Category: Email Hoax

Volcanos and CO2 Emissions – Truth or Hoax? – Take Two

On By Norbert HauptIn Climate Change, Email Hoax, Misleading Statistics9 Comments

In December of 2012, right after the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull erupted, I published a post here commenting about people posting nonsense about volcanos and anthropogenic global warming. At the time I said:

The amount of misinformation spewed on the American public, driven by purposeful and targeted campaigns to dumb us down, is alarming.

This seems to be a pattern on Facebook, as I came across this picture in my feed on January 2. I have redacted the name of the poster and recipient, since those are not relevant to my argument.

Mt. Etna on Facebook

This poster obviously argued that “one minor eruption on Dec 3, 2015, pumped 10,000 times as much CO2 into the air as all of mankind has ever produced. He then insulted 97% of all climate scientists in the world by telling them to “get over it” and calling them “panic merchants.”

When I didn’t know what volcano he was talking about, I asked for more details. When the poster never responded, I did a 15 second Google search and realized he must have talked about the Mt. Etna eruption on December 3rd. There is plenty of documentation about that eruption, and another 30 seconds later I had the facts I needed.

Gas studies at volcanoes worldwide have helped volcanologists tally up a global volcanic CO2 budget in the same way that nations around the globe have cooperated to determine how much CO2 is released by human activity through the burning of fossil fuels. Our studies show that globally, volcanoes on land and under the sea release a total of about 200 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

— The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory explained how much CO2 is generated by volcanoes in a 2007 article

200 million tons of CO2 seems like an extraordinary large amount. However, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) found that the estimated amount of CO2 generated annually by human activity is 135 times higher.

In addition, volcanos also spew out sulfur dioxide, which can lead to volcanic air pollution. Sulfur dioxide gas reacts chemically with sunlight, oxygen, dust particles, and water to form volcanic smog known as vog. This actually offsets some of the CO2 greenhouse effect by doing the opposite: Inducing cooling by injection of pollution into the atmosphere. So volcanos are often actually balanced out.

It is easy to post a picture like the above in a Facebook feed and let it trickle down to the uneducated and uncritical masses in order to advance an agenda. If that agenda is well-funded by powerful lobbies like the petroleum industry, it can make a significant difference in public opinion. It looks legit, doesn’t it?

Usually 30 seconds of googling provides the facts, though.

Volcanos and CO2 Emissions – Truth or Hoax?

On By Norbert HauptIn Climate Change, Email Hoax, Energy, Misleading Statistics, Nature, Political, Science, Sustainability2 Comments

Fact Check:

When the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull erupted in March 2010, I received this mass email:

VOLCANOES – MAKING LIBERALS LOOK STUPID…NATURALLY! *FOOD FOR THOUGHT ….. this was sent to me by a friend, thought I would pass it along.  *

*Are you sitting down? *Okay, here’s the bombshell. The current volcanic eruption going on in Iceland, since it first started spewing volcanic ash a week ago, has, to this point, NEGATED EVERY SINGLE EFFORT you have made in the past five years to control CO2 emissions on our planet.  Not only that, this single act of God has added emissions to the earth estimated to be 42 times more than can be corrected by the extreme human regulations proposed for annual reductions.

I know, I know…. (have a group hug)…it’s very disheartening to realize that all of the carbon emission savings you have accomplished while suffering the inconvenience and expense of driving Prius hybrids, buying fabric grocery bags, sitting up til midnight to finish your kid’s “The Green Revolution” science project, throwing out all of your non-green cleaning supplies, using only two squares of toilet paper, putting a brick in your toilet tank reservoir, selling your SUV and speedboat, going on vacation to a city park instead of Yosemite, nearly getting hit every day on your bicycle, replacing all of your $1 light bulbs with $10 light bulbs …well, all of those things you have done have all gone down the tubes in just the past week. The volcanic ash emitted into the Earth’s atmosphere in the past week has totally erased every single effort you have made to reduce the evil beast, carbon.  And, those hundreds of thousands of American jobs you helped move to Asia with expensive emissions demands on businesses… you know, the ones that are creating even more emissions than when they were creating American jobs, well that must seem really worthwhile now. I’m so sorry. And I do wish that there was some kind of a silver lining to this volcanic ash cloud but the fact of the matter is that the brush fire season across the western U.S.A. will start in about two months and those fires will negate your efforts to reduce carbon emissions in our world for the next two years.

So, grab a Coke, give the world a hug, and have a nice day!

AND JUST THINK HOW RICH AL GORE HAS GOTTEN OFF THIS HOAX !

So what is really going on?

According to FactCheck:

It’s true that erupting volcanoes do emit some carbon dioxide, one of the “greenhouse gases” that contributes to global climate change. But according to USGS, human activities release at least a hundred times more CO2 every year than all the world’s volcanoes combined. Published estimates of the gas emissions from all volcanoes in the world range from 123 million to 378 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Humans haven’t produced that little since the 19th century.

The problem is that when a denier tells you the content of the email above at a cocktail party, and you don’t just happen to be a climatologist who specializes in the study of the atmosphere, you probably don’t have the facts at your fingertips and can’t successfully argue against this outrageous, completely made-up, claim.

Fact check goes on documenting that the standstill of European air travel during that time, due to ash in the atmosphere, provided a significant offset of the CO2 emissions by the volcano:

Carbon dioxide isn’t a major output of volcanic eruptions. In the case of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which began erupting in March 2010 and entered an explosive phase in April 2010, one study found that less than 15 percent of the gas given off in the pre-explosive phase was CO2 – the majority was water vapor. For some other volcanoes, the proportion of CO2 is even lower.

Still, that accounted for 150,000 to 300,000 tons of CO2 per day at the height of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption, according to wire reports. But the European Union’s air travel, which was shut down for days during the eruption, accounts for 3 percent of the EU’s total CO2 emissions, which according to the European Environment Agency was about 4,089 billion tons in 2008. That means air travel in Europe gives off about 340,000 tons of CO2 per day. The shutdown of air travel in much of Europe during the first week of the explosive eruption would have offset, if not greatly outpaced, the CO2 Eyjafjallajokull produced during that time.

The amount of misinformation spewed on the American public, driven by purposeful and targeted campaigns to dumb us down, is alarming.

Insinuating, after sprewing this volcano of garbage, that Al Gore somehow made up this “hoax” to get rich, is unforgivable. I would like to get a chance to compare the life-work of the writer of that email, who in cowardice wrote anonymously, to that of Al Gore. Then let’s have this argument again.

Now for the most important question: Who can pronounce Eyjafjallajokull?

Legitimacy of Viral Email

On By Norbert HauptIn Commentaries, Email HoaxLeave a comment

The email I just posted below had me thinking about viral email in general. Somebody makes some claim. In the case of the referenced email, it dates back more than ten years. It claims statistics about members of Congress. I am not sure how many members of Congress of ten years ago are still in office today, but I am sure there must be at least a 50% turnover.

But the person that sent it to me (and dozens of other people on his email list) doesn’t tell me that. He probably does not know, and he didn’t even attempt to check his facts. He simply signed his name to a bunch of nonsense, lies, exaggerations and and false claims. There is no author that claims responsibility for his statements. There are no sources to back them up. There is no date on the email other than when I received it.

My rule of thumb is that I don’t send an email with content that I would not want to see on the cover of the New York Times tomorrow. If it passes the New York Times test, it’s okay to send on. That rule has saved me many a times in business, it has kept me honest, and it has had me check veracity, integrity and accuracy. If I don’t know something, I should not write about it.

I have written 747 posts in this blog over almost four years. Every one of the posts has my name under it. I made the statement, you can read my statement, you can check the facts, if applicable, and you can challenge me. If I make a mistake, I correct it. If my post is inappropriate, I will pull it. If you simply disagree, I will post your comment. 

In a free society, we must be able to speak, and others must be able to disagree. That’s the discourse we need to function. Viral emails without names of authors, dates and sources are pure trash, nothing else.

Email Hoax: NFL, NBA or Congress?

On By Norbert HauptIn Email Hoax4 Comments

I just received this email from a conservative acquaintance:

> >
> > NBA VS NFL
> >
> >
> > Even if you aren’t a Sports Fan this is Very Interesting!
> >
> > ****************
> >
> > 36 have been accused of spousal abuse
> >
> > 7 have been arrested for fraud
> >
> > 19 have been accused of writing bad checks
> >
> > 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
> >
> > 3 have done time for assault
> >
> > 71, I repeat 71
> > cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
> >
> > 14 have been arrested on drug-related
> > charges
> >
> > 8 have been arrested for shoplifting
> >
> > 21 currently are defendants in lawsuits,
> > and
> > 84 have been arrested for drunk driving
> > in the last year !
> >
> > Can you guess which organization this is?
> > Is it the NBA Or NFL?
> >
> > Give up yet?
> > Scroll down,
> >
> >
> > Neither,
> > it’s the 535 members of the
> > United States Congress
> >
> > The same group of Idiots that crank out
> > hundreds of new laws each
> >
> > year
> > designed to keep the rest of us in line.
> >
> >
> > You gotta pass this one on!
> >

I have issues when people make claims like this.

So a quick fact-check, and 30 seconds later is the response.

If I were the person that sent this, I’d be embarrassed.

Email Hoax: Staff of First Lady

On By Norbert HauptIn Email HoaxLeave a comment

Today I received this in an email chain:

NOW… If you’ve read this far… now, open your eyes to this… First Lady Michelle Obama’s Servant List and Pay Scale.

The First Lady Requires More Than Twenty Attendants (that’s 22 attendants to be exact)

1. $172,200 – Sher, Susan (Chief Of Staff)

2. $140,000 – Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy Assistant to the president and Director of Policy And Projects For The First Lady)

3. $113,000 – Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary)

4. $102,000 – Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady)

5. $100,000 – Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)

6. $90,000 – Medina , David S. (Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)

7. $84,000 – Lelyveld, Catherine M. (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady)

8. $75,000 – Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)

9. $70,000 – Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy andProjects for the First Lady)

10. $65,000 – Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and deputy Social Secretary)

11. $64,000 – Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)

12. $62,000 – Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordinator For The First Lady)

13. $60,000 – Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady)

14. $57,500 – Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady)

15. $52,500 – Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary to The First Lady)

16. $50,000 – Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special-2Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling Aide to The First Lady)

17. $45,000 – Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence For The First Lady)

18. $43,000 – Tubman, Samantha (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)

19. $40,000 – Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)

20. $36,000 – Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)

21. $35,000 – Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)

22. $35,000 – Jackson, Deilia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)

(This is community organizing at it’s [sic] finest.)

There has NEVER been anyone in the White House at any time who has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady’s social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense, when even Hillary, only had three; Jackie Kennedy one; Laura Bush one; and prior to Mamie Eisenhower social help came from the President’s own pocket.

Of course, this claim had me suspicious. Laura Bush one?

About 30 seconds of research and I found the list of the White House staff of June 30, 2008, under George W. Bush, and of course Laura Bush. You can check this Washington Post article yourself. I counted 16 entries in this list that have the words “first lady” in the title. In the list above, there are, besides the chief of staff, also six names that do not have the string “first lady” in the title. So, between staffers for Michele Obama and Laura Bush, it’s the same number.

It seems appalling to me that somebody could claim it was 22 staffers for Obama and one for Bush!

Here is George W. Bush’s list of staffers. The total salaries are $33,193,021.

Cradic lll, Harold E $35,500 Agency Coordinator
Swider, Joel D $34,000 Agency Coordinator
McCathran, William W $96,791 Assistant Executive Clerk
Jackson, Sally W $34,000 Assistant for Arrangements
Lawrimore, Emily A $72,100 Assistant Press Secretary
Carroll, Carlton F $52,200 Assistant Press Secretary
Witcher, Eryn M $100,300 Assistant Press Secretary and Director of Television
Miller, Kasdin E $43,000 Assistant Press Secretary to the First Lady
Graham, Lottie B $57,733 Assistant Shift Leader
Attilli, Candice L $52,921 Assistant Shift Leader
Canery, Beverly D $52,921 Assistant Shift Leader
Claude, Lilia H $52,921 Assistant Shift Leader
Sass, Joan C $51,317 Assistant Shift Leader
Baskerville Jr, Chester A $44,500 Assistant Shift Leader
Vandall, Tobias A $44,500 Assistant Shift Leader
Drummoncl, Michael A $60,600 Assistant Staff Secretary
Freeman, Skyla M $57,500 Assistant Staff Secretary
Devuono, Amanda B $47,000 Assistant Staff Secretary
Meyers, David R $47,000 Assistant Staff Secretary
Mackintosh, Andrew y $43,900 Assistant Staff Secretary
Jones, Crystal B $76,742 Assistant Supervisor Document Management and Tracking Unit
Parker, Doris D $64,027 Assistant Supervisor of Classification
Taggart Jr, Hugh T $83,720 Assistant Supervisor of Search and File
Price, Daniel M $172,200 Assistant to President for International Economic Affairs and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs
Thomas lll, Edwin R $86,046 Assistant to the Executive Clerk
Williams, Sherman A $69,848 Assistant to the Executive Clerk
Neiman, Wanda M $67,908 Assistant to the Executive Clerk
Bolten, Joshua B $172,200 Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff
McBride, Anita B $172,200 Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady
Hagin, Joseph W $172,200 Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff
Kaplan, Joel D $172,200 Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy
Perino, Dana M $172,200 Assistant to the President and Press Secretary
Yanes, Raul Francisco $172,200 Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary
Sullivan, Kevin F $172,200 Assistant to the President for Communications
Zinsmeister, Walter Karl $172,200 Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy
Hennessey, Keith B $172,200 Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director, National Economic Council
Wainstein, Kenneth L $172,200 Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
Meyer, Daniel P $172,200 Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Hadley, Stephen J $172,200 Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
Gregor, Joie A $172,200 Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel
Thiessen, Marc A $172,200 Assistant to the President for Speechwriting
Jackson, Barry S $172,200 Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs
Augustine, Rene I $100,000 Associate Counsel
Loughlin, Ann L $130,694 Associate Counsel to the President
Adams, John D $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Coffìna, Scott A $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Dunathan, Amy F $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Edwards, Tobi M $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Fahrenkopf, Leslie A $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Hoang, Francis Q $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Lambert, Albert C $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Lee, Kenneth K $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
O’Donoghue, Richard G F $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Patterson, Peter A $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Potts, Stephen D $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Purpura, Michael M $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Rounds lll, Emory A $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Smith, John M $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Todd, Kathryn C $130,500 Associate Counsel to the President
Thomas, Andrew D $91,100 Associate Director
Purcell, Kristopher N $75,200 Associate Director
Breeding, Nicholas G $67,900 Associate Director
Cossiboom, Brian S $67,900 Associate Director
Fernandez, lvette A $67,900 Associate Director
Kubena, Korinne A $67,900 Associate Director
Manfredi, Stephen F $64,800 Associate Director
Rough, Peter T $64,800 Associate Director
Thompson, Nicholas D $64,800 Associate Director
Boyce, Lucas D $62,700 Associate Director
Lowrance, Brock A $62,700 Associate Director
Casale Jr, Anthony J $62,000 Associate Director
Ohlhaut, Grace R $60,000 Associate Director
Thornton, Julia Gabrielle $58,206 Associate Director
Brown, Thomas C $57,500 Associate Director
Curran, Kevin H $57,500 Associate Director
Neale, Rebecca C $57,500 Associate Director
Shilling, Matthew R $57,500 Associate Director
Teague, Matthew L $57,500 Associate Director
Yunker, Jacob H $57,500 Associate Director
Whitley, Jared K $57,000 Associate Director
Broggi, Jeremy J $55,000 Associate Director
Suskin, Jesse M $53,000 Associate Director
Reedy, Jonathan D $52,200 Associate Director
Scheneman, Elisabeth C $52,200 Associate Director
Hensley, Keith L $52,000 Associate Director
Dravis, Samantha K $50,000 Associate Director
Lew, Veronica J $50,000 Associate Director
Vaughan, Frederick W $50,000 Associate Director
Goodrum lll, John P $48,000 Associate Director
Larkin, Matthew P $47,000 Associate Director
Nugent, Caroline F $47,000 Associate Director
Naughton, Peter N $46,000 Associate Director
Cummings, Aaron C $45,000 Associate Director
Levine, Steven M $45,000 Associate Director
Warren, Niklas S $45,000 Associate Director
Dries, Brittany Anne $43,000 Associate Director
Sendek, Sara E $42,000 Associate Director
Flanagan, Molly E $41,800 Associate Director
Taylor, Meghan J $57,500 Associate Director Continuity Policy
Carle, Eben Wilson $85,681 Associate Director Information Sharing Policy
Hedrick, Isma B $47,000 Associate Director of Scheduling
Scott, Robbie J $44,000 Associate Director of Scheduling
Devaney, Diana T $50,000 Communications Adviser
Shaffner, Bethany A $35,500 Confidential Assistant
Pascale, Jill U $35,500 Correspondence Analyst
Seifullah, Tariq R $35,500 Correspondence Analyst
Blackburn, Merideth L $34,000 Correspondence Analyst
Clayton, Heath H $34,000 Correspondence Analyst
Garofano, Steven R $34,000 Correspondence Analyst
Hawkins, Philip A $34,000 Correspondence Analyst
Tomchik, Benjamin Peter $34,000 Correspondence Analyst
Warren, Kathryn V $34,000 Correspondence Analyst
Fielding, Fred F $172,200 Counsel to the President
Gillespie, Edward W $172,200 Counselor to the President
Siciliano, Stuart W $40,800 Deputy Assistant Press Secretary
Moore, Terri M $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications for Policy and Planning
Belmar, Adam A $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications for Production
Clark, David M $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel
Michel, Christopher G $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Speechwriting
Fratto, Salvatore A $158,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary
Stanzel, Scott M $158,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary
Mclntosh, Brent J $158,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Staff Secretary
Creighton, Janet J $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Director Intergovernmental Affairs
Mamo, Jean S $158,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Media Affairs
Felts, Jonathan D $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Political Affairs
Cram, Julie E $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Public Liaison
Scanlon, Joel A $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Strategic Initiative
Hein, Jay F $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Lozano, Henry C $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of USA Freedom Corps
Geissinger, Spencer E $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President for Advance and Operations
Bennett, Melissa S $158,500 Deputy Assistant to the President for Appointments and Scheduling
Medina, Sonya E $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Director of Projects for the First Lady
Bossert, Thomas P $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President for Homeland Security
Emling, John G $158,500 Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Fiddelke, Debbie S $158,500 Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Frech, Christopher W $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Gambatesa, Linda M $158,500 Deputy Assistant to the President for Management and Administration
McCormack, Brian V $147,500 Deputy Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs
McDonald, James M $100,000 Deputy Associate Counsel
Pinto, Ashok M $100,000 Deputy Associate Counsel
Roper, Glenn E $100,000 Deputy Associate Counsel
Sutherland, John A $100,000 Deputy Associate Counsel
Ayer, Rebecca Shawn $115,317 Deputy Associate Director
Gladney, Kathryn E $50,000 Deputy Associate Director
Rawson, Kimberly D $50,000 Deputy Associate Director
Beebe, Vanessa J $47,000 Deputy Associate Director
Chaves, Ashley S $47,000 Deputy Associate Director
Lloyd, James R $47,000 Deputy Associate Director
O’Connor, Kathleen P $47,000 Deputy Associate Director
Robins, Michael R $47,000 Deputy Associate Director
Mannina, Michael A $46,000 Deputy Associate Director
Dziadosz, Anna K $45,000 Deputy Associate Director
Smith, Barbara A $45,000 Deputy Associate Director
Frick, Jean C $43,900 Deputy Associate Director
lrons, Allison Kate $43,000 Deputy Associate Director
Morgan, Margaret Taylor $42,000 Deputy Associate Director
Brady, Ryan D $41,800 Deputy Associate Director
Milburn, Buckley D $40,000 Deputy Associate Director
Sciarrino, Joseph G $40,000 Deputy Associate Director
Hewell lV, Todd S $39,000 Deputy Associate Director
Henderson, Kristin E $38,700 Deputy Associate Director
Lim, Richard M $38,700 Deputy Associate Director
Rodgers Jr, James P $38,700 Deputy Associate Director
Hunt, Justin T $38,500 Deputy Associate Director
Bray, Chara R $37,000 Deputy Associate Director
Carroll, Jamie E $38,700 Deputy Associate Director for Invitations and Correspondence
Nichols, Whitney M $36,600 Deputy Associate Director for Press Advance
Miller, Sonja Maria $88,500 Deputy Chief of Staff to the First Lady
Balls, Katharine Damask $98,033 Deputy Communications Director
Farren, John Michael $158,500 Deputy Counsel to the President
Graves, Caleb R $58,500 Deputy Director
Lee, Anna Yim $55,400 Deputy Director Finance
Dorff, John E $58,000 Deputy Director for Operations
King, Kristin N $52,200 Deputy Director of Advance for the First Lady
Andrasek, Jaclyn E $37,600 Deputy Director of Agency Liaison
Giblet, Timothy H $49,100 Deputy Director of Comment Line and Greetings
Segura, Millicent $47,000 Deputy Director of Correspondence for the First Lady
Vander Veur, Justin W $47,000 Deputy Director of Mail Analysis
Jones, Blair C $94,000 Deputy Director of Media Affairs and Senior Spokesman
Mende, Kirstin M $53,000 Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady
Hanson, Kerissa R $41,000 Deputy Director of Presidential Messages
Wilkins, Andrew W $42,000 Deputy Director of Presidential Support
Graham, Ashley E $47,000 Deputy Director of Presidential Writers
Keep, Katherine E $44,900 Deputy Director of Proclamations
Raizk, Paul S $101,300 Deputy Director of Records Management
Etter, Marisa Leigh $52,200 Deputy Director of Scheduling for the First Lady
Rushton, Kerrie R $67,900 Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives
Neely, Natasha B $37,600 Deputy Director of the Gift Office
Speight Watson, Kerri Lynn $77,200 Deputy Director Presidential Correspondence
Kalbaugh, David E $120,907 Deputy Executive Clerk
Belter, Rachel M $65,000 Deputy Executive Secretary
Adams, Julie E $57,500 Deputy Press Secretary to the First Lady
Thornton, Dorothy M $52,200 Deputy Social Secretary
O’Donnell, Robert $116,800 Director Continuity Policy
Gray, Jennifer $53,300 Director of Administration
Wood, Ainsley R $52,200 Director of Agency Liaison
Lien, Leslie E $50,000 Director of Comment Line Greetings and Volunteers
Marshall, Misty C $62,400 Director of Correspondence for the First Lady
Wheeler, Staci A $60,000 Director of Fact Checking
Crocker, Erica A $42,900 Director of Legislative Correspondence
Roddick, Gertrude A $81,394 Director of Mail Analysis
Turenne Jr., William Joseph $115,317 Director of Outreach
Walkenhorst, Katherine W $47,000 Director of Presidential Messages
Martin, Levi D $47,000 Director of Presidential Personal Correspondence
Patlan, Philip A $52,200 Director of Presidential Proclamations
Alexander, Colleen P $57,500 Director of Presidential Support
Krivijanski, Joseph R $57,500 Director of Presidential Writers
Bohn lll, Carl H $67,900 Director of Radio and Spokesman
Droege, Philip C $126,850 Director of Records Management
Heighberger, Eric B $119,161 Director of Response Policy
Ballard, Deanna M $78,400 Director of Scheduling for the First Lady
Blossman, Robert B $70,700 Director of Special Projects
Oliver, Kenneth C $84,000 Director of Specialty Media
Amorsingh, Lucius Linus $52,268 Director of Student Correspondence
Wallingford, Jane M $52,200 Director of the Gift Office
Pitts, Gregg T $70,000 Director of the Travel Office
Allman, Cora Amy $71,100 Director of the White House Visitors Office
Race, Karen E $80,500 Director of White House Personnel
Tysarczyk, Eric J $115,317 Director Preparedness Policy
Schmerin, Daniel E $73,100 Director Preparedness Policy
Sarnacki, Jeffrey P $149,000 Director Response Policy
Shields, Brendan Patrick $130,694 Director Response Policy
Maxwell, Kathryn Thompson $88,800 Director, Aviation Security Policy
O’Brien, William S $73,100 Director, Communications Systems and Cyber Security Policy
Kennedy, Timothy A $78,400 Director, Continuity Policy
Donahue, Thomas Joseph $158,528 Director, Cyber Policy
Brown, Jason Bruce $91,259 Director, Cyber-Security Policy
Hall, Sabrina Anne $124,594 Director, Immigration and Visa Security Policy
McCabe, Matthew P $99,300 Director, International Programs and Border Security Policy
Hawkins, Monte Briggs $115,000 Director, Law Enforcement Policy
Nank, Timothy D $94,000 Director, Nuclear Detection Policy
Wiebe, Elizabeth J $57,500 Director, Office of Public Liaison
Croci, Thomas D $94,000 Director, Strategy and Resources
Hensley, Jarrad C $35,500 Editor
Doescher, Timothy D $34,000 Editor
George, Allison Carr $130,694 Ethics Advisor
Green, Marcella Moira $107,836 Ethics Advisor
Sarkany, Sergio Francisco $86,279 Ethics Advisor
Molinaro, Rachel E $58,206 Ethics Advisor
Byrd, Leslea T $52,000 Executive Assistant
Conrad, Samuel K $50,200 Executive Assistant
Byrne, Christopher J $49,100 Executive Assistant
Montony, Adrienne Lynn $48,100 Executive Assistant
lsakson, Curtis M $48,000 Executive Assistant
Soeder, Emily R $48,000 Executive Assistant
Dennard, Paris P $47,000 Executive Assistant
Wagner, Christina A $47,000 Executive Assistant
Williams, Rachel E $47,000 Executive Assistant
Wallingford, Crystal Diane $41,800 Executive Assistant
Warwood, Jordan L $41,800 Executive Assistant
Pate, Brian E $40,000 Executive Assistant
Nieto, Jeannette M $38,700 Executive Assistant
Davis, Diane D $36,600 Executive Assistant
Hyatt, Loren A $36,600 Executive Assistant
Wagner, Sarah J $36,600 Executive Assistant
Williams, Lauren E $36,600 Executive Assistant
Headley, Jessica D $35,500 Executive Assistant
Palagonia, Pamela L $33,400 Executive Assistant
Jenkins, Laura M $57,500 Executive Assistant and Director, Office of Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs
Wilmoth IV, Benton M $62,000 Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff
O’Connor, Erin M $41,800 Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff to the First Lady
Bakke, Mary Beth $73,800 Executive Assistant to the Counsel to the President
Stefanik, Elise M $56,400 Executive Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff
Anfuso, Katelyn G $41,800 Executive Assistant to the Deputy Counsel to the President
Saunders, George T $146,071 Executive Clerk
Lane, Holly E $35,500 Gift Analyst
Shaath, Zaina A $34,000 Gift Analyst
Leonard, Joyce L $52,200 Hotel Program Manager
Espinoza, Meghan C $57,500 Intern Coordinator
Crable, Lynn Allison $86,046 Lead Presidential Support Specialist
Trainor, Gregory T $61,810 Manager of Mail and Messenger Operations
Chervenak, Elizabeth W $47,000 Media Coordinator
Ahrens, Rebecca A $40,800 Operator
Deguzman, Brian K $40,000 Operator
Luck, Deatrice N $37,600 Operator
Watson, Takesha R $37,600 Operator
Johannes, Marissa C $40,000 Paralegal
Perkins, Paul R $38,900 Paralegal
Skinner, Kathleen B $40,000 Policy and Special Projects Coordinator
Showers, Wendy W $76,742 Presidential Support Specialist
Deguzman Jr, Danilo $65,967 Presidential Support Specialist
Cassano, Lois A $51,600 Press Assistant
Drummond, Matthew A $38,700 Press Assistant
Seat, Peter A $38,700 Press Assistant
Warren, Anthony E $38,700 Press Assistant
Mattson, Philip C $54,525 Printer and Photograph Coordinator
Blount, Patricia H $35,392 Records Analyst
Freeman, Myra B $68,875 Records Management Analyst
James Jr, Theodoric C $68,875 Records Management Analyst
King, Taeshonnda Cheralyn $54,525 Records Management Analyst
Lezotte, Darin R $54,525 Records Management Analyst
Millison, Chad L $54,525 Records Management Analyst
Samuels Jr, Wendell A $54,525 Records Management Analyst
Young Jr, Reginald D $54,525 Records Management Analyst
Young, Latoya A $52,921 Records Management Analyst
Lartey, Solomon D $50,816 Records Management Analyst
Nichols, Cherita Janelle $49,712 Records Management Analyst
Edmonds, Anita J $39,330 Records Management Analyst
Voorman, David A $35,400 Records Management Analyst
Hoang, Vy T $35,392 Records Management Analyst
Wade, Frances J $35,392 Records Management Analyst
Hickey Jr, James P $47,000 Research Assistant
Hart, Paul A $35,500 Research Assistant
Hodges, Matthew P $34,000 Research Assistant
Moore, Kelcey A $34,000 Research Assistant
Katz, Gena H $40,000 Research Assistant and Junior Speechwriter
Moore, April K $37,500 Scheduler
Smith, Steven P $35,500 Scheduler
Ellis, Christopher R $54,300 Senior Advance Representative
Palmese, Kimberley D $57,500 Senior Advance Representative
Miyagishima, Edward F $56,300 Senior Advance Representative
Nufter, Aaron D $52,200 Senior Advance Representative
Whitman, Zachary R $52,200 Senior Advance Representative
Reaves, Karen A $55,500 Senior Press Advance Representative
Gulick, Whitney V $55,000 Senior Press Advance Representative
Fischer, Jordan M $48,600 Senior Press Advance Representative
Ward lll, Richard J $48,100 Senior Press Advance Representative
Radford IV, Wynn L $47,000 Senior Press Advance Representative
Maxwell, Kyle D $38,700 Senior Scheduler
Bryant, Mary Jessica $41,000 Senior Trip Coordinator
Doty, Joan R $43,900 Senior Writer
Harmon, Melanie A $39,700 Senior Writer
Southerland, Virginia L $75,669 Shift Leader
Johnson, Linda M $60,044 Shift Leader
Clarke, Kay F $58,277 Shift Leader
Jackson, Theresa R $58,277 Shift Leader
Binns, Mary U $65,342 Special Assistant
Knutson, Lindsey L $62,700 Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady
Herzog, John T $55,400 Special Assistant to the Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Wilsbach, Cynthia C $42,000 Special Assistant to the Director
Weinstein, Jared Berman $102,000 Special Assistant to the President
Wichterman, William B $130,500 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Associate Director for Outreach and Personal Aide
Armstrong, Sara W $102,000 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff to the First Lady
Burch, Therese M $102,000 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Advance
Duffy, Rachael L $102,000 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Advance for Press
Houston, Larhonda M $102,000 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Appointments and Scheduling
Behrens, William L $113,000 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
Frans, Luke R $102,000 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Political Affairs
McCardell, Daniel J $130,500 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Public Liaison
Latimer, Matthew N $130,500 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Speechwriting
Young, Alison T $113,000 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of USA Freedom Corps
Medefìnd, Jedd E $113,000 Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director, Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Niemiec, Sally M $102,000 Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications and Press Secretary to the First Lady
Theis, Nancy A $102,000 Special Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Correspondence
Aylward, Patrick S $113,000 Special Assistant to the President and Director, Office of the Chief of Staff
Campagna, Dianna G $130,500 Special Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary
Trulio, David V $130,500 Special Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary
Keller, Karen E $102,000 Special Assistant to the President and Personal Secretary
Recher, Jason J $102,000 Special Assistant to the President and Trip Director
Zantzinger, Amy S $113,000 Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary
Kyle, Ross M $102,000 Special Assistant to the President for Cabinet Liaison
Bergman, Cynthia L $113,000 Special Assistant to the President for Communications
Williams, Ronald C $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Sec and Senior Director for Nuclear Defense Policy
Kadlec, Robert P $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Senior Director for Bio Defense Policy
Reed, Richard Alan $132,740 Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Senior Director for Continuity Policy
Sciarrone, Marie O $113,000 Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Senior Director for Cyber-security and Information Sharing Policy
Kaniewski, Daniel J $113,000 Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Senior Director for Response Policy
Dial, Elizabeth H $113,000 Special Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs
Roberts, John S $102,000 Special Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs
Boyer, David W $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Hood, Robert R $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Johnston, Ann G $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Karr, Elizabeth Barrett $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Kim, Harold H $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Lungren, Jeffrey E $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Mccarthy, Justin Joseph $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
McGuinness, Martin E $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Mishi, Alexander M $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Jordan, Myriah L $113,000 Special Assistant to the President for Policy
Katz, Jeremy L $113,000 Special Assistant to the President for Policy
Reyes, Luis A $130,500 Special Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel
Bullock, Katja $113,000 Special Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel
Miller, Martha Cagle $102,000 Special Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel
Clyne, Meghan L $102,000 Special Assistant to the President for Speechwriting
Horn, Jonathan D $102,000 Special Assistant to the President for Speechwriting
Sherzer, David L $102,000 Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs
Sheedy, Bridget A $102,000 Special Assistant to the President for White House Mgmt
Burck, William A $158,500 Special Counsel to the President
Flood, Emmet T $158,500 Special Counsel to the President
Malone, Ressie L $52,200 Special Projects Coordinator
Hickey, Ashley E $43,900 Special Projects Coordinator
Joo, Mee Y $38,000 Special Projects Coordinator
McArthur, Nikki L $63,000 Speech Writer for the First Lady
Senik, Troy V $59,600 Speechwriter
Coghlan, John V $41,800 Staff Assistant
Merrill, Jessica O $41,800 Staff Assistant
Cameron, Benjamin L $40,000 Staff Assistant
Consolvo, Brandon S $38,000 Staff Assistant
Boroski, Ashley L $37,000 Staff Assistant
Conway, Kathleen A $36,600 Staff Assistant
Diaz, lvette A $36,600 Staff Assistant
Huskey, Marcus A $36,600 Staff Assistant
Plaisted, Margeaux D $36,600 Staff Assistant
Dowling, Valerie L $36,000 Staff Assistant
Adams Jr, Boyce E $35,500 Staff Assistant
Arogeti, Scott R $35,500 Staff Assistant
Atwater, Ashley P $35,500 Staff Assistant
Budds, Sarah A $35,500 Staff Assistant
Cotner, Kyle L $35,500 Staff Assistant
Crowell lll, Jerry T $35,500 Staff Assistant
Downer, Amber J $35,500 Staff Assistant
Haggard, Matthew J $35,500 Staff Assistant
Hasson, Michael p $35,500 Staff Assistant
Hawkins, Jacqueline I $35,500 Staff Assistant
Heilig, Rebecca B R $35,500 Staff Assistant
Juden, Courtney P $35,500 Staff Assistant
Kielty, Meghan K $35,500 Staff Assistant
Mountain, Andrew L $35,500 Staff Assistant
Moutoussis, Mary A $35,500 Staff Assistant
O’Neill, Emily R $35,500 Staff Assistant
Rhee, Christine Y $35,500 Staff Assistant
Rodenback, Joseph D $35,500 Staff Assistant
Sterling, Justine M $35,500 Staff Assistant
Knouse, Whitney A $34,500 Staff Assistant
Asbenson, Kendell S $34,000 Staff Assistant
Ballard, Matthew J $34,000 Staff Assistant
Eichelberger III, John H $34,000 Staff Assistant
Howard, Benjamin R $34,000 Staff Assistant
Johnson, Whitney S $34,000 Staff Assistant
Karriker, Erin J $34,000 Staff Assistant
Laforge, Clayton D $34,000 Staff Assistant
McManus, John S $34,000 Staff Assistant
Wenzel, Daniel A $34,000 Staff Assistant
Piatek, Nicholas J $33,400 Staff Assistant
Roach, Cynthia L $91,259 Supervisor of Classification
Tucker, Phyllis J $79,068 Supervisor of Computer Administration
Brooke, Mary J $76,742 Supervisor of Correspondence Review
Simpson, Wandra E $102,323 Supervisor of Search and File
Campbell, Frances L $91,259 Supervisor, Document Management and Tracking Unit
Boyer, Bradley J $42,700 Travel Manager
Hildebrand, Katherine S $42,700 Travel Manager
Whyte II, Roger J $42,000 Travel Manager
Ray, Whitney D $41,800 Travel Manager
Traner, Jennifer L $36,600 Trip Coordinator
Hawkins, Elizabeth J $35,000 Trip Coordinator
Barzee, Alysia C $34,000 Trip Coordinator
Bamett, Susan J $34,000 Volunteer Coordinator
Lehotsky, Kaylan J $34,300 Website Assistant
Doffermyre, Bessie L $47,000 West Wing Receptionist
Aulds, Amanda B $39,700 Writer
Askin, Jennifer L $35,500 Writer
Lara, Shaun M $35,500 Writer
Pruski, Molly E $35,500 Writer
Reaney-Tomaselli, Ashley C $35,500 Writer
Smith, Trevor H $35,500 Writer
Stanek, Daena M L $35,500 Writer
Weber, Nathaniel J $35,000 Writer

Email Hoax: Ollie North Grilled by Al Gore

On By Norbert HauptIn Commentaries, Email Hoax1 Comment

I received the following text in an Internet broadcast email that I was supposed to send on to my friends. I get a many of those, but this one just didn’t smell right. Here is the content of that email:

It was 1987! At a lecture the other day they were playing an old news video of Lt. Col. Oliver North testifying at the Iran-Contra hearings during the Reagan Administration.

There was Ollie in front of God and country getting the third degree, but what he said was stunning!

He was being drilled by a senator, ‘Did you not recently spend close to $60,000 for home security system?’

Ollie replied, ‘Yes, I did, Sir.’

The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience, ‘Isn’t that just a little
excessive?’

‘No, sir,’ continued Ollie.

‘No? And why not?’ the senator asked.

‘Because the lives of my family and I were threatened, sir.’

‘Threatened?  By whom?’ the senator questioned.

‘By a terrorist, sir’ Ollie answered.

‘Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?’

‘His name is Osama bin Laden, sir’ Ollie replied.

At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn’t pronounce it, which most people back then probably couldn’t.  A couple of people laughed at the attempt.  Then the senator continued.  Why are you so afraid of this man?’ the senator asked.

‘Because, sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of’, Ollie answered. 

‘And what do you recommend we do about him?’ asked the senator.

‘Well, sir, if it was up to me, I would recommend that an assassin team be formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth.’

The senator disagreed with this approach, and that was all that was shown of the clip.

The senator who conducted the questioning was Al Gore.

I decided to do some checking. I reviewed scores of videos of Ollie North in front the Congress in 1987. Al Gore was not even on the panel. From my knowledge of the history of Afghanistan, I knew that Osama bin Laden was still fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan in 1987. He was not a terrorist yet. Then I found this transcript of what really happened on page 129 of the Iran Contra Investigation Transcript:

Al Gore was not even on the panel. John Nields was the committee’s chief counsel. The questioning was about a security system. Ollie North denies that he ever stated that we was afraid of anybody. 

A lot of people send emails around to their friends, where statements are made about alleged facts that turn out to be pure fabrication. I don’t know why somebody would make up such nonsense, particularly if it can be proven to be nonsense at best, or lies more appropriately. This one was easy to check out, since the fabrications were just too outlandish. Others are harder.

I try not to believe everything my friends forward to me in emails. Most of it is trash.