Tuesday, February 25, 2014

The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Has A Problem, And His Name Is Tim Hudak

That clip with me and Rebecca Thompson on the Pat Bolland show last week has finally appeared. Quite enjoyable actually.  Mr. Bolland is a genial presence and there was a good conversation, not the high-speed babbling of competing talking points.

7 comments:

@wiselaw said...

good to see you on the tube, doing what you do best. Well done, BCL

Pete Ridley said...

Hi Michael,

It was interesting seeing you and hearing your comments on Pat Bolland’s chat-show (http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/3237801102001). I was taken back 40 years to when I was living in Ontario (worked at Bell Northern research in Ottawa). My daughter has been on to me about taking a trip back with her so if I do, how about a pint and a chat?
Best regards, Pete Ridley
http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.co.uk/.

BTW, I’ve just posted a comment on your “Tim Balls Balls Burned” thread (http://bigcitylib.blogspot.se/2012/07/tim-balls-balls-burned.html) giving an update on the current status of the Mann v Ball defamation case in BC.

Best regards, Pete Ridley
http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.co.uk/

bigcitylib said...

If you are going to be in town send me an email bigcitylb@hotmail.com

As for the Ball v. Mann case, its getting ridiculous.

Pete Ridley said...

Hi Michael,

I can’t argue with your “ .. the Ball v. Mann case, its getting ridiculous .. ”. Related to this ridiculous case was the ludicrous claim by Ball’s buddy and provider of “legal services”, out-of-work high-school art teacher John O’Sullivan that “Michael Mann Faces Bankruptcy as his Courtroom Climate Capers Collapse” (http://www.principia-scientific.org/michael-mann-faces-bankruptcy-as-his-courtroom-climate-capers-collapse.htm).

Although individuals have been fooled into believing that wannabee legal consultant John O’Sullivan (who Andrew Skolnick described as “ .. this humbug bought his law degree from ‘Hill University’ — the online diploma mill .. ” - http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/professor-judith-currys-letter-to.html) was a qualified lawyer who had practised for years on both sides of the Atlantic, Ball claimed that he “ .. was made aware of the charges against O'Sullivan almost from the start .. I legally disassociated myself from O'Sullivan very early and though he provided commentary he never acted as legal counsel .. ”. Despite making those claims in April 2012, on Feb. 2013 Ball claimed in a submission to the Supreme Court of BC that he “ .. entered into a contract for legal services with John O'Sullivan and started receiving legal fees .. The defendant Ball does not waive privilege over these contracts for legal services in this action .. All communications which took place between the defendant Ball and John O'Sullivan or Pearlman Lindholm and John O'Sullivan are privileged communications .. ".

One obvious question is why would Tim Ball have engaged an unemployed art teacher to give him advice on legal matters, especially when defending a potentially damaging defamation claim by someone as well supported as Michael Mann?

Tim Ball was closely involved with John O’Sullivan and fellow founding members of the Principia Scientific International (PSI) blogging group during 2010 and early 2011. At that time John O’Sullivan was trying to get others to donate the funds that he needed to set up PSI as a private company with Tim Ball as Chairman, himself as CEO, his buddy Hans Schreuder as CFO and the other PSI founding members as executives – all paid, of course. In an E-mail on 25th Dec. 2010 John O’Sullivan said “ .. We are poised to deliver a robust, financially strong charitable organization with a remit to use member subscription to file lawsuits on their behalf. I want to complete the job I started and we now need you to help recruit the thousands of paid up members .. ”.

On 26th December 2010 John O’Sullivan appealed to the group for contributions towards the miserable amount of $3000 that he needed to set up PSI as a private company. Both Tim Ball (28th Dec.) and Hans Schreuder (29th) were quick to jump in with offers of financial support of a few hundred dollars each for John O’Sullivan to “ .. deliver a robust, financially strong charitable organization with a remit to use member subscription to file lawsuits on their behalf .. ”.

Being paid directors of the large international organisation with thousands of paying members which John O’Sullivan has been fantasising about for PSI may have looked to them like an attractive alternative to living on small pensions.

Best regards, Pete Ridley
http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.co.uk/

Pete Ridley said...

Hi Michael,

In 2010/2011 some founding members of the Principia Scientific International blogging group fantasised about being paid directors of PSI as a private company, dreaming of “ .. a robust, financially strong .. organization .. ” with “ .. thousands of paid up members .. ” paying “ .. £50 per year as PSI basic membership .. ” (http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/psi-due-diligence-20102011-selected-e.html). On 1st Jan. 2011 John O’Sullivan declared the senior executives “ .. chair is Dr. Timothy Ball.. managers are John O’Sullivan (CEO), Hans Schreuder (CFO) and Rev. Philip Foster (Compliance Officer). They will manage the day-to-day functions of PSI .. ”.

The reality on 27th Feb. 2014 is:

- 1) “ .. Currently, joining PSI is free .. a voluntary annual donation of at least US$30 (or UK£25, Euros 30) is sought .. please sign up and give a little to grow a lot .. ” (http://www.principia-scientific.org/).

- 2) PSI “ .. a .. subsidiary of PSI Acumen Ltd. .. ” (PSIA), a private company owned by one person, John O’Sullivan, until recently run from his home in Norfolk, UK. It appears that his home has been sold following the threat of repossession, so PSIA’s current operatios centre is uncertain. Companies House records continue to show his old house as being PSIA’s registered office (Section 2.0 Legal Status and Associates of “SpotlightON – PSI Acument Ltd” - http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/spotlighton-psi-acumen-ltd.html).

- 3) In 2013 those “thousands of paid up members” were claimed by John O’Sullivan to be “ .. a body of more than 200 highly credentialed professional scientists and engineers .. ” (http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/spotlighton-psi-acumen-ltd.html). Even that claim is highly questionable. (see “SpotlightON _PSI and PSI Acumen Ltd” Section 4.0 Over-ambitious and questionable Membership Claims (http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/spotlighton-principia-scientific.html).

I speculate that true membership is nearer 20 than 200 and that very few of those have put any of their hard-earned money into the PSI begging bowl.

John O’Sullivan, Hans Schreuder and Tim Ball, who were all leading PSI founding members, have pleaded for charitable donations but more on that later, if you allow me to continue.

Best regards, Pete Ridley
http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.co.uk/

bigcitylib said...

Go ahead, Pete. I may want to do a proper post on that stuff at some point soon.

Pete Ridley said...

Hi Michael,

Thanks for that. I can rant on for ages about the PSI blogging group.

In his self-published novel "Summit Shock", which he said was a true story, PSI's "CEO and Legal Consultant" John O'Sullivan wrote that his second wife was concerned that he suffered from Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

I've just had an E-mail from retired New York investigative journalist Andrew Skolnick pointing me to an article which includes what appears to be another ludicrous comment about Dr. Michael Mann by PSI's "CEO and Legal Consultant" John O'Sullivan posted at http://www.dailypaul.com/313141/climate-change-global-warming-sham-is-collapsing-rebuttal-to-wattsup-article.

The article claims that O'Sullivan said of Dr. Mann " .. I unequivocally call him a fraud and a criminal .. ".

If that is genuine then it looks as though that this out-of-work high-school art teacher will post anything on the Internet in order to get attention.

As his second wife said of him again recently "and the beat goes on".

Best regards, Pete Ridley
http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.co.uk/