But there's more!

Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, and we'll even throw in Michael Jackson.

But there's more! Act right now and Billy Mays gets it, too.

Michael Jackson - Question & Tribute

One thing that has not been addressed in all the Michael Jackson death coverage: Were they able to save the gerbil?

What a great artist, without Michael Jackson, this would never have been possible.

Small world - as seen on Instapundit

That's my old office in the West TVA Tower. When I worked there, Knoxville featured roll-up the sidewalks at sundown.



HT - IP

Gaia don't need no cap & trade

In honor of today's cap & trade vote, I direct you to this recent paper posted at Watts Up With That? presenting Willis Eschenbach's Thermostat Hypothesis for global temperature control. Eschenbach's hypothesis is that tropical clouds and thunderstorms actively regulate the temperature of the earth. This keeps the earth at a equilibrium temperature.

The paper is a long read, and the fascinating discussion in the comments is even longer. These are my thoughts on Eschenbach's hypothesis.

Thermodynamics on a global scale will prevent global warming from occurring. In additional to reflective cloud formation, the physical properties of water establish a setpoint temperature that when reached causes active heat engines to form. We call the active heat engines "thunderstorms," and they eject heat from the earth into space. The setpoint is approximately 305K (90 degrees Fahrenheit), and corresponds nicely with the maximum temperature found at sea level in our equatorial oceans.

Water's physical properties do not change, even with increasing atmospheric CO2, hence Gaia's setpoint cannot change with increasing human CO2 emissions.

The graphic below from Eschenbach's paper shows how equatorial clouds form through the day. More than half of the solar heating of the earth occurs in this equatorial zone. The warming sun causes cumulus clouds to form during the morning until sometime between 10:00 and 11:30 they reflect a large percent of the incoming solar energy. The clouds remain fairly constant and moderate temperature for most of the day until they reach a critical point where thunderstorms will form.

The cumulonimbus, or thunderstorm, clouds bypass any insulating greenhouse gases and pull heat directly from the earth's tropical surface into the troposphere. Here, the heat is ejected into space.

The heat reflected by the cumulus clouds and ejected by the cumulonimbus clouds is orders of magnitude greater than Al Gore's worst nightmare for greenhouse gas warming of the earth. Therefore, the earth will self regulate its temperature, and anthropogenic global warming is impossible.

A very intelligent design, indeed.

These are Eschenbach's Conclusions and Musings from his paper.

1. The sun puts out more than enough energy to totally roast the earth. It is kept from doing so by the clouds reflecting about a third of the sun’s energy back to space. As near as we can tell, this system of cloud formation to limit temperature rises has never failed.

2. This reflective shield of clouds forms in the tropics in response to increasing temperature.

3. As tropical temperatures continue to rise, the reflective shield is assisted by the formation of independent heat engines called thunderstorms. These cool the surface in a host of ways, move heat aloft, and convert heat to work.

4. Like cumulus clouds, thunderstorms also form in response to increasing temperature.

5. Because they are temperature driven, as tropical temperatures rise, tropical thunderstorms and cumulus production increase. These combine to regulate and limit the temperature rise. When tropical temperatures are cool, tropical skies clear and the earth rapidly warms. But when the tropics heat up, cumulus and cumulonimbus put a limit on the warming. This system keeps the earth within a fairly narrow band of temperatures.

6. The earth’s temperature regulation system is based on the unchanging physics of wind, water, and cloud.

7. This is a reasonable explanation for how the temperature of the earth has stayed so stable (or more recently, bi-stable as glacial and interglacial) for hundreds of millions of years.

Sanford - Flynn - McBride

You'd think someone with his track record would steer clear of these stories.

Let's make a deal

I'll trade you Jim Doyle for Mark Sanford any day. Hell, I'll even throw in Herb Kohl.

Frankly, I am more embarrassed to have those hacks as my elected officials than I could ever be with Sanford. Even if his rendezvous in Argentina involved a goat and a gay porn star.

Say cheese!

Today's Quiz:

Who is being being booked for first-degree intentional homicide and who is sitting next to Carla Sarkozy?



They must teach that look at Community Organizer school.

Today's mass transit moment

That okay, I'll drive instead.

The pool of pus starts to ooze

By now I'm used to corruption and waste in any large American city, it is part of the political culture. I learned this week that Sacramento is no exception. I even learned to accept the scale of the corruption, a half million to a basketball hero in this case.

But as the details emerge it is clear that the Corruptocrat in Chief and the First Lady of Corruption intend to work on a much bigger scale. They have plans to rob the nation of hundreds of billions or even trillions of dollars for themselves and their political cronies.

Someone pop this zit, before it is too late.

John Galt, M.D.

I found out today that a second one of the doctors I sometimes see is leaving my clinic.

It is probably just a coincidence that each physician is moving to a lower tax state.

Prosciutto di Baraboo

Following up on this post from last October, I have finally cut into the salted, air dried ham that was hanging over my sump pump for almost eight months.

When unwrapping and cutting into the meat I was pleased that there was no funky odor. Nothing, not even a meaty smell.



The ham shows the excellent marbling of this Berkshire pork. The meat is salty, but less so away from the outside surface. Excellent flavor and texture, maybe the best Prosciutto I've ever eaten.

A clue for Herb Kohl

Since Sen. Kohl can't buy a clue with all his millions, I'll tell him why cell phone companies have raised the price of text messaging. They have raised their prices because stupid people will pay them.

Based on Herbie's thinking, I expect to get front row seats for the Bucks next year for the $20 I'm willing to pay for them.

What a dumbass.

How to deal with Favre

After his interview with Jack Buck it is pretty clear that Brett Favre is now, mentally at least, a Viking.

As much as Favre likes to retire, the Packers should announce the retirement of Favre's number on the day of the Vikings game. And like Favre, the Packers can change their mind about it later.

This can become an annual event.

This is the correct answer

Created by Recipe Star

HT - Owen, the poultryman.

Markets in action - Oil/Corn/Ethanol

It has been over seven months since I last updated this chart. The price relationship between oil, corn, and ethanol remains rock solid.

Purely by chance, if you follow my critics.

Sotomayor cites poor wording

Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's pick for the Supreme Court, believes she used a poor choice of words when she indicated a Hispanic woman would make a better judge than a white man, the White House said Friday.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that he believes after having conversations with "people who have talked to her," that Sotomayor would do a better job of articulating her belief that "your experiences impact your understanding."

"I think she'd say that her word choice was poor," Gibbs said.

In her 2001 remarks, which have led many on the right to call her a racist, Sotomayor said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman, with the richness of her experiences, would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

Given a chance to clarify those remarks, Sotomayor said "I did not mean to offend, but it is known that Hispanic females possess an intrinsic aptitude which explains why these women have excelled in the judiciary."

Larry Summers could not be reached for comment.

Smoke Day, one day later

Smoke Day V was another great success. We fought off scattered morning showers and could not have asked for a more beautiful afternoon for the party.

Our neighbors did most of the party organizing, leaving my wife and I free to cook. I also had a couple of experienced barbecuing friends show up, and their help made my job much easier.

One of the first things served was my famous Redneck Sushi. It was fantastic and disappeared in an instant.



Here is my friend Brad preparing a batch of Big Bob Gibson chicken for our guests. That was only a small part of the over 170 pounds of meat and poultry that was cooked.



Mrs. Headless featured pies for our Smoke Day dessert. She offered over 30 different varieties. All homemade. All from scratch.



My smoker array. Four Weber Smokey Mountain cookers and two Weber kettles got the job done.



You are invited again next year. Just bring beer.

A solution to the WI budget hole

Don Surber had a post on Monday about the disparity between state government workers' pay versus that of private sector workers.

The average state government worker makes $50,350. The average private sector worker makes $43,889. That is a 14% difference.

And don’t get me started on fringe benefits.

The Las Vegas Sun had a story on Sunday comparing what state workers in Nevada compared to what state employees make in other states.

That’s not the question.

How much do they make compared to the people in Nevada who don’t work for the state. That is the pool of workers from which the state of Nevada hires.

State workers there make $54,831 a year.

Private sector workers make $42,825 a year.

State workers in Nevada make 28% more in pay alone. Plus better benefits — more state holidays, more sick leave, earlier retirement, defined benefits retirement — than the people in the private sector.

That makes no sense. These are mainly clerical jobs.

But in state after state, that is the case. Taxpayers make less than their employees.

In California, state workers make $66,928 a year.

Everyone else averages $50,182 a year.

That’s a 33% difference.

Is it any wonder that California state government is running up a $42 billion deficit?

Wow, 33% more than private jobs!

I had to check where Wisconsin stacks up. Darned if we don't make California look like misers.

Our under-compensated state employees make $16,974 more than private sector. And because WI private employees make significantly less than those in California, our discrepancy is 45.4% more being paid to our public servants. Only Iowa is worse.

Doing some simple math, if Wisconsin state employees were only paid the national average of $6,461 more than private workers, our $6+ billion dollar deficit would quickly evaporate.

Here's the list.

Disparity in state versus private employee pay
	U.S. average	$6,461	14.7%
1	New York	($691)	-1.2%
2	Missouri	($322)	-0.8%
3	Georgia	$700	1.7%
4	Texas	$1,443	3.3%
5	Virginia	$1,823	4.0%
6	Massachusetts	$1,867	3.4%
7	Delaware	$2,154	4.7%
8	Tennessee	$2,918	7.6%
9	Maryland	$3,352	7.0%
10	Wyoming	$3,639	9.4%
11	Connecticut	$4,108	7.2%
12	West Virginia	$4,270	12.7%
13	Florida	$4,457	11.3%
14	New Hampshire	$4,585	10.6%
15	South Carolina	$4,651	13.3%
16	North Carolina	$5,269	13.7%
17	Arkansas	$5,535	16.6%
18	Louisiana	$5,543	14.7%
19	Washington	$5,893	12.8%
20	Arizona	$5,919	14.4%
21	Nebraska	$6,083	17.2%
22	New Mexico	$6,135	17.1%
23	Hawaii	$6,357	15.7%
24	Kentucky	$6,472	18.0%
25	Pennsylvania	$6,511	15.4%
26	Mississippi	$6,853	21.5%
27	Oklahoma	$7,188	20.5%
28	Indiana	$7,266	19.7%
29	North Dakota	$7,387	22.6%
30	Kansas	$7,490	20.4%
31	Alabama	$7,822	21.3%
32	Oregon	$9,015	23.3%
33	Illinois	$9,522	20.3%
34	Alaska	$9,526	21.5%
35	Utah	$9,962	27.1%
36	New Jersey	$10,316	19.5%
37	South Dakota	$10,336	33.0%
38	Maine	$10,473	30.2%
39	Colorado	$10,812	24.1%
40	Nevada	$12,006	28.0%
41	Michigan	$12,276	28.7%
42	Montana	$12,589	39.2%
43	Minnesota	$13,153	30.3%
44	Ohio	$13,297	33.9%
45	Vermont	$13,321	37.0%
46	Idaho	$13,593	40.9%
47	Rhode Island	$15,469	37.7%
48	California	$16,746	33.4%
49	Wisconsin	$16,974	45.4%
50	Iowa	$23,027	65.8%

The next smoking ban

I don't think it was a coincidence that this was published in the Journal-Sentinel on the day after the Wisconsin smoking ban was passed.

The science run: Gas vs. charcoal

By Susanne Rust of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: May. 14, 2009

Worrying about climate change while cooking those brats on your charcoal grill?

Scientists say if you are, you might think of switching to a propane grill.

That's because propane is more environmentally friendly than carbon (sic - Ms. Rust meant charcoal).

Eric Johnson, lead author of Elsevier's Environmental Impact Assessment Review, reported that the carbon footprint for charcoal grilling is almost three times as large as that for liquid petroleum gas grilling.

The differences come in large part by how the grills work. Propane grills are like conventional ovens - they have power ratings and can easily be switched on and off. Charcoal grills, however, can't be switched on and off easily, and fuel consumption is difficult to regulate.

Mr. Johnson is absolutely ignorant about how my charcoal grills and smokers work. I maintain pinpoint control of temperature and I can quickly snuff out the coals by controlling air flow. It will burn minimally longer than my gasser after I finish cooking.

Like Dad29 exposed with bisphenol-A, the MJS is latching onto more junk science as they start their next witch hunt. Yesterday tobacco is banned, tomorrow it will be charcoal.

Cut to the bone

This is being circulated around Wisconsin state government.

The photo characterizes their modified first response unit after budget cuts impacted station staffing and equipment.

I can see a similar proposal for the state budget cuts!

Oh my!

Our poor, poor pitiful government employees. Having to get by with only 37.2% more spending than they had in 2003.