Fish and Fishy

Barbara Woodford woke to discover Ginger missing from its bowl. Unable to find the fish before leaving for work, she feared the worst.

But when she returned home in the evening she spotted her pet on the floor behind a cupboard, alive and well.

"I picked him up with a spatula and his mouth started moving. I put him back into the water and off he went. He was swimming fabulously. I couldn't believe it - it was a real Christmas miracle," said Mrs Woodward, 61, of Gloucester.

2008 was the year man-made global warming was disproved, according to the Telegraph's Christopher Booker. Sceptics have long argued that there are other explanations for climate change other than man-made CO2

Rethinking Global Warming

I am reading Michael Crichton's State of Fear. I thought this was going to be a good adventure story with some science thrown in for verity...in fact, the book is all science with a story thrown in to tie together some very compelling arguments against global warming.

Crichton has peppered his novel with footnotes from various scientific journals, U.N. sources, and books from academia. The basic premise of his argument, and quite convincingly, is that global warming does not exist. That there is no empirical basis for thinking that it exists, and that certain socio-political forces have made it only the latest in a series of "crises" beneficial in harnessing money and political support for an idea which basically amounts to mass psychosis. At one point in the book, one of Crichton's characters compares the belief in global warming to the belief in witches in the Middle Ages.

On January 25, 2005, Crichton gave a speech to the National Press Club. The speech is a synopsis of the ideas presented in Crichton's State of Fear. If you don't have the time to read the book, this lecture will suffice to introduce you to all the main points made in the novel.

Here's an article from the Conservative minded Canada Free Press website in which Timothy Ball sets out his argument against the possible reality of global warming. Timothy Ball describes himself at the top of the above article as having a "Ph.D, (Doctor of Science) from the University of London, England and (as) a climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg."

Nota Bene: Dr. Ball's credentials have come under attack. In response he once sued the Calgary Herald.

In September, 2006, Ball filed suit against Johnson and four editors at the Calgary Herald newspaper for $325,000 for, among other things, “damages to his income earning capacity as a sought after speaker with respect to global warming”.[19]. In its response (point 50(d), p12), the Calgary Herald stated that “The Plaintiff (Dr. Ball) is viewed as a paid promoter of the agenda of the oil and gas industry rather than as a practicing scientist.”(Original statement of claim, Defendant Johnson's answer, Defendant Calgary Herald's answer). In June 2007, Ball abandoned the suit.

Crichton's own views on global warming have been criticized by the likes of Al Gore. The Popular Science website has a short biography on Crichton with some discussion on the reaction to his novel, State of Fear.

An article on foxnews.com reports on the opposition expressed by various scientist to an article by an Associated Press reporter. The article (Scientists Call AP Report on Global Warming 'Hysteria') presents various objections normally made by people who are not convinced that global warming is a man-made phenomenon. Sea levels, increased melting of glaciers, recent spikes in global temperatures, etc. are, the article states, not necessarily caused by greenhouse gases.

Lastly, Wikipedia has a lengthy article entitled, "Global Warming Controversy." The most interesting part of this article is a sub-section entitled "Controversy concerning the science."

I am now skeptical of both points of view. Like zoinks Scooby, looks like we're surrounded by uncertainty -- let's get outta here!

Rest Your Eyes - Naboo

Source: Naboo Pic. Click on picture for a larger view.

Josh Groban - O Holy Night

Just heard this recently on the radio and was mesmerized and had chills up my spine. The kind of thing that usually happens when I listen to the "I have a Dream" speech by King.

Banana Republics and Other Stories

'The Globe and Mail's award-winning correspondent Stephanie Nolen bids farewell to a place she's come to love, she reflects on how it has changed, and how it changed her' in this great article about her time on my home continent.

Friends, Lurkers, Countrymen - Send Me Your E-Mails

Before changing over to my new laptop, Marsh (the wife) had come across a deal to buy Microsoft's Office 2009 for Mac package for only $35.00. Being Indians, we jumped at the deal. Unfortunately, Word would not open and although I tried many different support sites, including the seller of the crapware, I couldn't resolve the issue. I finally un-installed the new software and re-installed the old Office 2004 package.

The old package works like a charm, BUT, I have lost all those precious e-mail addresses on my Mac and therefore can't transfer the addresses to my new laptop.

Could you please send me a quick e-mail so I can begin to collect e-mail addresses again.

Catching Up

I have been very busy lately with work, my new home business and, of course, familial duties.

I'm taking my fun where I can get it. Here are a few items of interest (perhaps only to me?)

1. Tarah (my 3 year old) wonders why all the Disney Princesses have white skin? Hmmm...I remind her that Pocahontas has brown skin and then let it go at that.

2. Need to take tutorial on QuickBooks...have found the Intuit website wholly unhelpful for a complete beginner like me. I did find a non-profit organization called the Malvern Rouge Valley Youth Services. They have online tutorials (for free!) for many popular programs including QuickBooks and some computer languages. I have put the link in above even though I am currently having trouble going to their home page.

3. The business of transportation brokerage is slow but I am hopeful that things will pick up as I make more contacts and flesh out my paucity of knowledge about this field.

4. Trying to go to sleep a little bit earlier each night as fatigue is my primary nemesis.

5. The computer and the Roger's Rocket allow me to operate completely without reliance on any wi-fi hotspots. Hooray for technology, boo for all the damn fees. Someday, I'm sure, we will all be flying to work in our own personal helicopters.

6. Work Christmas party is on this Friday. We have a baby-sitter that we trust and I am very much looking forward to kicking back with colleagues. Yes you....Marcee, Lauren, Pam, Chris, Val (hope you're there!) and of course, Terry. Some others too, but these are the ones that come readily to mind.

7. Finally put up the Christmas tree and am feeling the pressure to start buying gifts before it gets too crazy out there.