NASA GISS, a division of Vandelay Industries?

Some days I find things by accident. Today, researching for something else online, serendipity paid me a visit.

Fans of the hit sitcom “Seinfeld” may recognize this logo.

Vandelay_climate
Image: Tshirtbordello.com (with some help from the Gimp)

Fans of the show may also recognize this restaurant:

Photo: Wikipedia entry on Seinfeld – Tom’s Restaurant – click for details

Fans of Real Climate might recognize this man:

NASAs Gavin Schmidt
NASA’s Dr. Gavin Schmidt in front of the famous Seinfeld restaurant “Monk’s” at 2880 Broadway, New York City. Photo: Christy Field, The Guardian

OK by now you are probably thinking, “Anthony has gone off his rocker. Where is this going?” Well, to be honest, I just want to share a little fun.

Have your ever wondered why over at RC, it seems to be like some sort of weird sitcom? There’s a reason for that.

Observe.

The address for the famous Tom’s Restaurant aka “Monks” is, via Google Maps:

Toms_restaurant_Google_maps

The address for the famous Goddard Institute of Space Studies aka “Real Climate” is, via Google Maps:

NASA_GISS_Google_map

Yes, that’s correct. They share the same address. The NASA GISS office is above Monk’s, not that there is anything wrong with that. But, it might explain some things. Although I’ve been following the climate products from NASA GISS for years, I never thought to look at their “about” page, mainly because I’d never have a reason to visit. You see, I’m a persona non grata there. But amazingly, here it is right on the GISS page:

GISS_directions
Click to visit the GISS web page

While I’m no architect, doing a little reading up, I think we can see where Jim and Gavin’s offices are, though I could be wrong. Gavin’s may be on 112th rather than Broadway.

Here’s a Google Earth street level view of 2880 Broadway:

GISS is located right aboive "Monk's - Click for a larger image
GISS is located right above “Monk’s – Note – the offices are just guess on my part based on who  might get the best windows – Click for a larger image

From the GISS web page above, they give a description of the main entrance to the Goddard Institute of Space Studies at 545 West 112th Street. It is rather plain. Here’s what it looks like:

Click for a larger image
Click for a larger image and details

So now that we’ve established that GISS and RC  is connected to “the show about nothing” you can use some of the best lines from Seinfeld to refute a number of common arguments put up by Gavin and the RC team.

I’ve complied a list of commonly seen issues and phrases used on RC and appropriate rebuttals from Seinfeld characters:

  • The data has been adjusted, why can’t you comprehend it? – “If it’s in the garbage, it’s garbage” – Jerry
  • Send it to my email and I’ll have a look – “When you control the mail, you control information!” – Newman
  • This year is the hottest ever! – “It’s gold Jerry. Gold!” – Bania
  • Ban Ki Moon and the IPCC says so. – “Butros, Butros, Gahli!” – Jerry
  • I’m not going to use McIntyre’s name, he doesn’t deserve the credit. – “That’s not funny, how about ‘your cranium called…it has space for rent!” – Elaine
  • Come back when you understand climate science – “NO SOUP FOR YOU! COME BACK ONE YEAR!” – The Soup Nazi
  • This is why your argument [snip] – “I won’t tolerate infestation!” – Frank Costanza
  • Sea level, ocean acidification, it’s all obvious! – The ocean called, they’re running out of shrimp! – Reilly
  • Check the peer reviewed literature. – “Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.” – Jerry
  • Your interpretation is totally wrong! – “Oh yeah? Well I had sex with your wife!” – George
  • The data hasn’t been updated, do you think all we do around here is sit around and wait for GHCN to update?  – “Significant shrinkage.” – George
  • The tree ring based temperature reconstruction has been reviewed and proven correct time and again. – “Fake! Fake! Fake! Fake! Fake!” – Elaine
  • It is “robust”.  – Yadda, Yadda, Yadda, – Elaine

Also, this coming December 23rd, I plan on sending Gavin a calibrated aluminum pole to help him and Steig measure sea ice thickness.

Readers may wish to send a card also, listing grievances.

  “Fake! Fake! Fake! Fake! Fake!” – Elaine
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118 Comments
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Editor
October 22, 2009 5:47 am

I wonder if the restaurant serves corn dogs. Corned dog for St. Patty’s Day, of course.

Mark
October 22, 2009 5:49 am

As to the GISS numbers – They’re real and they’re spectacular!

DaveE
October 22, 2009 5:53 am

Rabe (23:45:48) :

I guess there is a Stevenson screen. It’s secret. It’s THE ONE thermometer which tells the global mean temp.

Nope. That’s IN the office. 😉
DaveE.

AEGeneral
October 22, 2009 5:54 am

“He said the world was warming, but there was no warming! There was nothing!
“I cannot forget him. He haunts me. He is a very bad man. He is a very very bad man.”
–Babu

Andrew
October 22, 2009 5:54 am

When AGW is finally discarded as effective propaganda, Gavin can open a Kenny Rogers Roasters. 😉
Newmann on Broccoli (or treemometers that don’t pass pre-screening): “Vile Weed!”
Andrew

Frank K.
October 22, 2009 5:58 am

On a serious note, what data products does GISS provide that are of any value, or are redundant within NASA and/or NOAA? GISTEMP is crap, as is Model E. What are they producing, besides research papers and expensive models runs for IPCC AR 5? They can sure spend our money on expensive travel, conferences, redundant research projects, and, of course, brand new computing clusters at GSFC for their exclusive use:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/climate_computing.html
And, surely, downtown NYC must be one of the most expensive places to run a public-funded research facility.
Just remember this when congress starts imposing new taxes to attempt to pay for the 1.4 trillion dollars in debt that has been racked up this year in the name of stimulus.

Carl
October 22, 2009 6:12 am

I wonder if Gavin or James enters a room the same way Kramer does.

DoctorJJ
October 22, 2009 6:27 am

I can hear Hansen now when he proposed they change it from Global Warming to Climate Change, “Yeah that’s one I made up…sort of a catch-all”.
BTW, that’s Kramer from the Frogger episode when he came up with “Son of Dad” as a potential name for the Lopper.

Lichanos
October 22, 2009 6:27 am

Seinfeld is such a New York show – I’ve often wondered why the rest of the nation found it funny. And BTW, Gavin looks a bit like the “real Kramer,” a fellow from the neighborhood who supposedly inspired the sitcom character, and who now gives local tours.
I’ve been in the GISS building several times, never the diner. Only the outside was used on the show – the interior is a set in Burbank. As for their sharing an address, this is one of the fun things about doing digital map work (GIS) in NYC. Some buildings have many addresses, even taking up an entire block. On field visits, finding the correct door can sometimes be an adventure.
You will be happy to know that, as far as I could tell, the interior of GISS is quite spartan. No gold-plated toilet fixtures or lavish liquor cabinets. Just ratty academic style furnishings.

Gary
October 22, 2009 6:28 am

“Why was my comment at RC deleted?” — “No soup for you!”

Miles
October 22, 2009 6:32 am

RC on climate denalists
Kramer, he’s just a dentist.”
“Yeah, and you’re an anti-dentite.”
– Jerry and Kramer, in “The Yada Yada”

jeroen
October 22, 2009 6:42 am

My gues is that within a weak somebody might trow an egg against there window.

Alan the Brit
October 22, 2009 6:49 am

Doh! I just realised the problem with GISS temperature records. That restaurant in on the ground floor. Restaurants produce lots of heat & hot air when cooking. Heat rises, (at least it used to). Therefore Hansen’s temps are bound to be higher than everyone elses on the top floor, no?

MartinGAtkins
October 22, 2009 6:53 am

Bulldust (00:17:56) :
How could you possibly miss George’s line???
“Jerry, just remember, it’s not a lie if you believe it.“
I’ve been busy in another thread but that is a classic
.

Richard Patton
October 22, 2009 6:56 am

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I never saw the show so the humor escapes me.

October 22, 2009 7:17 am

Wow, so this *is* the place of the Suzanne Vega’s famous song.

Bernal
October 22, 2009 7:18 am

The hottest year in the last millll-yyyon years. “Oh the humanity”-Newman

October 22, 2009 7:36 am

Have you seen the LATIN phrase on the door?:
TOTUS CAUSA RELINQUO VOS QUISNAM PENETRO IN
Which for me means something like ” The cause of everything leave behind you who dig in”
Some help please

Henry chance
October 22, 2009 7:45 am

Thanks Anthony
Life is better than a sitcom

Mike from Canmore
October 22, 2009 7:46 am

They should have an opposite year. i.e. be skeptics for a year. A whole new world would open up to them.

Michael
October 22, 2009 7:56 am

China is much more advanced civilization than America.
Chinese Scientists Predict Imminent Global Cooling
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V10/N3/C1.php

October 22, 2009 7:57 am

The latin phrase is in the photo of the main entrance to the Goddard Institute .
Another translation could be: The cause of everything I leave it for you to search

Steve S.
October 22, 2009 7:58 am

That Gavin smirk results from his extreme censoring, altering and blocking of comments at his RC blog.
No where can one find a more egregious blog operation than Gavin’s. Nothing is out of line for him.
That’s why RC threads NEVER have the heated debates one would expect. It’s simply not allowed.
Additionally there’s a couple of regulars, Mark and Ray, who get free reign to belittle the skeptics with a daily barrage of ultra condescending disparagement. Which Gavin then truncates responses to.
It’s his way of keeping the discussion robust.

October 22, 2009 7:58 am

Ten trees are way more than enough! “These pretzels are making me thirsty.” -Cosmo Kramer

Henry chance
October 22, 2009 8:07 am

Frank K. (05:58:00) :
On a serious note, what data products does GISS provide that are of any value, or are redundant within NASA and/or NOAA? GISTEMP is crap, as is Model E. What are they producing, besides research papers and expensive models runs for IPCC AR 5? They can sure spend our money on expensive travel, conferences, redundant research projects, and, of course, brand new computing clusters at GSFC for their exclusive use
And, surely, downtown NYC must be one of the most expensive places to run a public-funded research facility”
… ihave had it all. My office building in a park near a golf course required snow removal and landscape services. I could park near my door and I had a fireplace.
I moved to an office tower with a Petroleum club on top, restaurant and attached garage for my car. It also had advantages.
NYC rent is 60 dollars a sq ft

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