http://www.herkinderkin.com Musings of a grumpy old man Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:43:02 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Climate scientists have developed new models which plot natural oceanic temperature cycles, solar activity, and cathode-ray-tube (CRT) television household penetration against average global temperatures over time.  They show a surprising an unexpected result.  The recent unprecedented change in climate appears to be closely related to the number of cathode ray television sets in use. At the beginning of [...]]]> http://www.herkinderkin.com/2011/07/tv-sets-and-global-warming-a-ground-breaking-study/ Joe Bastardi is a weatherman.  He works for Weatherbell, a US-based forecaster, that provides global weather reports and forecasts through its website, http://www.weatherbell.com/.  Joe also has a number of corporate clients, for whom he prepares specific detailed forecasts tailored to their weather information needs. If one judges a weatherman by the success rate of his [...]]]> http://www.herkinderkin.com/2011/07/joe-bastardi-the-message-or-the-medium/ Anthony Watts reports that Obama’s visit to the UK produced a joint statement, released in a White house memo.  The whole thing makes interesting reading, and can be seen here: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/05/27/interesting-memo-from-the-white-house-on-science-and-climate-collaboration-with-the-uk/ The memo states that “Recognizing the great potential for productive cooperation in these domains, the Prime Minister and President reaffirmed during the State visit their mutual [...]]]> http://www.herkinderkin.com/2011/05/obama-cameron-call-for-open-science-do-they-really-mean-it/ In the traditional FPP (First-past-the-Post) system, the candidate receiving the most votes is elected.  And even though most electorate candidates are chosen by the party heirarchy, at least the voters in the electorate can chose between them.  Poorly performing MPs can be voted right out of parliament, and they face the vote every three years. [...]]]> http://www.herkinderkin.com/2011/05/proportional-representation-is-actually-disproportionate/ There is something very wrong with our priorities. The world is reeling from, and must deal with, natural and man-made horrors.  Natural ones like the Christchurch and Japanese earthquakes, or tropical cyclones. Man-made ones like the western world’s EU and UN-orchestrated CAGW-driven self-destruction and Libyan carnage.   And the consequences of the  stupidity of installing [...]]]> http://www.herkinderkin.com/2011/03/midsomer-murders-is-definitely-not-racist/ On Tuesday 8 March 2011, Justice Joseph Williams sentenced Rikki Leigh Scott Ngatai-Check, 23, to life imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years, for kicking a two-year old toddler to death for wetting his pants.  Seventeen years before he can even apply for parole.  That’s pretty strong these days, when our penal systems are [...]]]> http://www.herkinderkin.com/2011/03/a-judge-who-thinks-nz-murderers-dont-really-mean-it/ It is time to think carefully about the future of coal and oil-fired power stations in the NZ power-supply portfolio.   New Zealand has a lot of choices for power generation, renewable and non-renewable.  The renewables we have include hydro, geothermal and even the most expensive and unreliable of all renewable sources, wind.  We also have [...]]]> http://www.herkinderkin.com/2011/03/power-in-nz-on-the-rim-of-fire/ Those arguing for action against the perceived threat they call variously Catastrophic Anthropgenic Global Warming, Climate Change, Climate Disruption or whatever new name they can come up with to try to keep it alive have long relied on the argument that there is overwhelming scientific consensus about it and the “the science is settled”. In [...]]]> http://www.herkinderkin.com/2011/02/consensus/ This was posted by Joe Bastardi a couple of days ago.  It’s a direct quote from the Washington Post.  Apart from acknowledgement and thanks. no other comment is necessary: The Arctic Ocean is warming up, icebergs are growing scarcer and in some places the seals are finding the water too hot, according to a report [...]]]> http://www.herkinderkin.com/2011/01/nothing-new-under-the-arctic-sun-2/ There are some unbelievable comments in made in the “New Zealand Herald” about the recent tragic spate of fatal accidents involving bicycles and motor vehicles.  Some suggest licensing and WOFs for bicycles, as if that would make cycling less hazardous!   Another comment says there is  ”no space for cyclists on the road – they [...]]]> http://www.herkinderkin.com/2010/11/why-is-cycling-so-dangerous-in-new-zealand/