I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Ted Cruz is still a Canadian and his Harvard education doesn't seem to be enough to help him figure out the simple process necessary to renounce his Canadian citizenship.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ted-cruz-still-canadian-as-immigration-lawyers-express-confusion-1.2483367

Heat wave here - supposed to be 41C today, so I got up at 5 to sweep and wash the pool cover and roll it up so we can swim. I'm absolutely dripping in sweat, so I'm glad I did it really early. It's a shit of a job and I want a new pool cover - a mesh one - please!!!

Bren - so sorry you are in this situation. Hang in there.

Sorry Blue, but I guess I'm one of the idjuts on the global warming thing. It was rather ironic those people got stuck in Antarctic - wow the ice caps are melting - not.

The people who got stuck in ice were global warmists - I wonder what they think now

suz- it is weird but because it is SOOOO COLD in Antarctica there is no moisture in the air. When it warms there is then more moisture and as a result more ice forms.  I was reading about this phenomena a month or two ago so I'll probably forget something about it... but anyway apparently the scientists expect an increase of ice for awhile in the south pole.. not so in the arctic as it is not as cold there, so they do not expect the rebound. They only expect a loss of ice in the north.

 On to a different subject... we found a camper. We are in Grants Pass  Oregon now, purchasing it.  I think once that is done we are heading for the coast and from there southbound... 

Edited to add...  yes, it was sea ice they expected to increase.  Love your articles RL!!!

Thanks, GG!  The link at the end of the third bullet in the article goes to a very interesting and easy-to-read article from an Australian newspaper about how global warming is affecting the sea ice in Antarctica ... And points out that the ship is stuck because of local weather patterns and tides.  Anecdotes aren't data and weather is not the same thing as climate.

Jackie ... thank you for the kind note.  Brought me to tears all over again. 

Just got back from the dentist and the bottom tooth that broke off a couple of months ago is messed up.  The root/nerve is right up to the gum line ... no wonder I've been in so much pain.  The bad news is I only have two choices on what to do.  A root canal and new filling or an extraction.  I was told tonight that the root canal option would cost $998 and I would have to have $500 of it at the time of the root canal.  I have Medicaid and it covers extractions, but my dentist won't accept Medicaid. I don't know what to do ... haven't been this down and out in a long time.

Sorry to be such a big crybaby ...  I promise to get my shit together tomorrow!

hugs to all,

Bren

PS .. Gumby .. I am so happy for you ... your dream of traveling around the US after your retirement is coming true!!

RL - THANK YOU  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU......

"1. Statements about climate trends must be based on, er, trends. Not
individual events or occurrences. Weather is not climate, and anecdotes
are not statistics."

Anecdotes are a very VERY simplistic way to have a "discussion" instead of dealing with facts, complex issues.  SAD, but not worth trying to do much about, issues TOO important to relegate to "sound bites."  Ask a FARMER if you want to know the truth about climate change.

Bren - you are NOT alone, and you certainly haven't done anything "wrong" - this is SUCH a hard time, almost impossible, for so many people, and yet, when it's you ( or me) we really do feel as if we're fighting the war alone. And, tho it isn't much comfort right now, dental insurance is SO expensive, and the payout is so small - most dentists don't accept it, at least in this area.  As difficult as it is, please try to be as gentle with yourself as possible. Such a really, really hard time...just hoping things improve for you....stay warm.

Getting to the science - remember the famous hockey stick graph and the emails that were leaked around the same time. Well, I saw the Fortran code that produced that graph and they had a list of numbers (temps) and then out of the blue added another set of numbers to the originals to change the appearance of the graph. Programmers always comment their code, well there was no comment about where the second set of numbers came from - it looked to me like a fraud given I was a Fortran programmer and could easily see what they were doing.

A good book about climate science to read is Heaven and Earth by Ian Plimer - Steve has read it and totally agreed with the guy.

I do believe the climate is changing, just not that it is man made - it has always changed - there was an ice age on earth at one time.

On another note - been lying around in the pool. I remembered I had a floatation thingy, so I blew it up and floated

I found a link to the leaked emails and from there to the code - it was ages ago, I doubt I saved it though. I'll try a google

Bren, is there a college with a dental program near you?  I have found they do fantastically superior dental work for a fraction of "normal" charges. Sometimes it was even a tenth of other quotes. And they usually have all the newest techniques and equipment, not to mention tons of overseeing by learned professors. Just a thought. 

Scutters, glad you brought that up for Bren.  I thought of it yesterday, but had no information so should have at least laid it out there but thought I should know more.  Should have recalled, Dh and I had legal work done like that through a legal college and it went so smoothly. 

Gearing up today for our foot of snow ( thank goodness they say powdery ) later on tonight.  I will be at work for a few hours tonight, but probably leaving for home right around the start of the storm.  Lots of shoveling to take place tomorrow morning.......while the snow finishes.  Dog pen will have to be emptied, and many sidewalk areas along with a big deck.  Dh has the tractor ready to put the snow blade on so we can clear our driveway/parking area.  City crews will do our road, though out here in the boonies we will get it last so Dh may blade some of it out of the way.  4-wheel drive on both vehicles so I think we will be running tomorrow.  I'll have a snow shovel in the car to dig out the feral cat areas.....and a spot for them to eat.  It all works ok --- just blessed that moving all the snow will be so much easier with it being light snow. 

Jackie

There is an excellent website that addresses skepticism about climate change - www.skepticalscience.com  It is run by a guy who doesn't take donations from corporations.  I found it very useful and accessible.

Bren, I'm glad you feel better today.  I'm so sorry that things are so difficult.  I hope that the New Year brings some economic improvement to your area.  (((((Bren)))))

Well, we got through the really hot day. It didn't get to the predicted temp - only 39C which I remember experiencing several times in the past. I spent most of the afternoon in and out of the pool - so out of character for me as I usually don't use it that much. Gave most of the garden a drink after dark, so it should survive.

Bren - it's a pity you will have to get that tooth extracted. Do you think another dentist will do root canal under Medicaid?

Interesting site, RL.  Thanks for posting it.  Frankly, like just about everything else in the western world, climate change denial is profit-oriented.