NC Media Watch

It's more than a hoax folks - it is fraud.

 Russ Steele

The whole is made up from a sum of its parts. One of the major promoters of sustainability issues at The Union was Zuri Berry. Zuri has left for greener pastures in Boston, and we see less emphasis on green issues at The Union. Given the recent Climategate events, it might be wise for The Union to take at least a neutral position, or if they are up to the challenge expose some of the garbage that is being promoted as human caused global warming.

Some of my critics refuse to address the issues preferring to attack my character or my credibility with out providing any specific evidence to why I am wrong, or how I have failed to tell the truth. They will not come here and present their case they just snipe from the sidelines, rather than engage in a discussion of the issues. Here are some examples from the Former Union Editor's blog:

First from the FUE himself:

Meanwhile, The Union’s monthly columnist Russ Steele (AKA global warming is a “hoax”) is touting his upcoming Saturday column on his blog: “The risk of investing in green business, given the increased risk that human caused global warming is a fraud.”

The FUE refuses to explain why human caused global warming in not a hoax, he just likes to imply that I am a nut case for arguing the issue.

Here is some more snipping from the FUE's blog by someone called Gloria:

Posting may be slow

Russ Steele

I am going to be away from my broadband connection for few days, so posting may be slow. However,  I will have a column in The Saturday Union on the risk of investing in green business, given the increased risk that human caused global warming is a fraud. 

For those following the Climategate Scandal, I highly recommend that you visit Anthony Watts' blog Watts Up With That.

Formatting issues

Russ Steele

I changed the comment format to include a number, so readers who comment on a comment can refer to a specific comment by number. Also the comments are now threaded. As the number of comments by the same individual grows,  it makes referencing much easier.  These changes can cause formatting problems for some browsers. So far, I have isolated the problem to Internet Explorer.

I am reporting the problem to Typepad.  However, until a fix is found I recommend Firefox for reading NC Media Watch.

And you would place your lance where?

Russ Steele

George Rebane and I often critique, or just comment on, our individual blog posts in e-mail exchanges.  I blog here and George at Rebane’s Rumination.  One of my goals is to bring global warming facts to the attention of readers. In George’s opinion, while that is an ambitious goal it is not enough. George explains in his latest post at Ruminations: Placing My Lance.

Measure twice and cut once is good advice

Russ Steele

Measure twice and cut one is often the advice given to those new to do-it-yourself crafts.  This is perhaps good advice for those build knowledge when using search engines. Google is the most popular search engine and is used world wide by millions as their primary Internet search tool.

For years Google has been my primary starting point on the web. But, now I am beginning to wonder if this was just measuring once.  It maybe time to be measuring twice, checking Google's performance with another search engine, such as Microsoft's Bing. 

Over the years I have tried to avoid Microsoft products, but have been testing Bing. What caused me to change my mind? One has been Google's lurch leftward and articles like this one at NewBusters by Noel Sheppard: Al Gore Advised Google About 'Search Quality'

We really do not know what was done to modify Google's search algorithms. They might be manipulated to favor liberal news outlets over conservative points of view, or make sure that global warming hysteria were on the top page, sending opposing views to bottom of the search page.

. . . Gore raised some concerns about "search quality," and then sat in Google's office for three hours watching ten "search-quality researchers and specialists in charge of this part of the business" work on solving problems he shared with the company's owners.

NewBusters writes:

How does this all relate to Gore giving Google search quality tips a few years ago? Who knows, but as NewsBusters has been reporting almost since its inception, Google has regularly demonstrated a liberal leaning as well as anti-conservative proclivities:
    •    Is Google Becoming Big Brother?
    •    YouTube, Google, and the Liberal Bias Virus
    •    Is Google Purging Conservative News Sites?
    •    Is Google's Earth Day Logo Advancing Global Warming Alarmism?
    •    Google CEO: Internet Key to 2008 Presidential Campaign
With this in mind, NewsBusters would be very interested in exactly what concerns Gore shared with Google a few years ago, and what the company's experts did in response.

It seem to me it would be wise to use more than one search engine when doing any research on politically sensitive issues like climate change, Obamacare, or gun rights.  I now have a second browser with Bing as the opening home page. This makes cross checking much easier. 

Local paper vs local blogger (updated)

Russ Steele

The former editor of The Union (FUE) has been conducting an on going campaign against his former employer on his blog. The FUE often uses George Rebane and yours truly as a virtual club to bash the Editor/Publisher of the Union.  The question is does this negative campaign bring in new readers?

Below is the latest score from Alexa, the web information company that tracks web site visitors. The FUE has taken the position that blogs are more relevant than the local paper. This is a reversal of his position when he was the Editor. It will be interesting to track the field score and see who is winning or loosing readers. We will check again in sixty days. Stay Tuned.


(Click for a larger image)

Union's page views per visit 3.1 to 2.9, up 7% in last 3 months.

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Pelline's page views per visitor 1 to 1.3, down 20% in last 3 months. 

Update #1:  In the comments the FUE points out there is room for improvement at NCWatch, and I agree.
We are working on regaining the readership lost while Ellen and I were traveling this summer. Regular posting increases readership.   Here are my comparable facts:

Neocons, I think not

Russ Steele

The Former Editor of the Union ( FUE) takes every opportunity to bash the current Editor and Publisher of The Union on his blog, often using Russ Steele and George Rebane as the club. This morning he takes yet again another opportunity to bash Jeff Ackerman with a critique of Jeff’s latest column Radical left and right are squeezing out the middle . The FUE claims The Union is moving to the right and part of his proof is Russ and George can be found on the editorial page once a month.  

1. Hiring “neo-conservative” bloggers Russ Steele and George Rebane to write a monthly column. Those two are just what the E&P purports to reject: “Right-wingers” who shout back if you disagree with you and resort to insults if you disagree. In short, these two are community dividers, not uniters, according to many long-timers here. One or both write that Obama is a socialist, global warming is a hoax and they mock Democratic policies. They also are big supporters of CABPRO, a conservative group that has divided the community in the past. Yet no local counterviews are provided as
monthly columnists.


To be fair and balance, here is my critique of the FUE’s claims:

Dalton Minimum now possible according to NASA

Russ Steele

In December 2006 I wrote a paper published on the SESF Website that forecast the return of a Dalton Minimum climate pattern.  Details here, at the bottom of the page. 

Cooler Temps - Dalton Minimum Returns?

Global warming hype could be masking a more immediate climate problem. A problem that could have a larger impact on our lives than global warming over the next 20 years. Solar scientists have predicted the return of the Dalton Minimum, which was the result of two low intensity sunspot cycles lasting over 28 years. During the early 1800s the average temperatures in the Mid West were 2-4 degrees cooler than the 20th Century average. In many areas it was much dryer than average, especially along the California coast. We have already started to see some ocean cooling as we leave sunspot cycle 23 and enter sunspot cycle 24, the first of the two predicted minimum cycles.

See the latest post at my blog the Dalton Minimum Returns. NASA is now saying that a Dalton Minimum repeat is possible according to David Archibald in a guest post at Watts Up With That

NASA’s David Hathaway has adjusted his expectations of Solar Cycle 24 downwards. He is quoted in the New York Times here Specifically, he said:

” Still, something like the Dalton Minimum — two solar cycles in the early 1800s that peaked at about an average of 50 sunspots — lies in the realm of the possible.”

Details at the  Dalton Minimum Returns.