“…he always cited original sources”

Obscure reference I’ll admit – if my few remaining neurons are firing correctly comes from time spent at law school but the reference also applies to science, most of the more vocal proponents of both sides of the Anthropogenic Global warming debate rely on summarized and ‘corrected’ data.

When it comes to surface temperature measurements, your measurements are only as good as the device used and how closely the procedure followed.

These are the original sources

Anthony Watts over at NorCal blogs has started a program to survey reporting surface stations and document the existing conditions and has created a bit of a buzz, take a look at his series on how not to measure temperature

On posting

I know, I know long time between posts – since Feb I’ve been “on the road” and the list start to sound like that Johnny Cash song
Southwick MA
Tucson AZ
Nevada City CA
Southwick MA
Nevada City CA
Southwick MA
Sterling VA
Phoenix AZ
Las Vegas NV
New Effington SD (more about that place in a later post)
Indianapolis IN (current location)
Next week – Fargo ND and another visit to New Effington
Week after - Norfolk & Sterling VA then Rennes France – with a day back in NorCal for son’s gig – and that just takes me to the end of this month!

Add to the mix, moving to a new laptop and getting it in to usable state after the IT boys cripple it, my use of a primary laptop is a bit beyond the typical M$Orfice suite, a typical day it will be a moving map GPS, wireless survey (802.11a/b/g/n) tool or I might have to calculate look angles and Eirp, or I’ve got it setup as a web/NTP/ftp server or capturing and analyzing MPEG streams, at times its an AutoCAD/VidCAD/3DS workstation, audio & video editing / DVD authoring station, photoshop and web page authoring, on the rare occasion I’m home it might point the telescope and capture images or when I swap hard drives it’s a Linux box – haven’t gotten to the last two bits on the new PC – the interesting bit is – the software cost is almost 10 times the PC and all the accessories…

But now that things are settling in to place I will be back to posting at least a weekly basis and more often when life and the muse allow

(sort of) Bloging from NAB 2007

(I’ve been here since mid last week and leaving in a few hours so, like I said, sort of…)

O.K.

I know,

No posts in over two months in cyber time and I’m not even a footnote in the blog-o-sphere, shame on me

In my defense I would like to submit the following excuses;

1. the muse has not been upon my shoulder when I have the luxury of time to capture, let alone express such

2. reel and real life have been enormous time sucks of late

and of course, springtime in a new year and that most eventful of times – for some, the few (100,000 + attendees), its called

NAB

stands for - National Association of Broadcasters, very much a misnomer these days but no one has come up with a better name, there was a point in time about 10~12 years ago when I realized that I had more computer screens in my booth (‘stand’ to my Euro readers) than television screens, its now gotten to the point where almost half of the exhibitors are not directly involved in the actual process of producing broadcast radio or television.

It is however, THE convention where (almost) everything you see and hear “broadcast” (radio or television or cable or Direct to Home or the few who have some sort of IPTV) almost anywhere on this 3rd rock from sol – and the tools to produce and provide them are hawked, the rules and regulations are discussed and major deals are made,initiated or conceived that can make or break a company.

This has been one of the cyclic markers as my time arrow continues to go ‘that way’ for the last 35 solar orbital cycles – I’ve been attempting to ascertain exactly how many I’ve participated in and my current best estimate is ‘approximately 30’ - with a high of 32 and low value of 29, I’ve lost a few neurons over the years – I know my first was in ’72 (one of the youngest ones there) I missed ‘73-‘75 (my birthday was the one of the first ten out of the draft lottery – I joined the Navy - received my draft notice in boot camp…) and a scattered few since, the balance between ’exhibitor’ and 'exposition' badges is tipping to the exhibitor side once again.

This year I’ve spent 10 days at one of the fancier accommodations on the strip, while convenient and plush with lots of restaurants, its not my first choice

- as its $20 to get a pot of coffee in your room
(NAB means I’m sleep deprived, every body part aches, it’s a race to see which one gives up first – feet, legs, knees, lower back, voice or tolerance of fools - being between me and my first cup of coffee is a dangerous and ugly place to be)

- its 9.98 a day for a wired internet connection that is not very fast

- why do they charge more than 6 pack prices for a single beer?

- why can’t I get a semi decent meal for less than a c-note a plate?

- Why is every show (not that I’ve had the time or opportunity to see one – heck I’ve still not been to the geek haven of Quark’s bar at the Hilton after all these years) a 100 bucks plus a pop?

I know, whine whine but for the last 9 daze my workday has started in the pre dawn and ended past midnight - yes, there were a few at fancy restaurants and the occasional liberal consumption of adult beverages was involved but mostly it is a grind of lines (cues) for a cup of coffee, for a bus, monorail or taxi cab or restaurants seat, endless questions and meetings.

However one of the compelling reasons I return every year – friends!

Skpetics Circle redux

Late update: Sandy over at Junkfood Science got lost in the missing bits when word poofed last night – please check out
on Hidden fats and cautionary tale of poor science, politics and money gone astray

Sorry Sandy

Skeptics Circle #53

Welcome to my obscure corner of the internet, glad you found your way here, please pardon the clutter and allow me to clear some chairs and stools we’re not accustomed to too many visitors these days.

Please allow me to introduce myself, I’m a man of wealth (don’t I wish) and taste (urm, does Monty Python count as a + or -?)

Whoops, wrong tape

Blogging under the non de plume of Occam’s Edge, I’m your humble host for this, the 53rd edition of the Skeptics Circle. Grab a chair, pour yourself a tall one (remember to swallow before you click on a link, I take no responsibility for monitors or keyboards!) and marvel in the, um well, perhaps marvel is not the best word – incredulity?

Tomorrow is Groundhog day, a collective day of weather related woo (and in homage to the Bill Murry movie of the same name where the same day keeps repeating over and over again) it’s once again time to place the major purveyors of bovine excrement (who have locked in to some alternate loop that only concedes with the collective delusion the rest of us describe as reality during various television ‘chat shows’ where they provide minor variations on the same theme) upon the autopsy table and see what presents.

Up first is a convicted felon – leading the links, Robert Lancaster has the definitive site
for this (rhymes with “witch”) next up, El Hombre, the most amazing, who has revised his
challenge and is now on the offensive - such a prime target has many archers skeptico expands upon the theme and Lambic names some other prime targets, Mike adds his commentary while Thursday over at Polite Company offers another perspective

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOX

Arrgh!

M$word just lost everything! All my pithy comments, hours of work

gone!

And I’ve got autosave, everything - and, I’m supposed to know what I’m doing...

Pie assassins are far to kind!

Attempting to reconstruct and running out of time, fortunately I have the links - I will clean this up as my schedule allows.

Moving on from the temptation turn this in to a full on Brownie roast here are some critical looks at Sky Pilots and proponents of ID (due to lack of sleep and real world pressures, its just going to be the links) Shalini is first up with a look at
Francis Collins
Clarke brings us The Way of the Master in Atheists Nightmare
One of the better names out there Hells Handmaiden
Zeno takes a look at who's still left behind
Over in Kansas, Joshua takes apartAndrew Coulson’s argument
Lord Runolfr Orthlokarr Ulfsson lets us know that the anti vaccination woo is spreading
Infophilia offers an interesting argument, is betelgeuse, evidence for god?
Matt, the master slinger takes a shot, He also has the definitive Hovind File
Coffee house Poetry takes apart The “Good Reporters” and their little Evolution Isn’t Even Logical
essay

and other offerings to consider
From the mighty Orac
Loch Ness and other mysteries
sigh, I am cursed with the knack
math abuse
Equine excrement

true to groundhog day some climate woo (can't say I agree, but she is young - there is hope)
One
Two

Cathy Checks in with two posts on "enhanced" Dihydrogren Monoxide
Dihydrogren Monoxide 1
Dihydrogren Monoxide 2

and The Next Skeptics Circle Hoasts!

Randi takes the Offensive!

Following what sounds like it was a great time had by all (other then being in lost wages)one of the great skeptics of our time has announced a change in the million dollar challenge – check out the announcement

Reminder that submissions for this weeks Skeptics Circle are due by midnight EST Wednesday 31 January 07 – please forward your submissions to OkcamsEdge(at)gmail(dot)com