Above: Christmas trees in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
As of this post, I’m offline until late Monday PST. Moderators, don’t be shy about taking time off too.
My sincerest and most heartfelt thank you all for your support this year, for daring to ask the questions, for standing up to what you believe in, and for staying the course. As Winston Churchill said, “Never give up, never give in.”
To all, no matter which side of the debate you are on, no matter whether you love me or hate me for what WUWT does, I wish you a Merry Christmas.
I leave you with a selection of my favorite Christmas music.
Britain’s Susan Boyle has been an inspiration to many, rising from obscurity to fame, for daring to be ridiculed on stage one night so that she could show the world what she could do. Here she is at Rockefeller plaza:
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
From snow-coated (maybe 2″) southern New Brunswick, where it got down to an unseasonable minus 18°C (0°F) overnight, I send best wishes for the solstice season (and whatever else you care to make of it) and best wishes for the new year. WUWT has provided a continuing stream of factual information to overcome the misinformation of the warmists. I want to thank Anthony and the patient moderators for making this all possible.
Drat “wayne” for beating me to the punch with the story about the Xmas Tree Angel. But the following is more complete, being a combination of more than one source:
How the Angel Came to be on Top of the Christmas Tree
Daily life at the North Pole was not pleasant, and Santa Claus was in a
pretty foul mood. There had been no snow during the entire month of December
and nothing was going right in Santa’s workshops. The helpers were about
three weeks behind in their work, and it didn’t look that all the toys would
be ready by Christmas Eve. The elves in the bicycle department had been on
strike since October, and now there was the possibility that the elves in
the doll department might join them. Santa had tried to round up some extra
helpers, but with no snow, they weren’t able to make it by sleigh to the
workshop. Then the electricity went off, and all the power tools came to a
stop.
Mrs. Claus was suffering from arthritis and was very mad over the fact
that her red velvet cake had fallen in the oven. In addition, she had told
Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.
Santa’s foul mood was exacerbated by a bad case of hemorrhoids, and he
wasn’t too happy about the possibility of having to ride so far on Christmas
Eve.
When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were
about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, heaven
knows where. Rudolph had a bad cold, and his nose wouldn’t light up. Comet
and Prancer were fighting over Vixen, who had just come into heat. Blitzen’s
right foreleg was still in a cast, and the vet said that they would have to
wait until December 24 to decide if he would be able to pull the sleigh.
When he finally began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked,
the toy bag fell to the ground, and all the toys were scattered. Frustrated,
Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he
went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drunk all the cider and
hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider
jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen
floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw
off the end of the broom.
Seeing the terrible state of affairs at the North Pole chez Santa, the
angels took up an offering to buy a gift for the unhappy workers and the
Clauses – something that would brighten their Christmas. They chose a
Christmas tree, and sent it down by an angel. When the doorbell rang an
irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood the
little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said very
cheerfully, “Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn’t this a lovely day? I have a
beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to
stick it?”
And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas
tree.
All the best for 2012.
IanM
Merry Christmas to you, Anthony and Moderators, from Virginia! Not a white Christmas this year, but there is a delicious bite to the air. I hope you all are enjoying your holiday as much as we are enjoying ours.
Happy Christmas and New Year Anthony and all who contribute.
Win lose or draw, the world is a better place for WUWT keeping the debate open. Harder to think of a better compliment than that, that the world is a better place for you being in it.
Merry Christmas Anthony and mods.
Best wishes to you and yours. Thanks you for all you do.
http://www.ctc.cam.ac.uk/hawking70/multimedia.html
Best of seasons to Anthony, the Mods, contributors and lurkers to one of my favourte sites!
You’re doing a lot for science and for proper scientific practices, a beacon for truth and free speech, thank you.
I feel 2012 will be an interesting times for science and one hell of a year for political fall out!
Get yer popcorn ready! ;v)
Lance
Great story about Silent Night from the Second World Warm…seems timely.
http://gijoelive.blogspot.com/2007/12/battle-of-bulge.html
I think I have all the Christmas Songs from this post on a WUWT Christmas playlist.
Lets get ‘Shaun the sheep’ a few more ‘Like’s’!
Merry Christmas everyone . . . this cyberplace of Anthony’s feels like home . . . and there is no place like home . . .
John
P.S. – on this day of family and friends I do not forget those Wise Men who we call the moderators . . . cheers to you all . . .
[Bribery will get you anywhere … 8<) Robt]
Happy holidays to all that make this forum possible.
Great. So many quotes:
“Never give up, never give in.” – Churchill
”Never give in, never surrender.” – Jason Nesmith (Galaxy Quest)
“Never gonna give you up, Never gonna let you down, Never gonna run around and desert you.
Never gonna make you cry, Never gonna say goodbye, Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you” – Rick Astley.
Sorry, had to put that in…
Watt’s Up With That has been Rick Rolled!
Merry Christmas Anthony, moderators, commentors and trolls. May your day be merry, your families happy, your roads clear, and your fences strong.
From the North American steppe, where six inches of unforecast global warming has given the southern plains a whiter Christmas than in New England!
Thank you and best wishes for the holiday season and to all those associated with WUWT who have made it such an outstanding success for freedom of thought and expression of ideas for the underdog. May it go from strength to strength in 2012.
Just as Susan Boyle gained inspiration from Les Misérables and dreamed a dream for suppressed talent, let us keep dreaming that there will be a life to start when tomorrow comes and a world we all long to see.
Merry Christmas to all.
The next year will be another year to fight for the truth, as it will be held the 2012 Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
http://www.earthsummit2012.org/
davidmhoffer:
>> Then you have the matter of what area the weather station is presumed to be valid
>> for. GISS for example gives their results based on both 250 km and 1200 km radius.
Thanks David. So if there is a temp station plonked in the middle of nowhere
they assume, if there is no better evidence available, that the temp recorded
there represents the temp for (at least) 250 km in all directions ?? i.e. 62,500 sq kms,
and that this contributes to the overall mean on that area basis ?
Mind-boggling. Wouldn’t work in my country (NZ) … the temp station wouldn’t
cover 5km away, let alone 250. This aspect needs to be investigated further, I feel.
dr. bill,
Yes, Maggie’s Farm is an excellent site that often links to WUWT articles. That’s why I’m happy to link back to them.
Every day they have links to interesting sites. For example, scroll down to “Saturday morning links”, “Friday morning links”, etc.
So glad Anthony pointed out Susan Boyle. Many may also be aware of Paul Potts who, also on Britains Got Talent, ‘dared to be ridiculed on stage for one night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA in order to show the world his talent.’
Now we have three lowly talents here, Charlie Brown, Susan Boyle, and Paul Potts…seems fitting for Christmas
Merry Christmas to all. Craciun fericit.
Incidently, my last name is Snow, my wife’s is Christmas (Craciun)
Sorry didn’t do the embed right. Here is the youtube link for Paul Potts singing Oh Holy Nigt
Happy Chrismas to the people all over the world, and especially for my friends in Paraguay en ava ñe’ê:
Tuvicha mitã Tupã arete!
Twelve Days of Christmas
A Correspondence
John Julius Norwich
25th December
My dearest darling
That partridge, in that lovely little pear tree! What a
enchanting, romantic,poetic present! Bless you and thank you.
Your deeply loving Emily
26th December
Mr dearest darling Edward
The two turtle doves arrived this morning and are cooing
away in the pear tree as I write. I’m so touched and
grateful.
With undying love, as always, Emily
27th December
My darling Edward
You do thinks of the most original presents: whoever
thought of sending anybody three French hens? Do they really
come all the way from France? It’s a pity that we have no
chicken coops, but I expect we’ll find some. Thank you,
anyway, they’re lovely.
Your loving Emily
28th December
Dearest Edward
What a surprise – four calling birds arrived this morning.
They are very sweet, even if they do call rather loudly –
they make telephoning impossible. Bit I expect they’ll calm
down when they get used to their new home. Anyway, I’m very
grateful – of course I am.
Love from Emily
29th December
Dearest Edward
The postman has just delivered five most beautiful gold
rings, one for each finger, and all fitting perfectly. A
really lovely present -lovelier in a way than birds, which do
take rather a lot of looking after. The four that arrived
yesterday are still making a terrible row, and I’m afraid
none of use got much sleep last night. Mummy says she wants
us to use the rings to ‘wring’ their necks – she’s only
joking, I think; though I know what she means. But I love
the rings. Bless you
Love, Emily
30th December
Dear Edward
Whatever I expected to find when I opened the front door
this morning, it certainly wasn’t six socking great geese
laying eggs all over the doorstep. Frankly, I rather hoped
you had stopped sending me birds – we have no room for them
and they have already ruined the croquet lawn. I know you
meant well, but – let’s call a halt, shall we?
Love, Emily
31st December
Edward
I thought I said no more birds; but this morning I woke up
to find no less than seven swans all trying to get into our
tiny goldfish pond. I’d rather not thinks what happened to
the goldfish. The whole house seems to be full of birds – to
say nothing of what they leave behind them. Please, please
STOP
Your Emily
1st January
Frankly, I think I prefer the birds. What am I to do with
eight milkmaids – AND their cows? Is this some kind of a
joke? If so, I’m afraid I don’t find it very amusing.
Emily
2nd January
Look here Edward, this has gone far enough. You say you’re
sending me nine ladies dancing; all I can say is that judging
from the way they dance, they’re certainly not ladies. The
village just isn’t accustomed to seeing a regiment of
shameless hussies with nothing on but their lipstick
cavorting round the green – and it’s Mummy and I who get
blamed. If you value our friendship – which I do less and
less – kindly stop this ridiculous behaviour at once.
Emily
3rd January
As I write this letter, ten disgusting old men are
prancing abour all over what used to be the garden -before
the geese and the swans and the cows got at it; and several
of them, I notice, are taking inexcusable liberties with the
milkmaids. Meanwhile the neighbours are trying to have us
evicted. I shall never speak to you again.
Emily
4th January
This is the last straw. You know I detest bagpipes. The
place has now become something between a menagerie and a
madhouse and a man from the Council has just declared it
unfit for habitation. At least Mummy has been spared this
last outrage; they took her away yesterday afternoon in an
ambulance. I hope you’re satisfied.
5th January
Sir
Our client, Miss Emily Wilbraham, instructs me to inform
you that with the arrival on her premises a half-past seven
this morning of the entire percussion section of the
Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and several of their friends
she has no course left open to her but to seek an injunction
to prevent your importuning her further. I am making
arrangements for the return of much assorted livestock.
I am, Sir, Yours faithfully,
G.CREEP
Solicitor-at-law
HAPPY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE
John Ratcliffe
It’s the busiest time of the year for a mother to prepare and share a wonderful Christmas dinner with one husband, and 4 hulking sons and their friends.But at my first chance today to put my feet up, my first choice is to visit WUWT. What a treat to end the day reading the wonderful greetings from around the world here.
Best wishes to all for a wonderful Christmas and happy holiday, and again, thank-you to Anthony, writers, those who share comments, and our patient and witty moderators for their wonderful efforts. I cannot better what davidmhoffer said above: Anthony has created a forum here “that is a major part of pulling the human race back from a descent into insanity”.
Rex;
Thanks David. So if there is a temp station plonked in the middle of nowhere
they assume, if there is no better evidence available, that the temp recorded
there represents the temp for (at least) 250 km in all directions ??>>>
Yup! They do! I’m not certain which one they use for the offcial temperature record, but I think it is the 1200 km one which is even more ridiculous. Then, if they have a weather station whose radius extends into the ocean, they use the land weather station data instead of the ocean surface temperature within that radius. Steven Mosher is the guy who is really deep on this stuff, but the problems with the reliability of GISS and how they assign temperature just go on and on and on and….
Rex,
From the link I posted before:
“•Smoothing radius: Distance over which a station influences regional temperature, either 250 km or 1200 km (standard case = 1200 km).”
So, the “standard” is 1200 km….
Merry Christmas and a Cooler New Year everyone!
http://climate-change-theory.com/latest.jpg
That curved trend line must be becoming more of an embarrassment for Spencer each month.
– thanks Roy!
David and Rex: I understand the breakdown of thermal energy stored is close to ..
90% oceans and sea ice
6% land surfaces and other ice
4% atmosphere
Leaving aside the atmosphere, I suggest temperatures above ocean surfaces should be weighted 90:6 compared with land and other ice. This means a weighting of only 6/96 (that is 6.25%) for land surfaces would be more appropriate than anything near 30%. This would reflect the far greater stabilising effect of the oceans. Our best guide is thus NASA sea surface data which (unfortunately?) failed October 4, 2011. But at least up to that date it showed 2011 being cooler than 2003 http://earth-climate.com/2003-2011.jpg .
Rex says:
December 25, 2011 at 5:53 pm (Edit)
davidmhoffer:
>> Then you have the matter of what area the weather station is presumed to be valid
>> for. GISS for example gives their results based on both 250 km and 1200 km radius.
Thanks David. So if there is a temp station plonked in the middle of nowhere
they assume, if there is no better evidence available, that the temp recorded
there represents the temp for (at least) 250 km in all directions ?? i.e. 62,500 sq kms,
and that this contributes to the overall mean on that area basis ?
Mind-boggling. Wouldn’t work in my country (NZ) … the temp station wouldn’t
cover 5km away, let alone 250. This aspect needs to be investigated further, I feel.
###########################################
Rex, many people misunderstand how this works mathematically and why it works as well as it does.
Lets say that you have a temperature at place x. 1C
Now, consider a place y, 1000km away. Lets assume that its 10C.
How can Giss or anybody else use Just one of those locations? Why look, the temperature changes every few km? it makes no sense.. right?
Not so fast. Lets look at the station at place x. Over the course of 30 years it goes up and down.
So does the station at place y. What GISS care about is the trend. If X goes up by .2C per
decade, what do you suppose happens at place y? Well, it also goes up by .2C decade.
The technical term for this is correlation. So one starts by calculating the correlation versus
the distance. The closer the stations, the higher the correlation. The higher the correlation
the fewer stations you need to capture the average trend. By look at 1000s of stations
and how they correlate versus distance, you can determine how far apart stations can get
before they de correlate. This of course is latitude and season dependent. at the
northern most latitudes 1200km is a good cut off.
One way we test this is by starting with thousands of stations and removing stations.
so, you can start with 10,000 stations and remove 5000. the trend doesnt change
remove 8000. trend doesnt change, remove 9500. trend doesnt change.
Why? because the field is spatially coherent.
Now if you were just interested in temperature that would be a different problem. But its the trend people care about and as long as you have a good scatter in latitude you can get
by with very few stations.
Now there are places where this is more fragile. NZ might be one, with stations on the coast
and stations inland you will see one trend on the coast and another inland