are not allowed to fail to respond to a question asked by a teacher, staff person or administrator. A supporter typically does speak (does not participate in the silence) is supportive by use of the pin.

 

5. At East, there is a voluntary end-of-the day meeting in a classroom that is called, "Breaking the Silence," where those in attendance may share their experiences, particularly whether anyone made any disrespectful or hurtful comments to individuals. Those in attendance may talk about the impact they believe they did or did not have in promoting tolerance for others and respect of all persons.

 

6. Just as with any other sanctioned club that has met the requirements for recognition, there is a club adviser, no different from any other organization. This club, like any other can do fundraising to support their various supplies, activities and goals. The adviser is paid from the unit budget of the school, the same as any other adviser.

 

I tried to be as thorough as possible, and I hope this helps with your inquiry. I appreciate your giving me a bit of time to pull together the information. (10:45am)

 

Andy 

F.A.Q. on the Day of Silence 

Links: 4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

Sorry to ruin the fun, but an ice age cometh, and right on the heels of Earth Day! Seems there might be another nail in the coffin of Global Warming. This one comes from the lack of sunspots.

Why is that a problem? According to the editorial by Geophysicist Phil Chapman from the Australian:

...The sunspot number follows a cycle of somewhat variable length, averaging 11 years. The most recent minimum was in March last year. The new cycle, No.24, was supposed to start soon after that, with a gradual build-up in sunspot numbers.

It didn't happen. The first sunspot appeared in January this year and lasted only two days. A tiny spot appeared last Monday but vanished within 24 hours. Another little spot appeared this Monday. Pray that there will be many more, and soon.

The reason this matters is that there is a close correlation between variations in the sunspot cycle and Earth's climate. The previous time a cycle was delayed like this was in the Dalton Minimum, an especially cold period that lasted several decades from 1790.

Northern winters became ferocious: in particular, the rout of Napoleon's Grand Army during the retreat from Moscow in 1812 was at least partly due to the lack of sunspots.

That the rapid temperature decline in 2007 coincided with the failure of cycle No.24 to begin on schedule is not proof of a causal connection but it is cause for concern.

In another editorial along the same lines,  See Gore, See Spot, "former NASA astronaut [Chapman--also author of first piece] says the same solar phenomenon that doomed Napoleon's army may soon stop Al Gore's march to glory cold. Prepare for the big chill."

Of course it is too soon to know, but keeping an eye on the sunspot activity this year might be a better predictor of where you want to spend your winters when you retire than anything we have seen so far! Some scientists poo-poo the sun spot theory entirely. Only time will tell.

Links: 4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

Now we are rationing limiting food?

I just heard on a news blip that Sam's Club was limiting the amount of bulk rice you could buy at a time. (The news man first referred to the limit as rationing.) Reason? Because of growing shortages of rice on the world market.

The news bit included a sound bite from a woman from some national bakers association. She said rye is already in short supply too and that by summer, it may be hard to find at all. That is not good news for me because I love rye bread!

None of this bodes well for future food supplies and prices here in the U.S. or in the world.

A friend I spoke with yesterday mentioned that she was going to plant a larger vegetable garden this summer. Seems it is time to bring back the Victory Garden.

Links: 4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

Former Presidents of the United States are expected to be just that, Former Presidents. Their days of power are to be over once they leave the White House. Sometimes they are called upon to be good will ambassadors, but they are not to give their 2 cents on important issues. Certainly, they are not to meddle in foreign affairs unless asked by the current administration!

Someone must have forgotten to give former President Carter that memo however.

If it bothers you that Jimmy Carter is laying a wreath on Palestinian Yassar Arafat's grave or meeting with Hamas "despite requests from the Bush administration not to interfere in Middle East peace negotiations", you may wish to send Jimmy your 2 cents worth on his conduct.

Rep. Joe Knollenberg introduced the Coordinated American Response to Extreme Radicals Act, which spells out CARTER Act, to keep taxpayer dollars from going to the Carter Center.

There is also an email you can send to various officials including the President and Secretary Condoleezza Rice asking that Carter be prevented from holding future meetings with terrorists outside of the U.S. by revoking his passport. (If this is too drastic a measure for you, you may omit that request from the email.)

Follow this GOPUSA link for more information and the create an email page where you can pick and choose the Carter issues that are important to you.

Most people would agree Jimmy Carter was not much of a president. (I am trying to be kind.) He has done some good work since then, however, with his Habitat For Humanity project. It would be great if Mr. Carter would stick to his Habitat project and leave Hamas and foreign policy to the current administration.

Links: 4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

Elmbrook just ended half-day kindergarten for 5 year olds. Why? Because there was lack of interest in half day kindergarten. The public only wanted full day.

But is that the way we make academic decisions these days? We do this or that just because parents want it?

Can anyone tell me the long term academic benefit of going from half day to full day kindergarten? Not the budget benefit to the school district, I am speaking of the academic benefit.

Last fall, during the debate over ending 4-K, School Board President Meg Wartman realized that Elmbrook never evaluated the long term benefit to all day 5-K in the same way they were scrutinizing the long term benefit to 4-K. The conclusion was of course that there was no measurable long term benefit to 4-K and so the district could not justify continuing 4-K.

But what about the long term All-Day 5-K gain? This is what I blogged from the 4-K vote meeting:

"Meg took issue with his assumption that a No vote showed a lack of planning. She said, 4K came out of a financed need in the 2005 study and 4K was not even at the top of the list. Since then, we have been trying to prove academic merit, which we can't find. That brought up a startling comment regarding all day 5K. Meg questioned the benefits of all day 5K--We have not even tried to show the benefit of it by 5th grade--have we ever shown 5th grade gain? (Again, check the broadcast for her exact words.)"

So why have we bypassed this same scrutiny for all day 5-K?

I think it is all about the budget--primarily when the decision to go to all day was made a few years ago.

You see, going all day in 5-K does the same thing as going half-day in 4-K. It increases the state aid by 100% per half day student.

State aid does not pay for the entire education costs per Elmbrook student. The Elmbrook taxpayer must make up the difference, which is significant. I believe in 2006, for example, Elmbrook received $1,701 per full time student in state aid. That would mean for half-day kindergarten students, Elmbrook received $850. So the move to all day kindergarten for those students who were half-day, the district would receive $850 more. The Elmbrook School District taxpayers must make up about $5,435 or more difference, however.

Granted, Elmbrook made the largest leap when all day 5-K was implemented. My question is, did Elmbrook ever weigh the cost to the taxpayer of going full day against the measurable long term academic gain? Judging by Board President Wartman's comments from last fall, it would seem not. 

The district could have handled the all day 5-K question much differently. If they would have provided only a section or 2 of all day 5-K (enrollment by lottery) and left the remaining sections as half-day, then I think we would see a different level of interest right now. Since all day is really just a nice-ity, not a necessity academically speaking, we should really be asking why we are going to all day 5-K. 

I believe that the school district has a responsibility to provide a good primary and secondary education to Elmbrook resident students. Period.  Extras, like all day 5-K (and extracurriculars) need to be examined under the the lens of longterm academic benefit.

Links: 4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

Kinsey Park Clean Up and Pier

Oh, did you think I was talking about gasoline?

Maybe this is not the all time high for milk, but I do not purchase it very often. The $4.00+ price tag surprised me.

These days, I pity the family that has lots of teenage boys to feed.

It is no secret that the stampede to bio-fuels is leading to increased food prices.

In the meantime, we have politicians, ethanol plant owners, and farmers trying to sell the public on the idea that bio-fuel are the way to go to save the planet.

The following are just a few excerpts from a great article link I found on Jay Webber's website (do I call that an Ear Tip?), Earth Daze, Courtesy of Al Gore. Do take the time to read it.

The Gore-induced rush to biofuels has diverted crops such as corn, soybeans and palm oil from food to fuel. Vast swaths of rain forest in places like Malaysia and Indonesia have been cleared to provide farmland not to feed the hungry but to fuel our cars. Our own grain belt has been increasingly diverted to ethanol over corn flakes.

This has pressured food prices while damaging the environment. In the U.S., more cultivation has increased runoff from pesticides and fertilizer, creating dead zones for aquatic life from Chesapeake Bay to the Gulf of Mexico.

"Climate-change remedies can lead to greater poverty, starvation and disease, as well as widespread ecological destruction — some of the very misfortunes that they're supposed to prevent," Goklany [Cato Institute] wrote in the New York Post. "In our haste to address global warming, we have yet to think seriously about our policies' unintended effects."

For a while it seemed no one was going to speak out that the Emperor has no clothes (a.k.a. Global Warming). Thankfully, as time goes on, more and more people are speaking out against the ridiculousness of using food for fuel and the whole concept of CO2 causing global warming. I hope it is not too late.

Check out these other editorials from Investor's Business Daily too:

The Environmentalists' Real Agenda "Once in a while the truth accidentally tumbles out on global warming activists' real agenda...ending capitalism to save the planet."

Time Bomb "Time...likens global warming to the fight against Nazism"

The Torch Has Been Passed "China is the world's No. 1 polluter...why does the U.N. want it exempted from carbon restrictions?"

The Nerve Of ABC "The mainstream media were taken aback by some of the questions asked of Barack Obama..."

The Green Zone "The president's plan to reduce carbon emissions legitimizes the environmentalist agenda of destroying the earth in order to save it...one scientist says we need more CO2 emissions, not less", 

The Chill Is On "Global warming? Don't worry about it. It's over. No longer does Al Gore have to fly around the world in private gets emitting greenhouse gases to save the world from -- greenhouse gases.", and more!

Links: 4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

Kinsey Park Clean Up and Pier

Today is Earth Day, a day our family holds in special regard--in a tongue in cheek way.

You see, today is the only day of the year that Jiminy Cricket appears at Walt Disney World* in costume. We discovered that by accident on a family vacation about ten years ago. It has become a novel attraction if we happen to be there on this day ever since.

I dug out a pin and sticker from 2 Earth Day's of yore. The pin shows CFLs, saving water, and using bikes as ways we can be more environmentally minded, or as Jiminy says, Environmentality.

His sticker caption reads, "Every Little Bit Makes a Big Difference." 

That slogan reminded me of a German saying my grandmother used to quote, "Ya ya, every little bit helps said the frog as he peed into the Rhine" (River). She would say it in German, but that was the gist of the translation.

It was funny because it contrasted the sincerity of the frog's belief with the absurdity of the frog's actual contribution of his liquid making a difference to the Rhine River.

Yet this is the message of some environmentalists and global warming preachers. That by changing a light bulb or bringing your own cloth grocery bag to the store, that we can save the planet.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things I think we should be doing better. We waste a lot in this country, and as a frugal person, I hate waste of any kind. But I think we only truly believe what we really put into action.

Do people's actions reflect their beliefs? Some people are trying to "green" up their lives. Others are not. Some people make no attempt to be environmentally friendly; some only talk a good line.

I caught part of Vicki McKenna's radio program today. It was all about Earth Day and Global Warming. Listen to her podcast for a sobering look at where all this Global Warming legislation is leading. (Tuesday Hour Two Part Two 4-22-08)

On a lighter note, she discussed an email that has been circulating that compares Al Gore's home to President Bush's Texas ranch. (I received a similar one last month but the photo of Al's house was not the same.)

The perception is that Al Gore is the environment's friend, while George Bush is the environment's enemy.  

So how do the two compare?

According to the Snopes Urban Legend site, the email is basically true: Al's house does use 12 times the amount of electricity as the average new American house. (Their mansion is only 4 times the size of the average new home.)

The Gore's say that they compensate for that in that they pay an additional $432 on their electric bills to get this power from Green sources. Their home's excessive energy use follows the same incongruity of the Gore's Nobel Peace Prize celebration dinner featuring foods flown in from all over the world.

So who really has Environmentality?

UPDATE: You really cannot make this stuff up. Take a look at Cindy Kilkenny's  Heh Heh. Al Gore caught faking evidence 

*Walt Disney World does use a number of environmentally friendly practices. Their mosquito control, for example, utilizes swallow birds and I think bats to consume the numerous pests.

Links: 4th Annual Weed Out, May 3rd, Mary Knoll Park

Kinsey Park Clean Up and Pier

I just got back from a trip to the Elm Grove Sendik's. Wow, lots of tasty samples, good deals, and drawings for prizes.

Reason? It is Sendik's 82nd anniversary celebration. Food and drink samples will be served all weekend, I believe, at all Balistreri Sendik's stores. So if you are out and about, stop in--especially if you have children. (Kids always like samples.)

I filled out a two entries for their drawings while I was there--Brewer tickets, gift certificates, a TV, and even a $1,000 shopping spree are being given away.

My bargain of the day was a pound of very nice strawberries for $1.50. 

Growing up on the east side of Milwaukee, Sendik's was a household name. As kids, we loved to go in their stores and watch the fresh orange juice squeezer machine. I think it automatically cut the oranges in half, squeezed, discarded used halves, and started over again. It was a source of great fascination to most children in the neighborhood.

My grandfather came from Sicily and knew all the Italian shop keepers. He did all the grocery shopping and would often bring home interesting vegetables from Sendik's like fennel and artichokes. 

These days, I find I am going to Sendik's more and more. I'm afraid my usual grocery stomping ground, Pick 'n Save, is letting me down more and more. They are eliminating some of the more unusual products from their line, one being coconut oil. That has forced me to seek other shopping venues. I checked at Sendik's and sure enough, they had it.

Sendik's, although more expensive on some things, has great bargains on others. Their quality is very good, and I like the atmosphere of their stores. They also respond to requests for products. My favorite Cedar Crest ice cream is Coconut Joy. The old Sentry always carried it, but when the new Sendik's moved in, they did not. I asked at the customer service desk if they could order it, and they said yes. I like that kind of service.

Check out Sendik's bargain shelf in the produce department too. Often they have great deals there. I picked up a 3 pound bag of green beans for .99 and a bag of red and yellow peppers for $1.50. Can't beat that.

So Happy Anniversary Sendik's. May you have many more. Having you here evokes many happy childhood memories.

(I am not affiliated with Sendik's in any way) 

Links: Kinsey Park Clean Up and Pier

Last spring, at the Mary Knoll Weed Out, I was talking with Gary Majeskie (Brookfield Park & Rec.-Forestry) about reports of an alleged cougar siting along I-94. We both thought it pretty unlikely, yet a cougar is a rather unique looking animal. Some people easily confuse a wolf with a German Shepherd or coyote, but a cougar is too large to confuse with a domestic cat and does not resemble a canine.

There were other reports of cougar sitings around this same time. One came from Franklin. This report was dismissed as a mistaken coyote siting. As time went on, people pretty much forgot about the whole thing.

But a few minutes ago, I heard on the news that a real, live cougar was shot dead in Chicago! So, were those alleged sitings last year real? We will never know. But it does point to the possibility that these animals do sometimes live among us.

Cougars are often present in more remote areas and in our National Parks. I remember when we were at Zion National Park a few years back, they actually had instructions on how to deal with a cougar encounter. Their instructions to hikers went something like this: Look Big. Raise your arms above your head. IF you had a jacket, put it over your arms above your head to make yourself appear very tall. Wave your arms, shout, throw rocks at the cougar, etc. (The cougar  s h o u l d  run away.)

Anyway, now you know what to do should you encounter one of these large cats.

While I have your attention, I would like to remind you that the 4th annual Weed Out is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd at Mary Knoll Park--rain or shine. (I will be reminding you again closer to the date.) 

In the meantime, you may wish to look at these past postings with photos about Garlic Mustard:

Last year's notice, instructions much the same, only date is different: 3rd Annual Weed Out at Mary Knoll Park

It is worth saving

Oh, the shame!

Links:

You may have thought this post was going to be about the rapidly spreading religion of Islam, but it is not.

This fastest growing religion I am referring to is the religion of Global Warming, and its most recent, prominent convert is the President of the United States.

I call Global Warming a religion, and rightly so, because in its present form, it is not science.

Religious beliefs require faith: faith in something not seen or provable.

Science is defined by Encarta as: "the system of advancing knowledge by formulating a question, collecting data about it through observation and experiment, and testing a hypothetical answer." "Science, limits itself to what can be observed, measured and verified." Scientists use the Scientific Method to "explain the events of nature in a reproducible way."  In other words, you test the theory and if it is repeatable, then the theory moves ahead to be considered true science.

Over 19,000 American scientists have signed a petition rejecting the idea that man made greenhouse gases cause Global Warming, but we don't hear much about that! The website ICECAP does an excellent job of presenting a different view of Global Warming.

At best, when scientists first observed a warming trend, Global Warming could have been called a theory. But in recent years, people have bypassed the theory adjective and jumped toward embracing Global Warming as an undebatable fact. This transition from theory to fact was done without any scientific proof. Those who promote Global Warming no longer even refer to it as a theory.

As more and more data is collected, most of the Global Warming alarmist predictions are not proving to point to the doom and gloom that the planet is warming. In fact, temperatures this past year point to something else: a cooling of the planet.  

It seems however, that no matter how much counter Global Warming evidence is presented, the faithful and most politicians are still blindly chanting the mantra that the planet is doomed to heat up unless we do something to control CO2 emissions soon. 

According to an article in the Washington Post today, our President is now chanting the mantra too--Bush prepares global warming initiative: (Emphasis added)

"This is an a