Whitey Grandad

I do hope we are not going to elect a new government on the basis of a few soundbites. That happened before and it didn't work out very well.

For question 2 I should have said 'just before the end of its first decade'. This decade began on the 1st January 2000, just after all the fireworks. 'learn proper' is an idiomatic expression that is used in parts of London with which I have been associated and I used it in a feeble attempt at ironic comic effect. A similar expression is used south of you in the form 'now listen, and listen good' but I know from experience that Canadians are better educated than that. A car's odometer will show zero until it has completed its first mile. The correct use of the zero for the start of a count is well-known by computer programmers, but less so by normal people.

The arabs invented the zero so that people like you could learn to count proper. How old is a baby before its first birthday? How old is it at the end of its first decade?

Do the same sanctions apply to the PL as to the CCC?

Hmm, mildly affluent sounds quite appealing at the moment.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I have two season tickets. One doesn't get used much and I can't get to every game but I don't expect a refund for either of them. Go and buy something in the club shop. That's nearly all profit so you'll achieve the same result.

I prefer icthyophiliac myself.

It's the same reason that every country's map just fits onto the page. The more relevant question is what happened just off the left of the scale. All graphs that are published are used to justify the presenter's viewpoint, or else they would not publish them.

And in the interest of further debate: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_globalwarmingpseudo01.htm

Isn't there a Chinese curse: 'may you live in interesting times' ?

Spot on. We could have the same deterrent with a few cruise missiles.

I never actually said that this was my case. I am an engineer and my whole career has been based on the practical appliance of science and scientific methods. I was taught at an early stage to verify for myself all the 'facts' and information that was presented to me. If I ask questions of those who have been convinced, then it is to encourage them to re-examine their convictions and perhaps they will see things in a new light or perhaps they will have their beliefs strengthened. I would hate for any of us to rush headlong on a course of action without having thoroughly considered all aspects of the situation as we currently see it.

Are you talking about these professors? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scientists_opposing_the_mainstream_scientific_assessment_of_global_warming

I've met a lot of professors. Don't believe all you read. Keep an open mind.

I've been in Denmark and Canada when snow fell and everything ground to a halt.

The same could be said about Brown...

My pleasure. Sunspots are only an indication of what's happening internally in the sun and the mechanism is not really understood, if at all. It is unusually quiet at the moment and should be building up towards 2011. I have always promised my wife I'd take her to see the Northern Lights so I have been waiting for the activity to increase but I may have to wait a little longer. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/01apr_deepsolarminimum.htm http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090504-sun-global-cooling.html http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_climatechange14.htm http://www.sott.net/articles/show/181839-Solar-Activity-Lowest-in-Almost-100-Years-Implications-for-Climate-Potentially-Significant All good reading but we shall have to wait a couple of years to see if the spots come back.

This one is the more more likely culprit, but volcanic activity also plays a big part: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maunder_Minimum

No. Might be worth a punt at half the price but I think it's a big step-up for him.

Silly boy. It smacks of desperation.

There's a lot of rain coming up from the southwest which is turning to snow over the higher ground around Salisbury - Andover - Basingstoke. Southampton's fine at the moment http://www.raintoday.co.uk/

I think that's Christmas Eve. You'd better check with Trousers to see what date that is this year

Oops! That should be 09:10 Sunday. It's even worse than I thought.

Too tight for me! Miss that one and the next is 07:10 Saturday. I have caught the 17:10 once but it nearly killed me.

A31 closed both ways in Alton. A272 blocked both ways near B2070 Ramshill, Petersfield