tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post7214565359224028324..comments2024-03-25T05:30:23.847+11:00Comments on HotWhopper: How Anthony Watts, persecuted victim and hero, valiantly thwarts imaginary roadblock throwersSouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08818999735123752034noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-23705088411285031822015-07-22T21:09:31.508+10:002015-07-22T21:09:31.508+10:00This is Anthony Watts at his best!This is Anthony Watts at his best!Nevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15413215743703093876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-55158749550391348322015-07-22T16:21:45.915+10:002015-07-22T16:21:45.915+10:00If we take the hypothesis that, contrary to his st...If we take the hypothesis that, contrary to his stated aims, all Watts does is about money; then the journal will be an exercise in vanity publishing. It will publish any old garbage that comes with a cheque from the author.<br /><br />Perhaps its time to stop using the term 'follower' for the numpties who worship Watts. If he is going to milk them for travel expenses, membership fees and whatever next, the correct term would be 'patsy'.Millicentnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-69823628293380877322015-07-22T16:18:02.469+10:002015-07-22T16:18:02.469+10:00501(c)(3) covers Private Foundations (PF) and Pub...501(c)(3) covers Private Foundations (PF) and Public Charities (PC)<br />PF get tax break, can *only* give to 501(c)(3) PC or foreign equivalents.<br />PF are things like Charles Koch Foundation, L&H Bradley, Sarah Scaife, etc.<br /><br />Dennis got it right, but there are more details:<br /><br />1) 501(c)(3) PF need to report their recipients on their Form 990 PF.<br />Donors Trust/Capital Fund (501(c)(3) PC) is a "donor advised trust" that lets them anonymize, i.e., Charles G Koch PF (and other PFs) write big check to DT/DCF, controls the money, but the actual checks to other 501(c)(3) PCs are all written by its CEO, Whitney Ball, so public can't tell where the money actually came from.<br /><br />2) A 501(c)(3) PC must disclose substantial donations to the IRS, in a separate section of the Form 990 that is not made public, except by accident. There are calculations to expose overly-concentrated donations, but they are messy. In any case, big donors can get around this. For instance, Charles Koch could give money through {CG Koch F, Claude Lambe F, Donors Trust, Donors Capital} which looks like 4 separate groups. Also, the various allied PFs cross-fund, so the same amount of money looks like it comes separately.<br />Sometimes you can find donations via "reverse search" features of Foundation Center, but this DT/DCF route obscures that, especially since many of the grants seem not to be recorded in that database.<br /><br />3) Private individuals need to tell IRS of their donations, but are not public.<br /><br />4) Companies don't need to make their donations public, although some do, but don't mention amounts. The only reason we ever knew how much ExxonMobil gave was its use of the ExxonMobil Foundation for a while. I always thought that was crazy, since it made gifts trackable ... but they were rounding error in daily profits.<br /><br />5) For more, see PDF attached toi <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2012/10/23/fakery-2-more-funny-finances-free-tax" rel="nofollow">Fakery 2.</a><br />pp.8-10 talks about 501(c)(3) issues and potential causes for complaint<br />pp.68-76 discusses DONORS, with some updated information beyond the earlier version in February 2012, which is when DONORS really got first exposed.<br />John Masheyhttp://www.desmogblog.com/user/john-masheynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-41743660274092987962015-07-22T14:26:09.775+10:002015-07-22T14:26:09.775+10:00Everyone here is being way too optimistic IMO. The...Everyone here is being way too optimistic IMO. The journal is a long way down the track if it ever gets there at all. And if it does, it leaves Anthony Watts in a bind. If he publishes the sort of nonsense that he posts on his blog, he'll be a laughing stock of everyone who hears about it, which will bruise his fragile ego (but feed his persecuted hero complex). If he doesn't publish the sort of nonsense he posts on his blog, he'll disappoint all his fans.<br /><br />Since it's very unlikely that any published deniers will want to favour his journal (eg Pat Michaels, Judith Curry, Roy Spencer etc and Anthony himself all aim for proper journals), all he's got is the conspiracy theorists and purist deniers. None of his frequent guests have supported his OAS publicly - not Willis Eschenbach, nor Bob Tisdale, nor Christopher Monckton have come out and said they'd join. I don't think any of them have commented on an OAS thread. AFAIK the only people who've supported it who have any sort of reputation at all (albeit a crappy one) are Joe D'Aleo, who's a hard core denier and considered a clown when it comes to climate, and John Coleman, another denier, who doesn't qualify for full membership.<br /><br />Some of the problems he'll face include getting an editor who is even half-way competent who'll do the job for next to nix; finding enough people in disciplines ranging from sun worship to sky dragon theories, who are willing to do peer review.<br /><br />I've <a href="http://blog.hotwhopper.com/2015/03/another-fail-at-wuwt-where-is-open.html?showComment=1426818422313#c2917552036749744812" rel="nofollow">said before</a> that I think Anthony probably created this as a paid job for himself. He often begs for money. In April last year he was <a href="http://blog.hotwhopper.com/2014/04/hotwhopper-competition-best-name-for.html" rel="nofollow">looking to get a gig</a> running a fake skeptic society and nobody took the hint. They <a href="https://archive.is/5Apfs#selection-2133.0-2153.75" rel="nofollow">wanted Christopher Monckton</a> or someone <a href="https://archive.is/5Apfs#selection-4361.0-4381.121" rel="nofollow">of higher standing</a> than Anthony :DSouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08818999735123752034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-86865904951314540402015-07-22T14:00:14.220+10:002015-07-22T14:00:14.220+10:00There is always the well-established Journal of Sc...There is always the well-established <a href="http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal-library" rel="nofollow">Journal of Scientific Exploration.</a> I prefer the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150425032353/http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/articles.html" rel="nofollow">old contents format</a>, since you can peruse the article titles of the "dog astrology journal."John Masheynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-50382668576224386292015-07-22T11:32:44.015+10:002015-07-22T11:32:44.015+10:00Fawlty Towers produced two series, each of six epi...Fawlty Towers produced two series, each of six episodes, but otherwise I agree with your comment.MWSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-3203291535642849632015-07-22T11:04:57.880+10:002015-07-22T11:04:57.880+10:00It's hard to be sure. But for a few instances...It's hard to be sure. But for a few instances of these intellectual giants in action have a look https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashionable_Nonsense#The_book.27s_thesis <br /><br />jrkrideauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04869979887929067657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-84803062930846711462015-07-22T08:33:02.012+10:002015-07-22T08:33:02.012+10:00Thanks Lionel for the Dawkins Sokal reference. I n...Thanks Lionel for the Dawkins Sokal reference. I never understood what post modernism was. Now I know, it is what we Aussies call bullshit.<br />I am only a mere experimenter in the dark arts of Physics. We call it reality. Are these bullshit artists sane? Bert<br />Bert from Elthamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-35418625109930659572015-07-22T08:07:32.725+10:002015-07-22T08:07:32.725+10:00Surely Sou that is what marketing is? Selling over...Surely Sou that is what marketing is? Selling overhyped overpriced useless stuff to people who don't need it or understand it. Your examiners were caught in their own false paradigm. They had to approve of the clear reflection they saw of themselves that you painted with their own words. BertBert from Elthamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-66270360348485506792015-07-22T06:37:26.553+10:002015-07-22T06:37:26.553+10:00Here's the gigantic roadblock that the IRS put...Here's the gigantic roadblock that the IRS put in his way:<br /><br />New 1023-EZ Form Makes Applying for 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status Easier; Most Charities Qualify<br />http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/New-1023-EZ-Form-Makes-Applying-for-501c3Tax-Exempt-Status-Easier-Most-Charities-QualifyCapitalClmatehttps://twitter.com/capital_climatenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-60107502206492202302015-07-22T05:55:06.097+10:002015-07-22T05:55:06.097+10:00Jrkrideau, I fear you might be right. WUWT alread...Jrkrideau, I fear you might be right. WUWT already reads like the climate denier version of The Onion.Catmandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12313870265499015076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-38992868129285073992015-07-22T05:41:09.931+10:002015-07-22T05:41:09.931+10:00As a programmer, I regularly get to see great exam...As a programmer, I regularly get to see great examples of 'cargo cult programming'.<br /><br />My favourite episode of this nature was when some numpty associates of mine were trying to 'debug' a race condition. By putting debug statements into the code for one of the threads, they unwittingly got rid of the race condition they were trying to find. Truly a Schrödinger's cat-like situation ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-43323375831318991082015-07-22T05:23:14.457+10:002015-07-22T05:23:14.457+10:00Yes, MarkR, when you put it that way... Fawlty Tow...Yes, MarkR, when you put it that way... Fawlty Towers only produced 6 episodes, and look how many laughs we still get out of that. With OAS, we could be in for years of 'quality, peer reviewed' entertainment!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-61724474743500627042015-07-22T05:08:52.897+10:002015-07-22T05:08:52.897+10:00Well Catmando,
How are we going to show which pape...Well Catmando,<br />How are we going to show which paper is the "Sokal' one? It's bit of a Poe situation here. Total nuttiness vs intended farcical nuttiness. Most of the readers would refuse to believe our paper was a 'Sokal'. <br /><br />We would just be trying to discredit an 'important' contribution to Climate Science because it did not agree with what the corrupt establishment's climate scientists. <br /> <br />As I am sure Sou would say, "Remember Recursive Fury">jrkrideauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04869979887929067657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-92227454762743254232015-07-22T04:51:09.518+10:002015-07-22T04:51:09.518+10:00Well Catmando,
How are we going to show which pape...Well Catmando,<br />How are we going to show which paper is the "Sokal' one? It's bit of a Poe situation here. Total nuttiness vs intended farcical nuttiness. Most of the readers would refuse to believe our paper was a 'Sokal'. <br /><br />We would just be trying to discredit an 'important' contribution to Climate Science because it did not agree with what the corrupt establishment's climate scientists. <br /> <br />As I am sure Sou would say, "Remember Recursive Fury">jrkrideauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04869979887929067657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-64714163007405942382015-07-22T03:21:17.594+10:002015-07-22T03:21:17.594+10:00I disagree. If they get round to doing a journal, ...I disagree. If they get round to doing a journal, I think it's going to be a great read. There seem to be enough people submitting awful quality research to journals - all we see are the handful that somehow slip through review (Monckton, Gervais, Humlum, Christopoulos...).<br /><br />I've reviewed a truly bizarre paper that involved magically disappearing photons in order to try and deny the greenhouse effect so that global warming could be attributed to other things. That suggests there's more than the weird stuff we see published, and if the OAS journal sticks to its open claims then we should see some outstanding contributions. Dark matter explosions from the ocean are causing global warming? The Sun is made of iron? Gnomes are sneaking out at night to put candles under Stevenson screens?<br /><br />I'm excited.MarkRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-25181701976894733662015-07-22T03:18:43.437+10:002015-07-22T03:18:43.437+10:00Exactly what I meant. Since virtually all the den...Exactly what I meant. Since virtually all the denier stuff recycles old, debunked arguments, it might not be too hard to write a "paper" and submit it. But you just know this will be a cronies only journal. Catmandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12313870265499015076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-16222585017348109582015-07-22T02:20:16.489+10:002015-07-22T02:20:16.489+10:00By Richard Feynman no less.
His 'Lectures on ...By Richard Feynman no less.<br /><br />His 'Lectures on Physics' are still a source of enlightenment and his 'Challenger' study was a masterpiece.Lionel Ahttp://lionels.orpheusweb.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-49863549092711375762015-07-22T02:13:43.998+10:002015-07-22T02:13:43.998+10:00Since I'm an astronomer, the Electric Universe...Since I'm an astronomer, the Electric Universe people are my all-time favorite cranks. My usual tactic with them is to ask them what force they think dominates planetary motions. I have yet to receive an answer.palindromnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-78503634522950111472015-07-22T01:53:15.890+10:002015-07-22T01:53:15.890+10:00There already is an entire society dedicated to am...There already is an entire society dedicated to amateur fringe science. The <a href="http://worldnpa.org" rel="nofollow">Natural Philosophy Alliance</a> has meetings and publishes "papers" on circlons, nucleotopes, ether wind velocity, the Armenian theory of special relativity and ... yes.... climate science, including the "earth endogenous energy theory (sic)"<br /><br />There's a good writeup in Slate: <i><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/new_scientist/2012/01/amateur_physicists_take_on_the_priesthood_of_mainstream_science_.html" rel="nofollow">"Other Theories of Physics: Amateurs around the world take on the priesthood of mainstream science"</a></i>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12083190014669867976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-88812695767010613332015-07-22T01:40:28.179+10:002015-07-22T01:40:28.179+10:00No -- a 501(c)(3) does not have to disclose its do...No -- a 501(c)(3) does not have to disclose its donors unless its income comes from a single or small group of donors (such as the Board only). This is done to prevent individuals from becoming self-declared "tax exempt."<br /><br />As long as Willard can find enough of his followers to fork over money and claim "membership," he doesn't have to disclose anything except what his form 990 requires. Of course, the line between a small-self selected group and a bona fide charity can get caught up in interpretation and, since I haven't seen him gloat over how many dues paying members he has, he is probably close to that line. When he gets around to filing his 990, it may raise alarm bells with the IRS.<br /><br />This is, of course, different from the fact that the individuals have to disclose that they gave money to a 501(c)(3) to get the tax exemption. But that information, of course, is only between the individual and the IRS.<br /><br />-- Dennis Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-90335680244203621562015-07-22T01:18:21.448+10:002015-07-22T01:18:21.448+10:00I find the timing interesting - the (still unpubli...I find the timing interesting - the <i>(still unpublished)</i> draft 'ground-breaking' paper from Watts was shown to the public for <i>(greatly deserved)</i> criticism in July 2012, just when the OAS was being filed for. <br /><br />I suspect the Open Atmospheric Society was an attempt on Watts's part to create a sympathetic publisher for his nonsense. If one of the first papers showing up under the OAS label is the recycling of that horrible draft I'll consider that suspicion confirmed. KRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-35704216839293222482015-07-22T00:59:33.317+10:002015-07-22T00:59:33.317+10:00"She filled one of her essays by joining toge..."She filled one of her essays by joining together ideological phrases and quotes that were, in the main, meaningless waffle."<br /><br />Now why does this remind me of Richard Dawkins and his essay, published in 'The Devil's Chaplain' and <a href="http://www.physics.nyu.edu/sokal/dawkins.html" rel="nofollow">online here</a>?<br /><br />Maybe the trigger was Catmando with his line, "We could Sokal him."Lionel Ahttp://lionels.orpheusweb.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-16481960858741838972015-07-21T23:45:31.032+10:002015-07-21T23:45:31.032+10:00A 501(c)(3) does have to disclose it's donors,...A 501(c)(3) does have to disclose it's donors, but like R said -- Donor's Trust...Rattus Norvegicushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03449457204330125792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313427464944392482.post-40331214124074496032015-07-21T23:28:15.039+10:002015-07-21T23:28:15.039+10:00I don't know why Watts wants to start up anoth...I don't know why Watts wants to start up another journal - there is already a suite of amenable ones available for the poor persecuted Denialati scientists:<br /><br /><a href="https://archive.is/YWphS" rel="nofollow">https://archive.is/YWphS</a><br /><br /><a href="https://archive.is/8cuDi" rel="nofollow">https://archive.is/8cuDi</a><br /><br /><a href="https://archive.is/lCBYG" rel="nofollow">https://archive.is/lCBYG</a><br /><br /><a href="https://archive.is/Qtfrv" rel="nofollow">https://archive.is/Qtfrv</a>Bernard J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16299073166371273808noreply@blogger.com