A Gathering of “Skeptics”

Cancelled with one L is American English…
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cancel
For a comprehensive, highly interesting list of British slang:
http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/
One quickly observes that the Brits have no shortage of expressions when it comes to dirty words.

I think this smearing according to money resources is nasty and anti science, but one has to be a realist and regret that such a highly colored politically institute is sonsoring what I consider correct science.
Anthony, you have a very large readership, many people do not speak up here, but I am curious whether there are enough of us skeptics out there that we could sponsor a conference without the help of any politically colored institute. I have organized working groups in Greece of over 100 people with the help of a travel agency without too much effort, with just the money from the participants: hotels and a bit extra for organization. Whys is a big institute necessary to organize a good climate conference?
Let me though give you this link http://www.hyperionpowergeneration.com/
where global warming is bread and meat in selling nuclear energy. The law of unexpected consequences.
REPLY: Anna, we could probably arrange a conference, but we might do better as a force for enlightenment. You’ve given me an idea, and I’ll advise shortly – Anthony

WOW. This site is certainly lively & varied today! Hope I haven’t contributed to any of the volatiliy of it.
FTR. I think Hilter was as found by many of the time, to be very charming, very witty, very intelligent, – & completely mad, becoming criminally insane as his power grew! Hope the site doesn’t veer off track too far to the point of absurdity.
As for the 2nd hand smoking, I believe as John Brignell has stated, the 1st rule of toxicology is that the poison is in the dosage! British entertainer & musician the late Roy Castle died after a long struggle with cancer, from playing in all those smoke filled clubs for years. I think smoking is pretty disgusting on some ways but I believe people have a right to smoke, but not inflict the unpleasantness on others. However, the issue of 2nd hand smoke was the way the “science” was presented, with a fair amount of duplicity & falsehoods, but for IMHO a worthy cause although I cannot sanction the methods used, that’s why activists took up the colours as they are not restrained by professional considerations. I believe it should have been handled very differently. I personally hate the smell cigarette smoke on by clothes, hair, etc. but love the smell of a good cigar or a pipe. That’s the way I am!
It begs the question, when does a scientist allow his/her personal feelings & belief systems to adjust the science because the cause is apparently noble, anyone spring to mind????? If the scientific facts demonstrate the opposite viewpoint, then this must be right & honesty should & must prevail. As a professional engineer, I cannot lie to a client or his/her neighbour (UK spelling folks), that’s why lawyers are brought in (only when necessary hopefully) to determine who should speak to whom & when if at all.
(BTW the Numberwatch definition of a Lawyer = a magician who can conjour up money from nowhere! Best I’ve ever heard!):):):) I was only joking please don’t sue me I can’t afford it.
Also, unlike the Al Gores & James Hansens of this world, we are mere human beings, & mistakes can be made, so can we all show a little moor tolorence on speling unles it is a grows errer as I understand this is an internashnal sight, & that spelchekker is only partly usfull!
Go NIPCC!
PS: I am now very self-conscious about my spelling!
Oh Pierre Gosselin, being a proud Brit & an Englishman to boot (surely there is no other worthy existence in life?) I don’t mind who spells what to whom, as long as it can be justified by what is right for them, we are after all different from country to country. The only reason the spelling is different is largely due to computerisation & Microsoft, & for simplification in America with a truly international community population, although I am sure there was an element of “we’re not going to do it that way” after that slight misunderstanding between our two countries in the last quarter of the 18th century!. I maintain to this day that we should never have lost the Virginian Colonies! Seriously, I know what is right in the UK, & I traditionally prefer the UK “ized” to the USA “ised”, although a good dictionary should allow both as correct. I have to hand my 2nd hand 1925 Pocket Oxford Dictionary that I have used for 20 years to write letters, reports, assessments, etc, & it possesses the most wonerful words & origins of them, that are lost on todays younger generation, sadly IMHO, but that’s progress they tell me. I discovered in it the most glorious expression, “Splenlow & Jorkins” from a Dicken’s novel, & it means to attribute one’s hard or unfair dealings (Spenlow) to one’s partner (Jorkins) so as to appear innocent! Fabulous stuff!

Dee Norris (23:55:58) :
@richard Patton (22:01:01):
An email friend, a retired constitutional lawyer, has become so frustrated with the current political prospects for America that he sent an email to his correspondents informing us that he and his wife were taking up residence in Galt’s Gulch.
A pure democracy always fails and that is the reason the Founding Fathers formed our Constitutional Republic, limiting government and emphasizing inalienable individual rights, which would otherwise be taken by a democratic majority.
I remember very little of the history of the United States from my high school days, a time when history was a history and not an indoctrination, but I do remember the history teacher saying that the power to tax was the power to destroy.
The current classification of CO2 as a pollutant by the SCOTUS, provides the government with a powerful incentive to tax our very existence. Here is an example from the EU which may well portend the future for the US:
Europe Forcing Airlines to Buy Emissions Permits
BRUSSELS — European Union governments gave formal approval Friday to a potentially costly system of capping greenhouse gases from any airline flying into or out of the trade bloc — just as the airline industry reported new evidence of the impact of a worsening economy.
European justice ministers meeting in Luxembourg approved the greenhouse gas measures, which oblige airlines, regardless of nationality, that land or take off from an airport in the European Union to join the emissions trading system starting on Jan. 1, 2012.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/business/worldbusiness/25emissions.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
The choices seem to be: Fight, or flight to Galt’s Gulch.

Dee…
Paternalism in the U.S. compared to socialism always seemed to me to be a distinction in origin rather than application. I would also say that distinguishing facism as far right and socialism as far left is an oversimplification mixed with a misunderstanding of facism and the right. On the other hand it is hard to defend the far left against what they seem to openly embrace.
With a degree in political science and a degree in philosophy, we are finally moving onto a topic I can discuss! Although waaaaay OT! 😉

Just typical isn’t it! I’ve gone & made few typos noew, what a twit Brit!
Ed Scott:
That’s the EU for you, we’re riddled with a mix of environmental activists & bureaucrats in Europe. I think if the truth be known, many within the Union disagree with its all encompassing state interference all in the name of our own well being, it’s rather like the Doctor giving you medicine you didn’t ask for & didn’t want! Never question the EU mantrs of knowing what’s best for us all.
Watch out USA, be on your guard at all times, I am neither left nor right, but we over here are ruled by an unelected, undemocratic, unaccountable, & more importantly, unsackable, & corrupt intellectual elite – government appointed Commissioners with absolute power (unelected) ex-party leaders/primeministers et al etc with their noses well & truly embedded into the gravey train of taxpayers money! Watch the taxpayer funded organisations grow exponentially in time. All the current political admistration does is pass laws to reduce & restrict freedom of choice, thought, & deed, but then again that’s the whole point. Don’t get me wrong, I am very proud of our NHS & some other organisations, but it’s the Politically Correct institutions that you have to be aware of, they seem to hold inexhausible power & authority! Some of us look to you over there for an example of hope.
Look what happaned to mercury. The EU band it, well in liquid form (I may have said this before so forgive me), so traditional clock & barometer makers & repairers went out of business, (yes I’m a clock nut!) thank goodness for the Channel Islands – the EU hates them with a vengence because they exert little or no control over them. However, we are being forced to give up ordinary light bulbs in favour of low-energy ones which contain mercury vapour, the nasty stuff of Mad Hatter fame. Interestingly local authorities seem to have little idea on how to dispose of these items, & they’re band from landfills. Just one of many examples of badly drafted legislation from the EU! The ONLY reason I use these new bulbs is that they do save energy, & last longer, & that’s all!
I’ve given up checking for typos!

Wow. That took some time to read through. I also have seen very bad science, very bad scientific methods, and even worse, changing data points to better match the desired trend. The “pristine” results were published in a major journal. Although the hypothesis was in a field other than climate, if it can happen in one Ivory Tower, it can happen in others. So here is what I think: This kind of garbage happens, and gets printed, on BOTH sides of the climate debate. And now it is time to go fishing.

Dee Norris (21:15:21) :
Nice.
Dee Norris (23:55:58) :
Even nicer
$10 sent to Anthony.
My thanks and best wishes,
Perry

Correction.
I shall get my coat and just leave.
Perry

For band read banned!
I am a self-taught typist but then so are most of you guys but I sometimes type too fast with odd fingers! Apolgies made. No excuses I always own up to my mistakes. Thanks for pointing them out, I ‘must try harder’ 6/10! See me later!
See, I am human.